Why Haaland wears Braut Haaland for Norway but not Man City

Eagle-eyed viewers watching Norway’s World Cup 2026 campaign will have spotted something unusual on the back of Erling Haaland’s shirt. Rather than the single surname he wears for Manchester City, the striker has taken to the pitch for his country as “Braut Haaland”.

The change is not a printing error but a deliberate and personal decision by the 25-year-old, according to the Mirror. It reflects a distinction he draws between his club career and his international identity while representing Norway on the biggest stage in football.

A nod to Norwegian tradition

In Norway it is culturally common for children to carry both parents’ surnames, a way of honouring the full breadth of a family’s heritage. By printing “Braut Haaland” on his international shirt, the forward has effectively used his full legal surname, aligning himself with that national custom.

“Haaland” comes from his father, the former footballer Alfie Haaland, whose own playing career in England is well known to Premier League followers. “Braut”, meanwhile, belongs to his mother, Gry Marita Braut.

Honouring his mother’s sporting career

The inclusion of his mother’s maiden name carries extra significance given her own background in athletics. Gry Marita Braut competed as a heptathlete for Norway, meaning the shirt now nods to a family lineage of sporting achievement on both sides.

By adding her name specifically to his international kit, Haaland appears keen to celebrate that dual sporting heritage whenever he represents his homeland, even if it doesn’t extend to his day-to-day club career.

Why Manchester City fans won’t see it

At club level, Haaland continues to wear only “Haaland” on his Manchester City shirt, keeping the branding consistent with the name that has become instantly recognisable to Premier League supporters and shirt buyers since his move to England.

The simpler surname helps maintain the commercial recognition he has built up domestically and internationally as one of the league’s most marketable stars, while the fuller “Braut Haaland” is reserved solely for his Norway duties at the World Cup and beyond.