ERLING HAALAND has been prolific during his first World Cup, but as the goals have been flying in fans have been noticing something unusual about his shirt.
Instead of the familiar name seen on his Man City kit, he has lined up during the tournament with .
Erling Halaand is in the race for the World Cup golden boot Credit: Getty
The superstar striker lines up for Norway with ‘Braut’ added to his shirt Credit: Getty
What name is on Haaland’s Norway shirt?
The striker’s full legal name is , and it is that name he uses on international duty with .
He adopted the change in August 2025, confirming he would wear his full surname for his country in a nod to Norwegian naming customs.
There it is common for both maternal and paternal names to be recognised in official use.
He was registered under his full name at the 2019 Under-20 World Cup, where he scored a record nine goals in a 12-0 win over Honduras.
His account also has him down as Erling Braut Haaland, where he has a whopping 60 million followers at the time of writing.
Who are Erling Braut Haaland’s parents?
The Braut name comes from his mum, Gry Marita Braut, a former Norwegian heptathlon champion.
His dad is , a Norwegian former professional footballer who spent a decade in the .
He played for , and between 1993 and 2003.
Erling was born in Leeds on July 21, 2000, just over a month after his dad joined City from Leeds.
Alf-Inge’s career was ultimately ended by knee problems in 2003.
His infamous rivalry with resulted in one of football’s most notorious tackles.
In 1997, while playing for Leeds, Haaland accused Keane of faking injury after the United midfielder ruptured his cruciate ligament during a challenge at Elland Road.
It kept the United captain out for the rest of the season.
But as Keane lay in agony, Haaland stood over him and accused him of faking the injury
Four years later, the Irishman retaliated with a knee-high challenge during a Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
Keane was immediately red-carded and initially banned for three games.
He later received a further five-match ban and £150,000 fine after comments in his 2002 autobiography were treated as an admission that the horrific foul was an act of revenge.
Alf-Inge has since acted as his son’s advisor, playing a key role in guiding his career moves from Red Bull Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund and then to City.
Why isn’t Braut on his Man City shirt?
At club level, the striker has always played simply as Haaland – at Salzburg, and City alike.
The reason is largely practical – a single short name is easier to brand, market and put on replica shirts for a global audience.
And the single-name version was already established well before he arrived in England.
For Norway, however, heritage takes priority over branding.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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