2026 IK Start season
| 2026 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Anders Hansson | ||
| Head coach | Azar Karadas | ||
| Stadium | Sør Arena | ||
| Eliteserien | 16th | ||
| 2026–27 Norwegian Cup | Pre-season | ||
| Biggest win | Start 2–0 Vålerenga | ||
| Biggest defeat | Bodø/Glimt 5–0 Start | ||
|
| |||
The 2026 season is the 121st season in the history of Idrettsklubben Start and the first in the Eliteserien since 2020 after promotion. In addition, IK Start will participate in the 2026–27 Norwegian Football Cup.
On 20 March 2026, the club extended head coach Azar Karadas's contract until the end of 2028.[1]
Transfers
In
| Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW |  Felix Kutsche Eriksen |
Våg |
1 January 2026 | [2] | |
| FW |  Jesper Cornelius |
Lyngby |
12 January 2026 | ||
| DF | Erlend Dahl Reitan |
Rosenborg BK |
21 February 2026 | [3] | |
| FW |  James Ampofo |
Strømsgodset |
27 March 2026 | [4] | |
| FW | Felix Kutsche Eriksen |
Arendal |
Loan return (early) | 22 May 2026 | [5] |
| FW |  Ahmed Adebayo |
 Valletta |
Loan return | 30 June 2026 |
Out
| Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW | Ahmed Adebayo |
Valletta |
Loan | 26 January 2026 | |
| FW | Felix Kutsche Eriksen |
Arendal |
Loan | 25 March 2026 | [6] |
| MF | Deni Dashaev |
Strømmen IF |
Loan | 30 March 2026 | [7] |
Pre-season and friendlies
| 3 February 2026 Friendly | Start | 2–0 | Vindbjart |
| 6 February 2026 Friendly | Viking | 4–0 | Start |
| 13 February 2026 Friendly | Lyn | 0–2 | Start |
| 17 February 2026 Friendly | Start | 2–0 | Donn |
| 24 February 2026 Friendly | Rosenborg | 2–1 | Start |
| 28 February 2026 Friendly | Bryne | 2–2 | Start |
| 8 March 2026 Friendly | Sandefjord | 3–2 | Start |
| 27 March 2026 Friendly | Tromsø | 1–0 | Start |
| 4 July 2026 Friendly | Bodø/Glimt | 4–0 | Start | Bodø |
| 16:00 | Stadium: Aspmyra Stadion |
Competitions
Overall record
| Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Eliteserien | 15 March 2026 | Matchday 1 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 28 | −15 | 8.33 | |
| 2026–27 Norwegian Football Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — | |||
| Total | 12 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 28 | −15 | 8.33 | |||
Source: Competitions
Eliteserien
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | KFUM | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 27 | −8 | 19 | |
| 13 | Sandefjord | 17 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 15 | 23 | −8 | 18 | |
| 14 | Kristiansund | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 27 | −12 | 15 | Qualification for the relegation play-offs |
| 15 | Aalesund | 17 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 27 | 41 | −14 | 15 | Relegation to First Division |
| 16 | Start | 17 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 38 | −22 | 10 |
Updated to match(es) played on 16 August 2026. Source: Football Association of Norway (in Norwegian)
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head goals scored.[8]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head goals scored.[8]
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source:
Results by round
Updated to match(es) played on May 2026. Source:
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Matches
The match schedule was issued on 19 December 2025.[9]
| 15 March 2026 1 | KFUM Oslo | 2–0 | Start |
| 21 March 2026 2 | Start | 1–1 | Aalesund | Kristiansand |
| Stadium: Sør Arena |
| 6 April 2026 3 | Sarpsborg 08 | 1–1 | Start |
| 11 April 2026 4 | Lillestrøm | 3–1 | Start |
| 19 April 2026 5 | Start | 1–1 | Molde | Kristiansand |
| Stadium: Sør Arena |
| 26 April 2026 6 | HamKam | 2–1 | Start |
| 30 April 2026 18 | Bodø/Glimt | 5–0 | Start |
| 3 May 2026 7 | Start | 1–1 | Tromsø | Kristiansand |
| Stadium: Sør Arena |
| 16 May 2026 9 | Viking | 6–3 | Start |
| 20 May 2026 8 | Start | 1–4 | Bodø/Glimt | Kristiansand |
| Stadium: Sør Arena |
| 25 May 2026 10 | Start | 2–0 | Vålerenga | Kristiansand |
| Stadium: Sør Arena |
| 29 May 2026 11 | Fredrikstad | 2–1 | Start | Fredrikstad |
| 19:00 | Stadium: Fredrikstad Stadion Referee: Kristoffer Hagenes |
Norwegian Football Cup
| 22–23 August 2026 First round | Flekkefjord | v | Start |
References
- ↑ "Azar Karadas forlenger kontrakten med IK Start". Start.
- ↑ "Felix Kutsche Eriksen signerer for IK Start". Start.
- ↑
- ↑ "James Ampofo blir Start-spiller". Start.
- ↑ "Felix Kutsche Eriksen returnerer fra lån hos Arendal Fotball". Start.
- ↑ "Felix Kutsche Eriksen lånes ut til Arendal Fotball". Start.
- ↑
- ↑ "Eliteserien tabell". www.nifs.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ↑ "Slik spilles Eliteserien 2026". VG. December 19, 2025.