563 Peruvian babies named Haaland: Norway striker sparks bizarre naming trend

2 min readUpdated: Jul 14, 2026 10:36 PM IST

Norway's Erling Haaland (9) leads the team as they participate in a viking boat row after the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and Norway in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Erling Haaland may have had to say goodbye to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the quarterfinal but the impact he has made will continue to live for years to come, particularly in Peru. Despite there being little in common between the South America country and Norway, a total of 563 Peruvians now bear names directly inspired by the Norwegian and Manchester City forward.

According to official figures released by the country’s National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC), of the 563, 468 Peruvians already bear the surname Haaland, and a further 91 children have been registered with his full name, Erling Haaland. A vast majority of these registrations have been made since the start of the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Different football stars serve as inspiration for Peruvians to register their children with these names,” Ivan Torres, a spokesperson for Reniec, said on Panamericana Televisio. He said that the frequency of name registrations spiked dramatically as Norway made their way to the quarterfinals. “Haaland is Peruvian too,” Torres joked.

This was just the fourth time that Norway had played at the World Cup and their first appearance in the tournament since 1998. They managed to edge out Senegal, and finished second in their group to advance to the knockouts. Norway then beat the Ivory Coast in the round of 32 and then remarkably beat five-time champions Brazil 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Their journey finally ended in a 2-1 defeat in the quarterfinal to England in Miami.

Haaland was crucial throughout this journey to their cause, scoring seven goals over the course of the campaign. This included two against Brazil, after which he led Norway’s viral Viking Row celebration.

More than the goals, almost everything else about the striker that has resulted in him becoming a viral sensation — right from the striker’s hair to the way he walks, his rather nochalant goal celebrations against Brazil and his at times hilarious post-match interviews. Haaland has also been actively making rather cheeky posts on social media and even replied to a female content creator who happened to look quite similar to him.

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd