The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that all proceeds from ticket sales for the
2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Israel at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium will be donated to humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza, with the funds going to medical organizations including Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières). The organization said the money would support emergency healthcare and aid for civilians affected by the ongoing war.
The decision is consistent with Norway’s increasingly vocal stance on the conflict. While FIFA has continued to allow Israel to compete in international football, the NFF has emerged as one of the strongest advocates for suspending the Israeli Football Association, arguing that FIFA should apply its statutes consistently, much as it did when Russia was barred from international competition following its invasion of Ukraine. Norway has stopped short of boycotting matches, but has continued to push for institutional action from world football’s governing body.
Norway’s position carries historical weight. The country hosted the secret negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords, the landmark agreement that established mutual recognition between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization and laid the foundation for limited Palestinian self-rule. While the accords ultimately failed to deliver a lasting peace, Norway has remained closely involved in diplomatic efforts surrounding the conflict.
On the pitch, meanwhile, Norway’s World Cup campaign has been equally impressive. Led by Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, the Scandinavian side has emerged as one of Europe’s strongest qualifying teams, with the emphatic win over Israel strengthening its bid to reach its first FIFA World Cup since France 1998. Norway’s World Cup dream may have ended with a narrow 2-1 quarterfinal defeat to England, but the team’s actions off the pitch have ensured they’ll be remembered for far more than football.