Norway national football team

The Norway national football team (Norwegian: Norges herrelandslag i fotball, or informally Landslaget) represents Norway in men's international football's, and is controlled by the Norwegian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Ståle Solbakken. Norway has participated three times in the FIFA World Cup (1938, 1994, 1998), and once in the UEFA European Championship (2000).

Norway
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Drillos[a]
Løvene (The Lions)
AssociationNorges Fotballforbund (NFF)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachStåle Solbakken
CaptainMartin Ødegaard
Most capsJohn Arne Riise (110)
Top scorerJørgen Juve (33)
Home stadiumUllevaal Stadion
FIFA codeNOR
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 47 Decrease 1 (4 April 2024)[1]
Highest2 (October 1993, July–August 1995)
Lowest88 (July 2017)
First international
 Sweden 11–3 Norway 
(Gothenburg, Sweden; 12 July 1908)
Biggest win
 Norway 12–0 Finland 
(Bergen, Norway; 28 June 1946)[2]
Biggest defeat
 Denmark 12–0 Norway 
(Copenhagen, Denmark; 7 October 1917)
World Cup
Appearances3 (first in 1938)
Best resultRound of 16 (1938, 1998)
UEFA European Championship
Appearances1 (first in 2000)
Best resultGroup stage (2000)
Websitefotball.no

Norway is one of very few national teams never to have lost against Brazil. In four matches, Norway has a match record against Brazil of two wins and two draws,[4] in three friendly matches (in 1988, 1997 and 2006) and a 1998 World Cup group stage match.

After Euro 2000, the national team have been eliminated in 12 consecutive qualifications to a major international tournament (UEFA Euro and FIFA World Cup) as of December 2023.[5][6][7]

History

Norway's performances in international football have usually been weaker than those of their Scandinavian neighbours Sweden and Denmark, but they did have a golden age in the late 1930s. An Olympic team achieved third place in the 1936 Olympics, after beating the host Germany earlier in the tournament. Norway also qualified for the 1938 FIFA World Cup, where they lost 2–1 after extra time against eventual champions Italy. This was Norway's last World Cup appearance in 56 years.

In the post-war years, up to and including the 1980s, Norway was usually considered one of the weaker teams in Europe. They never qualified for a World Cup or European Championship in this period, and usually finished near the bottom of their qualifying groups. Nevertheless, Norway had a reputation for producing the occasional shock result, such as the 3–0 win against Yugoslavia in 1965, the 1–0 away win against France in 1968, and the 2–1 victory against England in 1981 that prompted radio commentator Bjørge Lillelien's famous "Your boys took a hell of a beating" rant.[8]

Norway had their most successful period from 1990 to 1998 under the legendary coach Egil "Drillo" Olsen. At its height in the mid-90s the team was ranked No. 2. Olsen started his training career with Norway with a 6–1 home victory against Cameroon on 31 October 1990 and ended it on 27 June 1998 after a 0–1 defeat against Italy in the second stage of the 1998 World Cup.

In qualifying for the 1994 World Cup, Norway topped their group, finishing above both the European Championship winning and three-time World Cup finalists the Netherlands, and also above former World Cup winners England, beating both teams in the process.

In the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Norway was knocked out at the group stage after a win against Mexico, a defeat against Italy and a draw against the Republic of Ireland. Norway failed to qualify for second round qualification on goals scored as all 4 teams in the group finished with 4 points and identical goal difference. In the 1998 World Cup in France, Norway was once again eliminated by Italy in the first round of the knockout stage after finishing second in their group, having drawn against Morocco and Scotland and won 2–1 against Brazil.

Former under-21 coach Nils Johan Semb replaced Olsen after the planned retirement of the latter. Under Semb's guidance, Norway qualified for Euro 2000, which remains their last major tournament appearance to date. Semb resigned at the end of an unsuccessful qualifying campaign in 2003 and was replaced by Åge Hareide. Under Hareide, Norway came close to reaching both the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008, but ultimately fell short on both occasions. Then, in 2008, it all fell apart as Norway failed to win a single game the entire calendar year. Hareide resigned at the end of 2008. His replacement, initially on a temporary basis, was the returning Egil Olsen, who began his second spell in charge with an away win against Germany, and subsequently signed a three-year contract. Olsen resigned in September 2013[9] after Norway lost at home to Switzerland and had limited chances to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with one game to spare. He was replaced with Per-Mathias Høgmo. Olsen later claimed he was sacked.[10]

Team image

Crest

Original badge of the Norwegian national team

Norway used the national flag on a white circle as their badge from the 1920s onwards. In May 2008 the NFF unveiled a new crest, a Viking-style Dragon wrapped around the NFF logo. After massive public pressure the crest was dropped.[11] Between the 1980s and the 1990s, Norway used the NFF logo in the opposite breast of the shirt together with the national flag on a white circle. On 12 December 2014, a new crest was presented. The crest primarily features the national flag, in addition, there are two lions taken from the Coat of arms of Norway on the top. The lions are facing each other while holding a blue miniature of the NFF logo, and between the lions and above the NFF logo, it says "NORGE" (Norway) in blue letters.[12]

Kit suppliers

Between 1996 and 2014, Norway's kits were supplied by Umbro. They took over from Adidas who supplied Norway's kit between 1992 and 1996.

On 10 September 2014, the NFF and Nike announced a new partnership that made the sportswear provider the official Norwegian team kit supplier from 1 January 2015.[13]

Kit providerPeriod
Le Coq Sportif1976–1980
Hummel1981–1991
Adidas1992–1996
Umbro1996–2014
Nike2015–present

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

2023

v  Norway
28 March 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Georgia  1–1  Norway Batumi, Georgia
20:00 UTC+4Mikautadze 60'ReportSørloth 15'Stadium: Batumi Stadium
Attendance: 20,300
Referee: Andris Treimanis (Latvia)
v  Scotland
17 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Norway  1–2  Scotland Oslo, Norway
18:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
Attendance: 25,791
Referee: Matej Jug (Slovenia)
v  Cyprus
20 June 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Norway  3–1  Cyprus Oslo, Norway
20:45 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
Attendance: 23,643
Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (North Macedonia)
v  Jordan
7 September 2023 Friendly Norway  6–0  Jordan Oslo, Norway
18:00 UTC+1
ReportStadium: Ullevaal Stadion
Referee: Kristoffer Karlsson (Sweden)
v  Georgia
12 September 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Norway  2–1  Georgia Oslo, Norway
20:45 UTC+2ReportStadium: Ullevaal Stadion
Attendance: 23,665
Referee: Nikola Dabanović (Montenegro)
v  Norway
12 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Cyprus  0–4  Norway Larnaca, Cyprus
21:45 UTC+3Report
Stadium: AEK Arena
Attendance: 7,206
Referee: Donatas Rumšas (Lithuania)
v  Spain
15 October 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Norway  0–1  Spain Oslo, Norway
20:45 UTC+2Report
Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
Attendance: 25,885
Referee: Tobias Stieler (Germany)
v  Faroe Islands
16 November 2023 Friendly Norway  2–0  Faroe Islands Oslo, Norway
18:00 UTC+1
ReportStadium: Ullevaal Stadion
Referee: Vilhjálmur Þórarinsson (Iceland)
v  Norway
19 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Scotland  3–3  Norway Glasgow, Scotland
19:45 UTC±0ReportStadium: Hampden Park
Attendance: 48,138
Referee: Horațiu Feșnic (Romania)

2024

v  Czech Republic
22 March 2024 Friendly Norway  1–2  Czech Republic Oslo, Norway
18:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
Referee: Willy Delajod (France)
v  Slovakia
26 March 2024 Friendly Norway  1–1  Slovakia Oslo, Norway
19:00 UTC+1ReportStadium: Ullevaal Stadion
v  Kosovo
5 June 2024 Friendly Norway  v  Kosovo Oslo, Norway
Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
v  Norway
8 June 2024 Friendly Denmark  v  Norway Brøndby, Denmark
Stadium: Brøndby Stadium
v  Norway
6 September 2024 2024–25 Nations League Kazakhstan  v  Norway Kazakhstan
20:00 UTC+6
v  Austria
9 September 2024 2024–25 Nations League Norway  v  Austria Oslo, Norway
20:45 UTC+2Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
v  Slovenia
10 October 2024 2024–25 Nations League Norway  v  Slovenia Oslo, Norway
20:45 UTC+2Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion
v  Norway
13 October 2024 2024–25 Nations League Austria  v  Norway Austria
20:45 UTC+2
v  Norway
14 November 2024 2024–25 Nations League Slovenia  v  Norway Ljubljana, Slovenia
20:45 UTC+1Stadium: Stožice Stadium
v  Kazakhstan
17 November 2024 2024–25 Nations League Norway  v  Kazakhstan Oslo, Norway
18:00 UTC+1Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion

Coaching staff

PositionName
Head Coach Ståle Solbakken
Assistant Coach Jarl Torske
Sigurd Rushfeldt
Kent Bergersen
Athletic Coach Björn Vidar Stenersen
Match Analyst Andy Findlay
Pål Fjelde
Sports Coordinator Brede Hangeland
Physiotherapist Mario Pafundi
Sports Scientist Johannes Marthinussen
Chief Instructor Bryant Lazaro
Team Manager Bard Wiggen

Managers

The following is a list of all managers of the national team. Prior to 1953, the team was selected by a selection committee, which also continued to select the team until 1969.

As of 22 March 2024.[14][15]
Ståle Solbakken is currently the manager of Norway.
ManagerTenurePWDLFAFinals
Willibald Hahn1 August 1953 – 31 December 19552677122842
Ron Lewin1 January 1956 – 31 December 1957175482538
Edmund Majowski1 January 1958 – 15 September 19585311108
Ragnar Larsen16 September 1958 – 31 December 1958100114
Kristian Henriksen1 January 1959 – 31 December 1959103071529
Wilhelm Kment1 January 1960 – 15 August 19622062123245
Ragnar Larsen16 August 1962 – 31 December 196633117154774
Wilhelm Kment1 January 1967 – 31 December 19692593133961
Øivind Johannessen1 January 1970 – 31 December 19711742111843
George Curtis1 January 1972 – August 19741732121730
Kjell Schou-Andreassen
Nils Arne Eggen
August 1974 – 31 December 19772764172652
Tor Røste Fossen1 January 1978 – 30 June 19879428283896119
Tord Grip1 July 1987 – 30 June 1988704337
Ingvar Stadheim1 July 1988 – 10 October 19902458113237
Egil Olsen11 October 1990 – 30 June 199888462616168631994 World Cup – Group stage
1998 World Cup – Round of 16
Nils Johan Semb1 July 1998 – 31 December 2003682921188961Euro 2000 – Group stage
Åge Hareide1 January 2004 – 8 December 2008582418168865
Egil Olsen14 January 2009 – 27 September 201349258166150
Per-Mathias Høgmo27 September 2013 – 16 November 201635107183349
Lars Lagerbäck1 February 2017 – 6 December 20203418886034
Leif Gunnar Smerud[b][16]18 November 2020101011
Ståle Solbakken7 December 2020 –3317796133

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the friendly match against Czech Republic and Slovakia on 22 and 26 March 2024, respectively.[17]

Caps and goals correct as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Slovakia.

No.Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClub
11GKØrjan Nyland (1990-09-10) 10 September 1990 (age 33)520 Sevilla
121GKMathias Dyngeland (1995-10-07) 7 October 1995 (age 28)10 Brann
131GKEgil Selvik (1997-07-30) 30 July 1997 (age 26)20 Haugesund

32DFKristoffer Ajer (1998-04-17) 17 April 1998 (age 26)351 Brentford
42DFLeo Skiri Østigård (1999-11-28) 28 November 1999 (age 24)211 Napoli
52DFDavid Møller Wolfe (2002-04-23) 23 April 2002 (age 22)20 AZ
142DFJulian Ryerson (1997-11-17) 17 November 1997 (age 26)230 Borussia Dortmund
152DFJesper Daland (2000-01-06) 6 January 2000 (age 24)00 Cercle Brugge
172DFFredrik André Bjørkan (1998-08-21) 21 August 1998 (age 25)141 Bodø/Glimt
212DFAndreas Hanche-Olsen (1997-01-17) 17 January 1997 (age 27)150 Mainz 05

63MFPatrick Berg (1997-11-24) 24 November 1997 (age 26)240 Bodø/Glimt
83MFSander Berge (1998-02-14) 14 February 1998 (age 26)441 Burnley
103MFMartin Ødegaard (captain) (1998-12-17) 17 December 1998 (age 25)573 Arsenal
113MFMohamed Elyounoussi (1994-08-04) 4 August 1994 (age 29)5510 Copenhagen
163MFHugo Vetlesen (2000-02-29) 29 February 2000 (age 24)41 Club Brugge
183MFKristian Thorstvedt (1999-03-13) 13 March 1999 (age 25)274 Sassuolo
193MFAron Dønnum (1998-04-20) 20 April 1998 (age 26)51 Toulouse
203MFAntonio Nusa (2005-04-17) 17 April 2005 (age 19)51 Club Brugge
223MFOscar Bobb (2003-07-12) 12 July 2003 (age 20)62 Manchester City

74FWAlexander Sørloth (1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 28)5318 Villarreal
94FWErling Haaland (2000-07-21) 21 July 2000 (age 23)3127 Manchester City
234FWJørgen Strand Larsen (2000-02-06) 6 February 2000 (age 24)133 Celta Vigo

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the Norway squad within the last 12 months.

Pos.PlayerDate of birth (age)CapsGoalsClubLatest call-up
GKViljar Myhra (1996-07-21) 21 July 1996 (age 27)00 OBv.  Scotland, 19 November 2023

DFMarcus Holmgren Pedersen (2000-07-16) 16 July 2000 (age 23)210 Sassuolov.  Czech Republic, 22 March 2024
DFStian Rode Gregersen (1995-05-17) 17 May 1995 (age 28)80 Atlanta Unitedv.  Scotland, 19 November 2023
DFBirger Meling (1994-12-17) 17 December 1994 (age 29)390 Copenhagenv.  Spain, 16 October 2023 INJ
DFBrice Wembangomo (1996-12-18) 18 December 1996 (age 27)10 Bodø/Glimtv.  Cyprus, 20 June 2023

MFOsame Sahraoui (2001-06-11) 11 June 2001 (age 22)10 Heerenveenv.  Czech Republic, 22 March 2024 INJ
MFOla Solbakken (1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 25)111 Urawa Red Diamondsv.  Scotland, 19 November 2023
MFFredrik Aursnes (1995-12-10) 10 December 1995 (age 28)201 Benficav.  Scotland, 19 November 2023 RET
MFMorten Thorsby (1996-05-05) 5 May 1996 (age 27)170 Genoav.  Spain, 16 October 2023
MFMarkus Solbakken (2000-07-25) 25 July 2000 (age 23)10 Sparta Praguev.  Georgia, 12 September 2023
MFEmil Breivik (2000-06-11) 11 June 2000 (age 23)00 Moldev.  Georgia, 12 September 2023
MFMats Møller Dæhli (1995-03-02) 2 March 1995 (age 29)362 Moldev.  Cyprus, 20 June 2023
MFKristoffer Velde (1999-09-09) 9 September 1999 (age 24)10 Lech Poznańv.  Cyprus, 20 June 2023

FWBård Finne (1995-02-13) 13 February 1995 (age 29)41 Brannv.  Scotland, 19 November 2023

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
QUA Placed in mandatory quarantine
WD Withdrew due to non-injury issue.
EX Player expelled from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Player records

As of 26 March 2024.[18]
Players in bold are still active with Norway.

Most appearances

John Arne Riise is the most capped male player in the history of Norway with 110 caps.
RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareer
1John Arne Riise110162000–2013
2Thorbjørn Svenssen10401947–1962
3Henning Berg10091992–2004
4Erik Thorstvedt9701982–1996
5John Carew91241998–2011
Brede Hangeland9142002–2014
7Øyvind Leonhardsen86191990–2003
8Morten Gamst Pedersen83172004–2014
Kjetil Rekdal83171987–2000
10Steffen Iversen79211998–2011

Top goalscorers

Jørgen Juve is the top male goalscorer in the history of Norway with 33 goals.
RankPlayerGoalsCapsAverageCareer
1Jørgen Juve33450.731928–1937
2Erling Haaland27310.872019–present
3Einar Gundersen26330.791917–1928
4Harald Hennum25430.581949–1960
5John Carew24910.261998–2011
6Ole Gunnar Solskjær23670.341995–2007
Tore André Flo23760.31995–2004
8Gunnar Thoresen22640.341946–1959
9Steffen Iversen21790.271998–2011
10Joshua King20620.322012–2022
Jan Åge Fjørtoft20710.281986–1996

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup recordQualification record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
1930Did not enterDeclined invitation
1934Did not enter
1938Round of 1612th100112Squad211065
1950Did not enterDid not enter
1954Did not qualify402249
19584103315
19624004311
19666312105
19704103413
19746204916
1978420234
19828224815
19868134410
19908224109
1994Group stage17th311111Squad10721255
1998Round of 1615th412155Squad8620212
2002Did not qualify102441214
200612534129
2010824297
2014103341013
2018104151716
202210532158
2026To be determinedTo be determined
2030
2034
TotalRound of 163/22823378136493354185186

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship recordQualifying record
YearResultPositionPldWDLGFGASquadPldWDLGFGA
1960Did not qualify200226
1964201113
19686114914
19726015518
19766105515
19808017520
1984612378
19888125512
1992833295
199610622177
2000Group stage9th311111Squad10811219
2004Did not qualify104241010
2008127232711
20128512107
2016126151413
2020114522013
202483231412
2028To be determinedTo be determined
2032
TotalGroup stage1/17311111133502756181183

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
SeasonDivisionGroupPldWDLGFGAP/RRK
2018–19C3641172 26th
2020–21B16312127 22nd
2022–23B4631277 24th
2024–25B3To be determined
Total181035261622nd

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
YearResultPldWDLGFGASquad
1908Did not enter
1912Quarter-finals100107Squad
1920210135Squad
1924Did not enter
1928
1936Bronze medal4301104Squad
1948Did not enter
1952Round of 16100114Squad
1956Did not enter
1960Did not qualify
1964Did not enter
1968
1972
1976
1980Qualified, but later withdrew
1984Group stage311132Squad
1988Did not qualify
Since 1992Olympic football has been an under-23 tournament
TotalBronze medal115151722

All-time team record

The following table shows Norway's all-time international record, correct as of 27 September 2022.[19]

Norway's all-time international record, 1908–2022
OpponentsPlayedWonDrawn*LostGFGAGD% Won
 Albania522165+150%
 Argentina220031+2100%
 Armenia3210131+1250%
 Australia311164+250%
 Austria122281024−1417%
 Azerbaijan641191+857%
 Bahrain110010+1100%
 Belarus732295+443%
 Belgium9036817−90%
 Bermuda220061+5100%
 Bosnia and Herzegovina420253+250%
 Brazil422085+350%
 Bulgaria185581631−1528%
 Cameroon110061+5100%
 Chile10100000%
 China100112-10%
 Colombia10100000%
 Costa Rica211010+150%
 Croatia5113610−420%
 Cyprus111100284+24100%
 Czechoslovakia5014513−80%
 Czech Republic8134810−213%
 Denmark90211554107229−12123%
 East Germany9126815−711%
 Egypt633072+550%
 England162481433−1827%
 Estonia7421165+1157%
 Faroe Islands4400150+15100%
 Finland664116918181+10062%
 France164481624−825%
 Georgia330061+5100%
 Germany152491134−2313%
 Ghana110032+1100%
 Gibraltar220081+7100%
 Greece92251013−328%
 Grenada110021+1100%
 Guatemala110031+2100%
 Honduras110031+2100%
 Hungary217682636−933%
 Iceland3420686435+2959%
 Israel210122050%
 Italy1734101322−818%
 Jamaica211071+650%
 Japan110030+3100%
 Jordan211060+650%
 Kuwait302134−10%
 Latvia421154−150%
 Lithuania220020+2100%
 Luxembourg12912259+1573%
 Malta121020304+2683%
 Mexico6213811−333%
 Moldova541061+580%
 Montenegro430164+266%
 Morocco10102200%
 Netherlands2156102746−1925%
 New Zealand110030+3100%
 Nigeria10102200%
 North Korea110030+3100%
 North Macedonia421143+150%
 Northern Ireland119022510+1582%
 Oman110021+1100%
 Panama110010+1100%
 Paraguay10102200%
 Poland2143142660−3418%
 Portugal11128518−139%
 Qatar220081+7100%
 Republic of Ireland204972130−920%
 Romania143741414021%
 Russia1615101031−2116%
 Saar201123−10%
 San Marino4400241+23100%
 Saudi Arabia110060+6100%
 Scotland173681827−917%
 Senegal100112−10%
 Serbia411235−225%
 Serbia and Montenegro110010+1100%
 Singapore110052+3100%
 Slovakia330050+5100%
 Slovenia116321710+767%
 South Africa320132+167%
 South Korea521286+240%
 Spain8125412−813%
 Sweden111262659153280−12722%
  Switzerland218672621+538%
 Thailand220080+8100%
 Trinidad and Tobago100123−10%
 Tunisia211021+150%
 Turkey113351514+127%
 United Arab Emirates222022050%
 United States5212148+640%
 Ukraine501405−50%
 Uruguay201132−10%
 Wales124441517−233%
 West Germany9216925−1622%
 Yugoslavia1321101529−1416%
 Zambia10100000%
Total85230320134812491402−15335%

Honours

Official

Exhibition

See also

Notes

References

External links