Norway entered the 2026 World Cup as romantic outsiders, a country of five million that has produced skiing legends and oil wealth but never a deep tournament run in football's grandest competition. Antonio Nusa is methodically changing the narrative, one curling effort at a time.
The 19-year-old winger's latest contribution—a trademark bent finish that put Norway ahead in their crucial group-stage match—encapsulates why European scouts have been salivating over him since his RB Leipzig breakthrough. Nusa receives the ball on the right flank, cuts inside onto his favored left foot, and whips a shot that bends away from the goalkeeper's desperate dive before nestling inside the far post. It is the kind of goal that gets replayed on highlight reels for decades.
The Nusa phenomenon
Born in Oslo to Congolese parents, Nusa represents the changing face of Norwegian football—a generation raised on YouTube tutorials and Champions League broadcasts rather than the long-ball traditions that defined Scandinavian football in the 1990s. He joined Stabæk's academy as a child, moved to Leipzig at 17, and has since become one of the Bundesliga's most electrifying young players. His combination of close control, explosive acceleration, and audacious finishing makes him a nightmare for fullbacks who grew up defending more predictable wingers.
What separates Nusa from other teenage talents is his composure in high-stakes moments. While many young players shrink on the World Cup stage, Nusa has looked entirely at home, gliding past challenges as if playing a kickabout in Frogner Park.
Norway's historic drought
The context makes Nusa's performances all the more significant. Norway qualified for the 1994 and 1998 World Cups but failed to escape the group stage both times, then endured a 28-year absence from the tournament before securing their place in 2026. An entire generation of Norwegian fans has never seen their country win a knockout match at a World Cup. The pressure of that history could crush a lesser squad.
Instead, Nusa and his young teammates—including Erling Haaland, whose Manchester City form has translated seamlessly to international football—have embraced the moment. Norway's attacking play has been the most aesthetically pleasing of any European side in the group stage, combining Haaland's physical dominance with Nusa's technical wizardry.
Our take
Norway making the knockout rounds would be a lovely story. Norway making a genuine run would be something else entirely—a small nation punching absurdly above its weight, powered by a teenager who plays like he has never heard of pressure. Nusa is not yet a finished product, but he is already the most exciting young player at this tournament. If Norway advances, remember the curling goal that started the belief.
