With 92 minutes on the clock, Norway were leading record World Cup winners Brazil 2-0 in their round of 16 match. ITV commentator Sam Matterface declared them "a force to be reckoned with" as Erling Haaland, described as an "absolute monster" of a forward, scored twice to steer his nation into the quarter-finals for the first time on their return to the tournament after a 28-year absence.
Norway's previous best was reaching the round of 16 in 1938 and 1998. Now they face England on Saturday — and will likely gain support from a section of Scots, who may swap Viking gear for sombreros worn during the Auld Enemy's previous match with Mexico.
“Norway's historic World Cup win over Brazil highlights the investment that Scotland's failing system lacks, says Ian Wright.”
Just 11 days earlier, Steve Clarke's Scotland side had been left bruised by Brazil, failing to reach the knockout stages for the first time. The head coach resigned in the aftermath. Former England striker Ian Wright said "somebody is letting down Scotland on a massive scale" and called for a "bolder, braver vision" as he drew comparisons with Norway's impressive domestic broadcast deal and their stars' ability to shine on centre stage.
The two nations have almost identical populations. So how did Norway succeed where Scotland failed? After a decade of failing to qualify for major tournaments since Euro 2000, the Norwegian authorities hit the reset button. They invested heavily in coaching courses, artificial pitches and a National Team School, and shifted domestic strategies. From 2016 to 2025 alone, 539 new artificial surfaces were built and another 586 renovated. The result: a landscape that flipped from lack of interest to swarms of people in Times Square taking part in a 'Viking row'.
Scotland, meanwhile, have now missed out on the knockout stages despite their own 28-year wait to return to the World Cup. As Norway advance, the question remains whether Scottish football can learn the lesson of reacting and investing when in a rut.