RB Leipzig’s Antonio Nusa writing more than just history with Norway
After defeating Brazil 2-1 in the round of 16, Norway are through to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 for the first time in the country’s tournament history. One major contributor to the team's success so far has been RB Leipzig star Antonio Nusa, who has been making headlines for not only helping make history on the pitch, but also for his writing off it...
For Nusa, this summer in North America has been the very definition of a childhood dream come to life. As if representing his home country at their first World Cup in 28 years wasn’t already enough, the winger helped fire his side to a 2-1 victory in the round of 32 against Côte d'Ivoire with a stunning strike.
After the final whistle against the West African nation, the 21-year-old was visibly emotional, later explaining that the moment was closely tied to his late grandmother and a promise he had once made to her.
Less than a week later, however, and another dream was about to come true for Nusa. In the round of 16, the Leipzig speedster faced his revered childhood idol, Neymar, as Norway prepared to do battle with Brazil. Although the two were not on the pitch at the same time – with Nusa being substituted at the break, and Neymar only entering the fray in the 67th minute - it was still a special moment for the Norwegian to get to share the turf with his role model.
Even before the tournament began, Nusa had told the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet: "I had hoped to see [Neymar] at the World Cup. Now I'm looking forward to following Brazil and, hopefully, playing them and beating them."
Needless to say, besting the record five-time world champions is a lot easier said than done – and yet Norway managed to do exactly that. On 5 July, the Scandinavians edged Brazil 2–1 in New Jersey thanks to a brace from former Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, despite Neymar reducing arrears late on from the penalty spot.
Nevertheless, the field of play isn’t the only place where Nusa’s story is being written. Back in May, he released a children's book, Everything Begins with a Dream, in which he recounts his journey to becoming a professional footballer and encourages young readers to pursue their own dreams.
Watch: The best of Nusa in the Bundesliga
Written as a practical guide, the Bundesliga star shares concrete, first-hand advice and outlines strategies to inspire his young readers to achieve their goals. As such, it's of little surprise that nearly 21,000 copies have been sold in less than two months, with a third print run already underway.
After all, the book's message could hardly be more authentic – as Norway progress deeper into this competition, Nusa is manifesting his biggest childhood dream every step of the way on the global stage.
