Norway Became Exactly What The World Cup Was Afraid Of...

Norway Became Exactly What The World Cup Was Afraid Of... Can Norway really reach the World Cup semi-finals? A statistical model that simulates the entire tournament tens of thousands of times ranks them the ninth most likely team to win it — ahead of Belgium, ahead of Morocco, ahead of host nations. For a country that hasn't been to a World Cup since 1998, that number demands an explanation. This video breaks down the full story: how Ståle Solbakken survived two failed qualifying campaigns and rebuilt the squad from the ground up. How Norway won all eight of their 2026 qualifiers, scoring 37 goals. How Erling Haaland's 16-goal campaign tied the all-time UEFA qualifying record. And how the bracket opens a genuine path to the semifinals — one that, depending on how the France game falls, could avoid four or even all five of the tournament's top favourites. TIMELAPSE 00:00 Intro 00:54 The Man Who Built The Process 01:55 Why It Didn't Work The First Two Times 03:10 What Actually Changed 04:05 A Perfect Qualifying Campaign 05:22 The Key Players Behind 06:15 From Gibraltar to San Siro 07:08 What The Data Actually Says 08:20 The Path 10:09 28 Years #WorldCup #WorldCup2026 #Norway #Haaland #Ødegaard #FIFA #Football #Soccer