Bodø/Glimt Stun Manchester City: Arctic Miracle Delivers One Of The Champions League’s Biggest Upsets

‎On the shores of the Norwegian Sea, beneath the swirling aurora borealis and on Aspmyra Stadion’s unforgiving artificial turf, Manchester City suffered a humiliation that will reverberate through European football for years.

‎Drawing on the spirit of Bjørge Lillelien’s iconic 1981 commentary, it felt as though Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City “took a heck of a beating.”

‎What unfolded in Bodø was far from an ordinary Champions League fixture. Instead, it became a seismic shock delivered by a team long considered too small for such colossal moments.

‎Bodø/Glimt turned a dream into a statement that stunned the continent.

‎The presence of Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, only added to the sense of occasion. And he witnessed a masterpiece, Kasper Høgh’s two first-half goals followed by Jens Petter Hauge’s wondrous curled finish after the interval.

‎Støre’s attendance, the article notes, allowed him to “escape Donald Trump’s curious obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize, another measure of how this result will never be forgotten.”

‎A Giant Toppled, A Fairy Tale Extended

‎To understand the magnitude of Bodø/Glimt’s triumph, imagine Macclesfield knocking out the FA Cup holders Crystal Palace.

‎Manchester City may not be defending European champions at present, but they were three years ago, in the same season they completed their historic treble. This was not simply a small club beating a giant it was a club from Norway’s windswept Arctic Circle dismantling one of the most resource-rich teams in football history.

‎Guardiola’s candid words afterward said as much, “We have to come back due to the feeling that the results in 2026 are not good in terms of the Premier League and today… We have the feeling that everything is going wrong in many details and we have to try to change.”

‎City’s struggles in 2026 have been well documented, and this defeat leaves them stalled at 13 points in the Champions League. Their hopes of qualifying directly for the last 16 now hang in the balance.

‎For Bodø/Glimt, however, this victory gives them six points and keeps the dream of reaching the playoffs very much alive.

‎From Second Tier to European Dreamers

‎Just seven years ago, Bodø were playing in Norway’s second division. Fast-forward to today, and they are four-time defending Eliteserien champions under former schoolteacher Kjetil Knutsen.

‎His rise mirrors his team’s, methodical, disciplined, and fearless.

‎Knutsen could hardly hide his pride,

‎“It’s big for us to beat one of the best in the world. All the fans are happy, a day they will remember for the rest of their lives… We all had to pull up our sleeves that was our motto.”

‎“No celebrations; we are in pre-season. That is off the table.”

‎Chaos From the Start

‎Bodø nearly opened the scoring within minutes, with Kasper Høgh and Ole Didrik Blomberg testing Gianluigi Donnarumma early. City’s response came through Rayan Cherki and a near-miss from Max Alleyne, but Erling Haaland, playing 1,800 km from his hometown of Bryne, failed to convert a one-on-one that he usually buries.

‎Then came the Norwegian storm.

‎Twice, the City’s left flank was shredded by identical moves. Blomberg’s looping cross found Høgh at the far post first with a tight-angle header, then centrally with a composed right-footed finish.

‎City’s defence looked dazed, Guardiola looked anguished, and the 8,000 fans inside Aspmyra Stadion erupted.

‎Temperatures at kickoff were -1°C, “actually temperate” for this part of the world, and the city froze in more ways than one. Bodø had only 31% possession, but they weaponised every second of it.

‎Second-Half Collapse

‎Despite City’s lack of spark, Guardiola made no halftime changes. The chaos continued, with Rodri misplacing passes and Bodø threatening repeatedly.

‎Haakon Evjen went close, and Høgh had a hat-trick goal ruled offside.

‎Then came the moment that entered Bodø history, Hauge gliding past a flailing Rodri and rocketing his shot into the top-right corner. Impossible yet utterly deserved.

‎City eventually responded when Cherki scored low past Haikin. But within two minutes, Rodri collected a second yellow for cynical fouls, and captain or not, the Spaniard had to walk.

‎Bodø kept pushing. Hauge hit the bar; Høgh had yet another goal chalked off. City were deflated, confused, and thoroughly beaten. Phil Foden, again ineffective, was withdrawn late, but by then the match’s message was clear.

‎When the final whistle blew, the home crowd roared into the Arctic sky. Manchester City, European royalty, wandered off the pitch having been schooled.