100,000 welcome Norway home after historic World Cup run

Norway's World Cup quarter-final squad returned to Oslo and found a city waiting for them. An estimated 100,000 fans packed the streets for the parade. The players finished it with a Viking row on the palace steps, and the Prince of Norway joined in on drums.

Haaland stepped off the plane carrying a stuffed raccoon with an empty whisky bottle. It is the image everyone is still talking about. A quarter-final exit that felt like a victory lap, because this was Norway's best World Cup finish ever.

The 2–1 loss to England stung. Bellingham scored twice after Norway went ahead. But the reception back home erased any doubt about what this team means to the country.

The focus now shifts to building from this platform. The manager stays. The question is whether Norway can close the gap against the elite nations consistently. That conversation starts soon.