When they line up for their crunch World Cup quarter-final clash with England on Saturday, Norway will be fuelled by much more than a hunger for success.
Star striker Erling Haaland and his teammates are enjoying a taste of home on their North American adventure after huge quantities of food were flown in from Scandinavia.
The squad's caterers are said to have at their disposal 300kg of Norwegian trout and salmon, 80kg of halibut, 100kg of Jarlsberg cheese (a Norwegian Swiss-style cheese) and 100kg of brown cheese (a Norwegian soft cheese).
The no-expense-spared approach to catering should probably not be dismissed as indulgent pampering of millionaire elite sportsmen.
Instead, it reflects the increased attention paid in recent decades to footballers’ diets in the hope that these offer the extra one or two per cent of performance that separates victory from defeat.
Food for elite footballers has been described as a mix of performance nutrition and fine dining.
The vast supper
Kasper Schmeichel, the retired Danish national team goalkeeper, told The Food Chain, a BBC World Service radio programme, that when he was playing for his country, he and his teammates “hired the best chef we could find in Denmark”.
But, he said, the aim was not just to ensure they all consumed the right nutrients; it was also to prevent them from becoming bored with their meals.
“When you’re in camp for six weeks, it can be quite monotonous. You eat together every single meal and it can become very much the same,” he said. “There’s a big pressure on the chef to keep things healthy but also to keep the variation, keep it interesting.”
Mona Nemmer, a nutritionist with Liverpool Football Club who has been involved with her native Germany’s national team, told the same programme that to provide some variety, one day the players might be offered rice, wholegrain pasta and sweet potato, while the next day gnocchi, quinoa and baked potatoes will be on offer.
Key ingredients
Typically players take what they want from a buffet that has carbohydrate and protein-rich choices, along with salad, vegetables, soup and bread.
The nutrient-dense, simple dishes players eat may be similar to the foods consumed by the general public, but the amounts and the proportions of different ingredients are tailored to maximise performance.
Alvis Benny, a clinical dietitian at Aster Medical Centre in Al Qusais, Dubai, said both short and long-term nutrition influenced physical performance, but in different ways.
Long-term eating habits determine a sportsperson’s overall fitness, body composition, muscle strength, endurance and recovery capacity.
“These adaptations develop over weeks and months through consistent healthy eating combined with regular training,” he said. “However, what an athlete eats immediately before and after exercise also has a significant impact.”
The overall aim, he said, was for “a balanced intake”, which means that carbohydrates, the main fuel source, account for 45 to 65 per cent of total daily calories, proteins between 15 and 25 per cent to support muscle repair and recovery, and healthy fats 20 to 35 per cent to allow for hormone production, brain function and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
“For footballers, who perform repeated high-intensity sprints, quick changes of direction and prolonged physical activity, adequate carbohydrate intake is essential to maintain muscle glycogen stores, while sufficient protein supports muscle recovery and adaptation,” he said.
“Healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fluids are equally important for sustained performance and overall health.”
Food for thought
Mr Benny advised that competitors should limit their intake of ultra-processed foods, added sugars, alcohol and foods high in unhealthy fats.
He said frequent consumption of these can impair recovery, increase inflammation and have a negative effect on performance. Consistency in healthy eating is important.
“A carbohydrate-rich meal before training or competition helps maximise energy availability, while consuming carbohydrates together with high-quality protein after exercise replenishes glycogen stores and promotes muscle repair and recovery,” Mr Benny said.
On matchdays, players may avoid vegetables that might make them feel bloated or flatulent, according to Ms Nemmer. To ensure all foods have been digested, their final meal will be several hours before the match starts.
At half time they may consume energy gels or sports drinks, and fruit such as bananas and slices of orange, but not usually anything heavier.
Chefs and nutritionists are an integral part of the team of support staff travelling with the squad and their preparation, such as liaising with the hotel where the players will be staying, may begin weeks or even months before a tournament. They often prepare food in the kitchens of the hotels in which the squad stay.
This World Cup is said to be particularly demanding for catering staff because the tournament is spread across three countries, so teams move from one hotel to another, in stark contrast to the situation during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Although players have top chefs and nutritionists on hand at the World Cup, they are not left to their own devices when they return to their day jobs as club footballers.
Instead, top players may have personal chefs who cook for them at their homes, or who prepare meals elsewhere and drop them off.
So whether it is Norway or England who fly home after tonight's game, none of the players will be saying goodbye to highly nutritious, tailor-made food.
