Erling Haaland hat-trick helps Norway sink Israel against backdrop of protests

A hot potato of an occasion passed with minor blemishes off the pitch. Erling Haaland stole the attention with a hat-trick on it, rendering his early double penalty miss a discordant memory, and the upshot was that Norway could look with clear heads toward a near-certain first World Cup appearance in 27 years. A win over Estonia next month will confirm their presence; Egil Olsen, their manager at France 1998, watched as Israel offered scant opposition to Europe’s most ruthless attacking force. It also means Italy, already sore from successive failures to qualify, are likely to face another playoff date. Perhaps Norway’s domination of Group I should prove little surprise: the Israel manager, Ran Ben Shimon, said afterwards that they and Spain are the two best teams on the continent. Related: Tight security and political tension hang over key Norway v Israel World Cup qualifier Israel are now out of contention for next summer’s showpiece; in truth, for all the American government’s outrage about any potential ban from the tournament, it had always been a long shot. But their very presence in Oslo was highly contested, the buildup framed by the Norwegian Football Federation’s stance that they should be ejected from international football due to the war in Gaza. There will be relief that confrontations were minimal beyond a brief spate of trouble outside the Ullevaal Stadion during half-time. The day’s intensive security operation had met its first visible challenge at 2pm when a crowd of pro-Palestine protesters, cohered by the Palestine Committee in Norway, gathered at Spikersuppa in central Oslo in preparation for their march to Ullevaal. Yards away, polite applause had rippled as the swearing-in of Norway’s parliament was relayed on a big screen. The marchers, whose number swelled to around 1,500 during the 2.6 mile route, were more vigorously propelled by flares and beating drums. Red cards were distributed among attendees. Inger Lise, wearing a national team scarf, was one of few who had turned up to the protest in Norway’s football colours. Once a keen player, she had a match ticket but considered the occasion tainted. “It’s very frustrating,” she said while holding one end of a large “Free Palestine” banner, the other clasped by a friend. “The game shouldn’t have been played but it’s not up to us to ruin it. It’s just horrible that we are here now.” Inside Andy’s Pub, a Liverpool-themed bar near the meeting point, six supporters in their mid-50s felt the moment they could make an impact had passed. “Israel should have been banned before, we can’t do anything now,” one said. They had travelled from Tromso, inside the Arctic Circle, and wore shirts carrying names from the 1998 squad. As the march passed northwards, some residents gathered on balconies or wound down car windows to shout encouragement. The police presence, visible but never overbearing, stopped well short of confrontation at that point. The only exception came as participants prepared to depart. A handful of Israeli journalists had arrived at the protest and, apparently after being involved in an exchange with a member of the public, were escorted from the scene. The 80-minute march ended with speeches and songs at a stage opposite Ullevaal, a smaller protest arriving to swell numbers in the hour before kick-off. Nearby, a few fans bearing both Norwegian and Israeli flags were marshalled towards the ground by police officers. As the teams emerged before kick-off, supporters in the west stand unfurled a Palestine flag alongside another imploring “Let children live”. The sight will not have been lost on Fifa and Uefa. Israel’s pocket of around 100 visitors raised their own flag during the national anthem while a minority of home supporters whistled. Temperatures inside the stadium rose no higher. The only notable security lapse arose in the eighth minute when, even though the front three rows were covered, a sole protester ran on to the pitch before being wrestled to the ground by security personnel. He was named by local media as Mario Ferri, who refers to himself as “The Falcon” and has a history of such incursions in various global stadiums. By then Haaland had already erred from the spot, Daniel Peretz saving his first effort and a VAR-ordered retake. After play resumed Norway pulled clear against opponents let down by a nonexistent defence. Haaland made amends in between own goals by Anan Khalaili and Idan Nachmias, the latter ending up in hospital after colliding with a post. Three goals in a 10-minute spell had ended the contest. As the first half ended, around 200 protesters remained outside. In the day’s sole flashpoint, police used teargas after a barrier was pulled down near the stadium entrance. Ten arrests were made but the authorities emphasised most involved had behaved well. Haaland put himself front and centre again by finishing twice more, his third bringing up 51 in 46 caps. “Free Palestine” chanted a section of the support as proceedings wound down, reminding everyone else that the backdrop could never quite be punctured. “I didn’t feel anything extreme,” said Ben Shimon of the atmosphere. He took pains to laud Norway’s hospitality, while lamenting that of his players, and hoped a weight will lift now peace no longer looks a pipedream. “We have a big role in Israeli society, we have to stay together. I believe the national team of Israel, and other national teams, have a bigger perspective than football.” The day’s events had proved it.