More than 500 newborns in Peru have been named after Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, capitalising on a wave of football fever as Norway advances through the World Cup.
The national registry office Reniec reported 563 children have been given some variation of the forward's name: 468 received Haaland as a first name, 91 were registered as Erling Haaland, and four were given his full name, Erling Braut Haaland. The authority announced the figures on Friday, illustrating the trend with an AI-generated image of Haaland wearing a chullo hat and holding a plush llama. Spokesman Iván Torres said football stars routinely inspire naming choices among Peruvian parents.
Haaland, 25, has scored seven goals at the tournament, helping Norway reach the quarter-finals after a round-of-16 victory over Brazil. Norway faces England in Miami on Saturday.