World Cup stands turn into national identity stage with Viking oars and traffic cones
At the World Cup in the United States, Norwegian fans' Viking rowing ritual and Scottish fans' traffic cone tradition left their mark on the tournament. Experts say these performances are a new form of cultural expression that transcends national boundaries.
Fans from around the world are adding color to the World Cup in the United States with displays that reflect their national identities. The scenes in the stands after Norway's 3-2 victory over Senegal in New Jersey surpassed the result on the pitch.
Instead of going wild with celebration, thousands of Norwegian fans began rowing from their seats. With captain Martin Ødegaard beating a large drum, the players on the field joined the ritual, rowing along with the stands.
Viking ritual spills onto New York streets
Fans sitting shoulder to shoulder, mimicking rowing in a giant Viking ship while chanting "ro," Norwegian for "row," turned the spectacle into their team's signature show of support. The ritual was repeated in many spots across New York and New Jersey, from subway trains to escalators.
Among the Norwegian fans who took over Times Square on Monday was Ashley Locke, 34, from Nashville, Tennessee. "There's nothing like a moment when everyone shares the same energy. It was really cool and special, something you wouldn't experience outside the World Cup," Locke told NBC News.
First seen in a March friendly against Switzerland, this viral trend quickly turned into a national celebration that became Norway's trademark. Before the tournament, the Norwegian team paid another tribute to their historical roots by wearing Viking costumes in their farewell photo. Norway, which had not qualified for the World Cup in 28 years before this summer, is now rowing its way into the knockout rounds.
The Tartan Army and traffic cones
Scottish fans, known as the "Tartan Army," also made their presence felt in the knockout matches in Boston and Miami. Around 50,000 Scottish fans flocked to Boston to celebrate with enthusiasm despite the team's mixed performance in the tournament.
Wearing traditional Scottish kilts, the fans often announced their arrival with the sound of bagpipes echoing through the streets. Before Scotland's unfortunate match against Brazil on Wednesday, a large contingent of the Tartan Army attended a Miami Marlins baseball game with their bagpipes and parties. The fans also kept alive a more modern Scottish tradition by decorating statues in both cities with traffic cones.
The power of cultural expression beyond borders
Swiss fans are known for their cowbells, while South Africa's plastic vuvuzela horns will not be seen at this year's tournament. The vuvuzela, widely used during the 2010 tournament in South Africa, has been banned from World Cup stadiums along with other noisemakers.
Paul Widdop, an associate professor of sport business management at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: "What we are observing in the stands and on the streets at this World Cup in North America is a very interesting expression of national identity, showing a shift in how culture is produced and circulated in global sport." Widdop added: "It's not about whether these practices are authentic or traditional. What matters is that they function as simple, repeatable forms of cultural expression that become recognizable across borders."
Congo's living statue
For fans of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the symbol of national identity took a very different form. Throughout the tournament, Congolese fans rallied around Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a living statue representing Patrice Lumumba, the country's assassinated independence leader and prime minister.
The super fan, better known as Lumumba Vea, drew attention at last year's Africa Cup of Nations by dressing like Lumumba and standing completely still throughout matches. Wearing a bright red jacket and tie, Mboladinga made headlines again on Tuesday by recreating the pose of the Lumumba statue in the Congolese capital Kinshasa during the group stage match against Colombia in Boston.
Lumumba, widely regarded as a symbol of Congo's independence, led the country out of Belgian colonial rule in 1960, became the first prime minister, and was assassinated just months later. Although Congo lost 1-0 to Colombia, Widdop said: "Nations are not only represented on the pitch; they are made visible through these emotional performances off the field."
In Congo, which continues to grapple with armed conflicts in its eastern regions and recurring public health crises, symbols of national resilience carry special emotional weight. Mboladinga, who missed his country's opening match against Portugal due to Ebola quarantine restrictions, has now become a social media star. Widdop added that fans communicating through such symbolic forms of expression are "not only expressing identity but also producing recognizable emotional signals that others can instantly understand about their countries."
