FIFA International Friendly | Monday, 1 June 2026 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway | Referee: Balazs Berke (HUN)
No Haaland. No Ødegaard. Didn’t matter one bit.
Norway absolutely demolished Sweden 3-1 at Ullevaal on Monday evening in a one-sided Nordic derby that served as the perfect World Cup warm-up. Jørgen Strand Larsen scored twice. Antonio Nusa added a stunning goal between those two. Alexander Isak pulled one back late on for Graham Potter’s side but by that point the game was long over.
This was Norway at their brilliant best. Clinical, direct, brimming with confidence. The World Cup starts in weeks and Ståle Solbakken’s side look ready.
Strand Larsen has been in excellent form for Crystal Palace this season and he carried that straight into international football. In the ninth minute he was first to react to a loose ball inside the box and poked it past Widell Zetterström before the Swedish goalkeeper could set himself. One minute of real build-up and Norway were in front. The home crowd at Ullevaal were already bouncing.
Nine minutes later they went two up. This one was all Nusa. The winger picked the ball up on the left just outside the area, cut inside onto his right foot and curled it into the far corner. Clean, precise, completely unhittable. Sweden’s defence barely moved. The 18-year-old looked at the ball in the net for a moment, then sprinted away. Norway are unbeaten in every international game in which Nusa has scored — that stat was relevant again on Monday.
Sweden tried to respond. Viktor Gyökeres was absent. Their Juventus centre-back had been ruled out of the entire World Cup through injury. Potter threw bodies forward but Norway’s back four — Ajer and Heggem commanding in the middle — gave them nothing to work with. Berge and Aursnes controlled the midfield, winning their individual battles and recycling possession with a comfort that made the whole thing look easy.
The third goal came in the 37th minute and it killed the game stone dead before half-time. Strand Larsen again. He got in behind the Swedish defence from a through ball, took one touch to control, and slid it into the bottom corner. His second of the night. Palace fans watching back in England will have been nodding along — this is exactly what he does.
Half-time: Norway 3-0 Sweden. The Ullevaal crowd barely needed to watch the second half.
Sweden improved after the break. Isak — who had been managing his fitness and had not completed a full 90 minutes for club or country since October — showed sharp instincts when he came closer to goal. He pulled one back in the 78th minute with a composed finish that at least gave the Swedish travelling contingent something to cheer. Nanasi had a goal ruled out for offside shortly before that, which summed up Sweden’s evening — moments of quality undone by the finer details.
Norway saw it out without alarm. Possession 59.4% to 40.6%. Seventeen shot attempts to five. Six shots on goal to three. Five corners to one. The numbers tell you everything — this was a one-team performance.
Solbakken made his changes as the second half wore on, using the substitutes bench to give game time to Thorsby, Schjelderup, Berg and Hauge ahead of the tournament. Sweden similarly rotated — Johansson, Lindelof, Sema and Ekdal all getting minutes. But the story was settled long before the substitutes came on.
The significance of the result should not be understated. Both Haaland and Ødegaard were rested — Solbakken deliberately keeping his two biggest names fresh after a long club season. The fact that Norway won this comfortably without them sends a message about how much depth this squad has. Strand Larsen is no longer a backup option. He is a genuine first-choice striker who scores goals at the highest level. Nusa is arguably the most exciting young player in Scandinavia right now. Bobb was dangerous throughout whenever he touched the ball.
Sweden, meanwhile, head to the World Cup with questions to answer. Potter came in with a clear idea of what he wanted to build — a more possession-based side with technical creativity through Kulusevski and Forsberg — but those two were absent tonight and the team looked flat without them. Isak’s fitness remains the main concern. If he is not sharp from the start of their group stage games, Sweden could be in trouble.
Both nations have one more friendly before the tournament begins. Norway play their final warm-up later in the week. Sweden face another opponent before heading to North America. Then the real thing starts.
For live international football scores and World Cup coverage, visit fawanews.org.uk. Full fixtures, group tables and squad lists are at the official FIFA website.
Norway 3-1 Sweden FIFA International Friendly | Monday, 1 June 2026 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo | Referee: Balazs Berke (HUN)
Goals: Jørgen Strand Larsen 9′, 37′ (Norway), Antonio Nusa 18′ (Norway), Alexander Isak 78′ (Sweden)
Norway (4-4-2): Nyland; Møller Wolfe, Heggem, Ajer, Ryerson; Nusa, Berge, Aursnes, Bobb; Strand Larsen, Sørloth Subs used: Thorsby, Schjelderup, Berg, Hauge
Sweden (3-5-2): Widell Zetterström; Danielson, Olsson, Krafth; Holm, Ekdal, Cajuste, Forsberg, Augustinsson; Isak, Kulusevski Subs used: Johansson, Lindelof, Sema, Ekdal, Nanasi
Stats: Possession Norway 59.4% — Sweden 40.6% | Shots on Goal 6-3 | Attempts 17-5 | Corners 5-1 | Saves 2-3 | Half-time 3-0
