Casablanca – Erling Haaland has taken Norwegian Air Shuttle to court over the airline’s use of his distinctive image in a social media campaign during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to L’Équipe.
Haaland’s lawyer Thomas Hagen confirmed the news to AFP, describing the case as concerning the company’s unauthorized use of the footballer’s distinctive characteristics to promote flight tickets during the tournament.
The dispute reportedly centers on a social media post that showed one of Norwegian’s aircraft with a digitally added blonde ponytail resembling Haaland’s former hairstyle. The airline accompanied the image with the caption, “We’ve never looked more Norwegian,” before removing the post from its social media accounts.
Norwegian has confirmed receiving the legal action but said it did not understand why the campaign resulted in a lawsuit.
A regrettable turn of events
The timing of the campaign linked the airline’s post to one of the biggest sporting moments in Norway’s recent history.
Haaland played a central role in Norway’s 2026 World Cup campaign when he helped the national team reach the quarter-finals in its first appearance at the tournament since 1998; Norway eventually exited after a 2-1 defeat to England.
The striker’s ponytail had also become closely associated with his public image during his rise to global prominence. Haaland recently cut his hair, marking a notable change from the look that became familiar during his years with Manchester City and the Norway national team.
Norwegian said its World Cup posts came from the atmosphere surrounding the national team’s campaign rather than from an attempt to exploit Haaland’s image.
Company spokeswoman Catharina Solli said the airline joined the wider national support for Norway during the tournament and published a small number of spontaneous posts inspired by social media trends. She described the legal action as regrettable and said Norwegian hoped to resolve the matter through dialogue.
Case heads to Oslo court
The case involves Haaland and his British company, York Promotions Ltd., against Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA. Norwegian reporting says the dispute concerns an alleged breach of Norway’s Marketing Act.
The parties are scheduled to take part in a planning meeting at Oslo District Court on October 9. The meeting will take place by video and is intended to address the next steps in the legal proceedings rather than determine the final outcome of the dispute.
Neither side has disclosed further details about the claims or any potential damages.
The unusual dispute leaves Haaland’s once-iconic hairstyle at the center of a legal battle involving one of Norway’s best-known companies after a World Cup campaign that made the Manchester City forward an even more prominent figure in his home country.
