'Norway: The Dark Horse' Netflix docuseries: Everything you need to know before 2026 FIFA World Cup

Norway’s long wait for a return to football’s biggest stage is finally over, and Netflix is set to tell the story behind it. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup drawing closer, the streaming platform will release Norway: The Dark Horse on June 9, offering viewers exclusive access to the Norwegian men’s national team as it prepares for its first World Cup appearance since 1998. The two-part documentary arrives at a moment of growing optimism around a squad led by some of Europe’s most recognizable talents, including Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, after a qualification campaign that transformed expectations around the national side.For nearly three decades, Norway watched major tournaments from afar. Generations of players came and went without ending the drought. That changed when Ståle Solbakken's side stormed through qualifying with a flawless 8-0-0 record and 24 points, establishing itself as one of the most talked-about emerging teams heading into the World Cup.The documentary follows that rise from the inside. Cameras were granted access on and off the pitch as the squad navigated the pressure of qualification and the new challenge that comes with preparing for football’s biggest tournament. The series features key figures who have helped reshape Norway’s fortunes, including Haaland, Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa, Oscar Bobb and Alexander Sørloth.Netflix's trailer suggests the documentary focuses on more than tactics and results. It explores a team attempting to break what many supporters viewed as a generational curse. Years of disappointment had eroded belief around the national program, but qualification has altered the mood dramatically. Norway now enters the tournament carrying expectations rather than merely hopes.Those expectations will be tested immediately. Norway has been drawn into a difficult group that includes former world champions France, African heavyweight Senegal and Iraq. Advancing from the group stage will require the same consistency and confidence that defined the qualifying campaign.Director Emil Trier believes the story extends beyond football results. Explaining the vision behind the project, he said: “This is the story of a team – and an entire country – that has waited far too long to return to a major tournament. The ambition was to show the details of this team’s journey through the qualifiers, and how the road suddenly changes when you have to prepare for a World Cup,”Produced by Vidar Lien Amundsen and Norwegian production company Novemberfilm, the documentary arrives at a time when Norway is no longer viewed simply as a talented underdog. With world-class stars, renewed confidence and a nation fully invested in the journey, the team heads to the 2026 World Cup believing it can challenge established powers and make its presence felt on football’s biggest stage.