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Erling Haaland has, perhaps as expected, emerged as one of the standout performers at the 2026 World Cup.
The Manchester City forward has led Norway's charge to the last eight, netting seven times—tied for the most in the competition alongside Harry Kane and Lionel Messi—as the Norwegians have swept past the likes of Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and, most notably, Brazil.
His prolific scoring form has remained consistent on the grandest stage, but one thing has shifted: the name displayed on the back of his shirt.
Rather than wearing simply "Haaland" as he does at City, Norway's talismanic striker has "Braut Haaland" emblazoned across his back, incorporating his middle name.
So what's behind the change?
Why Does Haaland Use 'Braut' on His World Cup Jersey?
The name on the back of Erling Haaland's Norway shirt is more than a minor tweak—it is a tribute to his family heritage.
Haaland has added "Braut," the surname of his mother Gry Marita Braut, to his jersey as a homage to her side of the family. His father, Alf-Inge Haaland, was a former Premier League footballer, but the striker's full legal name has always been Erling Braut Haaland.
In Norway, it is customary for middle names to serve as inherited family surnames, often helping to preserve the name of one parent's lineage. For Haaland, wearing "Braut" allows him to honor that connection on the world stage.
The gesture also speaks to the strong bond Haaland shares with his mother, who was herself a national heptathlon champion in Norway during the 1990s. The two were photographed together celebrating Manchester City's Champions League victory in 2023.
This is not the first time the striker has used the name.
Earlier in his career, he was referred to as "Erling Braut Haaland" before eventually shortening his shirt name to simply "Haaland" at club level. The 2026 World Cup, however, marks a return to the extended version while representing his nation.
The switch also coincided with Norway's recent resurgence. Haaland wore "Haaland" during portions of qualifying, including fixtures against Estonia and Italy, before transitioning to "Braut Haaland" later in the campaign as Norway clinched their spot at the tournament.
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Interestingly, Haaland's adoption of the surname as it is widely recognized today only began in 2019 when he departed Norwegian club Molde to join Red Bull Salzburg. Prior to that, he was known as "Håland," but chose to switch to a spelling more accessible to a global audience, fully aware that he was destined to build a worldwide fanbase.
"One step ahead, all the time," Haaland explained.
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Barnaby Lane, better known as Barney, is a soccer writer for SI FC. With nearly a decade of experience in the industry, he has worked for a range of household-name publications in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and has interviewed some of the world's biggest athletes—from Usain Bolt and Rafael Nadal to Christian Pulisic (though his favorite interview remains Adebayo Akinfenwa). Barney specializes in Premier League soccer, covering everything from the nostalgia of years gone by to the modern, vastly different landscape of today's game. He also has experience reporting on La Liga and Major League Soccer, the latter of which he developed a particular affinity for during his university days at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.