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Scoring goals is impressive. Inspiring parents to name their babies after you? That’s elite. Erling Haaland has become one of the biggest stars of the ongoing FIFA World Cup, and Peruvians are celebrating him in the most unexpected way. As per Peru’s National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC), 468 people already carry the surname Haaland, while 91 newborns have been registered with the full name Erling Haaland.

From goal-scoring machine to baby name inspiration

Haaland’s seven-goal debut World Cup campaign—including two decisive strikes against Brazil in the Round of 16 that helped Norway reach the quarter-finals for the first time in 28 years—has turned him into an unlikely naming trend. RENIEC says registrations climbed after the tournament began and surged as Norway kept advancing. “Different football stars serve as inspiration for Peruvians to register their children with these names,” Ivan Torres, a spokesperson for RENIEC, said on Panamericana Television. He added that registrations spiked dramatically during Norway’s run to the quarter-finals before joking, “Haaland is Peruvian too.”

Not Peru’s first football naming frenzy

Netizens approved the trend. One user wrote, “Peru naming babies Haaland after 7 goals is peak fan behavior,” while another person said, “I would name my kid Haaland too.” However, this isn’t the first time football has made its way onto Peruvian birth certificates. As per RENIEC, parents have long named their children after global football icons following major tournaments. The registry already includes thousands of people named after Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—and now, Erling Haaland has joined the club.