Residents of Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, off the Northumberland coast, are hoping England will beat Norway in their upcoming World Cup match, framing it as symbolic revenge for a Viking raid more than 1,200 years ago. The mood has been stoked by the Norwegian squad's embrace of "Viking chic" this tournament — striker Erling Haaland's long blond hair, a Viking-themed team photoshoot, and a "Viking Row" celebration after each win — which islanders have jokingly accused Norway of using to "rub it in".

Lindisfarne suffered one of the first recorded Viking incursions in 793 AD, an event many historians regard as the start of the Viking Age in Britain. During the "Sack of Lindisfarne", raiders pillaged the island — then a renowned cradle of Anglo-Saxon Christianity — seizing gold and treasure, slaughtering monks at its monastery and dragging others into slavery. The island's roughly 150 present-day inhabitants, along with visitors, are said to be backing England ahead of Saturday's quarter-final against Norway at Miami Stadium in Florida.