Norway's Viking-themed World Cup Photo Sparks Controversy
WHO:
Fox News - Team Norway, Erling Haaland, Norwegian Football Federation (NFF), David Yarrow, Martin Odegaard, Stale Solbakken, Lise Klaveness, Antonio Nusa, Viktor Hovland.
WHAT:
Boston.com - Norway will open its tournament against Iraq at Gillette Stadium on June 16.
The New York Times - The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) emphasized that the Viking narrative is about values of togetherness and unity, not about narrowing the team's representation.
Fox News - Team Norway participated in a Viking-themed World Cup photoshoot.
Daily Mail Sports - The photoshoot has been criticized as 'chauvinistic' and linked to neo-Nazi imagery.
The New York Times - The photoshoot marks Norway's first appearance at the World Cup in 28 years.
The New York Times - The NFF approached David Yarrow six months prior to the photoshoot.
The New York Times - An empty space was left for Martin Odegaard, who was photographed later and digitally added to the final image.
WHERE:
The New York Times - The photoshoot took place in Oslo, Norway.
The New York Times - A historically accurate wooden jetty was built at a private beach in Oslo for the photoshoot.
WHEN:
The New York Times - The photoshoot occurred last weekend.
The New York Times - Martin Odegaard flew to Oslo on Tuesday to be photographed.
WHY:
The New York Times - The NFF wanted to create a unique team picture that reflects Norway's history.
The New York Times - Lise Klaveness stated that the Viking narrative was chosen to take ownership and reflect values of togetherness and unity.
HOW:
The New York Times - David Yarrow stated that he aimed to create an authentic scene by dressing the team in proper Viking gear and incorporating elements from the TV show "Vikings" for visual prompts.
The New York Times - David Yarrow dressed the team in authentic Viking gear and scouted locations to create an authentic scene.
The New York Times - Yarrow used elements from the TV show "Vikings" for visual prompts during the photoshoot.
(UPDATED June 5, 2026 19:33 UTC)
Norway is set to kick off its tournament against Iraq at Gillette Stadium on June 16. The Norwegian Football Federation has highlighted that their Viking narrative focuses on values of togetherness and unity, rather than limiting the team's representation. To enhance this theme, photographer David Yarrow plans to dress the team in authentic Viking gear and draw inspiration from the TV show "Vikings" for visual elements.
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(UPDATED June 5, 2026 17:36 UTC)
Team Norway recently participated in a Viking-themed World Cup photoshoot in Oslo, which marks the country's first appearance at the tournament in 28 years. The photoshoot, designed to reflect Norway's history and values of togetherness, has faced criticism for being perceived as 'chauvinistic' and linked to neo-Nazi imagery. Notably, an empty space was left for Martin Odegaard, who was photographed later and digitally added to the final image, while David Yarrow dressed the team in authentic Viking gear and scouted locations to create an immersive scene.