Norwegian football is looking at rising excitement and popularity because of the good individual performances of some of the teams in European competitions in recent years. The top division, Eliteserien, is now ranked the 12th best league in Europe according to UEFA, and Obos-ligaen is also getting stronger and stronger. Bodø/Glimt have had some fantastic seasons lately, but is this enough to claim the first place in our rankings? Read this article to find out; Who is the best Norwegian football team right now?
And further questions...
What is the most successful team in Norway historically? Who is the biggest club in Norway? To find out, it is required to look at more than just the current standings. This article ranks the clubs based on an algorithm that considers several key performance indicators, such as recent success, historic achievements, and the overall size of each football club currently in the Eliteserien or the Obos-ligaen. Read more about our ranking here.
From clubs with the most success in recent years, Bodø/Glimt and Molde, to historic clubs such as Rosenborg and Viking. The debate over which Norwegian football team is the best will spark discussions, but when taking all factors into consideration it is possible to find out. Let us dive into the rankings to find out.
Top 10 - Best Norwegian Football Team
Full data - Best Norwegian Football Team in Eliteserien and Obosligaen - last updated after the 2024 season
| Team | Ranking | Recent Success | Historic Achievements | Overall Size | Total score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosenborg | 1 | 18.54 | 60.35 | 13.69 | 92.58 |
| Bodø/Glimt | 2 | 68.32 | 9.4 | 7.80 | 85.52 |
| Molde FK | 3 | 45.63 | 13.9 | 5.74 | 65.27 |
| Viking | 4 | 19.34 | 19.35 | 5.31 | 43.99 |
| Fredrikstad | 5 | 7.45 | 24.1 | 3.42 | 34.97 |
| Brann | 6 | 12.79 | 9.65 | 8.67 | 31.11 |
| Vålerenga | 7 | 13.11 | 12.05 | 3.41 | 28.57 |
| Lillestrøm | 8 | 12.85 | 13 | 2.42 | 28.27 |
| Strømsgodset | 9 | 13.26 | 7.45 | 1.36 | 22.07 |
| Odd | 10 | 11.15 | 6 | 1.08 | 18.23 |
| Sarpsborg 08 | 11 | 14.16 | 0.65 | 2.17 | 16.98 |
| Tromsø | 12 | 11.01 | 1.25 | 2.20 | 14.46 |
| Lyn | 13 | 5.24 | 8 | 0.38 | 13.62 |
| Haugesund | 14 | 10.24 | 0.8 | 1.49 | 12.53 |
| Stabæk | 15 | 8.76 | 2.5 | 0.92 | 12.19 |
| Start | 16 | 7.27 | 4 | 0.40 | 11.67 |
| Skeid | 17 | 5.31 | 6 | 0.03 | 11.34 |
| Sandefjord Fotball | 18 | 10.01 | 0.3 | 0.91 | 11.22 |
| KFUM | 19 | 10.41 | 0.1 | 0.57 | 11.08 |
| Kristiansund | 20 | 10.12 | 0.1 | 0.81 | 11.03 |
| HamKam | 21 | 9.27 | 0.2 | 0.72 | 10.19 |
| Aalesund | 22 | 8.26 | 1 | 0.57 | 9.84 |
| Mjøndalen | 23 | 6.83 | 1.5 | 0.15 | 8.48 |
| Raufoss | 24 | 8.11 | 0 | 0.08 | 8.19 |
| Moss | 25 | 5.46 | 2.5 | 0.19 | 8.15 |
| Sogndal | 26 | 7.03 | 0 | 0.21 | 7.24 |
| Bryne | 27 | 6.42 | 0.55 | 0.23 | 7.20 |
| Åsane | 28 | 6.73 | 0 | 0.05 | 6.78 |
| Ranheim | 29 | 6.62 | 0 | 0.13 | 6.74 |
| Kongsvinger | 30 | 6.40 | 0 | 0.23 | 6.64 |
| Hødd | 31 | 5.17 | 0.5 | 0.03 | 5.70 |
| Egersund | 32 | 5.25 | 0 | 0.10 | 5.35 |
Club Summaries
1. Rosenborg
Founded: 1917
Division: Eliteserien
Stadium: Lerkendal Stadion
Recent Success: Rosenborg have not shown their real potential in recent years, and they are at 4th in the category for recent success.
Historic Achievements: Rosenborg has been a massive club in Norwegian club history, and has a record number of league titles and Champions League appearances. This puts them very comfortably at the top in this category. No clubs will come close in the near future.
Overall Size: Thanks to their historic achievements, they are also comfortably on top in this category. However, they need to step up and find back to success on the pitch if they also want to stay on top in the future.
2. Bodø/Glimt
Founded: 1916
Division: Eliteserien
Stadium: Aspmyra Stadion
Recent Success: Bodø/Glimt is surely the team in Norway with the most recent success, having won the league title in four out of the five last seasons. It puts them comfortably on top of this category.
Historic achievements: Even though Bodø/Glimt was founded in 1916, they are a fairly new team at the top of Norwegian football. They are ranked 8th in this category, which is also the biggest reason they do not top the total ranking in Norway.
Overall Size: The massive success on the pitch, and the economic muscles that follow with that, put them as number three in this category. However, being a club based in a smaller city far north of Norway, they do not have a big fanbase compared to other top teams in Norway.
3. Molde FK
Founded: 1911
Division: Eliteserien
Stadium: Aker Stadion
Recent success: When looking at recent success in Norway, there is only one real contender to Bodø/Glimt, and that is Molde. They rank 2nd in this category, far ahead of the teams behind them.
Historic Achievements: Similarly to Bodø/Glimt, Molde is also a club that has found a lot of recent success, but not as much historically. They are ranked in 4th place in this category.
Overall Size: Ranked as the fourth in this category. They are backed by big investors, which makes it possible for them to fight at the very top in Norway.
4. Viking
Founded: 1899
Division: Eliteserien
Stadium: Lyse Arena
Recent success: Viking have found a fair amount of recent success after a period of rebuilding, and have been fighting for the medals in recent times. However, they have not been at the absolute top, making them rank at number three in this category.
Historic Achievements: Viking has a rich history in Norwegian club football, and is ranked at number three in this category, still far ahead of clubs like Bodø/Glimt.
Overall Size: Viking has one of the biggest fanbases in Norway, but not the financial records of other top teams, which makes them rank number five in this category.
5. Fredrikstad
Founded: 1903
Division: Eliteserien
Stadium: Fredrikstad Stadion
Recent success: Fredrikstad has not been fighting at the top of Norwegian football in recent years, and just recently got promoted to the top division in Norway. This puts them in 20th place in the category for recent success.
Historic Achievements: Fredrikstad ranking in 5th place in the total score, is thanks to all their historic achievements, ranking them in second place in this category.
Overall Size: Small success on the pitch can make all clubs struggle, but Fredrikstad ranks 6th in this category, despite the struggles they have had. This says a lot about the fanbase and structure this club has.
Honorable mentions
6. Brann
Just outside of the top five, Brann ranks at number six. They have shown variable recent success on the pitch, but this is a huge club that ranks second in the category for overall size. If they find some more success on the pitch in the future, they will certainly climb the ranking.
8. Lillestrøm
They are overall ranked at number eight, but Lillestrøm ranks fifth in the category for historic achievements. Being relegated last season, there is no doubt that this is a big historic team that needs to fight back the next years.
11. Sarpsborg 08
Even if Sarpsborg only ranks at 11th place in the total ranking, they are in fifth place in the category for recent success. They have not been fighting for the absolute biggest trophies, but they have been stable in the upper half of the table in recent years.
Conclusion - The Best Norwegian Football Team
In summary, the race for the best Norwegian football teams is tighter than ever. Rosenborg is still on top of the statistics, primarily thanks to historic achievements. Bodø/Glimt and partly Molde are getting closer and closer thanks to very high recent success. Will Bodø/Glimt soon take over the first place, or will Rosenborg push back and consolidate its position at the top? Fredrikstad will also aim to rebuild and compete at the highest level once again, and with the history and size of this club, anything is possible. This ranking is last updated after the 2024 season and will be updated as soon as the 2025 season ends. Sign up for our newspaper to get notified when the new ranking arrives!
