Rosenborg BK

Rosenborg Ballklub, based in Trondheim, is the most decorated club in Norwegian football history. They play in Eliteserien, the top division, and hold a record 26 league titles along with 12 Norwegian Football Cup wins. Their home is Lerkendal Stadion, an all-seater venue with a capacity of 21,421. The club also holds the record for most UEFA matches played by any Norwegian side.

Founded on May 19, 1917, by twelve local boys as Sportsklubben Odd, the club was initially barred from joining the Football Association of Norway and only played local friendlies. In October 1928, the name changed to Rosenborg Ballklub, which allowed entry into the regional league system. Rosenborg reached the top flight in 1937–38 but slipped to lower divisions after World War II halted organized sports. The team moved to Lerkendal in 1957 and won its first major trophy, the 1960 Norwegian Cup, earning a debut in UEFA competition. Promotion back to the top league came in 1967, and aside from a single season in 1978, they have remained there ever since.

The club's golden era began with the 1985 league title. From 1991 to 2004, Rosenborg won 13 consecutive championships, 10 of them under legendary manager Nils Arne Eggen. During that stretch, they appeared in the Champions League group stage 11 times and reached the quarter-finals in 1996–97, the furthest any Norwegian club has gone. Nicknamed Troillongan (The Troll Children), Rosenborg traditionally wears white shirts and black shorts. Their fiercest rivalry is with Molde. [edit]

Rosenborg Ballklub was founded on 19 May 1917 as Sportsklubben Odd by 12 local boys in Trondheim. The club was initially barred from joining the Football Association of Norway and played only local friendlies. In October 1928, the name was officially changed to Rosenborg Ballklub, which allowed entry into the regional league system. The club reached the top flight in 1937–38 but was relegated to lower divisions during the 1940s after World War II halted organized sports.

Rosenborg moved to Lerkendal Stadion in 1957 and won its first major trophy, the Norwegian Football Cup, in 1960, earning a debut in UEFA competition. Promotion back to the top league came in 1967, and aside from a single season in 1978, Rosenborg has remained in the top division ever since. The club's first league title came in 1967, followed by two more in 1969 and 1971.

The golden era began with the 1985 league title. From 1991 to 2004, Rosenborg won 13 consecutive league championships, 10 under manager Nils Arne Eggen. During this period, the team reached the UEFA Champions League group stage 11 times and advanced to the quarter-finals in the 1996–97 season, the furthest any Norwegian club has gone in that competition. Rosenborg has also played more UEFA matches than any other Norwegian team.

In recent seasons, Rosenborg has experienced a decline from its historic dominance. The club finished 4th in Eliteserien in 2024 and 7th in 2025. In European competition, the team participated in the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds in 2025/26, eliminated by Mainz 05 after a 2–1 home win and 1–4 away loss, and in 2023/24, eliminated by Heart of Midlothian after a 2–1 home win and 1–3 away loss. [edit]