More than 100,000 fans welcome national team home after memorable FIFA World Cup campaign
By Shabbir Hussain
ISLAMABAD, July 14 (Alliance News): Norway’s historic FIFA World Cup journey ended in quarter-final heartbreak, but the team’s return home sparked scenes of national celebration as more than 100,000 supporters filled the streets of Oslo to welcome their football heroes.
Norway’s impressive campaign came to an end after a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, denying the Scandinavian nation a place in the last four. Despite the disappointment, thousands of fans turned the team’s homecoming into one of the largest public celebrations in recent Norwegian football history.
Under bright summer skies, huge crowds gathered outside the Royal Palace and along Oslo’s main boulevard, Karl Johans gate, to greet the players following their arrival from the United States.
The Norwegian squad received a traditional water cannon salute upon landing before beginning an open-top bus parade through the capital. The players first attended a reception with King Harald before stepping onto the palace balcony, where they greeted cheering supporters alongside members of the Royal Guard.
Fans described the team’s World Cup performance as a source of immense national pride.
“I have felt very proud. It has been amazing. I have been both at home and in Spain, and the atmosphere among the Norwegian people has been unbelievable,” supporter Catherine Breiland told Reuters.
Captain Martin Odegaard thanked supporters for their unwavering encouragement throughout the tournament.
“I don’t think anyone had imagined this. The support we have received in the USA and here at home in Norway has been beyond all expectations. It has been absolutely incredible to see,” Odegaard said.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was absent from the final stage of the celebrations after leaving early to catch a scheduled flight, along with teammate Sander Berge.
Head coach Stale Solbakken explained that delays to the team’s return journey from the United States forced both players to depart before the celebrations concluded.
“Erling and Sander had to catch their plane because our trip from the US was delayed by four hours,” Solbakken said.
The celebrations continued with an open-top bus parade through central Oslo, although the large crowds occasionally slowed the procession, forcing police to redirect the vehicle as supporters packed the streets.
Players celebrated with fans throughout the route, waving flags and acknowledging the enormous turnout.
One unusual moment came when the double-decker bus was temporarily stopped by low-hanging overhead cables, requiring the players standing on the upper deck to sit down before the vehicle could safely continue.
The incident recalled Norway’s controversial World Cup quarter-final defeat, during which Solbakken claimed Jude Bellingham’s equalising goal for England may have been influenced by the ball striking a camera cable suspended above the pitch.
FIFA has repeatedly rejected those claims, insisting no cable made contact with the ball before the goal.
The homecoming parade concluded at Oslo City Hall Square, where thousands of supporters were still waiting hours later to salute the team.
Supporter Nicolai Sivesind said Norway’s remarkable World Cup run had exceeded all expectations.
“The run the Norwegian team has had this year has been way beyond anything I ever expected. Everyone in Norway should honour this national team because they have done an amazing job throughout the tournament,” he said.
Although Norway narrowly missed reaching the semi-finals, the team’s performances have generated renewed optimism for the future of Norwegian football, with supporters celebrating what many regard as one of the country’s finest achievements on the international stage.
