Norway’s Viking Row spreads warmth at Cup

Seated in a Viking longboat formation in front of the goal with the Metlife Stadium stand teeming with red-adorned supporters rising above their eyeline, Norway's footballers and staff patiently waited for the first beat of the drum.

- Somshuvra Laha

Then came the motion — arms thrust forward, bodies moving in rhythm, as if they were pulling invisible oars through icy northern waters. With each synchronised row, the crowd roared louder, making it one of the most spontaneous and organic displays of solidarity, celebration and strength in recent World Cup history.

Before this, Norway's supporters had taken over Times Square, and an escalator at Boston. But this felt different. “I saw it online; it’s gone completely viral,” Erling Haaland, who scored twice in the 3-2 win over Senegal, told Fox Sports. “(Skipper) Martin (Odegaard) asked me before the game: ‘Do you think we should join in?’ I said, ‘If we win, let's do it, why not?’”