Norway coach Solbakken rejects odds that give team 97% chance to advance

Norway’s men’s football team, eliminated in the opening round by Iraq, faces Senegal in its next World Cup group match. Coach Ståle Solbakken told reporters he does not trust the probability calculations from the Norsk Regnesentral and NRK’s models, which estimate a 97‑98.7% chance of reaching the knockout stage. He said the team must concentrate on securing four points from the remaining fixtures and deliver two strong performances, noting that every match now feels like a final.

Senegal, which lost to France, also regards its upcoming game as a decisive “final”, with coach Pape Thiaw emphasizing the high stakes for his side. Both teams understand that a negative result could end their tournament hopes.