World Cup: Can Norway 'plow through England' again?

While Norway's football team is getting ready for the biggest football match in the nation's history – the World Cup quarter-final against England – many in the Scandinavian kingdom are rehearsing Norway's iconic 'Viking Move' which has become the soundtrack to a World Cup defined by underdogs.

"I beat the drum and then you row backwards," Fredrik Jakobsen instructs a dozen tourists at Oslo's Slottsparken, a park in the city center. The Tromso resident spontaneously decided to teach them how to row properly. 

"I think it was about time to put Norway on the map," Jakobsen tells CGTN. "It's not just Northern lights, it's football as well. The Vikings plowed through England 1,000 years ago – we can do it again."

For decades, Norway's World Cup record was marked by narrow defeats and a best finish in the round of 16. Now, this team has reached the quarter-finals for the first time, sparking belief across a football-loving nation traditionally known for its success in winter sports.

Last Sunday, 100,000 Norwegians flooded the streets of Oslo to celebrate their national team's stunning 2–1 victory over Brazil.

This Saturday, the Vikings face England. It won't be an easy match, but according to Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, anything is possible.

"We have beaten England before, so they should be aware, you know, they should not take this for granted," Store told CGTN on Monday. "They will be surprised."

Norway would not have come this far without striker Erling Haaland. With seven goals so far in the tournament, the Manchester City forward has captured the hearts of even those who rarely watch football, becoming one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet.

"Haaland is amazing," says Oslo resident Kiril Helleberg, who has followed his career closely, saying Haaland is a "huge role model for everyone, every little boy that wants to be a football player.

"And even though he's the biggest star in the world, he's still so humble. Norway can row as far as they want," Helleberg adds.

Meanwhile, even the Prime Minister Store has embraced the rowing trend. "Now I row to the shop and down to the cabin, so I feel I'm doing my bit," he told CGTN.

Whether Norway beat England or not, the Vikings' success has inspired young boys and girls across Norway and beyond.