Playing at their first World Cup since 1998, Norway have stormed into the last eight and will face England on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals. Led by "The Cyborg" Erling Haaland, powered by a golden generation and backed by years of structural reform, the Vikings' spectacular rise has been no accident.
"Football has changed", Kylian Mbappé famously said in a 2022 interview that became an instant meme. And this World Cup may be the clearest illustration yet. The tournament's expansion to 48 teams has opened the door to nations that rarely featured on football's biggest stage. Cape Verde pushed Spain and Argentina to the limit, Paraguay stunned Germany, and Norway knocked out five-time champions Brazil.
