Norway is considered to be the underdog in international soccer. They missed the FIFA World Cup 2022 after failing to finish in the top two of their group. They were in Group G in the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers for the European countries. Their group featured other countries like the Netherlands, Turkey, Montenegro, Gibraltar, and Latvia. Many wonder about the number of times Norway qualified for the FIFA World Cup.
Those who talking about why Haaland couldn’t qualify for WC:
1. Norway’s squad isn’t a world class squad. Only Haaland & Odegaard are good players.
2. He had a serious injury during last 2 qualifier match, team lost those two matches that cost them playing in WC. pic.twitter.com/fE7En2FJcP
— Erling Waaland (@Erlingg03) December 19, 2022
Norway could only muster 18 points from a possible 30 out of their 10 group games. They finished third in the group behind the Netherlands and Turkey. According to the FIFA rule, only the top two countries from each group qualify for the finals of the FIFA World Cup. Although Norway had Manchester City star Erling Haaland at their disposal, he could only score five goals in the qualifiers.
Norway qualified 3 times for the World Cup
Norway’s record at the FIFA World Cup is not very successful. They have participated in 16 World Cup qualifiers so far. However, they have only qualified for a total of three times. They first qualified for the World Cup finals in 1938, failing to register any victory.
Norway’s best moments were in the late 1990s when they secured back-to-back qualifications in the 1994 and 1998 World Cup. Their only victory in the World Cup came in 1998 when they defeated heavyweights Brazil.
However, Norway’s women’s soccer team has enjoyed a better record at the World Cup. Norway has qualified for every FIFA Women’s World Cup since the competition started in 1991. Their best performance came in 1995 when Norway defeated Germany 2-0 in the final to win the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Their recent performance in the 2019 World Cup ended in disappointment when they lost to England in the quarterfinals.
Can Erling Haaland change Norway’s fate?
Although Norway has faced disappointment in the FIFA World Cup so far, currently they boast of having the best striker in the world right now in their squad. Man City sensation Erling Haaland, who hails from Norway, could possibly change Norway’s fate at the World Cup. Although Haaland couldn’t find his best form during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the Norwegian talisman is only getting better day by day.
📊| Haaland scored 9️⃣ goals in a 2019 U-20 World Cup encounter against Honduras, setting the record for most goals scored in a single match! 🔥
— City Chief (@City_Chief) May 10, 2022
Erling Haaland’s only success in international tournaments so far has been winning the Golden Boot during the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2019. Although Haaland had scored in just one game, he scored 9 goals during the match against Honduras which were enough to secure him the Golden Boot.
However, Haaland is not the singular world-class talent that Norway has in their team. Alongside Haaland, there is also Martin Ødegaard. The midfield maestro who plays in the Premier League for Arsenal is one of the best young talents in the soccer world.
Ødegaard assumed the captaincy of Norway last year when he was just 23 years old. The former Real Madrid youth player has already developed as a leader and will be looking to steer his nation to World Cup success during the FIFA World Cup 2026.