Norway’s historic World Cup run ended with a 2–1 quarter-final defeat to England, but the players are expected to receive a major public welcome in Oslo after returning from the United States on Monday. The celebrations have been delayed because the team’s charter flight from Florida departed later than originally planned.
According to the Norwegian news agency NTB, the aircraft was expected to land at Oslo Airport Gardermoen at around 18:45 local time. However, the estimated arrival could change during the flight, forcing organisers to postpone parts of the programme involving King Harald V, Crown Prince Haakon and supporters in central Oslo.
The players are scheduled to attend an audience with King Harald at the Royal Palace at 19:00. The team and the crown prince will then appear at Slottsplassen, the square outside the palace, where they are expected to perform the Viking Row, the coordinated rowing celebration that became one of the symbols of Norway’s tournament.
The players, coaches and other staff members are subsequently due to travel through central Oslo on an open-top bus. The precise timing of the celebrations will depend on the team’s arrival from the United States.
Norway’s World Cup run set a new sporting record
Norway returned to the men’s World Cup in 2026 after an absence of 28 years. Its previous appearance had been at France 1998, when the team reached the round of 16.
The 2026 squad went further than any previous Norwegian men’s team by reaching the quarter-finals. England eventually ended the campaign with a narrow 2–1 victory, denying Norway a place in the last four.
Despite the defeat, thousands of Norwegian supporters continued to celebrate the team’s performance. Fans gathered in central Oslo after the match, wearing red, white and blue and performing the Viking Row near the Royal Palace.
The campaign also represented Norway’s first victory in a men’s World Cup knockout match. It established a new benchmark for a team that had not participated in a major men’s international tournament since the European Championship in 2000.
Norwegian Football Federation (Norges Fotballforbund) president Lise Klaveness described the tournament as an exceptional journey that had connected the team, the monarchy and the public.
“It has been a wonderful summer. A wonderful journey that began with King Harald appearing in the squad announcement video and ended with us coming to the palace, meeting him and celebrating with the people,” Klaveness told TV 2, according to NTB.
The Viking Row became a cultural phenomenon
The Viking Row celebration became one of the most recognisable images of Norway’s World Cup. Supporters sit in lines and move their arms together as though rowing a Viking ship, while chanting in support of the team.
The players adopted the ritual after qualifying for the knockout stage. Captain Martin Ødegaard led the squad in performing it on the pitch, strengthening its connection with the tournament and the national team.
The celebration subsequently spread beyond football stadiums. Supporters performed it at public screenings, in Oslo and in international locations including Times Square in New York.
Although historians have questioned its accuracy as a representation of Viking rowing, the ritual became a symbol of collective participation rather than a historical reconstruction. Norwegian cultural organisations said the phenomenon could also increase public interest in Viking heritage.
The planned appearance at Slottsplassen will bring the gesture back to one of the places most closely associated with the public celebrations. Crown Prince Haakon’s expected participation will further underline the institutional importance given to the team’s achievement.
Football became a shared public event
More than 20,000 supporters gathered at Frogner Stadium in Oslo to watch the quarter-final against England, despite persistent rain.
Large outdoor screenings were also organised in other parts of the country. Municipalities, sports organisations and local communities installed screens to allow supporters to follow the tournament together.
The strong demand reportedly created shortages of some outdoor screens, while retailers recorded increased television sales during the competition.
Norway’s success therefore extended beyond match results. The national team became a major cultural and media phenomenon during the summer, bringing together supporters who had rarely experienced the later stages of a men’s international football tournament.
The Viking Row played an important role in that mobilisation. It offered supporters a simple and recognisable ritual that could be repeated in stadiums, public squares and local viewing areas.
The reaction following the defeat also showed that the public narrative was not limited to winning. Thousands continued celebrating the team’s campaign, presenting the quarter-final appearance as a source of pride and optimism for future tournaments.
Investment is changing Norwegian football
The tournament has also increased interest among younger players. Youth coaches in Oslo have reported greater enthusiasm for training and stronger identification with Norwegian internationals such as Erling Haaland and Antonio Nusa.
Former Norway goalkeeper and FC Oslo youth coach Adam Kwarasey linked the team’s progress to increased investment in football infrastructure.
Norway has developed outdoor pitches equipped with heating systems, allowing players to train throughout the year and during periods of severe winter weather. This has helped football become less dependent on the traditional summer season.
The development reflects Norway’s broader approach to organised sport, which combines investment in local facilities with high levels of youth participation. Although the country is internationally associated with winter sports, football has a large and established presence in Norwegian communities.
The World Cup campaign may now reinforce that position. Its longer-term effects could become visible through increased participation in local clubs, stronger demand for training facilities and higher expectations surrounding future international competitions.
Norway left the World Cup before the semi-finals, but the quarter-final appearance established a new sporting record and created a shared public experience. The delayed celebrations in Oslo will recognise not only the players’ results, but also a summer that changed the place of men’s football in Norwegian public life.
