Norway have been a hit in the FIFA World Cup 2026 so far, but their ‘rowing’ celebration is an even bigger hit. In fact, it is the most viral trend that has come out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 so far. Norway’s players sat on the pitch and performed the “rowing” celebration, made iconic by their fans during the World Cup, after reaching the knockout stage with a nervy 3-2 win over Senegal. At their first finals since 1998, red-clad Norwegian fans have been doing their Viking row in stadiums, on escalators, and even in New York’s Times Square, but it has never been more emotional or joyous than after the final whistle on Monday.
Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland, whose double helped secure the win, brought the squad together to perform the row in front of the fans, but they had to wait for coach Stale Solbakken, who sprinted up the steps in the stand at the final whistle to kiss and hug his wife.
With the squad sitting in rows resembling those of a Viking longboat and Solbakken squeezing into the middle behind Haaland, Odegaard began beating the drum to a joyous climax.
What Is the Viking Row?
The celebration, according to several reports, is inspired by Norway’s Viking tradition. According to the BBC, “The Viking Age was from about AD 700 to 1100. Many Vikings left their homes in Scandinavia and travelled by longboat to other countries, like Britain and Ireland. The people of Britain called the invaders ‘Danes’, but they came from Norway and Sweden as well as Denmark. Vikings sailed the seas trading goods. They bought silver, silks, spices, wine, jewellery, glass and pottery to bring back home.”
The rowing motion is a tribute and symbolises the voyages that the Vikings undertook. It is an integral part of Norwegian identity.
Vikingler ilerliyor…
Norveç: 3- Senegal: 2
Altı puanla son 32’yi garantileyen Norveç milli takımı, MetLife Stadyumu’ndaki maçın sonunda turu, taraftarlarıyla birlikte Viking küreği çekerek kutladı. pic.twitter.com/c4X3FekqmJ
— serbestiyet (@serbestiyetweb) June 23, 2026
What are the Norway players saying about the celebration?
TV pictures showed fans back in Trondheim joining in as the celebration brought Norway supporters around the world together, but midfielder Patrick Berg revealed that he did not think the row was going to catch on.
“At the start, I think people doubted a little bit – like, is this something that’s going to last or just something that’s going to die off? But it’s been a massive part of our World Cup so far,” he told reporters.
“Doing it in New York is a really beautiful moment for us together. They started doing it back home in Oslo before we left for the World Cup, and now I think the whole world is aware of it… I feel the energy that we create together with (the fans) is really important for us.”
“It was incredibly fun,” forward Alexander Sorloth said, beaming with pride after the game. “A lot more fun than I would have thought. When you hear the sound, it’s magical.”
Asked how far he and the Viking rowing might take him and his team at the World Cup, Sorloth was confident.
“We’ll see, but if we reach our top level, it’s a tournament and anything can happen. If we reach our top level, we can go far,” he said.
Norway are second in the group with six points, behind France on goal difference, with the two teams meeting in their final Group I game on Friday.
With Reuters inputs