Norway’s stunning 3-0 victory over Italy in an important World Cup qualifier Friday night clears the country’s way for a long-sought return to the huge football championship next year. The victory was also important because it played out on home turf in Oslo, with both the king and prime minister among all the cheering specators.
The national men’s football team hasn’t qualified for World Cup action since 2000, despite having some of the world’s best players. They include Erling Braut Haaland of Manchester City and Martin Ødegaard of Arsenal, and Haaland was among those scoring at Oslo’s packed Ullevaal Stadium.
Head coach Ståle Solbakken was clearly relieved to have delivered good results in front of King Harald, Prince Sverre Magnus, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and more than 25,000 other jubilant football fans. Seats had sold out in record time and Norway now has nine of nine possible points in its qualifying group that includes Estonia, Moldova, Israel and Italy. The Norwegians still face five more matches, including the next against Estonia in Tallinn on Tuesday, but currently lead their group.
“This was a great experience, it was wonderful,” Ødegaard told state broadcaster NRK after the match. “We beat a top nation, so that’s really a statement.”
NewsinEnglish.no staff
