Prateek Tanmay
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 11, 2026 11:56 AM IST
Norway’s dream run at the FIFA World Cup has sparked a global celebration that now extends far beyond the football pitch. As the team’s famous ‘Viking Row’ victory ritual continues to capture fans’ imagination, Google has introduced a hidden Easter egg inspired by the celebration, after Erling Haaland playfully urged supporters to look him up online.
Ahead of Norway’s quarter-final clash against England on Saturday, the Manchester City striker shared a short message on X that immediately grabbed attention. “One thing to do today… search my name on Google.” Those who took Haaland’s advice discovered a surprise waiting on the search page.
One thing to do today… search my name on Google 😉
— Erling Haaland (@Erling) July 9, 2026
Google’s ‘Haaland’ easter egg
Typing Erling Haaland‘s name into Google reveals a party-popper icon on the search results page. Once clicked, it sets off an animated celebration featuring Viking-inspired characters dressed in horned helmets and waving Norwegian flags.
The figures row together in sync while the familiar stadium drumbeat plays in the background, accompanied by thousands of fans chanting “Ro!” Every additional click fills the screen with more rowing supporters, recreating the electric atmosphere that has become synonymous with Norway’s remarkable World Cup journey.
The animation is Google’s tribute to the now-famous ‘Viking Row’ celebration, a post-match tradition where Norwegian supporters mimic rowing a Viking longboat after victories. Haaland, captain Martin Ødegaard and the rest of the squad have repeatedly joined fans in the celebration, turning it into one of the defining moments of the tournament.
The Google search result for ‘Erling Haaland’
The viral ‘viking’ celebration
What started as a post-match ritual has evolved into one of the most recognisable images of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The celebration has gone viral across social media, with clips of thousands of supporters rowing together spreading around the world.
Google’s interactive Easter egg reflects just how iconic the tradition has become during Norway’s unexpected run deep into the tournament.
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Haaland’s rap also grabs attention
The Google feature arrives just days after Haaland made headlines for an entirely different reason. Earlier this week, the Norwegian striker revived a forgotten chapter from his teenage years by releasing a remix of his 2016 song Kygo jo alongside Norwegian DJ Kygo.
Long before becoming one of football’s biggest stars, Haaland was part of a rap trio called Flow Kingz with youth teammates Erik Botheim and Erik Tobias Sandberg during his time at Bryne.
The original track has found a new audience during Norway’s World Cup campaign, especially after Haaland’s two-goal performance helped his side defeat Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16. Riding the wave of renewed interest, Kygo released a remix of the song.
Sharing it on Instagram, Haaland joked: “Made it moment! Thanks, @kygomusic. Does this mean I’m officially an artist now?”
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Haaland has been one of the standout performers of the World Cup so far. The Norwegian striker has scored seven goals in the tournament and sits just one goal behind Argentina captain Lionel Messi and France star Kylian Mbappé in the race for the Golden Boot.
