Norway's World Cup fever has reached the one place you'd least expect it: a formal parliamentary session in Oslo. On Thursday, the speaker of the Storting interrupted proceedings to ask elected representatives to recreate the Viking rowing celebration — and they did it, across party lines, without hesitation.
It's the kind of moment that only makes sense if you've seen what's been happening over in the United States. After Norway's 4-1 demolition of Iraq in Boston, the country's fans — decked in red, many wearing Viking helmets — were rowing in unison in bars, on escalators, on public transport. The celebration leans into Norway's seafaring Scandinavian identity, and it's caught on with a momentum that apparently no institution is immune to.
Norway means business in Group I
The fun stuff aside, Norway have genuine reason to believe. A four-goal win in your opening group game changes the calculus significantly. They sit in a strong position in Group I, and a win over Senegal on June 22 would effectively punch their ticket to the knockout stage.
Senegal aren't a pushover — they're organised, athletic, and capable of punishing teams on the counter. Norway will need more than parliamentary goodwill to get through that one. But the momentum, the confidence, and the sheer collective energy around this squad? That's not nothing. Anyone backing Norway to advance from the group is looking at a team that's already shown its attacking teeth.
The Viking row started in the stands. Then it spread to the streets, the bars, and the escalators. Now it's inside the national parliament.
Senegal have been warned.
