Every late July and early August, the vast green plateau of Ekebergsletta transforms into the world's largest youth football tournament. The Norway Cup was founded in 1972 by Bækkelagets Sportsklub with 420 teams and 8,400 players. It has since grown enormously; in 2023 it hit an all-time record of 2,183 teams from over 50 countries. Over its history, more than 53,000 teams have participated.
The tournament runs for a full week and covers age groups from 10 to 19 for both boys and girls. The girls' division was introduced from the very first edition in 1972, four years before the Norwegian Football Association even officially recognised women's football. During the tournament, the area buzzes with thousands of young players camping in nearby schools and halls, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else in Oslo. The only years it has not been held since its founding were 1976 (scheduling conflict), and 2020 and 2021 (pandemic).
Ekebergsletta itself has an interesting backstory. The flat plateau was farmland until the 1950s. After the war, plans were floated to turn it into an airport for Oslo, but the idea was dropped in favour of sports facilities. Even earlier, in 1926, Roald Amundsen landed his airship Norge here for a few hours on his way to the North Pole. Today it is Oslo's largest outdoor sports area, used year-round by local football clubs, but for most people the name Ekebergsletta simply means Norway Cup.
The tournament runs for a full week and covers age groups from 10 to 19 for both boys and girls. The girls' division was introduced from the very first edition in 1972, four years before the Norwegian Football Association even officially recognised women's football. During the tournament, the area buzzes with thousands of young players camping in nearby schools and halls, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else in Oslo. The only years it has not been held since its founding were 1976 (scheduling conflict), and 2020 and 2021 (pandemic).
Ekebergsletta itself has an interesting backstory. The flat plateau was farmland until the 1950s. After the war, plans were floated to turn it into an airport for Oslo, but the idea was dropped in favour of sports facilities. Even earlier, in 1926, Roald Amundsen landed his airship Norge here for a few hours on his way to the North Pole. Today it is Oslo's largest outdoor sports area, used year-round by local football clubs, but for most people the name Ekebergsletta simply means Norway Cup.