Henrik Falchener

Henrik Sælebakke Falchener is a towering 1.94 m centre-back from Tønsberg who plays for Viking FK and earned a surprise place in Norway's squad for their first World Cup since 1998. A late bloomer, he debuted in the Eliteserien as a 17-year-old for Sandefjord but only broke through after spells at Ørn Horten and Egersund, joining Viking ahead of 2025; that season he started nearly every match and scored six league goals - the most of any centre-back in the division - as Viking won their first league title since 1991. His rise was so sudden that he learned of his first national-team call-up barely 30 minutes before Solbakken's press conference: "Jeg hadde egentlig ikke tenkt så mye på det, men så får jeg den telefonen fra treneren min, og da er jeg litt i skyene," he told VG. He made his Norway debut against Switzerland on 31 March 2026 and is a depth defender at the tournament.