The Norwegian soccer (or football, for us Europeans) team has paid tribute to the country’s Viking ancestry with a stylish photoshoot on a private beach near Oslo. The renowned photographer David Yarrow was responsible for the shoot, which was inspired by the journeys of Leif Erikson to North America in the 1000s.
Going all in
The Norwegian national soccer team is returning to the World Cup this summer after a 28-year absence. To celebrate, the British photographer took the entire squad to a private Oslo location and dressed them in traditional Viking Age garb.
The only man missing was Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard, who was playing for Mikel Arteta’s side in the Champions League final on the same day, but who has since been added in digitally.
Yarrow, who was recommended to the Norwegian Football Federation by star striker Erling Haaland, decided to go all out on the Viking theme, even building an historically accurate wooden jetty for the occasion. The decision was inspired by the location of this year’s tournament – Mexico, Canada and the United States.
“I knew it might get some criticism, but I wanted to play on that sense of journey that goes back to the Vikings, as if they’re setting sail for America,” commented Yarrow to The Athletic. “Then it was just a question of doing it right. If you do it in a half-hearted way or in a studio it can fall flat but we really went for it. We got the boats in, got everyone dressed in proper Viking gear and not pantomime stuff.”
Erling Haaland celebrations qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Source: Wikimedia
The Viking horde
In recent games, Norwegian soccer fans have adopted their own Viking-themed rowing display, where hundreds – or thousands – of supporters row in unison. As the Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness commented to The Athletic, the team is also happy to lean into the Viking stereotype.
“We recognised early on that the Viking narrative would follow us regardless,” she admitted. “That’s why we chose to take ownership of it and fill it with what truly defines us. It’s not about aesthetics alone, but about values: togetherness, team spirit, and standing united.”
Although Yarrow himself will be supporting Scotland, he also fancies the Norwegians to put in a good performance. “Norway can do some damage at the World Cup,” he stated. “They have some top players and also the proper strength in depth to qualify early from their group.”
Norway will kick off its World Cup campaign with a game against Senegal in New Jersey on 22 June.
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