FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts (AP) 鈥� First it was their fans performing a synchronized 鈥淰iking row鈥� in the stands at matches.
Then it was their , complete with weapons, shields and long boats, to the backdrop of a fjord for a moody, dramatic photo shoot.
鈥淎 dream 28 years in the making… let鈥檚 do this!鈥� Norway star Erling Haaland Monday, reposting the photo of the team along with one of his father, Alfie Haaland, competing for the national team in the 1994 World Cup.
Norway is leaning into the country鈥檚 centuries-old history as its star-studded men鈥檚 team, containing Haaland and Martin Odegaard, heads into a first in 28 years.
It has created plenty of excitement and debate.
鈥淚t was an ask or a question from the (photographers),鈥� Norway manager Stale Solbakken said Monday in advance of his team’s World Cup opener against Iraq. 鈥淭he players wanted me to do it. They were positive. The federation was positive. And I was average positive. And then we did it.”
It could be the new 鈥渢hunder clap鈥�
The Norway fan routine sees lines of supporters, wearing Viking helmets and the team鈥檚 red-and-blue jerseys, rowing in unison, forward and backward, to the steady beat of a drum.
Expect it to catch the eye at the World Cup in Norway鈥檚 group games at (against Iraq and France) and in New Jersey (against Senegal).
It could potentially have a similar impact to the 鈥渢hunder clap鈥� performed by Iceland鈥檚 fans at the European Championship in 2016 that resonated around the world and has since been used by many other sports teams.
One critic says the photo is 鈥渃hauvinistic鈥�
The Norwegian soccer federation commissioned British photographer David Yarrow to take the Viking snap, and he said in an interview with The Athletic he knew 鈥渋t might get some criticism.鈥�
Yarrow was right.
As well as sparking wonder for its breathtaking backdrop and creativity, it also is regarded by some as controversial for harking back to a time 鈥� in the 800s and 900s 鈥� when Norwegian Vikings conducted raids featuring looting and pillaging.
One commentator, Markus Slettholm from daily paper Morgenbladet, said the photo was chauvinistic and 鈥渁 bit reminiscent of what neo-Nazis were concerned with 10 years ago.鈥�
Solbakken doesn鈥檛 see the fuss.
鈥淭here are many bigger and more difficult topics,鈥� he said before the World Cup. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 afford to waste time on that.鈥�
Yarrow previously worked with Haaland in a solo photo shoot.
The BBC reported that sales of the Viking-themed team photo will raise funds for Norwegian charities.
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Douglas reported from Sundsvall, Sweden.
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