Norway's World Cup 2026 Squad: Ødegaard and Haaland Fitness Questions Loom Over Group I

Norway are going to a World Cup for the first time since 1998. Coach Ståle Solbakken named his 26-player squad on May 22, 2026 . But as of June 9, 2026, the two biggest names on the roster carry the two biggest question marks.

Captain Martin Ødegaard has logged 0 national-team minutes in the last 12 months (as of June 9, 2026). Erling Haaland — Norway's all-time top scorer — has managed just 135 minutes across 2 NT appearances in the same window . A generation has waited 28 years for this tournament. Whether these two are fit to lead it remains an open question heading into Group I.

The fitness picture

Ødegaard's absence from competitive national-team football over the trailing 12 months is the sharper concern (as of June 9, 2026). Zero minutes. Zero appearances . The structured squad data shows no club-level stats either, which suggests a sustained spell on the sideline. For a player who captains Norway and defines their creative identity, that gap is significant.

Haaland's situation is different in degree but still notable. He has been prolific at club level — 42 goals and 9 assists in 4,473 minutes for Manchester City across 57 appearances . But for Norway, only 135 minutes and 2 caps in the build-up window. No goals. No assists. This is his maiden appearance at a major international finals tournament . The club-to-country disconnect is the story (as of June 9, 2026).

Alexander Sørloth also appears in the 26 with 0 trailing-12-month NT minutes and appearances . A third forward option with no recent international match data adds to the uncertainty around Norway's attack.

Pre-tournament preparation under pressure

Norway's final warm-up window has not gone smoothly. They drew Morocco 1-1 away in a public friendly in early June . A planned training-ground friendly against Scotland was then cancelled, with Scotland head coach Steve Clarke citing injuries in his own camp as the reason .

Solbakken did not take it well. He publicly branded Clarke "unprofessional" for cancelling without a personal phone call, stating the decision came via a team manager after Norway had already finished their training session . That is a coach under pressure, losing a preparation match he counted on.

The result: limited live matchplay for key players in the final days before the opener. For a squad carrying fitness doubts around its two most important players, that lost friendly stings.

The form behind the squad

Look beyond the headline names and there is real substance here. Norway's last 10 matches read 7 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss — 32 goals scored, 8 conceded . That includes a 4-1 win away to Italy in November 2025, an 11-1 demolition of Moldova, a 5-0 win over Israel, and a 3-1 home win over Sweden in June (as of June 9, 2026).

The single defeat: 2-1 away to the Netherlands in March 2026. The draws came against Switzerland (0-0), New Zealand (1-1), and Morocco (1-1). This is a squad that has been scoring freely and defending competently for the better part of a year.

Kristian Thorstvedt is the squad's workhorse. He leads with 1,133 NT minutes across 37 appearances in the last 12 months, contributing 2 goals and 1 assist while playing for Sassuolo in Italy . Sander Langås adds 598 NT minutes and a goal from the back line. Julian Ryerson, at Borussia Dortmund, has only 292 NT minutes but brings 3,806 club minutes and 18 club assists — a right-back in elite form (as of June 9, 2026).

Antonio Nusa at RB Leipzig (199 NT minutes, 1 goal; 2,320 club minutes, 5 club goals) and Andreas Schjelderup at Benfica (165 NT minutes, 1 goal; 3,258 club minutes, 18 club goals) give Norway pace and directness in attack. Jørgen Strand Larsen at Crystal Palace (202 NT minutes, 2 goals; 2,969 club minutes, 10 club goals) is likely the first-choice centre-forward if Haaland is limited (as of June 9, 2026).

Fredrik Aursnes at Benfica has been a machine at club level — 4,425 minutes across 54 appearances — though he has only 135 NT minutes recently (as of June 9, 2026).

Full 26-player squad

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

Group I schedule

Norway open against Iraq on June 16 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough . Then they face Senegal on June 22 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. The group closer is the big one: Norway vs France on June 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

France and Senegal kick off Group I on the same day as Norway's opener, June 16, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

This is a group with a clear favourite in France and three sides fighting for the second spot. Norway's form — 32 goals in their last 10 — says they are dangerous. Whether their best players are healthy enough to prove it is the question that matters (as of June 9, 2026).

What does Norway's recent form look like?

Norway have won 7 of their last 10 matches, drawing 3 and losing just 1 . They have scored 32 goals and conceded 8 in that stretch. The standout result was a 4-1 away win over Italy in November 2025. Their only defeat was 2-1 away to the Netherlands in March 2026 (as of June 9, 2026).

Who leads Norway in national-team minutes?

Kristian Thorstvedt has been the squad's most-used player, logging 1,133 national-team minutes across 37 appearances in the last 12 months, with 2 goals and 1 assist . Sander Langås is second with 598 minutes across 13 caps (as of June 9, 2026).

When do Norway play their World Cup 2026 group matches?

Norway face Iraq on June 16 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Senegal on June 22 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, and France on June 26 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough .

Why is Erling Haaland's fitness a concern?

Haaland has played only 135 national-team minutes across 2 appearances in the last 12 months, despite scoring 42 goals in 4,473 club minutes for Manchester City in the same period . This is his first major international tournament, and the limited recent NT involvement raises questions about his match sharpness at international level (as of June 9, 2026).

How does Martin Ødegaard's absence affect Norway?

Ødegaard, Norway's captain, has recorded 0 national-team minutes in the trailing 12-month window . Without his creative influence in midfield, Norway would need to rely more heavily on Thorstvedt, Nusa, and Bobb to generate chances — a significant tactical adjustment for a squad built around its captain.

See the projected squad
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