Many years had passed since Norway last competed in a World Cup. Now, in 2026, they finally broke past the Round of 16 to achieve their best finish in tournament history. Reaching the quarterfinals is their best result to date, and Norway will be looking to build on that when they play England for a semifinal berth.
France 1938 marked the first time the Vikings participated in the tournament. Of course, at that time, the format was completely different: the World Cup began directly with a knockout stage. Norway lost 2–1 in extra time to Italy, and their run ended sooner as expected.
In 1994, also in the United States, the Scandinavian side did not fare much better. In the group stage, all teams finished level on points, and its fate was not on its side, as it was eliminated on goal difference.
In 1998, once again in France, the Vikings‘ journey ended just short of the quarterfinals. After a strong group stage in which they even defeated Brazil, Norway once again ran into Italy in the round of 16, where they were beaten 1–0.
The Norway team line up before the World Cup A group game against Scotland.
Who is Norway’s all-time top scorer?
Erling Haaland holds the prestigious crown as the all-time top scorer for the Norway national team, boasting an astonishing 62 goals in just 54 appearances. A generational talent renowned for his incredible athleticism, clinical positioning, and ruthless efficiency in front of goal, the prolific striker surpassed the legendary, decades-old record previously held by Jørgen Juve since the 1930s.
Averaging more than a goal per game, Haaland’s historic goalscoring exploits continue to elevate Norwegian soccer onto the global stage.
Erling Haaland #9 of Norway celebrates scoring his team’s second goal.
Norway’s most famous victories
Norway’s most resonant and celebrated victory in World Cup history came at France 1998 with their historic 2–1 triumph over powerhouse Brazil. In a dramatic group-stage finale, they pulled off a stunning late comeback, secured by a legendary Kjetil Rekdal penalty in the dying minutes, to defeat the reigning world champions and seal a memorable qualification to the knockout stages.
In 2026, history repeated itself as Norway handed Brazil one of their toughest eliminations with a brace from Erling Haaland to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in history.
