How 300 kg of salmon and three chefs are powering Erling Haaland’s World Cup run

On the second floor of The Westin Copley Place hotel in Boston, three Norwegian chefs are busy preparing four meals a day, serving a core group of over 60 people.

If Norway manages to reach the final, this journey will span 54 days and 216 meals. For a team featuring physical powerhouses like Erling Haaland, the kitchen’s job goes far beyond simply preparing enough food. It is about strategically fueling an entire World Cup campaign.

The three primary architects of the national team’s diet are Aron Espeland, Eirik Tufte, and veteran Christian Karlsson. Karlsson has known Haaland since the striker was coming up through the Norwegian youth ranks.

Espeland shares an even deeper bond: both he and Haaland hail from Bryne, a small southwestern Norwegian town of just 15,000 people. Espeland, who is four years older and also played for Bryne’s youth teams, often ran into Haaland growing up. He humbly admits he was not a great player and never imagined he would one day be serving as Haaland’s personal World Cup chef, SOFN reported.

You won’t find these chefs frantically running to local American supermarkets. Instead, Norway brought a massive haul of supplies directly from home. Espeland revealed they arrived in the U.S. with 300 kg of Arctic salmon, halibut and trout, along with 100 kg of various cheeses, including 80 kg of Norway’s iconic brown cheese. The inventory is flown alongside the team in specialized freezers to keep the fish and meat perfectly preserved between host cities, according to AP.

Haaland’s massive diet

It is no secret that Haaland loves to eat. His girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen once joked that the only thing the striker thinks about is his next meal.

The Manchester City striker requires massive amounts of energy to sustain his explosive playing style. His YouTube channel previously highlighted his 6,000-calorie-a-day diet, featuring garden barbecues in the rain and trips to local slaughterhouses to source specific cuts of meat, beef hearts, and livers.

Haaland also has a preference for niche items like raw honey and unpasteurized milk. However, due to strict U.S. regulations, unpasteurized milk is banned. The culinary team provided lactose-free milk as a safe and healthy alternative for the squad.

According to The New York TimesKarlsson confirms that Haaland genuinely loves food and appreciates straightforward, unpretentious cooking. In fact, Haaland and several teammates are such big fans of the chefs’ style that they have asked for their specific recipes. Before a match, Haaland specifically requests pasta to load up on carbohydrates, preferring the pre-match menu to be kept as simple as possible.

Erling Haaland and his favorite food: Norwegian salmon. Photo by Norwegian Seafood Council

Menus for success

A typical lunch for Haaland and his teammates consists of salmon with ponzu sauce, mango, fava beans, avocado, sesame seeds, chili mayo, green onions, and white rice. This specific combination is designed to fuel their afternoon training sessions.

The chefs work with the medical and fitness departments to ensure every single meal is scientifically balanced. Each dish must feature high-quality protein for muscle recovery, carbohydrates for sustained energy, and a blend of omega-3s, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Fruits and vegetables are heavily incorporated to provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, according to Norwegian Seafood Council.

Every day begins at 7 a.m. for the chefs. On match days, the timeline is highly precise. The first meal is served five hours before kickoff, and a final meal is offered three hours prior.

Pre-match meals are kept intentionally simple: oatmeal, lasagna, bread with yellow cheese and sausage, or chicken and salmon with spaghetti.

Because most Norwegian players live and play abroad, gathering with the national team feels like coming home, according to Forbes. Serving nostalgic dishes that evoke childhood memories holds immense spiritual value. This is exactly why the team packed their own waffle makers and traditional brown cheese, pairing them with raspberry and strawberry jams. They also prepare homemade brown sauce and grilled fish.

But the undisputed favorite breakfast is Karlsson’s signature oatmeal, simmered in milk for an hour and topped with bananas, nuts, berries, honey, and cinnamon.

Aron Espeland (L) and Christian Karlsson prepare salmon before a meal for the Norway national team at the 2026 World Cup. Photo by Norwegian Seafood Council

Coffee is another non-negotiable for the team. The kitchen staff brought their own premium beans, grinding them fresh every morning using four different machines.

Eating together four times a day can easily feel monotonous, so the chefs have designed the dining room to be a relaxed, inviting space. The buffet offers extensive variety, typically featuring two fish options, two meat options, rice, noodles, three types of vegetables, potatoes, and a massive salad bar, according to The New York Times.

Sunday evenings are reserved for a traditional Norwegian dinner of oven-roasted pork with honey mustard sauce and peeled potatoes. However, the absolute undisputed favorite dish among the squad is salmon tataki with brown butter, white soy sauce, citron and honey.

While the team is serious about nutrition, the chefs still allow one controlled “cheat day” each week featuring homemade tacos, pizzas or burgers.

For the culinary team, if a simple cheese waffle or a perfectly cooked steak can help reduce the pressure of the World Cup, they consider it a massive success.