01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

‎I don't think any team has ever
‎experienced more pressure to succeed

‎than the Norwegian
‎national soccer team has.

‎It's the team of the people.

‎It creates certain emotions
‎that you will not find anywhere else.

‎NORWAY'S NATIONAL MEN'S TEAM HAS
‎NOT QUALIFIED FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP

‎IN 26 YEARS

‎When Norway hasn't been in a
‎final tournament for such a long time,

‎and you're the one who
‎ultimately bears that responsibility,

‎you'll also be the one
‎who hands over that legacy.

‎That's just the way it is.

‎Ullevaal is on fire!

‎We'll get to live the dream
‎of playing in America!

‎It's a total collapse!

‎It's soccer history!
‎It's simply remarkable!

‎THIS IS THE INSIDE STORY

‎OF HOW NORWAY ONCE AGAIN
‎QUALIFIED FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP

‎TOLD BY THOSE WHO FINALLY DID IT

‎Sometimes you wonder why in the world
‎you're doing this job.

‎Why experience this much pain
‎for such a long time?

‎Why are you doing that?

‎And I think it's about...

‎STÅLE SOLBAKKEN
‎NATIONAL TEAM COACH

‎The reward is beyond anything else.

‎A focused Martin Ødegaard.

‎A new qualifying round for the World Cup.

‎There are expectations,
‎considering all the setbacks.

‎Let's hope the Norwegian team has learned.

‎Norway mops the floor with Italy!

‎We're going to the World Cup!

‎RETURN OF A NATION

‎EP. 1: STÅLE'S LAST CHANCE

‎MARBELLA
‎SPAIN

‎TRAINING CAMP

‎BEFORE QUALIFYING ROUNDS
‎FOR THE 2026 WORLD CUP

‎Hi, there you are.

‎Out of the taxi.

‎Hey, hey.

‎All right.

‎This will be decided through eight games.

‎Eight games.
‎That's what makes this so special.

‎Moldova is game one.

‎And we're only focusing on that game,
‎that's all that matters right now.

‎And then, we'll move on to Israel.

‎We don't have two thoughts in our heads.

‎Now, everything's about
‎eating and sleeping,

‎and we'll be ready tomorrow
‎to get started on the real preparations.

‎I grew up on stories about
‎Norway scoring in Marseille.

‎Seen some videos of it
‎and heard many talk about it...

‎MARTIN ØDEGAARD
‎NATIONAL TEAM CAPTAIN

‎...so that's probably the only
‎World Cup memory I have of Norway.

‎So, this is where I'm staying.

‎We'll go inside.
Hold on, I just have to...

‎Two seconds.
‎I'm going to turn on the lights and stuff.

‎Come in, come in.

‎Good to see all the boys again
‎and do a new qualification round.

‎This is what we're working for,
‎championships.

‎We do feel that
‎we've been close a lot of times,

‎but it's not been good enough,

‎and then it's good to get another chance.

‎That is the big dream, both for us,
‎and also for all of Norway.

‎The whole country
‎would benefit from experiencing that.

‎The biggest thing you can experience is
‎to play a championship for your country.

‎Come on! No!

‎You're always standing in the middle.

‎When you put on your jersey
‎and meet up, you get excited.

‎SANDER BERGE
‎MIDFIELDER, FULHAM FC

‎The national team has always meant
‎a great deal to me.

‎When you were little and there was
‎a national game on, you were so excited.

‎LEO SKIRI ØSTIGÅRD
‎DEFENDER, GENOA CFC

‎I hope to play a championship with Norway.

‎I'll do everything in my power
‎to help us do that.

‎I really hope that it'll happen.

‎We are a country that does incredibly well
‎in all kinds of sports,

‎but with soccer, we've been...

‎OSCAR BOBB
‎MIDFIELDER, FULHAM FC

‎We've been missing something for years.

‎To play on the national team
‎is a privilege.

‎In all my time on the national team,

‎we've talked about
‎the World Cup in '94 and '98...

‎ALEXANDER SØRLOTH
‎STRIKER, ATLETICO MADRID

‎...and never qualified,
‎no matter how much we've tried.

‎KENT "KENTA" BERGERSEN
‎ASSISTANT COACH

‎I do remember my time, the happy '90s.

‎I'm sure we weren't aware of the fact that
‎that was one of those golden ages.

‎And I doubt we thought
‎that it would take 20, 30 years

‎before that age would come back
‎to Norwegian soccer again.

‎ULLEVAAL STADIUM
‎OSLO, NORWAY

‎Øyvind Alsaker,
‎sports commentator for TV2.

‎ØYVIND ALSAKER
‎SPORTS COMMENTATOR TV2

‎Bearer of bad news.

‎The long walk in the desert
‎for the Norwegian national team

‎came after a golden age.

‎That's a goal!

‎My name is Egil Roger Olsen...

‎EGIL ROGER OLSEN
‎FORMER HEAD COACH

‎...but I'm better known as Drillo.

‎-What of the Netherlands?
‎-They're good.

‎Okay, good luck.

‎It's a goal! Gøran Sørloth scoring
‎for Norway! Oh, how fun.

‎How many games in a row at Ullevaal
‎do you think I played without losing?

‎I played 36 games in a row without losing.

‎We didn't lose a game at Ullevaal
‎in '92, '93, '94, '95, '96, '97.

‎1998 WORLD CUP

‎Let's see. Rekdal is cool as a cucumber.

‎He scores!

‎This is the biggest moment
‎in Norwegian sports history.

‎We've beaten Brazil.

‎We were ranked second
‎on the FIFA rankings twice.

‎I'm quite proud of that one.

‎The '90s were amazing.

‎We were playing in the Euros in 2000
‎with Drillo's successors. All was well.

‎EURO CUP 2000

‎This is how we remember the final moments
‎of Norway's efforts in the Euros.

‎One man is taking the defeat
‎harder than the players.

‎Norway is still far off from
‎the best national teams,

‎says Nils Johan Semb, as the Norwegians
‎get knocked out of the Euros.

‎NILS JOHAN SEMB
‎COACH [1998-2003]

‎In 2000, I think we thought that, fine,

‎a small nation is out of one championship,

‎but soon, they'd be back to do another.

‎WORLD CUP 2002
‎DID NOT QUALIFY

‎Angry and frustrated
‎as an era comes to an end.

‎But there is a bit of denial at first.
‎ "No, this will turn around."

‎"There's something wrong with Semb.
‎There has to be. We were so good before."

‎Tired and resigned, Nils Johan Semb
‎takes his leave as national team coach.

‎It's a very intense job.

‎The whole nation is watching you.

‎Everyone has an opinion about your job.

‎I'll pour some.

‎-Some cognac too?
‎-There you go.

‎And then, Åge Hareide came along,
‎driving a stake further into the team.

‎This could mean humiliation, and it is!

‎WORLD CUP 2006
‎DID NOT QUALIFY

‎What is Norway doing?

‎It's very close.

‎EUROPEAN CUP 2008
‎DID NOT QUALIFY

‎Under Åge Hareide's lead, the national
‎team hasn't won a single match in 2008.

‎I'm furious.
‎I'm not disappointed, I'm angry.

‎And gradually,
‎there's a national trauma that grows.

‎It's no fun at all. It's embarrassing.

‎Per-Mathias Høgmo got the dream job.

‎It's an honor to train the national team.

‎The whistle sounds,
‎and Hungary is cheering.

‎Norway has once again failed.

‎EUROPEAN CUP 2016
‎DID NOT QUALIFY

‎Project "Høgmo" did not go as planned.

‎This week, Høgmo threw in the towel
‎and quit as national team coach.

‎Then, we had Lars Lagerbäck.

‎A master of exactly this.

‎A specialty in qualifying.

‎No, no, no.

‎WORLD CUP 2018
‎DID NOT QUALIFY

‎Almost, again.

‎EUROPEAN CUP 2020
‎DID NOT QUALIFY

‎We're all the way down in 86th place.

‎Never before has Norway been
‎ranked so low.

‎Do you think we're going to the World Cup?

‎Absolutely not.

‎We've gone into every qualifying round,
‎thinking that this is where we'll succeed.

‎Norway has always been this "almost team."

‎In my last period, we got quite close.

‎Hey!

‎Åge came quite close.

‎Per-Mathias and Lars got close.

‎All the "almost" years

‎become this weight on the shoulders of
‎every new generation of players.

‎JONAS GAHR STØRE
‎PRIME MINISTER

‎When you like soccer and have a team,
‎you can have your own opinion about that,

‎but a national team is significant.

‎Managing to get through a qualifying round

‎where you then ended up
‎not moving on became more of a rule.

‎We were one size too small.

‎My interest for the national team
‎decreased somewhat.

‎It's more important to find the right man
‎than any man now.

‎I think that's Ståle Solbakken.

‎Ståle "Salvatore" is finally head coach.

‎I've always had a goal
‎to train my country, Norway.

‎You know how close you are to
‎the final tournament?

‎Two more victories.

‎There's nothing that tells me
‎that we can't do that.

‎Plays it to Bergwijn, and he shoots!

‎WORLD CUP 2022
‎DID NOT QUALIFY

‎The World Cup in Qatar next year
‎will go ahead without Norway.

‎What sort of result does it take for a
‎demanding audience to accept Solbakken?

‎We should be in the play-offs
‎for the Euro Cup 2024, at least.

‎I'm 100%, or at least 99%, certain that we
‎will be in Germany and build upon that.

‎EURO CUP QUALIFYING ROUND
‎NORWAY VS SCOTLAND

‎In a year,
‎we'll have the Euro Cup in Germany,

‎and we would like to see
‎the Norwegian colors in that championship.

‎It was a hot day at Ullevaal.

‎We as a nation had hopes and expectations,
‎and this was a very important game.

‎We were so ready to qualify at this point.

‎We have the best players
‎that Norwegian soccer has ever seen.

‎Martin has
‎a very important position in Arsenal.

‎He sets the pace for the entire team.

‎Erling, who is a monster of a striker.

‎Maybe the world's best finisher.

‎Sørloth's done very well under Ståle's
‎lead and been one of the best players.

‎We have four meters of striker force
‎with muscle, speed and skill.

‎We have a trio at the top
‎that's just magic. It's dynamite.

‎-Gets the cross in.
‎-That is a penalty!

‎Yes, Haaland is down
‎and points to the 11 meter mark.

‎And this goal could be a goal that
‎sends us to the Euro Cup in Germany.

‎That's how important this moment is.

‎Haaland, yes!

‎NORWAY 1 - 0 SCOTLAND

‎He scores!

‎Could you take us through that game?
‎Could you take us back to that evening?

‎Do I have to?

‎Well...

‎Back to Norway's "ghost of Scotland."

‎A sold out Ullevaal.

‎Yes, they got what they came for,
‎young and old.

‎And we have a switch.

‎Sander Berge is subbed in.

‎I felt like we had everything
‎under control.

‎Nicely done! Oh, no.

‎Yes, a big chance there for Sander Berge.

‎There are precious few threats.

‎Oh, you have to follow through, Østigård!

‎What in the world is going on?

‎We're giving Scotland the equalizer!

‎I started to get a leg cramp.

‎And I'm the type of person
‎who'd rather be on the field...

‎...and fight and try
‎for as long as possible.

‎But my legs completely failed me.

‎I remember I was laying on my back and...

‎You just feel like
‎you've let everybody down.

‎In such an important match.

‎In the final minutes.

‎And this is Scotland,
‎not some big national team.

‎But I suppose there's some deep-seated
‎Braveheart‎-stuff in their DNA,

‎some "never say die" stuff.

‎Everything's turned upside down,

‎and you can feel the tension at Ullevaal.

‎That uncertainty spreads.
‎ "What are we supposed to do now?"

‎I felt the anxiety. When the score is 1-1,
‎you're thinking, "this isn't good enough."

‎But the hope is alive.

‎This is Scotland, and we're at Ullevaal.

‎We have to win. Something has to happen.

‎We're in trouble here.
‎McGinn. Look at that.

‎d*kes!

‎It's a total collapse!

‎Everything is falling apart!

‎2-1 Scotland.

‎This is so embarrassing.

‎This isauf wiedersehen
‎to the Euro Cup in Germany.

‎EUROPEAN CUP 2024
‎DID NOT QUALIFY

‎I was on the bench,
‎so I had to just watch it happen.

‎ALEXANDER SØRLOTH
‎STRIKER, ATLETICO MADRID

‎And it felt like a movie. You couldn't
‎believe it because we felt in control.

‎Maybe it's the 25 years of "almost"
‎that's messing with us here.

‎It's like the team's just
‎knocked to the ground.

‎And so is the dream of getting
‎to the final tournament

‎that Ståle had promised us!

‎When they hired us, the goal was
‎to get to that particular Euro Cup,

‎so we felt like
‎our whole world came crashing down.

‎Everybody who was in that room,
‎thought that in that moment.

‎Everybody will be out to get us.
‎The booing.

‎It's going to be tough,
‎and it's going to be shitty.

‎You're going to get so much sh*t
‎in the days to come.

‎Just stick your fingers in your ears
‎and keep working hard.

‎The most important thing for me is that
‎no one is giving each other any looks.

‎That no one's putting any blame on
‎anybody else here. That's no use.

‎It's my responsibility. I make this
‎happen, and I take accountability.

‎It's not about Leo. It's about the team.

‎We stand together, win and lose together,
‎so I don't want to hear more about Leo.

‎That night was just awful.

‎It was so hard to... I mean, you...

‎You go to your hotel and...

‎Well, you cry your eyes out.

‎It's the kind of loss that makes
‎the whole nation turn their backs

‎on everything and everyone
‎around that national team.

‎And they argue,
‎"Yes, but we did a good job there,

‎those five minutes ruined it,
‎we had to switch because he had a cramp."

‎I don't want to hear it.

‎Everyone wanted to fire Ståle.
‎ "That wasn't good enough."

‎People question whether
‎he's the right man for the job.

‎It must be tough on Ståle. Some bad luck,
‎and the whole country turns against you.

‎The crowd doesn't just consist of
‎your people, it is a whole nation.

‎I know that Ståle had
‎a hard time that summer.

‎That's when I need to
‎take a personal time-out,

‎to see if I have the guts
‎to lead a group like this forward.

‎As long as it's up to me,
‎as long as I'm president...

‎LISE KLAVENESS
‎SOCCER PRESIDENT

‎...I'll keep giving Ståle
‎the opportunity to finish this project,

‎and I'll just step down alongside him
‎if it ever comes to that.

‎It does jab at your pride too, right?

‎But when I see myself in the mirror,
‎I realize that,

‎no, I am the best man to keep doing this
‎and to pull this over the finish line.

‎National team manager, Ståle Solbakken,
‎announced prior to this conference

‎that this will be his last qualifier

‎and his last attempt
‎to take Norway to a championship.

‎MARCH 2025

‎FIRST QUALIFYING MATCH
‎FOR THE 2026 WORLD CUP

‎MOLDOVA VS NORWAY

‎ERLING BRAUT HAALAND
‎STRIKER, MANCHESTER CITY FC

‎You've won the Champion's League
‎and the Premier League.

‎Could you describe how it would feel to
‎experience a World Cup with Norway?

‎It would mean a great deal.

‎It's very important for me to be able to
‎qualify for a championship, so...

‎I'll do everything in my power
‎to help us do that, and...

‎Yeah, I'll work very hard
‎to try and make it happen.

‎This is the third time the team has tried
‎to qualify under Ståle Solbakken.

‎What are some of the steps you as a team
‎have taken under his lead?

‎I don't know. We didn't qualify,
‎so I don't actually know.

‎Erling was asked earlier what sort of
‎steps Norway has taken under your lead,

‎and he said,
‎ "We didn't qualify, so I don't know."

‎What do you think about that?

‎That's just a fact. That's what we...

‎That's been our only goal the whole time.

‎Getting over that line.

‎Don't get bogged down by
‎the gravity of it all.

‎Make sure you let your hair down,
‎make sure that you enjoy it.

‎You are the chosen ones.

‎Let your hair down.
‎Play smiling. Support each other.

‎No matter what happens and
‎how the game goes, you need to enjoy it.

‎GROUP I
‎WC QUALIFYING GAMES 2025

‎Haaland!

‎We have a very focused
‎group of Norwegians here

‎who know that they have to deliver.

‎Ødegaard with a good pass to Sørloth.

‎I enjoy playing on a bigger occasion.

‎It helps me to get more fired up.

‎JULIAN RYERSON
‎BACK, BORUSSIA DORTMUND

‎Sørloth tries a cross.

‎He lost it, the ball is free, it's 1-0!

‎4'
‎MOLDOVA 0 - 1 NORWAY

‎Ryerson knocks in a dream start!

‎The first goal feels amazing.

‎If it takes too long to get the first goal
‎in a match like this, it can get dicey.

‎We're bulldozing Moldova here.

‎MOLDOVA 0 - 5 NORWAY
‎FINAL RESULT

‎DEBRECEN
‎HUNGARY

‎Here we are in Hungary.

‎MARCH 25TH, 2025
‎ISRAEL VS NORWAY

‎We're facing Israel on neutral grounds.

‎This Israeli team has its qualities,

‎but we should be seeing three points
‎for Martin Ødegaard's team.

‎-Lovely ball towards Ødegaard.
‎-And a breakthrough there!

‎Yes, there it is!

‎Here comes Israel.

‎And it's a goal.

‎54'
‎ISRAEL 1 - 1 NORWAY

‎First goal conceded for Norway in
‎this qualifier. How will we handle this?

‎We've had 10 years of disappointment,
‎and so it's easy to start thinking...

‎KRISTOFFER AJER
‎BACK, BRENTFORD FC

‎ "Oh no, is this one of those?"

‎58'
‎ISRAEL 1 - 2 NORWAY

‎Yes! And Norway responds
‎almost immediately.

‎We have a mentality within the troops
‎where we can turn around and go for it.

‎So when we got that goal,
‎and 3-1 came pretty soon after,

‎it was a relief.

‎A good indicator
‎that a team is in development.

‎ISRAEL 2 - 4 NORWAY
‎FINAL RESULT

‎How one responds in the face of adversity.

‎Martin Ødegaard gets a bear hug
‎from the boss.

‎GROUP I
‎WC QUALIFYING GAMES 2025

‎We have opened this World Cup qualifier
‎in an impressive manner,

‎getting six out of six possible points.

‎Next gathering is in June.
‎We're facing Italy at Ullevaal.

‎Oh, come on!

‎When I was six years old, I realized
‎that I wanted to be a soccer player.

‎I didn't just want it.
‎I was going to become a soccer player.

‎ANTONIO NUSA
‎WINGER, RB LEIPZIG

‎From a young age, even though my head
‎wasn't there yet, I knew I was good at it.

‎When it comes to the professional side
‎of things, it's all about results,

‎and not that much about fun and games.

‎But I would say that my main focus
‎has always been that. Having fun.

‎I've tried to maintain those core values
‎that I've been building up over the years.

‎What allows me to enjoy soccer,
‎so to speak.

‎JUNE 6TH, 2025
‎NORWAY VS. ITALY

‎The crowd is flocking to
‎a sold out Ullevaal stadium,

‎where their opponent is none other than
‎Italy, the 2021 European Champions.

‎Italy has a good defense,
and Donnarumma...

‎GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA
‎ITALIAN KEEPER

‎...one of the world's best keepers.

‎We've been here before,
‎and then, they fail, time and again.

‎What kind of personal responsibility
‎to succeed do you feel?

‎What is your biggest challenge and worry
‎ahead of this game?

‎The Italy game in 1991
‎was the beginning of a fairy tale.

‎Ready to write another?

‎During warm-ups,
‎there were already so many fans there.

‎I got chills.

‎I was so focused.

‎The most important thing for me
‎is that everyone has their chin up,

‎and that everybody wants this.
‎Everyone will enjoy it.

‎Erling, Alex and Nusa.

‎You're going to terrorize
‎those three defenders.

‎The stadium is full. It could have been
‎sold out three times over.

‎There's expectation in the air, as usual,

‎sprinkled with a bit of discomfort...

‎given all previous setbacks.

‎Haaland and Sørloth
‎will be difficult to stop.

‎But Italy has Donnarumma.

‎Tonight, a very different opposition
‎than in the first two games.

‎Norway is forced to drop deep
‎in the first few minutes.

‎Italy is controlling everything so far.

‎We'll see if we can get the ball soon,
‎but Italy looks very confident right now.

‎All of Norway's players
‎are on their own half.

‎See that step, how he carries the ball.
‎Passes to Sørloth.

‎Sørloth is through!

‎Yes!

‎NORWAY 1 - 0 ITALY

‎1-0 to Norway! The flag is down!

‎And it's Nusa, and it's Alexander Sørloth!

‎Norway 1, Italy 0,
‎a dreamy start at Ullevaal!

‎I've never felt the way I did then.

‎Look at that turn.
‎Here comes Antonio Nusa.

‎He shoots!

‎Incredibly focused.

‎I was basically locked in.

‎Look at how efficiently
‎the Norwegian team is countering.

‎Look at Nusa,
‎the way he shifts his weight.

‎He's like a rocket!

‎Antonio Nusa!

‎NORWAY 2 - 0 ITALY

‎Yes! Antonio Nusa!

‎He smashes in 2-0!

‎The kids in the stands
‎can't believe their eyes.

‎If you let Antonio Nusa loose at Ullevaal,

‎you'll get something resembling
‎the best soccer player in the world.

‎Scoring a goal at Ullevaal
‎is indescribable.

‎It feels like you're flying.

‎Like you're walking on water. That's it.

‎This is far better than
‎what we had expected.

‎-Look! Look!
‎-Erling Braut Haaland coming through!

‎-Look at this!
‎-He dribbles the keeper!

‎42'
‎NORWAY 3 - 0 ITALY

‎It's 3-0 to Norway! Erling Braut Haaland!

‎Martin Ødegaard!
‎That's the combination we love to see!

‎Our two superstars!

‎MATCH 3 - NORWAY 3 - 0 ITALY
‎FINAL RESULT

‎We won 3-0 against Italy!

‎CAN I HAVE YOUR JERSEY,
‎ANTONIO NUSA?

‎Everything around it, what it means
‎to people, to you and your family.

‎That's what moves me.

‎Oh, my goodness.

‎This is the dream, right here.

‎TALLINN
‎ESTONIA

‎TWO DAYS LATER

‎Not today.

‎Out!

‎Estonia is a really difficult exercise

‎because that discharge you have
‎after Italy

‎makes this a really tricky match.

‎Damn good!

‎Where you very easily can ruin
‎the amazing thing you've created.

‎We've had a good vibe. It's been light
‎and loose today too. Decent quality.

‎But each of you has a huge responsibility
‎to be there when the whistle blows.

‎JUNE 9TH, 2025
‎ESTONIA VS NORWAY

‎A bit imprecise in the opening, Norway.

‎We had just beaten Italy and felt that
‎we were walking on air a little bit.

‎But we were quickly brought down to earth.

‎Kristal makes an attempt!

‎Everyone just assumed that we'd
‎go out there and beat Estonia,

‎and everything would be fine.

‎Norway has had plenty of chances to cross.

‎But he's not able to score.

‎We were too cautious with the ball.
‎The pace, too slow.

‎We couldn't put them under pressure.
‎We got a couple of minor chances.

‎HALF-TIME
‎ESTONIA 0 - 0 NORWAY

‎We grew up in Norway.

‎We didn't grow up
‎with any kind of suffering.

‎That's what we struggled with,
‎that we could play well for 80 minutes,

‎and then we'd get four, five bad minutes.

‎And we didn't push through
‎because we found it uncomfortable.

‎Tempo, tempo, tempo without stress.

‎So they feel that they can't escape
‎our iron grip.

‎So we've gotten a lot better
‎at standing our ground.

‎Those 45 minutes will be long for them.

‎-Okay, are you in?
‎-Yeah!

‎Let's punish them.

‎Keep going. Stay calm. No stress.

‎Get the ball into the f*cking net.

‎Outnumber them in the counterattacks.

‎Three against two, two against one.

‎We're going to score, guys.

‎Ødegaard catches it.

‎Change of direction.

‎Estonia ups the pace.

‎Oh, my!

‎Nyland has no control over that one!
‎What in the world!

‎Look at this. Schjønning-Larsen.

‎Sinyavskiy on the flank.
‎He's proven to be a threat before.

‎Good defense from Ryerson. Sørloth can
‎go for it. Haaland is with him.

‎Martin Ødegaard gets it. Two against one!
‎Martin Ødegaard towards Haaland!

‎Ødegaard lets it go to Haaland!

‎And then...

‎It's an underrated moment.
‎It was an insanely important goal.

‎1-0, Erling, away against Estonia.

‎ESTONIA 0 - 1 NORWAY
‎FINAL SCORE

‎Many missed passes from Ødegaard
‎and things you can't really believe.

‎It was a tremendous step down.

‎But they won on a bad day.

‎That's the trademark of a good team.

‎I think reviving that player group
‎after Scotland...

‎That's Ståle's greatest achievement.

‎As a leader to be able to
‎keep that group together

‎and keep up the faith in the project,
‎without losing authority...

‎That deserves top marks.

‎Today at FC Copenhagen's training grounds,

‎33-year-old Ståle Solbakken
‎fell unconscious after a cardiac arrest.

‎Solbakken was actually
‎clinically dead for five minutes,

‎but was brought to life
‎and has been taken off the respirator.

‎Nobody knows how long
‎Solbakken is going to stay here.

‎A regular morning.

‎I drive my oldest boy to daycare
‎and head off to practice.

‎Forty minutes into the practice...

‎my heart just stops.

‎ANNIKEN SOLBAKKEN
‎STÅLE'S WIFE

‎Well, it's a bit like...

‎Someone rings my doorbell.

‎Two player-wives
‎that I don't really know that well.

‎The story is that
‎Ståle was hit by a ball in the head.

‎We're in the car on our way to the
‎trauma center at the National Hospital.

‎And that's when you
start to realize that...

‎it's not just a cut to the eyebrow.

‎We get in there,
‎and that's when I get the first,

‎slightly cold assessment from a doctor.

‎It's kind of the cold facts.
‎ "We have to hope..."

‎ "We hope he wakes up."

‎ "We hope his memory
will recover." I mean...

‎And then,
‎there are a few days where things...

‎Chance would have it so that there was
‎a doctor on the grounds that day,

‎which rarely happened
‎when we played there.

‎So I got the treatment I needed
‎before getting electrocuted back to life.

‎AFTER 30 HOURS,
‎STÅLE WAKES UP FROM A COMA

‎A tired Ståle Solbakken
‎is on his way home.

‎He's not allowed to drive yet,

‎but is looking forward
‎to getting a lift back home to his family.

‎Thanks to a pacemaker
‎that has been inserted,

‎Ståle Solbakken has received
‎his life insurance.

‎In one day, you go from being ‎a
pro athlete to a heart patient. That's...

‎The way I know Ståle, he went
‎a couple of rounds with himself

‎because his desire to play
‎was most certainly quite big.

‎But at the time, Ståle made a decision
‎that he knew we would be happy with.

‎Ståle Solbakken has played
‎his last soccer match.

‎The heart failure that caused him
‎to collapse during practice in March

‎was so serious
‎that the 33-year-old is now retiring.

‎There's been a lot of talk about
‎traffic lights, red, yellow or green.

‎I got a yellow light.

‎So I have to stop.

‎It's sad, but I think I'll get through it.

‎I'm going to keep my
head up, even though...

‎Yeah, it's hard to accept.

‎The soccer was torn away from me.
‎All of a sudden, it was over.

‎I would have liked to
‎see it end differently.

‎When life is good,
‎something usually pops up.

‎I have a team to live up to now.

‎You knew he could be a soccer coach
‎from the time he was six, seven years old.

‎When we played soccer in the yard,
‎he was the one who was running the shop.

‎I don't have time for anyone to curse
‎or swear or despair for long.

‎And he was a born winner.

‎He hated losing and did everything to win.

‎You have to use your head!

‎You have to get involved!

‎He has played over 50 national matches,
‎and he's learned a lot from Drillo.

‎We are moments away
‎from one of the biggest events...

‎1998 WORLD CUP
‎BRAZIL VS NORWAY

‎...in Norwegian sports history.

‎I had a lot of good players at the time,
‎so Ståle had to sit on the bench a lot.

‎He gets the cross in,
‎and the goal is a fact!

‎I wanted to send in the fastest player
‎we had, and he was ready.

‎And then I hear Ståle shouting, "Jostein!"

‎A change is made
‎for the Norwegian substitution.

‎It's not Østensø who's coming on,
‎but Jostein Flo.

‎This is incredible! We're back!
‎We've beaten Brazil!

‎Naturally, that was a really good idea.

‎I didn't just think, I was quite certain
‎that he would make a good coach.

‎GROUP I
‎WC QUALIFYING GAMES 2025

‎NORWAY - ISRAEL - ESTONIA
‎ITALY - MOLDOVA

‎Italy kept on pushing Norway
‎after quite a tough start.

‎They won the matches
‎they had to win all the way.

‎So the goal-difference game was kept open.

‎That was a bit tricky.

‎NORWAY VS MOLDOVA

‎But how big a victory does Norway need
‎at Ullevaal tonight?

‎Goal difference trumps
‎head-to-head record in this qualification.

‎So even though we beat Italy 3-0
‎here at Ullevaal,

‎it's still a battle over who can score
‎the most goals until our away game.

‎Goal differences can turn out to be
‎really nice to have towards the end.

‎We just have to press on
‎throughout the match.

‎Another treat here.
‎Look at that! Look at that!

‎NORWAY 1 - 0 MOLDOVA

‎Look at that goal!

‎...towards Haaland!
‎There was never any doubt!

‎NORWAY 2 - 0 MOLDOVA

‎That's two.

‎There's an opportunity here.
‎Three on three if they decide to press on.

‎And that's what Martin Ødegaard does.

‎Erling Braut Haaland, bang!

‎NORWAY 3 - 0 MOLDOVA

‎-Here he is again.
‎-Is it a hat-trick?

‎NORWAY 4 - 0 MOLDOVA

‎Yes, it's a hat-trick!

‎It's going... And now! Finally!

‎NORWAY 5 - 0 MOLDOVA

‎Martin Ødegaard!

‎HALF-TIME
‎NORWAY 5 - 0 MOLDOVA

‎They're doing worse. Nice goals, Erling.

‎Close to a penalty on that corner.
‎Did you see how he pulled me?

‎Let's calm down, boys.

‎We have a lot more to give.

‎Nusa! You should spread out more,
‎and you're too flashy.

‎Wolfe. If you've been there five times
‎without getting a pass...

‎I haven't seen you telling him once.
‎You should kick him in the a*s.

‎Ståle is an honest man.

‎He's very good at
‎getting the best out of us all.

‎Just press them in
‎and leave the right side alone.

‎That will make it harder
‎on the other side.

‎Ståle is very direct and clear.

‎There's no point in
‎mollycoddling soccer players.

‎Come on.

‎We've been working on
‎becoming a bit tougher.

‎We've been a nice bunch since
‎I started on the national team in 2019,

‎but it might have been
‎a little too good and nice.

‎Now, we provide feedback, in practice,
‎during matches, and most of all Ståle.

‎Norway puts pressure on Moldova
‎right from the start of the second half.

‎Sometimes, I have to look
‎a little further ahead than the players.

‎Goal difference could become crucial.

‎Moldova looked tired.
‎We had to stick the knife all the way in.

‎Wolfe makes a cross!

‎NORWAY 6 - 0 MOLDOVA

‎He scores!

‎NORWAY 7 - 0 MOLDOVA

‎Yeah! Number eight!

‎Come on, Thelo Aasgaard.

‎NORWAY 9 - 1 MOLDOVA

‎Low ball in front.

‎NORWAY 10 - 1 MOLDOVA

‎NORWAY 11 - 1 MOLDOVA

‎NORWAY 11 - 1 MOLDOVA
‎FINAL SCORE

‎Bad news for the national team.

‎Martin Ødegaard will not
‎be attending the next gathering.

‎The team captain was injured
‎in yesterday's Arsenal match.

‎The Norwegian men will face Israel

‎in a very important
‎World Cup qualifying match.

‎It's been an unusual build-up
‎to this match.

‎The press conference was in large part
‎about the conflict on the Gaza Strip.

‎A big goal has been
‎to shield Ståle and the players.

‎The leadership deals with the politics,
‎and the players stay in their bubble.

‎The worst-case scenario
‎that we have to prepare for

‎is someone getting onto the pitch or doing
‎something that forces us to stop the game.

‎It's our responsibility to complete
‎the match. We risk losing the match.

‎OCTOBER 11TH, 2025
‎NORWAY VS ISRAEL

‎The important thing is
‎to stand our ground.

‎There's no guarantee that we'll score
‎after five, 10 or 15 or 20 minutes.

‎We need 93, 95, 96 with a solid effort.

‎There should be no difference between
‎minute 70 and minute five.

‎Give them hell all the way.

‎In Saturday's game against Israel,

‎Haaland will be acting captain
‎in Martin Ødegaard's absence‎.

‎Come on, Erling.

‎The road towards
‎a long-awaited soccer World Cup.

‎The eyes of the world
‎are looking at Ullevaal Stadium.

‎The Norwegian team is currently on a level

‎where very few nations in the world
‎can stand against them.

‎What could go wrong?

‎We're at the kickoff.
‎Marciniak blows the whistle.

‎And Patrick Berg gets going.

‎Haaland on the run. Sørloth cuts inward.
‎Manages to keep hold of the ball.

‎Bobb. Haaland.

‎First attempt.

‎Oscar Bobb!

‎Patrick Berg is in the way
‎and is taken down.

‎A penalty is decided.

‎Erling Braut Haaland is ready.

‎Everyone has a percentage of fear
‎and anxiety that they will fail.

‎Even though Erling is
‎the best scorer in the world,

‎I doubt he's free from anxiety
‎before he takes a penalty shot.

‎He has scored in every single match
‎in this World Cup qualification.

‎He's running up! No!
‎Peretz saves phenomenally.

‎They're checking to see
‎if Peretz was outside the line

‎as Haaland struck the ball.

‎Yes, he ran over the line.

‎Erling Braut Haaland gets
‎a second attempt.

‎No! He missed that one too!

‎Erling Braut Haaland with
‎a double penalty miss!

‎From the Israeli keeper.

‎Well, Ståle Solbakken...

‎A 1-0 goal this early would have
‎been very beneficial.

‎Someone has made it past the barriers.

‎Storming the pitch has been a topic.

‎Sander Berge has taken huge steps.

‎He has become a titan on the midfield
‎and proves it here. Sørloth.

‎To the line.

‎That's good!

‎It's beautiful! It's amazing!

‎1-0, Antonio Nusa.

‎He almost can't believe it.

‎NORWAY 1 - 0 ISRAEL

‎Once again, he opens the dance floor
‎for the Norwegian colors.

‎That was a match
‎that meant a lot for other reasons,

‎and it wasn't just about soccer.

‎We have to do our job
‎no matter what people are talking about.

‎It was about so much more than soccer,
‎understandably enough.

‎Will he get his revenge? Yes!

‎Erling Braut Haaland.

‎Goals in every single...

‎NORWAY 5 - 0 ISRAEL
‎FINAL SCORE

‎...World Cup qualifying match.

‎The final score is 5-0 to Norway.

‎You'll hear something
‎you didn't think you'd get to hear.

‎Let's hear it.

‎It is as follows:

‎tomorrow, we'll stick to the program.

‎We're sticking to the program. However...

‎I trust you guys so much that
‎you'll get freedom with responsibility.

‎One man is not going out tonight.
‎That's me. You're going out.

‎The support staff are going out.
‎And you're going to have a good time. Go!

‎I just want to say that it's been nice
‎to play for the national team this year.

‎Could I get a "Ringsnæss?"

‎I was thinking a skin fade, Aron.

‎And yellow hair like what you have on top.

‎-Yellow?
‎-White.

‎ULLEVAAL STADIUM

‎No!

‎Hey, hey, hey.

‎-How can I miss?
‎-Yes! Yes!

‎GROUP I
‎WC QUALIFYING GAMES 2025

‎PLAYED - GOAL DIFFERENCE -
‎POINTS

‎NOVEMBER 13TH, 2025
‎NORWAY VS ESTONIA

‎A draw or a loss makes no difference.

‎So no one was worried about
‎losing to Estonia at Ullevaal.

‎But those of us
‎who have been around for a while

‎have seen 0-0 against Latvia at Ullevaal
‎in an important, decisive match,

‎0-0 against Slovenia at Ullevaal
‎in an important, decisive match.

‎So a 0-0 result is not that far-fetched.

‎You never know.

‎What can you tell us about
‎Martin Ødegaard's situation?

‎He's well on his way through rehab.

‎When he'll be ready is something
‎neither he nor Arsenal nor we know.

‎It was a heavy blow.

‎I had really been looking forward to
‎this gathering,

‎and with the position we're in now,
‎we know what we're playing for,

‎and having to miss that hurts.

‎With national team soccer, you have
‎very few matches to achieve your goals.

‎One wrong move is all it takes.

‎These guys are under immense pressure.

‎How do the Norwegian players deal
‎with the pressure they're feeling now?

‎But they leave space open!

‎And Antonio Nusa takes advantage of that.

‎He didn't quite hit with that cross.

‎The stress and the nerves...

‎There's more of that in the stands.

‎Out there, you have control.

‎The Norwegian team is struggling,
‎like they did in Tallinn.

‎HALF-TIME
‎NORWAY 0 - 0 ESTONIA

‎The whistle blows.
‎Some booing. Some frustration.

‎The score is 0-0,
‎and Estonia deserves credit for that.

‎It's also a sign that the Norwegian play
‎hasn't been working out for them.

‎This is where we are.

‎We're at the point where
‎we have to give everything we have,

‎both mentally, physically,
‎and not least tactically.

‎Make sure you keep up the intensity
‎for 45 minutes or more.

‎So they feel they can never catch a break.

‎You haven't played a bad half at all.

‎It's been a normal half against a team
‎that works hard, that has been compact,

‎and that has lived on our mercy.
‎Don't let them get away with it now.

‎The pattern of play that we wanted
‎is what we're getting in the second half.

‎How about this one?

‎Wow, wow!

‎It's Alexander Sørloth!

‎NORWAY 1 - 0 ESTONIA

‎He regains it. Over to Haaland.

‎Sørloth once again!

‎NORWAY 2 - 0 ESTONIA

‎He's scored twice tonight! Alex the great!

‎On the move again.

‎Very well done by Ryerson.
‎And the cross is in for Haaland!

‎Erling Braut Haaland!

‎NORWAY 3 - 0 ESTONIA

‎Crosses in with his left.

‎Into the roof!

‎Haaland's second! Our fourth.

‎NORWAY 4 - 0 ESTONIA

‎The whistle blows. The cheers erupt.

‎It's these moments
‎that you play soccer for.

‎All the bad experiences, all the pressure.

‎There are
‎a lot of emotions in that moment.

‎Congratulations, Ståle Solbakken.
‎This has to work.

‎Go through tough times together,
‎grow stronger.

‎NORWAY 4 - 1 ESTONIA
‎FINAL SCORE

‎HAALAND FOR KING [SORRY HARALD]

‎Yes!

‎Almost there.

‎THE SAME EVENING,

‎THE TEAM WATCHES
‎ITALY PLAY AGAINST MOLDOVA

‎IF ITALY DOESN'T WIN,
‎NORWAY QUALIFIES FOR THE WC

‎It was so f*cking close.

‎Norway has World Cup fever.

‎Yes, but none of the gentlemen on
‎the national team will utter those words.

‎In the backrooms,
‎preparations are already underway

‎for a grand celebration in downtown Oslo.

‎On Monday, ‎there will
be a big celebration...

‎No, I don't want to talk about that.
‎We're done now.

‎Thanks.

‎I'm terrified of jinxing it.

‎We're close now, but we'll have to save
‎everything till after the Italy game.

‎The Norwegian people, the supporters,
‎have already taken the victory in advance.

‎If it all goes wrong, how bad could it be?

‎Yeah, it's easy to forget the history.

‎ITALY - NORWAY

‎I've not met a Norwegian
‎who doesn't think we can do this.

‎You just want that, "It's over.
‎There, we're in the World Cup."

‎But what if Italy wins by eight, nine?
‎Well, you never know.

‎Italy takes the lead early on!

‎Here's Antonio Nusa. He shoots!