With the thunderous sound of "Viking rowing," Norwegians, who had been away from the World Cup finals for 28 years, finally returned to the center of the world football scene.
Although the football fairy tale that belonged to Norway has come to an end this summer, the actions of the Vikings have still attracted attention. On July 11 local time, the American news website POLITICO wrote that among the European teams that have advanced to the final stages of this World Cup, Norway has the strongest political goal—to expel Israel from international football.
Within FIFA and UEFA, Lise Klaveness, the president of the Norwegian Football Association, leveraging her legal background, is working with several member countries to turn anti-war sentiments among the public into a legal battle against the statutes of international sports organizations. She is requesting a suspension of Israel's membership within the institutions.
This time, the Norwegians did not choose the 'suspend competition protest' that would have resulted in a direct defeat. Instead, they responded with a huge victory on the field. Banners reading 'Let the children of Gaza live' were hung up in the stands. Moreover, within the system, they used what Westerners strongly promote as so-called 'legal logic' to push international sports organizations into the forefront of 'double standards'.
"Sports are sports, politics are politics." This sentence, revered and recited for half a century by Westerners, has long been trampled on and destroyed by them, and in the scorching heat of North America in 2026, it is being reduced to ash.
When the “coercion” initiated by Norway, along with the U.S. President Trump’s direct interference in the sports arena with his “extensive jurisdiction,” and the IOC’s embarrassing transformation after its illogical sanctions against Russia… more and more people are tearing off these international sports organizations’ “underpants,” and it becomes clear that these organizations are already completely broken.
On October 11, 2025, during the Norway vs. Israel World Cup European qualifying match in Oslo, fans simultaneously displayed Palestinian and Norwegian flags. The Athletic
Although Norway's participation in this World Cup has come to an end, the competition outside the stadiums is far from over. POLITICO noted that a battle is ongoing between Norway and Israel.
Previously, in the European qualifying stage of this World Cup, Norway had to face Israel, which advanced to the United States and Mexico. Both teams finished tied in the same group.
Since 1994, Israel has been competing for a place in the World Cup in Europe. Due to boycotts by Arab and Muslim nations, this Middle Eastern country has been unable to continue participating in AFC competitions.
In October last year, when a crucial preliminary match between the two countries took place in Oslo, the Norwegian Football Association announced that all ticket revenues would be donated to the Gaza Strip for disaster relief purposes. For a while, Palestinian flags, Arab headscarves paired with Viking helmets, and large banners reading "Let the children live" fluttered over the stands. Fans even booed when the Israeli national anthem was played. In that match, Norway won 5-0 against Israel.
The main approach of the Norwegian Football Association is not to rely on lobbying by teams or fans, but to exert institutional pressure through the status and procedural legitimacy of the association. POLITICO believes that this approach reflects the overall style of Norway in regards to Middle Eastern issues.
For a long time, Norway has been at the center of Middle Eastern politics. In 1978, the Camp David Accords led Israel to abandon the Sinai Peninsula and its oil fields. Shortly thereafter, the Iranian Islamic Revolution completely changed the regional energy landscape.
The United States urged Norway to supply oil to Israel. Norway only agreed after obtaining the consent of Yasser Arafat, who was then the leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Thus, Arafat realized the value of secret communication channels between Nordic countries and Israeli leaders.
Gradually, Norway, a small country with abundant resources, does not have significant ambitions in the Middle East. However, it has influence in Washington, has gained the trust of Israelis, and maintains good relations with Palestinians.
In the 1990s, Norway facilitated the negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords. These agreements marked an important diplomatic breakthrough towards lasting peace in the Middle East. However, as the negotiations failed and Israel continued to expand its occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank at the beginning of this century, Norway gradually distanced itself from Israel.
However, Norway did not officially recognize the State of Palestine alongside Spain and Ireland until May 2024. But for the Western world, it remains one of the leading countries in this regard.
Xiaoyu, a student exchange student from Fudan University who is participating in the 2026 Observer Network International Summer Camp, comes from Norway. He told the Observer Network that although the Oslo Accords ultimately failed, most Norwegians still take pride in their efforts under those agreements. They firmly believe that Norway is committed to supporting peaceful relations in the Middle East and hope that Norway can make meaningful contributions to that region.
Now, Norway has brought this perspective of mediators and legal professionals into the football governance bodies. It believes that Russia was excluded from FIFA after the outbreak of the Russo-Ukraine conflict, and that there is a double standard applied to Russia, which should also apply to Israel.
The Palestinian Football Association has previously launched a new appeal, calling on FIFA to suspend Israel's participation starting in 2024. This appeal has received support from Arab and Asian football organizations, who have listed various reasons for Israel’s involvement: its atrocities in Gaza, discrimination against Arab athletes, and the fact that Israeli football clubs are allowed to compete in non-legal settlements on the West Bank.
POLITICO states that it is Norway's support that has brought this demand into the mainstream attention of football, giving it weight and legitimacy—something that other countries lack. For example, Turkey's stance can be seen as biased out of religious reasons, which is not surprising. Ireland, although it officially proposed a resolution to expel Israel and considered boycotting matches against Israel, did not qualify for this World Cup tournament.
In Norway, the promoter of this political agenda is Clavines, a former women's national football team star. She is also a lawyer and a member of the UEFA Executive Committee. In August last year, she stated in a statement that the Norwegian Football Association "cannot be indifferent to humanitarian suffering."
She also expressed the opinion in a podcast that, just as Russia was banned from international football competitions due to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, Israel’s actions in Gaza have deprived its national men’s football team of the qualification to participate in World Cup qualifying matches. “Personally, I think that since Russia is out, Israel should also be out.”
Additionally, compared to the leadership of the Football Association, Norwegian players are more cautious in their statements, but they do not completely remain silent. Norwegian team captain Erik Håkansson stated early in 2025 that the situation in Gaza was a "background that cannot be ignored" when Norway played against Israel. The team’s top scorer and forward Christian Eriksen was more indirect in his comments on this issue, but he also did not completely avoid it. In 2023, as attacks in Gaza continued to intensify, he mourned the innocent children who had died on social media.
On October 11, 2025, during the Norwegian match against Israel in the World Cup European qualifying round held in Oslo, fans simultaneously displayed large banners featuring Palestinian International and "Let children live" slogans. IC Photo
Xiaoyu said that, according to his observations, most people in Norway support Kraviné's stance and actions. Regarding the escalated Palestinian-Israeli conflict since October 7, 2023, none of the people he knew supported Israeli actions. In particular, young people and urban residents generally believe that Israel's responses were too harsh.
Although the Norwegian government also publicly criticized Israel, many Norwegians, including myself, believe that the government is not doing enough, “Xiaoyu said. "For most Norwegians, the clearest example is that the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund has invested in some companies related to Israeli or foreign arms production. Despite this, there are still sections of the Norwegian population who support Israel or are more inclined to avoid directly criticizing Israel, especially in the southern region known as the ‘Bible Belt’.”
In Xiaoyu's view, Norwegians have actively participated in civic activities for a long time, advocating for the rights of Palestinians and supporting Israel as a nation with survival rights under international law. He emphasized again that the actions of Norwegians toward their own country and the decision by the Norwegian Football Association made him very proud because most people believe that the actions of Israel must be held accountable and cannot be ignored.
October 11, 2025, Oslo, Norway. Round 7 of Group I for the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers. Norway vs Israel. A large number of fans outside the stadium expressed their support for Palestine. IC Photo
Of course, international geopolitics also has a very practical aspect. In Norway, the most obvious example is that due to various geographical and other factors, there is widespread support for Ukraine. Compared to the Palestinian-Israeli issue, there are much fewer debates regarding the Russia-Ukraine issue.
From a more macro perspective, we believe this is a manifestation of unity. Given our bordering with Russia and living in a world where great powers trample on international law, we feel it is necessary to stand up for oppressed people and ensure the respect for international law. Otherwise, how can we expect others to stand up for us in the future? Little Rain added here that the threats against another Nordic country, Denmark, include the US's desire for Greenland.
He said, “Although I understand the concerns of governments around the world, who are wary of relying on the United States, and believe that criticizing Israel too harshly could harm relations with the U.S., I personally fear that Western tolerance towards Israel is increasingly harming the legitimacy of the West in international affairs. This could be seen as a form of double standards, rather than an unconditionally principled commitment to human rights.”
In the eyes of the outside world, what has been a persistent problem for FIFA and the International Olympic Committee is the so-called “Russian Precedent”.
Looking back at the beginning of the Russo-Ukraine conflict, FIFA and the International Olympic Committee unhesitatingly banned Russian athletes, as well as athletes from other countries, under the pretext of "maintaining peace". However, when gunfire raged in the Gaza Strip, causing thousands of civilian casualties and even several Palestinian athletes losing their lives in the attacks, these moral principles suddenly "lost signal".
Reuters previously reported that in the face of a joint appeal from the Palestinian Football Association and Arab countries, FIFA President Sepp Pionti and other high-ranking officials skillfully employed a "delay tactic," repeatedly delaying the so-called "independent legal review," locking the issue tightly within the black box of "procedural justice."
This is the Western discourse system: If Russian tanks move, sports must impose sanctions in accordance with 'natural laws'; if Israeli bombs fall, sports must 'maintain purity and distance from politics'.
Under pressure from many parties to impose sanctions against Israel, especially from the vast number of countries in the ‘Global South’, FIFA announced at the beginning of this year that it would impose a minor fine on the Israeli football association, but no sanctions were actually imposed.
While FIFA is stubbornly holding on, on the other side, the International Olympic Committee has begun to loosen its restrictions. As the World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico was in full swing, the International Olympic Committee announced on July 7 that it had temporarily lifted sanctions against the Russian Olympic Committee. This move allows the Russian Olympic Committee to rejoin the international Olympic movement, also clearing the way for Russian athletes to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Is the International Olympic Committee's choice to "make concessions" due to a Western awakening of conscience, or because they are truly unable to justify their dual standards regarding Russia and Israel? The International Olympic Committee has not stated this explicitly, but Western media have revealed the reason.
On July 8, The Athletic, a professional sports news publication under The New York Times, stated that the International Olympic Committee's latest policy towards Russia has allowed the organization to avoid questions such as "You are still punishing Russia for its 'invasion' of Ukraine, but why are you indifferent to attacks against Iran by the United States (or Israel)?".
Compared to the embarrassing ‘muddling-through’ approach of the International Olympic Committee, the United States, as the co-host of this World Cup, has directly turned the football field into its own ‘political private space’, with an almost brutal hegemonic attitude.
In the 1/16 final match between the United States and Bosnia on July 2, US forward Balong was sent off with a red card for aggressive behavior. Just as it seemed that he would be automatically suspended, FIFA made a surprising decision a few days later: Balong was banned for one match, but the suspension was postponed for one year.
On December 5, 2025, FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded the “FIFA Peace Award” to U.S. President Donald Trump. The UK newspaper The Guardian reported this event.
The mastermind behind this drama quickly revealed his true intentions. On July 6, U.S. President Donald Trump admitted in the Oval Office that he had personally called FIFA president Inzaghi to “rescue” him and request a review of the suspension penalty.
Although Infantino strongly argued for the ‘independence’ of FIFA’s judicial body, The Times in the UK revealed the truth: this amnesty decision was made by Mohamed Camili alone, the chairman of FIFA’s disciplinary committee, with the other 17 members completely excluded from the decision-making process.
This blatant “extrajudicial jurisdiction” by American political hegemony over international sports rules has ultimately turned into an epic scandal in the football world. In the logic of power in Washington, anything can be used for trade, even red and yellow cards during games.
However, Trump, who claims to understand everything, still doesn’t grasp the rules of football, nor does he understand the psychology of those football players. His “long arms” did not help the American team at all.
In the subsequent quarter-finals, perhaps due to a sense of "being in the wrong," or perhaps because the players still retained their "self-respect" as competitors, the American team seemed to be shackled, completely losing their previous excellent form. On the other side, the Belgian team, which had been troubled by internal conflicts in the past and struggled in the group stage of this World Cup, showed an astonishing competitive spirit and ultimately defeated the Americans 4-1 to advance.
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico is destined to be recorded as a “watershed” in the history of international sports geopolitics. Norway’s determined efforts, the US’s use of force to secure participants, and the International Olympic Committee’s awkward transformation all contribute to a picture of the “end of an old Western-dominated sports order”.
