Norway vs Denmark Prediction 24 September 2026
📢 The days of Norway and Denmark being considered second-tier nations are long gone. Both sides sit in the FIFA top 25, regularly cause problems for top opponents and go deep at major tournaments. Both Norway and Denmark come into the new Nations League cycle as potential dark horses, which makes their League A, Matchday 1 meeting at Ullevaal in Oslo one of the more intriguing fixtures on the day's programme.
🔁 Check back for updates: if any significant news emerges, we will revise our recommendations. Return to this article closer to kick-off.
Norway and Denmark have rarely faced each other in recent years.
📊 The two sides know each other well, but they have not met often in recent years. Since 2014 they have played just one match - a friendly in 2024, which Denmark won 3-1. That result should not be given too much weight, though: both squads have changed considerably over the past two years, and the match itself carried no competitive significance.
Norway are enjoying their best run in decades.
Over the last few years Norway have made enormous strides. Several top-level players from leading European clubs have come through into the squad, and the quality of the national team's football has risen noticeably with them. The clearest sign of that progress was qualifying for the 2026 World Cup - the last time Norway had appeared at a major tournament was back in 1998. And at the World Cup itself the team did not merely make up the numbers; they had the best tournament in their history, reaching the quarter-finals. It took a formidable England side to stop them, winning 2-1 in extra time. The match was very evenly contested, and Norway opened the scoring first but could not hold on to their lead until the final whistle.
In the Nations League, Norway spent the previous edition in League B. Their group was not particularly demanding - Austria, Slovenia and Kazakhstan - and they had little trouble. They finished first with 13 points, and in three of their matches they won by a margin of at least three goals.
Match Results: Norway
Denmark remain competitive even when facing the world’s top national teams.
Unlike Norway, Denmark failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. They came agonisingly close, though: in the play-off final they lost to Czechia only on penalties. After 120 minutes the score was 2-2, and in the shootout the Czechs were more accurate, winning 3-1. In qualifying, Denmark finished second in their group with 11 points, though Scotland were arguably the only genuinely serious opponent they faced. That said, Denmark have had other notable achievements in recent years - at Euro 2020, for instance, they reached the semi-finals.
In the previous Nations League, Denmark also performed well. In a group with Switzerland, Serbia and Spain, they collected eight points and finished second. Their only defeats came against Spain, and both times by a single goal. In the play-offs, though, things didn't quite go their way. They were drawn against Portugal in the quarter-finals, and the tie was extremely tight. Across the two legs in normal time the aggregate score was 3-3, but Portugal scored twice in extra time in the second leg to go through. Denmark were desperately close to reaching the semi-finals - they conceded the goal that levelled the aggregate score as late as the 86th minute.
Match Results: Denmark
Latest news
Norway
❌ Alexander Sørloth is continuing his recovery from a muscle injury and was not included in the squad for this international window. Fredrik Bjørkan is also absent, though not through injury - the defender has taken a break from international football and was not called up.
🔁 Update, 24 September, 11:00 UTC:
- Solbakken has cut two players from the final squad for the match against Denmark - right-back Fredrik Sjøvold and centre-back Sondre Langås. According to the Norway head coach, the changes are due to UEFA's squad size restrictions: the team currently has 25 players in camp, but the matchday squad is limited to 23.
Denmark
❌ Andreas Christensen will definitely not feature for Denmark. The defender suffered a left thigh injury in the match against Sevilla and was withdrawn from the squad, with Lucas Høgsberg called up in his place. Christian Eriksen will also be unavailable: the midfielder has not had any playing time for some time due to a heart condition, so the coaching staff decided not to call him up for this round of matches.
🔁 Update, 24 September, 7:00 UTC:
- Forward Kasper Dolberg, who picked up a knee injury in training on the eve of the match, and defender Alexander Bah will both miss the game against Norway. According to VG, Bah's place in the squad will be taken by Anton Gaaei. Mohamed Daramy will be named as the reserve forward.
Predicted Lineups
📋 Predicted starting XI for Norway: Nyland - Ryerson, Ajer, Heggem, Møller Wolfe - Ødegaard, Berge, Berg - Nusa, Haaland, Schjelderup.
📋 Predicted starting XI for Denmark: Hermansen - Gaaei, Andersen, Provstgaard, Dorgu - Bidstrup, Hjulmand, Højbjerg - Isaksen, Højlund, Damsgaard.
⚽️ Goals Prediction
It is worth noting that all of Norway's matches at the 2026 World Cup have been highly eventful in front of goal - in all six games the team both scored and conceded. Even Iraq and Côte d'Ivoire, who are clearly inferior in quality to Denmark, managed to find a way through the Scandinavians' defence. So a bet on Both Teams to Score - Yes at 1.73* makes sense.
🚩 Corners Prediction
Norway are not particularly keen on set pieces. In 6 of their last 7 official matches, they took fewer than six corners. Tellingly, even against Iraq they managed only five. Against a stronger Denmark side, a sharp increase in that number seems unlikely. We are therefore taking Norway Team Total Corners - Under 5.5 at 1.57*.
🟨 Yellow Cards Prediction
Norway have received just three yellow cards across the entire 2026 World Cup - an average of 0.5 bookings per match. There has been a general tendency throughout the tournament to keep the card count low, but the Scandinavians themselves have also played fairly cleanly. We are therefore backing Norway Team Total Yellow Cards - Under 1.5 at 1.75*.
🚀 Player Statistics Bet
Norway's main star is, of course, Erling Haaland. Even at his debut World Cup the striker did not disappoint, scoring seven goals in five matches. His new club season has also started brilliantly: five goals in five Premier League matches, and he also scored twice against Porto in the Champions League. Given that form, a bet on Erling Haaland to Score at 1.67* is a natural choice.
😱 Risky Bet
For those who enjoy a higher-risk option, we can suggest Total Goals - Over 4 at 4.5*. High-scoring matches are a common feature when Norway are involved. Their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign is a good reminder of that - the 11-1 win over Moldova being a case in point. And at the tournament itself, all three of Norway's group stage matches ended with five goals.
🎯 Safe Bet
If you would rather avoid the risk, Norway to Score at 1.15* is an option. The team have scored in 19 consecutive matches, and they will also have the advantage of home ground in the upcoming game.
👀 If the Match Goes Against the Script
Although much points to this being a high-scoring game, the opposite scenario should not be dismissed entirely. These two sides know each other's strengths and weaknesses well, and they are most likely fighting for second place and a play-off spot - competing with Portugal at the top of the table will be extremely difficult. Neither team will want to lose this head-to-head, so both sides may keep risk to a minimum. If the match starts very cautiously, it may be worth considering the option that at least one of the teams will fail to score. The odds are 2.17*.
*Odds are indicative and may vary across different bookmakers.
⭐ Editorial Prediction
The bookmakers consider Norway clear favourites, and it is hard to argue with that given their stronger squad, home advantage and outstanding results in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The hosts show no signs of slowing down and will want to keep their run going. With Norway also having won 14 of their last 16 official matches, we are backing a Norway win. Expected score: 3-1.
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Betting Tips: Norway - Denmark
in 14 of last 16 games.in last 7 home games.
in 7 of last 8 games.in 7 of last 8 home games (UEFA Nations League).in 18 of last 19 Norway games.in last 7 Norway home games.in last 5 Norway games (UEFA Nations League).in last 5 Denmark away games.
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