Ahead of Norway’s quarterfinal World Cup match against England at Miami Stadium, hundreds of Norwegian fans swarmed Miami Beach to toast their team and showcase their 'Ro' chant to the city.
Dressed in bright red shirts and horned Viking hats, they sat in the middle of Ocean Drive to demonstrate the iconic rowing celebration that's been seen in stadiums and, well, everywhere they go this summer.
This is Norway’s first World Cup appearance in 28 years, and the first time the country’s team has reached the quarterfinal in the tournament’s history. With star striker Erling Haaland in great form and receiving global recognition, Norway’s team has become immensely popular in the U.S. over the past few weeks.
Likewise, the national team's fans have won hearts — and social media — with their spirit, culture and energy as they have traveled to each city that their team has played in.
Now, they say they're excited to explore South Florida and, hopefully, beat the English team.
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Teodor Larsen Skalleberg came to the South Beach celebration wearing a Norway flag around his waist. This is the first time that his country has made it to a World Cup during his lifetime, so he has been to all of their matches this summer.
“ I've been waiting my whole life, but we're feeling very confident,” said Skalleberg. “I feel like the fans are a big part of it. You can see the players after the game, they really appreciate us.”
Over the past month in the United States, he said he has found the Americans to be very welcoming hosts.
“What we heard from the Americans was that they really like the way we behave ourselves. Even though we still can make the streets crazy, we still treat people well,” said Skalleberg.
And crazy, the streets were: hundreds danced, sang and swayed Norway flags along Ocean Drive, filling up every restaurant seat near the 5th Street intersection. Their cheers culminated in the ‘Ro’ chant, where over a hundred Norway fans sat in the street and rowed to the beat of a drum, mimicking their Viking ancestors.
Even amidst the heatwave, and even if they had to take off their Viking helmets to cool down, the Norwegians were still excited to explore Miami.
“I’m excited to be in Miami,” said Sascha-Benno Klatza. “Just the city and the coastline, all the beaches… It’s like what you see in the movies.”
Between Klatzka and his friend Per Arne Fredheim, they have attended all of Norway’s World Cup matches. Klatzka saw them play against Iraq in Boston, and Fredheim caught the matches against Cote d’Ivoire in Dallas and against Brazil in New York.
They have enjoyed seeing people from across countries and cultures root for them.
“I absolutely love [the recognition],” said Fredheim. “Norwegians are a lovable people.”
Beyond the headline-grabbing Viking chants and goal-scoring prowess of Haaland, they stress that it's been a team effort.
” It's super easy to just see Haaland. He's the player of the match so often, but last game against Brazil, there were so many key players like Ørjan Nyland, our goalkeeper, so don't overlook the rest,” said Klatzka. “Nothing has been as it is today without the whole squad or with the coach.”
