Bodø/Glimt are further in the Champions League, which in itself is shocking for a collective football press. In England, they are even more shocked after they found out how much the players in Norway’s best club earn.
Bodø/Glimt’s weekly wage cost proves that you don’t have to spend a fortune to become successful
Against all odds, the “Norwegian mini-putts” (Sky Sports) from Bodø/Glimt have secured a place in the Champions League’s last eight – an extraordinary feat that becomes even more impressive in light of their weekly wage costs.
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Kjetil Knutsen’s team, which as recently as 2017 played in Norway’s second-highest division, beat Inter Milan on Tuesday night and secured a convincing 5-2 aggregate victory over last year’s Champions League finalists.
It has been a season to remember for a team that after the fifth game of league play had a 99.7 percent probability of being knocked out.
In a remarkable period, they have taken scalps like Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan to secure a place in the last eight, where they will face either Sporting or Manchester City.
To put the achievement in perspective: Bodø/Glimt are the first team outside England, Spain, Germany, Italy or France to win four straight games against teams from Europe’s five major leagues since Johan Cruijff’s Ajax in 1971-72.
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Ajax went on to win the European Cup that season.
While they continue to defeat some of Europe’s biggest clubs, Bodø/Glimt’s modest wage budget proves that, even in modern football, you don’t have to spend a fortune to become successful.
According to Capology, the club’s total wage bill amounts to just €176,000 (approximately £153,000) per week. No one in Bodø/Glimt earns more than a million euros.
If you compare that amount to Premier League players’ salaries, the following players earn £150,000 a week: Mateo Kovacic, Noni Madueke, Federico Chiesa, Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Mason Mount.
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Here’s how English fans on social media have reacted to Bodø/Glimt’s latest win in the Champions League.
One wrote: “Bodø/Glimt are the least underdogs-like underdogs I can remember. They play excellent technical football, score incredible goals and take everything with crushing composure. Kjetil Knutsen is a genius.”
Another wrote: “Bodø/Glimt debunks the myth that you have to spend a huge fortune to become successful and compete at the highest level… well played, Bodø, what a success story. Other clubs should take notice.”
Bodø/Glimt are fantastic. Simply amazing, man. They haven’t even played their way to these results in typical underdog fashion. They beat Atleti at Wanda, they dominated Inter, they beat City, they took points against Dortmund and Spurs. With a team that straight out of 1989.
A third commented: “By the way, Bodø/Glimt haven’t played a league game since November,” and a fourth added: “This Bodø/Glimt CL season and Norway’s World Cup qualification. Something is about to get right in the country.”
As mentioned above, Bodø/Glimt have not played a league game for almost three months, as the Eliteserien season started in March and ended in November 2025 – another team to this remarkable history.
