The excitement surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup has extended beyond the stadiums, with hundreds of parents in Peru naming their newborn children after Norwegian football star Erling Haaland.
Although Peru failed to qualify for this year’s tournament, the World Cup has fueled football fever across the country, prompting many families to honor one of the sport’s biggest stars through their children’s names.
According to Peru’s civil registry, 559 babies have been registered with names inspired by Haaland since the World Cup began. Of that total, 468 were given the name “Haaland,” while 91 were registered with the full name “Erling Haaland.”
Ivan Torres, a spokesperson for Peru’s civil registry, said naming children after famous athletes has long been a common practice in the country, noting that similar trends have emerged during previous major sporting events.
Government records also show that thousands of Peruvians bear names inspired by other football icons. The registry lists 33,809 people named after Brazilian star Neymar, 3,402 with names linked to Argentine captain Lionel Messi—including 292 registered as “Lionel Messi”—and 1,185 named after Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
The naming trend has also spread to neighboring Mexico, where a newborn recently drew attention for having an unusually long name that combines Haaland’s surname with those of Mexican football players.
The child was reportedly named Baby Quiñona Ysisidra Morita Haaland Guevara, with the name honoring Haaland as well as Mexican stars Julián Quiñones and Gilberto Mora. The middle name was inspired by the phrase “¿Y Si Si?” (“What if?”), a popular chant among Mexican football supporters during the tournament.
The trend highlights football’s enduring popularity across Latin America, where fans continue to celebrate the sport both on and off the pitch during the World Cup. (AC)
