The next task was qualification to the 2013 European Cup competition, with Norway in Group3 with Iceland, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Hungary and Bulgaria. The campaign began badly with 3–1 losses to Iceland and 64th-ranked Northern Ireland, but in 2012 the position was recovered with wins in the last six matches, and Norway finished top of Group3 with eight wins from ten matches. They later went on to finish as runners-up in the finals in Sweden.