Norway’s World Cup campaign is already under way, but one of the tournament’s most unusual stories has nothing to do with what happens on the pitch. Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard and the rest of the Norway squad are leaving very little to chance for the 2026 World Cup, including what’s on the menu.
The team reportedly arrived in the US with a huge shipment of food from home, including 300kg of fish, 116kg of traditional Norwegian cheese and around 6,000 oranges. When everything is added together, the total haul is believed to top one tonne (1,00kg), making it one of the most impressive preparation plans of any nation competing in North America. Before anyone accuses Norway of simply packing their favourite snacks, or trying to avoid American food that is pumped full of sugar and preservatives, there’s actually a serious reason behind it.
According to reports, the shipment includes more than 300kg of Atlantic salmon and white fish, 116kg of brunost – Norway’s distinctive brown cheese – as well as thousands of oranges, all intended to help players maintain familiar routines during their month-long stay in the US.
Lead chef Aron Espeland explained: “We want what we think is good and work with the best Norwegian ingredients available. Being able to serve it when it really matters is something we take pride in.”
Players spend months following carefully planned diets, sleep schedules and recovery programmes. A major tournament can disrupt all of that, particularly when teams are adapting to different climates, hotels and time zones. In fact, Norway reportedly stopped training in North Carolina due to the high temperatures, while other European countries were “taking constant breaks” under the scorching American sun.
Norway have also had food logistics attached to their major-event preparation before. In 2018, their Olympic delegation made headlines after an order of 1,500 eggs accidentally became 15,000 eggs in Pyeongchang.
The Scandinavian side has made a flying start to life at the World Cup, winning all eight qualifiers and scoring 37 goals, with Haaland finishing qualifying with 16 goals.
They opened their Group I campaign with a 4-1 victory over Iraq. Haaland struck twice on his World Cup debut, while Leo Ostigard and Kristian Thorstvedt also got on the scoresheet.
That result leaves Norway well placed ahead of crucial group-stage clashes with Senegal and France, with a victory over Senegal on Tuesday (June 23) set to secure their place in the last 32.
