They beat Brazil.
Norway knocked out the five-time world champions. They are playing in the biggest match in Norwegian football history on Saturday.
And they are doing all of this while dealing with one of the most chaotic off-field situations of the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Norway’s preparations for their quarterfinal against England in Miami have been thrown into complete disorder after the squad filed an official complaint with FIFA and unanimously demanded to be moved out of their Fort Lauderdale hotel, just one night after checking in.
The players’ grievances were long and legitimate.
The Dalmar Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, which had been arranged as Norway’s base camp for the quarterfinal week, was found to have mouldy rooms, smoke odours, inadequate cleanliness, persistent noise from a busy road outside, and an active construction site nearby making sleep nearly impossible.
The players brought their complaints to team management, and the decision to act was unanimous.
Every single member of the squad wanted out.
A formal complaint was made to FIFA, who responded swiftly.
The governing body agreed to cover the cost of 50 rooms plus security at a new hotel near the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, where Norway will face England on Saturday.
Norway’s Football Federation paid the additional costs to cover the upgrade. The entire relocation was completed in just two and a half hours.
The team’s logistics manager Truls Daehli did not sugarcoat how difficult the process was.
“It is brutal having to move but we are satisfied with the new place and everyone is happy now,” he said.
“Some people might fear that this will affect the players, but it was the players who wanted this more than anyone else.
We have strong people in our support team and managed to move in two and a half hours.
The process of changing hotels is not ideal but we wanted to take action as soon as possible. Having a good atmosphere is most important.”
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On the pitch, however, Norway has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Playing in their first World Cup in 28 years, they swept through the group stage, losing only to France in their final match when Solbakken deliberately rested most of his first-choice starters, knowing qualification was already secured.
They then eliminated world champions Brazil in the Round of 16, with Erling Haaland scoring twice to take his tournament tally to seven goals.
Captain Martin Odegaard, who faces several of his England opponents week in, week out in the Premier League, was measured in his assessment of the challenge ahead.
“It is going to be a significant test for us,” he said. “Many of the English internationals are outstanding and world-class players.”
If Norway beat England on Saturday, it will be one of the most remarkable stories this tournament has produced. And this tournament has produced plenty.
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