Norway Party On as Viking Run Ends in Proud Defeat

The final whistle in Miami marked the end of Norway's World Cup, but it sparked a celebration back home that had little to do with defeat. According to Reuters, huge crowds gathered in Karl Johan, Oslo's main thoroughfare, where flares lit up the sky and fireworks crackled overhead as the national anthem echoed through the night.

Reuters reported that one fan at Palace Square captured the mood well, saying the occasion was about national pride and something the country had done together. Another described the whole run as an amazing journey that had exceeded all expectations, with the Viking Row going around the world.

Norway's quarter-final exit at the hands of England brought down the curtain on a campaign that delighted a nation and put Norwegian football firmly back on the world map.