Viking FK forward Zlatko Tripić has recorded impressive numbers over several seasons in Norwegian football, yet the national team manager continues to omit the 33-year-old from the squad, as reported by Meczyki.pl.
Zlatko Tripić Leads Viking FK in Eliteserien and Europe
Zlatko Tripić arrived back at Viking FK in mid-2021 following stints abroad and immediately established himself as the heartbeat of the Stavanger club. Over the 2022–2023, 2023–2024, 2024–2025, and 2025–2026 seasons, the veteran winger put up remarkable numbers: 16 goals and 14 assists in 38 matches, 10 goals and 16 assists in 29 matches, 11 goals and 18 assists in 29 matches, and 7 goals with 23 assists in 28 matches. His playmaking anchored Viking during their run to the 2025 Eliteserien title—their first league championship in 34 years—and carried them into the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.
In Europe, Tripić continued to produce against elite opposition. He scored in Viking’s Champions League debut against Stuttgart, a 1-3 defeat, and provided two assists against Bayern Munich. During the Bayern fixture, Tripić provoked Bayern defender Michael Olise, who was ultimately shown a red card. Olise couldn’t have much space on the pitch, so we used double marking.
I wanted to get him a bit annoyed,
Tripić told Nettavisen after the match.
A Long and Winding Road Through Europe
Tripić’s path to becoming a club legend in Stavanger was fraught with setbacks. Failing to secure a regular starting spot, he drifted through IK Start, German club Greuther Fürth, and Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol, where injuries and limited playing time stifled his progress. By 2018, with his reputation dented, he accepted an offer from second-tier Viking FK.
My pride was wounded,
Tripić told Nettavisen, recalling his drop to the Norwegian second division after playing in the 2. Bundesliga and the UEFA Europa League. I played in the 2. Bundesliga, played in the Europa League, and a few months later I landed in a second-tier team from Norway.
Instead of faltering, he fired Viking back to the Eliteserien with 7 goals and 10 assists, captured the NM-Cup as team captain in 2019, and briefly tried his luck in Turkey with Göztepe before returning permanently to Stavanger in 2021.
National Team Absence Persists Despite Elite Numbers
Despite dominating the Eliteserien and performing on the Champions League stage, Tripić has never earned a senior cap for the Norway national team, having only made brief appearances at the youth international level. Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup cycle, Norwegian outlets like Nettavisen and Tipsbladet noted his exclusion from the national setup, contrasting his prolific output with other wingers who receive regular call-ups.
Next Fixtures in Eliteserien and UEFA Champions League
Viking FK currently sits at the top of the Eliteserien table, level on points with Bodø/Glimt, with eight matches remaining in the domestic campaign. Tripić and his teammates return to action following the international break with a domestic fixture against Tromsø on October 18, 2025, followed by a Champions League meeting with Aston Villa on October 22, 2025, before a crucial top-of-the-table clash against Bodø/Glimt on October 30, 2025.
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