Overview

• FIFA president Gianni Infantino called on supporters to stay calm and to back the U.S.-proposed peace plan in remarks ahead of the game.
• Coverage notes the Israeli cabinet’s approval of a hostage-release and Gaza ceasefire agreement, which has tempered but not ended calls to suspend Israel from competition.
• The World Cup qualifier is scheduled for Saturday at 18:00 in Oslo, with Norwegian officials implementing security measures they say are ten times greater than for a typical international.
• Norwegian FA president Lise Klaveness argued Israel should be excluded by the same logic used for Russia, a stance criticized by the Israel Football Association as unhelpful to peace.
• Attention is also on Italy vs. Israel in Udine next week, where the mayor sought a postponement and organizers expect large protests of about 10,000 people.