Erling Haaland swapped his goalscoring boots for a bongo drum as he took over the dance floor at Gianluigi Donnarumma’s wedding in Italy, leading guests in a rousing rendition of Norway’s viral “Viking Row.”
The Italian goalkeeper tied the knot with his partner Alessia Elefante in a lavish ceremony in Fasano, attended by a star-studded guest list that included Pep Guardiola, Paolo Maldini, Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Barella.
But it was Haaland who stole the show during the evening reception.
Climbing onto the stage, the 26-year-old Norwegian striker grabbed a drum and set a steady rhythm, prompting formally dressed guests, suits, tuxedos and all, to sit down on the floor and lean back and forth in unison to mimic rowing oars.
It was a familiar sight by now.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Viking Row had gone from a Norwegian celebration to a global phenomenon, becoming almost inseparable from the country’s remarkable campaign in the United States.
VIKING ROW TAKES OVER THE WORLD
The celebration first became a defining feature of Norway’s World Cup journey during the group stage.
Every time Norway took to the pitch, the Viking Row seemed to follow. Norwegian supporters filled stadiums with rhythmic movement, while the players repeatedly joined in on the pitch after their victories.
Thousands of fans had already taken over Times Square in New York before one of Norway’s matches, performing the synchronised rowing motion to the beat of the drum. Soon, it was no longer confined to Norwegian supporters. The celebration became one of the most recognisable supporter traditions of the entire tournament. FIFA described it as one of the World Cup’s two most distinctive fan traditions.
The players embraced it just as enthusiastically.
After Norway secured their place in the knockout rounds, Haaland and his teammates gathered around the drum on the pitch and recreated the celebration alongside their supporters. It became a recurring image of a team that was quickly turning heads on and off the field.
And Norway had plenty to celebrate.
The Viking Row became the soundtrack to the country’s best-ever World Cup campaign. Norway marched into the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, with Haaland at the centre of their remarkable run.
The striker scored twice in the final stages as Norway stunned Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16, sending the five-time champions home and taking Norway into the last eight for the first time.
After the victory, the Viking Row returned once again.
Haaland led his teammates in the celebration as the Norwegian squad revelled in a historic night. Back home, fans performed the same routine in the streets of Oslo, turning the celebration into a national expression of pride.
By then, the Viking Row had become bigger than football.
Norwegian fans performed it in stadiums. Players performed it on the pitch. Supporters recreated it in city centres. It even spread beyond football, with members of Norway’s armed forces joining in after the team’s historic run.
And now, weeks after Norway’s World Cup adventure ended, Haaland has taken it somewhere entirely different.
A wedding reception in Italy.
From Times Square and World Cup stadiums to a dance floor filled with football’s biggest names, the Viking Row has travelled a long way.
Haaland, it seems, is not ready to let it stop just yet.
– Ends
