This coming Sunday, Norway Cup 2026 will kick off. Over 30,000 players from all over Norway and the world will play more than 5,000 matches, and over half a million people will visit Ekebergsletta in Oslo.
The list of participants includes teams from Brazil, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, USA and Zambia. Young players from Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Ulan Bator, Kathmandu and Lusaka will share pitches and memories with teams from all over Norway in the coming days.
Norway Cup creates a community that transcends language, culture and background. The meetings between players from all over the world create understanding and respect that lasts far beyond the tournament itself and now we are looking forward to the kick-off, says Tone Lien, CEO of Norway Cup.
This year's tournament will open with a grand opening show on Saturday at 6 p.m. Artists include Streetboys, Madeléne, Bargee, El Papi and Kyle Alessandro. Markus Bailey and Marte Bratberg will be the emcees.
The finals field will be the arena for three matches with great entertainment value. On Monday at 12 noon, the mascot match will be held, while the Friendly Match, where Norwegian participants meet players from the international teams, will be played on Tuesday at 12 noon.
The Value Match, previously called the Celebrity Match, will be played on Wednesday at 12 noon. The match is organized in collaboration with MOT and Save the Children, and this year's theme is play.
Tonje Frigstad, Marte Bratberg, Simen Velle, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Omar Elabdellaoui, Emil Iversen, Markus Bailey, Katarina Flatland, Peder Elias, Tarik Elyounoussi, Isabell Herlovsen, Erlend Mørch and Birk Ruud are among the players.
In addition to hundreds of matches, Norway Cup offers activities throughout the week, including goalkeeper school with Frode Grodås and Thon Girls' Camp where girls between the ages of 13 and 16 get to meet renowned coaches from top football.
Norway Cup is Norway's largest sports event and I am impressed by the great commitment from partners, sponsors and the municipality. The tournament is primarily about community, inclusion and experiences for children and young people, but Norway Cup is also important for tourism, trade and local business activity, says Lien.
A ripple effect analysis conducted by Innovation Norway shows that Norway Cup 2025 contributed over 300 million kroner in regional value creation for Oslo and Akershus.
