Derby County’s Norwegian defender Sondre Langås saw his first full season in English football rewarded with a place in the Norway squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Featuring 25 times and scoring thrice in all competitions for the Rams in 2025/26, Langås earned a call-up to represent his nation on the biggest stage.

The defender made his World Cup debut for the Vikings in their final Group I game against France, coming on in the 66th minute as Norway were guaranteed a place in the Round of 32 knockout stage.

Derby completed the signing of Langås on 1st February 2025.

The centre-back arrived at Pride Park Stadium from Viking FK for an undisclosed fee on a four-and-a-half-year contract until 2029, seeing him reunited with former teammate Lars-Jørgen Salvesen.

Langås featured 14 times in black and white in the Sky Bet Championship end-of-season run-in as Derby fought for their place in the division. The defender impressed and played through the pain barrier for the Rams, as he nursed a knee problem that required surgery following the conclusion of the campaign – with league status secured.

The Norwegian started all 30 league games for his homeland club during their 2024 campaign as they secured European qualification, where he played alongside Salvesen, and his form was rewarded with his first two senior international caps in the UEFA Nations League late last year.

Born in the small town of Namsos, Langås began his professional career with his local club and made his debut in the fifth tier of Norwegian football in 2017.

His talent and potential attracted the attention of Ranheim, who are based in the larger city of Trondheim, and it was with the club that he made his first appearances in the 1. divisjon, which is one step away from the Eliteserien - the top tier of Norwegian football.

The six-foot-three-inch stopper made his major breakthrough in 2022, when he featured in 27 of 30 available league games as Ranheim achieved a mid-table finish.

His form caught of eye of Viking midway through the 2023 campaign, and he signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with the club in the July before making 10 league appearances in the second half of the season.

Langås was ever-present during the 2024 season, playing in every single Eliteserien game as Viking finished third to secure a place in the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round.

He was first called into the senior Norway squad for their Nations League fixtures in September 2024, and he came on as a late substitute to make his debut against Austria in a 2-1 win, before earning his second cap in a 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan.

A call-up in November 2025 allowed the defender to be part of Ståle Solbakken’s Norway squad when they achieved a historic first World Cup qualification for the Nordic nation since 1998.