The Netherlands curtailed Norway’s prolific attack and snapped their 13-match unbeaten streak with a 2-1 victory in a friendly held at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam on Friday. Norway had been one of only two European teams, alongside England, to win all eight of their qualifying group matches.
Including Nations League fixtures and friendlies, Norway’s only recent setback was a surprising 1-1 draw against New Zealand in Oslo last October. However, on Friday, they chose to rest their most potent scorer, Erling Haaland, who had netted 16 of Norway’s 37 qualifying goals—the highest tally in Europe.
Norway’s squad also missed Martin Odegaard, while the Dutch side was without Memphis Depay, who is tied for second in European qualifying with eight goals, and Frenkie de Jong. Norway’s goal-scoring threat had been broad, with eleven different players contributing goals during their World Cup qualifying campaign.
In a touching moment, the crowd rose after 14 minutes to honor Johan Cruyff, the legendary Dutch No. 14, who passed away on March 24, 2016. The tribute set the tone for the match, which saw Norway take an early lead when 21-year-old midfielder Andreas Schjelderup skillfully cut inside defender Denzel Dumfries and fired a shot into the far post after 24 minutes.
The Dutch responded before halftime, with captain Virgil van Dijk heading in a Tijjani Reijnders corner in the 35th minute to level the score. Reijnders then put the Netherlands ahead early in the second half, capitalizing on a Norwegian midfield error to slot the ball inside the near post at the far post after 51 minutes.
As substitutions were made, the Dutch intensified their pressure, ending the match with 14 shots compared to Norway’s five attempts. Looking ahead to the World Cup, Norway faces a challenging group featuring France, the 2014 champions and 2022 runners-up, the recently crowned African champions Senegal, and either Bolivia or Iraq. Meanwhile, the Netherlands will compete in a group alongside Japan, Tunisia, and either Poland or Sweden.
