From heavy criticism to World Cup history: Solbakken tells the story behind the national team at Oslo Business Forum, 16-17 September 2026.
A few years ago, Ståle Solbakken’s future as Norway’s national team manager was under scrutiny. This summer, he led Norway to its first-ever World Cup quarter-final, following eight straight qualifying wins and a historic victory over Brazil.
At Oslo Business Forum, Solbakken will take us behind the results in a moderated conversation, “Inside Norway’s World Cup Team: Building a Culture That Performs Under Pressure.” He’ll share what it took to build belief, trust and a high-performing team capable of delivering when the pressure was at its highest.
Belief before results
When he took over in 2020, Solbakken had a clear idea of the culture he wanted. The results did not follow. Norway failed in its hunt for a major tournament, the criticism grew, and his position was challenged in public.
Over several years, Solbakken and his staff built a culture around clear demands, trust and "freedom under responsibility". The goal was to get global superstars, young talents and domestic league players to perform as one team.
In 2026 the breakthrough came.
"The most interesting part is not that Norway won in the end. It is how Ståle managed to build belief before the results proved him right. That is a leadership challenge many people recognise," says Christoffer Omberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Oslo Business Forum.
He benched Haaland and Ødegaard, then struck back against Brazil
Against France he made ten changes and started both Erling Braut Haaland and Martin Ødegaard on the bench. The decision caused debate, but Solbakken prioritised load management and the rest of the tournament.
Against Brazil he intervened at half-time. Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup came on. Schjelderup assisted both of Haaland's goals as Norway won 2-1.
At Oslo Business Forum 2026 , Ståle Solbakken will talk about the decisions that were not shown on TV. How do you build belief when results are missing? How do you lead world-class individuals while keeping the team first? And how do you make unpopular calls when millions think they know better?
About Oslo Business Forum 2026: The Human Edge
Oslo Business Forum 2026: The Human Edge takes place 16-17 September at NOVA Spektrum and gathers 4,000 leaders. The programme includes Ståle Solbakken, Steven Bartlett, Angela Duckworth, Seth Godin, Patty McCord, Gary Hamel, Jesper Brodin, Rahaf Harfoush, Steven Van Belleghem and Shawn Kanungo.