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Norway’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have taken an unusual but distinctly national twist, with the Scandinavian nation transporting hundreds of kilograms of traditional food products to the United States to keep its players feeling at home during the tournament.
The Norwegian delegation has flown more than 300 kilograms of fish and 116 kilograms of the country’s famous brown cheese to its training base in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the team seeks to maximize its chances of success at its first World Cup appearance since 1998.
Led by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, Norway will compete in Group I alongside France, Senegal and Iraq.
To oversee the team’s nutrition, Norway has enlisted the services of acclaimed chefs Aron Espeland and Eirik Tufte. Espeland, a Culinary Olympics gold medalist with Norway in 2020, has joined the national team’s long-serving chef to ensure players receive meals prepared with premium Norwegian ingredients.
“We want what we think is good and work with the best Norwegian ingredients available,” Espeland told Norwegian outlet VG.
“Being able to serve it when it really matters is something we take pride in. “The logistics of transporting such quantities of food across the Atlantic have proven challenging. Espeland revealed that the team expects to consume at least 300 kilograms of fish during the tournament.
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“It’s not easy to fly to the US with half a tonne of fish,” he said. Norway arrived in North Carolina this week and will continue preparations with a pre-World Cup friendly against Morocco on June 7 in New Jersey.
The Norwegians will open their World Cup campaign against Iraq on June 16 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. For Haaland, the tournament marks the realization of a long-held ambition. Since making his senior international debut in 2019, the prolific striker has consistently spoken about his desire to lead Norway back to football’s biggest stage.
“Ever since I made my international debut in 2019, my big goal has been to get Norway to a World Cup and Euros,” Haaland said.
“There is a lot of pressure on me but I like the pressure. We now have an amazing generation and I want to build on this. I want to develop the whole federation and everything around it to become a big football nation.
“Norway are making only their fourth World Cup appearance and their first in 28 years, hoping a golden generation led by Haaland and Odegaard can create a new chapter in the country’s football history.
