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For many football fans, a summer without a World Cup or European Championship can feel like a desert. An endless wait for the autumn to bring a new season in the Premier League, Serie A or La Liga.
But well hidden behind the summer’s biggest transfer speculation and most tabloid football headlines, there is salvation for those of you who love football. This summer you have the opportunity to be seduced by the next generation of star players, in a sharp and very interesting European Championship in football for U19 national teams in Romania.
For Norwegian football fans, this summer’s championship may prove to be another upswing, at a time when Norwegian national football looks finally returning to its old heights.
The 90s feel increasingly distant. Those were the years when Egil “Drillo” Olsen’s Norwegian national team devastated the likes of England, Brazil, and Italy.
“Drillo” led the Norwegian national team to the World Cup in 1994 and 1998. For a brief period in the mid-1990’s, Norway was actually in second place in the FIFA rankings. They were second only to Brazil. It was a fantastic achievement for a winter sports nation with a population of barely 5 million.
But no miracles last forever, not even on the football field. Norway has experienced a decline since Nils Johan Semb, Drillo’s successor, led the team to its last international championship. This was the 2000 Euro’s in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The reasons for the prolonged downturn are multiple and complex. Norwegian football was ill-prepared for this downturn. It was bound to come at the beginning of the 2000’s. Norway quickly fell behind in recruitment. They also struggled with player development. Other countries took over Norway’s position as a regular supplier of players to the biggest European leagues.
In the last ten years, Norwegian football has been led by the Norwegian Football Association (NFF). They have taken action to improve the quality of Norwegian football. They worked purposefully to bring it to a higher level.
The backbone of NFF’s work has been a long-term mindset in talent development. Talent identification has started much earlier than before. Today, NFF has control over talent development throughout Norway from the age of twelve.
We believe the best are good early on. Håkon Grøttland, head of player development at NFF, wrote this in a column in Aftenposten. It explains why NFF works the way they do. It also clarifies why the identification starts earlier than before.
In recent years, the targeted work has yielded results. The emergence of talents has never been better. The U17 team reached the final of the European Championship in the Faroe Islands earlier this spring. This fall, the G20 team will participate in the U20 World Cup in Chile. They are one of only five European teams. In mid-June, Norway will participate in its third straight G19 European Championship.
Over several years, player development in Norwegian football has significantly improved. The qualification for the European Championship is further proof of this achievement.
G19 manager Even Sel stated this at the press conference where the Norwegian squad for the European Championship was presented.
A new upturn looks on. The long-term and targeted talent development has led to Norwegian football players becoming sought-after internationally. They are once again a valuable commodity.
The number of Norwegian players in foreign professional clubs has never been higher. Many Norwegian foreign professionals play important roles in large European clubs.
The talent development has also allowed Norway’s A-national team manager, Ståle Solbakken, to have an exceptional squad today. Most other national team coaches can only dream of such a team. Perhaps national team manager Solbakken is finally about to crack the code. He aims to realize the potential in the very strong group of players.
This weekend, Erling Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, Alexander Sørloth and Antonio Nusa made a solid mark. They ensured a convincing 3-0 win for Norway at home vs. Italy. For the first time in 25 years, it looks like Norway will be able to qualify for a major championship. The World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico in 2026.
The success of the senior national team does not go unnoticed, of course, but among European club managers, player developers and talent scouts, there is another achievement that is also noticed: Norway’s almost annual participation in the U19 European Championship.
The needle’s eye to qualify for the U19 European Championship is narrow. Only eight teams are allowed to participate, and the teams have to go through a long and tough qualification. The level is sky-high.
Many of the players who participate are already established stars. Others get their breakthrough in the championship. It is often at this age and at this level that the greatest talents really start to show themselves. Fernando Torres and Kylian Mbappé are examples. Both had their international breakthrough in the U19 European Championship.
To qualify for this year’s championship, Norway had to go through two qualifying rounds. The first round occurred in the fall of 2024. Norway won its group. The 28 best teams from the first qualifying round were then divided into seven groups of four teams. The seven group winners qualified for the European Championship, along with the host country, Romania. Norway’s pool was played in Serbia in March. National team manager Sel’s boys impressed greatly. They won all three of their matches against Belgium, Israel, and the home team Serbia. – I am incredibly impressed with the group of players. We have won six out of six matches in the European Championship qualification and that is incredibly impressive. We are one of eight countries in Europe that are ready for the European Championship. It is a tight race. It is very strong to make it. National team coach Even Sel made this statement to the Norwegian press. This was after Stabæk’s jewel Sebastian Olderheim scored 2-1 in overtime. This happened in the team’s last match against the home team Serbia. This secured the European Championship place.
Her er de utvalgte til sommerens G19-EM🇳🇴 Norge møter England, Nederland og Tyskland i mesterskapet i Romania i juni.
Les hva Even Sel sier om troppen her: https://t.co/RvoDuKch45 pic.twitter.com/yKeYmU3zTK
— NorgesFotballforbund (@nff_info) May 26, 2025
National team manager Sel believes the Norwegian squad is at a high level for a reason. One reason is the cooperation between the clubs and the NFF. This collaboration strengthens the team’s overall performance. This cooperation is completely different from before, when the clubs were often skeptical about allowing the players to participate. For this year’s European Championship, almost all relevant players have been accepted by their respective clubs to participate. – I want to commend all the clubs for their efforts. Their support helped us qualify once again for a championship with the G19 national team. – Thank you to the clubs for their good dialogue. I also appreciate the good cooperation, said Sel at the press conference where the Norwegian European Championship squad was presented.
The cooperation between the clubs and the NFF is beneficial for both parties, not least for the clubs themselves. The clubs see the value in the players gaining valuable experience by playing international matches at a high level. They also appreciate that players get the chance to show off to wealthy suitors from all over Europe. The U19 European Championship is one of the biggest showcases for young football players. For Norwegian football clubs, player sales are crucial to surviving at the top level. A good Norwegian European Championship performance can lead to good player sales. This results in much-needed funds in the club’s coffers.
Norway has ended up in a tough group, with the three big football nations England, the Netherlands and Germany. In the other group, host country Romania meets one of the pre-favorites Spain, as well as Denmark and Montenegro. But Norway is by no means an outsider to this championship. Norway has delivered strong results over the past year. Because of this, many consider Norway to be a top favorite to win this year’s championship. National team manager Sel is also optimistic before leaving for Romania. “We meet three very good teams in England, the Netherlands and Germany. We also have a very good team. We will be competitive. We have done very well in qualifying for the European Championship. In February, we won 1-0 against Spain in Spain.”
The squad that travels to Romania undoubtedly provides grounds for optimism for Norwegian supporters. Most players are from Norwegian elite league clubs. Some elements are from the second highest level in Norway, the OBOS liga. Additionally, some players are from foreign clubs. National team manager Sel is clear that the squad is ready to meet the challenges that await in Romania. He says,
“We have good breadth in this group and travel to the European Championship with an effective and good squad”
The Norwegian team that travels to Romania appears without obvious weaknesses. Three solid goalkeepers are fighting for the starting spot in the opening match against England. The defense is characterized by good organization, with fast full-backs and playing, modern center-back types. In midfield, Sel boasts a good mix of dueling power, running power and technically good ball handlers.
Fast wingers provide unpredictability in the attacking game. They add counterattacking strength. The squad contains several attacking players with an x-factor. This could quickly prove to be decisive in a long and tough European Championship. There is a squad filled with good individual footballers. The national team manager has worked hard to create a strong collective.
The group of players work hard for each other and they never give up. The team has shown an impressive ability to decide even matches. They often make crucial plays at the end of games. For example, this was seen against Israel and Belgium in the elite round in Serbia in March. This is a fantastic group of players to work with. Together we are a strong collective that is ready to travel to the European Championship to give everything for Norway.
The U19 European Championship in Romania in June promises to be a high-level event. It offers opportunities to see the new stars of tomorrow. So if the championship absences should be too strong this summer too, there is no reason to despair. You can watch the championship on TV, or you can see it live from the stands in Romania. This will be during the period from June 13 to 27. If you follow, maybe in a couple of years you will be able to impress your football friends.
You can say: I saw the shooting star of the year in the Premier League shine already two years ago. This happened in the U19 European Championship in 2025. Even then I could see that boy was going to be a star! And who knows? Maybe in a couple of years, you will be talking about a Norwegian player in the pub with your friends. Maybe even a Norwegian player who participated in the European Championship final in Bucharest, on June 27, 2025. In that case, it will be no surprise.
The squad that national team manager Even Sel is traveling with to Romania seems well-prepared. They don’t need a miracle like Egil “Drillo” Olsen did during the World Cup in France in 1998. These are new times, also for Norwegian football.
Norway squad, European Championships, Romania, Goalkeepers: Daniel Gjerde Sætren – Sogndal, Magnus Stær-Jensen – Kjelsås, Einar Bøe Fauskanger – Haugesund, Defenders: Luca Høyland – Skeid, Mikkel Hope – Haugesund, Fillip Voster Botnen – Viking, Mathias Øren – Sogndal, Jonathan Vonheim Norbye – RB Leipzig, Karsten Ekorness – Stabæk, Fanuel Ghebreyohannes – Egersund, Midfielders: Andreas Heredia-Randen – Strømsgodset, Sigurd Jacobsen Prestmo – Tromsø, Lars Remmem – Brann, Sondre Granaas – Molde, Troy Engseth Nyhammer – Haugesund, Fredrik Ardraa – Strømsgodset, Forwards: Jesper Reitan-Sunde – Rosenborg, Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit – Hamburger SV, Julian Gonstad – HamKam, Faniel Tewelde – Lommel, Niklas Kemp Fuglestad – Viking
Author; Geir Jacobsen
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