Hello everyone, been busy, sorry for the brief absence. A full 2026 Eliteserien season preview awaits you today, so if you need to know more about the Norwegian top-flight, look no further!
Promotions/Relegations:
Last season, we said goodbye to three clubs who were relegated to the OBOS-ligaen, the Norwegian 2nd tier. For FK Haugesund, it was almost a foregone conclusion from the midway point of the season, finishing with just 9 points from 30 matches. Strømsgodset had a slightly better showing with 20 points, but were also automatically relegated. For Bryne, it was by narrow margins – finishing just 2 points shy of safety in their first season up, and having to play the promotion/relegation playoff against Aalesund. This was not very close, finishing 4-1 to Aalesund on aggregate, who gained promotion to the Eliteserien after a two year absence! Joining them coming up from the OBOS-ligaen are Lillestrøm, who ran away with the league, winning it by 25 points and going unbeaten. IK Start needed to win on the final day of the season to guarantee automatic promotion and did so comfortably, with a 3-0 win.
Promoted: Lillestrøm, Start, Aalesund
Relegated: Haugesund, Strømsgodset, Bryne
Map of Participating Clubs:
The Eliteserien remains a very southern-biased league in its composition, which is fair enough given the already cold climate in Norway. Bodø/Glimt and Tromsø, the northern rivals, remain the only two northern teams in the league for yet another season. Only two clubs represent the capital city of Oslo: KFUM Oslo and Vålerenga. and the longest away day depends on how you look at it! As the crow flies, it is Start-Tromsø. However if you were driving, the trip from Stavanger, the home of Viking, is actually longer due to the possible routes.
Here is a breakdown of each 2026 Eliteserien club last season, their transfers, and what we might expect from them this season:
Aalesund FK:
Last season, Aalesund played mostly a 3-5-2 formation under their manager Kjetil Rekdal. The midfield 3 combine for a lot of goals. Mathias Christensen scored 6 (10 assists), Hakon Hammer scored 6 (1 assist), and Henrik Melland scored 11 (4 assists) last season for Aalesund. Their current main scoring threat up front is Danish striker Paul Ngongo Iversen, who scored a goal every 3 matches in the OBOS-ligaen last season. However, they have brought in a relatively unknown striker in Ivan Djantou, from Sönderjyske in Denmark. He doesn’t have a prolific scoring record, but is another tall forward added to Aalesund’s squad. They appear to be preparing for a relegation scrap, with their other most notable signing being the Viking goalkeeper, Kristoffer Klaesson. Now, in terms of Goals Prevented, and some of Klaesson’s other numbers, you can see why Viking were happy to sell him. (Their new keeper signing from Slovakia will be mentioned later on). However, acquiring a keeper who won the league literally last season is experience that a newly promoted club rarely gets the opportunity to acquire. I think this is a win-win for both parties here, and Klaesson may have a breakout season getting to face more shots and be the undisputed #1 with Aalesund. I’m not sure if Aalesund have added enough offensive firepower to have a strong chance at a top-half push, but they could well do enough to avoid relegation.
FK Bodø/Glimt:
Last season, Glimt missed out on the title by a very narrow margin. In a way, they are suffering from their European success, domestically. A deep Europa League run that coincided with the start of the 2025 season, followed by participating in the Champions League during the later stages of the Eliteserien season. As a result, you might think that they would have looked to bring in some more players to manage the increased fixture congestion. However, that appears not to be the case! With no signings in January, Kjetil Knutsen will be heading into the start of the 2026 Eliteserien season with the team he finished last year with – aside from the departure of Mathias Jorgensen to Blackburn.
The lack of a sale of Kasper Hogh could more or less be considered a signing, as there was ample interest in the Danish striker from the UK following his impressive UCL performances. All bids were rejected, and Hogh will be seeing out the Champions League season with Glimt. A summer departure is not off the table.
Longtime veteran and Glimt mainstay at CB, Brede Mathias Moe, retired following the end of the 2025 season. Young Villads Nielsen of Denmark will be looking to pick up some more minutes and fill that gap, while Odin Bjortuft and Jostein Gundersen are the starting CB pair for now. It will be interesting to see the season that Mikkel Bro Hansen, the 17 year old striker, has – if Kasper Hogh leaves, he is really the only other natural striker on the team, and I would expect his minutes to increase this season. Aside from that, expect a motivated and hungry Glimt side who will be looking to reclaim the Eliteserien title amidst balancing Champions League play.
SK Brann:
Brann had a strong season last year, but have lost some key players ahead of this season. Most notably, their young star CB Eivind Helland was sold to Bologna for a sizeable 7M euro fee. They also lost Aune Heggebo during the summer window, who was one of the league’s best strikers before departing. Midfield regular Emil Kornvig was sold to Lodz in the Polish Ekstralasa, while CB Japhet Sery Larsen was sold to Philadelphia in the MLS. So what have Brann done in response?
Danish midfielder Jacob Lungi Sorensen was signed from Norwich City, where he’d spent the past 5 seasons, even gaining some Premier League experience. I expect him to have a solid impact in the Eliteserien this season and be a big player for Brann. Former Lillestrom LB Vetle Dragsnes was brought back to Norway from Union Charleroi, while promising 19 year old Ghanaian CB Nana Kwame Boakye was signed from Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova. Boakye and Sorensen both have Europa League experience, which should help Brann as they will play in European competition this season. Striker Noah Holm was signed to replace Heggebo, a Rosenborg academy product who has shown flashes of good potential. Finally, Icelandic midfielder Kristall Mani Ingason was signed from Sönderjyske.
Overall I think there are some very good signings in this bunch, especially given the experience that Brann have added. The squad might take some time to gain chemistry, but I would expect Brann to be up in the Top 5 competing for European places again this season. Watch for Boakye to potentially have a breakout season for Brann.
Frederikstad FK:
After a surprise 6th place finish in their first season back in the Eliteserien, Frederikstad gained some experience in UEFA competitions last season against good opposition: falling to FC Midtjylland and Crystal Palace in the qualifying rounds. They finished the 2025 Eliteserien season in 8th place, and will be looking to challenge for the European places again this season.
Frederikstad had some trouble scoring last season, averaging just 1.3 goals per match, but also had the 2nd best defence in the league, conceding just 1.2 goals permatch. They are a low possession, direct side who often play on the counter. Having sold Maxwell Woledzi, their standout CB, to Nashville SC this winter, Frederikstad had some money to bring in reinforcements.
In comes Max Nilsson from Landskrona in the Swedish Superettan for a 500k euro fee: a versatile midfielder/WB who has been a regular starter for Landskrona since he was 18. Now 20 years old, Nilsson and Frederikstad will be hoping he can take the next step in his career in the Eliteserien. Continuing the trend of younger talent being brought in, Stabaek duo Aleksander Andresen (LB, 20 years old) and Joachim Nysveen (RB, 19 years old) were both brought in for free.
Most exciting was the signing of Chris Irénée Ntamack Pondy. A high-potential, 18 year old Cameroonian CB, Pondy was wanted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, before Frederikstad hijacked the deal and brought in the youngster. They can offer playing time that say, Chelsea, can not, and this is a smart move for Pondy to develop further while playing regularly.
Overall, I’m not sure if Frederikstad have done enough to address their goal production issues, but if the defending remains as strong as last year, they will have a good chance to finish in the top 6.
Hamarkamaratene (HamKam):
HamKam had a disappointing season last year, finishing 11th, 6 points above the relegation places. Stay up though, they did, and have made some moves to improve their starting XI before the 2026 season. Promising young CB Ethan Amundsen-Day was brought back to Norway from the Aston Villa youth system, while Martin Gjone was acquired for 120k from Sandefjord. Experienced Swiss attacking midfielder Loris Mettler was also brought in from Sandefjord, along with Ian Hoffman, a 24 year old RM/RWB from Lech Poznan. All four players started in HamKam’s recent cup fixture against Lillestrom.
Expect a back-heavy tactical setup from HamKam, a 3 CB backline is a staple, and the 3-5-2 formation will likely be seen often. HamKam will rely on veteran goalkeeper Marcus Sandberg yet again, who was one of the better keepers in the Eliteserien last season. Give the new-look team some time to gel, and HamKam may surprise with a mid-table finish, though the 9th-12th range does seem more reasonable.
KFUM Oslo:
KFUM Oslo were promoted to the Eliteserien ahead of the 2024 season, and have managed to stay up in each of their first two seasons: 8th place in 2024, followed by a more nervous 12th place finish in 2025, just 4 points above relegation. KFUM were busy in the offseason, signing 8 new players permanently along with the loan of Lech Poznan keeper, Krzysztof Bakowski. Three of the new signings made their first starts for KFUM in their recent cup win over Tromso: RW Rasmus Eggen Vinge, signed for 500k from Stabaek after recording 5 goals and 4 assists in the OBOS-ligaen last season. Left-back Eirik Saunes was signed from Bryne for 250k, and Tore André Sørås debuted for KFUM after his move from HamKam. Very experienced AM/ST Magnus Wolff Eikrem was brought in from Molde FK. With 264 league appearances and 76 goals for Molde FK, Eikrem brings invaluable Eliteserien experience to this KFUM Oslo side. The reinvigoration of the side with new signings should help propel KFUM back into the fight for a top-10 place in the Eliteserien this season.
Kristiansund BK:
Kristiansund came even closer to the drop than KFUM, finishing just 2 points clear in 13th place last season. Excluding Haugesund, who were an outlier in how poor they were last season, Kristiansund had the worst attack, and 2nd-worst defence in the league. These are considerable issues to fix in one transfer window, and it does not appear as if Kristiansund has been able to address them. Without a sale in the January window to bring in money for new signings, Kristiansund were limited to what they could do with free transfers. Young midfielder Heine Gikling Bruseth was signed from San Diego FC (MLS), alongside fellow midfielder Jesper Isaksen, from Stabaek. Alexander Munksgaard was signed as a new RB from Banik Ostrava, along with a few more free signings. Regular starter at CB, Marius Olsen, signed with GKS Katowice on a free, while fellow CB Axel Guessand moved to Pafos. In addition, Mikkel Rakneberg, a regular at LB last season, moved to VfL Bochum. It is hard to say that Kristiansund won’t be battling relegation this year. At best, we can say that they replaced the numbers in the squad that they lost, but should struggle to avoid a bottom-3 finish.
Lillestrøm SK:
Lillestrøm are returning to the Eliteserien after their shock relegation in the 2024 season, going unbeaten in the OBOS-ligaen to win automatic promotion. They were able to cash in on young Senegalese ST Moctar Diop, receiving a 1M euro fee from Gent. Their starting keeper ,Mads Hedenstad, has signed with Aarhus GF on a free transfer, while LB Kristoffer Tønnessen moved to Start on a free. A new keeper in Pontus Dahlberg was signed from IFK Göteborg for 250k. The almost 2m tall, 27 year old keeper will look to do his part in keeping Lillestrøm up this year. Swedish-Palestinian winger Camil Jebara was signed from Elsborg for 260k, rounding up the paid transfers. A mix of youth and experience was added through free transfers, including the likes of LB John Kitolano joining from Aalesund, and young Gustav Nyheim joining from Molde. Given last seasons results, it is clear that Lillestrøm are no ordinary “newly promoted” side, and I do expect them to avoid a relegation battle this season to reclaim their regular Eliteserien spot.
Molde FK:
Molde are seriously loading up their squad ahead of the 2026 season. From 2017-2022, Molde finished in the Top 2 places in the Eliteserien. The next two seasons, they finished a respectable 5th place. However last season, Molde plummeted to a 10th place finish, their worst since the 2010 season. They are acting like they want to remedy that, having spent over 8.5M euros on new signings since the 2025 summer window opened, with 6M of those signings coming in the winter window that just closed. The marquee signing is 21-year old Ghanaian ST, Jalal Abdullai. Signed for a 3M euro fee from Elfsborg, Abdullai will have the responsibility of being Molde’s main main up top. To support him in attack, highly rated Liverpool youngster Trent Kone-Doherty was signed permanently for 750k. This will be Kone-Doherty’s first full season at senior level, having made 2 senior appearances for the Reds over the last two seasons. In defense, 23-year old CB Sivert Sira Hansen was signed from IK Start for 1M, Fredrik Kristensen Dahl was brought in for 430k, and a new keeper was signed from Anderlecht in Mads Kikkenborg. This should be a fun attacking side to watch this season, and I do think they have everything they need to get back up into the European spots this season.
Rosenborg BK:
Rosenborg has made some significant cash following their 7th placed finish last season. Wonderkid Sverre Halseth Nypan went to Manchester City for 15M euro, while young RW Marius Broholm moved to Lille for 6M, and keeper Sander Tangvik was bought by Hamburger SV for 2.6M. Starting ST Noah Holm was sold to Brann for 1.3M, while veterans Ole Saeter and Erlend Dahl Reitan left on free transfers.
After signing Slovak David Duris during last season to boost their attack, Rosenborg have found an interesting loan signing at ST: Amin Chiakha, a 19-year old Algerian-Danish player from Copenhagen. In midfield, 2M was spent on 20-year old Danish midfielder Mads Bomholt, a very promising chance-creator coming off of a strong season with Aalborg BK in the Danish 2nd tier. Johan Bakke was signed for a 400k fee to join Bomholt in midfield from Strømsgodset, while veteran RB Jonas Svensson returned home from Besiktas on a free. Also interesting is the return of Leopold Wahlstedt to Norway. While playing for Odds BK, Wahlstedt was THE standout keeper in the Eliteserien, before a move to Blackburn Rovers didn’t quite pan out. After two seasons with Aarhus GF in Denmark, Wahlstedt is returning to the Eliteserien. This should help to replace Tangvik in net, though it remains to be seen if Rosenborg’s new outfield signings can replace the talent they lost. I think Rosenborg’s final league position could vary considerably: I would be surprised to see them in the Top 3, and I would also be surprised to see them in the bottom half.
With the budget acquired from their sales very much not depleted, Rosenborg can continue looking to rebuild themselves back to their former glory, when they were the class of Norwegian football in the 80’s and 90’s.
Sandefjord:
After a 5th place finish in last year’s Eliteserien, Sandefjord are looking to build upon it and challenge for Europe this year.
New signings Nikolaj Moller (ST) and Jakob Vester (CM) were brought in from Dundee United and Viborg, respectively, while new CB Xander Lambrix joined from TOP Oss in the Dutch 2nd tier. Sandefjord have also invested in another homegrown CB in Håkon Krogelien, a 21 year old defender signed from Jerv. A relatively unknown quantity as of right now, Sandefjord have one to watch with their singing of 18-year old Ghanaian winger Foster Apetorgbor. Apetorgbor will get his first experience playing in Europe with Sandefjord, and with the amount of talented attacking players who have come from Africa through the Eliteserien in recent years, I will certainly be keeping an eye on Foster Apetorgbor.
In terms of sales, Stefán Ingi Sigurdarson (ST), Christopher Cheng (LB), Martin Gjone (CB), and Loris Mettler (AM) were all sold for a combined total of almost 4M euros. Sigurdarson and Cheng were two of Sandefjord’s top players last season. Sandefjord only spent ~1.2M on new signings, meaning they still have money in the budget for a summer signing without having to sell any players. I think a top 4 position will be difficult to achieve, but certainly possible if Sandefjord have a good season.
Sarpsborg 08:
Some might say that the “08” in Sarpsborg 08 represents their league finishing position after the last four years. Sarpsborg has finished 8th, 8th, 9th, and 9th, very consistently staying in the mid-table while never being in a real relegation battle. English manager Martin Foyston was appointed just before the end of last season, after getting Osters IF promoted to the Allsvenskan over two seasons there. Foyston achieved an average of 1.7 points per game after joining Sarpsborg, which if pro-rated over a full season, would have been good enough for 5th place in the Eliteserien. This could be the start of Sarpsborg 08’s journey out of mid-table into fighting for European places.
24-year old winger Noa Williams was signed from Kongsvinger for 500k euro, after a 15 goal contribution season in the OBOS-ligaen. Champions League experience was also added to the squad with 26 year old midfielder Chris “Chriso” Kouakou, from Qarabağ. Veteran CB Sigurd Rosted was brought back home from Toronto FC in MLS. Finally, promising young Belgian-Moroccan winger Camil Mmaee was signed from Maastricht after he recorded 8 goal contributions in just over 1000 minutes played in the Eerste Divisie. I genuinely like the transfer business done by Sarpsborg 08. If they can continue their progress under Foyston this season, I could very well see them finishing in a Top 6 spot.
IK Start:
After a 2nd place finish in the OBOS-ligaen last year, IK Start earned promotion back to the Eliteserien after a 5-season absence. Experience was their priority in transfers, adding a trio of 28-year old players: Erlend Dahl Reitan (RB, Rosenborg), Kristoffer Tønnessen (LB, Lillestrom), and Erlend Segberg (DM, Trapani). Jesper Cornelius, a 24-year old striker from Lyngby BK in Denmark, was also added, alongside Valencia youth product Alexander Gurendal, a 20-year old LW. We might even see Jasper Torkildsen (GK) make his Elitserien debut for Start after a loan to Stromsgodset last year.
Regular CB Sivert Sira Hansen joined Molde FK for a 1M euro fee, as Molde looked to snap up the 23 year old CB with hopes he could improve further. Start did not see many more departures though, leaving them with a bolstered squad. I believe Start will likely be in a relegation battle, although I will not pick them as a surefire favourite to go down.
Tromsø IL:
Tromsø are also enjoying the Northern-Norway era of dominance in the Eliteserien, recording their second 3rd-place finish of the past three seasons. After seeing top prospect Runar Norheim sold to Nordsjaelland for 2.25M, as well as Jakob Napoleon Romsaas moving to Royal Charleroi for 1.5M, Tromsø brought in CB Mathias Tønnessen from KFUM Oslo for 1.1M, 19-year old AM Troy Nyhammer from Haugesund for 930k, Jesper Grundt (CM, 23-years old) from Kongsvinger for 850k, and young Swedish-Thai RB Alexander Thongla-lad Warneryd from Västerås SK for 750k. Four more transfer fees were paid out, along with the free signing of Mauritanian national team goalkeeper Abderrahmane Sarr. Tromsø have a proven track record of both scouting and developing African players in the Eliteserien, and Sarr joins Mamour Ndiaye as another exciting African keeper in Norway. A major factor in Tromsø’s season is whether they will be able to keep Abubacarr Sedi Kinteh at the club amidst interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United. Kinteh has been one of the best CB’s in the league since he joined and will be moving on soon, it’s just a question of when.
Overall, this Tromsø squad has been improved from the team that finished 3rd last season, and I think they will yet again finish on the podium in a Top 3 place.
Vålerenga IF:
Vålerenga were relatively quiet in the transfer market after their 6th place finish last season. Their only paid signing was Magnus Westergaard, a 27-year old Danish CM joining from Wycombe Wanderers for 400k euro. Veteran ST Ole Saeter joins from Rosenborg, bringing valuable experience and at 29, some good years left in him. Considering how many of the teams around them in the table have really tried to improve their squads, it feels like Vålerenga have regressed slightly in comparison. While they should be good for a top half finish again, I would be surprised to see them competing for European places by the time the season comes to a close.
Viking FK:
Last (alphabetically), but certainly not least, are the reigning champions Viking. They have returned almost their entire squad from last season, while adding a few new signings to the mix. Not wanting to disrupt the team chemistry there was, Viking have kept the incoming players to a minimum.
L’ubomir Belko, the 23-year old Slovak keeper out of Zilina, was signed to be the new starter for a 1M fee. As is usual, some of the best Slovak players can be acquired for relatively low fees. From their academy in Africa (named “African Viking”), 18-year old LW Kelvin Frimpong is making the move to the Eliteserien for a 200k fee. Another unknown quantity as of right now, it is always exciting to see a player get his first chance in Europe while playing in the Eliteserien. The start of several strong careers has happened in Norway. As for departures, it is mostly just goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson, who moves to newly promoted Aalesund in a bid to help keep them up. Without any key player departures, Viking will be a threat for the league again this season.
Their biggest challenge may well be balancing the Champions League qualifying rounds with league play once the summer arrives. With the offset of the Norwegian schedule relative to UEFA competitions, the qualifying rounds for UEFA competitions begin midway through the Eliteserien season. This has proven to be a hurdle for almost every Norwegian club who competes in European competitions, and will be especially if Viking qualify for one of the UEFA competitions proper. If Viking go out early in the UEFA qualifying rounds, then they will have little to no fixture congestion this season, unlike what Bodø/Glimt will be dealing with. This was a main factor in their title win last year, having gone out of European competition early while Glimt were making a UEL semi-final run, then playing UCL League Phase matches during the 2025 Eliteserien season.
Overall Prediction:
Here are my general predictions for which clubs might be battling for different positions in the Eliteserien this season.
Teams Competing for Title: Bodø/Glimt, Viking, Tromsø
Teams Competing for Europe (Top 4): Brann, Molde, Rosenborg, Frederikstad, Sandefjord
Teams Battling Relegation: Kristiansund, Aalesund, Start, KFUM
The Eliteserien remains a very exciting league to follow, with local Scandinavian talent combining with promising international players to create a great environment to find new talent in. After Glimt’s UCL success this year, there will likely be more eyes on the Eliteserien than ever before this year, and you know who to go to if you need to know more. As always any scouting requests or questions can be directed by email to scouting.futbird@gmail.com.
Thanks for Reading,
LM
futbird 