Does Bodø/Glimt’s success give us hope for soccer’s future?
The soccer news agenda hasn’t exactly been a picnic recently. Concerns over the hosting of World Cup matches in Mexico. Gianni Infantino cozying up to Donald Trump whenever he can. The fleecing of supporters planning to visit the US this summer. Is all this really worth it? But then there’s Bodø/Glimt.
Tiny, little Bodø/Glimt from the Arctic Circle. The Norwegian miracle club that pulled off one of the biggest upsets in European soccer history on Tuesday by dumping Internazionale out of the Champions League. The glorious anomaly reminding us all why we fell in love with this stupid sport in the first place.
Bodø/Glimt should have stood no chance against Inter. The Serie A leaders and three-time European champions boast a squad worth €666m ($787m), according to Transfermarkt. Bodø/Glimt’s squad, in stark contrast, is valued at just €57m ($67m). Inter are an established superpower over several decades; Bodø/Glimt were in the Norwegian second-tier 10 years ago.
What happened at San Siro on Tuesday was most shocking because it wasn’t at all shocking to anyone who has watched Bodø/Glimt this season. Kjetil Knutsen’s side already had humbled Atlético Madrid and Manchester City before beating Inter home and away. Their counterattack is arguably the most potent of any team in Europe. They play with complete conviction no matter the opponent. Inter may not be the last giant to suffer.
At a time when inequality at the elite level of European soccer has never been greater, Bodø/Glimt’s success offers a glimmer of hope for the future. Money may determine most things, but not everything. Not all the time. Sometimes David beats Goliath 5-2 on aggregate. The Champions League needed this. Soccer needed this.
Are Arsenal over their title race wobbles?
In a different timeline, Declan Rice’s mistake for Tottenham Hotspur’s equaliser on Sunday could have been his Steven Gerrard “this does not slip” moment. Just seconds before, the midfielder had gestured for concentration from his Arsenal teammates only for his own to lapse, dribbling into trouble on the edge of his own box. Randal Kolo Muani made him pay.
Arsenal’s recent wobbles have been costly. The midweek collapse at Wolves hinted at a group of players getting edgy, possibly inhibited by the trauma of past failed title challenges. A nine-point lead became a five-point lead became a two-point lead before Sunday’s north London derby.
So when Rice gifted Spurs the equaliser just moments after Arsenal had taken the lead, the visitors could have crumbled completely. Instead, they scored three more to win 4-1. The footballing task might have been tougher had Tottenham not been without 12 first-team players through injury or suspension, but the mental test was a stern one and Mikel Arteta’s team came through it.
Arteta recognised the victory could be a “turning point” in Arsenal’s season. There is hard work ahead for the Gunners if they are to hold off City and win the title. Sunday’s result and performance showed they’re ready for it.
How concerning is Christian Pulisic’s form and fitness?
Christian Pulisic probably won’t be an Italian champion this season. Milan’s home defeat to Parma on Sunday felt fatal to their Scudetto hopes. There are now 10 points between the Rossoneri and Inter at the top of the Serie A table with Cristian Chivu’s team on a run of 13 wins from their last 14 league games.
For a long time, Pulisic was doing more than anyone else to make Milan challengers. The American forward racked up seven league goals by early December when many were calling him the best player in Serie A. Since then, though, Pulisic has netted just once. He’s yet to find the back of the net in 2026.
Even more concerning than that from a US men’s national team perspective is that Pulisic’s start against Parma on Sunday was his first since 18 January. Max Allegri has been managing Pulisic’s minutes for months, careful not to overload a player who is struggling for full fitness after a series of injury issues.
Considering Pulisic’s importance to his national team, one wonders how regularly Mauricio Pochettino is in contact with Pioli and the Milan medical staff. What is the likelihood that Pulisic will be able to handle a match every few days at the World Cup? The USMNT needs their best player fit and firing for the summer. That may not be realistic.