Norwegian Football Federation to donate ticket revenue from Israel match to Gaza

ISTANBUL

The Norwegian Football Federation announced that ticket revenue from an upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Israel will be donated to Gaza.

In a recent statement, the federation said that proceeds from the Group I qualifier between Norway and Israel, scheduled for Oct. 11 at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion, will be directed to humanitarian aid in Gaza.

"Neither we nor other organizations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been subjected to for a long time," said Norwegian Football Federation President Lise Klaveness.

"We want to donate the proceeds to a humanitarian organization that saves lives in Gaza every day and provides active emergency aid on the ground," she added.

The Israeli soccer federation on Wednesday urged its Norwegian counterpart to also condemn the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by the Palestinian group Hamas while stressing in a statement published by The Telegraph that Norway should "make sure that the money is not transferred to terrorist organizations or to whale hunting."

Ticket sales for the match will begin on Aug. 25.