Talent development
Goals
A-women should regularly reach the championship playoffs.
Strengthen the interaction between width and top.
150,000 girls in football.
The top league is one of Europe's six best leagues.
Insights and our strategic initiatives
The development of international women's football has accelerated in the last decade, and several nations are building professional academies and comprehensive player development models for girls. If Norway is to be able to compete at the top level, we must further develop a comprehensive talent pipeline for girls, where the players are ensured good training days and better adaptation to each individual player.
The club is a very important development arena for young players. It is in the club's everyday life that the player has her daily training and match arena, builds relationships, identity and belonging, and where frequency, continuity and close follow-up enable long-term development. Nevertheless, we believe, especially in girls' football, that cooperation between grassroots clubs, top clubs, regions and school is essential for success.
Research shows that girls' motivation to strive and become good is often underestimated . The survey "Girls Want More" shows that one in four girls play football for their own development, while only one in ten parents and coaches believe the same. At the same time, we see that some of the main reasons why girls stop playing football are that they are "unhappy with the coaches" (17 percent) and "I don't think I'm developing as a player" (17 percent).
Our strategic focus in the coming period is to develop academies for player development at top clubs, with financial incentives for clubs that offer the academy to both boys and girls. The model will be developed in 2026 and 2027, and launched in 2028.
The National Team School supplements the club's daily routine through a close and committed collaboration between the grassroots club, the top club and the circuit. Through this interaction, players gain valuable experience in training and competing with and against the best at regional, national and international level. The National Team School is also an arena for mapping and identifying players, and ensures good frameworks and comprehensive follow-up.
In recent years, targeted measures have been taken towards the girls, such as the creation of a J14 national team and the establishment of top groups. In the coming period, the National Team School will be strengthened through quality, number of sessions, and closer individual follow-up through the VM35 project.
Experience from other countries shows that mixed sessions where boys and girls train and play together have a great development effect for both girls and boys. To stimulate skills, we will open up the possibility for more of the best girls to train and play with boys more often when they are ready. This will be an additional offer in addition to everyday life in the club's girls' team, and will be carried out, among other things, in the National Team School and in academies in top clubs.
Benchmark analyses were conducted in 2019 and 2023 of international matches and training days for our age-specific girls' teams. Both analyses show that Norway is lagging behind compared to Germany, Portugal and Sweden. It can take up to 18 months between training sessions for a J17 player. We want to increase the number of measures in line with our competitors.
In the coming period, we will also have an increased focus on schools, especially top sports schools and universities. In the development of Norwegian football, we often talk about grassroots clubs, top clubs, regional clubs, national teams and national team schools, but schools are rarely highlighted as a central development arena. At the same time, it is precisely where many of our most talented athletes spend large parts of their everyday lives.
Injuries and overloading are a major challenge, especially during and after puberty, where girls are at higher risk of cruciate ligament injuries and dropouts, and this is a vulnerable phase in life, both physically, mentally and socially. The age group 16-19 years is already characterized by a high total load, with a combination of school, club, national team and in some cases games at the top level. Eager girls must have access to medical expertise. Good insurance schemes have been established that ensure quality-assured follow-up and treatment through the Sports Injury Hotline and the Sports Health Center. This will be continued.
Player development must always be done individually, based on needs, desires and motivation. Here there is no "one size fits all", but rather good individual follow-up that requires skilled coaches and managers who give the girls the best development opportunities without risking overload. Here, a planned improved academy structure will give the clubs more knowledge and expertise to work with individual adaptation and high quality.
Attack
Academy classification model for player developmentQuality Club+ as a powerhouse for ambitious girlsAttack
Academy classification model for player development
The Academy Classification Model (AK) has been one of the most important development tools in Norwegian football for the past ten years. It has helped Eliteserien and OBOS league clubs to raise the quality of their academies and develop more players who are successful nationally and internationally.
To ensure equal development opportunities for girls and boys, NFF, NTF and TFK will establish a project that investigates a national classification model for both genders. The project involves broad involvement and support from interest organizations, clubs and regions. The goal is that the joint academy classification (AK) is included in the new classification model that will be launched in 2028. Clubs that offer equal and quality-assured development models for both genders will be stimulated through financial incentives.
Joint Academy Classification (AK) is part of the tripartite agreement between NFF, TFK and NTF, signed in 2022 ("NTF will, through its sporting structures, ensure that top clubs on the men's side offer the club's chosen development model to both sexes"). An investigation into the Joint AK is also one of the recommendations from the "Road to a New Era of Success" committee.
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has received FIFA Women's Development Programme funds to begin work on the Joint Academy Classification.
Quality Club+ as a powerhouse for ambitious girls
Quality Club+ (KK) is a further developed level in the NFF's Quality Club scheme, and is aimed at professional clubs that want to take an extra step in development, structure and quality.
The KK+ clubs play an important role in the development of both players and coaches, in collaboration with top clubs and regions. In areas without top clubs, the KK+ clubs have a particularly important function by acting as local powerhouses and offering extra measures for the most motivated girls in the local area.
Quality Club+ is now being tested as a pilot project, and will be completed by the end of 2026. The experience will be used in further club development.
Midfield
Strengthen the National School for Girls
Norway is a leader in Europe with an international model for talent development for girls through the National Team School. It provides ambitious players with extra support from club to national team. To achieve our ambitions, the offer will be further developed and strengthened in close cooperation with the top clubs' academy classification.
Further develop professional standards and quality in the National Team School The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) will raise the common professional standards in the National Team School, so that all regions offer an equal and good development offer. All players should have access to the same development opportunities, but the approach should be adapted to different individual needs. A common plan will give coaches, clubs and regions a clear framework for how we can best develop the top female players of the future, while ensuring well-being, security and holistic development at all levels.
More regional gatherings
As a supplement to the current talent camp, the most promising girls will be offered regional quality gatherings two to three times a year. This will be an increase from one initiative per year.
Training and game with boys
To give girls players better references, higher tempo and more physical resistance, the NFF will carry out a pilot project for training with boys in selected regions. The project will, among other things, test playing against boys in younger age groups, as well as joint sessions between girls and boys aged 12-14, where level, role distribution and development goals are at the center.
The initiative will be evaluated after the first season, with the goal of developing a long-term model for mixed training.
World Cup 35 project: closer individual follow-up of our best young players
Project World Cup 35 will be established to develop tomorrow's national team players. The project will follow up and develop a selected group of the most promising female players aged 13-16.
The measure involves:
- Mapping and selection of a few players per year group
- Individual development plans with tailored follow-up, with links between club, district, school and national team
- Expertise from NFF and external professional communities (including IHS and Olympiatoppen)
- More professional resources in the support system for age-specific national teams
The goal is for at least two to three players from the project to be leading profiles in the 2035 World Cup.
Increase the number of international age-specific references
We know that international match experience is an important part of a player's development journey. In Norway, our players only get this experience if they play for one of the top clubs that have matches in Europe or through age-specific national teams.
In order for us to succeed with our ambitions for A-women, we must increase the number of age-specific international matches in line with comparable nations. We want to give Girls U17 two new gatherings in the fall, Girls U18 two gatherings in winter/spring and an extra gathering for Girls U23. At the same time, Girls U14 should continue with at least one international event, and it is desirable that Girls U15 have three events divided into spring, early autumn and late autumn.
The measure requires new financing to be implemented.
Closer collaboration with schools in the talent development process
Although several schools already have partnerships with top clubs, this arena can be utilized much better in a holistic talent development perspective. We believe that there is particular untapped potential here for girls, as school often plays a very important role in their everyday lives.
The NFF should therefore take a clearer responsibility for establishing a closer and more structured professional collaboration with both private and public sports schools and universities. This could include providing the NFF with professional expertise and educational opportunities. The schools should also be linked to the nomination process for talent camps. Close collaboration with the schools is also part of the criteria set in the academy classification.
Let more girls play with boys
We want to enable more girls to train and play matches with boys, as a supplement to the offer on girls' teams. The measure should be implemented in close dialogue with the players and only implemented when the girls themselves are motivated. To be successful, the guidelines must be clarified, and the clubs must incorporate the scheme into their sports plans. Training and matches with boys should be a supplement, not a replacement, for girls' teams, and require good individual follow-up to reduce the risk of strain and injuries.
Other measures from this Game Plan, such as joint academy classification (AK) and the pilot project in the National Team School with match matching and joint training with boys, reinforce this work.
Defense
Comprehensive competition platform for girls in the talent development race
There is a need for a thorough review of the infrastructure and framework for good and developing arenas for girls' and women's football for all age groups, including senior level. This involves, among other things, assessing the number of leagues and tournaments, as well as how these structures can be organized to provide optimal development opportunities over time. Such an investigation will provide a better basis for decision-making on what framework conditions are required to strengthen the national player flow from the grassroots to the top, both in Norwegian and international football.
The work is carried out in close collaboration between the top clubs and the regions.
Travel support and facilitation for player development in areas with greater distances
Norway is a long country, which makes player development challenging in regions with large distances, fewer development environments and high travel costs. The squad that participated in Euro 2025 did not include any players from Nordland, Troms or Finnmark. This illustrates the challenge we face in developing players in large parts of the country.
It is proposed that a working group be established to conduct a comprehensive review of the conditions for football development in Northern Norway. The working group will also consider how new measures can be financed, for example through cooperation with public authorities and/or private industry. The regions will have a natural and central role in this work.
Region 1 (Finnmark, Troms, Nordland and Hålogaland) is already well underway with joint development work through a separate girls' project, where external funding is being applied for, among other things.
NFF Nordland and Bodø/Glimt have entered into a partnership with Team Hegerberg to provide more girls in Nordland with better development opportunities, through a tailored program for a selected group of the region’s top talents. NFF at the national level wishes to follow and support the project, initially through a one-year pilot project.
Physical growth and development
NFF will continue the project "Physio in the Top Group" in collaboration with the Norwegian School of Sports and Health Sciences (NIH) and the Sports Health Center (IHS), and link this more closely to "Physio in Toppserien" to ensure comprehensive expertise and sharing of experience. NFF will collaborate with the research community at NIH (Center for Sports Injury Research), and conduct several research projects for female players. At the same time, a new course in "Growth and Maturity" will be established, which will be mandatory for coaches and medical support in youth football and senior football.
This work will help coaches and support staff gain a better understanding of physical development, injury risk and individual adaptation, so that more girls have safe and injury-free development courses.
The measure requires additional funding to be implemented.
Prioritized tasks from NFF's strategy
Increase expertise and resource use in the regions on player development in girls' football.
Further develop and strengthen resources in talent development races on the girls' side, including improving club structures, alliance clubs, academy structures and the National Team School.
Facilitate increased exposure to international competition by prioritizing participation in age-specific championships and quality tournaments.
Strengthen cooperation in player development between clubs, districts and federations, as well as with interest organizations and international environments.
Further develop the Norwegian talent development model and optimize the individual player's development path.
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