November 13, (THEWILL) — Norway moved to the brink of qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 4-1 victory over Estonia at Ullevaal Stadion on Wednesday evening. The triumph marked the 10th win in their last 11 matches and leaves them requiring only a modest result against Italy in their final qualifier to confirm their place at the tournament for the first time since 1998.
Manager Stale Solbakken faced persistent questions regarding the off-field situation involving Andreas Schjelderup ahead of kick-off, but his side eventually delivered the required performance after a difficult opening period. The first half produced little in terms of goalmouth action, with Estonia’s Rauno Sappinen forcing the better save from Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland. Erling Haaland, the team’s leading scorer, managed only a single harmless header before the interval, whilst Antonio Nusa threatened down the left flank without creating clear opportunities.
The match transformed completely within six minutes of the second half beginning. Alexander Sorloth headed home from Sander Berge’s delivery in the 50th minute before repeating the feat two minutes later to double the advantage. Haaland then added a pair of headers himself, taking his tally for the qualification campaign to 14 goals, with the second coming from a volley after David Moller Wolfe’s flick towards the far post. Robi Saarma claimed a late consolation for the visitors, scoring his maiden international goal.
Schjelderup was introduced with approximately 20 minutes remaining despite the ongoing controversy, though his appearance had minimal impact on proceedings. Norway’s qualification will be mathematically confirmed before their encounter with Italy on Sunday, should the Azzurri fail to defeat Moldova later on Wednesday. Otherwise, the final Group fixture at San Siro will determine whether Norway officially book their place at the finals.
Estonia concluded their campaign with four points from eight matches and a solitary victory, suggesting they remain distant from reaching their first World Cup. Norway’s players celebrated at full-time knowing they are almost certain to compete on football’s grandest stage next year, with only an implausibly heavy defeat in Milan capable of denying them.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
