Erling Haaland has lit up the 2026 FIFA World Cup, inspiring Norway to within touching distance of a first major semi-final appearance since Euro 2000 after scoring seven times in just four matches.
The Manchester City forward played a decisive role in Norway’s run, including a double against Brazil in the Round of 16 that sent the five-time world champions packing. But despite the huge attention on Norway’s tense 2-1 loss to England, some supporters were focused on another detail entirely.
Fans watching Haaland for his national side may have spotted that the name on the back of his shirt is not quite the same as the one he wears at club level.
For City, his jersey says simply ‘Haaland’. For Norway, however, it includes another family name: ‘Braut’.
That addition is not a stylistic change. It is a nod to his mother.
His full name is Erling Braut Haaland, with “Braut” coming from his mother, Gry Marita Braut, who was a Norwegian heptathlon champion. Using both parental surnames is not unusual in Norway, and Haaland has opted to reflect that background when representing his country. He also had “Braut” on his shirt during his Red Bull Salzburg spell from 2019 to 2020, before leaving it off after his move to Borussia Dortmund.
In August 2025, Haaland asked for his full name to appear on the back of his Norway shirt again, and the change was then carried by the Norwegian Football Federation for the national team’s next fixtures. The move quickly drew attention because it restored the version of his name that most clearly links him to both sides of his family.
Sporting success runs through the family. His father, Alf-Inge ‘Alfie’ Haaland, enjoyed a professional career with Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City, while earning 34 caps for Norway across defensive and midfield roles. His mother, meanwhile, reached the top nationally in the heptathlon.
Haaland was born in West Yorkshire while Alfie was playing for Leeds. He spent the opening years of his life in England before the family returned to Bryne after his father retired in 2003.
Because he was born in England, Haaland could in theory have pursued British citizenship and eventually represented England internationally. But he has made clear that the choice never felt especially complicated.
“I lived here [England] for three-and-a-half-to-four years and I lived in Norway for such a long time, so then it was natural for me to choose Norway,” he said in an interview with Goal.
“You never know how it would be if maybe my father played longer in England or whatever. Maybe I would be English, I don’t know. But yeah, I’m Norwegian and I’m proud of it.”
He has also spoken openly about the importance of family in his life. Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast in December 2025, Haaland said he wants to “make them proud” and involve his parents in his career as much as possible, describing it as ‘a special life’ that he hopes to enjoy with them while he can.
His relationship with Alfie in particular has been a recurring topic. In an interview with The Telegraph, Haaland said that even though Alfie is his father, “in some ways, he’s more of a brother to me,” and explained that the two are in touch every day.