Despite initial reluctance, the Norwegian Football Federation confirmed they would play their World Cup qualifier against Israel, pledging to donate ticket sale proceeds to Palestinian humanitarian efforts. The match, held at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, was marked by a strong protest presence, with chants of “Free Palestine” echoing throughout and a young protester wearing a “Free Gaza” T-shirt briefly entering the field.
On the pitch, Norway dominated, controlling 55% of possession and taking 16 shots, five on target, while Israel managed just four shots with only one on goal. Norway secured a commanding 5-0 victory, highlighted by Erling Haaland’s record-breaking hat-trick. The first half saw two own goals from Israeli players Anan Khalili and Adan Nakma, alongside Haaland’s opener in the 27th minute. Erling Haaland then scored twice more in the 63rd and 72nd minutes after the break, completing his third hat-trick for Norway. Despite missing two penalties saved by the Israeli goalkeeper, Erling Haaland extended his remarkable scoring streak to 10 consecutive matches.
Erling Haaland also celebrated a personal milestone by scoring his 50th goal for Norway, becoming the fastest European to reach this mark in just 46 appearances 25 matches fewer than England’s Harry Kane, who previously held the record at 71 matches. For comparison, Brazilian star Neymar Jr. took 74 matches to reach 50 goals, while France’s Kylian Mbappe and Poland’s Robert Lewandowski each took 90 matches. Argentine legend Lionel Messi and Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo required 107 and 109 matches respectively for this feat.
With this win, Norway remains unbeaten in their six World Cup qualifiers and leads Group I with 18 points. The match also energized pro-Palestinian protesters outside the stadium, with around 1,000 people joining the demonstration. Fans inside the stadium displayed banners reading “Let the children live” and wore “Free Gaza” T-shirts. Although the stadium capacity was around 22-23 thousand, 3,000 seats were left vacant for Israeli supporters as a safety precaution by the organizers.