Norway To Contribute Profits From World Cup Qualifiers Against Israel For Gaza Assistance

Conditions in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. (Source: WAFA)

JAKARTA - The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) said it would donate profits from the World Cup qualifying match against Israel on October 11 for humanitarian aid in Gaza, stating that it "cannot remain silent" on the suffering there.

The 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Norway and Israel, which is part of Group I, is scheduled to be held on 11 October.

"Both we and other organizations cannot remain silent on humanitarian suffering and the disproportionate attacks that civilians have experienced in Gaza for a long time," Norwegian Football Federation President Lies Klaveness said in a statement. August 21st.

"We want to donate the results to a humanitarian organization that saves lives in Gaza every day and provides active emergency assistance in the field," Klaveness added.

It is not clear how much Norway's federation expects from ticket sales for the match, which starts next week.

Meanwhile, in a statement first published by the British daily The Telegraph, the Israeli football federation asked Norway to "ensure the money is not transferred to terrorist organizations or whaling," referring to issues that have drawn global criticism in Norway.

The Norwegian Federation said it was working with UEFA and local police on security arrangements for the October 11 match.

The Ullevaal Stadium, which is the home of the Norwegian national team, usually accommodates up to 26,000 spectators. Extra security is expected to limit the capacity to 3,000 tickets, the federation said.

Israel cannot hold matches in international competitions for security reasons since October 2023. Israel is holding a "candang" qualifying match against Norway in Hungary. Norway won the match with a score of 4-2 in March.

Norway is currently the interim leader of Group I after winning four matches that have been played, followed by Israel, Italy, Estonia and Moldova.