Norway’s national football team has criticised FIFA after being forced to change hotels just days before their FIFA World Cup quarter-final against England.
The Norwegian squad arrived in Miami on Monday, July 6, and was initially accommodated at The Dalmar hotel in Fort Lauderdale, a venue arranged by FIFA for participating teams.
However, after spending just one night there, the team relocated to the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, located about three miles away. According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, several of the rooms allocated to players reportedly had issues including cigarette smoke, mould and poor cleanliness.
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken acknowledged that the reported room issues were resolved quickly but said the hotel’s location was less than ideal. He noted that the property sits beside a six-lane highway and a major construction site, while the nearest beach was around an hour’s walk away.
The accommodation change sparked criticism in Norway, with football analyst Jesper Mathisen describing FIFA’s choice of hotel as inappropriate given the significance of the upcoming quarter-final. He argued that players should have access to the best possible environment before what he described as one of the biggest matches in Norwegian football history.
Mathisen added that factors such as noise and hygiene could potentially affect players’ rest and preparation, although he welcomed the fact that an alternative hotel was secured well before the match. Despite the criticism, the head of Norway’s World Cup delegation, Truls Daehli, praised FIFA for responding quickly to the team’s concerns.
Daehli said the team decided to relocate because they would be staying in the area for a full week and wanted to optimise preparations for their quarter-final. He added that FIFA agreed to transfer its accommodation package to the new hotel, while Norway would cover the additional cost because the Four Seasons is more expensive.
Norway captain Martin Ødegaard also confirmed the decision was made to ensure the team had the best possible conditions ahead of the match. “There were some things that could have been better, then we fixed it really just to optimise and prepare ourselves as best as possible for a big match,” Ødegaard said.
Reports noted that Argentina’s national team had stayed at the same hotel during the tournament before their Round of 32 match against Cape Verde without raising any public complaints. Norway are scheduled to face England in the FIFA World Cup quarter-final at Miami Stadium on Saturday.