14th November 2025
November 14 – With a 4-1 victory against Estonia, including a double from Erling Haaland, Norway have closed in on their first World Cup finals since 1998. Only an improbable hammering against Italy can keep Haaland and co out of the 2026 tournament.
Norway’s seventh win in qualifying sees the team top of Group I, three points ahead of Italy in second place and with a goal difference giving them the right to lose 16-0 but still qualify.
On a festive night at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth and Haaland both scored second-half braces to break Estonian resistance.
In the first half, the hosts laboured against the Estonians, who set up in a 5-4-1 formation to frustrate Stale Solbakken’s side, but once Sorloth broke the deadlock in the 50th minute, there was no coming back for the Baltic side. Two minutes later, Sorloth completed his double and Haaland wrapped up the party with goals in the 56th and 62nd minute.
From the stands, Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard and Norwegian King Harald V cheered the hosts to victory despite a consolation strike from Estonia’s Roobi Saarma.
Norway have scored more than 30 goals in qualifying and anything but an extraordinary defeat against Italy – they need to concede at least every five minutes at the San Siro – will ensure Norway’s qualification.
“It was good for the players, for the coaches and those around the team that we needed to play the whole game,” said Norway manager Solbakken at a news conference.
“We have led 3–0 at half-time in every game here at home. Previously, we could just continue with the good things from the first half, but now we had to adjust to break down Estonia.”
In 1998, Norway’s last participation in a World Cup finals, they reached the second round after famously defeating eventual finalists Brazil 2-1 in Marseille in their final group game. At Euro 2000, their last major finals, Norway exited in the group stages despite an opening 1-0 win against Spain at Rotterdam’s De Kuip.
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