The country of Peru has seen an influx of babies named after the star of Norway’s World Cup team, Erling Haaland, with over 500 newborns having been named after the forward, data from Peru’s National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (Reniec) revealed.
The "Yorkshire-born, Norwegian lad" recently completed his first stint at the FIFA World Cup, scoring seven goals - just one less than veteran player Kylian Mbappé, and over double the legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s score - and capturing the hearts of fans around the world.
His popularity, however, reached new heights in Peru, where 486 children have been named “Haaland,” and 91 were given the 25-year-old footballer’s full name, “Erling Haaland,” in the weeks since the World Cup began, the national registry confirmed.
Haaland quickly became an internet sensation due to both his larger-than-life personality and size - coming in at six feet five - with many online joking that the Norwegian team had secured an actual Viking for their team.
“Erling Haaland runs like no one taught him to train his dragon,” one user wrote on social media.
Built like a Viking, but with the personality of a golden retriever
“How does someone built like a Viking manage to radiate the energy of a golden retriever?” another wrote.
Peruvians take their soccer seriously, as the registry also revealed 3,402 people in Peru named after Argentina's Lionel Messi, 1,185 named after Cristiano Ronaldo, and a whopping 33,809 named after Brazil’s Neymar.
"Different football stars serve as inspiration for Peruvians to register their children with these names," registry spokesperson Ivan Torres told Panamericana Television.