Bodo Glimt have secured their place in the Champions League league phase for the second consecutive year and aim to further establish their name on the European stage.
A town of nearly 54,000 inhabitants, located just north of the Arctic Circle, will remain a Champions League town. FK Bodo Glimt have once again stamped their ticket to the continental elite — their second consecutive appearance — and are ready to keep striking fear across Europe.
Kjetil Knutsen, who has been in charge for over eight and a half years, has once again managed to get the best out of a squad that no longer has Kasper Hogh available. The Danish striker, the team’s top scorer in 2025-26 with 15 goals in 30 games, was sold to Celtic in this transfer window for €12.9 million.
Even without signing a direct replacement, Bodo managed to find a way through. As reigning Norwegian runners-up — behind only Viking Stavanger in their domestic league —, the club had to navigate two qualifying rounds to achieve their goal.
The toughest hurdle was Union Saint-Gilloise. The Belgian side made life extremely difficult, pushing the tie to extra time, where Helmersen — tasked with making supporters forget Kasper Hogh — found the net in the 117th minute to seal a 6-5 aggregate victory. The final hurdle was NEC Nijmegen, who were battling to make their debut in the Champions League.
However, the continental competition seems tailor-made for the courage of teams like Bodo Glimt. The Nordic outfit showed their class with an emphatic 6-1 aggregate victory and now look forward to the league phase draw.
Back in Europe’s top competition, the Norwegians are stepping onto territory they know better and better. Last season’s historic run remains fresh in the memory, having reached the round of 16 after defeating giants such as City and Atlético, as well as dispatching Inter across two legs in the play-offs. Only Sporting were able to halt their fairytale run in a decisive and fateful second leg.
