While Brazilians dance and Scots celebrate in major North American cities, Scandinavian fans have flooded the internet with their famous "Viking Row." This ritual, where fans simulate rowing coordinately while sitting on the ground as if they were on a drakkar, has gone viral multiple times in recent days, becoming the funniest and most emblematic clip of Nordic joy in this tournament.
The fans' excitement has been reflected on the field. Norway currently sits at the top of Group I after a spectacular debut where they defeated Iraq with a convincing 4-1 score. In that first match, Erling Haaland confirmed his status as a global superstar by scoring a brace, leading his country's offense in their first World Cup match. Their coach, Stale Solbakken, highlighted that Haaland has the potential to be the star of this edition, although he acknowledged the difficulty of replacing historical figures like Messi in the future.
Heading into their second match against Senegal, a multitude of Norwegian fans have gathered in the iconic Times Square in New York, celebrating with chants before heading to the stadium. However, optimism is met with technical concerns. Solbakken and midfielder Morten Thorsby have criticized the hardness of the turf at MetLife Stadium, describing it as "almost artificial" and not very fluid. Despite players like Vinícius Jr. and Adrien Rabiot also expressing discontent with this venue, Thorsby remained positive, pointing out that many Norwegians are used to playing on similar surfaces in their country. With the confidence gained from the victory against Iraq and the massive support of their fans, Norway aims to solidify their lead.