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Norway’s national soccer team returned home from the 2026 World Cup to a reception at the Royal Palace in Oslo on Monday. King Harald, Crown Prince Haakon, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and Prince Sverre Magnus welcomed the squad, including star striker Erling Haaland. The Crown Prince led approximately 90,000 people for the Viking row chant, while Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus were sitting with the team.
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The invitation had been extended even before the players left American soil. Crown Prince Haakon, who was at the quarterfinal match, visited the dressing room after their loss to address the squad directly, wearing the national team scarf over his suit.
Norway fans outside of the Royal Palace on Monday after the team’s return.JAVAD PARSA – Getty Images
“When you get home, the King would like to invite you to the Castle,” he told the players in a moving talk, which was shared in a video to the royal family’s Instagram page. “Before your ending ceremony and your welcome back, which will be hosted somewhere else in the city… But as I said: You are allowed to be disappointed, but the rest of us are just incredibly grateful, really proud of you. And we think you have given us an absolutely priceless effort.”
Thousands of Norwegian fans reportedly crowded the streets of Oslo late into Saturday night, despite rainy weather, while watching the game together on big screens installed around City Hall. This was Norway’s first time back at the World Cup since 1998. “It has been an amazing journey. The Viking row has gone around the world and we have done everything and more than we could dream of,” one fan told Reuters after the match was over.
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The Norwegian royal family had been vocal fans throughout the tournament. Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, attended two matches earlier in the competition. After Norway’s upset victory over Brazil in the Round of 16 on July 5, even the Crown Prince joined the celebrations on the streets of Oslo and took part in the team’s now-famous “Viking Row” chant.
Prince Haakon at the quarterfinals.Eva Marie Uzcategui – FIFA – Getty Images
The chant became one of the defining images of the 2026 World Cup. Fans not just of Norway but from all over the world have been seen crouching down and miming the row in unison while chanting “Ro! Ro! Ro!”—a nod to Norway’s Viking heritage. Footage of it has spread rapidly across social media, appearing in New York’s Times Square, random escalators in Boston, and even on the steps of Buckingham Palace ahead of the Norway-England game. The chant and the team’s star, Haaland, became so popular that Google developed an Easter egg before the quarterfinal that triggered an animation of Nordic Vikings rowing when anyone typed “Erling Haaland” into the search bar.
The 25-year-old striker, especially, became one of the tournament’s breakout stars, generating headlines like “Why America has fallen for Erling Haaland, football’s most likeable superstar” from The Athletic and “If you ask Americans, Norway’s Erling Haaland is already a winner,” from the BBC. His Instagram following has grown from 40.7 million before the tournament to 65.9 million by the time Norway flew home. In this case, it appears the affection is mutual.
Haaland arriving home to Norway with a stuffed raccoon.JAN LANGHAUG – Getty Images
“I like the Americans. I think they are kind of hilarious as well. They are funny. So I like the way they are,” he told reporters ahead of the quarterfinals. “It’s been, honestly, on every single thing with the World Cup here so far has been amazing. From the games, to the stadiums to training grounds to everything has been amazing. It’s been impressive.”
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