2026 World Cup | What should France expect from Norway?

2026 World Cup | What should France expect from Norway? Ståle Solbakken’s journey to becoming Norway’s national team manager arguably started in the 1998 World Cup when he sat as an unused substitute shouting suggestions to the then-boss Egil “Drillo” Olsen when Norway turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory against Brazil. Like his mentor Olsen, Solbakken has never been a naive or particularly romantic football manager. He is a product of the Northern European football school, where the result always holds the most weight. It is largely about tight zonal defence and aggressive attacking play focused on breakthroughs – football that is as effective as possible.  Norway usually use a 4-3-3, but with significant flexibility. For example, Antonio Nusa, the winger who loves to dribble, tends to maintain width on the left, while the crossing machine full-back Julian Ryerson pushes up as a right winger, making it look more like a 3-5-2. This allows the strikers Erling Haaland and Alexander Sørloth to operate as close to goal as possible. Solbakken has also attempted a flatter 4-4-2 with varying success. The approach is pragmatic in the sense that Norway want to maximise their X-factor players. This is especially found in Haaland’s raw power up front, as well as captain Martin Ødegaard’s passing ability and vision. If space behind the opponent’s defence is available, Solbakken will be furious if the ball is not played there when Haaland starts one of his trademark runs.  It must be mentioned, however, that Norway have significantly developed their own style of play in the past year. Even during Euro 2024 qualification, ball-playing defenders were a scarcity in the squad. But with the left-footed Torbjørn Heggem alongside Kristoffer Ajer, this looked much better in 2025. It is likely Norway’s three games in the group stage will be vastly different. Expect them to try to dominate against Iraq, play smart and varied versus Senegal, and sit deeper against France, relying heavily on counterattacks and set-pieces. What to expect from Norway’s fans You will hear the chant “Row! Row! Row!” from fans during Norway’s matches, as the supporters row in rhythm in the stands in reference to the Vikings who rowed across the Atlantic to the United States. Norway boast a lively group of supporters travelling to the US for their first World Cup since 1998. The Norwegian Football Association estimates the figure of fans travelling to North America to be between 7,000 and 10,000 for the group stage matches. Don’t be surprised if you see hundreds of Viking helmets in the streets and the stands. This is a piece from  Simen Stamsø-Møller  and  Vegard Bjelland  for  TV 2 Norway  as part of the Guardian Sports Network GFFN  | Luke Entwistle