England’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup will partly rest on how well they are able to manage the threat posed by Erling Haaland in tonight’s quarter-final clash with Norway in Miami.
The Manchester City striker is enjoying a sensational World Cup campaign for the Norwegians having scored seven goals in his four appearances in the tournament.
The seven strikes include the brace Haaland scored against Brazil in the Round of 16 to dump the five-time champions out of the competition to set up this evening’s showdown with England.
Haaland’s form in front of goal in North America has seen Norway become genuine contenders for the trophy, in what is the country’s first major tournament since Euro 2000.
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But while Haaland’s goalscoring exploits will be familiar to fans who watch the Premier League every week, what will be less familiar is the sight of ‘Braut’ on the back of his Norway shirt at the World Cup.
This is because, in Norwegian culture, it is common for people to include both maternal and paternal names in their surname.
While Haaland has just his paternal name on his Manchester City kit, originating from his father Alf-Inge, he has also elected to include his maternal name, stemming from his mother, Gry Marita Braut, whenever he plays for Norway.
Haaland used Braut on the back of his shirt when playing for Austrian side Red Bell Salzburg between 2019 and 2020, but dropped the name when he moved to Borussia Dortmund.
Sporting family
It’s perhaps no surprise that Haaland made it as a professional footballer, given both his parents were successful athletes in their own rights.
His father played for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City in the 1990s and 2000s and went on to win 34 caps for Norway as a versatile defender and midfielder.
It was during Alf-Inge’s spell at Leeds that Haaland junior was born, spending the first three years of his life in West Yorkshire before the family moved back to Norway.
Haaland’s mother, meanwhile, is a former heptathlete who was crowned the Norwegian champion in the discipline.
Having been born in England, Haaland would have been entitled to British citizenship, which would have made him eligible to play for the Three Lions – although the striker was set on representing his native country from the very beginning.
‘I lived here [England] for three-and-a-half-to-four years and I lived in Norway for such a long time, so then it was natural for me to choose Norway,’ Haaland said in an interview with Goal.
‘You never know how it would be if maybe my father played longer in England or whatever. Maybe I would be English, I don’t know.
‘But yeah, I’m Norwegian and I’m proud of it.’