The Mystery Behind Norway's Viral 'Viking' Photoshoot
Collected Photo
It is just about five days until the curtain of the FIFA World Cup rises. Even before the on-field battles begin, the Norway national football team has caused a stir on the world stage with their team photoshoot. The entire Norway team dressed in traditional 'Viking' attire, captured together in one frame. The photo, taken by renowned photographer David Yarrow, went viral on social media within moments.
Many suspected it was an image generated by artificial intelligence (AI). However, to dispel this speculation, photographer Yarrow himself released a behind-the-scenes video and shared the story behind this epic photoshoot with BBC Sports.
The idea for this regal concept originated during an international break in 2023. At that time, Manchester City star Erling Haaland had posed alone as a Viking, standing waist-deep in water at a quarry in Oslo. David Yarrow said with a laugh, "If there is any athlete in the world who needs the least hair or makeup to be dressed as a Viking, it's Erling Haaland. He has that Viking look in his face. So working with him was very easy."
However, photographing the entire team was not so easy. Matching the busy schedule of team captain Martin Ødegaard, who had just played the UEFA Champions League final for Arsenal in Budapest, was particularly difficult. After finishing the trophy celebration parade in London, Ødegaard came alone to pose for David Yarrow's frame. Fortunately, the cloudy weather that day perfectly matched the conditions of the original photoshoot day, allowing Ødegaard to be flawlessly added to the main image using digital technology.
For Yarrow, the main purpose of this photo was to convey a message of unity within the team. He did not want the entire spotlight to be stolen solely by the two main stars, Haaland and Ødegaard. Yarrow said, "The most important thing for me was that the Norway team has players worth 200 million pounds, but it also has a third-choice goalkeeper (Egil Selvik) worth 250,000 pounds from Watford. Both need to have equal space in the frame. This isn't just a picture of Haaland, Ødegaard, and the other 24; it's a picture of a complete team."
All proceeds from the sale of this photo will be donated to various charities in Norway. Previously, a photo of the European golf team taken by Yarrow raised over 1 million dollars for an Irish charity. This large framed photo will be hung next to the table tennis board at Norway's World Cup base in North Carolina, reminding the players of the power of their heritage.
Last Monday, Norway defeated Sweden 3-1 in a World Cup preparation match. Jørgen Strand Larsen scored a brace, and the other goal came from Antonio Nusa. Yarrow, a photographer born in Glasgow who was a guest at that match, was impressed by Norway's young talents. In his opinion, "People think Norway is just a team of two players, but that's not true. They have great footballers in every position, from defense to wingers. I think they can go far in the World Cup. But like Scotland—they have to win that first match at all costs."
