Football in Norway

Last updated
Football (soccer) in Norway
Ulleval Stadium from air.jpg
Ullevål Stadium, Norway's national arena
CountryNorway
Governing body Football Association of Norway
National team(s) Norway national football team
First played1883;141 years ago (1883)
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions

Football is the most popular sport in Norway in terms of active membership (by television viewership football comes third, behind winter sports biathlon and cross-country skiing). The Football Association of Norway was founded in 1902 and the first international match was played in 1908. There are 1,822 registered football clubs and about 25,000 teams. There are 393,801 (104,597 of them are girls/women) registered football players, [1] which means that 8.5% of the population play organized football. [2] [3]

Contents

History

The first football team in Norway was probably started by a buekorps in Bergen, Nygaards Bataljon, in 1883. [4] In 1885 the first Norwegian club however, Idrætsforeningen Odd, was founded in Skien. The footballing interest was very low, and was put on ice after a few months. However, the club Odd Grenland started up with football again in 1894, and are now Norway's oldest football club. The Football Association of Norway (the NFF), was founded in 1902, and quickly established a cup competition. After the NFF joined FIFA in 1908, Norway had its first ever international match, away against Sweden in Gothenburg; despite Norway taking the lead after a mere 45 seconds, Sweden went on to win 11–3. In 1911 Norway hosted its first international in Oslo, again against Sweden; this time Norway lost 4–0. In 1912 the Norway national team attended the Olympic Games, and were knocked out after losing to Denmark and Austria 7-0 and 1-0 respectively. The NFF hosted the FIFA congress in Oslo in 1914, where a national league was established with six teams competed for the title Drafn, Frigg, Kvik/Halden, Larvik Turn, Mercantile and Odd. Drafn from Drammen went on to be the first league winners. At the 1936 Summer Olympics, the Norway national men's team won their only medal (bronze). In the relatively successful tournament Norway beat Turkey and hosts Germany 4-0 and 2-0 respectively, losing to Italy in the semi-final, then beating Poland 3–2 in the third-place play-off to take the bronze medal. The team is known in Norway as "Bronselaget" meaning the Bronze team. The Norwegian football team won 2–1 to Brazil in 1998. Norway is also the only national team in history to have an undefeated record vs Brazil, Playing 4 matches and winning 2 and drawing the other 2. [5]

League system

The current national league system administered by the Norges Fotballforbund is organised as, from 2017 season, 1-1-2-6, where Eliteserien is the highest Norwegian level and OBOS-ligaen the second highest, followed by two third level (PostNord-ligaen) and six fourth level (Norsk Tipping-ligaen).

DivisionPromotionRelegationPromotion/relegation playoff
Eliteserien N/A15th, 16th14th Relegation
OBOS-ligaen Winner, runner-up15th, 16th3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Promotion, 14th Relegation
PostNord-ligaen Winners in two groups12th, 13th, 14th in two groups2nd in two groups Promotion
Norsk Tipping-ligaen Winners in six groups12th, 13th, 14th in six groups
LevelLeague(s)/Division(s)
1 Eliteserien
16 clubs
2 OBOS-ligaen
16 clubs
3 PostNord-ligaen
Group 1
14 clubs		 PostNord-ligaen
Group 2
14 clubs
4 Norsk Tipping-ligaen
Group 1
14 clubs		 Norsk Tipping-ligaen
Group 2
14 clubs		 Norsk Tipping-ligaen
Group 3
14 clubs		 Norsk Tipping-ligaen
Group 4
14 clubs		 Norsk Tipping-ligaen
Group 5
14 clubs		 Norsk Tipping-ligaen
Group 6
14 clubs
5–94. divisjon through 8. divisjon are regional divisions administered by the various regional football associations.

Cup system

Seasons

The national cup (Norwegian Championship) has been contested since 1902 and is the oldest football tournament in the country.

Norwegian football began to have regular seasons from 1937, when Norgesserien started with the inaugural 1937–38 season. Before that, tournaments and leagues were played irregularly. In 1963, Norwegian football changed from autumn-spring to spring-autumn seasons. The league football was suspended during the World War II.

1900s: 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910s: 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920s: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930s: 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39
1940s: 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950s: 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s: 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s: 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010s: 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020s: 2020 2021 2022 2023

European competitions

UEFA Champions League

The following teams have qualified for elimination rounds in the UEFA Champions League.

Rosenborg played in the Champions League on 10 further occasions.

National team

Men

Women

+20,000-capacity football stadiums in Norway

#StadiumCapacityCityClubDivision
1 Ullevaal Stadion 28,000 [6] Oslo Norway national football team  
2 Lerkendal Stadion 21,405 [7] Trondheim Rosenborg Eliteserien

See also

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eliteserien</span> First division football league in Norway

Eliteserien is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Norwegian First Division.

The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen, NM or NM Cup, an acronym formed from Norgesmesterskap. These terms are used to describe both the men's and women's competitions. The equivalent competition for women's teams is the Norwegian Women's Football Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ullevaal Stadion</span> Football stadium in Oslo, Norway

Ullevaal Stadion is an all-seater football stadium located in Oslo, Norway. It is the home ground of the Norway national football team, and the site of the Norwegian Cup Final. From its opening in 1926 to 2009 it was the home ground of FK Lyn and from 1999 to 2017 was a home ground of Vålerenga IF. With a capacity of approximately 28,000, it is the largest football stadium in Norway. The national stadium is fully owned by the Football Association of Norway (NFF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Norwegian Football Cup</span> Football tournament season

The 2004 Norwegian Football Cup was the 99th edition of the Norwegian Football Cup. The tournament was contested by 128 teams, going through 7 rounds before a winner could be declared. The final match was played on 7 November at Ullevaal stadion in Oslo. Brann won their 6th Norwegian Championship title after defeating Lyn in the final with the score 4–1.

The 1999 Norwegian Football Cup the 94th edition of the Norwegian Football Cup. The Cup was won by Rosenborg after beating Brann in the final with the score 2–0. This was Rosenborg's eighth Norwegian Cup title.

The 1927 Norwegian Football Cup was the 26th season of the Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. The tournament was open for all members of NFF, except those from Northern Norway. Last years losing finalist Ørn won 4–0 against Drafn in the final, and won their second title. Odd were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Drafn in the quarterfinal. The final was the first and only final that was played in Sandefjord.

The 1933 Norwegian Football Cup was the 32nd season of the Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. The tournament was open for all members of NFF, except those from Northern Norway. The final was played at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo on 15 October 1933, and Mjøndalen secured their first title with a 3–1 win against Viking. Mjøndalen had previously played two cup finals but lost both in 1924 and 1931, while Viking played their first final. Fredrikstad were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Viking in the fourth round.

The 1950 Norwegian Football Cup was the 45th season of the Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. The tournament was open for all members of NFF, except those from Northern Norway. The final was played at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo on 22 October 1950, and was contested by five-time former winners Fredrikstad and the two-time former winners Brann. Fredrikstad won the final 3–0, and secured their sixth title. Sarpsborg were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Fredrikstad in the semi-final.

The 1960 Norwegian Football Cup was the 55th season of the Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. The tournament was open for all members of NFF, except those from Northern Norway. Viking was the defending champions, but was eliminated by the second tier team Freidig in the fourth round.

The 1961 Norwegian Football Cup was the 56th season of the Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. The tournament was open for all members of NFF, except those from Northern Norway. Rosenborg were the defending champions, but they were eliminated by the second tier team Brann in the quarterfinal.

The 1962 Norwegian Football Cup was the 57th season of the Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. The tournament was open for all members of NFF, except those from Northern Norway. Fredrikstad were the defending champions, but they were eliminated by the second tier team Vard in the quarterfinal.

The 2014 Norwegian Football Cup was the 109th season of the Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. It began with qualification matches in March 2014. The first round was played 24 and 25 April 2014 and the tournament ended with the final on 23 November 2014.

The 2015 Norwegian Football Cup was the 110th season of the Norwegian annual knock-out football tournament. It began with qualification matches in March 2015. The first round was played 21, 22 and 23 April 2015 and the tournament was ended with the final being held on 22 November 2015.

The 1999 Norwegian Football Cup final was the final match of the 1999 Norwegian Football Cup, the 94th season of the Norwegian Football Cup, the premier Norwegian football cup competition organized by the Football Association of Norway (NFF). The match was played on 30 October 1999 at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, and opposed two Tippeligaen sides Rosenborg and Brann. Rosenborg defeated Brann 2–0 to claim the Norwegian Cup for an eighth time in their history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mesterfinalen</span> Football league

Mesterfinalen, also known as UNICEF Mesterfinalen due to its cooperation with UNICEF, is a Norwegian association football competition contested between the champions of the previous Eliteserien season and the holders of the Norwegian Football Cup. If the same team is both reigning League and Cup champions, the silver medalist from the league provides the opposition. The competition was founded in 2009, then known as Superfinalen. Superfinalen was not arranged between 2011 and 2016 before it was rebranded and again arranged in 2017. The fixture is a recognised competitive football super cup.

The 2019 Mesterfinalen was supposed to be the third edition of Mesterfinalen and the 5th Norwegian super cup overall. Mesterfinalen is the annual game between the League champions and the Cup champions in Norway, or the second-placed team in Eliteserien if the same team are reigning League and Cup champions. The final will be played in March between league and cup champions and defending Mesterfinalen champions Rosenborg and the runner-up in the league, Molde.

The 1988 Norwegian Football Cup final was the final match of the 1988 Norwegian Football Cup, the 83rd season of the Norwegian Football Cup, the premier Norwegian football cup competition organized by the Football Association of Norway (NFF). The final was played at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, and opposed two First Division sides Brann and Rosenborg. As the inaugural final match finished 2–2, the final was replayed seven days later at the same venue with the Rosenborg defeated Brann 2–0 to claim the Norwegian Cup for a fourth time in their history.

The 2016 Norwegian Football Cup final was the final match of the 2016 Norwegian Football Cup, the 111th season of the Norwegian Football Cup, the premier Norwegian football cup competition organized by the Football Association of Norway (NFF). The match was played on 20 November 2016 at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, and was contested between the First Division side Kongsvinger and the Tippeligaen side Rosenborg. Rosenborg defeated Kongsvinger 4–0 to claim the Norwegian Cup for an eleventh time in their history, and also become the first team in Norway to win the double two years in a row.

The 2018 Norwegian Football Cup final was the final match of the 2018 Norwegian Football Cup, the 113th season of the Norwegian Football Cup, the premier Norwegian football cup competition organized by the Football Association of Norway (NFF). The match was played on 2 December 2018 at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, and opposed two Eliteserien sides Rosenborg and Strømsgodset. Rosenborg defeated Strømsgodset 4–1 to claim the Norwegian Cup for a twelfth time in their history and equaled Odd's record number of cup titles.

The 2019 2. divisjon was a Norwegian football third-tier league season. The league consisted of 28 teams divided into 2 groups of 14 teams.

References

  1. ↑ "Norwegian football | Norway soccer team, league, clubs, players, history". www.football-bible.com. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
  2. ↑ "Football Fever in Norway - Norwegians Worldwide". Nww.no. 2012-05-10. Archived from the original on 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  3. ↑ "The next generation by Michael Yokhin". Espn Fc. Retrieved 2013-11-15.
  4. ↑ Sletten, 1972, p.58.
  5. ↑ "Norway national football team: Record v Brazil".
  6. ↑ Ullevaal Stadion Archived 2010-12-02 at the Wayback Machine Ullevaal-Stadion.no
  7. ↑ Lerkendal Stadion Archived 2011-04-29 at the Wayback Machine RBK.no
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