Norway Cup Starts with Sorrow and Enthusiasm | Entertainment

31.07.2011 - Oslo

Norway Cup Starts with Sorrow and Enthusiasm

This summer's biggest football organization, Norway Cup starts on Sunday, 31 July, 2011. 1400 football teams participate from more than 65 Nations this year.

Photo: Norway Cup | Carrying roses and mourning bands, the 25,000 participants of Norway Cup’s memorial concert honored the victims from Utøya and Oslo. However, the terrorist attacks had not prevented happiness to reach its opening night.

The tournament first began in 1977. In that year, the organizer Bækkelagets Sports Club arranged both the Oslo Cup in handball and Norway Cup at the same time. However, only Norway Cup has continued till today.

In the first years of the arrangement, only Norwegian and European teams participated in the tournament. In 1972, only seven European countries were represented with 126 teams. In 1979, the Brazilian team Pequeninos from Sao Paulo came to Norway Cup. This team consisted of poor children from the slums in their country. For them, the trip to the Norway Cup was a glimpse of hope and encouragement in comparison to the misery at home. At the same time, these youths conquered the whole of Ekebergsletta and quickly became the tournament's favorites. That was the beginning of what today is one of the most important issues for Norway Cup: the colorful friendship.

Also, that tournament was the beginning of internationalization of the cup. More than a thousand teams participated in Norway Cup in 1979. Since that time, Norway Cup has had more than a thousand participating teams from all over the world.

The world's largest organization in its kind

The tournament turned into the world's largest football tournament.

In the period between 1972 and 2010, a total of 44.479 teams have participated in Norway Cup, while the the nearest competitor Swedish Gothia Cup could attract 31.540 teams.

This year, 1400 football teams from 65 nations participates in Norway Cup.

Here are some facts about Norway Cup 2010

1.400 Teams

25.000 Participants (12 – 19 years)

54 Nations

62 Fields

4.000 Games

360 Refereers and 60 observers

1200 Volunteers from the organizing club

How do you go to Norway Cup

The main tournament is held in Ekeberg, Oslo but the matches are played all around Oslo.

Check out the new website with up-dated information about how to get to the 2011 Norway Cup.

You can check out the new website here:

Trafikanten- Public Transportation

We also recommend you reading about Traffic Jam Warning during Norway Cup.

Norway Cup

Norway Cup