Norway arrive at the 2026 World Cup ranked 13th in Sportsvyn's Power Rankings with a score of 6.96, carrying a squad built around a midfield-heavy 26-man roster — ten midfielders against only four attackers. M. Ødegaard anchors that midfield on the roster sheet, while E. Haaland heads a compact attacking pool alongside A. Sørloth, A. Schjelderup, and J. Strand Larsen. The four-attacker ceiling is the structural tension entering the tournament: whether that narrow forward complement can carry the weight the ranking position implies.

Norway's group opener arrives June 16 at Gillette Stadium against Iraq, ranked 44th in Sportsvyn's Power Rankings — 31 places and 2.80 rating points below Norway. The gap on paper is clear, but the match against Iraq begins to answer a more specific question about this squad's design: with ten midfielders competing for the central roles and only four attackers named, can Norway's forward line generate the volume the Power Rankings position demands?