One day after Norway’s quarter-final exit at the FIFA World Cup, Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken publicly criticised the VAR system over a controversial incident.
Norway was eliminated from the World Cup after a 1-2 defeat to England in the quarter-final clash. The so-called “steel rope controversy” continues to spark heated debate. During the match, Norway goalkeeper Mathias Dyngeland’s goal kick was suspected of hitting a steel cable hanging above the pitch before falling back down.
Reflecting on the incident, Solbakken said: “The ball hit the steel rope and dropped straight down. There is no room for debate. FIFA should have acknowledged this fact. However, nothing can be changed now. I fully understand that the on-field referee failed to notice it amid intense gameplay and made no intervention. Without visual confirmation from the referee and corresponding chip sensor signals, VAR had no basis to intervene.”
Nevertheless, Solbakken voiced strong dissatisfaction with the overall performance of VAR throughout the tournament. One day after Norway’s elimination, he slammed the video assistant referee system in an interview. “I think it is a failure to deprive the world’s best referees of greater authority on the pitch,” Solbakken stated.
During the Norway vs England quarter-final, Norway’s Torbjørn Heggem scored to level the score at 1-1, but the goal was eventually disallowed after VAR review for a pushing foul committed by Erling Haaland. Referee Clément Turpin initially validated the goal before overturning his decision following VAR consultation. England ultimately secured a 2-1 victory over Norway after extra time.
Solbakken argued that the same contact would likely have been overlooked and the goal upheld during the group stage. “In earlier rounds, referees retained greater on-field discretion, and the threshold for intervention was much higher,” he said.
The coach cited Norway’s group-stage opener against Iraq as an example, in which Leo Skiri Østigård scored a goal. Solbakken pointed out that Haaland was involved in similar physical contact during that corner-kick attack, yet the goal was allowed to stand.
“In the knockout stage, everyone seems overly afraid of making mistakes and stirring up controversy,” Solbakken continued. “Ironically, we have seen more controversial decisions than ever, because key judgments are no longer made by the world’s top referees.”
This is not Solbakken’s first public outburst over refereeing decisions at this World Cup. He previously repeatedly blasted match officiating as “terrible” in post-match press conferences. “The best referees in the world should be granted more authority to officiate games. We must prevent external factors from excessively influencing on-field outcomes,” he stressed.
Even so, Solbakken denied any underlying conspiracy. “I still have faith in humanity; I do not believe such things exist,” he said.
Despite Norway’s tournament exit, Solbakken remained generally satisfied with his side’s World Cup campaign. He singled out the stunning victory over Brazil as his most unforgettable moment.
“When Erling scored to put us 2-0 ahead of Brazil, the whole stadium felt like it was shaking. It was an unbelievable, surreal scene,” Solbakken recalled. “You grow up watching Brazil’s iconic yellow jerseys, usually seeing them produce such dominant moments against others. That’s why this achievement feels so special and powerful.”
