Viral Claim That Norway Brought Its Own Food to the World Cup Because of American Cuisine Is Totally Wrong

Norway is back at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and they’re already through to the knockout stage. But if you’ve been scrolling social media lately, you might have seen a different story — one where the Norwegian team supposedly shipped a ton of food to the U.S. because they didn’t trust American groceries.

That narrative is false. Completely false.

Yes, Norway brought some food with them. About 580 kilograms of it, to be exact. But according to the team’s head chef, Aron Espeland, the reason has nothing to do with distrust. It’s about routine, performance, and giving elite athletes a sense of stability during a grueling tournament.

“When athletes are competing at the highest level, consistency is important,” Espeland said. “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.”

He described the experience of cooking in the U.S. as “excellent,” noting that the team has access to high-quality local ingredients and blends them with the imported stuff to create continuity for the squad.

What They Actually Brought

The breakdown is pretty straightforward. Espeland said the team imported roughly 300 kilograms of Norwegian salmon and trout, 100 kilograms of halibut, 80 kilograms of brown cheese, and 100 kilograms of Jarlsberg cheese. That’s it. No 1,000 kilograms of mystery meat, like some posts claimed.

And about those oranges — no, they didn’t fly oranges in from Norway. The team serves fresh-squeezed orange juice daily, made from American oranges sourced locally in North Carolina, where the squad is based during the tournament.

This kind of thing is actually common among top teams. Remember when Argentina and Uruguay brought thousands of pounds of meat to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup? Or when the U.S. squad took oatmeal, Cheerios, peanut butter, and A1 Steak Sauce to Brazil in 2014? It’s standard practice for high-level competition.

What Nutrition Experts Say

Rafaela G Feresin, an associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University, said people are misreading the situation. “Interpreting this practice as a lack of trust in the host nation’s food system misunderstands the purpose of high-performance nutrition,” she said. “The goal is not to evaluate local food quality; it is to eliminate unnecessary variability during competition.”

Amy Goodson, a sports dietitian who has worked with professional teams, put it even more bluntly. “Nutrition is a performance variable at the World Cup level,” she said. “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, fueling consistency becomes critical.”

So no, Norway doesn’t think American food is bad. They just know their players perform better when they’re not worrying about what’s on their plate. That’s not an insult. That’s just smart logistics.