Erling Haaland and 3 Norway stars to know ahead of 2026 World Cup

The Norway national football team is ranked 31st in the world and is playing in its first World Cup since 1998. So, why do the Norwegians have the T-9th-best odds to win it all? That’s because the Norway national team has a Golden Generation coming into its own, led by arguably the best striker on the planet, Erling Haaland.

Erling Haaland, Striker, Manchester City (England) 

At 6-foot-5, 208 pounds with flowing blonde hair, Erling Haaland looks like a Viking and dominates opposing defenses like one, too. He has 299 professional goals at just 25 years old, including 162 for Manchester City in the past four seasons. Haaland is the type of player who can win matches all by himself, and if he gets hot in America this summer, Norway could go far in their first World Cup in 28 years.

Haaland, who was born in Leeds, England, while his professional goalkeeper father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was playing in the Premier League, has been even more prolific as a goal-scorer with the Norway national team. While he’s averaged about 0.77 goals per game as a professional, he’s scored at a rate of 1.12 goals per game for his country since making his debut in 2019.

The big question with Haaland is if he can still take over games against the best teams in the world without world-class talent around him. While he does have some excellent teammates (as you’ll read below), it’s not quite the same as being surrounded by international superstars like Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Phil Foden, and Jeremy Doku, as he is at Man City.

Martin Ødegaard, Central Midfielder, Arsenal (England) 

Martin Ødegaard has been the chosen Norwegian footballer for a long time now. He made his national team debut at 15, the youngest in the country’s history, and went to Spanish giant Real Madrid at 16. While it never truly clicked with Los Blancos, Ødegaard finally landed in a perfect spot with Arsenal.

Under Mikel Arteta, the now-27-year-old has become the Gunners’ captain and a key player in the London-based team’s resurgence, which included a Premier League title and shootout loss in the UEFA Champions League Finals in 2025-26. He has 42 goals and 46 assists in his five-and-a-half seasons with Arsenal.

The fact that Ødegaard has struggled with injuries this season and is nowhere near his best form heading into the World Cup is a big issue for Norway, though. He played an uninspiring 66 minutes in the Champions League final, hasn’t had an assist since May 10, and hasn’t put one in the back of the net since two days after Christmas.

If Ødegaard can’t connect the defense to the attack and provide service for Erling Haaland and others, Norway could be in trouble.

Julian Ryserson, Right Back, Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

The Norway national team has an array of firepower up front and plenty of creativity in the middle. Where the squad struggles, though, is on defense.

The Norwegian backline will feature experienced Brentfield defender Kristoffer Ajer, along with Bologna’s Torbjørn Heggem, and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ David Møller Wolfe, who have just 35 international caps between them. That means it will be up to Borussia Dortmund’s right back, Julian Ryerson, to bring the experience and big-game know-how to this bunch.

The rest of the backline is there to play stout, organized defense, while Ryerson is the X-factor. He is electric bombing down the wing and sends crosses into the box with the best of them. If Ødegaard struggles, look for Norway to rely even more on Ryerson to create offense for his team.

Antonio Nusa, Winger, RB Leipzig (Germany)

The “Norwegian Neymar” could be one of the breakout stars of the 2026 World Cup. RB Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa is just 21 but already has 30 career goals for club and country. The youngster came into his own in Germany this season, and with all eyes trained on Haaland during the World Cup, this speedy dribbling sensation may put on a show.

If teams sell out to stop the Manchester City striker, Nusa could have a lot of room on the wing. If he can bury his chances, he’ll not only help Norway win matches but also make himself and his club a lot of money if a top European club comes calling after the tournament.

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