New Jersey [US], July 5 : Erling Haaland and his Norway national men's team have made a lot of noise during the ongoing FIFA World Cup with their power-packed performances. On the other side of the pitch, the Norway fans and players themselves are making themselves a part of mainstream pop culture with their popular 'Viking Row' celebration, which has gained as much traction as Haaland's explosive runs and outrageous goals.
Notably, the 'Viking Row' is a popular celebration in which fans imitate the synchronised rowing of a traditional Viking ship. It represents unity, strength, and a collective fighting spirit. Much like the Vikings of history who rowed together before heading into battle, modern Norwegian supporters perform the gesture in unison to express team spirit and back their football side.
During every Norway match, thousands of fans sit in perfect unison, before mimicking the movement of Viking oars to the thunderous cries of 'Ro!'. This celebration has spread contagiously across North American stadiums and has taken over social media, capturing fans across the world, often making even casual fans tune into Norway matches just for this moment of jubilation and unity.
From Boston's elevators, to the area close to Times Square to even Norway Parliament, the celebration has become a viral trend no one can escape. After every match, players perform the celebration while sitting on the pitch, with the celebrations led by captain Martin Odegaard. The 'Viking Row' is much more than a celebration, but a statement that after their 28-year wait for the FIFA World Cup qualification since their appearance in 1998, they have risen in status and are a power to be reckoned with.
The story behind the celebration is rather new, with Ole Froystad, in December 2025, coming up with the chant "Ro!" inspired by Viking rowing. Now this celebration has turned him into 'Mr Row Row".
"It is so much fun to see people come together and row as one. It creates a real sense of unity," he said as quoted by FIFA's official website. "The Viking Row has become far bigger than I ever imagined. It is absolutely crazy."
The idea was picked by Norway's official supporters' group, who have made it a social-media trending ritual that it has become today. It is a soundtrack to Norway's FIFA World Cup matches and an assertion of dominance for the fans.
"It all started with Ole's idea," said Torstein Hamran, a board member of supporters' club Oljeberget Supporterklubb. "Then we developed it together. We even recorded a song called Viking Blood, which was released at the end of March and features the Viking Row in the background. Today it is one of the biggest songs in Norway."
The first attempt at the celebration came during the end of March against Switzerland in Oslo, even before the tournament had started, and all 48 teams participating in the competition were not known. Looking back at it, Torstein recalled the mixed reception it got initally.
"Some people loved it, while others thought it looked a bit silly. We had never tried it before, and it was not particularly impressive at the time," he said.
The real breakthrough came in June following a 3-1 win over Sweden, two immediate neighbours. An instructional video for the celebration was shared across social media platforms, and a handcrafted Viking horn was introduced to signal the start of the ritual, and the fans embraced it.
"The day after, Ole and our capo both told me, 'This is going to be huge.' They were right. Ever since then, all the attention has been on the Viking Row," said Torstein.
The 'Viking row' celebration's beauty lies in the fact that even though it looks spontaneous, it is quite coordinated and carefully done. As soon as the Viking horn sounds, thousands of fans know that they have to sit down.
"Standing is the natural thing for football supporters, so asking everyone to sit is actually the hardest part. But everyone has to be seated for the rowing movement to work properly," explained Torstein.
Torstein takes centre stage, standing in front with his drum, striking it twice and then the chants start.
"I stand in front of the stand with my drum. I strike it twice, then we begin the chant. It's the pauses that build all the tension before the explosion," he said.
With the tournament's progression, the choreography of this celebration has become just as refined as Norway's performances, with two drums being used to bring together and synchronise supporters spread across a massive stadium in different sections. Norway fans have also made the celebration their own, with Torstein describing that fans knew "something special was coming" when their players started doing the celebration.
"When the players started doing it with us after wins, that's when we realised something special was happening," Torstein said.
After Norway's 2-1 win over Ivory Coast, Torstein described a moment that really described the special connection fans had built with the players during the tournament, with the players wanting his drum.
"The players wanted my drum," Torstein said joyously. "I had to run across several sections of the stadium to get it to them. I bought that little second-hand drum back in 2023, and now it is famous all over the world. After the match, everyone wanted to have their picture taken with it," he said.
"Hearing people shouting 'Ro!' through the streets of New York was incredible," admitted the 'Mr Row Row' Ole. "It was one of the greatest moments of my life. The other was against Senegal, when the players sat down and performed the Viking Row perfectly in sync with the supporters. I almost cried. It was extraordinary," he added.
Torstein says that fans from other countries love the celebration, which truly defines what the FIFA World Cup is all about, sharing such wholesome moments with fans from across the world.
"Supporters from other countries absolutely love it," said Torstein. "We have even done the Viking Row with them before and after matches. That is what a World Cup is all about - people from different countries coming together and sharing moments like these," he added.
On Sunday, at the New York New Jersey Stadium, Norway fans will be surrounded by a sea of yellow when they perform their celebration against five-time champions Brazil. Despite the expectations of being outnumbered, Torstein is not bothered, having waited all his life for his country to play the FIFA World Cup.
"I was only two years old when Norway last qualified. I have waited my whole life for this moment. Now we're playing Brazil in the Round of 16. It almost doesn't feel real," he signed off.