Mass 'Viking row', uprooted plants and dented trains as Norway World Cup fans celebrate

01 Jul 2026, 11:26 · CNA · Join

Norway fans do their "Viking Row", as they celebrate their win in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Round of 32 match against Ivory Coast, in front of the Royal Palace, in Oslo, Norway, June 30, 2026 in this screengrab taken from a video. aranka_ via Instagram/via REUTERS

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Round of 32 - Ivory Coast v Norway - Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. - June 30, 2026 Norway fans celebrates after the match as Norway qualify for the Round of 16 stage of the World Cup REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

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OSLO, July 1 : Thousands of Norwegian fans joined in a huge "Viking row" celebration through Oslo on Tuesday, after their team advanced to the World Cup last 16, in a night of wild rejoicing that left a trail of damage to metro trains and city streets.

A vast crowd clad in red, blue and white stretched from the Royal Palace hundreds of metres along Karl Johans gate, the city's main street, performing the synchronised rowing action which has become Norwegian fans' trademark at their team's World Cup matches in the United States.

Norway beat Ivory Coast 2-1 on Tuesday in their first knockout-round win at a World Cup, sending tens of thousands of fans out into Oslo's streets to celebrate.

Near the Royal Palace, over-enthusiastic revellers uprooted plants and tore down fence posts.

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"I daren't think what will happen if we make it all the way to the final," Royal Gardener Ole Johan Hildre told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Transit authorities had to take metro carriages out of service for repairs after fans tore down advertisements and dented carriage ceilings during the post-match revelry.

"It is unfortunate that people get so carried away that it affects our equipment," Gina Scholz, communications manager for transit operator Sporveien, told local media, though she then added: "It has been a fantastic evening."

More than two million of Norway's approximately 5.5-million population watched the match, according to estimates from TV2, the commercial broadcaster which shares the rights to the tournament.

Mass 'Viking row', uprooted plants and dented trains as Norway World Cup fans celebrate

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