How Norway revived the ‘Flo pass’ with great success during the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Norway has made headlines by convincingly advancing to the round of 16 in its first appearance at the FIFA World Cup since 1998. Much has changed about the country’s football team since its last appearance. But there is one strategy that connects this side with that of 1998: the use of the broad target group.

What is the broad target group?

The wide goalkeeper is a tactic in which a tall, physical attacker plays on the wing rather than in the centre, with the primary aim of direct ball progression.

Most teams have their physically dominant defenders in the middle and prioritize speed and agility for full-backs. For teams that deploy a wide target man, this provides an advantage on the wings.

Such teams usually play direct balls aimed at the goalkeeper, who will attempt to bring the ball down for a teammate or bring it under control, allowing rapid ball progression from defense to attack. This is especially useful when breaking out from a high press.

Early example of the wide target man

Many consider the earliest example of the broad target group to be Norway’s Jostein Flo from the 1990s. Then head coach Egil Olsen identified the physical mismatch between an average fullback and 6-foot-4 Flo and devised his strategy.

The position became so synonymous with Flo that the knock-on pass from a long ball was nicknamed «Flo pass». Interestingly, an early example of the Flo pass culminated in a goal for Goran Sorloth, the father of Norway’s current wide goalkeeper, Alexander Sorloth.

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Another coincidence is that the current Norwegian head coach, Stale Solbakken, was part of the national team under Olsen, playing as the team’s main midfielder from 1994 to 2000.

Modern example of the broad target group

Nowadays, Mario Mandzukic is the most striking example of a broad target group at Juventus. Then, following the signing of Gonzalo Higuain, Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri felt the need to put the Argentine and Mandzukic in the same XI without switching to an attacking duo.

This saw the Italian use Mandzukic as a wide target, allowing Juventus’ direct play. His presence also forced the opposition centre-backs to move out of position to cover him, leaving space for the central striker.

Norway uses it today

Today, Solbakken faced a dilemma similar to that of Allegri, thanks to the presence of Sorloth and Erling Haaland, arguably the best goal scorer in modern football.

Solbakken’s commitment to retaining both of his star strikers has taken him back to a tactic he saw in his playing days: the wide goalkeeper.

During the ongoing World Cup, Sorloth has been deployed on the right flank, with the sole responsibility of dominating the rival full-backs.

In the matches Sorloth has played in, he has started as the wide goalkeeper. In them it has been Sorloth who has been given the task of bringing the ball down when he plays long, or using his strength to initiate moves. Most notably, during the match in Senegal, Sorloth played eleven long balls to him from the defense, six of which he won. These helped Norway move the ball almost 50 meters further with a direct pass.

A notable example of the tactic’s effectiveness was Norway’s first match against Iraq. Right back Julian Ryerson played a ball down the line towards Sorloth. He stopped two Iraqi players and turned into the infield to play a through ball for Sander Berge.

The midfielder found left winger Antonio Nusa, who played in the overlapping left back David Moller Wolfe, whose first-time cross was finished at the back post by Erling Haaland for the opening goal of the match.

Moreover, the opponents have exerted high pressure in all three of Norway’s matches. This has led to goalkeeper Orjan Nyland choosing to go long, and regularly towards Sorloth on the right wing. This led to fourteen passes from Nyland to Sorloth, allowing Norway to relieve the pressure in their half while giving them a credible chance for a quick counter-attack.

The Norwegian use of Sorloth was innovative but not revolutionary.

Solbakken was particularly willing to experiment with his side. While this move has sacrificed the pace of a more traditional winger, the addition of Sorloth to the mix has allowed for a more direct playing style. This in turn gives Norway a new dimension to its attack.

Published on July 5, 2026