World Cup
Norway is sending a very tall and very talented team to the 2026 World Cup. Can they live up to to the hype?
Norwegian fans ahead of an international friendly against Morocco at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey, on June 7, 2026. ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images
June 10, 2026 | 7:20 AM
3 minutes to read
Norway is simultaneously one of the most talented teams at the World Cup, but is also simply happy to be back.
After decades of failing to qualify for the men’s edition of the tournament, the Norwegians have returned to the world stage with thunderous success.
Before things get going, here’s a quick guide for one of the teams coming to the Boston area for the 2026 World Cup:
Three quick things to know
- It could be their time: At the men’s edition of the World Cup for the first time since 1998, Norway is not only excited to be here, they have legitimate intent on making a deep run in the knockout round. In a recent ESPN ranking of the top 50 players at the 2026 World Cup, Norway — not historically known as a talent factory in soccer — had two names on the list (midfielder Martin Ødegaard and forward Erling Haaland). The rest of the team is dotted with names familiar to European soccer fans, and is undoubtedly the most talented men’s team the country has ever sent to a major tournament. No one scored more in UEFA World Cup qualifying than the Norwegians.
- Aside from everything else, the Norwegian team is just really big. Norway features a 26-man squad in which 14 of its players stand at least 6-foot-2. Forwards like Haaland (6-foot-5), Alexander Sørloth (6-foot-5), and Jørgen Strand Larsen (6-foot-4) loom over opposing defenses. But Norway has height all around the team (center-back Kristoffer Ajer is 6-foot-6, while center midfielder Sander Berge is 6-foot-5). Opponents trying to mark Norway on set pieces will have their hands full.
- The team’s head coach is Ståle Solbakken, who has been in charge since 2020. Originally a player, Solbakken experienced a strange and terrifying episode in March, 2001 while playing in England. He suffered a heart attack while on the field for training, and was pronounced dead when his heart stopped beating. However after “almost seven minutes” when an ambulance arrived, he was miraculously revived. It was later concluded that he had been born with a heart defect, and was fitted with a pacemaker. While the episode led to the end of his playing career, Solbakken has thrived as a coach, admitting in a later interview that he “also knows that there are other, more important things in life than football.”
What’s the group stage schedule?
- June 16: Iraq vs. Norway at 6 p.m. (Boston Stadium)
- June 22: Norway vs. Senegal at 8 p.m. (New York New Jersey Stadium)
- June 26: Norway vs. France at 3 p.m. (Boston Stadium)
Standout quote: In a bizarre twist, managers of two teams coming to Boston recently had a minor public disagreement. It resulted from Scotland canceling a scheduled training game against the Norwegians (as both teams are based near each other in North Carolina). The last-minute cancelation did not sit well with Solbakken, the Norwegian manager, even amid Scotland dealing with unexpected player injuries from another recent friendly.
“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. But we have to live with that.”
Player to know: Erling Haaland, the towering goal machine who plies his trade for Manchester City at the club level. Now 25, he’s in his prime, and arrives at a World Cup highly motivated to make an impression (as Norway did not qualify for Qatar four years ago). While Norway are a talented enough team to potentially make the knockout round without its star striking firing on cylinders, his services will make the difference against tougher tests later in the World Cup. If he finds the right gear, Haaland will also be a Golden Boot contender (the award given to the player who scores the most goals).
How they might line up: Equipped with an array of attacking options, Solbakken will have to confront the “good” problem of which players to leave out of the lineup. Sørloth has operated in a wider role for Norway than he does for Spanish club Atlético Madrid, but with the natural support provided by right back Julian Ryerson, he will likely drift inside toward goal when on the attack.
Expert prediction: “Can a Haaland-inspired Norway shock the football world this summer? When you have Erling Braut Haaland up front, anything is possible.” –Simen Stamsø-Møller and Vegard Bjelland of The Guardian
Fun version of their anthem: Norwegian native Astrid S sang a memorable version prior to a game at Euro 2025.
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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