How Martin Odegaard helped reshape Norway captaincy

How Martin Odegaard helped reshape Norway captaincy

Martin Odegaard’s influence with Norway appears to have extended far beyond his performances, with a new account detailing how he helped reshape the captaincy and dressing-room culture.

Photo by Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images

Martin Odegaard helped reshape the way Norway functioned under Stale Solbakken, with a new account of the national side’s rise crediting the Arsenal captain with changing both the captaincy model and the squad’s internal culture.

According to Dagsavisen’s report on Alfred Fidjestol’s new book Oppstandelsen, the changes came after a bleak period for Norway, when defeat to Scotland in June 2023 and another loss to Spain later that year left Solbakken considering his future after it became clear the country would also miss Euro 2024 in Germany.

The report says Solbakken gathered his support staff at the team hotel on Storo and told them he was considering stepping down. Instead, he chose to stay, reviewed the matches in detail and used the next six months to reset parts of the environment around the squad.

That was when Odegaard’s role appears to have changed.

Solbakken considered leaving, Ødegaard introduced changes. Dagsavisen 23 Apr 2026

Already the captain on the pitch, he is said to have become a much clearer leader off it as well, working with Solbakken to introduce new routines and a wider captaincy structure. The captain’s group was expanded, and Odegaard took charge of more of the social side of camp life between training and matches.

Among the changes described in the book was the introduction of social activities inside the squad, including the game “Forraeder”, inspired by a TV2 drama. The idea, according to the report, was not simply to lighten the mood but to alter the internal life of the group.

There was also closer work with psychologist Martin Langagergaard, who had been part of the set-up since 2022 and had pointed to major social differences within the squad.

The new captaincy structure was designed to break down that hierarchy, with Odegaard working alongside Erling Haaland, Sander Berge, Alexander Sorloth, Orjan Nyland, Patrick Berg and Leo Skiri Ostigard.

Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

Those players held meetings with Brede Hangeland and Langagergaard, but without Solbakken present.

Odegaard also introduced player meetings with no coaches or support staff in the room, creating a space where players could put forward their views anonymously to the leadership.

These changes are now being linked to results.

Norway went on to win all eight of their World Cup qualifiers, their best qualifying campaign of that kind, and while Odegaard missed the later matches through injury, the suggestion is that his influence remained in place behind the scenes.