Norway have flown out to America for this summer’s World Cup, but it is not just their star players they have taken on the flight to the States.
The Norwegians do not have a great World Cup record as this is just the fourth time they have qualified for the main stages and the first since 1998.
They came through their group stage in France 28 years ago, with the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Tore Andre Flo and Ronny Johnsen in their team, before narrowly losing to Italy in the last 16.
Norway now boast another star crop of players, led by Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, and they will take on France, Senegal and Iraq in Group I of this year’s tournaments.
Hoping to give the players the best chance of success, two of Norway’s best chefs have been signed up to produce meals during the World Cup.
Aron Espeland , Culinary Olympics winner with Norway in 2020, and Eirik Tufte have joined long-time team chef to make sure Haaland, Odegaard and the rest of the team are eating what is best for them.
In their minds, that means genuine Norwegian ingredients, so that has to be flown over to the States.
‘Being able to stand in the US and say, “I actually know the person who picks these tomatoes or the person who caught this halibut,” is really cool,’ Espeland told Norwegian publication VG.
‘We are a bit strange too. 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, both our own and Norwegian pride in.
‘It’s not easy to fly to the US with half a tonne of fish. We try to have some ice in our stomachs and not order too much at once, but instead order again when needed.
‘It’s a bit difficult to say that we will have exactly this much, but it will at least take 300 kilos of red fish.’
Not just fish, but the Norwegians are taking with them 116kg of brown cheese to make them feel more at home.
Stale Solbakken’s squad have landed in Greensboro, North Carolina, where they are based and preparing for their pre-tournament friendly against Morocco on Sunday June 7 in New Jersey.
Their World Cup campaign starts on June 16 against Group I underdogs Iraq at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution.
Speaking of his international ambitions, Manchester City superstar Haaland said, via Reuters: ‘Ever since I made my international debut in 2019, my big goal has been to get Norway to a World Cup and Euros.
‘There is a lot of pressure on me but I like the pressure, I would put a lot of pressure on Erling Haaland if I wasn’t Erling Haaland myself.
‘We now have an amazing generation and I want to build on this,” he added. “I want to develop the whole federation and everything around it to become a big football nation. That is my goal.’