'They Prepared My Funeral': When Stoppage Time Turned Into Clinical Death For Norway Coach Stale Solbakken

Not many have put Norway as one of the favourites for the FIFA World Cup 2026 title. But Erling Haaland and Co. defied the odds and came up on top as they defeated Brazil 2-1 to reach the World Cup quarterfinal for the first time. Norway coach Stale Solbakken has been the backbone behind this stellar Norway team, but back in 2001, he escaped death.

How Norway Coach Espaced Death In 2001

It has been a fairytale story for the Norwegian side, who will now face the high-flying England in the quarterfinal. Back on March 13, 2001, Solbakken's world changed in a few minutes. The former midfielder was a part of the Danish side Copenhagen and he collapsed on the training ground that day.

As per The Marca, Dr Frank Odgaard performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and external cardiac massage until an ambulance arrived at the scene and then a defibrillator was used to restart his heart. Dr Odgaard told Marca, "Solbakken went seven minutes without breathing and that day has been completely erased from his memory."

Solbakken also admitted that his mother arrived to Denmark right after the incident and was preparing his funeral on the flight. He told Marca, “my parents flew to Denmark immediately. They told me that, during the flight, my mother began organizing my funeral. At first they were worried about whether I would survive; afterward, whether I would suffer brain damage. Those were the thoughts tormenting my family and my teammates, who saw me collapse, die, and come back to life.”

Harry Kane To Face Erling Haaland In FIFA World Cup Quarters

Norway's dream run will now coincide with England's consistency, as Harry Kane will come up against Erling Haaland at Miami Stadium. Haaland is now tied with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe with 7 goals, while Kane is just one behind. Both forwards have looked in ominous form, but only one will advance to the next stage.

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