OSLO, Norway — Thousands of jubilant Norwegian supporters flooded the streets of Oslo on Tuesday night to celebrate their country’s place in the World Cup round of 16, transforming the city center into a sea of red, blue and white while leaving behind damaged metro trains and public property after hours of exuberant festivities.
Fans gathered along Karl Johans gate, Oslo’s main boulevard, where a massive crowd stretched from the Royal Palace for several hundred meters, performing the synchronized “Viking row” that has become Norway’s signature celebration during its World Cup campaign in the United States.
The celebration erupted after Norway secured a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, earning the nation’s first knockout-stage victory at a FIFA World Cup and sending supporters across the country into celebration.
Television images showed thousands of fans rowing in unison while chanting and waving Norwegian flags, creating one of the largest spontaneous public gatherings the capital has witnessed in recent years.
The festivities, however, were accompanied by reports of damage to public infrastructure.
Near the Royal Palace, some supporters uprooted plants and pulled down fence posts as celebrations spilled into landscaped public areas.
“I daren’t think what will happen if we make it all the way to the final,” Royal Gardener Ole Johan Hildre told Norwegian broadcaster NRK after surveying the damage.
Public transportation was also affected as metro services experienced vandalism during the celebrations.
Transit operator Sporveien said several metro carriages had to be withdrawn from service after supporters tore down advertising panels and dented carriage ceilings while celebrating on board trains.
“It is unfortunate that people get so carried away that it affects our equipment,” Sporveien communications manager Gina Scholz told local media.
Despite the damage, Scholz acknowledged the significance of the occasion for Norwegian football supporters.
“It has been a fantastic evening,” she added.
Police maintained a visible presence throughout central Oslo but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or widespread disorder.
Authorities instead focused on managing the unusually large crowds that continued celebrating well into the night after the final whistle.
The scale of the celebrations reflected growing national excitement surrounding Norway’s World Cup campaign.
According to estimates from commercial broadcaster TV2, which shares domestic television rights for the tournament, more than 2 million people watched the match against Ivory Coast. That audience represented a substantial proportion of Norway’s population of approximately 5.5 million, highlighting the country’s renewed enthusiasm for international football.
Norway’s victory ended a long wait for success in the knockout phase of the World Cup and has fueled hopes that the team could produce its deepest tournament run in decades.
Supporters have embraced the “Viking row” as the defining symbol of the campaign, with the coordinated celebration first gaining international attention at Norway’s matches in the United States before spreading to fan gatherings back home.
Tuesday’s scenes demonstrated how rapidly the tradition has become part of Norway’s football identity, with entire sections of the capital joining together in synchronized movements that echoed celebrations seen inside stadiums during the tournament.
City officials are expected to assess the cost of repairing damaged public property and transit infrastructure in the coming days.
Even so, many acknowledged that the celebrations reflected a rare sporting achievement that united much of the country.
Attention will now turn to Norway’s round-of-16 match, where supporters hope the team can continue its unexpected World Cup journey—and perhaps give Oslo another reason to celebrate, even as authorities prepare for the possibility of even larger crowds if the campaign continues.
