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Twenty-eight years is a long time to wait. Norway’s last appearance in the World Cup knockout stage came in 1998, when a young Ståle Solbakken was still pulling on the national team jersey as a player. Now, as the man in the dugout, he’s brought the country back to that same stage.
Following Norway’s progression from the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, Solbakken delivered a post-match team talk that quickly took on a life of its own. The moment that caught everyone’s attention: a direct, almost theatrical address to the man waiting in the next round.
“Carlo Ancelotti, we’re coming for you.”
Solbakken later clarified the line was a light-hearted joke, offered with genuine respect for one of football’s most decorated coaches.
How Norway got here
Norway’s path through the group stage saw Solbakken’s side beat Ivory Coast 2-1 before edging Senegal 3-2.
Solbakken told his players after the Senegal match that they had ‘changed the history’ of Norwegian football. The last time Norway made the knockout stage, Erling Haaland was a toddler. Norway qualified for the 2026 World Cup in late 2025 after a 28-year absence.
The Ancelotti factor
Brazil’s coach Carlo Ancelotti took the role ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Solbakken himself earned 58 caps for Norway as a player and was part of that 1998 squad that remains the country’s last benchmark at this level.
The scheduled date for the round of 16 meeting is July 5, 2026.
What this means for Norway’s football moment
Erling Haaland gives Norway a striker with very few peers in world football. Solbakken’s coaching tenure has been about building belief in a program that had lost it, with Norway qualifying for the World Cup after a 28-year absence.
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