Iván Torres, spokesperson for Reniec in Peru, had to come out and confirm it because it seemed like a joke: 593 newborns have been registered with the name “Haaland” since the 2026 World Cup began. 🇳🇴⚽
Of those, 4 have exactly the same name as their idol, Erling Braut Haaland. Another 91 bear the full name Erling Haaland, and the remaining 498 families decided that the surname was enough. The boom came right after Norway beat Brazil 2-1, with two goals from the striker himself, and advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in its history.
And it is not the first time Peru has done this: 3.402 people are already named Messi, 1.185 Cristiano Ronaldo, and 33.809 Neymar. With 7 goals in 4 matches, Haaland is only just beginning to build his own naming dynasty. 👶🏆