Norway’s national men’s football team received a rousing welcome home from the World Cup on Monday. Fighter jets escorted their private flight when they entered Norwegian air space, and that was followed by a royal reception and more than 100,000 cheering fans outside the palace in Oslo.
It all but overwhelmed everyone from team captain Martin Ødegaard to members of the team’s support staff, who were welcomed by King Harald V, his son Crown Prince Haakon and Haakon’s offspring Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. The monarch shook hands with all the team players, coaches and support staff, many of them remarkably casually dressed. It’s not often that guests at the Royal Palace in Oslo show up in shorts and flip-flops.
King Harald didn’t seem to mind, with the 89-year-old monarch himself dressed in a short-sleeved shirt. It’s been unusually warm in Oslo the past few days, but not nearly as hot as it’s been in the US where the Norwegian team made it into the quarter-finals for the first time after beating Brazil, but lost to England Saturday night.
That didn’t dampen the spirits of die-hard football fans and all Norwegians who value national accomplishments. They were mighty proud of their team, and let them know it. Tens of thousands flocked to the grounds of the Royal Palace and lined downtown streets through which players later rode on an open bus.
Norwegians cheered, beat drums and, of course, engaged themselves in the Viking-inspired synchronized rowing exercises that sparked international interest. When the team emerged from the Royal Palace, they all sat down and Crown Prince Haakon banged the drum that set off another round of “ro-ro-ro” that’s become an international hit.
“I don’t think anyone had expected what we’ve seen here,” team captain Martin Ødegaard told state broadcaster NRK, which followed the action live through the evening. “This is beyond all expectations, as is all the support we’ve had both in the US and here at home in Norway. It’s been absolutely incredible to see all this.”
Norwegian fans had begun gathering early, both on the palace grounds and along Oslo’s main boulevard through the downtown area, Karl Johans Gate. After emerging from the audience with King Harald and “rowing” with fans outside the palace, the team and their support staff boarded an open bus and were driven through downtown, out to the City Hall Plaza and beyond.
It took however, nearly an hour for the bus simply to make its way through the crowds on the palace grounds with police escort. It was also slow-going past the historic buildings of the University of Oslo, on to the Parliament and then out to the City Hall Plaza. Boisterous fans tossed footballs up to the players, who headed them back down again, and the cheering was formidable.
“The king had prepared us for what we were about to meet,” head coach Ståle Solbakken told reporters outside the palace, “but we were surprised it was so enormous. It was wild.” He told NRK that he and the players had seen coverage of victory celebrations in Norway after his team beat Iraq, Senegal and Brazil, “but to see this ocean of people and come home to such support, it’s just wild.”
It also confirms the national pride, feelings of solidarity and pure fellowship that have swept through the country during the World Cup. Fans didn’t seem to mind the flight-delayed arrival of the team, nor did the royals. “We really waited with joy,” said Crown Prince Haakon. “I think it’s fantastic that so many people came to say ‘thank you’ to the national team.”
There were also lots of children in the crowd, many sitting on the shoulders of their parents and long past their bedtimes. There was also a broad representation of Norwegian immigrants, many of whom have said they really felt “Norwegian” for the first time when joining the crowds of those cheering on the national team. The World Cup is credited with a major boost in integration efforts.
Team members seemed more than glad to be home again after 41 days in the US, where the weather was uncomfortably hot and humid. The only one missing from the outdoor jubilation was Norwegian football superstar Erling Braut Haaland, who attended the royal welcome inside the palace and shook hands with the monarch, but then left before all the outdoor festivities. Norwegian media reported he was already on another private jet bound for what’s believed to be a holiday in Italy.
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
