Erling Haaland could have chosen any name for his Norway national team jersey. He chose ‘Braut’.
It is neither a whim nor a trend. It is his mother Marita Braut’s surname, who was a multiple heptathlon champion in Norway before becoming a mother.
While his father, a former professional footballer, passed on to him a love for the ball, it was she who gave him the discipline and machine-like body that today terrifies defenses all across Europe.
Haaland has repeated it in interviews: talent is trained, but genetics and consistency are inherited. That is why every time he scores a goal with ‘Braut Haaland’ on his back, he is not the only one celebrating.
Also celebrating is the woman who ran hurdles and threw javelins long before he learned to walk