Boston World Cup ’26: Norwegian reindeer eaters miss country’s food, excited for match vs. France
Norwegian students in Boston for the summer say they are feeling at home in the hub, excited for their country to return to the World Cup pitch on Friday in Foxboro, even though they miss their native land’s cuisine.
Boston University is hosting 32 Norwegians for 10 weeks, until mid-August, in the Gründerskolen Norway entrepreneurship program, coinciding with the premier global soccer tournament.
The program is in its 23rd year at BU, but this is the first World Cup Norway has participated in in 28 years, making this summer even bigger than in the past. With matches in Foxboro, the Norwegian students say their immersive experiences are even sweeter.
“For my whole life, there hasn’t been the concept of Norway being in such a big event,” student Thea Eng Brendan told the Herald. “The Norwegian ladies are better at soccer, so it’s really cool that the men are in. You just feel the national (pride).”
Some of the 32 students will head to Boston Stadium on Friday, as Norway takes on France in one of the premier contests on the entire World Cup slate to date. Several are already missing food back at home, having just arrived in the city earlier this month.
Among the World Cup storylines surfacing within the first two weeks of the tournament have been false claims that the Norwegian soccer team distrusts American food so much that they brought food from home to avoid eating it.
In reality, the team brought products from Norway to maintain consistency in players’ diets and provide a taste of home, its head chef, Aron Espeland, has said. Other ingredients have been sourced locally. Nutrition experts say that such a practice is common among elite athletes who play internationally.
Norwegian student Faez Kamal admitted to the Herald that he has started missing the food from his homeland.
“It doesn’t mean that the food here isn’t good,” he said, “it’s just different.”
When asked whether he feels that Norwegian food is better, he responded, laughing, “I’m going to be diplomatic and say I don’t know.”
Eng Brendan also described Norwegian food as “very different,” highlighting reindeer and sheep heads among the country’s main staples. She added that she feels the country’s cuisine is much healthier than America’s.
“It’s an experience,” Eng Brendan said, with a smile, “you should try it. … Like fast food, there isn’t as much of a concept of it there as here.”
The students agreed that Bostonians have welcomed them with open arms the past few weeks, even amid Scotland’s overwhelming takeover of the city with the Tartan Army.
Desiree Divino attended Norway’s 4-1 Group Stage win over Iraq in Foxboro last Tuesday. On her way back to South Station, she said her phone ran out of battery. Two people nearby helped her out, lending her a charger and a powerbank.
“Boston is so beautiful,” Divino told the Herald. “It’s so clean, it’s so accessible. I just really appreciate the people.”
On Wednesday, the students met former ambassador to Norway, Barry White. They listened to his experience leading relations between the U.S. and their home country as a Barack Obama political appointee in 2009-13.
Speaking to the Herald before his presentation, White said Norwegians are “great allies” to the United States. He added that he believes the relationship is “still very close,” but there are concerns as President Trump has been “very critical of NATO.”
Concerns have also risen over Trump’s desire to take over Greenland, White said.
“I will put it this way: I am sure that the Norwegians are not feeling that it would be appropriate for the United States to either buy or take over Greenland,” he said. “The next step could be something up north in the Arctic, like Svalbard. There has been a little bit of rumbling in the press; once you start, who knows where it goes.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
