After beating Estonia 4-1 on Thursday and then Italy 4-1 on Sunday, Norway have officially qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 27 years. But given the presence of world-class players like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard in their squad, how has it taken this long?
While few players in this cohort were even born when Norway beat Brazil 2-1 at the 1998 World Cup in Marseille, manager Ståle Solbakken, then a midfielder in Egil Olsen's famously pragmatic (some would say cynical) side, knows how it feels to represent his nation on football's biggest stage. And he has given this version of Norway its own identity.
"Football has obviously evolved a lot since my playing days, but this generation has the same drive and spirit we had," Solbakken tells ESPN. "Everyone looks forward to meeting up with the national team, everyone believes in the project and wants the best for one another. You can talk endlessly about tactics and what you want from the players on pitch, but it means little if you don't generate that team spirit."
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Solbakken's team, once mocked for overcomplicating things, now exudes control, optimism and confidence as they prepare for a trip to the United States, Canada and Mexico next year. Indeed, the former Wolves and FC Copenhagen manager's long (and sometimes stubborn) insistence on structure and style has finally paid off after years of skepticism towards the national team.
Norway have become a side that look both meticulously coached and emotionally connected. There's data to prove it, of course -- pressing intensity, recoveries in the final third, expected-goal (xG) differential -- but there's also something less tangible: the feeling that a new story is being written.
"Solbakken has built a tremendous culture within the team," former Spurs and Norway goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt tells ESPN. "They've come through a lot of criticism and that's undoubtedly made them stronger."
Nations League success spurs Norway to World Cup return
Having struggled to assert themselves on international scene since sealing a spot in the Euro 2000 group stage, Norway's turnaround began during the UEFA Nations League campaign last autumn. They were thrashed 5-1 in Linz by Austria in October 2024 -- a performance that seemed to underline every criticism about their naivety -- yet they regrouped in the last two games to top the table and gain promotion to League A.
"That was when the players finally understood what Solbakken wanted," Thorstvedt says. "Those scenes at the stadium when Norway won the Nations League [group]; you could feel right then that something new was happening. It may only have been the Nations League and the prize was simply promotion to League A, but it meant something.
"We'd finally 'won' something. It was a huge shift; just a few weeks earlier Solbakken had been written off as useless, and many were calling for his head."
That moment marked the emotional reset the team desperately needed and since that night, something remarkable has happened. Captained by Arsenal superstar Ødegaard, Norway have won 11 consecutive competitive fixtures, including a commanding 3-0 victory over Italy in June's World Cup qualifiers, a 5-0 demolition of Israel, and an almost surreal 11-1 rout of Moldova this autumn.
The Israel game resonated beyond the scoreline. Following the game, Israel's coach Ran Ben-Shimon, still stunned after the heavy defeat, declared: "I believe Norway are one of the two best teams in Europe, together with Spain." His remark -- seemingly offered without irony -- was quite some appraisal of Solbakken's Norway.
The stats back it up. Not only have Norway scored more goals (37) and assists (29) than any other European side in qualifying (with an xG of 24.70), they have also conceded just five in eight matches, a defensive record that once seemed implausible for a team lacking an established goalkeeper and fielding a backline assembled more through necessity than design. Solbakken, who turns 57 next year, doesn't hide his satisfaction when asked about the newfound balance; he has built this revival patiently, layer by layer.
"The key is that I've been able to work with a group that has grown increasingly comfortable with the way we want to play football," he says. "Perhaps I was a bit too ambitious at the start, but I realized that with the players available -- and those coming through -- we needed to adopt a more front-foot style. In other words, to feel confident imposing a more attacking approach even against the traditionally stronger nations."
Meanwhile, Thorstvedt sees the shift as the moment Norway stopped fearing opponents.
"A lot of things seemed to come together at once," he adds. "Ødegaard went from being a good player for Norway to being sensational; Antonio Nusa, who has struggled at club level, suddenly looked like a world-class winger in a Norway shirt, and has looked so since. And when you have Haaland scoring more than a goal per game for his country, well? Scoring week in, week out for Manchester City is one thing, but doing it for Norway is something else entirely. No one's done that before."
One of the defining games was that meeting in Oslo against Italy in June. Many expected the Azzurri, who have missed the past two World Cups and are fixed in a rebuild of their own, to expose Norway's shortcomings. Instead, it became a tactical statement win.
"What pleased me most about the Italy game -- even though all the post-match talk focused on the first half when we led 3-0 -- was actually the second half," Solbakken says. "We managed to defend with the ball: to keep it, recycle possession and rest with it. That forced the Italians to expend energy chasing and pressing us, while we were able to conserve energy and attack with freshness when opportunities arose. That's not necessarily something Norwegian teams have traditionally been known for."
To many that second half may have seemed like a routine defensive exercise, but to Solbakken it symbolized a transformation for a team that once panicked under pressure but can now use possession as a form of protection.
A tactical shift
While much of the attention revolves around Haaland's goal-scoring exploits and Ødegaard's playmaking, Solbakken's biggest breakthrough has been structural rather than individual. His Norway team are not just attacking more -- they're attacking smarter.
The evolution from being reactive to dominating possession has defined this Norway side under Solbakken, and his fingerprints are visible everywhere: a compact 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 formation that often turns into a pressing diamond, through ball circulation aimed at inviting the opposition press before exploding into a counter attack, and with a collective insistence on bravery when on the ball.
"Tactically, there are some similarities [to 1998], particularly in our zonal defensive organization, at a time when many teams prefer man-to-man systems," Solbakken says. "I think that gives us an edge."
That defensive edge, anchored by Kristoffer Ajer and Bologna center back Torbjørn Heggem, has become a quiet hallmark of their success. Norway's zonal scheme emphasizes keeping compact distances and making interceptions rather than trying to battle in physical duels, a shift that has tightened up a side that leaked goals in previous qualifying campaigns.
Midfielder Sander Berge has also become a symbol of Solbakken's brand of football. The 26-year-old has rediscovered form at Fulham, playing with confidence and consistency rarely seen in his Premier League years.
"He'd taken a lot of criticism, but he is finally showing what a brilliant player he is," Thorstvedt says. "He might be best known for his defensive qualities, but in this side he plays more as a support act to Ødegaard -- he can create too, especially when all the attention is on the captain."
Solbakken agrees on Berge's influence: "Sander had a less central role at Sheffield United and Burnley -- and he also struggled with injuries -- but he's taken a huge step forward at Fulham. We've been able to tailor-make a role for him in the national team that really suits his strengths."
That role, typically as a right-sided No. 8 box-to-box midfielder who steps into the space behind Ødegaard and drops into the double pivot when defending, has given Norway balance between artistry and athleticism. Berge's ability to progress the ball under pressure and drive forward complements the deeper passing of Patrick Berg and the creative precision of Ødegaard, forming an industrious but crafty midfield trio.
Norway's evolution isn't only visible in heatmaps and scorelines, but is measurable in data. Before the most-recent round of games, they led Europe's World Cup qualifiers in one-vs.-one take-ons (34.7 per 90 minutes), well ahead of Belgium and Spain, and also top the charts for progressive runs (26.1 per 90; Portugal are second with 25 per 90), reflecting both their style and confidence.
As for the un-Norway-like dribbling propensity, Solbakken admits: "With Oscar Bobb and Antonio Nusa in the side, this is to a certain extent natural as they are excellent dribblers.
Yet behind the numbers lies structure. The wingers are encouraged to isolate full backs higher up, while the central midfield three ensure defensive stability, which may be one reason why Norway have conceded so few goals despite their offensive approach.
Haaland embodies "team-first" approach
The Manchester City striker's 16 goals in eight World Cup qualifiers, from an xG of 9.86, shows ruthless efficiency, but it's his selflessness -- the avid pressing; the runs that open up space for Ødegaard and Nusa -- that truly showcase Solbakken's "team-first" blueprint.
Thorstvedt believes this tactical maturity is what finally made Norway look complete.
"Solbakken's role shouldn't be underestimated," he says. "Some coaches are good with people but less competent when it comes to tactics, and vice versa, but he masters both aspects. He's brutally honest and straight-talking with the players. I remember him giving Oscar Bobb the hairdryer treatment in front of the whole Ullevaal crowd a few games ago, but he can get away with it because he's just completely clear and honest."
Ask Solbakken what holds it all together and he doesn't hesitate: "Distances. They're fundamental, not only for our zonal defending to function, but also to ensure the ball carrier always has the right passing options when we attack."
Those "distances" -- the spacing between lines, between players, between decisions -- might sound simple, yet they define modern Norway. The synchronization allows Ødegaard to find passing lanes others can't, lets Haaland time his runs to perfection, and enables the back-four to hold shape without retreating under pressure.
Leadership, too, is key.
"The fact that players like Ødegaard, Haaland, Berge, and Alexander Sørloth have all carried major responsibility and leadership roles at their clubs has certainly benefited us," Solbakken says. "But it's also worth noting that we've shared leadership duties within the group, as there's a collective understanding of how we build and sustain the culture around the team."
That "shared leadership" has become a mantra in the camp. It explains why the dressing-room dynamic feels different from the fragile squads of the past. Even Haaland's superstardom has not overshadowed the collective identity ... if anything, it has amplified it.
"All the media wants to speak to him, and the team's security setup is basically built around keeping people away from him. But it helps that he's so down-to-earth and so well-liked in the group for who he is," Thorstvedt says. "Solbakken has managed that balance well, giving him the odd friendly off, partly to keep [Manchester City boss] Pep Guardiola happy and make sure he's not overused when it's not strictly necessary."
What next?
Solbakken's grin upon sealing qualification was understated. But beneath the composure and stoicism, there's bound to be some quiet vindication.
The manager who most people thought was too obsessed with the structure and repetition -- more easily implemented at club level than within a national team with limited training time -- to be successful at international level, has built a side whose organization is its strength and whose spirit, as he keeps reminding anyone who asks, is its foundation.
"We are a combination of physical strength and technique," he said after the win over Italy. "Remember, we don't have Ødegaard playing tonight. We've chosen two hardworking midfielders, although they also possess excellent technique. No team can succeed relying solely on one trait. Perhaps only Barcelona under Pep Guardiola could achieve 100% reliance on technique."
After 27 years, it has taken a lot of work behind the scenes, but Solbakken's overriding emotion is one of relief.
"When I saw the draw results, I was almost certain that Italy would advance," he said. "But in the end, we came out on top, and we feel extremely proud. In this tournament, I set high standards for the players, and they have rewarded me handsomely. They have done an excellent job.
"I don't think there could ever be a more wonderful night in my life. It's simply surreal ...
"It [the qualification process] has been tough, it really has. We've lived with this for quite a long time now ... It's easy to say that when we beat Italy [in the first game] it was decided, but you still have to go through matches after that, and have training sessions, tactical meetings and spend time together. A lot can happen, so right now I feel enormous relief. And I think I'll get happier and happier as the evening goes on."