Fifa World Cup: Norway on edge before historic quarter-final against England
Few expected the team to make it this far in the tournament, and the result is a nation united in euphoria around its team of Vikings
Norway’s national jerseys are sold out everywhere, beer sales are up by a third and Norwegians are scrambling for a place to watch the historic quarter-final against England.
The whole country is incredulous: no one expected the men’s team to make it this far in the men’s football World Cup. The result is a country united in euphoria around its team of Vikings.
“This is amazing, it’s magic,” football fan Tora Bell, 31, said in an interview in Oslo ahead of Saturday’s nail-biter match. “We want to see it together with a crowd, to share this moment.”
Bell has been sewing and decorating her own red, white and blue shirts to show support to the national team and said she was feeling a new pride and hope seeing the community and celebrations of the Norwegian players in the streets of Oslo.
“We are even hugging people we don’t know,” she said.
The path to the quarter-final was lined with surprises. Norway had not qualified for the World Cup for 28 years, but went on to send home Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, 2-1 last Sunday.