OSLO: More than 100,000 fans flooded the streets of the Norwegian capital Oslo on Monday to give their soccer team a heroes' welcome, turning the heartbreak of their World Cup exit into a massive national celebration.
A 2-1 extra-time defeat by England on Saturday brought Norway's historic run to an end in the quarter-finals, shattering the Nordics' dreams of a place in the last four. However, it did not stop the country celebrating their heroes.
Massive crowds under the Norwegian summer sun filled the grounds of the Royal Palace early on Monday afternoon, with an unofficial turnout estimated at more than 100,000 people.
The Norway squad touched down to a traditional water cannon salute before commencing their homecoming parade in the capital.
The line of supporters quickly packed the palace square before stretching far down the main street, Karl Johans gate, as the squad first attended an audience with King Harald.
"I have felt very proud, it has been amazing, I have been both at home and in Spain, and the atmosphere between the Norwegian people has been there all the time, so it has been unbelievable," Norway fan Catherine Breiland told Reuters.
The team stepped out to greet the fans with the Royal Guard standing to attention behind them.
Striker Erling Haaland was noticeably absent from the final stage of the celebrations, having left early.
His departure meant he missed joining his teammates on the palace steps for one last "Viking row", with tens of thousands of fans gathered below, which was led by Crown Prince Haakon on the drums.
"Erling and Sander (Berge) had to catch their plane as our trip from the U.S. was delayed four hours," coach Stale Solbakken said, as the squad prepared to continue the celebrations in an open-top bus parade around Oslo.
Crowds slowed the bus to a halt through central Oslo, forcing it to reverse at one point as police escorts struggled to carve out a path. Undeterred, Norway's players celebrated with beer and waved as the party continued long after dark.
"The run the Norwegian team has had this year has been way beyond anything I've ever expected. I feel everybody in Norway should just honour the national team, which has done such an amazing job during this whole cup," said Nicolai Sivesind, who travelled to Oslo to take part in World Cup events.
CABLES PAUSE NORWEGIAN CELEBRATIONS
There was a moment of irony when the parade was halted by low-hanging overhead cables. The players, who had been standing and waving flags on the top deck, were forced to sit down to clear the obstruction before the double-decker could proceed.
Solbakken said earlier he was convinced the ball hit a camera cable above the pitch just before Jude Bellingham scored England's equaliser in the first half of the quarter-final.
World soccer's governing body FIFA has repeatedly denied that the ball touched any wire before the goal.
Hours after the parade began, it completed the 1.3-km route at City Hall Square, where tens of thousands of patient supporters were still waiting to welcome the team.
"I don't think anyone had imagined this," captain Martin Odegaard told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. "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." — Reuters
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