Norway Coach Solbakken Reflects on World Cup Exit: 'We Gave Everything'

Norway's head coach, Stale Solbakken, struggled to find words after his team's heartbreaking 1-2 defeat to England in the World Cup quarter-finals. Despite the loss, Solbakken refused to make excuses, stating his players gave everything they possibly could in a challenging match.

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I feel very sorry for the guys. That's football. At the highest level, it provides the most beautiful emotions and the most painful disappointments. We were euphoric against Brazil, and today everything turned out differently. After a difficult start to the match, we played a heroic game. I can't fault the players because they gave everything they could.

Andreas Schjelderup scored an impressive goal in the 36th minute, putting Norway ahead. However, England's star player, Jude Bellingham, equalized just before halftime and scored the winning goal in the 95th minute of extra time. Bellingham's brace secured England's spot in the semi-finals, where they will face defending champions Argentina.

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We played at the highest level, but this time luck was not on our side. That's life, now we need to take a little breather.

Solbakken acknowledged the emotional rollercoaster of top-level football, contrasting the team's euphoria after their previous match against Brazil with their current disappointment. He commended his squad for their heroic performance, emphasizing that he could not fault their effort. The coach also noted that while they played at the highest level, luck was not on their side.

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There is nowhere higher to climb than this level. We had problems at the start of the match, but after that the guys played a great game. I am very proud of them.

Despite the loss, the 58-year-old specialist took pride in his team's achievement, reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1998. He expressed hope that the 2026 summer tournament left positive memories for Norwegians and that they created something special together. Solbakken also celebrated the incredible fan support and the team's success in meeting expectations, marking it as their greatest pride and a step forward in their World Cup journey.

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I hope that the summer of 2026 left good memories for everyone and that we created something special together. We received incredible fan support, we lived up to the hopes placed in us, and that's what I'm most proud of. We came to the World Cup wanting to take another step forward – I think we succeeded.