If you’ve been following the 2026 World Cup, chances are you’ve seen throngs of Norwegian soccer fans doing something called the “Viking row,” a synchronized celebration that has quickly become a viral sensation.
And it goes like this: The Scandinavian team’s supporters — most clad in the red and blue colors of Norway’s flag, some wearing Viking helmets — mimic the movement of Viking ship oarsmen while chanting “ro!” in unison.
And they’ve been doing it seemingly everywhere: on an escalator, on the subway, in the middle of Times Square, in the stands, of course, and on the field.
Ahead of Norway’s first World Cup match in 28 years, fans did the Viking row on an escalator en route to the game.
Some fans making their way to watch Monday night’s game did the row on the floor of a subway car.
Outside before the match, they did the row in rain.
After Norway defeated Senegal 3-2 to advance to the knockout stage, the team gathered on the field at the New York New Jersey Stadium to lead their fans in a Viking row.
Captain Martin Ødegaard banged a drum for his teammates to perform the row as they sat on the pitch, setting off a wild celebration.
Fans back in Norway have been doing it, too, on the streets of Oslo and Trondheim, and even in parliament.
Ole Frøystad, a Norwegian soccer fan, is credited with creating the Viking row celebration in 2025.
“It goes way back,” he told CNN. “I mean, a thousand years ago, the Vikings rowed. They took in their sails, oars out to get to shore. And they did that right before battle.”
Frøystad, who goes by the name Mr. Row Row on Instagram, added: “It’s about rowing for the team, making sure that we get the team to feel good on the pitch, make them perform the way that they should, and just support them in every way we can.”
