The goalkeeper made her debut for the national team in 2002. No player has featured more times for Norway in the history of the team, with Lunde being capped 389 times, as only Camilla Herrem (332) and Karoline Dyhre Breivang (305) played at least 300 times for the “Håndballjentene”.
Lunde's 22 major medals at major international events – Olympic Games, World Championships, and European Championships, and seven Champions League titles cement her as one of handball's greatest ever players to ever don the court.
She ended her career on a high, with another World Championship title in January, where she shared the court with Henny Reistad, the IHF Female World Player of the Year in 2023, 2024, and 2025, who was only three years old when Lunde made her debut for Norway’s national team.
“I will miss the people the most. I believe sports are created by the people who participate in them. And that is also why I feel more comfortable about this transition, because I know that I can always find the people I know again. I will not be out of the sport entirely. The amazing people I have met all around the world in handball, I will always be able to find them,” says Lunde to IHF, the International Handball Federation's website.
“I do try to be a good role model. I know that earlier in my career I was a bit harder and more focused on myself, but I have always tried to hold on to good values.”
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Lunde was the MVP of the competition, with 79 saves, at an otherworldly rate of 42% saving efficiency when she was 44 years old.
Lunde can see herself in a distant future, close to the court.
“I can see myself in a coaching role. I really enjoy being in the environment, and I appreciate the culture we have in Norway. I am also open to working abroad. But goalkeeper coaching specifically, yes, that I genuinely enjoy. I could see that in my future,” concludes Lunde.