A Viking feast: Norway ship 300kg of fish and cheese

This enormous shipment was sent to Norway's base camp in Greensboro, North Carolina. Norway brought not just the ingredients but their own chefs too. Heading the operation is Aron Espeland, who has cooked for the national team for 35 years. Espeland was cooking for the squad before most of the current players were born, and has made clear he expects the team to eat through all 300 kilograms of fish during the tournament.

So why such a big logistical effort? The answer is about routine as much as taste or comfort. Elite athletes avoid sudden dietary changes during major tournaments, because unfamiliar food can affect digestion, sleep, recovery and energy levels. Returning to this stage after three decades, Norway wanted to leave nothing to chance and chose to stick with a diet their players have known for years.

A full kitchen operation has been set up at the Greensboro camp. According to Espeland, Norway's players love fish and seafood, so the menu will feature a wide range from salmon and trout to king crab and langoustine. The squad plans to consume all of these supplies in the US. In North Carolina's summer heat and humidity — a far cry from the cool climate of Bergen or Tromsø — maintaining the players' familiar nutrition is seen as especially important.

Norway's last World Cup appearance came in 1998 in France. The country's qualification for 2026 marks a genuine milestone for Norwegian football, and after that long wait the federation appears to be leaving no detail to chance. The roughly 60-strong delegation eats under one roof, fed by routines that feel like home. This detail adds weight to the food-shipment story, because it is about more than taste — it is about keeping the ground solid for a major comeback.

The preparation, which also caused a stir on social media, was found amusing by some users, with jokes about cultural food preferences and the quirks of elite athletes. At its core, though, it is about how teams meticulously manage what they do every day. Espeland hinted he is hoping for exactly the "problem" of running out of fish before the tournament ends — because that would mean Norway stuck around long enough to eat through it. Star striker Haaland's past talk of "simple nutrition" fits neatly with the team's meticulous approach.

Image: vietnam.vn