Blessed with what many consider to be the best-ever squad in Norwegian football history, Norway punched their ticket to this summer’s FIFA World Cup after a flawless qualifying campaign where they went 8-0-0, beating four-time winners Italy both home and away in the progress.
Appearing at world football’s biggest and most prestigious tournament for only the fourth time in their history, Norway have world-class talent in several key positions, and many consider them to be dark horse candidates this year.
So far, the Løvene have lived up to all the hype surrounding them. They performed well in the group stage, securing second place in Group I after winning their first two games, in order to seal automatic qualification to the Round of 32.
For their first assignment in the knockout stages, they faced off against a tricky Ivory Coast outfit, another team that had impressed with their early-tournament displays. The game was extremely well-contested, and it was ultimately decided by Norway’s goalscoring hero, Erling Haaland, who netted his fifth World Cup goal to secure qualification for his country.
Naturally, just like the players themselves, the Norwegian people are also thrilled with how well the team is performing on the biggest stage.
Such is the hype surrounding the national team back home, that images of players are now showing up on popular food items in Norway’s most popular supermarkets.
Popular brand Tine, which is known for it’s dairy products, has placed images of the team captain, Martin Odegaard, on their yoghurt cartons, which is typically one of the brand’s best selling products. It appears the packaging also contains Odegaard’s signature.
A different carton of yoghurt also features a trio of national team stars: winger Antonio Nusa with strikers Alexander Sorloth and Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Another product that is loved by Norwegians, Vestlands lefsa, which is a traditional flatbread, also contains images of the team celebrating a goal together.
Finally, popular soft drink brand Coca Cola has also shown support to the Norwegian team in it’s own stylish way.
The most popular supermarket chains by market share in Norway are Kiwi, Extra, Meny, Coop and Spar. The aforementioned products, which are typically staples in most households, are usually available at any of these outlets.
While Norway have already enjoyed a strong run in the tournament, they will know the job is set to get much harder as they continue progressing through the knockout stages. After barely getting the better of a spirited Ivory Coast outfit, they now face a much more daunting challenge in the form of Brazil, the most decorated nation in World Cup history.
While the odds will be stacked against them in the Round of 16, their loyal fans will be backing their team all the way to the end. Looking at the kind of talent they have in their squad, it would not be a surprise to see Norway collect another huge scalp and add to the national hero status they already enjoy back home.
