Erling Haaland Has Changed Name on His Norway Shirt, Experts Gives Reason
- Erling Haaland has changed the name on his jersey ahead of Norway's 2026 World Cup qualifier
- The Manchester City striker will no longer be addressed as simply Haaland behind his national team jersey
- Norway are aiming to qualify for their first major international tournament since the Euro 2000
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Erling Haaland has officially changed the name on his jersey ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier for the Norwegian national team next month.
Haaland is part of Norway's squad that will face Finland in an international friendly on September 5, before playing against Estonia in the qualifiers.
Source: Getty Images
Norway are top of their qualifying group as their new generation superstars aim to qualify for their first international tournament since the 2000 European Championship.
Why Erling Haaland changed his name
As noted by Goal, the striker has opted to have the name “Braut Haaland” on the back of his national team jersey starting with the September games.
The Manchester City forward simply wants to be referred to by his full surname, which also reflects his mother's family name, “Braut”, and it is unclear whether he will implement the change at the club side.
The news comes as a surprise, and his fans have been urged to place an order for a new shirt because of the five-word name change from their favourite player.
Fans were not the only ones caught unaware; Norway's manager, Ola Solbakken, admitted that he was not informed about the name change, though he knew Braut was his name.
“That's his name [Braut], it's no longer that difficult. I knew nothing of it until now,” the manager told Dagbladet.
Top Norwegian football expert, Carl-Erik Torp, has given the reason for the change, claiming he wants to stand out as more players in the country have the name
“Haalands keep popping up. I think almost every team in the Eliteserien and around has a Haaland on the team. But his name is Braut Haaland. Then he stands out a little more than just Haaland,” he said.
Toro added that the two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner is turning his brand around, and his mother is getting more involved in his career.
Source: Getty Images
Fans reacted to the news, questioning if it was necessary, while others claimed it was to confuse defenders.
@vic_insight01 wrote:
“Haaland adding ‘Braut’ to his Norway shirt honours his heritage; a personal touch showing pride while reinforcing his unique football identity.”
@sanguroofficial wrote:
“Man just added a middle name hoping defenders will get confused reading his shirt instead of marking him… still won’t help him control a first touch though!”
@rfngljaspe wrote:
“Defenders already couldn’t stop him — now they’ll waste extra seconds just reading the jersey.”
@emperorpapillo wrote:
“Hope Braut will make him more brutal in front of goal.”
Erling Haaland breaks Norway's record
Legit.ng previously reported that Erling Haaland broke Norway's goal record and became the country's top scorer after finding the net against Slovenia in October.
He has an enviable goal record for his country with 42 in 43 matches, though he is still waiting to feature in his first major tournament.
Source: Legit.ng
