Halaand, Odegaard and team will only eat food from Norway at World Cup

Norway's football national team (Drillos) are heading to the 2026 World Cup in the United States with a sizeable shipment of traditional food as part of their preparation, marking a return to the global stage 28 years later since 1998 in France and replicating the 2018 Winter Olympics Games preparations in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Yahoo Sports reports that the Norwegian national team are reportedly taking 300kg of fish, 116kg of Norwegian cheese, and 6,000 oranges to their tournament base, food acquired from Norway and transported to the USA, with Norwegian chefs involved in every step.

"The plan is not just about taste or comfort. It is about keeping routines stable during a major tournament played thousands of miles from home," the report said.

Back in 2018, during the winter Olympic Games, their delegation once made an order of 15,000 eggs in PyeongChang, shipped in from home.

"Norway are preparing for the tournament after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, and their food operation has become a notable part of that wider build-up," the report continued.

The reported shipment includes large quantities of food familiar to the players, with fish and Norwegian cheese forming the clearest part of the load.

That would put the estimated combined food load above 1,000kg once the oranges are included, giving Norway one of the more distinctive preparation stories before their first World Cup appearance since 1998.

International tournaments are full of disruption. Travel, heat, hotel life, and unfamiliar training routines all test players before the football even begins and In that context, taking familiar food to the United States is not a gimmick, but a practical move from a staff that clearly believes small details can help players settle.