BODØ/GLIMT have played just three competitive matches in 2026, after their league season ended at the end of November to avoid the harsh Norwegian winter, and these three games have been impressive victories against some of Europe’s elites.
At the start of this season’s Champions League campaign, Bodø/Glimt became the first Norwegian side to play in the UCL for 17 years, since Rosenborg’s appearance in the 2007/08 season. They are also the northernmost side to ever play in the competition.
Bodø finished their league season on the 30th November in a 5-0 victory over Fredrikstad, but lost the league title to Viking by one point – who ended a 34 year wait for a title.
Since then, the Champions League has been Bodø’s only competitive competition, and they drew 2-2 with Borussia Dortmund on the 10th of December.
The Norwegian side has played just three games since, facing Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in their final two games of the league phase, and having not won a single game in the competition at that point, incredibly, they won them both.
The game against City came over a MONTH after their draw with Dortmund, taking place on the 20th of January, which saw the Yellow Horde see off Pep Guardiola’s side 3-1, thanks to a Kapser Waarts Høgh brace.
They then travelled to Madrid eight days later and despite going 1-0 down, came back to win 2-1 courtesy of a Høgh winner, which helped Bodø to a 23rd place finish in the league phase and qualify for the knockout stages.
This then meant that the Aspmyra Stadion became the first ground ever to host a UCL knockout fixture in the arctic circle, as Bodø welcomed Italian powerhouses Inter Milan last night.
Even though the Nerazzurri had more possession, shots and expected goals, Bodø/Glimt saw off ANOTHER one of Europe’s elites, as they beat last season’s finalists 3-1.
Kasper Waarts Høgh was on the scoresheet once again, scoring his fourth goal in three games, as he helped to put last year’s Europa League semi-finalists in a fantastic position to knock out Inter Milan on Tuesday night.
If they manage do so, they will face one of Sporting Lisbon or Manchester City again in the next round.
For a team representing a town of just 54,000 people – a population less than the capacity of some of Europe’s top stadiums – this is proof that in football, anything is possible.
Although, as Bodø/Glimt did not win the league this season, they will have to WIN the Champions League to directly qualify for next season’s edition.
With the way things are going at the minute, I wouldn’t put it past them.
