小组 I · FIFA World Cup 2026
Erling Haaland
Manchester City
€200m striker and the most feared forward at this World Cup. 55 goals in 49 Norway caps, 16 goals in 8 qualifying games — equalling Lewandowski's single-campaign European qualifying record. Finally gets his World Cup debut at 25.
Antonio Nusa
RB Leipzig
The underrated third weapon. Low centre of gravity, rapid step frequency, decisive inside cuts — the 21-year-old left winger who tears open packed defences and feeds Haaland and Sørloth.
Alexander Sørloth
Atlético Madrid
195cm target man and Haaland's partner. Exceptional at holding up play, winning headers, and linking for teammates. When Norway deploy all three giant strikers, opponents face a physical problem they cannot solve.
Larsen
Crystal Palace
193cm forward who can play wide or central. The third piece of Norway's aerial bombardment trio — when all three giants are on the pitch simultaneously, no defensive backline in the tournament can cope.
Sander Berg
Fulham
195cm defensive midfielder who shields the back four and drives Norway's transitions. The physical platform that allows Ødegaard to operate freely in front of him.
哈兰德
FW
Age
25
Height
195cm
Foot
Left
Value
€200M
伯格
MF
Age
28
Height
180cm
Foot
Right
Value
€8M
Yes. Norway qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by winning all eight European qualifying matches — the first team to do so with a perfect record. They are in Group I alongside France, Senegal, and Iraq.
Solbakken has been Norway coach since 2020 and has systematically rebuilt the squad around European-based players. His 4-4-2 system prioritises defensive discipline — even Haaland and Ødegaard are required to fulfil defensive duties — combined with direct, high-efficiency counter-attacks that bypass the midfield and exploit pace on the wings. The perfect qualifying campaign was the culmination of five years of careful construction.
Norway last played at a World Cup in 1998 — when they beat Brazil in the group stage and went out to Italy in the last 16. For 28 years, one of Europe's most well-resourced football nations failed to qualify. Now, with Haaland in his prime and Ødegaard as his creative partner, Norway return with their most powerful squad in history.
Norway won all eight European qualifying matches, scoring 37 goals and conceding just five — a goals-per-game average of 4.625 that broke the previous record set by Germany and Belgium in the Russia 2018 qualifying cycle. It was not a lucky run. It was a systematic demolition of every opponent they faced.
Norway open against Iraq, face Senegal next, then close with France. France will likely take one of the top two spots; the battle is between Norway and Senegal for the other. A win against Iraq and a result against Senegal should be enough to advance. The France match may be rotated if qualification is secured.
King Harald V personally appeared in the squad announcement video — a sign of how seriously Norway take this tournament. Solbakken selected six Premier League players, four Serie A players, and only four domestic-league players in the entire 26-man group. Total squad value: €587m. This is not a novelty act.
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雷尔森
DF
Age
28
Height
183cm
Foot
Right
Value
€25M
伯格
MF
Age
28
Height
195cm
Foot
Right
Value
€25M
厄斯蒂加德
DF
Age
26
Height
182cm
Foot
Right
Value
€10M
阿耶尔
DF
Age
28
Height
196cm
Foot
Right
Value
€18M
拉森
FW
Age
26
Height
193cm
Foot
Right
Value
€45M
塞尔维克
GK
Age
28
Height
191cm
Foot
Left
Value
€1.3M
比约肯
DF
Age
27
Height
180cm
Foot
Left
Value
€3.5M
索斯特维德
MF
Age
27
Height
189cm
Foot
Left
Value
€10M
鲍伯
MF
Age
22
Height
174cm
Value
€30M
穆勒·沃尔夫
DF
Age
24
Height
187cm
Value
€10M
尼兰德
GK
Age
35
Height
192cm
Foot
Right
Value
€900K
努萨
MF
Age
21
Height
183cm
Value
€32M
瑟洛特
FW
Age
30
Height
195cm
Foot
Left
Value
€20M
佩德森
DF
Age
25
Height
180cm
Value
€3.5M
索尔斯比
MF
Age
30
Height
189cm
Foot
Right
Value
€3M
迈尔
MF
Age
27
Height
180cm
Foot
Right
Value
€3.5M
海于格
MF
Age
26
Height
183cm
Foot
Right
Value
€12M
赫格姆
DF
Age
27
Height
192cm
Value
€14M
维尔哈尔·麦拉
GK
施耶德鲁普
MF
Age
21
Height
176cm
Value
€20M
比约图夫特
DF
Age
27
Height
185cm
Value
€4.5M
Norway are in Group I alongside France, Senegal, and Iraq. They open against Iraq, then face Senegal, and close with France. It is a tough draw, but Solbakken's team are capable of advancing in second place.
Ståle Solbakken is the head coach of Norway. He has transformed the national team over five years, building a disciplined 4-4-2 system that produced a perfect qualifying campaign — 8 wins, 37 goals scored, only 5 conceded.
Norway's key players are Erling Haaland (Manchester City) and Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal). Haaland scored 16 goals in 8 qualifying matches, equalling Lewandowski's European qualifying record. Ødegaard provided 7 assists in 5 qualifying games — the most of any player in European qualifying. Without both, Norway's attack is significantly diminished.
No. Norway have never won the World Cup. Their last World Cup appearance was in 1998, where they famously beat Brazil 2–1. Before 2026, they had been absent from the tournament for 28 years. This is their strongest squad in generations.
Norway are the most credible dark horse at the 2026 World Cup. A perfect European qualifying record, a €587m squad, Haaland in his prime, and a tactically coherent system make them dangerous. Their ceiling is the quarter-finals if Haaland and Ødegaard are both fit. The risk: over-reliance on two players and defensive lapses when leading.
Erling Haaland has 55 goals in 49 Norway appearances. He scored 16 goals in 8 qualifying matches — equalling Lewandowski's European qualifying single-campaign record. He was born in Leeds, could have played for England, and chose Norway. On June 17th against Iraq, he finally gets his World Cup debut. He is 25 years old, at the peak of his powers, and desperate to score.
Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal) is Norway's attacking conductor. Every counter-attack starts with him: he decides whether to play a direct ball to Haaland, split the wide players with a through-ball to Nusa, or slow the tempo. In qualifying, he provided 7 assists in just 5 matches — the highest assist total of any player in European qualifying. He is the only "switch" in Norway's attacking system.
Haaland (195cm), Sørloth (195cm), Larsen (193cm) — three strikers all over 6'3". No other team at this World Cup has anything like this combination. When all three are on the pitch simultaneously, Solbakken can instruct both wide players to cross constantly into the box. The physical mismatch is real and deliberate.
Alexander Sørloth (Atlético Madrid) is not Haaland's backup — he is his partner. While Haaland exploits space and delivers finishing, Sørloth holds the ball up, wins aerial duels, and lays off for runners. The two play completely different roles and can operate simultaneously. When Haaland needs rest, Sørloth steps into the lead role seamlessly.
Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig) is 21 years old and often overlooked when analysts discuss Norway. He should not be. His low centre of gravity and inside-cutting runs from the left are Norway's primary method for breaking down deep defences. When Ødegaard is crowded out, it is Nusa who receives the ball wide and creates the overload.
Norway's base formation is a compact 4-4-2. Both full-backs hold their defensive positions. Both double-pivots (Sander Berg and Patrick Berg) sit permanently in front of the back four. Even Haaland and Ødegaard are required to track back and complete defensive duties — no exceptions. The result: few gaps, compact blocks, and rapid transitions when the ball is won.
Solbakken instructs his team to "skip the midfield" in attack. Once possession is won, the ball goes immediately to Nusa or Høegh on the wings, who use pace to attack the space behind the opponent's defensive line before crossing for Haaland. In qualifying, Norway produced 155 shots, 61 on target, and 121 key passes — elite efficiency numbers.
Solbakken almost always makes his key adjustment at the 60-minute mark. If Norway are leading, he shifts to a 4-5-1 to hold the result. If trailing, he moves to an aggressive 4-2-4 with both full-backs pushed high, prioritising crosses and diagonal balls into the box — quantity over quality to force a breakthrough.
Norway's biggest vulnerability is their reliance on Haaland and Ødegaard simultaneously. When both were missing for a March friendly against Switzerland, Norway drew 0-0 — their 16-game scoring streak ended. The midfield lost its creativity; the attack lost its threat. Against strong opponents, the removal of either player changes Norway's level dramatically.
In a March friendly, Norway led the Netherlands before conceding a Van Dijk header at a set piece where the Dutch defender was completely unmarked. Solbakken called it "unforgivable" and admitted the team had switched off after scoring. Against weak opponents in qualifying, Norway also conceded three goals to Estonia — clear evidence that focus can drop when the game appears won.
Ødegaard missed over 120 days of football at Arsenal in 2025-26 due to shoulder and knee injuries, making only 23 league appearances. Despite that, he captained Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years. His fitness going into the World Cup is the most important question for Norway — an Ødegaard at 80% capacity is a different player to the one who ran European qualifying.
Norway will likely finish second in Group I behind France. In the round of 16, their direct counter-attacking system and aerial bombardment capability make them dangerous against any opponent. A quarter-final is genuinely possible if Haaland and Ødegaard are both fit and clicking. The last time Norway were at a World Cup, they beat Brazil. Do not write them off.