The Agony and Ecstasy of Football Fandom: Norway’s “Viking Row” and Other Soccer Chants

Every football (soccer) match begins long before the whistle for kickoff—it is preceded by a chorus of songs and chants by fans who transform pubs and stadiums into a carnival. For millions of people across the globe, football is a way of life that shapes identity and builds a community like nothing else. Supporters invest time, energy, money, and, most important, emotion in their chosen clubs and national teams. An estimated 3.5 billion people watch football, driving revenue by packing stadiums, buying merchandise, and consuming broadcasts. While its economic impact cannot be overstated, the real value of fandom lies in the cultural capital that has emerged from its collective spirit. It wouldn’t be football without the deafening roar of the crowd at every victory and every heartbreak.

Fans helped to create some of the most compelling moments off the pitch at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After England’s 4–2 win over Croatia, English fans sang “Wonderwall” by Oasis to the Harry Kane-led English team, bringing the stadium to an emotional standstill. It became a post-match ritual, as did the “Viking Row” by Norwegian fans, a coordinated rowing movement conducted to the chant of “ro!” (“row” in Norwegian). The Norwegian team celebrated their victories by performing the “Viking Row” on the pitch as fans did so in the stands, and a group of fans recreated the row in New York’s Times Square. In another instance of festivities spilling from stadiums into streets, Scottish fans (known as the “Tartan Army”) made headlines by wearing traditional kilts, playing the bagpipes, and consuming record amounts of alcohol while in Boston for Scotland’s group stage match against Haiti.

The stadium as a social space

Modern football originated in 19th-century England during a crucial evolutionary period spurred by the Industrial Revolution. At first most commonly played in public schools such as Eton College, it progressed from its elite confines to the working class. Association football, as it came to be called, was organized into clubs, some of which grew out of local trade unions. Manchester United (originally named Newton Heath LYR), for instance, was formed in 1878 by workers from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. Fans of the time were social contemporaries of the footballers—those miners, dockhands, and other laborers who did not play instead watched.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

The collective experience of watching turned match day into a social ritual, and as football expanded beyond England, so did the codes and customs of football fandom. Loyalty is displayed by wearing club or country colors, kits, jerseys, and badges and brandishing flags and banners.

The power and glory of football music

Unsurprisingly for a game that is so akin to music in its synchronicity and orchestration, fans express themselves through songs and chants. Many clubs have dedicated anthems, often repurposed from popular songs. The 1963 cover by Gerry and the Pacemakers of “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” originally from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel, was adopted as the anthem for Liverpool FC. Manchester United fans popularly sing “Take Me Home, United Road,” reworked from the 1971 John Denver classic “Country Roads.” Popular players also have songs and chants created for them. “Messi. Messi. Messi” is famously chanted for Lionel Messi. At international tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, chants are generally specific to countries, such as “Vamos, vamos, Argentina.”

Some popular songs, such as “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles, “Go West” by the Pet Shop Boys, and “Guantanamera” by Joseíto Fernández, have gained new identities as football anthems. The most iconic of these—“Olé Olé Olé,” modified from a Belgian football anthem called “Anderlecht Champion,” and “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes—are sung globally regardless of club or country. Their popularity has also spilled over to sports such as basketball and baseball. Additionally, the Mexican wave is a favorite physical expression of fan emotion. The wave is a mass crowd movement in which rows of spectators stand and raise their arms in quick succession, creating a visual ripple through the stadium. The activity is thought to have originated during various sporting fixtures across North America but received its name after it was televised for a global audience at the 1986 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico.

Casuals and ultras

A number of subcultures have emerged from the passion and camaraderie of football fandom. In England the community spirit of football devotees who attended matches with an almost religious fervor became known as “terrace culture” (terrace being the word for standing-only stadium sections). As football loyalties passed from generation to generation, terrace fashion was revolutionized by younger fans who dressed in designer labels and became known as the “casuals.” A separate and highly organized subculture evolved in Italy in the 1960s and spread from there. The ultras, as they are known, are a study in obsession and aggression (the clue is in the name).

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

SUBSCRIBE

The dark side of fandom

Spectator hooliganism is the unfortunate byproduct of the traditional rivalries between football clubs and their fans, and the high emotional temperatures during matches. Hooliganism, at first observed in British fans, has intensified since the 1960s, and numerous matches have been canceled because of fans invading the pitch, lobbing fireworks, and setting off flares. In May 2021, Manchester United fans protested the club ownership’s prioritization of financial and corporate interests, causing a match against Liverpool to be called off.

Fan violence has sometimes had deadly results. On May 29, 1985, a crush of fans at a match between Liverpool FC and Juventus at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels left 39 dead and about 600 injured. The disaster was blamed on violent fans as well as on errors by officials and structural issues in the stadium. A similar tragedy occurred in England on April 15, 1989, at the Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, where Liverpool was playing Nottingham Forest. Disruptions by allegedly drunk Liverpool fans were initially blamed for the crush that killed 97 and left hundreds injured. However, the disaster was later attributed to policing mistakes.

Although hooliganism did not directly cause the Hillsborough casualties, it contributed to a shift in the management of spectators at matches. The terraces were replaced with seated sections, the sale of alcohol was banned or limited, security personnel were increased, and fans of rival clubs were separated in the stands. However, instances of rioting and violent clashes continued. Since 2000 British fans convicted of hooliganism have been prevented by the government from traveling abroad to attend matches. Nor are the concerns of violence now restricted to the United Kingdom, and some preventive measures, particularly the sale of alcohol, have been adopted in other countries. In Latin America stadiums have been constructed with anti-hooligan architecture such as high fencing and moats.

Fans at the 2026 FIFA World Cup