NewsBeat
World Cup 2026: Wayne Rooney rows down Hudson Rriver after Norway pledge
Wayne Rooney is a man of his word.
Turn the clock back to the last 16 of the World Cup, when the former England striker pledged to row down the River Mersey if Norway beat Brazil.
Norway did exactly that, beating the five-time champions 2-1, so BBC Sport pundit Rooney confirmed live on air that he would take on the challenge in the US.
He and fellow pundits Joe Hart and Micah Richards swapped their microphones for oars and took to the Hudson River in New York.
“I loved it,” Rooney said. “The fans were brilliant. So we’ve done it out of respect for the fans.”
Norway fans’ viking row became a sensation at the World Cup, and even Norway striker Erling Haaland was keen to see Rooney in action.
“Wayne, I expect you to go out on a rowing trip,” he said.
Norway were knocked out by England in the quarter-finals.
Rooney, Hart and Richards will be back on dry land alongside Gabby Logan for Sunday’s World Cup final (20:00 BST), which will be available to watch live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
England play France in the World Cup third-place match on Saturday at 22:00, also live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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