The story of Norway's Viking World Cup photoshoot

Image source, David Yarrow By Flora Snelson BBC Sport journalist Published 12 minutes ago The focus of world football will be tight to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland when Norway play at their first World Cup finals since 1998. But, tasked by the Norwegian football association with taking the squad's send-off photo, acclaimed British photographer David Yarrow preferred a wider angle to capture the contribution of all 26 players. With his photo entitled 'The Vikings are coming', Yarrow snubbed the tradition of shooting players on airplane steps. Instead, the squad headed to one of the country's famed fjords to be snapped head-to-toe in authentic Viking dress, with weapons and shields to boot. Image gallery Skip image gallery Image source, David Yarrow Image caption, Yarrow captured behind-the-scenes footage to ward off suggestions his photo had been generated by artificial intelligence Image source, David Yarrow Image caption, It was important to find a location which would have privacy from onlookers Image source, David Yarrow Image caption, Authentic costumes were sourced from theatre companies in Oslo Image source, David Yarrow Image caption, Yarrow said Haaland's sister had described his 2023 portrait as "the best looking picture of [Haaland] ever" 1 of 4 Previous image Next image Slide 1 of 4 , Martin Odegaard, in viking costume, looks at a book with David Yarrow , Yarrow captured behind-the-scenes footage to ward off suggestions his photo had been generated by artificial intelligence End of image gallery The idea for the epic photograph originated during an international break in 2023, when Yarrow shot Haaland alone in Viking dress, waist-deep in an Oslo fjord. It wasn't difficult for Yarrow to capture the intended atmosphere. "If you had to choose one sportsperson in the world that doesn't need much hair and make up to look like a Viking, it's Erling Haaland," Yarrow said. "And so it was easy to shoot with him." It wasn't the first time that Yarrow has looked to history for inspiration. Before Team Europe teed off at Bethpage Black in September, he photographed the defending Ryder Cup champions in front of the Manhattan Bridge dressed in prohibition-era suits and hats. The black-and-white photo, which featured at the team's headquarters, was a talking point for the golfers as they successfully beat the United States to retain the trophy. Sales of the photo have raised more than a million dollars for Irish charities. Yarrow hopes that the Norway squad photo, which will sit next to a table tennis table at the side's Greensboro base in North Carolina, has the same impact. Four months ago, the Norway football association contacted him with a proposal. Having developed a trusting relationship with Yarrow in his solo shoot, Haaland - "the unofficial voice of the team" - was keen to involve the photographer in their World Cup preparations. It was "an honour" for Yarrow to accept the project, which will fundraise for Norwegian charities. Mil