"If Norway Beats Brazil, I'll Row on the River"... Rooney Keeps His Promise

English football star Wayne Rooney has kept a promise he made to fans.

The British broadcaster BBC released a video of Rooney, who played as a striker for the England national team and the prestigious club Manchester United, rowing a boat on the Hudson River in New York, USA.

Rooney, who is currently working as a commentator for the BBC's coverage of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, traded his microphone for an oar on this day to honor his word.

Ahead of the Round of 16 match between Norway and Brazil in this tournament, Rooney boldly declared, "If Norway wins, I will row on the River Mersey myself."

The River Mersey flows through Liverpool, England, which is Rooney's hometown and the home base of his professional debut club, Everton.

It appears that although Norway had reached the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years and advanced to the Round of 16, Rooney did not expect them to defeat Brazil, the tournament's most successful team with five titles.

The rowing challenge was inspired by the "Viking rowing" celebration, which has become a symbol of Norwegian fan culture during this tournament.

However, Norway made history by defeating Brazil 2-1 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time ever.

Erling Haaland, the Norwegian "monster" striker who scored two goals in the match against Brazil, playfully urged Rooney to fulfill his promise, saying, "Rooney, I look forward to your rowing trip."

Rooney did not break his promise.

However, as he is currently staying in the United States for local broadcasting duties, he headed to the Hudson River instead of the River Mersey.

He also brought along his fellow BBC commentators, Joe Hart and Micah Richards.

They cheerfully cut through the water, chanting "Row, row, row" followed by Rooney's name.

"It was great," Rooney said. "The Norwegian fans have been brilliant. I did this as a sign of respect for the fans."


(Photo: BBC YouTube capture, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.