It’s somewhat surprising that a team blessed with Erling Haaland’s goalscoring touch, Martin Odegaard’s finesse and a collection of promising elite-level players will be absent from Qatar. But failing to qualify for the best competitions is the norm for Norway. It’s a habit that dates back to Euro 2000 and will continue until 2024, if not longer.
Scandinavian counterparts Denmark and Sweden have continually made the grade, while Iceland and Finland have recently entered the frame too. For their Nordic neighbour, though, the wait goes on.
After two decades of mediocrity – epitomised by previous coach Lars Lagerback’s three-year tenure – former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Stale Solbakken is now at the helm and leads a team brimming with talent. Many squad members are familiar to English fans – Joshua King, Alexander Sorloth, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Sander Berge and Kristoffer Ajer – who have enjoyed relative success across Europe.
Yet in spite
