The Viking row, a choreographed chant performed by Norway fans, has become the defining viral phenomenon of the 2026 World Cup, spreading far beyond stadiums. From Times Square to the Norwegian parliament and even inside F-35 fighter jet cockpits, the synchronized rowing motion has captured global attention.
Origin and spread
The chant was devised by Ole Frøystad, a primary school teacher now known on social media as mr.row.row. Inspired by the rhythmic "RO-SEN-BORG" chant of the Norwegian football club Rosenborg BK, he realized "Ro" sounded like "row" and connected it to Viking imagery. "That's exactly what the Vikings did. They rowed into battle," Frøystad told ESPN. The chant involves sitting as if in a longboat and drawing an imaginary oar through water to an accelerating drumbeat while chanting "Ro" (Norwegian for "row").
Frøystad brought the idea to Torstein Hamran, a leading member of the Norwegian supporters' club Oljeberget. They tested it in March and refined it before Norway's final pre-World Cup friendly against Sweden. Frøystad posted a video of the chant from that match on Instagram, where it garnered over 38 million views and nearly 3 million likes. "That's when I realized this is going to be insane," he said.
Impact on and off the pitch
When Norway advanced to the last 16 for the first time since 1998, jubilant fans rowing en masse in Oslo and Bergen produced so much sound that seismologists recorded an earthquake. Norway's star striker Erling Haaland posted a clip of the squad rowing after their win over Côte d'Ivoire, calling it "bigger than football." He told reporters: "Seeing thousands rowing with you, you feel the energy. It gives you goosebumps."
Captain Martin Ødegaard, who led the squad row with a drum grabbed from the stands, said: "It makes you realize you aren't just 11 guys on the pitch – you're a whole crew. It's an unbelievable feeling." The chant has spread beyond stadiums: Norwegian MPs performed it in parliament, Prince Sverre Magnus rowed in an Oslo subway carriage, care home residents in their 90s rowed in rural Norway, and Royal Air Force pilots rowed in F-35 cockpits.
Criticism and historical debate
Not everyone is impressed. Some critics note the Vikings' reputation for looting and brutality. Janne Stigen Drangsholt, an Aftenposten columnist, criticized an unhealthy "masculinity aesthetic" and "toxic, rather laddish vibe." Another commentator, Hans Petter Sjøli, told NRK it was "a little too loud and Disney-like for us Norwegians." Others expressed concern about far-right groups co-opting Norse symbolism.
Norway's neighbors also weighed in. Sweden defender Gustaf Lagerbielke said: "We just sigh when we see it. But maybe we're sighing more at the TV crews that zoom in on it every time. But whatever floats your boat." Swedish historians highlighted a historical inaccuracy: eastern Vikings (from modern-day Sweden) were famous for river and coastal rowing, while western Vikings (from Norway) were transatlantic sailors. Thus, Norwegians are imitating Swedish Vikings, Stockholm pundits argue.
Despite the criticism, the chant has won over many. Norwegian tourism bosses hail the attention. MP Mímir Kristjánsson dismissed criticism as "absurd," insisting "Nazis don't own Thor, Odin or Valhalla" and that "Norway must bring its own culture" to the World Cup. The speaker of Norway's parliament, Masud Gharahkhani, who organized a mass parliamentary row, said: "We're a country of 5.6 million people. This is huge."
