Bullet point summary by AI
- Norway makes its first World Cup appearance since 1998 and has already surpassed its total tournament wins from the past three decades.
- Erling Haaland leads the team with seven goals in four matches, breaking national records and closing in on global scoring greats.
- The quarterfinal against England at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday will test whether Norway’s surprise run can continue one step further.
Every World Cup, there is always one surprise package that makes a deep run and, this summer, that team is Norway. This is the Lions’ first World Cup appearance since ’98, and the first time they’ve qualified for any major tournament since Euro 2000, before many members of their squad were even born. They had only ever won three matches at tournaments in their history, beating Mexico in ’94, Brazil in ’98 and Spain at the first European Championships of the new millennium.
Well, they have surpassed that tally this summer alone, with Ståle Solbakken’s side racking up four victories, including dumping out Côte d’Ivoire and Brazil during the knockout phase. So now, Norway will fancy their chances of beating England in the quarterfinals at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.
Despite their lack of pedigree, both historic and more recent, it should not be too much of a surprise that Norway have made a deep run in North America, once you realize the quality in their squad.
Club teams for every player on the Norway World Cup roster
Players
Position
Club
Ørjan Nyland
GK
Sevilla (La Liga)
Sander Tangvik
GK
Hamburg (Bundesliga)
Egil Selvik
GK
Watford (EFL Championship)
Julian Ryerson
RB
Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)
Marcus Holmgren Pedersen
RB
Torino (Serie A)
Kristoffer Ajer
CB
Brentford (Premier League)
Leo Østigård
CB
Genoa (Serie A)
Sondre Langås
CB
Derby County (EFL Championship)
Henrik Falchener
CB
Viking (Eliteserien)
Torbjørn Heggem
CB
Bologna (Serie A)
David Møller Wolfe
LB
Wolverhampton Wanderers (Premier League)
Fredrik André Bjørkan
LB
Bodø/Glimt (Eliteserien)
Morten Thorsby
CM
Cremonese (Serie A)
Patrick Berg
CM
Bodø/Glimt (Eliteserien)
Sander Berge
CM
Fulham (Premier League)
Kristian Thorstvedt
CM
Sassuolo (Serie A)
Thelo Aasgaard
CM
Rangers (Scottish Premiership)
Fredrik Aursnes
CM
Benfica (Primeira Liga)
Martin Ødegaard
CAM
Arsenal (Premier League)
Andreas Schjelderup
LW
Benfica (Primeira Liga)
Jens Petter Hauge
LW
Bodø/Glimt (Eliteserien)
Oscar Bobb
RW
Fulham (Premier League)
Antonio Nusa
LW
RB Leipzig (Bundesliga
Alexander Sørloth
ST
Crystal Palace (Premier League)
Jørgen Strand Larsen
ST
Atlético Madrid (La Liga)
Erling Braut Håland
ST
Manchester City (Premier League)
Almost every member of this squad is plying their trade at a high level across Europe, either in a big five league or for a club in a smaller league, but who are regulars in UEFA competition. Falling in the latter category is Patrick Berg, who has been excellent since coming into midfield. He was a key figure in the Bodø/Glimt side that reached the Champions League round of 16 last season. Well, his club side will be desperate to have him back, considering they commence their next Champions League campaign with a qualifier on August 4/5.
Meantime, Norway have been so unconvinced by their goalkeepers that they attempted to naturalise Nikita Haikin. The Russian, who has been at Bodø/Glimt since 2019, was denied Norwegian eligibility as recently as May, making his unavailable for selection. Thus, they’ve stuck with Ørjan Nyland, who is currently without a club, having been something of a journeyman. He has appeared for Aston Villa, Norwich, Reading, RB Leipzig and most recently Sevilla, before being released. Now 35, he has never convinced, until this tournament, particularly impressive during the win over Brazil.
Solbakken also has Premier League winning captain Martin Ødegaard, highly-rated winger Antonio Nusa and Borussia Dortmund right-back Julian Ryerson, among other top talents, but you are slightly kidding yourself if you don’t acknowledge that this team is pretty much all about one man.
Top transfer market value on the Norway World Cup roster
Players
Transfer value
Erling Braut Håland
$230 million.
Martin Ødegaard
$74 million.
Jørgen Strand Larsen
$46 million.
Antonio Nusa
$37 million.
Andreas Schjelderup
$34 million.
Oscar Bobb
$32 million.
Sander Berge
$29 million.
Julian Ryerson
$29 million.
Alexander Sørloth
$21 million.
Kristoffer Ajer
$21 million.
Note: All transfer market estimations courtesy of Transfermarkt.
Few individuals are as important to their national team as Erling Braut Håland is to Norway. His double to dump out Brazil took his tally to seven goals across his first four World Cup appearances, continuing his freakishly good scoring record for his country. Having also netted 16 times in eight qualifiers, Håland’s tally stands at 62 goals in just 54 international caps. For context, Jørgen Juve’s tally of 33 goals had stood as the national record since 1934, but has now been obliterated.
Of any nationality, only 37 men have scored more goals than Håland at international level. He is two behind Kylian Mbappé, now level with Zlatan Ibrahimović and O Fenômeno Ronaldo. Didier Drogba, Robbie Keane, Gerd Müller and Luis Suárez are among those in his sights.
Thus, it is no surprise that, by some distance, Håland is rated as Norway’s most valuable player. Nevertheless, it is the supporting cast that has provided him with the platform on which to shine this summer, so can this team overcome England in South Florida on Saturday?
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