The Norwegian royals bring luck: Princess Ingrid Alexandra (22) and her brother Prince Sverre Magnus (20) witnessed Norway's national team victory over Brazil in the World Cup round of 16 up close - and had prominent company. Sitting alongside the two siblings was Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo (49), as the Norwegian newspaper "VG" reports. The fact that Norway of all teams knocked the five-time world champion out of the tournament led to scenes of unbridled enthusiasm in the royal box at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Proud words even before kickoff
Even before the match, the two siblings made clear to "VG" how much the team's run meant to them. "We are very excited. It's really cool that we've come this far and gotten the opportunity to play against such a great soccer nation as Brazil. No matter how this turns out, we are very proud", said Princess Ingrid Alexandra.
The team's World Cup journey had already set a lot in motion beforehand, according to the princess: "It's incredibly wonderful how much soccer can unite people. It's been great fun to watch."
Already during the victory against Senegal, which the siblings also attended at the stadium, celebratory images of the princess had caused a stir on social media. Ingrid Alexandra fondly recalled the atmosphere: "It was just incredibly cool to be here last time and see a match. There's already a very special atmosphere here when so many Norwegians make the journey."
Prince Sverre Magnus in particular had been eagerly anticipating the duel with the record champion. "Brazil is a huge soccer nation, so they are very good. It will be super exciting to see what they're capable of. It's going to be an exciting match", he told "VG".
A video on Instagram shows the two royals in the Norwegian team's locker room. Among other things, they hugged Erling Haaland (25) during their visit, who made the 2-1 victory possible for the team with his goals.
The entire royal family is following along
Just how passionate about soccer the royal house is overall was revealed by Ingrid Alexandra to "VG": The rest of the family is also following the tournament eagerly from home. "I think they're tremendously excited. I talked to them on the phone a few days ago. They're very much looking forward to watching."
So the celebrations weren't just in the stands, but also back home. After the final whistle, Crown Prince Haakon (52) appeared in front of the Oslo Palace and applauded the revelers. According to the report, he was there together with around 90,000 other people - a number that "VG" bases on police reports. A video, also published by the royal house, shows Haakon in the midst of the crowd of fans doing the now well-rehearsed rowing motion.
