Bodo/Glimt's Champions League dream is over, but their story set an example for all smaller European teams

The Norwegian side suffered a heavy 5–0 defeat to Sporting CP in the second leg of the Round of 16

The fairytale of Bodo/Glimt is over, but they have left an unforgettable mark on the 2025-26 Champions League season. The Norwegian side was one of the biggest surprises of the season, winning incredible matches against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase before knocking Inter out of the playoffs. The 2025 Champions League finalist lost 3-1 in the first leg away before losing also 2-1 in the second leg at San Siro, when everyone was expecting a comeback, something that actually happened in the Round of 16 when they met Sporting CP. 

The Portuguese side lost 3-0 away in Norway but then were able to make an extraordinary comeback in the second leg played in Lisbon, when they won 5-0 and ended the dreams of Bodo/Glimt to make it into the top eight in their first ever Champions League season. However, they should just be proud of their European run, which set an example for other smaller teams around Europe. 

INCREDIBLE SCENES IN LISBON 🟢

Sporting get their fourth on the night to TAKE THE LEAD over Bodø/Glimt, 4-3 on aggregate 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pglRyl7PNr

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 17, 2026

Let's be frank, not many could have believed Bodo/Glimt were Champions League material when the season started, but if you followed their recent path in Europe, they deserved to have played in the most important club tournament in the world. In October 2021, the Norwegian side won 6-1 against Jose Mourinho's AS Roma in the Conference League, showing their potential, especially when they play at their home stadium. Due to the extreme low temperatures and an artificial pitch, multiple sides dropped points against them, but that's not the only reason. There is a lot of planning and work that made Bodo/Glimt a team capable of winning matches like the one against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City earlier this season. 

For some time now, as admitted by sporting director Havard Sakariassen to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Bodo/Glimt has been using data collected by Fokus, a company exclusively dedicated to gathering useful statistical information on player performance. This approach makes the process of scouting young Scandinavian talent easier and more effective. The Bodo/Glimt model showed how data and statistics can help a smaller club to achieve the same levels of the European giants. 

COMEBACK COMPLETE 🤯

Luis Suárez makes no mistake from the penalty spot as Sporting cancel out Bodø/Glimt's 3-0 first leg advantage 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eqTEdx2l9Q

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 17, 2026

This is why Bodo/Glimt can set an example, regardless of the disappointing defeat against Sporting CP in the second leg, because they can become a model for other teams around Europe that have the ambition to achieve the Champions League level. Like Como, for example. If they manage to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League next season, they are currently racing for a Serie A spot in the remaining weeks of action. They should look at the Norwegian side, Bodo/Glimt, as their primary example.

While Como will have at their advantage larger financial resources, the core lesson is much deeper: sometimes identity, work, and methodology can become a crucial factor and have more power than money. Bodo/Glimt proved that a lack of extensive European history is irrelevant if a club possesses a clear strategy, starting from the scouting and then on the pitch. They showed that against Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase, but most notably in the playoffs against Inter, the current Serie A leaders and leading candidates for the Scudetto. Bodo/Glimt showed that the Champions League is no longer just a place for the big teams, and there is space for the smaller ones to make history as well. It worked this season, and wait for it, because we will definitely hear back from them again in the near future.