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Last Updated:July 14, 2026, 09:47 IST
So far, 468 newborns have been named Haaland while 91 Erling Haaland as per the national identity registry of Peru
Erling Haaland scored seven goals in his maiden world cup campaign. (AP Photo)
Droves of Peruvian football fans have named their newborns after Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland ahead of his team’s World Cup quarter-final against England, Peru’s identity registry said Friday.
Norway’s scoring machine Haaland has been coasting on a wave of popularity during the 2026 edition of the world’s biggest football extravaganza.
The sports sensation scored seven times in five appearances at the World Cup including two goals in his team’s historic victory against Brazil.
Norway qualified for their first-ever world cup quarter-final appearance where they lost to England 1-2.
His fans in Peru have gone as far as naming their children after him, with 468 bearing the 25-year-old’s surname, according to the national identity registry.
Another 91 infants carry the full name Erling Haaland, it said.
“Different football stars serve as inspiration for Peruvians to register their children with these names," registry spokesperson Ivan Torres told Panamericana Television.
Most newborn Peruvians named after Haaland were registered in the weeks following the World Cup’s kick-off, Torre said, with numbers soaring when Norway advanced to the quarter-finals.
“Haaland is also Peruvian," he said.
Football fever has inspired new parents in Peru in the past, with 3,402 people born in the country bearing the name Messi — 292 of whom bear Argentine star Lionel Messi’s full name.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has 1,185 Peruvian namesakes, while 1,241 are called Yamal after Spain’s prized player Lamine Yamal.
A whopping 33,809 are named after Brazil’s Neymar.
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Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience ...Read More
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