Norway’s return to the World Cup after 28 years away has drawn attention for more than its play on the field. Online posts have falsely claimed the team brought food from home because it does not trust the quality of food in the United States, where Norway is staying in Greensboro, North Carolina, during the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The team did ship some ingredients from Norway, but not for the reason circulating online. According to head chef Aron Espeland, the goal was to keep players’ diets familiar and consistent while also giving them some comforts from home. Other ingredients for the squad have been purchased locally in the U.S., including fruit for freshly squeezed orange juice served each morning.
“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 added: “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.”
Social media posts have widely stated that Norway imported 1,000 kilograms, or 2,200 pounds, of food for the World Cup. Espeland said the actual total is about 580 kilograms, or 1,276 pounds. That shipment includes 300 kilograms, or 660 pounds, of Norwegian salmon and trout; 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds, of halibut; 80 kilograms, or 176 pounds, of Norwegian brown cheese; and 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds, of Jarlsberg cheese.
Claims that the team also brought oranges from Norway are wrong, Espeland said. Norway’s support staff includes three chefs, and players receive freshly squeezed orange juice each morning made with oranges bought locally in the United States.
Sports nutrition specialists said this kind of planning is routine for elite teams competing abroad. Familiar foods and a traveling chef can help athletes stick to established routines, avoid unwanted dietary surprises, meet personal preferences and reduce the risk of adverse reactions.
“Interpreting this practice as a lack of trust in the host nation’s food system misunderstands the purpose of high-performance nutrition,” said Rafaela G. Feresin, an associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University. “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 including the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers, said bringing food to an international event is mainly about “control, consistency, and performance” rather than any concern about a host country’s food supply.
“Nutrition is a performance variable at the World Cup level,” she said. “These athletes train, travel, and compete with elite intensity, often multiple times in a short window, while managing weather and time zone changes. 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.”
Norway is far from alone in taking that approach. Teams regularly travel with chefs and bring selected foods to major tournaments. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Argentina and Uruguay each transported thousands of pounds of meat. When the U.S. team went to Brazil in 2014, it packed oatmeal, Cheerios, peanut butter and A1 Steak Sauce.