Norway World Cup 2026 preview: Players to watch, group matches, squad list

Previous World Cup appearances: 3 Best performance: Last 16 (1938, 1998) First appearance: 1938 (France) Top goal scorer: Kjetil Rekdal (2) Most appearances: Henning Berg, Stig Inge Bjornebye, Kjetil Rekdal (7) Player to watch: Erling Haaland FIFA world ranking: 31 Norway have not played at a World Cup since 1998, as a generation of fans has had to endure a series of near misses and damp squibs. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list This Norway side, however, powered by the superstar Erling Haaland alongside a bunch of other huge talents, stormed their qualifying group with eight wins out of eight, including giving Italy home and away drubbings. Not only are the Scandinavian nation finally back at the World Cup, this time they aim to go far – if not all the way. The squad was announced on Thursday in a video by the country’s King Harald V, who said the country has “waited a long time” to return to the World Cup. “The hope has lived on – on gravel, on grass and artificial turf … Across long distances, ferries and mountain passes,” he said. Haaland to emulate father The Man City striker ran rampant in qualifying, scoring five goals and grabbing two assists in a 11-1 mauling of Moldova. He also scored a hat-trick in Norway’s 5-0 thrashing of Israel, becoming the fastest player in history to reach 50 international goals, which he scored in just 46 appearances. …