Norway brought its own food to the World Cup — but not for the reason you might think

Norway’s impressive return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence has been marred by a flurry of online misinformation, falsely claiming the team brought its own food to the US due to distrust of American cuisine.

The allegations, widely circulated on social media, suggest the Norwegian men’s national football team, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, shipped vast quantities of food from home to avoid eating locally sourced produce. However, this assertion is unequivocally false.

While it is true that certain products were imported from Norway, the rationale behind this decision has nothing to do with concerns over quality.

According to head chef Aron Espeland, the practice is standard for elite athletes and aims to maintain consistency in players’ diets and offer a comforting ‘taste of home’ during the demanding tournament.

Mr Espeland explained: “When athletes are competing at the highest level, consistency is important. The players are used to certain products and flavours, and familiar foods can contribute both to nutrition and overall well-being during a demanding competition.”

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He added that the experience of cooking in the US has been “excellent”, with access to “high-quality local ingredients” which are combined with Norwegian selections to create “continuity and a sense of home for the players during the tournament.”

Contrary to some online claims of 1,000 kilograms, Mr Espeland confirmed the actual amount of imported food was approximately 580 kilograms. This consisted of 300 kilograms of Norwegian salmon and trout, 100 kilograms of halibut, 80 kilograms of Norwegian brown cheese, and 100 kilograms of Jarlsberg cheese.

Furthermore, despite social media posts suggesting otherwise, the team did not bring oranges from Norway. Players are served freshly squeezed orange juice daily, made from locally sourced American oranges.

Bringing specialist chefs and specific food items to international competitions is a common practice among top-tier sports teams. For instance, Argentina and Uruguay famously brought thousands of pounds of meat to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, while the US squad travelled to Brazil in 2014 with staples like oatmeal, Cheerios, peanut butter, and A1 Steak Sauce.

Nutrition experts affirm that such measures are standard for elite athletes competing abroad. Rafaela G Feresin, an associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University, clarified: “Interpreting this practice as a lack of trust in the host nation’s food system misunderstands the purpose of high-performance nutrition.

“The goal is not to evaluate local food quality; it is to eliminate unnecessary variability during competition. Bringing a chef and familiar ingredients to a major tournament is standard, performance-driven logistics.”

Amy Goodson, a sports dietitian who has worked with professional teams, echoed this sentiment, stating that bringing food is about “control, consistency, and performance” rather than distrust.

She emphasised: “Nutrition is a performance variable at the World Cup level. These athletes train, travel, and compete with elite intensity… What they eat directly impacts energy availability, hydration status, recovery, immune function, and even decision-making on the field.

“When margins are razor thin, fuelling consistency becomes critical.”