Wayne Rooney rows Hudson River after Norway’s run to World Cup quarter-finals
By Scott Hunt, Press Association
Wayne Rooney has honoured his pledge following Norway’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals by rowing down the Hudson River in New York.
Norway’s fans delivered some of the most memorable images of the 2026 tournament with their ‘Viking row’ celebration, leading the former Manchester United and England striker to promise he would take to Liverpool’s River Mersey if they toppled Brazil in the last 16.
Erling Haaland ensured they did with a brilliant late double, and he challenged Rooney to keep to his word.
The 40-year-old has done just that, albeit swapping Merseyside for New York, alongside fellow BBC Sport pundits Micah Richards and Joe Hart.
“I loved it. The [Norwegian] fans were brilliant, weren’t they? So we’ve done it out of respect for the fans. We gave it our best shot!” Rooney said.
Addressing Haaland directly, Rooney added: “Enjoy it. We’ve seen a video of you dancing in Marbella, so hope you enjoy this!”.
Norway pushed England to extra time in the quarter-final before succumbing to Jude Bellingham’s winner.
