Norway were already one step away from Euro 2024, but Odegaard, Haaland and Orsnes’ last hope of reaching the finals fell for good on Saturday, with Israel’s defeat by Romania (1-2) eliminating the Norwegians from a potential replay. -on.
A huge disappointment for Norway who, with a team containing many stars, will miss the European Championship next summer.
The Norwegian dream collapsed during the past few months, starting in June of this year, with a defeat at home to Scotland (1-2), just one week after Haaland celebrated winning the Champions League title with Manchester City.
The defeat against the Scots shook the hopes of the Scandinavian countries once and for all, and the possibility of direct qualification declined, then on October 15, with the defeat against Spain. Norway did not exceed third place in Group A with 10 points, six points ahead of Scotland and eight points behind Spain.
There is still the possibility of Haaland and his team renewing their place through the Nations League qualifiers, but for that to happen, Israel will have to secure direct qualification, opening up another place in the Nations League B qualifiers.
However, Israel lost on Saturday to Romania (1-2) and also finished third in Group A, behind Romania and Switzerland, but with an advantage over the Norwegians in the qualifying race.
Thus, the last door was closed for Norway to reach the final stage.
Agatha Christie is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, books, and current affairs. She is committed to producing accurate, informative content that helps readers stay informed about the latest developments in the UK and beyond.
