Overview
- The celebration began as a fan-created choreography developed by organized supporters and musician Jonas Thomassen in late 2025 and early 2026 to give Norway a visual, chant-driven identity at the World Cup.
- Norwegian players joined the ritual on the pitch, with captain Martin Ødegaard notably striking a drum after the win over Senegal as teammates and fans performed the synchronized rowing movement.
- The gesture quickly moved beyond stadiums into public life, appearing in Times Square, schools, eldercare homes and even the Norwegian Parliament, and spreading worldwide through social media clips.
- Large street celebrations in Oslo after Norway’s win over Ivory Coast produced synchronized remos but also led to vandalism and damage to metro wagons that transport operator Sporveien said had to be withdrawn for repair.
- The phenomenon has prompted debate about originality because of comparisons to Iceland’s earlier ‘Viking Thunder,’ and it has been imitated by other teams with players such as Erling Haaland sharing or joking about copies online.