Norway sits Erling Haaland, and 9 others, against France to rest up for knockout stage at World Cup

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Norway striker Erling Haaland and nine of the team's other regular starters needed rest more than a first-place finish in their World Cup group.

“It’s a no-brainer," coach Ståle Solbakken said Friday after a 4-1 loss to France left the Norwegians in second place in the group. "The fans around Norway and also in the arena would have liked to see Erling. But that is not really the issue. We want to proceed as long as we can in the tournament.”

Already in the knockout round but with a chance to win the group with a victory over France on Friday, Solbakken decided to rest 10 of the players who started the previous game. France, which won the World Cup in 2018 and lost in the final four years ago, took a 3-1 lead on Ousmane Dembélé's first-half hat trick, and earned a round of 32 matchup with a third-place team.

“I would lie if I said that I wasn’t a little bit surprised, for sure,” France defender Jules Koundé said. “No matter which player we have in front of us, we are always trying to do our best and win. We wanted to finish first on the table and that’s what we did, so pretty happy about it.”

Norway would have needed to beat France to win the group because they trailed on goal difference heading into the match. Instead, Norway will next face the Ivory Coast, also second-place finisher, on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.

Solbakken said the team's short break after Monday's victory over Senegal convinced him it was more important to rest his regulars than go for the victory. Among the changes, Egil Selvik was in goal in place of Orjan Nyland against France's regular lineup.

“I think it’s smart,” midfielder Patrick Berg said. “It’s hopefully for us a long tournament. So being able to rest somebody and at the same time give somebody — who has been here for some weeks now, training really hard — give them the opportunity to perform against one of the best teams, I think it was a win-win situation for us.”

Haaland, a Manchester City forward who has been the Premier League's leading scorer three of the last four seasons, entered the day with four World Cup goals, tied for second with Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and France’s Kylian Mbappé, and trailing only Argentina's Lionel Messi.

But Norwegian fans who spent thousands to travel to the United States and even more for their match tickets were deprived of seeing one of the World Cup's star attractions.

“I feel this consideration,” Solbakken said. “But we have given them a couple of victories, and we are giving them an opportunity to watch more games ... We are here to proceed as long as we can. And I need to make decisions to proceed as long as possible.”

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Norway's Erling Haaland (9), foreground, and his teammates sing the national anthem before the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland, left, greet each other before the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland and Martin Oedegaard, right, take their seats on the bench before during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland applauds at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland and France's Desire Doue, left, shake hands at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland exercises with his team during a training session in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Norway's Erling Haaland exercises with his team during a training session in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, ahead of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Norway and France, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka reached lunch at 83-2 in its second innings Wednesday, still 130 behind in the second cricket test after India enforced the follow on.

Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar took three wickets each as Sri Lanka was dismissed for 290 in reply to India's first innings of 503-9 declared.

At the break, Pasindu Sooriyabandara was not out on 35 and Kamindu Mendis was unbeaten on 10.

Sri Lanka started Day 4 at 265-8 at the Sinhalese Sports Club with No. 7 batsman Sonal Dinusha closing in on a century and just 39 runs away from avoiding the follow on.

But, off spinner Saransh Jain accounted for the last two wickets as Sri Lanka gave up a 213-run first innings lead.

Dinusha raised his second century of this series in carrying on the form that fetched him 100 and 84 in the first test at Galle, where India won by 165 runs.

Lahiru Kumara, who supported Dinusha by facing 58 deliveries for his 12 runs, was out caught by Druv Jurel off Jain.

Dinusha was to last wicket to fall for 103, caught by KL Rahul off Jain. He faced 162 deliveries and hit three sixes and eight boundaries.

Fast bowler Krishna finished the innings with 3-52 while left-arm spinner Suthar took 3-85. Jain had figures 2-69.

After a quick innings change, Sri Lanka was immediately in trouble, losing its first wicket with the total at five when opener Lahiru Udara tried to hook fast bowler Mohammed Siraj and was caught at square leg.

Kamil Mishara was trapped lbw for 32 by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, ending a 58-run second-wicket stand with Sooriyabandara, who survived two dropped catches.

See AP’s full cricket coverage here

India's Mohammed Siraj unsuccessfully attempts to take a catch to dismiss Sri Lanka's Pasindu Sooriyabandara during day four of the second cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

India's Ravindra Jadeja, left, looks skywards as he celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Kamil Mishara with teammates during day four of the second cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's Pasindu Sooriyabandara plays a shot during day four of the second cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

India's Ravindra Jadeja, second left, celebrates taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Kamil Mishara with teammates during day four of the second cricket test match between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)