Norway just made it back to the World Cup after 28 years and their first move was shipping 660 pounds of fish because they don’t trust American food

The Norway national football team has shipped over 1,000 pounds of its own food to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a calculated move to keep the squad on familiar dietary ground during its first tournament appearance in nearly three decades. The delegation has set up its base camp at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where a full kitchen operation is already in place. As detailed by BroBible, the Norwegian staff opted for a strict, familiar menu rather than sampling local American cuisine.

Lead chef Aron Espeland, who has been with the team for 35 years, is heading the kitchen alongside two sous chefs, handling every meal to ensure players stick to a diet they already know. The shipment included roughly 660 pounds of Atlantic salmon and white fish, 255 pounds of brunost, and 6,000 oranges. Brunost is a Norwegian brown cheese made from whey, milk, and cream that is boiled down until the sugars caramelize, producing a distinct, caramel-like flavor.

The logic behind the decision is performance optimization. The team wants to minimize any risks tied to sudden dietary changes, which could disrupt a player’s sleep, concentration, or digestion during a high-stakes tournament. By controlling every variable in the kitchen, the federation is trying to eliminate unnecessary setbacks ahead of Norway’s first World Cup campaign since 1998.

Norway is leaving nothing to chance on or off the pitch

The caution at the dinner table mirrors the seriousness of the squad’s broader tournament ambitions. Norway qualified for the fourth time in its history this year, ending a 28-year drought that stretched back to 1998. Striker Erling Haaland was the driving force during qualifying, scoring 16 goals to secure his country’s spot at the tournament. Amid ongoing scrutiny over World Cup ticket costs affecting fans attending the event, Norway’s preparation story has stood out as one of the more distinctive off-field narratives of the tournament so far.

Alongside Haaland, key players including Martin Odegaard, Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa, and Oscar Bobb form a squad that is generating genuine expectations for a deep run. While the team has been training in North Carolina, Haaland did step away from the pitch briefly to attend the Stanley Cup Final in the area. It is not the only tournament drawing attention this summer, as World Cup fans have also faced frustrations over premium ticket seat placements that did not match what was advertised. When it comes to meals, though, Norway has made clear there is no deviation from the plan.

Norway is scheduled for three group stage matches, starting June 16, then June 22 and June 26. The team will play in Boston and New Jersey but return to its North Carolina base between fixtures. Everything for the squad may hinge on whether Haaland keeps finding the back of the net.