Sawt Falasteen - Hundreds of Peruvian newborns named after Norway striker Haaland

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, who has scored seven times in four appearances so far in this World Cup, made both goals in his team's historic victory against Brazil and has helped ensure their first-ever quarter-final appearance, against England on Saturday.

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.

W.Mansour--SF-PST