Kick-off at Ullevaal Stadion is at 8.45pm local time on Thursday, September 24. It is the first match Norway have ever played in the top tier of the Nations League, after winning League B Group 3 in the 2024/25 cycle to earn promotion.
Erling Haaland scored seven of Norway’s goals in that promotion group. It took him past a mark set nearly a decade ago and left him, according to UEFA, as the all-time top scorer in Nations League history with 19 goals.
A group of four with no easy nights
Group A4 does not open a door. Norway drew Denmark, Portugal and Wales, and after Thursday’s fixture they host Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal at Ullevaal on Sunday.
Both of Norway’s first opponents come into the group off a strong summer. Denmark reached the World Cup quarter-finals in North America, finishing second in their group behind Spain before being knocked out by eventual winners Portugal. Norway went to the same round for the first time in the country’s history, beating Ivory Coast and then Brazil in the knockouts before losing 2-1 after extra time to England on July 11 in Miami.
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The Haaland effect, in numbers
Norway have not qualified for a European Championship since 2000 and had not played at a World Cup since 1998 before this summer. The rise since Ståle Solbakken took the job in December 2020 has been steep, and it has run through one player.
Haaland has scored more than 60 international goals for Norway and has done it faster than almost anyone in the sport’s history. He reached 60 in his 53rd appearance, the quickest any male player has hit that number. At the summer’s World Cup he scored seven and finished level with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé at the top of the Golden Boot standings.
Solbakken has said publicly that Haaland’s presence is what makes the current Norway side competitive at this level. Captain Martin Ødegaard’s four assists at the World Cup were joint-second in the tournament, a reminder that the supply line to Haaland is now a real one.
Denmark, and the recent record between the two
Denmark have the edge in the most recent meeting between the two Nordic sides, taking a 3-1 friendly in June 2024. Their form since is mixed. A 4-0 win over North Macedonia in their last window sat next to a 4-2 defeat in Scotland.
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Norway arrive with three wins in their last five matches, including results against Brazil, Ivory Coast and Senegal, balanced by defeats to England and France. It is a pattern that fits a team still learning how to win against the very best, and Denmark on Thursday is another test in that direction.
The Nations League league phase runs through November, with matchdays 3 and 4 on October 1 and 4 and the final round on November 14 and 17. Norway’s next fixture after Portugal is a trip to Wales on October 1.
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