Norway haven't been at a men's World Cup since 1998. That drought is over — and they've arrived with something to say about it.
This isn't a team celebrating the invitation. Erling Haaland is 25 and in his prime. Martin Ødegaard runs midfield for Arsenal. No team scored more goals in UEFA World Cup qualifying. The Norwegians are here to compete, and the group stage draw — Iraq, Senegal, France — gives them a genuine shot at advancing deep into the knockout rounds.
The squad that breaks defenses before a ball is kicked
Fourteen of Norway's 26-man squad stand at least 6-foot-2. Let that sit for a second. Haaland is 6-foot-5. So is Alexander Sørloth. Jørgen Strand Larsen is 6-foot-4. Centre-back Kristoffer Ajer clears 6-foot-6, while midfielder Sander Berge matches Haaland's height. Opposing set-piece coaches will be losing sleep over this group.
Sørloth has been asked to operate wider for Norway than he does at Atlético Madrid, but with right back Julian Ryerson providing cover on the flank, he'll drift central when it matters. Manager Ståle Solbakken has a selection headache that most coaches would trade for — too many attacking options, not enough starting spots.
Haaland is the obvious focal point. If he clicks — and at a World Cup he's been denied until now, the motivation is obvious — a Golden Boot challenge is realistic. Norway can probably scrape through the group without him firing. Against France or tougher knockout opponents? They'll need him at his best.
The manager who literally came back from the dead
Solbakken has been in charge since 2020, but his backstory is unlike almost anyone else in football. In March 2001, while training in England, he suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch. His heart stopped. He was pronounced dead. An ambulance arrived almost seven minutes later and he was revived — a born heart defect later identified, a pacemaker fitted, a playing career ended.
He's coached ever since. And in a later interview, he noted he "also knows that there are other, more important things in life than football." Given what he's been through, that's not a platitude.
Solbakken made headlines recently for a spat with Scotland, who cancelled a scheduled training match at the last minute — citing injuries from another friendly — while both squads were camped near each other in North Carolina. He didn't take it well.
"It was surprising to me and it is unprofessional of Scotland," he told reporters. "It is unprofessional that the coach has not called me, that they use the team manager and call and say it after we have finished training. I don't think the injuries they're blaming came from the last training session. That's not the case. It's disappointing. It's unprofessional."
That's not a man in tourist mode. Norway's group stage schedule runs as follows:
- June 16: Iraq vs. Norway — 6 p.m., Boston
- June 22: Norway vs. Senegal — 8 p.m., New York/New Jersey
- June 26: Norway vs. France — 3 p.m., Boston
Win the first two and the France match becomes a statement game rather than a survival one. That's the path. Norway have the squad to walk it.
