Baby Haaland in Peru: newborns take names of World Cup stars
World Cup Fever Sparks Naming Boom Across Latin America
Baby Haaland in Peru – A remarkable cultural phenomenon has swept through Latin American nations, with parents choosing to honor their favorite football icons by bestowing their names upon newborn children. The global tournament has inspired a generation of parents to celebrate the sport’s greatest stars through the most personal gesture possible—naming their babies after them.
Peru Embraces the Norwegian Phenomenon
Peru has become particularly enthusiastic about this trend, with hundreds of infants receiving the name Haaland in honor of Norway’s prolific striker. According to Ivan Torres, a spokesperson for Peru’s civil registry known as RENIEC, the name has become so popular that he declared, “Haaland is now Peruvian too.” The registry reported that while Haaland has seen a surge in registrations, legacy names like Lionel, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo each maintain approximately 30,000 registrations across the country.
“Haaland is now Peruvian too,” Torres said, noting one newborn was simply named “Mundial” after the Spanish shorthand for the World Cup.
What makes this trend even more fascinating is that Peru did not qualify for the tournament itself. Despite this, many Latin Americans whose national teams failed to compete or were eliminated early have shown reluctance to support Argentina, which they perceive as overly Eurocentric. Instead, they have rallied behind Norway, whose dramatic “Viking row” celebration and Haaland-led journey to the quarter-finals for the first time in their history has captured hearts across the continent.
Mexico’s Creative Naming Tradition
Mexico, which co-hosted the tournament alongside the United States and Canada, witnessed an equally creative expression of football fandom. A photograph of a birth certificate went viral across social media platforms, revealing a baby girl christened with the extraordinary name Quiñona Ysisidra Morita Haaland Guevara. This elaborate name pays tribute to three distinct figures: Mexican football stars Julián Quiñones and Gilberto Mora, alongside the Norwegian striker Haaland.
The middle name Ysisidra represents a clever play on words, derived from “Y si sí?”—a spirited phrase meaning “What if?” that Mexican supporters chanted enthusiastically throughout the tournament until their elimination by England in the round of sixteen. While the name has captured public imagination, Mexico’s governance secretariat has not yet confirmed the certificate’s authenticity.
Argentina’s Homecoming Celebration
In Argentina, the World Cup’s influence on naming patterns became particularly evident in the northeastern province of Salta. Local authorities reported that Enzo, Emiliano, and Lionel emerged as the most popular boy names in the week preceding the final match. This surge was directly attributed to what officials called the “World Cup phenomenon.”
The Argentine squad competing in Sunday’s final includes midfielder Enzo Fernandez, goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez, and team captain Lionel Messi—all names now resonating through nurseries across the nation.
A Tradition with Deep Roots
Fabiola Molina, host of the Mexico City-based podcast “Sin manual para padres” (No manual for parents), explained to Reuters that this naming tradition extends well beyond the current tournament. She noted that the practice dates back to Diego Maradona’s legendary “Hand of God” goal against England in 1986, demonstrating that football’s influence on Peruvian and Latin American naming conventions has deep historical roots.
“A few years ago when the Backstreet Boys were popular, many women were naming their sons Kevin and Brian, and that’s why it’s very common in countries like Bolivia, Chile and Argentina to find someone called Brian Gonzalez, for example.”
Molina also offered a thoughtful perspective on potential challenges these children might face. “It’s funny, but it could also be prejudicial to children when they grow up,” she observed. “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.”
This cultural moment illustrates how sports transcends mere entertainment, becoming woven into the very fabric of family identity and personal naming traditions across Latin America.
