Norway

🌍 World Cup Story

Norway's last World Cup was in 1998 in France — where they beat Brazil 2-1 in the group stage and advanced to the round of 16 before losing to Italy. Before that, they appeared in 1994. Norwegian football produced Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Tore André Flo, and Peter Schmeichel's son Kasper for Denmark. But Norway's most painful recent story is this: they have had the world's best player (Erling Haaland, Premier League record scorer, Champions League winner) and arguably England's best playmaker (Martin Ødegaard, Arsenal captain) at the same time — yet repeatedly failed to qualify. After agonising near-misses, they have finally made it to 2026. A nation starved of World Cup football for 28 years gets to watch Haaland — arguably the most clinical finisher alive — finally play at a World Cup. The anticipation is enormous.