Norway steer steady grassroots course to World Cup success

June 24 : Norway are riding the crest of a wave having made the knockout stage on their return to the World Cup after 28 years and for Norwegian Football Federation chief Lise Klaveness their success confirms their holistic approach to the game is paying off. 

Much like the synchronised rowing celebration made famous by their fans, the Norwegians approach talent development with an emphasis on the collective working together, creating a system where young players stay with their local clubs under the guidance of volunteer coaches as long as possible. 

"We don't have professionals in youth football - Erling (Haaland) was coached until he was a teenager by fully voluntary people, they don't get a dime for it, same with Martin (Odegaard, Norway captain), so then we have to pay back to them in some way," Klaveness told Reuters ahead of Norway's final Group I game against France on Friday. 

The payback for those volunteers has been two World Cup games that have captivated the nation, with Haaland netting twice as Iraq were beaten 4-1, and he notched another double in the 3-2 win over Senegal that will extend their stay into the last 32 of the tournament. 

"Our model in Norway, it's very much based upon the fact that grassroots and elite football are very interconnected. We don't scout and select players in their younger years ... we want them to stay in their local club as long as they can, so that we have dynamic, living, vital clubs everywhere in Norway," Klaveness explained. 

During their 28-year absence from the blue riband event in men's soccer, Norway's women's team have continued to perform at a high level, and the NFF never considered deviating from the path of inclusion that underpins their overall model. 

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