OSLO: Norwegian football star Erling Haaland has taken legal action against Norwegian Air Shuttle, alleging that the airline used elements of his distinctive appearance without permission in a promotional post during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The dispute centres on a social media advertisement published while Norway was competing at the tournament, marking the country’s first World Cup appearance since 1998.
According to Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang (VG), Norwegian Air posted a composite image featuring one of its aircraft with a ponytail resembling Haaland’s trademark hairstyle. The post carried the caption, “We’ve never looked more Norwegian”, in a reference to the national team’s World Cup campaign.
Haaland’s lawyer, Thomas Hagen, told AFP that the case concerned what he described as Norwegian’s “unlawful use of Haaland’s distinctive signs” in promoting plane tickets during the World Cup.
Norwegian Air confirmed that it had received the lawsuit but disputed the basis for the legal action.
“Like almost all of Norway, we supported the national team this summer, through a few spontaneous posts inspired by trends on social media,” Norwegian Air spokesperson Catharina Solli told AFP.
She said the airline regretted that its support for the national team had resulted in legal action and expressed hope that the two sides could resolve the matter through dialogue.
The airline subsequently removed the social media post.
The lawsuit comes as Haaland has become one of the most recognisable figures in Norwegian sport, with his image and distinctive appearance closely associated with the national team.
A meeting between the judge and the legal teams is scheduled for 9 October at Oslo District Court, according to VG. The hearing is expected to provide the next step in the dispute over whether the advertisement crossed the line between supporting the national team and commercially using an individual’s recognisable identity.
- indiantelevision.com Team
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