Norway return to the global youth stage this year with confidence and quiet determination. After an impressive run to the final at the UEFA European Women’s Under-17 Championship which clinched their World Cup ticket, Eline Kulstad-Torneus and her players are ready to test themselves against the world’s best at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Morocco 2025™.
Drawn in a challenging group alongside the USA, Ecuador and China PR, Norway’s youngsters will face a mix of styles and footballing philosophies. Yet their journey to Morocco has already shown that this group possesses resilience, unity and a clear playing identity.
As the countdown to kick-off draws to a close, head coach Kulstad-Torneus reflects on a memorable qualification path, the lessons learned in the Faroe Islands and how Norway intend to make their mark on the world stage.
Eline Kulstad-Torneus: We went into the Euros with ambition and the confidence that we could compete with the other teams. Our clear objective was to qualify for the World Cup, either by reaching the semi-finals directly or through the play-off match between the two third-placed teams.
Given the group of girls we had, it was no surprise internally that we made it all the way to the final.
To answer that question, we have to go back to the semi-final against Italy. Before that game, the girls were so calm and confident that we almost knew we would make it to the final. Everyone was looking forward to facing the Netherlands again after the group-stage loss.
But we had also agreed that both the semis and the final were a bonus – we had nothing to lose, so we promised each other to leave everything on the pitch.
And the girls did just that. We gave our all in every match, especially against the Netherlands. Naturally, both the players and staff were disappointed after the final, but already that same night we shifted our focus to the positives. We were proud to have reached the final – and even more proud to have secured our place at the World Cup.
We learned that they have a real robustness about them. It was a long tournament, with a long time away from family and friends, but they maintained strong focus and a great mindset throughout.
Our girls have shown time and time again that they rise to the occasion when something is on the line. They definitely don’t flee when challenged – they do what the game demands and fight with every bone in their body.
Between the Euros and the World Cup, I’ve spent a lot of time watching games and identifying the best players to bring with us. Preparing for a U-17 World Cup is a new experience, so we’ve also focused on learning more about Morocco – the people, the culture, and the food.
We’ve been to Morocco twice already: once for the draw and once for a training camp, where we played against Morocco’s U-17 team. Every day has been about planning and preparation, making sure we go into the tournament as well-prepared as possible.
After the World Cup, we’ll be taking over a younger group of girls in December. We’re already getting to know the players and their clubs, and we’re trying to line up some exciting matches for them in 2026.
Tickets for the U-17 Women’s World Cup
Our main goal is to develop players who can make it all the way to the senior national team. During training camps, we make sure every player gets a fair chance to show themselves at their best.
Of course, we also need to qualify for major tournaments so we can give our girls the best possible reference points. We believe it’s vital to take part in the Euros and World Cups – so Norwegian girls can see, feel and experience what it’s like to compete against the best in Europe and the world.
Sometimes, that means we have to do what it takes to get results. But whenever possible, our focus is on development – giving players the education they need to perform at the highest level.
Our main objective was to qualify for the World Cup. Now that we’ve done that, we go into the tournament with the ambition of reaching the Round of 16 – and from there, we’ll take it one game at a time.
We want to play football that’s tough, compact, and intense in defence. But we also want to play with tempo and control. As a coaching staff, we’ll be happy and proud if we see our girls playing with courage and expressing their strengths and qualities as best they can.
We’ve done what we can to gather footage of every team we’ll face in the group stage, and we feel we have a good sense of their traits, identity and key players. That said, our main focus will remain on ourselves – and on doing everything we can to have a great experience in Rabat.
We know we’re up against strong teams in the USA, Ecuador and China. We won’t get anything for free against any of them. But at the same time, we’re confident that we can compete with all three.
We believe it’s important to give players some time off during a long tournament, and we’ll do that whenever we have the chance. Whether it’s exploring Rabat outside the hotel or allowing the players to meet with their families – we want them to recharge and enjoy the experience.
