When Norway posed for perhaps the most iconic picture any squad managed before the World Cup, paying tribute to their ancestors’ seafaring past, one player looked still better suited to the Viking warrior’s garb than the rest. Perhaps it was Erling Haaland’s height, or his long blond locks. He seemed dressed to terrorise; although, that said, he often does in the distinctly modern sky-blue shirt of Manchester City as well.
But, a thousand years after exiles from Norway – in their case via Greenland and Iceland – became the first Europeans to land in North America, there have been some Viking raids up and down the east coast. Norway marked victory in New York by mimicking their forebears; rowing, that least glamorous of sports, has rarely been part of footballing celebrations before. Norway are drawing inspiration from their past.
