The Norway national football team has left a cultural mark in the United States following the 2026 World Cup, while the squad now focuses on its upcoming match against Denmark. The Minnesota Gophers American college football team has adopted the famous Norwegian supporters' 'row' chant.
During Norway's quarter-final run at the 2026 World Cup, the coordinated 'rowing' chant and drumming by fans became a global phenomenon. Minnesota Gophers head coach PJ Fleck, whose long-time tagline is 'Row the Boat', moved to adopt the chant for home games. During the season opener on September 4, 2026, thousands of fans at Huntington Bank Stadium debuted the exact same chant, simulating rowing in unison.
Minnesota has the largest population of Norwegian Americans in the US, making the connection a natural one. Former linebacker Kamal Martin led the first official rowing during the game against Eastern Illinois. Fleck had hinted this could happen at Big Ten media days earlier in the summer.
According to the UNC Greensboro (UNCG) website, newly promoted assistant coach Colin Keck assisted in hosting the Norwegian national team during their World Cup preparations in the summer of 2026. Keck, who was raise to full-time assistant coach for UNCG track and cross country in 2026, was responsible for team operations and hospitality when Norway held a training camp at the university.
In addition to assisting the Norwegian squad, Keck organized a community event that drew approximately 3,500 attendees. His experience also includes helping host Brazilian club Palmeiras FC during the FIFA Club World Cup in Greensboro. UNCG head coach Kaleigh Roach stated that bringing Keck onto the staff was a 'full circle' moment.
The Norway national team currently sits in a strong second place in the World Cup finals with six points from three games, according to our standings. They have scored eight goals and conceded seven, for a +1 goal difference. The team is, however, three points behind leaders France.
After an impressive start with three consecutive wins (LLWWW, most recent first), Norway has lost its last two matches. This includes a 1-2 defeat to England on July 11, 2026. To reverse this trend, the team must focus on the next important fixture: a home match against neighboring Denmark on September 24, 2026. View the full schedule here.
Mashable reports that all 104 matches from the 2026 World Cup were available to watch for free on NRK. This is an important reminder that upcoming national team matches will also be accessible via public broadcasters. The 2026 tournament, which was expanded to 48 teams, ran from June 11 to July 19.
For Norwegian supporters following the team's journey, it's easy to stay updated with player statistics and the squad list. The team's recent form of 3 wins, 0 draws, and 2 losses highlights the need for a comeback against Denmark in just a few weeks.
