Baby Haaland in Peru: Newborns take names of World Cup stars

A wave of newborns in Peru are being named after soccer stars, most notably Norway's Erling Haaland, as parents across Latin America christen a new generation after World Cup heroes. In Peru, hundreds of babies now share the name Haaland, while names inspired by legacy icons like Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo each have around 30,000 registrations. Ivan Torres, a spokesperson for Peru's civil registry RENIEC, noted that "Haaland is now Peruvian too," adding that one newborn was simply named "Mundial," the Spanish shorthand for the World Cup. Peru did not qualify for the tournament.

Many Latin Americans, whose own teams were eliminated or did not compete, have thrown their support behind the Norwegian team. Their "Viking row" and Haaland's run to the quarter-finals for the first time won them legions of new fans. In Mexico, a birth certificate went viral showing a baby girl named Quiñona Ysisidra Morita Haaland Guevara, a nod to Mexican stars Julián Quiñones and Gilberto Mora, as well as the Norwegian striker. The name "Ysisidra" is a play on "Y si sí?" or "What if?", an upbeat mantra chanted by Mexican fans.

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Haaland is now Peruvian too.

In Argentina, names like Enzo, Emiliano, and Lionel topped the list of most popular boy names in the northeastern province of Salta the week before the final, a trend local authorities attributed to the "World Cup phenomenon." Argentina's World Cup team includes midfielder Enzo Fernandez, goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez, and captain Messi. Fabiola Molina, host of the Mexico City-based podcast "Sin manual para padres" ("No manual for parents"), told Reuters that this trend has a history across Latin America, dating back to Diego Maradona's 1986 "Hand of God" goal. She noted that during the Backstreet Boys' popularity, many boys were named Kevin and Brian. However, Molina cautioned, "It's funny, but it could also be prejudicial to children when they grow up. Just because your name is Messi or Lionel, it doesn't mean you'll grow up to be a good soccer player – destiny won't carve that out for you."

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It's funny, but it could also be prejudicial to children when they grow up. Just because your name is Messi or Lionel, it doesn't mean you'll grow up to be a good soccer player – destiny won't carve that out for you.