Matchday 7 of the Champions League saw one of the competition's most shocking results, as Bodo/Glimt vs Manchester City ended in a surprising 3-1 loss for Pep Guardiola's side. The result is arguably one of the most surprising and unexpected ones in recent Champions League history, especially considering the fact that Pep Guardiola went with a strong Manchester City side that had the likes of Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki. Manchester City's Ballon d'Or winner Rodri started the game as well, but ended up being sent off after receiving 2 yellow cards in the span of just over 53 seconds.
Danish forward Kasper Høgh was the hero for Bodo/Glimt against Manchester City, as he scored a memorable brace in the game. His teammate Jens Petter Hauge added a third goal to deny any hopes of a comeback for Pep Guardiola's Man City side.
So who are Bodo/Glimt and what is the history behind the club? Let's have a look
Looking back at the history of Bodo/Glimt - The Norwegian side that beat Pep Guardiola's Man City in the Champions League
Founded on 19 September 1916 as Fotballklubben Glimt, Bodo/Glimt began life in the remote Arctic town of Bodø, Norway - a place better known for its long winters and fishing heritage than elite sport. One of the club’s founders, Erling Tjærandsen, served as its first president and helped lay the foundations for what would become a proud football institution. Glimt’s first recorded match was played against the local high school side, simply because it was the only other team in town.
During the early decades, Bodo/Glimt faced internal challenges with morale and finances. A proposed merger with other local clubs in the 1920s was discussed but never carried out. An infusion of coaching influence from southern Norway in the late 1920s helped revive the club’s fortunes, and by the 1930s they were training indoors to cope with harsh arctic winters, a practice that strengthened their competitive edge in northern competitions. Over time, Bodo/Glimt became one of the dominant forces in Northern Norwegian football, winning nine Northern Norwegian championships before the region was fully integrated into the national system.
The club adopted the name Bodo/Glimt in 1948 when it became necessary to distinguish itself from another team called Glimt. The slash (originally a hyphen) eventually became a defining feature of the club’s identity.
A landmark moment arrived in 1963, when teams from Northern Norway were finally permitted to compete in the Norwegian Football Cup. Bodo/Glimt made an immediate impact, advancing to the fourth round and showing that northern teams could hold their own against the nation’s best. Early national league integration was slow, promotion rules were restrictive - but by the mid-1970s Bodo/Glimt began to break through. In 1975, they became the first team from Northern Norway to win the Norwegian Cup, and a year later they earned promotion to the top division, finishing as league runners-up in 1977.
The following decades were a roller-coaster. A period of decline in the 1980s saw the club fall into lower divisions, and at times it even lost local bragging rights. A revival in the early 1990s culminated in a return to Norway’s top flight and a second Norwegian Cup triumph in1993.
For much of its history Bodo/Glimt existed outside Norway’s top tier limelight, but the modern era has rewritten the narrative. After promotion back to the Eliteserien ahead of the 2018 season, the club has enjoyed unprecedented success. Bodo/Glimt won their first national league title in 2020, ending a 104-year wait for the top-flight crown, and followed it up with back-to-back championships in 2021, 2023, and 2024, establishing themselves as a dominant force in Norwegian football.
European competition has also become part of the club’s recent story. Bodo/Glimt has competed in UEFA tournaments multiple times, and in 2025 reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League, a first for any Norwegian club. Now, on January 21st 2026, they have recorded one of the most celebrated wins in their history by defeating Manchester City 3-1 in the Champions League, a stunning result that has now captured worldwide attention.
From humble beginnings in a small arctic town to national glory and European nights, Bodo/Glimt’s journey is a testament to resilience, community passion, and growth against the odds. Clubs like Bodo/Glimt are proof that anything is still possible in football, despite the modern era of the game being dominated by money.
