The spotlight may have been expected to fall on Erling Haaland and Norway’s return to the global stage, but it is a single photograph that has stolen the early headlines around their World Cup campaign.

In one of the most striking team images ever produced in international football, the Norwegian squad has been captured in full Viking regalia, standing on the edge of one of the country’s dramatic fjords. Shields, weapons, and traditional warrior styling replace the usual suits and smiles, creating a scene more myth than media day.

The project, titled “The Vikings Are Coming,” was commissioned by the Norwegian Football Association as part of the team’s World Cup send-off. Rather than the conventional airport steps or training-ground line-up, the squad embraced a cinematic approach designed to reflect national identity and unity.

The concept was developed in collaboration with acclaimed British photographer David Yarrow, who had already built a relationship with Haaland after an earlier solo shoot of the striker in Viking dress, waist-deep in an Oslo fjord. That image helped shape the larger vision for the full squad.

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This time, the entire group took part, including captain Martin Ødegaard, with the shoot carefully staged to blend football ambition with historical symbolism.

Yarrow later revealed that Haaland’s transformation into a Viking warrior was “one of the easiest tasks” given his presence and physique.

The photograph will be displayed at Norway’s World Cup base in North Carolina and is also tied to charitable fundraising efforts.



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