A new generation of babies across Latin America is being christened with names inspired by the stars of the World Cup, with a notable surge in “Haalands” in Peru and “Lionels” in Argentina.
The global football phenomenon is leaving an indelible mark on birth registries, reflecting the passion for the sport throughout the continent.
In Peru, hundreds of newborns have been named after rising talents such as Norway’s Erling Haaland, despite the country not qualifying for the tournament.
Legacy icons like Lionel Messi, Brazil’s Neymar, and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo each account for approximately 30,000 registrations, Ivan Torres, a spokesperson for Peru’s civil registry RENIEC, told Panamericana TV last week.
“Haaland is now Peruvian too,” Torres remarked, also noting one baby was simply named “Mundial,” the Spanish shorthand for the World Cup.
Many Latin Americans whose national teams were not competing or were knocked out have gravitated towards supporting the Norwegian team, whose “Viking row” and Haaland-driven run to the quarter-finals garnered them a significant new fanbase.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, a birth certificate showing a baby girl named Quiñona Ysisidra Morita Haaland Guevara went viral on social media. This unique name reportedly references Mexican players Julián Quiñones and Gilberto Mora, alongside the Norwegian striker.
The name ‘Ysisidra’ is a playful nod to “Y si sí?”, or “What if?”, a popular chant among Mexican fans before their elimination by England in the last 16. Mexico’s governance secretariat has not yet verified the authenticity of the certificate.
Argentina has also seen a similar trend, with Enzo, Emiliano, and Lionel topping the list of most popular boy names in the northeastern province of Salta in the week leading up to the World Cup final.
Local authorities attributed this surge to the “World Cup phenomenon,” noting that Argentina’s squad includes midfielder Enzo Fernandez, goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez, and captain Lionel Messi.
Fabiola Molina, host of the Mexico City-based podcast “Sin manual para padres” (“No manual for parents”), highlighted that this trend has a long history across Latin America, dating back to Diego Maradona’s infamous 1986 “Hand of God” goal.
“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,” she explained.
While acknowledging the humour, Molina also cautioned about potential future implications for the children.
“It’s funny, but it could also be prejudicial to children when they grow up,” she said. “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.”
