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 vowed to row the River Mersey if Norway beat Brazil.
Norway did exactly that, beating their five-time champions 2-1; Thus, BBC Sports expert Rooney confirmed live that he would take on this challenge in the USA.
He and fellow experts Joe Hart and Micah Richards swapped their microphones for paddles and headed out to the Hudson River in New York.
“I loved it,” Rooney said. “The fans were amazing. We did it out of respect for the fans.”
Norway fans’ Viking brawl caused a sensation at the World Cup and even Norway forward Erling Haaland wanted to see Rooney in action.
“Wayne, I’m waiting for you to go rowing,” he said.
Norway was eliminated by England in the quarter-finals.
Rooney, Hart and Richards will return to land alongside Gabby Logan for Sunday’s World Cup final (8pm BST), which can be watched live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The World Cup third-place match between England and France will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 22:00 on Saturday.
