Ståle Solbakken came back from death and now leads Norway's World Cup fairytale

Norway has become one of the biggest surprises of the FIFA World Cup 2026, but behind its remarkable run is an extraordinary story of survival.

Norway has become one of the biggest surprises of the FIFA World Cup 2026, but behind its remarkable run is an extraordinary story of survival.

Head coach Ståle Solbakken was clinically dead for seven minutes nearly 25 years ago. Today, he leads a Norwegian side that has eliminated Ivory Coast and Brazil and now dreams of reaching the semifinals.

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The day Solbakken was clinically dead

Everything changed on March 13, 2001, during a training session with FC Copenhagen.

At just 33 years old and serving as the club's captain, Solbakken suffered sudden cardiac arrest caused by a previously undiagnosed congenital heart condition.

Thanks to the immediate response of the medical staff and his rapid transfer to the hospital, doctors managed to revive him after his heart had stopped for seven minutes.

"I saw a blue light and a tunnel"

Years later, Solbakken recalled the experience on the Drivkreft podcast.

"I remember seeing a blue light and then a tunnel. I remember thinking that I would like to stay there a little longer."

He also revealed a heartbreaking story about his mother.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Solbakken said that while she was traveling to the hospital without knowing whether he was alive, she was already thinking about how to organize his funeral.

The end of his playing career

After being placed in a medically induced coma to protect his brain, Solbakken recovered without neurological damage.

However, doctors informed him that he would never be able to play professional football again.

The former Norway international, who represented his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, immediately began a new chapter as a coach.

The mastermind behind Norway's World Cup run

Solbakken started coaching at the age of 33 and became Norway's national team manager in December 2020.

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he has guided Norway to victories over Ivory Coast in the Round of 32 and Brazil in the Round of 16, turning the Scandinavian nation into one of the tournament's biggest stories.

Now, Norway faces England with a place in the semifinals at stake.

Nearly 25 years after surviving one of the most dramatic moments imaginable, Ståle Solbakken is writing the greatest chapter of his career from the sidelines.