More than “100,000 fans flooded the streets” of the Norwegian capital Oslo on Monday to give their soccer team a “heroes’ welcome, turning the heartbreak of their World Cup exit into a massive national celebration,” according to Tommy Lund of REUTERS. A 2-1 extra-time defeat by England on Saturday brought Norway’s historic run to an end in the quarterfinals, but it “did not stop the country celebrating their heroes.” Massive crowds “filled the grounds of the Royal Palace” early on Monday afternoon. Norway F Erling Haaland was “absent from the final stage of the celebrations, having left early,” meaning he “missed joining his teammates on the palace steps for one last ‘Viking row,’ with tens of thousands of fans gathered below, which was led by Crown Prince Haakon on the drums.” Crowds slowed the bus to a halt through central Oslo, “forcing it to reverse at one point as police escorts struggled to carve out a path” (REUTERS, 7/14).
AROUND THE WORLD: In N.Y., Zhuang and Wang writes Haaland’s popularity has “exploded even in China.” One of his “early moments of internet fame in China came in the buildup to the tournament, when he starred in an advertisement” for Chinese herbal tea brand Walovi. On Chinese social media site Weibo, “hundreds of millions of people have viewed hashtags” detailing Haaland’s endorsement of the team, as well as the “cost of the hair ties he uses.” Fans have “taken to his enthusiasm for Chinese culture and willingness to engage with online memes and trends.” Part of his fame “has been engineered.” His agent, Rafaela Pimenta, has said that Haaland’s move to seek endorsements in China “was deliberate following his success in the American market,” per The Athletic. But his marketability is “also predicated on his popularity” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/14).
HAALAND, HAALAND: SI’s Sophia Vesely wrote Haaland “flooded minds, went viral on social media and enraptured hearts” across North America at the World Cup. Despite Norway’s quarterfinal exit, Haaland “will remain the tournament’s most beloved player” (SI, 7/11). USA TODAY’s Nancy Armour wrote no matter who lifts the World Cup trophy next weekend, “the undisputed winner” of this tournament is Haaland. High-profile events “can change an athlete’s career,” but few have “embraced the glow-up quite like Haaland.” Unlike so many professional athletes, who are “loathe to give even the slightest glimpse of their personality,” Haaland has been “happy to let the world in.” Years from now, “we’ll remember this World Cup, this summer, belonged to” Haaland (USA TODAY, 7/11).
