Norway to take on world champions

Norway will play Brazil in an Oslo friendly in August as they look to maintain their impressive unbeaten record against the world champions.

'Nobody better'
"It's hard to imagine a better opponent in a friendly than Brazil," said coach Åge Hareide of the game that will take place at the Ullevål stadium on 16 August. One of the few nations never to have lost to Brazil, Norway are unbeaten in three meetings with the South Americans. Most recently, they shocked their illustrious opponents with a 2-1 win in the first round of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Golden era
Norway also managed a 4-2 victory in another Oslo friendly in 1997, and the two countries drew their only other encounter 1-1 in 1988. The Norwegians' success during the mid-1990s, which was based on a tight defence and long balls, briefly lifted them to second place in FIFA's world rankings but since then the Scandinavian side have tumbled to 40th and they will not be present at this summer's Germany World Cup.