Norwegian football is on the rise.

Norway demonstrated the overwhelming strength of their national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Norwegian football is experiencing a spectacular breakthrough with impressive achievements: a Norwegian team has reached the Champions League group stage/qualifying round for the first time since 2007, and the national team has participated in a major tournament for the first time since 2000.

Norway dominated.

The Norwegian national team finished the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the European region with a perfect record of 8 wins out of 8 matches, a rare achievement in the history of the country's football. In Group I, where they faced opponents such as Italy and Israel, Norway not only won but also achieved a superior goal difference: +32 (scoring 37 goals and conceding only 5).

The highlight was the 4-1 victory against Italy on the morning of November 17th, a match that officially marked a new status for Norwegian football. According to statistics from Fotmob , Norway averaged 4.62 goals per game in the qualifiers. Other emphatic victories included an 11-1 win against Moldova and a 5-0 win against Israel, demonstrating their superior strength in both attack and defense.

Norway proved they were not just an "underdog" but a real force. The brilliance of stars like Erling Haaland, Sorloth, and previously Odegaard played a crucial role.

Their perfect record in the qualifying rounds (including two emphatic victories against Italy) demonstrates the soundness of the Norwegian Football Federation's (NFF) football development strategy. With investment in youth training and a long-term plan, Norway overcame the prolonged "drought" following Euro 2000, when they were absent from 12 consecutive major tournaments.

Norway is on a strong rise.

New hope

Norway's rise wasn't limited to the qualifying rounds. Bodo Glimt, representing Norway at club level, had an impressive performance in the Champions League, progressing through the qualifying stages to reach the classification phase for the first time.

Previously, in the 2024/25 season, Bodo Glimt also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. This was the first time a Norwegian club had reached this stage in a European competition.

This season, Bodo Glimt made history by becoming the team from the far north to ever participate in the UEFA Champions League group stage/qualifying round, a proud achievement.

The rise of Bodo Glimt and the national team is not just a fleeting achievement, but a testament to Norway's sustainable football strategy. With Haaland leading the way and a generation of young talents from academies like Bodo Glimt, Norway promises to continue making a name for itself at the 2026 World Cup.