Norway’s preparations for Saturday’s 2026 World Cup quarter-final match against England at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium have been suspended once again.
Norway national team head coach Starre Solbakken, Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland during a training session (Image: (PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP via Getty Images))
Norway have been evacuated from their hotel in Miami due to various disruptions ahead of their World Cup match against England. In addition to many players suffering from illness, the team was also frustrated by noise and basic logistical issues at the Dalmar in Fort Lauderdale.
We know that a large construction project next to our building faces a busy road and this was impacting our team during downtime. “There were some things we could have improved on and we have fixed them. We just have to do our best, optimize and prepare for the important matches,” captain Martin Odegaard said after completing the changeover in two-and-a-half hours with the help of volunteers.
Truls Daali, the Norwegian team’s logistics manager, added: “It’s cruel to have to move, but we are happy in our new location and everyone is happy now. Some may be worried that this will affect the players, but the players wanted this more than anyone.”
“We have a strong support team and were able to move us in 2.5 hours. The process of changing hotels is not ideal, but we wanted to take action as soon as possible. Having a good atmosphere is most important. The process of changing hotels was not ideal.”
“We were supposed to be in Miami for a week and are now in the US for six weeks, where we will be playing the biggest match in Norway’s history. We have avoided cabin fever so far, but we don’t want to take that risk now. FIFA has accepted that we will have to move to another hotel.”
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Norway coach Starre Solbakken defended his team’s decision to leave Dalmar while downplaying reports of an illness spreading within the camp. “It wasn’t right in some respects. FIFA agreed with that and actively helped us,” he said.
“You want gatherings and meeting rooms. Overall, there were too many details. It’s not like we can’t live there, but we’re a team, we’re together, we’re supposed to be a unit.”
Solbakken admitted that only one person is suffering from the disease, team manual therapist Thomas Odegaard. “That (story) is greatly exaggerated. We have enough physical therapists to deal with it,” he said.
“I haven’t read much about it. Marcus (Holmgren Pedersen) was a little shaky before the last game, but today he is ready to practice.”
Norway’s doctor Ola Sand, who had previously insisted the squad was “healthy”, told Netavisen: “All the players are healthy now. There is little to make a fuss about, considering they have been together for almost six weeks. It’s as great as[British media]would have you believe. We are in control.”
Norway defeated Brazil 2-1, with Haaland scoring two great goals to book their place in the last eight. And the forward said this after the game: “That’s always the case. If you get one or two chances, it usually ends up being a goal. I don’t know how I do it, but that’s how I do it, so just stay focused. I tell myself chances will come and I always know right away if I don’t score.”
“We just kept moving forward, but I hope to all the young people watching this interview that when they get a little older, they think playing for Norway is the proudest thing they’ve ever done in their lives. It’s just insane.”
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