Ticket sales from Norway’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifier against Israel will be donated to medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to support humanitarian efforts in Gaza, the Norwegian football association announced on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference, the association’s president, Lisa Klaveness, said the decision was made in response to the “grave humanitarian suffering” in the region.
“The October 11 match will be played against the backdrop of grave humanitarian suffering, and we are not and cannot remain indifferent to this,” Klaveness said. “We think it is entirely justified to give the ticket sales to Doctors Without Borders, which is providing concrete, emergency aid on the ground in Gaza.”
Klaveness also criticised what she described as “disproportionate attacks targeting Gaza for far too long.”
The match, to be played at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium, is expected to be held in front of a sell-out crowd. The venue has a capacity of just over 27,000 spectators.
Reacting to the announcement, Lindis Hurum, secretary general of the Norwegian branch of MSF, expressed her gratitude. “We are moved to see donors willing to make such a significant contribution to support our colleagues plunged into a brutal and desperate situation in Gaza, where they need all possible support, both financial and moral,” she said.
On the pitch, Norway sit top of Group 1 with five wins from five matches, ahead of Italy and Israel. The two sides last met on 25 March in Debrecen, Hungary, where Norway claimed a 4-2 victory.
