Water Cannons, Viking Warriors, and Flight 1978: How the World Said Goodbye to Its FIFA World Cup Teams

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Before a ball was even kicked in North America, the world had already decided the 2026 FIFA World Cup was going to be different.

Photo Credit: Instagram: @fifaworldcup @meninblazers

The tournament, the first in which the field expanded to 48 teams, and the first ever to be shared across three simultaneous host nations: Canada, Mexico, and the United States, had barely announced itself when the send-off rituals began. Airports became theatres. Pitches became dining halls. An aircraft fuselage became a monument. And in Norway, a fjord became the setting for one of the most talked-about sports photographs in years. Before a single tackle was made or a goalkeeper dived, the 2026 World Cup had already produced some of its most unforgettable imagery - not on the pitch, but in the moments just before departure.

Here is how the world said goodbye.

Argentina: A Plane Called 1978

Reigning world champions Argentina arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, to begin their title defence - and the aircraft that carried them there was anything but ordinary. The Aerolíneas Argentinas charter, which the airline described as "the most Argentine plane in the world," bore a flight number that said everything: 1978, a direct homage to the year Argentina won its first World Cup on home soil.

The aircraft was unveiled at Hangar 5 of Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, featuring the number 10, the official Adidas jersey design, and three stars representing Argentina's three World Cup titles. Additional design elements included a captain's armband applied over the engines - a visual metaphor linking Messi's on-field leadership to the rudder that steers the plane.

It was equal parts tribute, declaration, and superstition. The message was unmistakable: Argentina were not merely travelling to a tournament - they were continuing a story.

Norway: The Vikings Have Landed

If Argentina's send-off was about history, Norway's was about mythology. The squad released a series of photographs depicting its players in full Viking battle regalia, shot by photographer David Yarrow. The team posed on a beach in front of three Viking longships, with star forward Erling Haaland wielding a sword and shield, his long hair unbound.

The campaign was deliberately provocative. The concept leaned into Norway's return to the World Cup stage after a 28-year absence, framing it as a voyage across the Atlantic. Even captain Martin Ødegaard - who missed the original shoot due to the Champions League final - was digitally inserted into the lineup, with a space in the composition left open specifically for him.

Haaland posted his solo portrait on Instagram with a two-word caption: "Norway is coming." The global reaction was overwhelmingly positive, though debate sparked at home over whether the Viking imagery was appropriate or reductive. Whatever one's view, the strategy worked: nobody, anywhere, was underestimating Norway heading into the tournament.

Brazil: Blessed by Water Cannons

The airline carrying Brazil's national team was "baptised" by water cannons at the airport - a ritual long associated with blessing aircraft on special journeys, viewed as a symbolic gesture of goodwill and safe passage. The water salute is a long-standing aviation tradition often reserved for special occasions, widely regarded as a blessing for the aircraft and its passengers.

For the Seleção, it was both ceremony and theatre - entirely fitting for a nation that treats football not merely as sport but as collective religion. Brazil will be competing in their 23rd World Cup, the only nation to have appeared in every tournament since 1930 - a fact that lends a certain weight to every departure.

Turkey: A Convoy Across the Bosphorus

Turkey ensured its national team received a special farewell as the players' coach journey to the airport in Istanbul was accompanied by a convoy of more than 100 vehicles decorated in the national colours, with horns blaring as the procession crossed the Bosphorus.

The symbolism was hard to miss: a convoy bridging two continents, Europe and Asia, in a country that has always existed at the crossroads of both. For a Turkish squad hungry to make its mark on the expanded tournament, it was the kind of send-off that stirs the chest.

Senegal: Dinner on the Pitch

Senegal's national football team held a farewell dinner ahead of their departure - on the pitch of the Stade Abdoulaye Wade in Diamniadio, where players, coaches, and administrative staff gathered for a final send-off before travelling. The dinner was held in the presence of the country's president, who wished them luck and cheered them on before they departed.

There was something deeply human about it - the country's finest footballers eating together on hallowed turf before heading into the biggest tournament on earth. Senegal, who have faced their share of controversy since arriving in the United States - the Senegalese Football Federation released a statement following viral footage of its squad undergoing security checks on the tarmac at Raleigh airport, clarifying that the procedures were pre-arranged and conducted "under excellent conditions." - carried that sense of collective dignity with them from the moment they left home.

Japan: Cowboy Hats and Cross-Cultural Joy

Japan's arrival in Mexico was greeted with flair, as fans and locals presented the squad with cowboy hats amid chants and celebrations. The light-hearted moment captured something genuine about the spirit of a three-nation tournament - cultures bumping into each other with warmth rather than friction.

Portugal: Wearing the Colours at 35,000 Feet

Portugal arrived in custom airline livery matching the national team's colours - a subtle but telling gesture from a squad that knows this is likely Cristiano Ronaldo's final World Cup. At 41, Ronaldo boards every plane to a tournament knowing it might be the last time. Portugal made sure even the aircraft acknowledged the moment.