Norway's fans have found a new opponent: Times Square yoga practitioners. And they won that one too.
A video posted to Instagram by @sharon.v.md captured a group of Norway supporters mirroring a yoga session happening nearby in Times Square, doing their own exaggerated imitation of the stretches and poses in unison. The yogi filming it took it well — "When you realize the Norwegian soccer fans are trolling the yogis in Times Square," she captioned it, with a laughing emoji that felt entirely earned.
A fanbase 26 years in the making
You have to understand what this World Cup means for Norway supporters before you dismiss this as just another funny crowd moment. Their team hasn't been at a World Cup since 1998. That's 26 years of watching every major tournament without a dog in the fight. Now they're here, they've won both their opening games, and they are absolutely making the most of every second of it.
Their second group game was in New York — a 3-2 win over Senegal, settled by a brace from Erling Haaland and a goal from Marcus Holmgren Pedersen. After the final whistle, the players sat in front of the stands and did the Viking row with their supporters, captain Martin Odegaard beating the drum. It's theatrical, it's tribal, and it works. Norway know how to be Norway.
Six points from two games. They face France in Boston on Friday June 27th, with both sides level on points and top spot on the line. That match just got a lot more interesting for anyone pricing group winners — two unbeaten teams, one ticket to first place.
The yoga class never stood a chance.
