World Cup 2026: Why Erling Haaland has 'Braut' on the back of his Norway jersey
Erling Haaland's performance at the 2026 World Cup will see a dramatic rise in jersey sales around the world. With seven goals in five matches while leading Norway to the quarterfinals, coupled with his social media stardom, his brand is skyrocketing.
As far as jerseys go, fans might have noticed during the tournament that the back of his Norway kit is different from what he wears with his club side, Manchester City.
While scoring goals in the Premier League, his jersey features "Haaland" on the back. It's different when he's representing his country as he has "Braut Haaland" on the back of his Norway jerseys.
Why the difference?
Erling Braut Haaland is his full name, with "Braut" the last name of his mother, Gry Marita Braut. a former professional heptathlete. "Haaland" comes from his dad, former Premier League player Alf-Inge.
Many Norwegians have middle names that come from their mother's last name. This is Haaland's way of paying tribute to his mother while representing his country.
Haaland also goes by his full name on his Instagram profile, which now has over 60 million followers after he began the tournament with 40 million.
Kristoffer Ajer, Haaland's Norway teammate, does something similar, wearing "Ajer" while playing for Brentford of the Premier League, but sporting "Vassbakk Ajer" for Norway. His use of "Vassbakk" is a tribute to his late grandfather from his mother's side.
Haaland's jerseys early in his career with Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund did feature "Braut Haaland," but he later changed it to just "Haaland."
Next up for Braut Haaland is England on Saturday in Dallas. Norway is chasing its first World Cup semifinal appearance behind the red-hot striker, who delivered the winner against Brazil in the Round of 16.
