PeterMcMac

Last night, the whole of Scotland was Norwegian. When our own World Cup journey ended as it always does so early , we looked for a team to carry our hopes a little further. It didn’t take long to find one. A proud country of just over 6 million people, fiercely loyal to its identity, passionate about football and stubbornly determined never to give up. Sound familiar? Norway and Scotland are cut from the same cloth. North Sea neighbours with similar populations, similar DNA, the same passion, the same heart and the same unwavering belief that representing your country means far more than what happens during 90 minutes. Although, let’s be completely honest; your players are much, much more gifted than ours! 😂 You have extraordinary footballers capable of producing moments that most of us Scots can only dream about. Yet alongside all that talent, we saw something deeply familiar; the fight, togetherness, resilience and refusal to stop believing until the final whistle. That’s why so many Scots adopted Norway. We recognised ourselves in your spirit, even if the quality on the pitch was several levels above what we’re accustomed to! We also recognised ourselves in your magnificent supporters. The Norwegian fans were one of the great sights and sounds of this World Cup. Everywhere you travelled, you brought Norway alive. The flags, colour, singing, noise and unmistakable pride followed your team across America. You didn’t simply attend the tournament — you became part of its story. Like the Tartan Army, you showed that a nation doesn’t need to be the biggest to leave an unforgettable impression. Your players carried Norway onto the pitch, but your supporters carried Norway through the streets, cities and stadiums. Together, you made people notice, listen and fall a little bit in love with your country. We were all glued to our televisions last night, willing every tackle, every run and every attack. We know how much this hurts because we’ve lived that heartbreak ourselves more times than we care to remember. The dream was so close you could almost reach out and touch it. You faced one of the tournament favourites and threw absolutely everything at them in relentless heat. We know just how brutal those conditions were because Scotland played in that very stadium only a few weeks ago. Nobody could ever question your courage, effort, ability or spirit. The result won’t ease the pain today, and probably not for quite some time. But eventually, we hope the heartbreak gives way to enormous pride. You reached a World Cup quarter-final. You beat Brazil. You captured the imagination of football supporters far beyond Norway. Your immensely talented players were wonderful ambassadors, while your incredible fans brought Norway alive throughout the tournament. So, from your friends across the North Sea: thank you. The whole of 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 was behind you. We hurt with you today, but we celebrate you too. Hold your heads high, Norway. Your players and supporters made your country proud and you made a great many Scots proud as well. 🇳🇴❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 🚣🚣🚣🚣 #HeiaNorge #Norge #FIFAWorldCup @Norge @herrelandslag