Norway

Norway at the World Cup 2026

Norway arrive at the 2026 World Cup ending the longest major-tournament absence of any traditional UEFA football nation — 28 years since their last World Cup at France 1998. The squad now features two genuine world-class talents in their absolute primes: Erling Haaland (Manchester City, 25 years old, 55 international goals in 49 caps) and Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal, 27, captain).

Ståle Solbakken, head coach since 2020, has explicitly stated he will step down after the tournament — the 2026 World Cup is the swan song of the coach who finally delivered the qualification that eluded the federation across his five-year tenure. The tactical setup is a 4-3-3 with Haaland leading the line, Sørloth (Atlético Madrid) as the second striker / wide-left, and Nusa (RB Leipzig, age 21) on the right.

Ødegaard anchors midfield alongside Sander Berge (Fulham) and Kristian Thorstvedt (Sassuolo). The defensive line — Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford), Torbjørn Heggem (Bologna), David Møller Wolfe (Wolves) — is the squad's structural weak point relative to the attacking talent. Goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland (Sevilla) is the first-choice.

Group I contains France, Senegal and Iraq. France are favourites at 1.50; Norway and Senegal compete for second at 3.00 and 2.50 respectively. The realistic ceiling is a Round of 16 result; the credible bottom is a group-stage exit if Haaland is contained. Outright tournament price 41.0 — among the most-supported of the lower-tier UEFA nations on Haaland and Ødegaard's individual ceilings.

Group I fixtures

All three group-stage matches for Norway at World Cup 2026 with current odds from our partner books.

Squad & predicted XI

Nyland · Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Møller Wolfe · Ødegaard (c), Berge, Thorstvedt · Sørloth, Haaland, Nusa

Formation: 4-3-3 · Coach: Ståle Solbakken

How Norway qualified for World Cup 2026

Norway qualified from UEFA Group I with a perfect 8 wins from 8 matches — 24 points, 37 goals scored, 5 conceded. The standout result was a 3-0 home win over Italy in October 2025; the qualifying-sealing match was a 4-1 away win in Milan on 16 November 2025. They are one of only two UEFA nations to win every qualifying match this cycle.

Haaland finished as the squad's leading qualifying scorer with 16 goals — the highest qualifying tally of any player in any UEFA group, and twice the next-highest scorer in his own group. The standout single-match performance was a 5-goal haul in an 11-1 home win over Moldova; he also scored 6 across the four-match end of the campaign.

Ødegaard returned from injury for the decisive November 2025 fixtures and delivered the assist totals that the Norway system depends on (3 assists in the two Italy matches). Sørloth added 7 goals from the second-striker role; Antonio Nusa contributed 5 from the right wing. The depth audition produced confidence in the Solbakken bench rotation heading into 2026.

World Cup history

Norway have appeared at three previous World Cups. Best finish: Round of 16 at France 1998 — eliminated by Italy 1-0. They have also appeared at France 1938 (lost in the first round to eventual champions Italy in extra time) and USA 1994 (group stage exit despite an unbeaten record on points). The 28-year absence between 1998 and 2026 spans the entire Ødegaard generation's pre-senior careers.

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