Norway Receive Heroes’ Welcome After Historic World Cup Run

Around 90,000 supporters in Oslo greeted Norway’s players on Monday after returning home from their historic FIFA World Cup campaign, which ended with a quarter-final defeat to England.

Martin Odegaard’s side produced the country’s best-ever performance at the tournament, reaching the last eight for the first time before losing 2-1 to England in extra time in Miami on Saturday.

Thousands packed the square outside the Royal Palace as the squad arrived to a rousing reception. The celebrations featured the now-famous “Viking Row”, which became a symbol of Norway’s memorable run in North America.

Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, led the celebrations by beating a drum, having also travelled to Miami to watch the quarter-final defeat.

“It’s simply incredible to see all the support we receive and to see how much the country is behind us,” captain Martin Odegaard told public broadcaster NRK.

“It’s really fantastic,” the Arsenal midfielder added.

The players later toured the city on an open-top bus, with supporters lining the streets to salute a team that captured the nation’s imagination during its first World Cup appearance in 28 years.

Norway’s journey included a famous victory over five-time champions Brazil in the round of 16, while Haaland finished the tournament with seven goals to further enhance his growing reputation on the global stage.

According to NRK, the Manchester City striker did not remain for the full celebrations as he had another flight to catch.