Erling Haaland left the pitch in the 67th minute of Norway’s 2-1 Nations League defeat to Portugal on Sunday, and the Haaland Norway substitution quickly raised questions among Manchester City supporters. Norway’s manager Stale Solbakken has since spoken about his workload.
Speaking after the match at the Estádio do Dragão, Solbakken talked about Haaland’s minutes. His comments were reported by Maisfutebol and, in Norwegian, by Dagbladet (both translated here).
What Solbakken said about the Haaland Norway substitution
Solbakken told Maisfutebol he spoke to Haaland and other players about the need for energy, and that they agreed Haaland would play but could not contribute more than “60-odd minutes”.
“Haaland knew that,” Solbakken said. He added that the striker had a good first hour and that two defenders were around him throughout.
Asked by Dagbladet whether he was worried, Solbakken said: “Today he did 60 good minutes. He did two 90s against Denmark and Portugal [in the first match]. He was tired against Wales. That is why we had a heart-to-heart yesterday.” Neither report gives a set minute for the Haaland Norway substitution.
Solbakken told Dagbladet: “He could maybe have played the last 45 minutes against Portugal. There was a discussion. But he has very bad vibes and feelings about it.” In his words to Maisfutebol, the player had “negative sensations” about it.
Norway’s second half and the Haaland Norway substitution
Solbakken said Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge and Haaland all felt it physically, so the team lacked its usual energy after the break. He also pointed to a second-half chance when the ball crossed the goal line in front of Haaland and he could not score.
He said Norway still have two games left in the group and that the result did not reflect the performance.
What it means for City
The manager’s account of the Haaland Norway substitution points to workload and tiredness after a heavy schedule, and a conversation with the player, rather than a reported injury. It does not say whether Haaland has any injury, and it says nothing about his availability for City after the break. No diagnosis has been reported from City or Norway in the sources we have seen. We will update this article if either side says more.
For more from the club, see our latest report: City lodge appeal as FA and HMRC pressure builds.
Was Norway right to manage Haaland's minutes?
Featured image: Erling Haaland for Norway against Morocco, June 2026. Photo: Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
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Do you think Norway handled Haaland’s minutes the right way, or should City have a say?