Nikita Haikin's future as a national team player and his possible inclusion in Solbakken's World Cup squad have long been a hot topic in Norway. Now, a significant step in the process has been cleared, as Haikin has been granted Norwegian citizenship.
Haikinis is married to a Norwegian woman and has lived in Bodo since 2019.
General Secretary of the Norwegian Football Association, Karl Petter Loken, writes in a statement to NRK that Haikin is still not fully cleared to play for the Norwegian national team.
"We have been informed that Nikita Haikin's application for Norwegian citizenship has been approved. He himself has expressed a desire to represent Norway, but to do so, FIFA must approve a change of association", writes Loken in a statement to NRK.
"An application will be sent as soon as we have the necessary documentation. After FIFA approves the application, he will be eligible to play for Norway, so it is naturally up to national team manager Stale Solbakken to assess whether he is relevant for the squad. He makes the sporting assessments", writes the General Secretary further.
Coach Stale Solbakken says to NRK that "Haikin will be evaluated like everyone else," but currently, Orjan Håskjold Nyland features as the first-choice goalkeeper. The preliminary squad (with 35 to 55 players) for the World Cup will be selected on 11 May. On 1 June, a final squad of 23-26 players will be selected.
Haikin has previously held a Russian and Israeli citizenship. Before the change on Friday, he only had British citizenship, but after the change, he now also has Norwegian citizenship.
The Glimt goalkeeper has lived in Bodo since 2019, apart from a short period in 2023, when he played for English outfit Bristol City.
The new citizen has enjoyed a superb season in the Champions League with Bodo/Glimt. Bodo/Glimt crashed out in the round of 16 against Sporting CP, but before that, they had celebrated glorious wins against teams like Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Inter, no less thanks to the efforts of Haikin.
Haikin has by far the most saves in the Champions League this season. He is listed for 68 saves, while Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois is second on the list with 56 saves.
