EURO 2025: Will Norway dismantle its Ada Hegerberg monument?

"This isn't just about Ada Hegerberg," reads a commentary by broadcaster NRK , Norway 's largest media company. Hegerberg may be the national team captain and thus a key player for national coach Gemma Grainger. "But it's about what's best for Norway." The striker has "simply not performed well enough at the European Championships in Switzerland to justify keeping her place in the team. The alternatives are better."

This refers primarily to Elisabeth Terland. The 24-year-old, who has had a fantastic season with top English club Manchester United, has generated significantly more attacking excitement than Hegerberg in her previous appearances at EURO 2024. Most Norwegians probably agree. In an online survey conducted by NRK with around 20,000 participants, 75 percent favored not including Hegerberg in the starting lineup for this Wednesday's quarterfinal match against Italy (kick-off 9 p.m. CEST).

World Player of the Year 2018, Champions League record goalscorer

What has happened that a nation appears to be turning its back on its star footballer? Because that's exactly what Ada Hegerberg is. The 30-year-old is one of the most famous female footballers in the world. In 2018, the Norwegian was the first woman to be awarded the Ballon d'Or as the world's best female footballer. The awards ceremony caused a scandal when the presenter asked the Norwegian if she knew anything about twerking, a dance style that involves gyrating the hips and buttocks.

Hegerberg remains the European Champions League's record goalscorer with 66 goals. After moving from the then German Bundesliga club Turbine Potsdam to Olympique Lyon in 2014, she won the European elite league six times with the top club, as well as ten French league titles and six French cups.

Champion of equal pay

But recently, things haven't been going so well for Hegerberg in terms of football. She was no longer a regular starter for Lyon last season, mostly coming on as a substitute, and scored a total of seven goals. A rather meager tally. In her two most successful seasons for Lyon (2015/16 and 2017/18), she scored more than 50 goals in each of her six seasons.

At the end of 2011, at the age of 16, Hegerberg made her first of what has since become 93 international appearances. The crucial 1-1 draw in the opening match of the current European Championship against hosts Switzerland – the match ended 2-1 for Norway – was her 50th goal for the national team. It could have been considerably more had Hegerberg not retired from the national team in 2017, partly in protest against the lower bonuses for female national team players compared to their male counterparts.

Hegerberg only made her comeback for Norway in 2022. She justified her return to the national team with positive discussions with the new Norwegian Football Association President Lise Klaveness and the fact that the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) had equalized the national team bonuses for men and women in 2018, thus implementing the equal pay she had demanded.

Hegerberg: "Still Prejudices"

Women's football is extremely popular in Norway. The country was European champion in 1987 and 1993, world champion in 1995, and Olympic champion in 2000. According to the NFF, there are currently around 70,500 female footballers registered with the association, not including girls under 13. This represents 27.6 percent of NFF members, or more than a quarter. By comparison, at the German Football Association (DFB), the world's largest national football association with over eight million members, the proportion of women in the adult football sector is 17.2 percent.

Hegerberg can also take credit for the fact that so many girls and women play football in Norway. For many years, she has tirelessly fought for equality in women's football. "There are always things that can be improved," Hegerberg said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper "Blick" before the start of the European Championship. "It helps a lot when we perform well. We still have to fight against so many prejudices."

On the bench on his 30th birthday

At that point, Hegerberg had no idea that her own performance would now be questioned by her compatriots. During Norway's 4-3 victory in the final group match against Iceland, national coach Grainger rested the captain – on Hegerberg's 30th birthday, of all days. The quarterfinals had already been secured after winning the first two group matches.

Grainger demonstratively backs Hegerberg. "She gives her all for this team. I'm very happy with her," says the coach. Hegerberg herself remains calm in the face of criticism at home: "I'm taking it in stride. A little fuss is fine."