Norway at the FIFA World Cup 2026

History

Norway has appeared at the FIFA World Cup on three previous occasions before 2026: 1938, 1994, and 1998. Their best result prior to 2026 came in 1998 in France, where they reached the round of 16 before losing to Italy. At that tournament they notably beat Brazil 2-1 in the group stage. Norway missed the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments, resulting in a 28-year gap between their 1998 appearance and the 2026 edition. The 2026 World Cup is their fourth appearance overall and marks the return of Norwegian football to the global stage, driven by a golden generation including Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard. In 2026 Norway surpassed their 1998 mark, winning their Round of 32 (2-1 v Ivory Coast) and Round of 16 (2-1 v Brazil, Haaland scoring both) before losing 2-1 after extra time to England in the quarter-final on 11 July 2026, their best-ever World Cup result.

Qualification

Norway qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by winning UEFA qualifying Group I with a perfect record: eight wins from eight matches, scoring 37 goals and conceding just five. Their group included Italy, Israel, Estonia, and Moldova. Erling Haaland was the standout performer, scoring 16 goals in the qualifiers, twice the total of any other European qualifier top scorer. Norway clinched their place with a 4-1 victory away at Italy on November 16, 2025, confirming them as group winners with a game to spare. They became one of only two UEFA sides alongside England to win every qualifying match. This was coach Stale Solbakken's first successful World Cup qualifying campaign after missing the 2014 and 2018 tournaments.

Preparation

Norway assembled under head coach Stale Solbakken following the official squad announcement, naming a 26-man group headlined by Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, and Alexander Sorloth. They opened their warm-up programme with a 3-1 win over neighbours Sweden on June 1, 2026 at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, a match for which Haaland and Odegaard were rested after long club campaigns; Jorgen Strand Larsen scored twice and Antonio Nusa added the third. The squad then flew to the United States, arriving at their World Cup base camp in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 2 and training at UNC Greensboro behind tight security, with high fences and black tarps shielding sessions from view. Odegaard sat out part of the first Greensboro session with a minor thigh contusion, but Solbakken played it down and cleared him to start, naming both Odegaard and Haaland in the XI he drilled for the Morocco match. The team relocated to a Jersey City hotel to face Morocco on June 7, 2026 at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, their last warm-up after a planned closed-door friendly against Scotland on June 8 was cancelled when Scotland withdrew with injuries; the squad returned to Greensboro afterwards. That final friendly ended in a sobering 1-1 draw: Brahim Diaz put Morocco ahead after eight minutes before Martin Odegaard equalised late, his first goal in nine months, set up by substitute Oscar Bobb. Haaland was starved of service and made way, and Solbakken made seven half-time changes while warning his side could not afford the early turnovers it gave away, even as the team improved after the break. Back in Greensboro, Norway hosted a free public training session on June 10 at UNCG Soccer Stadium, their only open session of the camp: over 20,000 people had requested tickets for a 3,500-seat venue, and captain Odegaard and Haaland were both in attendance. Two days later, on June 12, Haaland led a group of teammates including Leo Ostigard, Sander Berge and Jorgen Strand Larsen, as well as coach Solbakken, on a trip to Raleigh's Lenovo Center to watch Stanley Cup Final Game 5 between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights; the Hurricanes won 4-2 to take a 3-2 series lead, and Haaland jokingly declared hockey his new favourite sport. Norway then opened the tournament on June 16, 2026 with a commanding 4-1 victory over Iraq at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough: Haaland scored in the 29th minute from a cross by David Moller Wolfe, Iraq levelled briefly through Aymen Hussein's header (39'), but Haaland added a second in the 43rd by pouncing on a goalkeeper error. Leo Ostigard headed in an Odegaard corner in the 76th minute, and Hussein turned the ball into his own net in stoppage time to make it 4-1. Norway top Group I ahead of their second group match against Senegal. Off the pitch, defender Leo Ostigard became a father on June 19 while the squad was still in North Carolina; he witnessed the birth via FaceTime, called it 'helt fantastisk' and said he was 'so proud of Aurora', while teammates Haaland, Berge and Strand Larsen burst into his hotel room to congratulate him. Ostigard had dedicated his goal against Iraq to his partner and newborn. Kristian Thorstvedt also appeared at a press conference on June 20 to retract his immediate post-match claim of that same goal, admitting after reviewing camera footage that he never contacted the ball and saying 'I'm somewhat ashamed I tried to claim it'. Heading into the Senegal match, NRK expert Eirik Horneland dismissed criticism of Martin Odegaard's performance against Iraq as 'veldig tullete' (very silly), pointing to FIFA match data showing Odegaard made 56 sprints and 39 pressing actions — the most among Norwegian players. Norway wore their all-black reserve kits for the Senegal fixture, as FIFA mandated they use their away strip to ensure contrast with Senegal's all-white jerseys. In that second group match on 22 June at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, Norway beat Senegal 3-2 to secure qualification for the Round of 32. Julian Ryerson had been managing a thigh problem pre-match; Norway gambled on his fitness but he was forced off in the 13th minute, replaced by Marcus Holmgren Pedersen who opened the scoring in the 43rd. Haaland added two more (48', assist Ødegaard; 58', assist Berg) before Ismaila Sarr scored twice for Senegal (53', 90+3') to set up a tense finish. Haaland became only the second player in 50 years to score twice in each of his first two World Cup games. After the final whistle the full squad performed the viral 'Viking Row' on the MetLife pitch — Odegaard beat a drum while teammates mimed rowing; Haaland said 'Martin asked me before the game: if we win, let's do it.' Solbakken called it 'fun for the fans' and a one-tournament gimmick. In the final group match on 26 June at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, France were led by assistant Guy Stephan after Didier Deschamps left camp to attend his mother's funeral. Solbakken rotated heavily, making 10 changes and resting Haaland and Ødegaard. France won 4-1: Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick in the 7th, 20th and 32nd minutes — the second-fastest in World Cup history — before Thelo Aasgaard pulled one back in the 21st. Norway earned a second-half penalty but Strand Larsen's effort was saved by Mike Maignan. Désiré Doué headed in France's fourth in the 90+4th. France topped Group I with a perfect record; Norway finished second with 6 points. Julian Ryerson, who Solbakken had ruled out for the France match ('Yes, he is excluded. He has not gone home, we are keeping him here and hope he makes progress'), is hoped to return for the knockouts. Norway face Ivory Coast in the Round of 32 on 30 June 2026 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Dallas, Texas, with Haaland and Ødegaard expected to start. Ryerson was ruled out of that match, still recovering from his thigh injury. Norway won 2-1: Antonio Nusa put them ahead in the 39th minute with a curling strike into the top corner, Amad Diallo equalised for Ivory Coast in the 74th after coming off the bench, and Haaland scored the winner in the 86th minute, securing Norway's first-ever World Cup knockout victory and a Round of 16 meeting with Brazil. Ryerson again missed out through injury. Ahead of the Brazil match on 5 July 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, Ryerson returned to full training on the Friday and Saturday, though the team doctor rated his chances of being fit at under 50 percent; he was ultimately restored to the squad. Norway beat Brazil 2-1: Bruno Guimaraes had a first-half penalty saved by goalkeeper Orjan Nyland after Kristoffer Ajer fouled Matheus Cunha, and the game stayed goalless until Haaland struck twice in the closing stages, heading in a Schjelderup cross in the 79th minute and adding a low finish in the 90th; Neymar converted a stoppage-time penalty (90+10') after substitute Leo Ostigard fouled Casemiro, but it was too late. The result sent Norway into their first-ever World Cup quarter-final, level with Lionel Messi on seven tournament goals for Haaland. Norway faced England in the quarter-final on 11 July 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Andreas Schjelderup put Norway ahead in the 36th minute with a cross-shot, but Jude Bellingham equalised for England in first-half stoppage time (45+2') after a quick break from a Norwegian goal kick, before scoring the extra-time winner (93') to send England through 2-1. The equaliser was mired in controversy: television footage appeared to show Nyland's clearing kick striking one of the overhead camera cables and dropping suddenly into the path of England's Eliott Anderson, who set up the move for Bellingham's first goal. Solbakken confronted match officials at halftime and told reporters 'the ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction' and that it 'drops down straight from heaven, says everyone, including Orjan, who is the goalie.' FIFA said the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no data spike consistent with contact and found no evidence the ball touched the wire. The quarter-final defeat ended Norway's tournament with their best-ever World Cup result.

Squad

Recent results

• 2024-03-22 — NOR 1-2 CZE (friendly)
• 2024-03-26 — NOR 1-1 SVK (friendly)
• 2024-06-05 — NOR 3-0 KOS (friendly)
• 2024-06-08 — DEN 3-1 NOR (friendly)
• 2025-03-22 — MDA 0-5 NOR (qualification)
• 2025-03-25 — ISR 2-4 NOR (qualification)
• 2025-06-06 — NOR 3-0 ITA (qualification)
• 2025-06-09 — EST 0-1 NOR (qualification)
• 2025-09-04 — NOR 1-0 FIN (friendly)
• 2025-09-09 — NOR 11-1 MDA (qualification)
• 2025-10-11 — NOR 5-0 ISR (qualification)
• 2025-10-14 — NOR 1-1 NZL (friendly)
• 2025-11-13 — NOR 4-1 EST (qualification)
• 2025-11-16 — ITA 1-4 NOR (qualification)
• 2026-03-27 — NED 2-1 NOR (friendly)
• 2026-03-31 — NOR 0-0 SUI (friendly)
• 2026-06-01 — NOR 3-1 SWE (friendly)
• 2026-06-07 — MAR 1-1 NOR (friendly)
• 2026-06-16 — IRQ 1-4 NOR (group)
• 2026-06-22 — NOR 3-2 SEN (group)
• 2026-06-26 — NOR 1-4 FRA (group)
• 2026-06-30 — CIV 1-2 NOR (round_of_32)
• 2026-07-05 — NOR 2-1 BRA (round_of_16)
• 2026-07-11 — NOR 1-2 ENG (quarter_final)