No league tables, no trophies: how Norway made sport fun for kids – and built a football team that beat Brazil

Country’s model prioritises joy while offering choice – and Erling Haaland’s World Cup exploits show that it works

At full time, the arithmetic felt wrong. A team from a country of 5.5 million people, back at a World Cup after 28 years away, had just beaten the five-time champions to reach a first quarter-final.

During Norway’s victory over Brazil on Sunday there was little between the fast feet of Vinícius Júnior and the raw power of Erling Haaland. But look at how that pair and others on the two teams were raised and a different story emerges. Neymar, Matheus Cunha and Vinícius grew up in a system that prioritises prodigies – spotting talent early and fast-tracking it through academies built around a single sport. Haaland, Martin Ødegaard and Antonio Nusa grew up inside something altogether different.

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