Norway: The Dark Horse (2026) s01e02 Episode Script

1
‎Dykes!
‎It's a total collapse!
‎Everything is falling apart!
‎I've let everybody down.
‎This is so embarrassing!
‎It's like the team's just
‎knocked to the ground.
‎And so is the dream of getting
‎to the final tournament
‎that Ståle had promised us!
‎Everyone's going to be coming for us now,
‎but it is my responsibility.
‎Everyone wanted to fire Ståle.
‎People turned their backs on that team.
‎-You think we're going to the World Cup?
‎-Absolutely not.
‎The ball is loose! It's 1-0!
‎They're bulldozing Moldova.
‎Norway, one! A dream start at Ullevaal!
‎-towards Haaland!
‎-It's 3-0 to Norway!
‎You just want one of those,
‎ "It's over. We're in the World Cup now."
‎Italy has never lost a home game
‎in a World Cup qualifying game before.
‎But now we have to play against Italy
‎in our very last game.
‎Antonio Nusa shoots!
‎NORWAY: THE DARK HORSE
‎EP. 2: NOW OR NEVER
‎SAN SIRO, ITALY
‎LAST QUALIFYING GAME FOR THE
‎2026 WORLD CUP - ITALY VS NORWAY
‎ITALY - NORWAY
‎San Siro is a powerful place.
‎Italy playing
‎a qualifier at home is powerful.
‎They rarely lose.
‎And they've never lost
‎such a game at San Siro.
‎ØYVIND ALSAKER
‎SPORTS COMMENTATOR TV 2
‎Hence the location.
‎They knew this was a key match.
‎Italia! Italia!
‎I'm terrified of jinxing it.
‎We're so close now
‎but we'll save everything
‎until after the game.
‎LISE KLAVENESS
‎SOCCER PRESIDEN
‎Personally, we want to win this game
‎and move on to the championship,
‎but there's something about
‎giving it to all Norwegians
‎LEO SKIRI ØSTIGÅRD
‎DEFENDER, GENOA CFC
‎who've been waiting for so long,
‎and that puts extra pressure on us
‎to make that happen.
‎Most of us have been living with that
‎pressure since we were 15, 16 years old.
‎KENT "KENTA" BERGERSEN
‎ASSISTANT COACH - FORMER PLAYER
‎Every single coach
‎has fears and anxiety about failure.
‎And if I didn't experience that,
‎I'd be a worse coach.
‎-Say something, Martin.
‎-I want one last fucking effort.
‎Ninety minutes left
‎where we fucking give our all.
‎We haven't beaten a top nation in forever.
‎We can go through the group undefeated.
‎Let's make noise here today,
‎and make even more later.
‎Come on!
‎ITALY
‎For the first time in history, Norway will
‎be playing an international team match
‎here in this cathedral
‎of a soccer stadium.
‎Italy has never lost a home game
‎in a World Cup qualifying group round.
‎What a night this could be
‎if we could win here tonight.
‎Captain Martin Ødegaard
‎is still out with a knee injury.
‎When you're out on the field playing,
‎you're just so locked in
‎MARTIN ØDEGAARD
‎NATIONAL TEAM CAPTAIN
‎but watching from the rafters,
‎you're so nervous.
‎It's much worse to watch.
‎I feel for everyone who's sitting at home
‎or wherever they are.
‎Italy has probably been
‎Norway's biggest soccer nemesis.
‎That's something we've never
‎been quite able to solve.
‎But the biggest thing tonight is
‎that Norway will secure their spot
‎in the World Cup.
‎The world's best finisher, Haaland,
‎against the world's best keeper,
‎Donnarumma.
‎NORWAY
‎The Norwegian boys.
‎ "Stronger together" is their slogan.
‎The match ball is delivered.
‎We're very excited now
‎about the Norwegian team.
‎Struggling to keep up, Wolfe.
‎Another cross.
‎Good, they're taking on the duel.
‎And he loses control.
‎Moving fast there! Moving way too fast!
‎ITALY 1 - 0 NORWAY
‎And Italy gets an early lead.
‎HALFTIME
‎ITALY 1 - 0 NORWAY
‎Not a surprising lead.
‎Italy has been controlling everything.
‎Boys. Quiet now.
‎Relax, drink,
‎be ready after a short, little break.
‎It didn't feel like a soccer match.
‎Very strange.
‎We did nothing in the first half.
‎JULIAN RYERSON
‎DEFENDER
‎It couldn't have gone much worse.
‎OSCAR BOBB
‎MIDFIELDER, FULHAM
‎You got this awful feeling.
‎1-0, absolutely fine, easy.
‎Play, play, play where we can,
‎but when we go for it,
‎we have to go for it.
‎Nothing in between.
‎All of a sudden, Erling will be through.
‎Okay? Come on, now.
‎Italy was better than us.
‎Our first half was too safe, as if we were
‎scared that everything could go wrong.
‎Let's hope Norway will take
‎a few more risks after the break.
‎Good ball. Nusa.
‎A bit tricky, but he controls it.
‎Here they come. Sørloth.
‎Sørloth is inside the box. He strikes.
‎A Norwegian chance 20 seconds
‎in the second half.
‎That's a good omen.
‎There's been a duel
‎between Erling Braut Haaland and Mancini.
‎It's a bit heated.
‎And Braut is a bit heated now too.
‎And then, he starts grabbing my ass.
‎And I'm thinking, "What are you doing?"
‎It got me a bit annoyed,
‎so I said to him
‎A daring pass towards Thorstvedt.
‎There's Haaland. They're moving forward.
‎An entirely different approach
‎after the halftime break.
‎Nusa. Antonio Nusa inside the box.
‎ITALY 1 - 1 NORWAY
‎Antonio Nusa!
‎What a moment!
‎What a player!
‎It was unbelievable.
‎Keeping my cool was impressive.
‎ANTONIO NUSA
‎STRIKER, RB LEIPZIG
‎What a World Cup this will be!
‎Berge stops Esposito.
‎Nusa again.
‎There's Bobb.
‎Feint down to Oscar Bobb!
‎ITALY 1 - 2 NORWAY
‎Erling Braut Haaland delivers the message,
‎ "We're going to the World Cup!"
‎And Erling Braut Haaland
‎slams that ball in the net.
‎Thorsby, lots of space.
‎Dimarco trying to catch up. Now!
‎ITALY 1 - 3 NORWAY
‎And another! There's another!
‎Norway mops the floor with Italy!
‎Norway humiliates Italy in Milan,
‎where they never see defeat like this!
‎Norway shocks not only Italy,
‎but the whole soccer world at large.
‎I never thought I'd live to see this.
‎Strand Larsen, can you get in a goal now?
‎Of course you can! Yes, you can!
‎Of course you can!
‎We just can't take this anymore.
‎We need the final whistle to blow.
‎FINAL RESUL
‎ITALY 1 - 4 NORWAY
‎Gattuso 1, Solbakken 4!
‎Just look at this.
‎Look at those guys!
‎Congratulations.
‎This is huge.
‎This is how you do it.
‎Guys, we're going to the World Cup
‎with this bunch!
‎I feel like when you've pushed it to 4-1,
‎then you become a bit speechless.
‎This is content.
‎This is fucking content, guys!
‎Erling! It's so touching.
‎I shed a couple of tears
‎before the whistle blew.
‎This is simply huge. It's amazing.
‎I couldn't relax. I didn't get the feeling
‎that we were going to the World Cup.
‎And also, it was really special,
‎because my brother
‎ARE HOKSTAD
‎TEAM MANAGER
‎and his son and my son
‎were in the stands.
‎Just knowing that they were there
‎I can just feel it,
‎sitting here, telling you about it.
‎Many emotions that I thought I'd be
‎able to control in a different way.
‎It's hard to put it into words. It's huge,
‎and so nice to finally make it happen.
‎Something was removed off the shoulders
‎of the whole population when we succeeded.
‎We're finally done with this.
‎And that's why I felt
‎more relief than joy.
‎STÅLE SOLBAKKEN
‎NATIONAL TEAM COACH
‎It's something that's been
‎hanging over a whole nation
‎for a very, very long time.
‎2026 WORLD CUP
‎QUALIFIED
‎OSLO
‎NORWAY
‎CITY HALL SQUARE
‎THE FOLLOWING DAY
‎In October, when we played against Israel,
‎Erling came into my room, and he said,
‎"What do we do
‎when we qualify in November?"
‎"We need to celebrate.
‎What do we do when we're done?"
‎ "I haven't really thought about that."
‎"We're going to the World Cup now, Are.
‎We know that."
‎"We can't say it out loud,
‎but we know we're going."
‎ "We have to celebrate."
‎So we ended up going to City Hall Square.
‎Thank you.
‎Hi. Good to see you.
‎I haven't been inside City Hall before.
‎And now, we're going to the World Cup.
‎I only have
‎Do you know how many there are?
‎It makes me so proud to be able
‎to take Norway to a championship.
‎We've gone through such bad times,
‎and a lot of those were very tough.
‎It's hard to put it into words.
‎Wait till we win the World Cup.
‎I was the only one, really,
‎who was a bit skeptical.
‎How many people would be coming
‎when it's -4 degrees
‎on a Monday night
‎outside Oslo City Hall, really?
‎Are you ready?
‎Here comes Sondre Langås!
‎It's insane. There are so many people.
‎It's awesome.
‎Ørjan Håskjold Nyland!
‎To see that many people show up
‎on a cold day in Oslo was cool.
‎Kristoffer Ajer!
‎I grew up in Rælingen and dreamt
‎of playing on the national team,
‎and then being met
‎by 50,000, 60,000 people,
‎of course it warms the heart.
‎KRISTOFFER VASSBAKK AJER
‎CENTER BACK, BRENTFORD FC
‎Aron Dønnum!
‎Antonio Nusa, ladies and gentlemen!
‎What's going on here? Is this for real?
‎I had no idea that there would be
‎so many people there.
‎Erling Braut Haaland!
‎And finally, our captain, Martin Ødegaard!
‎I think everyone was
‎pleasantly surprised over the turnout.
‎Yes, we felt that love.
‎Ståle Solbakken, ladies and gentlemen!
‎It's an exciting draw, 5th of December,
‎but I'll promise you one thing:
‎We're not going as tourists.
‎We're doing everything we can
‎for these people.
‎Could Norway win the World Cup?
‎Yes!
‎I'd just like to go home.
‎I'm done with this.
‎I just want to be by myself.
‎But I wouldn't have missed
‎the experience in Oslo for the world.
‎50,000 people, that's something
‎you'll remember for the rest of your life.
‎Imagine the adversity
‎Ståle Solbakken experienced
‎after the failure
‎at Ullevaal against Scotland.
‎They've risen up from the adversity.
‎That makes this such a powerful moment.
‎Being able to create that sense of pride
‎that Norway has qualified for
‎the World Cup and is going to the States,
‎that was great, at least for someone
‎who's been failing with this project.
‎BREDE HANGELAND
‎PLAYER MANAGER
‎When you finally get some time
‎to watch and feel that you've succeeded
‎doing something that all of Norway
‎has been waiting for for nearly 30 years,
‎it makes you feel a lot of things.
‎It was us with the people,
‎and those emotions that we've been
‎feeling due to not being able to do it.
‎Having disappointed all of Norway.
‎When you finally manage to make
‎those same people happy,
‎it's a huge moment.
‎Something we'll remember
‎the rest of our lives.
‎Norway's going to the World Cup!
‎I get that it's huge for Norway
‎to get to go to the World Cup.
‎OLOF LUNDH
‎SWEDISH SPORTS JOURNALIS
‎The 2000s were
‎so dark for Norwegian soccer.
‎But to organize a celebration
‎where you receive the heroes,
‎in gold jackets, no less.
‎Why were they wearing gold jackets?
‎We're still so far away from gold.
‎When you surpass your personal best,
‎it's worth celebrating.
‎Not when you qualify. I don't get it!
‎205 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎204 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎Good, Nusa!
‎TARIQ PANJA
‎SPORTS JOURNALIST, NEW YORK TIMES
‎And it's Alexander Sørloth!
‎Erling Braut Haaland!
‎Antonio Nusa!
‎UNEXPECTED CHALLENGER
‎The biggest challenge for Norway
‎is that they haven't played
‎a championship for such a long time.
‎Ståle Solbakken hasn't done that either.
‎They don't have the experience.
‎If you haven't been in a big championship,
‎it's difficult to imagine what it's like.
‎Even if we played the World Cup
‎in the US as late as 1994,
‎this is unknown territory
‎for the current Norwegian national team.
‎Even if Haaland and Ødegaard
‎have participated in large events,
‎this is something entirely different.
‎How will Norway handle the pressure,
‎the attention, the occasion, the climate?
‎Norway will have tough competition
‎in the World Cup next year.
‎Norway will play against Senegal
‎and France in the group play-offs.
‎It's one out of three or four
‎of the biggest World Cup favorites,
‎so it can't get much harder than that.
‎France is complete.
‎Unreal strikers.
‎One of the few countries matching Norway
‎when it comes to
their striking abilities.
‎Mbappé. And there, he scores once!
‎Mbappé. Unbelievable talent.
‎Olise.
‎Ousmane Dembélé.
‎They probably have
‎the broadest team in the world.
‎They could fill six teams to move on
‎to the quarterfinals in the World Cup.
‎A lot of blue shirts in the box. Bam!
‎France is a formidable opponent.
‎Senegal worries me a bit more.
‎I think they're better than many realize.
‎It's a team almost devoid
‎of any weak points. They're rock solid.
‎EGIL "DRILLO" OLSEN
‎TEAM COACH, '94 & '98
‎Now everyone assumes that we'll beat them
‎easily, but I think it will be hard.
‎128 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎127 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎Wow, wow, wow.
‎I think I can get used to this.
‎Been dreaming of this my whole life.
‎Norway is on the edge of their seats.
‎It'll be insane.
‎Okay.
‎We're going to the US.
‎We're going to the World Cup.
‎The World Cup is something else.
‎We'll be doing our best,
‎just like recently.
‎It's still kind of unreal.
‎But now it's We're getting close.
‎It's becoming a reality.
‎Playing a championship is the biggest
‎thing you can experience on the field.
‎I think about it every day.
‎We've all dreamt of the World Cup
‎since we were little.
‎This will be insanely cool.
‎Playing in front of family and friends
‎in New York it's surreal.
‎SANDER BERGE
‎MIDFIELDER, FULHAM FC
‎Hokstad!
‎Sander Berge!
‎Are you traveling now?
‎We're getting a tour
‎of the training facilities.
‎You're actually over there.
‎That's awesome.
‎-Are you okay?
‎-Yeah, totally.
‎Are Hokstad is a guy who always sees you.
‎He's the glue of the team.
‎He's worked with
‎many different national team coaches.
‎He's experienced a lot more lows
‎than highs in this job.
‎He's very strong,
‎organizationally speaking.
‎The preparation phase for the World Cup
‎is an enormous mountain
‎that we've started to climb.
‎The players' well-being
‎is my focus from A to Z.
‎Two, three, four, five, six, seven.
‎Do the facilities cover our needs?
‎Will we be able to train,
‎treat, rest, eat
‎Insane stuff.
‎86 DAYS ‎UNTIL THE
2026 WORLD CUP
‎85 DAYS ‎UNTIL THE
2026 WORLD CUP
‎Norway's playing training matches
‎against the Netherlands and Switzerland.
‎HAMAR
‎NORWAY
‎And today, the team will be announced.
‎All those who play against
‎the Netherlands and Switzerland
‎have a chance of going to the World Cup.
‎In two and a half months
‎we're picking out the final roster.
‎In the last two matches you have
‎to prepare for the World Cup,
‎it's a plus if that team looks as much
‎as possible like the World Cup team.
‎It won't be entirely identical,
‎but it's our last chance
‎to test new things.
‎And this is a living thing, right?
‎The picture is never static.
‎All of a sudden,
‎someone comes onto our radar.
‎Now we have more and more
‎Bodø/Glimt players who've popped up
‎as a result of their success
‎in the Champions League.
‎Bam!
‎Jens Petter Hauge never disappoints!
‎Bodø/Glimt train chugs on.
‎There's Bjørtuft.
‎When Jens Petter Hauge
‎smells an opportunity,
‎he grabs that bull by both horns.
‎The ability he has to do
‎something spectacular
‎when needed, facing strong opposition,
‎is a quality that I think Ståle Solbakken
‎wants to bring along to the World Cup.
‎Bjørtuft and Hauge
‎are on the team now. Why?
‎Bjørtuft has taken steps
‎and been rock solid.
‎Hauge has been winning matches
‎for Bodø/Glimt with an X factor.
‎ASPMYRA STADIUM
‎BODØ
‎It was very unexpected.
‎The national team
‎is something all players dream about.
‎JENS PETTER HAUGE
‎MIDFIELDER, BODØ/GLIM
‎Now I'll get the chance to show what I can
‎do in the matches before the World Cup.
‎It's an opportunity to be a part of
‎the final World Cup team.
‎My name is Odin Bjørtuft.
‎I'm a center-back.
‎ODIN BJØRTUF
‎CENTER-BACK, BODØ/GLIM
‎I've played zero international matches.
‎Twenty-seven years old.
‎Perhaps an unusual age
‎for someone to be called up
‎to the national team for the first time.
‎I rank the World Cup as the greatest thing
‎you can experience as a soccer player.
‎Now everything is up to me.
‎I need to work as hard as I can.
‎It's an opportunity to go down in
‎Norwegian soccer history.
‎AMSTERDAM - THE NETHERLANDS
‎DAY BEFORE FRIENDLY MATCH
‎In a World Cup team with 26 men,
‎the first 15-20 men are easy to pick.
‎And then it's really hard
‎to pick the last few.
‎Everything is an audition.
‎We're trying to analyze everything
‎to find out how this team
‎can be the best it can be.
‎These are exciting times.
‎Many people dream
‎of being part of this team.
‎It's a huge competition
‎with players pushing from outside,
‎and players on the inside
‎who are desperate to keep their spot.
‎It is an amazing position to be in.
‎It's impeccable timing
‎to be in the best shape of my life
‎when Norway is finally going
‎to a championship again.
‎Of course it will be a challenge
‎to be picked for the final team.
‎There are a lot of very talented
‎soccer players from Norway.
‎That's kind of why
‎the expectations are so high.
‎The last players on the team won't
‎necessarily ever go out on the field.
‎It matters a lot
‎how good they are socially.
‎Going up?
‎Contribute to the team and to the squad,
‎despite personal disappointment
‎of not getting a chance to play.
‎The group and the main 11
‎need to be as strong as possible.
‎Straight ahead. We're driving to Norway.
‎We're working towards a team culture
‎where everyone can thrive,
‎and where everyone can be themselves.
‎That group dynamic
‎and that confidence that the group has,
‎the bigger it is, the more you can be
‎the best version of yourself.
‎Sorry.
‎At the same time,
‎if there isn't any friction,
‎something that can make them
‎challenge each other more,
‎then it'll be too nice and too safe,
‎and then they won't perform as well.
‎I feel like we've found
‎a very nice balance
‎in being focused and able to hold
‎each other to a higher standard
‎and demand the best
‎from each other on the pitch.
‎Okay, then.
‎Are you doing any better?
‎And then we switch off completely
‎when we're done training
‎or playing a match or whatever.
‎I think that's largely the key
‎to our current success.
‎It's so insanely important
‎to not have any idiots on the team
‎that can get restless and do stupid stuff.
‎They suck the energy from the group.
‎We can't have that in a long tournament.
‎So you need to do a very thorough job
‎when you pick out the team.
‎Jens Petter Hauge is training with you
‎for the first time in a number of years.
‎What sort of opinions
‎have you formed so far about
‎We've only had
‎one full training session so far,
‎so we haven't had time
‎to say one way or the other.
‎Does that mean he won't be a starting
‎player on the national team as of now?
‎As of now, he's ranking below a few
‎other players, but he's aware of that.
‎He's been winning matches for Bodø/Glimt
‎in the Champions League.
‎That's why he's here.
‎But as I've been saying,
‎his playing has been too inconsistent.
‎He needs to stabilize
‎his performance in matches.
‎He's aware of that. I've said that before.
‎He's been helping me to become
‎more aware of the challenges
‎that I have to work on,
‎and he's always done that.
‎Remove that camera. It's the first day.
‎Jens Petter Hauge has been coming
‎in and out of the national team.
‎Many players need to be consistently good
‎and enter a sort of flow state.
‎It's not like that with him.
‎He can play misplaced pass
‎after misplaced pass.
‎All of a sudden,
‎he puts one straight into the top corner.
‎Huh? Lovely.
‎The last few years,
‎I've become better at receiving
‎not criticism, exactly, but information
‎and observations coming from him.
‎The principles are to be followed,
‎and your efforts
‎and the tactical aspect should be perfect.
‎It's all to do with concentration.
‎He needs to be fine-tuned,
‎and when he's fine-tuned,
‎he delivers moments that very few
‎Norwegian players are able to do.
‎He expects things from me, and that's
‎a really good position for me to be in.
‎He's trying to get the last percentages
‎of my game to come up to the surface.
‎And now, the run-up for the World Cup
‎is starting for real for Norway.
‎The mighty Netherlands
‎are their opponents.
‎The Dutch players,
‎among whom is Liverpool's
‎star center-back Virgil van Dijk.
‎This is one of the last chances
‎for Ståle Solbakken to practice against
‎a big team before it really matters,
‎meaning the World Cup this summer.
‎In many ways, this is the bar
‎for what we could expect in the World Cup.
‎It's a good, old-fashioned
‎Idol ‎audition,
‎where many players
‎hope to hear Ståle Solbakken say,
‎ "You're moving on to the US."
‎Both Martin Ødegaard and
‎Erling Braut Haaland are out this time.
‎This means Berge
‎will take over the captain's armband.
‎What an opportunity
‎for Andreas Schjelderup
‎who might get a shot to play on the wing.
‎They have the opportunity to stamp
‎their US visas here tonight.
‎FRIENDLY MATCH
‎THE NETHERLANDS VS NORWAY
‎The Dutch team that got to the
‎semi-finals in the Euros two years ago.
‎He's a little late there, Strand Larsen.
‎And then Dumfries.
‎And Schjelderup is down to work.
‎The cross over the perimeter
‎over to Møller Wolfe.
‎Schjelderup, one on one. Time to show off.
‎Oh, he goes in. He succeeds!
‎Andreas Schjelderup!
‎Ståle Solbakken was spot-on
‎with his picks.
‎THE NETHERLANDS 0 - 1 NORWAY
‎Andreas!
‎Applauded by Solbakken
‎in the opening minutes.
‎A little nutmeg from Koopmeiners.
‎The Netherlands have picked up the pace.
‎All of a sudden,
‎the Dutch have confidence.
‎Meiners Van Dijk!
‎Classic van Dijk.
‎1-1 in Amsterdam. He's a beast.
‎HALFTIME
‎THE NETHERLANDS 1 - 1 NORWAY
‎Push through, now. Push through.
‎Sørloth drifting out wide,
‎where he usually operates
‎for the Norwegian national team.
‎Sørloth stays put, waiting.
‎Dumfries sends it in Reijnders!
‎THE NETHERLANDS 2 - 1 NORWAY
‎Norway looks out-played here.
‎It inspires me to see others
‎that I'm competing against do well.
‎It pushes me
‎and gives me that bit of extra energy.
‎Jens Petter Hauge.
‎Jens Petter Hauge fighting for a spot
‎on the national team now.
‎Jens Petter Hauge blocks it.
‎Come on, J.P.!
‎It's going much better after the subs.
‎This would be the right moment for Hauge
‎to deliver a Champions League special
‎here and now.
‎He's here because he's got that X factor.
‎We need that X factor.
‎Hauge on the flank.
‎We need to use Hauge now.
‎Show his abilities.
‎Jens Petter!
‎FINAL RESUL
‎THE NETHERLANDS 2 - 1 NORWAY
‎We lost for the first time
‎in a very long time.
‎The result wasn't
‎the most important thing tonight.
‎It's all about
‎putting the players to the test.
‎It was a tough match. It was hard work,
‎both offensively and defensively.
‎My heart rate was reaching its limits.
‎It's not a given that Jens Petter Hauge
‎will be on the team, to put it bluntly.
‎His efforts were entirely average.
‎He did more or less
‎what we expected of him.
‎But the competition is tough,
‎so we'll have to see how it ends.
‎Well done. We don't shed any tears
‎about this, boys.
‎We're moving on ahead.
‎We're on the right track.
‎If we meet this team in the World Cup,
‎I'll put my money on you all day long.
‎75 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎74 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎LILLESTRØM
‎NORWAY
‎I was very happy about 65 minutes
‎of that match against the Netherlands.
‎We got to put both formations to the test,
‎and we got to put
‎some new players to the test.
‎Many of them made a good impression on us.
‎The World Cup is three months away.
‎How many of the 26 players
‎in the group are you sure about?
‎I can't tell you exactly but
‎Eighteen players.
‎Nineteen. Twenty and a half.
‎No, 18, 19, 20.
‎It's the last six to eight spots.
‎There could be someone there who
‎suddenly shows up and steps up at the end.
‎Close, close, close! Next!
‎This gathering for me
‎is all about trying to show
‎what I can do in the best possible way.
‎There are many details in the play
‎that you need to learn
‎before you can join a national team.
‎Here, Odin!
‎Stop, stop, stop!
‎A minor detail. If I go like this
‎Yes, like that. If I come here
‎Left, over.
‎Think about it like that. Okay?
‎Of course the competition is tough.
‎There are many incredible midfielders
‎who play on an international level
‎and are really trying
‎to get to play for Norway.
‎When we play 11 against 11 during
‎training, it's really hard work both ways.
‎But I think I have more to give,
‎and I also need to show more if I'm going
‎to be picked to be on a World Cup team.
‎If I get an opportunity to play a match,
‎I have to take it.
‎FRIENDLY MATCH
‎NORWAY VS SWITZERLAND
‎Okay, boys. Come on.
‎Good luck, boys.
‎You'll remember this
‎for the rest of your lives.
‎Good passing feet. He shows that here.
‎That wasn't so bad.
‎Taking big risks in the free-play,
‎at least.
‎Bjørtuft.
‎He got into trouble there.
‎Ståle Solbakken.
‎I wonder what he thinks about this.
‎He's got a keen eye
‎for the details that he cares about.
‎That was a nice pass.
‎-Good!
‎-‎Bjørtuft is steady.
‎It's important that they keep
‎everything clean here at the end.
‎And here A lot of room for Manzambi.
‎Monteiro. This is where he scored
‎against Germany.
‎FINAL RESUL
‎NORWAY 0 - 0 SWITZERLAND
‎Just like in the first half,
‎he blows the whistle on the dot.
‎0-0 between the two coaches.
‎What's your take on the national team
‎debutants Bjørtuft and Falchener?
‎They're two different player types.
‎We've kept a clean sheet.
‎They've been part of our heavy training
‎with high speed.
‎You've used this gathering to put
‎pressure on the players. Is that right?
‎No, I don't know. I don't think so.
‎No more than usual.
‎I hope they do feel a little pressure.
‎We are playing
‎in the World Cup, after all.
‎MADRID
‎SPAIN
‎-Come in, come in.
‎-Hola!
‎-All good?
‎-Yeah, very.
‎-Good to see you.
‎-Likewise.
‎We've got about two and a half months
‎until the World Cup.
‎I think we should be
‎cautiously optimistic.
‎GØRAN SØRLOTH
‎ALEXANDER SØRLOTH'S FATHER
‎So I'm trying to avoid
‎hyping it up too much.
‎It's a goal!
‎Gøran Sørloth scores for Norway!
‎That was so much fun!
‎He passes to Sørloth. Sørloth is through!
‎It's 1-0 to Norway!
‎It's Alexander Sørloth!
‎In my time on the team, people have always
‎talked about the '94 and '98 World Cups.
‎ALEXANDER SØRLOTH
‎STRIKER
‎How we never qualified,
‎despite so many attempts.
‎And I've spoken to Dad about it,
‎but not that much.
‎How was the pressure
‎in '94? Did you feel it?
‎I mean, it's a very appropriate question
‎because I assume
‎you guys are feeling it more.
‎I felt like the pressure
‎was totally gone for me.
‎Because it was enough to qualify?
‎Yes, the moment we qualified,
‎everyone was happy.
‎The journalists, the people.
‎We shouldn't be happy
‎with just getting to that point.
‎We have a job to do over there.
‎It's true, because
‎we haven't talked much about it since.
‎We've been on the road a lot.
‎But we do talk
‎Should we go, Dad?
‎-Go?
‎-Yeah.
‎-Am I rambling?
‎-Walk and talk.
‎I thought I was the boss here.
‎I'm the father.
‎-The difference is
‎-Your son has gotten old.
‎A while ago,
‎I was Gøran Sørloth,
‎and he was Gøran Sørloth's son.
‎He was called Gøran Sørloth's son.
‎I've lost my name.
‎I've become Alexander Sørloth's dad.
‎Do you get me?
‎-Not good.
‎-Isn't that the dream?
‎But I'm supposed to be the boss.
‎We shouldn't be thinking,
‎ "35 days left, 23 days left"
‎That's draining. So this is a warning.
‎Use it for what it's worth.
‎We're there, and we know we're there.
‎45 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎44 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎I got positive feedback
‎after the last gathering.
‎I felt like I got along well
‎with the group.
‎I think I can fit in well
‎going into the championship.
‎We're fighting for that spot
‎every single day.
‎To be picked for a World Cup
‎Not much can compare to that.
‎You try not to think about it too much,
‎but you're always reminded of it.
‎Of course there's a lot of competition
‎within the offensive positions.
‎So I do what I need to do every day
‎to become even one percent better.
‎I'm in a really good place physically.
‎And I believe that I'll stay injury free
‎and be ready if I get the chance.
‎3 WEEKS UNTIL TEAM SELECTION
‎ANDREW FINDLAY
‎ANALYST FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM
‎22 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎21 DAYS
‎UNTIL THE 2026 WORLD CUP
‎MAY 21ST, 2026
‎NORWAY'S WC TEAM ANNOUNCEMEN
‎Big news from tiny Grue tonight,
‎our national team manager's hometown.
‎Our world cup squad is being unveiled
‎in under an hour.
‎Many are hopeful today,
‎national players waiting to be picked
‎and also this group,
‎who are receiving visitors in Grue.
‎This is a big day for me and Kent.
‎That this could take place
‎on our old home turf.
‎Hello, good to see you again.
‎We need this?
‎Are you running around inside?
‎Have you said hi to Tom yet?
‎This is my mother.
‎It's nice to be here.
‎Do you see the red garage behind the goal?
‎-Yes.
‎-You see the black house to the right?
‎-Yes.
‎-My uncle lives there.
‎How hard has it been to choose?
‎It's been hard,
‎there are a lot of good soccer players
‎in Norway these days.
‎There is potentially only one
‎available spot to the right wing position,
‎who do we believe will end up
‎with this spot?
‎It will be a close one.
‎BODØ
‎NORWAY
‎Jens Petter Hauge
‎was the most discussed player,
‎where does he stand?
‎It looks difficult on his part
‎from my point of view.
‎If someone is biting nails right now,
‎then it has to be him.
‎NONE OF THE PLAYERS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED
‎BEFORE THE TEAM IS PICKED
‎THEY WILL KNOW IF THEY ARE PICKED
‎ALONG WITH THE REST OF NORWAY
‎SIMEN PEDERSEN
‎MEDIA MANAGER, BODØ/GLIM
‎There have been weeks,
‎where things go up and down.
‎You feel good, and then
‎Then you start thinking
‎and expect the worst.
‎Now it is all going to be
‎about the World Cup squad,
‎how have you been able
‎to keep it a secret?
‎This is something no one should know
‎before the ones it really concerns.
‎There has always been a core group,
‎and those outside of that
‎we've needed a longer discussion about,
‎and we needed more time,
‎but ultimately, we stand by our choices.
‎THE WC GROUP WILL BE ANNOUNCED
‎IN A NATIONWIDE BROADCAST VIDEO
‎This is a moment we have been waiting for
‎since 1998.
‎This year's World Cup squad
‎will now be revealed,
‎and the question is, are you ready?
‎These are the 26 players
‎who will represent Norway
‎in the 2026 World Cup.
‎Dear everyone,
‎the men's national team is going
‎to the World Cup
‎for the first time in 28 years.
‎This team is from all over the country.
‎From small to big clubs.
‎I have to pay attention.
‎-Because this is how they reveal it?
‎-Looks that way.
‎Over long distances.
‎Yes?
‎This must mean that you are going?
‎That must be it.
‎Wow.
‎Those are the 26 players
‎who will represent Norway.
‎Someone must be extra happy today.
‎There has been
‎a lot of discussion beforehand.
‎We can see that Falchener is there,
‎Hauge and Thelo Aasgaard.
‎What is your message for these players
‎who have been up to discussion?
‎The message to them is the same
‎as to everybody else.
‎Congratulations.
‎Thank you.
‎-This is so cool!
‎-Yeah.
‎I am shaking.
‎We could almost not see my name
‎in the video.
‎I just saw it a little on the buoy,
‎or what is it called?
‎You mean a float?
‎Float? Did everyone else's kit get shown
‎except yours?
‎Yes.
‎My Goodness. This is so exciting.
‎-‎ You have to get a plane ticket to the US.
‎- Yes, it is going to be a hectic day.
‎I am a touched
‎and proud soccer player today.
‎That was well deserved.
‎That was well deserved.
‎What was it
‎that was in Jens Petter Hauge's favor?
‎Jens Petter is a player with X factor
‎and he is a great counterattack player.
‎In the final stages of matches,
‎he is someone who can be
‎a very good counterattack player.
‎And he is a guy who has made his mark
‎on the squad
‎at irregular intervals.
‎But he is coming with us
‎since he deserves it.
‎We have placed together what we think
‎is our best 26 players.
‎That means some people will be very happy
‎while others will be disappointed.
‎ODIN BJØRTUFT DID NOT GET PICKED
‎FOR THE WC TEAM
‎Of course you feel
‎a little disappointment
‎ODIN BJØRTUF
‎CENTER-BACK, BODØ/GLIM
‎and a sorrow.
‎It's something that I've worked for
‎and dreamed about
‎that's being shattered today.
‎At the same time, I just have to realize
‎that I haven't performed well enough.
‎I probably need to get
‎a Norwegian Ajer kit
‎or I get a Berg, Bjørkan or Hauge kit.
‎And sit on the "World Cup Square"
‎in Porsgrunn and follow along from there.
‎I think it will be a lot of fun
‎to follow along as a fan.
‎And the winner is the Norwegian
‎Men's National Soccer Team.
‎The Norwegian Men's National Team
‎THE SPORTS GALA
‎JANUARY 2026
‎finally managed to qualify
‎for the World Cup.
‎On behalf of the three of us,
‎a fantastic support network
‎and a group of players
‎who we're proud of
‎both on and off the pitch,
‎we thank you for this award.
‎The men's team is, more than
‎any other team, the team of the nation.
‎We represent the soccer family.
‎We now have 420,000 active members.
‎And even more supporters.
‎Those of us standing here, and our
‎players, would especially like to thank
‎all the dedicated enthusiasts
‎all those who show up to "‎dugnad‎".
‎ "‎Dugnad‎" is the nicest word
‎in the Norwegian language.
‎And all the parents who are coaches.
‎Without that volunteer spirit,
‎there wouldn't be Norwegian soccer.
‎We would like to thank everyone
‎working in the districts,
‎at the national team school
‎and in the NFF.
‎This is a very big victory for our team,
‎and what happened in 2025
‎was a victory for us all.
‎This is what I've been dreaming of
‎since I was little, playing in the park,
‎dreaming of playing in the World Cup.
‎And of course I'm excited.
‎I'm counting down the days. We have
‎unwavering faith in what we're doing.
‎We really think that
‎we could beat anybody.
‎People aren't happy about facing Norway.
‎They shouldn't be either.
‎I'm just excited to play the first game.
‎To get started with the whole thing.
‎In a play-off, one match,
‎anything can happen,
‎and then we know that we are
‎good enough to deal with the very best.
‎What are your personal expectations?
‎The World Cup for me is just the best.
‎And I've seen so many championships
‎at this point.
‎But as a commentator,
‎I've never seen a Norwegian team there.
‎That adds an extra dimension to it.
‎When Norway is in the play-offs.
‎Could Norway win the World Cup?
‎I don't want to say anything about that.
‎I choose to stay silent.
‎No, I'm not going to go down that road.
‎Good question.
‎In theory we could.
‎No, I'm actually going to say no.
‎And I hope I wasn't the first one.
‎What are your hopes for the World Cup?
‎My hopes?
‎I hope that Norway will become
‎world champions.
‎Will Norway win the World Cup?
‎If they do, I'll go to the City Hall
‎Square myself to celebrate them.
‎I promise you that.
‎It's a Norwegian team that can
‎take some big bites over there.
‎We have to enjoy going to the World Cup.
‎And at the same time, challenge ourselves.
‎Historically, in the play-offs,
‎Norway's done well in qualifiers,
‎and performed worse during the World Cup.
‎Now we have to see
‎if we can rise above that too.
‎Could Norway win the World Cup?
‎Subtitle translation by:
‎Ekaterina Pliassova