As Norway excels in its first World Cup appearance since 1998, false claims about what the team is eating are also grabbing attention online. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The allegations focus on the quality of American food — more specifically, that the Norwegians distrust it so much that they brought food from home to avoid eating it. This is false. The team shipped certain products from Norway for the World Cup, but the reason has nothing to do with concerns about quality.
Norway's head chef Aron Espeland said the team brought some products to maintain consistency in players' diets and provide a taste of home. Other ingredients have been sourced locally. "When athletes are competing at the highest level, consistency is important. The players are used to certain products and flavors, and familiar foods can contribute both to nutrition and overall well-being during a demanding competition," Espeland said.
He continued: "Overall, the experience of cooking for the team in the U.S. has been excellent. We have had access to high-quality local ingredients, and our approach has been to combine those with a selection of Norwegian products that help create continuity and a sense of home for the players during the tournament."
Many of the claims spreading online say the team brought in 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of food from Norway. Espeland confirmed that the amount is actually about 580 kilograms (1,276 pounds). That consists of 300 kilograms (660 pounds) of Norwegian salmon and trout, 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of halibut, 80 kilograms (176 pounds) of Norwegian brown cheese, and 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of Jarlsberg cheese.
The team did not bring oranges from Norway, despite social media posts claiming otherwise. Espeland said that players are served freshly squeezed orange juice every morning, made from oranges sourced locally in the U.S.
Plenty of other teams travel with their own chef and have taken their own food to past World Cups. For example, Argentina and Uruguay each brought thousands of pounds of meat to Qatar in 2022. The U.S. squad traveled to Brazil in 2014 with oatmeal, Cheerios, peanut butter and A1 Steak Sauce. Such practices are not unusual for elite athletes who compete in different countries, according to experts.