It was revealed on April 10 that Nikita Khaikin had obtained Norwegian citizenship, adding to his previous Russian, Israeli, and British passports. The goalkeeper could now represent Norway at the upcoming 2026 World Cup, scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In a recent interview with Sport 24, Russian defender Igor Diveyev shared his thoughts on his friend Nikita Khaikin’s decision to play for Norway. “So there will be at least one Russian at the World Cup—your good friend Nikita Khaikin. You two are close. How did this come about?” the interviewer asked.
“We met in the national team, and a couple of years ago our families spent a vacation together. Since then, we’ve kept in touch, messaging after games. I congratulated him on his win over Inter, and he congratulated me on my move to Zenit: ‘Come on, keep pushing!'” Diveyev recalled.
When asked how he felt about Khaikin choosing Norway, Diveyev said: “I understand his choice. Nikita has been living in Norway for five years now. He has a European mindset—he even speaks Russian with an accent now. He’s like an ‘Englishman,’ ha-ha. And the chance to play at a World Cup is huge! I’ll be cheering for Khaikin there.”
The 30-year-old Khaikin has been with Bodø/Glimt since March 2019. He has played 265 matches for the club, conceding 297 goals and keeping 90 clean sheets. A three-time Norwegian champion (2020, 2021, 2023), Khaikin helped Bodø/Glimt reach the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 for the first time in the 2025/26 season, where they were eliminated by Sporting Lisbon.
The goalkeeper also made two appearances for Russia’s youth national team. In November 2021, he was called up to the senior squad for World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus (6-0) and Croatia (0-1) but remained on the bench for both matches.