Henrik Falchener #25

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Falchener admitted he shed a few tears after his shock inclusion by Ståle Solbakken. “I never thought it would happen so quickly. I really have no words,” he told TV2. The 23-year-old only had one cap to his name and it came in March, after Norway had qualified for the World Cup. The road to the top has been long for Falchener, although it has gone very quickly in recent years. After being rejected from an academy at the age of 16, he went on to Sandefjord but struggled for playing time, which made him drop down to the third tier. He eventually landed a move to Viking and immediately became one of the best defenders in the top flight, perhaps the very best. The centre-back has contributed up the other end too, scoring six times as Viking won the 2025 Eliteserien in his first season at the club.

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