The Norwegian national team has reportedly arrived in the United States with no less than 300kg of fish, 116kg of Norwegian cheese, and 6,000 oranges transported to their tournament base.
That would put the estimated combined food load above 1,000kg once the oranges are included, which is to provide the Norwegians with a sense of familiarity as they get set for their first World Cup appearance since 1998.
For the Norwegians its vital to stick to the routines which brought them so much success in the qualifying campaign. Norway’s route to the tournament was quite astonishing. They won all eight qualifiers, scored 37 goals, and Haaland finished his goalscoring tally with 16 goals.
For the Norwegians its vital to keep routines stable during a major tournament played thousands of miles from home.
Norwegian chefs have been heavily involved in the operation, including Aron Espeland, who says to VG: “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.”
“It’s not easy to fly to the US with half a ton of fish,” he said. Norway arrived in North Carolina this week and continued with a pre-World Cup friendly against Morocco on 7 June in New Jersey.
Constant disruptions, travel, heat, hotel life, and unfamiliar training routines all bring the players out of their usual routines leading up to the tournament, and bringing in traditional foods is a way of giving the players a chance of settling into the tournament with tastes that they are familiar with.
It's not the first time that Norwegian sports federations have taken unusual initiatives to find success at big events. Their Olympic delegation made headlines in 2018 when they brought 15,000 eggs to PyeongChang for the Winter Olympic Games.
It remains to be seen whether traditional Norwegian foods will make a difference as Norway attempts to survive the "Group of Death," where they will be up against France, Senegal, and Iraq.