Haaland’s goals will undoubtedly be vital to Norway’s cause at the World Cupbut beyond their star striker, Solbakken is convinced they will be able to rely upon being more than the sum of their parts as they return to football’s biggest stage for the first time in 28 years, where they will contest the so-called ‘Group of Death’ alongside France, Senegal and Iraq.
“I think it means a lot for the whole nation, especially the common supporter,” Solbakken told FIFA. “I think it’s been hard for everyone to sit home at every World Cup back to when I played in 1998. Fifty-thousand fans came to meet us (after qualification was confirmed) on a Monday in minus four (degrees), so that says it all. They have waited for this moment for so long, and now it’s finally here.
“I don’t think we are dark horses to get all the way. I think we are dark horses in terms of, on our day, we can maybe beat a stronger opponent. But to say that we are dark horses for the whole tournament is too far. We are in a very hard group. I think it will be very tight and hopefully we have the organisation and the match-winners to get through.”
He added: “For Norway, this is the World Cup to express themselves – to show the world that we play, maybe, a different kind of football than what we have done before, and that we are an offensive team with good individuals that work hard for each other. My dream scenario? I won’t talk about it, because my dreams are for myself. But hopefully we can get the best out of the team and on our day, then we can beat anyone.”
