John Arne Riise has explained why Norway’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals has been years in the making - and not just down to the goals of Erling Haaland.
Stale Solbakken’s side face England in Miami tonight, in their first-ever last-eight tie at a major tournament.
Norway has a population of just 5.6 million people, but the country is enjoying a golden generation of talent, led by captain Martin Odegaard and star striker Haaland, who scored both goals in the last-16 win over Brazil to take his World Cup 2026 tally to seven.
Play our FREE match predictor game and win £1k
Ex-Liverpool star explains why Norway have become a force
While Haaland is undoubtedly the headline name, Norway’s squad is packed with quality players including Premier League-winning skipper Odegaard, wingers Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb, and Borussia Dortmund right-back Julian Ryerson.
Former Liverpool left-back Riise is Norway’s record appearance-maker, winning 110 caps for his country between 2000 and 2013. The 45-year-old will be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for Saturday’s quarter-final and revealed why a nation that had competed at just four major tournaments before this summer is suddenly a contender to win the World Cup.
“We've been working for many years with the younger generations in training,” he said, speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo in association with BestBettingSites.co.uk.
“At the same time, having players like Haaland, Odegaard, and Oscar Bobb doing so well helps because people can see we are not as bad as they might have thought a few years ago.
“We've focused on developing players from a young age, giving them the right education and training so they're prepared to perform when they go abroad.
“Crucially, many players haven’t just jumped straight from Norway to the biggest clubs in Europe; they take small steps.
“Look at Haaland — he took it one step at a time until suddenly he was completely prepared for Manchester City. A lot of our players have followed that path, and I think that helps immensely.”
In 2015, the Norwegian FA launched its Landslagsskolen, or National Team School (NTS). Promising young players join the NTS aged 12 and are coached by the country’s best coaches, while still playing for their grassroots teams.
They then move on to the top club academies around the age of 15, with most members of Solbakken’s 26-man World Cup squad graduates of the programme.
While Haaland’s incredible talent was clear from a young age, the striker did not join a top European side until he signed for Dortmund in the January 2020 transfer window, when he was aged 19.
The striker began his career at boyhood club Bryne, before moving to top-division Molde and then Austrian outfit RB Salzburg at the age of 18.
After two-and-a-half seasons at Dortmund, he joined Manchester City for £51million in summer 2022 and scored 52 goals in his first season to help Pep Guardiola’s side win the Treble.
As Riise explains, Haaland was ready to perform from the moment he arrived at the Etihad Stadium - now he is spearheading Norway's bid for World Cup glory.
