The Norwegian men’s national football team has a long history, but the road to the World Cup in recent years has been characterized by both hope and disappointment. Norway has not qualified for a World Cup since 1998, when they participated in France under the leadership of Egil “Drillo” Olsen. Since then, the country has struggled to reach football’s biggest stage, despite a number of talented players and periods of positive development.
One of the main reasons why Norway has struggled to qualify for the World Cup is the strong competition in European football. Norway has often ended up in tough qualifying groups with opponents who are ranked higher in FIFA’s world rankings. In addition, the lack of consistency and depth in the squad has been a challenge. Although Norway has had individual stars such as John Arne Riise, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and later Martin Ødegaard, the team has often lacked the collective strength required to get through long qualifying matches.
In recent years, however, there has been reason for optimism. With a new generation of talented players, including Martin Ødegaard, Erling Haaland and Alexander Sørloth, Norway has shown signs that they can compete at a high level. Especially Erling Haaland’s explosive scoring ability has made Norway a feared opponent. Still, a lack of depth on the bench and defensive vulnerability have been challenges that have prevented the team from securing a World Cup spot.
During the qualification for the 2022 World Cup, Norway finished third in their group, behind Turkey and the Netherlands. Although they showed promise, including an impressive win over the Netherlands, it was not enough to secure a playoff spot. The disappointment was great, especially considering that Norway had a chance to take second place in the group, but a draw against Latvia and a defeat against the Netherlands ruined their hopes.
Now Norway is looking forward to the qualification for the 2026 World Cup with renewed optimism. With a young and talented team, as well as a coach in Ståle Solbakken who has experience from both club football and national team football, there is hope that Norway can finally break the long absence from the World Cup. To succeed, the team must find greater consistency, strengthen the defense and make the best use of their stars. If everything falls into place, Norway may finally be able to celebrate a return to the world’s biggest football stage.
The Norwegian men’s national team has faced a number of tough opponents in the qualifiers for the World Cup over the years. The European qualifiers are known for being highly competitive, with many strong nations vying for limited spots at the championship. Norway has often ended up in groups with both traditional football nations and surprisingly tough opponents, which has made the road to the World Cup challenging.
In the qualification for the 2022 World Cup, Norway was placed in Group G together with the Netherlands, Turkey, Montenegro, Latvia and Gibraltar. The Netherlands, with their rich football history and a squad full of players from top clubs, were the clear favorite to win the group. Norway held the Netherlands to a draw both home and away, which showed that they could compete at a high level. Turkey, another strong opponent, proved to be a difficult obstacle. Norway lost both meetings against Turkey, which eventually cost them a playoff spot.
Montenegro, while not among Europe’s biggest football nations, tends to be a difficult opponent, especially at home. Norway managed to win both games against Montenegro, but it was hard-fought games that emphasized the importance of being mentally and physically prepared. Latvia, another opponent in the group, was seen as one of the weaker teams, but they still managed to hold Norway to a draw in one of the games, which underlined that no game can be taken for granted in the qualifiers. Gibraltar, by far the weakest team in the group, was comfortably beaten by Norway in both matches.
In previous qualifiers, Norway has also faced opponents such as England, Italy, the Czech Republic and Scotland, all nations with a strong football tradition. These matches have often been characterized by a high level of play and intense competition. For example, in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Norway faced Germany, who eventually won the entire tournament. Although Norway failed to qualify, such matches gave valuable experience to the players.
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