On the other side of the pitch, Mímir Kristjánsson, a Member of Parliament for the Red Party, is among those defending the national team. He launched a viral defence on Facebook, calling the backlash "absurd."
"It is a World Cup in football where cultures from all over the world will meet. Norway must bring its own culture with it for the diversity to work," Kristjánsson told NRK.
He said he is "sick and tired" of critics linking Norse heritage to right-wing extremism.
He pointed out that when Mexico uses Aztec patterns on its jerseys, it is widely praised, so it is only fair for Norway to use runes on theirs. (It is worth noting that the match jerseys the team will wear during the tournament also feature distinct elements of Viking culture).
"The Nazis don't own Thor, Odin, runic writing, or Valhalla," Kristjánsson added. "We have to take that back from them. I think the national team is leading by a very good example."
Museum experts and archaeologists backed this perspective, noting that the national team is successfully helping to reclaim historical culture.
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) also maintained that the campaign aims to foster community and collective teamwork rather than celebrating historical violence.
"We use history as an image of something that is strong in Norwegian football even today: community, volunteerism, courage, and the ability to stand together when it matters," explained NFF communications director Ragnhild Ask Connell.
She emphasised that their starting point was to use this narrative to tell a story about community and belonging rather than exclusion.
