Champions League is Back: Tough Opposition for Arctic Football Team Bodø/Glimt in Munich

This week saw the start of a new season of the most prestigious club competition in European football, the UEFA Champions League. 

Arctic football team Bodø/Glimt has qualified for the tournament for the second time in the club's history and faced Bayern Munich away on Thursday evening. 

Impressive first half

At the Allianz Arena in southern Germany, FC Bayern started strong and kept ball possession for large parts of the game.

Nevertheless, Glimt held firm and made it difficult for the reds and one of the world's best strikers, Harry Kane, who had few chances in the first half. 

The score was 0-0 at half-time in Munich.

“It has been a hugely impressive first half from Bodø/Glimt,” Norwegian broadcaster TV 2's commentator Øyvind Alsaker stated. 

However, the second half got off to a difficult start for Glimt when Jamal Musiala made it 1-0 shortly after the pause. 

After 60 minutes, Michael Olise's cross found Harry Kane, who guided the ball into the net to make it 2-0 to Bayern.

Things then became even tougher for Glimt as the goals began to flow, with Davies scoring in the 77th minute and Olise adding two goals towards the end of the match. 

Nominated for the Ballon d'Or

Bayern Munich are the reigning champions of Germany's Bundesliga and have won the title 35 times. The team have previously won the Champions League three times. 

FK Bodø/Glimt, meanwhile, have made enormous strides in recent years and have measured themselves against several of the world's best teams. 

On Tuesday this week, it was also announced that Bodø/Glimt have been nominated for Men's Club of the Year in the World at the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with the award ceremony taking place in London on 26 October. This is the first time a Norwegian club has been nominated.

The other nominated teams are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Flamengo and PSG.

The nomination particularly highlights Glimt's achievements in last year's Champions League.

"Hailing from northern Norway, the Scandinavian side maintained their dominance on the domestic stage and embarked on an unforgettable European campaign that astonished the entire footballing world," the Ballon d'Or team states. 

Historic season

Bodø/Glimt made history last season, when the Norwegian team brought the Champions League north of the Arctic Circle for the very first time. 

Among the highlights was the 3-1 victory over Manchester City at Aspmyra Stadium, when Glimt became the first Arctic football team to win a Champions League match. 

Another sensational match was played when Bodø/Glimt reached the knockout rounds in the tournament with a 2-1 win away against Atletico Madrid.

It was also a night for the history books at San Siro in Milan last season, when Glimt beat Inter Milan 2-1 and advanced to the round of 16 with a 5-2 aggregate win.

Upcoming matches

Glimt's remaining Champions League matches are as follows: 

14 October - Bodø/Glimt - Borussia Dortmund

20 October - Napoli - Bodø/Glimt

3 November - Bodø/Glimt - Lille

24 November - Bodø/Glimt - Lask

9 December - RC Lens - Bodø/Glimt

19 January - Bodø/Glimt - Atletico Madrid

27 January - Club Brugge - Bodø/Glimt