Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard has been named captain of Norway national football team’s 26-man squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

As reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday, the midfielder, who recently guided Arsenal F.C. to the Premier League title, will lead a Norway squad packed with attacking talent including Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb and Jørgen Strand Larsen.

Norway’s squad announcement drew attention after Harald V revealed the final list through a pre-recorded video shared on social media.

Uncapped goalkeeper Sander Tangvik earned a surprise call-up following an injury to Mathias Dyngeland.

Tangvik is the only uncapped player included in the squad after former Russia Under-21 goalkeeper Nikita Haikin was unable to complete a nationality switch in time for the tournament.

Sondre Langås admitted the unusual announcement left players uncertain until the very end.

“I didn’t trust it until the video was finished. I didn’t trust the King for a second,” the Derby County defender told NRK.

Norway will begin their World Cup campaign against Iraq national football team in Boston on June 16 before taking on Senegal national football team and France national football team in the group stage.

The expanded 48-team tournament, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, runs from June 11 to July 19.

Norway World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Orjan Haskjold Nyland (Sevilla), Egil Selvik (Watford), Sander Tangvik (Hamburger SV).

Defenders: Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund), Marcus Holmgren Pedersen (Torino), David Moller Wolfe (Wolverhampton), Fredrik Bjorkan (Bodo/Glimt), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford), Torbjorn Heggem (Bologna), Leo Skiri Ostigard (Genoa), Sondre Langas (Derby County), Henrik Falchener (Viking).

Midfielders: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal), Sander Berge (Fulham), Fredrik Aursnes (Benfica), Patrick Berg (Bodo/Glimt), Kristian Thorstvedt (Sassuolo), Morten Thorsby (Cremonese), Thelo Aasgaard (Rangers).

Forwards: Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Alexander Sorloth (Atletico Madrid), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Crystal Palace), Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig), Oscar Bobb (Fulham), Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica), Jens Petter Hauge (Bodo/Glimt).

Form and fitness concerns are hanging over some of football’s biggest names just three weeks before the World Cup kicks off.

AFP sports looks at five of the stars who must shoulder the burden of their nations’ expectation in the first-ever 48-team finals spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada:

Kylian Mbappe (France)

Mbappe could become the all-time top goalscorer in World Cup history over the next few weeks, but will cross the Atlantic after a troubled time at Real Madrid.

The 27-year-old is yet to win a major trophy in two seasons at the Spanish giants despite his prolific goalscoring record.

Mbappe’s commitment has been questioned after he went on holiday while nursing a hamstring injury towards the end of the season.

A change of scenery on the international stage could be just what he needs as he aims to write more history on the global stage.

Mbappe took the tournament by storm as a teenager in France’s 2018 World Cup win. He plundered another eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final, as Les Bleus missed out on penalties to Argentina four years ago.

He needs just four more to match Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals.

Erling Haaland (Norway)

Haaland finally gets his first taste of a major international tournament after ending Norway’s 28-year wait to reach the World Cup.

The Manchester City striker struck 16 times in eight games during Norway’s flawless qualifying campaign that included two thrashings of Italy.

That took his tally to a remarkable 55 goals in 49 international appearances.

Haaland is the poster boy for a golden generation of Norwegian players, including Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, that have been tipped as dark horses.

But Norway will need their star striker in top form after being handed a tough draw alongside France and African champions Senegal in Group I.

Vinicius Junior (Brazil)

Neymar’s return to the Brazil squad has caught the imagination, but it is Vincius’ performance that will likely determine whether Carlo Ancelotti’s men end up with a sixth star on the famous yellow jersey.

He and Mbappe have had to share the spotlight in Madrid, but the World Cup gives Vinicius the chance to become a national hero in Brazil and win the Ballon d’Or he craves.

Vinicius and his club team-mates famously boycotted the ceremony after he was overlooked for Manchester City’s Rodri despite scoring in the Champions League final two years ago.

But his record for Brazil is patchy. He scored just once in the World Cup four years ago and has only eight goals in 47 caps overall.

Harry Kane (England)

England’s captain and all-time record goalscorer enters probably his last shot at World Cup glory off the back of a stunning season for Bayern Munich.

Kane scored 58 goals in 50 games as Bayern romped to the Bundesliga title and narrowly missed out on the Champions League final.

At international level he has spearheaded the rise of the Three Lions to serial contenders, but is yet to end his nation’s 60-year wait to win a major tournament.

Kane has often been hampered physically at international tournaments, exhausted by his exertions during the club season.

However, this time his minutes have been managed by Bayern for months as they prioritised a deep run in the Champions League, with the Bundesliga long since won.

Lamine Yamal (Spain)

The breakout star of Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, Yamal’s hopes of taking the world by storm will depend on his recovery from a hamstring injury.

The 18-year-old has not featured since suffering the injury for Barcelona on April 22 and could reportedly miss Spain’s first two group games against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.

After a slow start to the season, Yamal had been in blistering form prior to his injury, scoring 24 goals in all as Barca cruised to a second consecutive La Liga title.

Spain will be confident of negotiating the early stages of the tournament before unleashing the player many regard as the best in the world for the latter stages.

AFP

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Arsenal Football Club were crowned English Premier League champions on Tuesday for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City drew 1-1 at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s men needed to win on England’s south coast to keep the title race alive but fell short.

Following three runners-up finishes, the Gunners have sealed top spot after Manchester City drew 1-1 at Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

The trophy lift is set to take place at Selhurst Park on Sunday when the North London club play the final game of the season on May 24.

The draw left the North London side mathematically unreachable at the top of the table and triggered historic celebrations among Arsenal supporters, who had not experienced a league triumph since the “Invincibles” season of 2003-04 under legendary manager Arsène Wenger.

Arsenal have topped the table for much of the season, but their title bid looked to have hit shaky ground in April as Man City started to breathe down their necks.

A 2-1 defeat at the Etihad seemed to hand the title advantage to City but the Gunners rallied and have held off Pep Guardiola’s side to win the league for the first time since the Invincibles in the 2003/04 season.

It ends a six-year period without a trophy and is Arteta’s second major honour as manager at the Emirates Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Arsenal football website has also celebrated the new feat.

A Tuesday night release titled, “Arsenal crowned 2025/26 Premier League champions,” disclosed this.

“We have been crowned 2025/26 Premier League champions with a game to spare, after an incredible campaign in N5 has ended with us claiming our 14th top-flight championship.

“Following our 1-0 success against Burnley last night, our nearest challengers Manchester City had to beat Bournemouth to force us into a final-day showdown for the title. However, a 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium saw us crowned champions.

“The silverware sees Mikel Arteta become the first Gunners boss to land English football’s top prize in 22 years, following in the footsteps of Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles who were our last side to win the Premier League after going unbeaten during the 2003/04 campaign,” it read.

Arsenal won 25 of our 37 league games so far, drawing seven and losing just five times to top the pile, having finished runners-up in each of the previous three seasons.

“But a solid defensive platform, which has seen us keep 19 clean sheets and David Raya claim the Golden Glove for the third successive season, has led us to the best defensive record this term, while only City can better our tally of 69 goals scored to this point,” the release further read.

Season’s campaign began at Old Trafford

The North London club began its English league record 100th consecutive campaign with a 1-0 success at Manchester United, and won nine of our first 10 games to hit top spot for the first time at the start of October.

“We led the league for 200 days before Manchester City nudged us off on goals scored late last month. However, we won four successive matches without conceding to reclaim top spot and pave our way to the championship.

“It is the 14th time we have been crowned champions of England, only behind Manchester United and Liverpool in the all-time rankings, and the 32nd major trophy we’ve claimed.

“We now have the chance to cap one of the greatest seasons in our 140-year history by adding one more to that total when we head to Budapest next week to contest our second-ever Champions League final.

“We will face holders Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, May 30 as we aim to claim our first European Cup triumph in our 139-year history,” the club wrote.

Bournemouth in Europe

Meanwhile, AFC Bournemouth also “penned a new chapter in the club record books by securing a place in Europe for the first time in their 127-year history,” a post-match release on the club’s website as obtained by our correspondent on Tuesday night stated.

“Junior Kroupi’s superbly-executed first-half goal appeared to have put Andoni Iraola’s team on course for victory, only for Erling Haaland to grab an injury-time equaliser for the visitors.

“Haaland’s dramatic late strike failed to take the gloss off another memorable game under head coach Iraola who will leave the club in the summer following three glorious seasons.

“A share of the points extended the Cherries’ unbeaten run to 17 matches, equalling the club record for a single season which has stood since 1981/82 in Division Four,” the club wrote.

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