Norway’s impressive run at the World Cup is yet another reminder that they’ve got this whole sport thing figured out.
Whether it’s soccer, golf, tennis or – of course – winter sports at the Olympics, a tiny nation of just 5.5 million people is now churning out world beaters at an extraordinary rate.
Norway’s inimitable striker Erling Haaland is the obvious star of the highlight reel, but one of the many secrets of their success can be found in stoppage time of the game against five-time world champion Brazil. In a 40-second sequence, captain Martin Ødegaard and several of his teammates frustrated their opponents by passing the ball among themselves, “showboating” against a team who invented the phrase.
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“They don’t play with pressure,” explained Norwegian podcaster Martin Sleipnes to CNN Sports. “In that sequence, they just play as if they’re teenagers on a five-a-side game, they just enjoy themselves. You can tell it by watching the body language, when the pressure goes away you are free to do whatever.”
