Norway’s captain was left torn between frustration and pride after England brought their historic World Cup run to an end
Norway were on the verge of a World Cup semi-final, only for England to turn the quarter-final on its head. Martin Odegaard was left to weigh up the pain of defeat against the scale of what Norway had managed to achieve.
Losing 2-1 was a tough one to take, especially after Norway went ahead and kept England at bay for much of the game. But Odegaard, Arsenal’s captain, refused to let one result overshadow what he called a 'fairytale' tournament.
“It’s very tough,” Odegaard said after the match. “I feel we were very close. We did everything we could, and maybe we sat back defensively in the first half, but England didn’t create much and we took the lead.
“We conceded two easy goals, and we didn’t get much help from the referee. The small details didn’t go our way, and we lacked some luck.”
Odegaard’s frustration was clear. Norway had stuck to their plan, kept England quiet, and got themselves in front.
But the game slipped away in the moments that so often decide knockout football.
Alongside the disappointment, there was real pride.
Norway returned to the World Cup after 28 years away, reached the knockouts, knocked out Brazil, and pushed England all the way in the quarter-finals.
“It was a fantastic tournament and a fairytale for us,” Odegaard said. “We can be proud of ourselves.”
Odegaard knew exactly how big that achievement was.
Norway came into the tournament without the pedigree of the big nations, but left having changed how people see them at home and abroad.
“The whole world is talking about Norway now, and reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup is a huge achievement,” he added.
That wider impact could be what lasts longest from this campaign.
With Odegaard and Erling Haaland leading the way, Norway showed they could go toe-to-toe with the best. The support around the team only grew with every round.
The quarter-final defeat closed this chapter, but Odegaard’s focus quickly turned to what comes next.
“Now that we’ve tasted this level, we need to keep building for the future,” he said.
That’s the challenge once the emotion of defeat fades.
Norway’s run was never about one result. It was built on a string of performances that showed they belong at this level.
England ended the journey, but not the feeling that something had shifted for Norway.
For Odegaard, the disappointment was real, but so was the belief that this World Cup should be remembered as the start of something new for Norway, not just a brief return to the big stage.