Norway is the wild-card team of the tournament. With Erling Haaland, arguably the world’s best striker today, every opponent is in danger. Norway’s first World Cup match since 1998 is a historic moment—and Group I, featuring France, Senegal, and Iraq, offers a realistic chance of advancing.

Coach Ståle Solbakken named three goalkeepers for the Vikings: Ørjan Nyland, Egil Selvik, and Sander Tangvik. Norway is returning to the biggest stage in soccer after 28 years—the country last competed in France in 1998. In Group I, they will face Iraq, Senegal, and France. Solbakken announced the roster during a historic moment for Norway: King Harald V himself appeared in the federation’s official announcement video.

At 35 years old and with over 65 international caps, Nyland is the undisputed starting goalkeeper and the longest-serving player in the trio of goalkeepers. His career path took him from the small club IL Hødd in western Norway, through Molde FK, FC Ingolstadt, and Aston Villa—where he helped the team earn promotion to the Premier League in 2019—to brief stints at Norwich, Bournemouth, and Reading, before joining RB Leipzig for nine months in 2022. He has been under contract with Sevilla in La Liga since August 2023. He has made four appearances there this season after starting goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos returned—his contract runs through the summer of 2026. He has represented Norway since 2013, has played in all major qualifying campaigns, and is Solbakken’s clear first-choice goalkeeper.

Selvik has made the strongest impression of all three goalkeepers at the club level this season. After four years as the starting goalkeeper for FK Haugesund in the Eliteserien and a brief stint with Udinese in Serie A, he joined Watford in the English Championship in January 2025—and immediately took over the starting role there. With 34 league appearances, seven clean sheets, and a FotMob season rating of 7.04, he ranks among the top goalkeepers in England’s second division. Internationally, he is still young: he made his international debut only in 2023 and has played in six international matches so far. A shoulder injury sidelined him from November to December 2025—but he was back in top form just in time for the World Cup. Selvik is Solbakken’s number two and a realistic candidate for the starting spot in the future.

Tangvik is Norway’s youngest goalkeeping prospect and took the biggest step of his career so far in January 2026: moving from Rosenborg BK to Hamburger SV in the 2. Bundesliga. Prior to that, he had been the starting goalkeeper and captain in Trondheim for years, playing in the Eliteserien and gaining his first experience in European qualifying matches. Internationally, he has yet to make a senior international appearance—the World Cup nomination marks his first-ever spot on the senior national team roster and is a clear sign of Solbakken’s confidence in his potential for development.