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Nikita Haikin’s hopes of playing at the World Cup appear to have come to an end – with Bristol City unintentionally playing a part in his disappointment.

Haikin, who has enjoyed several standout moments with Bodo/Glimt over the last few years, now looks set to miss out on selection for this summer’s World Cup.

The goalkeeper was instrumental in the Norwegian side’s impressive run to the Europa League semi-finals last year and has also been a key figure in their strong performance in this season’s Champions League.

Bodo/Glimt recorded notable victories over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase before overcoming Inter in the play-off round.

Haikin’s recent form has not gone unnoticed. According to Sport Witness, the Israel-born and Russia-raised goalkeeper secured Norwegian citizenship in April, hoping to be part of Stale Solbakken’s national squad for the tournament.

Manager Stale Solbakken had previously confirmed his intention to take Haikin to North America, where Norway will face France, Senegal and Iraq in the group stage.

However, FIFA has yet to approve Haikin’s change of nationality, meaning he is ineligible to represent Norway until they do. The problem lies with FIFA’s regulation requiring a continuous residency period of at least five years in a player's adopted nation.

Haikin joined Bodo/Glimt in 2019, which would ordinarily meet this requirement – if not for a short stint with Bristol City in 2023.

The goalkeeper was a free agent at that time and spent a few weeks with the Championship club without making an appearance before returning to Bodo/Glimt.

FIFA, however, has ruled that Haikin’s brief stay in England constitutes a break in his continuous residency in Norway. As a result, the five-year residency clock was reset in March 2023 when he rejoined Bodo/Glimt.

Haikin had expressed optimism that the matter could still be resolved before the World Cup, stating, “It is a process. I hope we can find a way and that it goes through.”

But reports now suggest that the Norwegian Football Association has decided not to include Haikin in the final squad, regardless of whether FIFA changes its position.

Sevilla’s first-choice goalkeeper remains Norway’s established number one, having earned 69 caps since 2013 and maintaining near-uninterrupted service for his country over the past five years.