Published Jul 8, 2026, 9:13 AM ET · Updated 4 months ago · 1 source

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

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

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 pri