FK Bodø/Glimt — the most impressive underdog story in football this year

A relatively unknown Norwegian club from the Arctic just became the talk of the entire football world with their unbelievable performances in the UEFA Champions League.

Bodø/Glimt have been the surprise package of the Champions League so far this season, having defeated elite European teams like Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and three-times winners Inter Milan this season. In doing so, they have become the second Norwegian team since Lillestrøm in 1987/88 to progress to the knockouts of the premier European competition. 

It has been an incredible journey for Bodø, where they haven’t just made up the numbers but managed to challenge the continental heavyweights. And it looks like they aren’t done yet. 

Here, we take a look at the club’s history, their achievements, what has worked well for them, and why this Champions League campaign is special.

History

FK Bodø/Glimt was founded as Fotballklubben Glimt in September 1916. They won their first title three years later, winning the County Championship of Nordland. However, they went through several financial difficulties soon after. At one point, there were talks of merging them with a ski club, but the decision was dismissed and the club retained its identity.  

Glimt started to improve and show positive results after making a change in their training regime in the late 1920s and 1930s. They started to train indoors to avoid the impact of the intense Arctic winters. Consequently, they became one of the top clubs from northern Norway. 

The name change to FK Bodø/Glimt was carried out in 1948 due to another club in the region with the same name. Bodø/Glimt performed well in the Northern Division but couldn’t partake in the Norwegian Division until 1972; teams from the north weren’t allowed to participate until then, as they weren’t deemed fit to compete with the teams from the south.

It took them a further four years to gain promotion to the Eliteserien due to the complex play-off rules for the north Norwegian teams. The arguably unfair rules were discarded in the late 1970s to make the division fair ground for competition, irrespective of the region the club came from. 

The club suffered for form in the 1980s when they dropped down to the third division and remained away from the top flight until 1993. After getting back in the top flight, they ended the season in second place and also won the Norwegian Cup, marking a highly successful return to the top division. 

In recent years, a much-improved Bodø/Glimt made a return to the Norwegian top division after earning promotion in 2018; they haven’t looked back since then. The Superlaget have now earned widespread recognition with their performances, most notably in the 2024/25 Europa League and the ongoing 2025/26 Champions League, turning the football world’s attention towards a small, relatively unknown club from the Arctic. 

Achievements

Eliteserien titles — 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024  
1. divisjon titles — 2013, 2017 
Norwegian Cup — 1975, 1993 
North Norwegian Cup — 1930, 1933, 1934, 1939, 1952, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1969
UEFA Europa League 2024/25 — Reached the semi-finals
UEFA Champions League 2025/26 — Qualified for the round of 16 (ongoing)

What has worked well for them?

Bodø/Glimt aren’t a side comprising superstars like the other top European outfits do, but they have a hardworking group of players who have immense belief and relentless mentality to compete against anyone and win. 

A major factor in their Champions League run this season has been their home ground. Opposition teams have found it difficult to adjust to the pitch and the cold Arctic conditions. Bodø play at Aspmyra Stadion, where the pitch is made of artificial turf with under-soil heating. Their home provides them with a massive advantage, as opposition teams have been unable to cope with the pitch and the intense cold weather. 

Bodø were relegated from the Norwegian top flight in 2017 from a position of strength, and that is when the club decided to bring in a mentality coach. Former fighter pilot Bjørn Mannsverk came in to address a collective “mental breakdown” and inspire the players to perform under pressure. He introduced military-style training techniques, meditation, and focus-related training to help deal with pressure situations and build resilience. 

The effect was incredible, as Bodø returned to the top division the next season and went on to win several league titles. Their performances in the Europa League and this year’s Champions League could also be attributed to mental resilience and belief that they can overcome any odds and defeat any team irrespective of the reputation. This they have proved by getting the better of European giants like Inter Milan, Manchester City, and Atlético Madrid this season. 

Sometimes, minor changes can lead to major results, and bringing in a mental conditioning coach to help players in a period of distress turned out to be a masterstroke from Bodø. 

Why is this UCL campaign special?

If there’s anyone following European football who thinks this isn’t wild, think again.

Bodø/Glimt hail from a small Arctic town in Norway. Eliteserien, the Norwegian top flight, isn’t even considered one of the top ten leagues in Europe. And yet, an inexperienced team from Scandinavia has risen against all odds on their Champions League debut to reach the round of 16, both alongside and after beating European heavyweights. 

If we compare their squad’s market value to the teams they have defeated, we can already see that the gulf in quality is huge, and yet they haven’t let that deter them or define their performances. For context, their current squad value as per Transfermarkt is €57.13 million, while that of Manchester City is a mind-boggling €1.29 billion.

Imagine beating a team valued that much higher than your own, full of superstars and led by a world-class coach. It’s almost impossible to even fathom, but Glimt did it in the league phase, shocking football fans all over the world. We could have dismissed it as a fluke had it been just one instance, but they went on to register big results repeatedly, and now it can no longer be ignored. 

Bodø produced a similar run in the Europa League last season, reaching the semi-finals where they were defeated by eventual champions Tottenham Hotspur. There also they produced eye-catching performances along the way, thrashing Roma 6–1 in the group stage and beating far more experienced teams like Lazio and Olympiacos en route to the semis. 

Another noteworthy point to make here is Bodø’s comparative lack of match practice, as the Norwegian league is currently in the off-season. Without regular match practice, they have solely been relying on friendlies to maintain match fitness. Playing in the Champions League, therefore, could be seen as a luxury as well as a deterrent. Having adequate rest as compared to the other leagues, where high-achieving teams are playing almost three games a week at this point of the season, is definitely an advantage. However, lack of regular game time can also lead to rustiness and injuries. 

For a club that only joined the Norwegian top division in 2018, their journey so far can only be termed a fairy tale, though we all know it is anything but so. Any kind of effort takes years of hardship, sacrifices, hard work, passion, and a positive attitude. It’s heartening to see a club from a small town in Norway challenging European giants and upsetting the apple cart.

We don’t know what will unfold in the round of 16, but what Bodø/Glimt have accomplished in the Champions League so far is truly inspiring — proving that no dream is too big if one commits to it with the utmost passion, dedication, and relentless determination.