Norway 2026 World Cup preview: Odds, key players and predictions

Ahead of their first World Cup in almost 30 years, Norway have been priced among the nations making up the chasing pack, with odds of 28/1 to go all the way and win the World Cup for the very first time - but if Erling Haaland hits his stride, we wouldn't be surprised to see their odds shorten.

Their talismanic frontman is among the frontrunners to pick up the Golden Boot this summer, and with his nation priced at just 12/1 to reach the World Cup final, Erling Haaland could also be in with a shout of picking up the Golden Ball if he can guide Norway deep into the tournament. The Lions are fancied to score a lot of goals this summer, and are odds on to qualify for the round of 32.

• Qualification record: 8 wins - 0 draws - 0 defeats

• Goals for / against: 37 / 5

Storming through the qualification campaign with a perfect record is exactly why Norway are such an intriguing addition to the 2026 World Cup, with eight wins from eight in a group that included Italy - and it was a thumping 4-1 win over the Italians that actually secured their ticket to North America.

Haaland's 16 goals saw him finish as top scorer - with twice as many goals as his closest challenger - and Martin Odegaard led the assist charts with seven, so the two danger men really did put on a show in their group. Having suffered just one competitive defeat since October 2023, Norway have proven that they're a force to be reckoned with, and if they can take their qualifying form into Group I, they have every chance of upsetting the odds and toppling tournament favourites France.

With this year's tournament only being the fourth World Cup that Norway have ever participated in, their record isn't great, with two round-of-16 eliminations (in 1938 and 1998) still remaining their greatest-ever World Cup finish - but the stage is certainly set for them to break new ground this summer.

They've never had a talent as impactful as Haaland, who can win games on his own, and with so many nations getting the chance to enter the knockouts in 2026, you get the impression that anything less than a round-of-16 appearance this time around will be seen as something of a failure. It's a unique position for Norway, who probably have more fear-factor than ever before, but while their route to the latter stages of the 2026 World Cup would be tricky, we can see them setting new records in North America.

A couple of standout names headline the Norway squad, but the more you look into their 26-man selection, the more you fancy their chances of going deep into the tournament. Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard are obviously the stars, but electric young talents like Oscar Bobb and Antonio Nusa - who we've picked out as one of our players to watch this summer - are more than capable of playing their part.

Even the likes of Jens Petter Hauge, Sander Berge, and Jorgen Strand Larsen bring top-level experience to this Norway squad, who should be confident of picking up points in the groups, and a strong togetherness has already seen them dominate their qualifying campaign - so the omens are very good.

It's a top-heavy squad, with defensive depth perhaps their biggest concern, but with so much firepower in the ranks, Stale Solbakken will hope his Norway side can justify their position as marginal outsiders to go all the way this summer.

Norway's 2026 World Cup squad

Manager: Stale Solbakken

Goalkeepers: Orjan Nyland (Sevilla), Egil Selvik (Watford), Sander Tangvik (Hamburger SV)

Defenders: Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund), Marcus Holmgren Pedersen (Torino), David Moller Wolfe (Wolverhampton), Fredrik Bjorkan (Bodo/Glimt), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford), Torbjorn Heggem (Bologna), Leo Skiri Ostigard (Genoa), Sondre Langas (Derby County), Henrik Falchener (Viking)

Midfielders: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Sander Berge (Fulham), Fredrik Aursnes (Benfica), Patrick Berg (Bodo/Glimt), Kristian Thorstvedt (Sassuolo), Morten Thorsby (Cremonese), Thelo Aasgaard (Rangers)

Forwards: Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Alexander Sorloth (Atletico Madrid), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Crystal Palace), Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig), Oscar Bobb (Fulham), Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica), Jens Petter Hauge (Bodo/Glimt)

Our predicted lineup for Norway's opening game against Iraq sees them set up in a 4-3-3 formation.

GK: Orjan Nyland

RB: Julian Ryerson

CB: Kristoffer Ajer

CB: Torbjorn Heggem

LB: David Moller Wolfe

CM: Sander Berge

CM: Kristian Thorstvedt

CM: Martin Odegaard

RW: Oscar Bobb

ST: Erling Haaland

LW: Antonio Nusa

If there's a 'group of death' at the 2026 World Cup, it's probably Group I, with Norway joining Senegal, Iraq, and tournament favourites France in the fight for qualification to the knockouts - but the bookies are tipping the Norwegians to reach the round of 32 without too much fuss.

France are frontrunners to top the group, as you'd expect given their ridiculous squad depth, but Norway come in as second-favourites with odds of 11/4, with the sheer quality of their star men meaning you can never write them off. Senegal will be looking to fight Norway for second spot, with only the top two guaranteed knockout football, while Iraq will struggle to pick up a single point in a brutal group.

You can check out our in-depth preview for Group I, including information on all four nations, with odds and predictions.

With so much attacking quality in their squad, we're hoping Norway adopt a front-footed approach at the World Cup, and we're backing their star men to fire them into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time ever - even if their route there will be challenging.

They'll probably have to beat Brazil to get there, but with the motivation of setting a new Norwegian record spurring them on, Norway will be the team that nobody wants to face in the knockouts - especially if Erling Haaland finds his usual, ruthless form. A strong group-stage campaign will set the tone for Norway to go further than ever before this summer, so we're really expecting them to be one of the most exciting teams to watch - getting as far as the last eight.

Prediction: Quarter-finals

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All odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.

View the latest World Cup 2026 odds.