Norway is turning Viking heritage into a full-blown World Cup ritual, from Erling Haaland and the squad’s Vikings-themed photoshoot to the “Viking Row” cheer spreading through stadiums, buses and even parliament—despite criticism over runes and imagery. After
When Norway’s red-clad supporters began rowing in unison around the stadium in Boston, it wasn’t a metaphor. It was a routine—lines of fans in Viking helmets and Norway’s red-and-blue jerseys moving forward and backward to the beat of a drum—repeated in bars. on public transport and even on escalators.
They were doing it to support Erling Haaland and Norway at the country’s first World Cup in 28 years, and the celebration has since spilled beyond the stands.
The “Viking Row” is now being copied by supporters of other teams too. while Norwegian politicians staged their own recreation of the rowing inside parliament this week. The parliamentary session was briefly interrupted when the speaker suggested members repeat the fans’ rowing action to show national support for the ongoing campaign. and the MPs responded with an enthusiastic cross-party display.
The cheer’s rise traces back to a pre-tournament photoshoot that put the squad in Vikings costumes—an image captured by photographer David Yarrow. Norway manager Stale Solbakken said the idea began as a question from the photographers. and that the players had pushed for it. “It was an ask or a question from the (photographers),” Solbakken said in advance of Norway’s World Cup opener. “The players wanted me to do it. They were positive. The federation was positive. And I was average positive. And then we did it.”.
In the shot, Haaland and team-mates posed as Vikings, with the squad’s names in the frame including Martin Odegaard. The World Cup roster also features Premier League names Jorgen Strand Larsen. Jorgen Strand Larsen. Sander Berge and Oscar Bobb. all part of Norway’s push to make a mark on the sport’s biggest stage.
But the photoshoot didn’t land quietly. It sparked controversy with “woke critics” who accused Norway of backing “chauvinism” and using imagery they tied to neo-Nazi themes. Yarrow later said he knew “it might get some criticism.”
The dispute was focused on symbolism in the Vikings-style shirts. One commentator. Markus Slettholm from daily paper Morgenbladet. described the photo as chauvinistic and said it was “a bit reminiscent of what neo-Nazis were concerned with 10 years ago.” In the same criticism. the runes-like writing on the back was cited. along with claims about the kit’s elements being linked to neo-Nazi and fascist symbolic language. Jane Haug Skjoldli. a researcher and Norwegian academic. recently argued that the World Cup kits could be seen as “hyper-masculine and right-wing extremist” when speaking to Klassekampen. Skjoldli said elements of the shirts were “unfortunate and typical of neo-Nazi and fascist symbolic language.”.
Solbakken’s response has been blunt. “There are many bigger and more difficult topics,” he said before the World Cup. “I can’t afford to waste time on that.”
On the pitch, Norway have backed the choice of heritage with results. Before the cheers turned into a national spectacle. Norway opened their World Cup campaign with a 4-1 win over Iraq in Boston on Thursday. Before, during and after that opening match, fans were photographed rowing in unison in and around the stadium.
The Norwegian football federation commissioned British photographer David Yarrow for the Viking snap, and the BBC reported that sales of the Viking-themed team photo will raise funds for Norwegian charities.
There is also a sense that Norway are trying to build something more than a one-off stunt. The “Viking Row” could echo Iceland’s “thunder clap” performed by fans at the European Championship in 2016, which resonated around the world and has since been used by many other sports teams.
Norway now move on to the next test. Haaland and the squad are set to play Senegal on Monday in New Jersey. It is a key Group-stage game, with France also in the group.
Norway World Cup 2026 Erling Haaland Martin Odegaard Viking Row David Yarrow Stale Solbakken Senegal Iraq parliament football fans controversy