The gavel fell not to restore order but to set a rhythm. On Thursday afternoon in Oslo, the president of the Storting, Masud Gharahkhani, halted proceedings and called on lawmakers to join him in a collective “Viking row”. To the chant of “Ror! Ror! Ror!” — Norwegian for “Row!” — MPs from across the political spectrum rose from their benches and mimed pulling oars in unison, a salute to the national football team competing at the 2026 World Cup. The chamber, more accustomed to debating legislation, briefly became a stand-in for the terraces, the session ending with applause and Gharahkhani’s punning cry of “Ro i salen! Heia Norge!” — a call for order that doubles as a rowing command and a cheer.

The gesture was a direct echo of the celebration that has come to define Norway’s return to the global stage. In their opening Group I fixture in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Norwegians dismantled Iraq 4–1. Erling Haaland, making his World Cup debut, scored twice before half-time, Leo Østigård added a third, and an own goal by Aymen Hussein deep in stoppage time sealed the rout. The result ended a 28-year absence from the men’s tournament — Norway’s last appearance was France 1998 — and ignited a fervour that has spilled from the stands into the country’s institutions.

That fervour found its visual signature in the “Viking row”, a synchronised rowing motion performed by thousands of red-clad supporters, many wearing horned helmets. The trend first surfaced at Boston’s South Station, where fans rowed up escalators, and quickly spread to bars, public transport and the Gillette Stadium concourses. Viewed from the Middle East, Arab-language outlets noted how the choreography drew on Scandinavian maritime heritage, transforming a football celebration into a display of national identity. In Europe, French and Spanish media traced the phenomenon from the terraces to the corridors of power, framing it as a rare fusion of sport and parliamentary ritual.

Not everyone in the chamber joined the rowing. Erlend Wiborg of the right-wing Progress Party remained seated, later arguing that the coach Ståle Solbakken would not gain points because 169 representatives pretended to row. Ola Svenneby of the Conservatives and Labour’s Agnes Nærland Viljugrein also abstained. Wiborg noted the moment came shortly after a contentious vote criticising the government, calling it ill-timed. Yet Mímir Kristjánsson of the left-wing Rødt party defended the act, telling Aftenposten that parliamentarians should be allowed to support the national team and that “nobody is harmed by rowing a little, or by seeing the people’s representatives row to the people’s rhythm.”

The institutional embrace extends beyond the legislature. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre attended the opening match, and the royal house confirmed that Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus will be present when Norway face Senegal on 22 June at New York/New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. A victory would secure early passage to the knockout phase, prolonging a mood of national unity that has already turned a parliamentary chamber into a longship.