Centuries before Christopher Columbus reached the New World, the Nordic Vikings had already crossed the Atlantic and set foot on the North American continent. Scholars believe the Vikings arrived about 1,000 years ago in what is now Newfoundland, Canada.

With the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America approaching, the Norway national football team has captured this very historical tale in its official World Cup team photo, drawing attention.

In the recently unveiled team group photo, all the players appear in Viking attire. Against a backdrop of fjords, a Viking icon, the longship (Longship), sits behind players holding swords and shields. At a glance it evokes an expedition of medieval Nordic warriors, but on closer look, they are the Norway national football team set to take the World Cup finals stage for the first time in 28 years.

The project was conceived by the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) to create an image distinct from conventional national team group photos ahead of the World Cup. The aim was to go beyond a simple player introduction and show the history and cultural identity of Norway together.

About six months ago, the association approached world-renowned photographer David Yarrow to shoot it. Yarrow is well known as the person who captured the iconic image of Diego Maradona lifting the trophy at the 1986 Mexico World Cup. It is said that recommendations from Norway forward Erling Haaland and golfer Viktor Hovland influenced the project.

Yarrow proposed portraying the players as Vikings immediately after receiving the offer. He explained, “I wanted to link the voyage of the Vikings toward America with a modern World Cup campaign” and “I wanted to create an image that contains a historical narrative instead of an ordinary team photo.”

The shoot took place on a beach near Oslo. To recreate the atmosphere of the Viking Age, the crew positioned a longship and even installed a new wooden jetty leading to the vessel. The players wore gear close to authentic Viking dress rather than simple costumes.

The only player missing on the day of the shoot was captain Martin Odegaard. At the time, he was with Arsenal, playing in the UEFA Champions League final. The crew left his spot empty for the group shot, and a few days later composited a separately shot photo of Odegaard into the final image through digital work.

The Norwegian Football Association emphasized that the photo was not merely about consuming a Viking image. What the team sought to highlight was the symbolism of a ‘community sailing together’ rather than the warrior image itself. Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Association, said, “The national team is an organization representing the country, made up of players from all over Norway” and “This image carries the meaning that we move as one team.” She added, “The Viking story was, in any case, a symbol that would follow us” and “We wanted to interpret that symbol ourselves and fill it with the values of unity, community spirit, and teamwork.”

In fact, Norway fans have recently showcased a ‘Viking Row’ cheering culture at national team matches, staging a coordinated rowing motion as a group. The national team is also actively using this cultural symbol.

Back at the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years, Norway will compete in Group I against France, Senegal, and Iraq.