Ahead of the FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England, Norwegian legend Gøran Sørloth discussed Norway's journey in this FIFA World Cup.
In this FIFA World Cup, Alexander Sørloth habitually looks up at the stands, where he always meets his father Gøran Sørloth's eyes.
As Norway historically advanced to the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals, Gøran Sørloth, who accompanied the team throughout their journey, could not hide his excitement.
"We are living in a dream," he said in an interview with VG. "This journey has been like a fairytale, and every remaining match is an extra bonus for us, a feast, an enjoyment, everything wonderful happening at the same time."
Currently, the Sørloth family is enjoying a rare break on Miami Beach, quietly awaiting Saturday's FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England.
Preparing for a "long war" in advance
Gøran revealed that upon arriving in the United States, he specifically chose the longest-duration mobile phone plan when getting a SIM card. "I believed from the beginning that we would stay in the FIFA World Cup for a long time."
As it turned out, his premonition became reality.
Witnessing Norway continuously make history has also brought tears to the eyes of countless Norwegian fans.
Speaking of the night after the team eliminated Brazil, Gøran was still very excited. "My tears kept flowing. I sang the national anthem more passionately than at any other time in my life, except maybe at karaoke. I have never sung so loudly as I did in the stands that day."
"Later my voice was hoarse. Everyone embraced each other, and couldn't stop crying. The stands were like a river of tears, but that feeling was truly wonderful."
From Boston, New York to Dallas, Gøran witnessed the continuous progress of this confident and well-coordinated Norwegian national team.
Son angry about being substituted? That's a good thing
However, in the round of 16 match against Brazil, when the game's outcome was being decided, Alexander Sørloth was already on the bench.
He was substituted at halftime by coach Solbakken, and he himself admitted after the match that he was "very angry" at the time.
His father, Gøran, completely understood this.
"Good heavens, if you can be happy about being substituted at this level, then there's a problem."
"If you don't care about it, then you should be doing something else instead of playing football."
As a former professional forward, Gøran believes his son's personality is very similar to his own.
"We are both rather impatient people, and we express our thoughts directly."
The national team cannot be all "nice guys"
Gøran believes that a team that can reach the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals and continuously make history cannot be full of pushovers.
"If the national team were all 'nice guys', it would be impossible to succeed."
"Without passion, without sparks, the team would lose its vitality."
"So, I like to see Alexander express his thoughts, and at the same time, I admire Ståle for making decisive decisions."
When talking about how his son handled his emotions, Gøran gave high praise.
"He does get angry with the head coach and goes directly to Ståle to communicate."
"But at the same time, he still encourages all his teammates around him and maintains a positive attitude."
"This is the right approach. You can't vent your emotions on the entire team just because you were substituted."
"If you have any dissatisfaction, go talk it over with the coach, and then continue to support the team."
Once promoted cultural change in the national team
In fact, Alexander Sørloth had previously believed that the Norwegian national team was too docile in the past and lacked a true competitive culture.
A few years ago, he had a public dispute with the then national team coaching staff – Lars Lagerbäck and Per Hansen – which attracted widespread attention.
Now, Gøran refers to that incident as a "complete showdown."
"At that time, the coach and players were not really on the same page."
"Fortunately, someone stood up and pointed out the problem, which was very important."
"Otherwise, the team would just continue to sleep."
"We have too many excellent players; we shouldn't have kept failing."
Now, under Solbakken's coaching, the Norwegian national team has gradually established a stronger winning culture.
When asked if the controversy of that year promoted team change, Gøran said: "Yes, those things had to be completely resolved."
"Originally, these contents were not intended to be made public, but then things developed in a somewhat special way. But that frank communication was helpful to everyone."
"If you want to build a true winning culture, you can't always be a good guy."
Believes the team can continue to create miracles
Looking ahead to the FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England, Gøran revealed that before the match, his son would still look up at the stands during warm-ups and share a brief eye contact with him. "That gives me a sense of reassurance."
"Although my body is full of anticipation, I am not nervous at all."
"Because I feel that this team is truly excellent now."
As a former Norwegian international, Gøran has personally played against England, and he knows very well that this team is physically strong and has a tough playing style.
However, he also sees in this current Norwegian team the shadow of the national team from his playing days.
"I can feel that momentum."
"This team is like a high-speed train, a very difficult team to stop."
Finally, Gøran smiled and said that he hopes to shed tears of joy again after the match against England, just like after the Brazil match, because of the team's advancement.
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