Norway's players performed the "rowing", a celebration that became iconic for their fans at the World Cup, after reaching the knockout stages with a nervous 3-2 victory over Senegal.

Red-clad Norwegians have done their Viking Row in stadiums, escalators, and even Times Square in New York. But it was never more emotional or joyful than the moment they heard the final whistle.

Martin Odegaard, Erling Haaland and their?double' helped to secure the victory. They brought the team together to perform in front of the crowd, but they had to wait until coach Stale Solbakken ran up the steps to the stands at the final whistle, to kiss?and hug?his wife.

Odegaard began to beat the drum, bringing the celebrations to a climax. Pictures showed Trondheim fans joining in as the celebration brought Norway supporters around the globe together. But midfielder Patrick Berg said he didn't think it would catch on.

"At first, I thought people were a bit skeptical - was this something that would last, or something that would die out? "But it has been a huge part of our World Cup thus far," he said to reporters.

"Doing it together in New York is a beautiful moment. The fans started it in Oslo, before we went to the World Cup. Now I believe the whole world knows about it. "I feel that the energy we create with (the fans) is important for us."

Alexander Sorloth, a forward who was beaming with joy after the match, said: "It's been incredibly fun." "Much more fun than I thought. It's magical when you hear the sound.

Sorloth, when asked how far he thought he could take his team and Viking rowing at the World Cup in the World Cup.

"We'll have to see. But if we reach the top, everything is possible. If we reach that level, then we can go far," said he.

Norway is second in Group I with six points behind France, and the two teams will meet in their final Group I match on Friday. (Reporting and additional reporting by Tommy Lund, Nicholas Brown and Ken Ferris; editing by Ken Ferris and Peter Rutherford).

(source: Reuters)