Peru names hundreds of newborns after Erling Haaland

Hundreds of newborns in Peru have been named after Norway striker Erling Haaland as his team prepares for a World Cup quarter-final against England, Peru's identity registry said Friday.

The registry said 468 infants bear Haaland's surname and another 91 carry the full name Erling Haaland. Registry spokesperson Ivan Torres told Panamericana Television that football stars inspire Peruvians when they register children’s names.

Torres said most newborns named after Haaland were registered in the weeks after the World Cup began, with numbers rising when Norway reached the quarter-finals.

The registry also said 3,402 people born in Peru bear the name Messi, including 292 with the full name Lionel Messi. It listed 1,185 people named after Cristiano Ronaldo, 1,241 called Yamal after Lamine Yamal, and 33,809 named after Neymar.