On October 4th, Arsenal star Martin Ødegaard suffered a knee injured and he’s been on the sidelines since. This forced miss to miss the October and November international breaks for Norway.
Despite that, the midfielder joined up with his Norwegian teammates last week.
Norway manager Ståle Solbakken praised him for joining the group and adding support. Fulham’s Sander Berge said the Arsenal captain has been giving tactical advice and motivating the national team.
The 26-year-old travelled with Norway to the San Siro to face Italy on Sunday, where they won 4-1. Prior to kick-off, TV2 spoke to Ødegaard to discuss a few topics, including his dream of playing in the World Cup.
“The World Cup is one of the biggest things there is. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was little. To play for the national team and to play in the championships,” he said.
“I’ve been through a lot. I’ve been through a lot of tough downs. There have been some playoffs, there have been a lot of tough moments. So, it’s great to be standing where we are now.”
Ødegaard is likely to lead his country at the 2026 World Cup, which will be their first since 1998.
On his decision to join the national team despite the injury, Ødegaard explained: “I’m here to support the boys. We have been working for this for a long, long time. It was important for me to be here with them.”
The former Real Madrid man has also provided a positive update on his recovery while with Norway. He remains hopeful to be back in action for Arsenal soon.
“It’s moving forward. Today’s match came a little too early … But it’s starting to look better, so I will hopefully be back soon,” he added.