Norway Soccer Team Celebrated Despite World Cup Loss

In Oslo on Monday, over 100,000 fans took to the streets to celebrate the Norwegian soccer team. Despite their World Cup exit after a 2-1 defeat by England in the quarter-finals, Norwegians treated the players as heroes. The event transformed their disappointment into a national celebration.

Fans gathered under Oslo’s summer sun at the Royal Palace, with estimates of the turnout exceeding 100,000 people. Supporters greeted the Norwegian team at Slottsplassen in a show of solidarity.

The team’s return was marked by a water cannon salute as they began their parade in the capital. The crowd stretched from the palace square down Karl Johans gate, where the squad met King Harald. A fan, Catherine Breiland, expressed her pride and described the atmosphere as unbelievable, both in Norway and Spain.

With the Royal Guard in attendance, the team addressed the cheering fans. Erling Haaland, Norway’s striker, was absent from the final celebrations, having left early due to a delayed flight from the U.S. His absence was noted when Crown Prince Haakon led a Viking row celebration on the palace steps.

Coach Stale Solbakken explained Haaland’s and Sander Berge’s early departure. The team continued their celebrations with a bus parade around Oslo, where crowds slowed the bus’s progress. Despite the delay, the players celebrated enthusiastically with fans.

Nicolai Sivesind, who joined the Oslo celebrations, praised the team’s unexpected success at the World Cup. He felt everyone in Norway should honor their national team.

The parade faced a brief pause due to low overhead cables, prompting players to lower flags on the open-top bus. The tour concluded at City Hall Square, where more supporters awaited the team’s arrival.

Norway’s captain, Martin Odegaard, expressed his amazement at the support from fans both internationally and at home. He described the experience as ‘absolutely incredible’.