Haaland set to start for Norway against Ivory Coast after resting for France defeat

Erling Haaland is set to start for Norway when they face Ivory Coast in the round of 16 at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, June 30, after the Manchester City striker was deliberately rested for the team’s final group-stage match.

Haaland sat out Friday’s 4-1 defeat to France at Boston Stadium as an unused substitute, a decision Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken described as straightforward. “It’s a no-brainer,” Solbakken said after the loss, which left Norway second in their 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.”

Solbakken has not yet confirmed his starting lineup for Tuesday’s fixture, but Haaland’s return is widely anticipated. The 24-year-old arrives at the knockout stage in sharp form, having scored four goals across Norway’s first two group games — a brace against Iraq in the opener and two more against Senegal.

With four goals to his name, Haaland sits two behind tournament leader Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. His odds to claim the award currently stand at +2200.

Tuesday’s match carries historic weight for Norway. It will be the country’s first knockout-stage appearance at a men’s FIFA World Cup since 1998, and Haaland — the most prominent Norwegian footballer of his generation — will be expected to lead the charge against an Ivory Coast side that also advanced from the group stage.

The match kicks off at 1 p.m. ET at Dallas Stadium in Dallas, Texas.