Led by superstar Erling Haaland, the previously flawless Norway is staying on course for its first World Cup qualification since 1998 with five wins from five games – and is looking towards Italy.
Goals from André Flo and Hertha’s Kjetil Rekdal helped Norway to a sensational 2-1 win against Brazil with Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos at the 1998 World Cup – the round of 16 was completely unexpected. There Italy waited for Alessandro Del Piero and Paolo Maldini and knocked the Norwegians out of the tournament with a 1-0 score.
The round of 16 on June 27, 1998 in Marseille was the last appearance of a Norwegian team at a World Cup. 27 years later, the Norwegians now have it in their own hands to qualify for the 2026 finals – and the Italians would be the ones to suffer.
Two wins and then excellent cards for the “final” against Italy
Haaland and Co. still have to play three games (Israel, Estonia, Italy) – and if they win the first two and don’t lose the last one, they will be assured of group victory in Group I. You could even afford a defeat in the last second leg against Italy, as long as you won both games beforehand and a defeat against Italy wasn’t too significant. The Squadra Azzurra would then probably have to take the detour via the playoffs.
| nation | games | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
Norway | 5 | +21 | 15 |
Italy | 4 | +5 | 9 |
Israel | 5 | +4 | 9 |
Estonia | 5 | -8 | 3 |
Moldova | 5 | -22 | 0 |
Norway won the first leg against Italy 3-0. Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa probably played his best international game for Norway at the time, playing the Italians dizzy on his left side. In terms of goal difference, which would be crucial in the event of a tie, the Norwegians are clearly ahead thanks to an 11-1 win over Moldova and are currently 16 goals ahead of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s team.
Odegaard is missing – danger of stumbling against Israel?
During the current international break, the Norwegians, who with five wins from five games have played one more game than the Italians (four games, three wins), will face Israel on Saturday. It’s not until November that we’ll first play against Estonia and then go to the possible “final” in Italy. However, one of the big stars is missing against Israel, who also challenged the Norwegians in the 4-2 win in March: Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard is injured.
The Norwegian captain has contributed seven assists in the five qualifying games so far, three of them against Israel, who could suddenly have legitimate hopes of reaching the playoffs again if they beat the Norwegians.
Danger of stumbling without the leader? On paper, yes, but coach Stale Solbakken’s team has only lost one of their last twelve competitive games. It is the best phase under the former Cologne coach, who has been steering the fortunes of the national team since 2021. With an average of almost two points, the 57-year-old’s term in office is the most successful in more than 60 years. The only thing he hasn’t been able to crown her with is taking part in a big tournament.
Solbakken can win the World Cup
Solbakken himself was on the pitch in Norway’s midfield when they lost to Italy in the round of 16 in 1998. And one could actually argue that the current squad is probably the best since the 1998 tournament, which, in addition to Solbakken, also included the “Flo brothers” Tore André and Havard, Kjetil Rekdal, Manchester United defenders Henning Berg and Ronny Johnsen and striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Haaland, Odegaard, Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa, Dortmund’s Julian Ryerson or Fulham’s six Sander Berge – the Norwegian squad only has to hide from the big nations in the football world and none of the stars are older than 29 years. In order to be considered a kind of “golden generation”, the current team must reach a major tournament. Rarely have the chances of this been as good as even.