Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Haaland has taken Norwegian Air Shuttle to court, accusing the airline of unlawfully using his image and distinctive hairstyle in its marketing during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Haaland and his British company, York Promotions Ltd., have filed a lawsuit at the Oslo District Court against the airline over an advertisement in which Norwegian digitally added Haaland’s recognisable blonde ponytail to an aircraft.
The image was accompanied by the caption “We’ve never looked more Norwegian” and was shared on social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok. Norwegian later deleted the posts.
Haaland’s lawyer, Thomas Hagen, said the case concerns what he described as Norwegian’s unlawful exploitation of the striker’s characteristics in marketing its airline tickets during the World Cup. The lawsuit reportedly concerns alleged breaches of Norway’s Marketing Control Act.
Norwegian has confirmed receiving the lawsuit but previously said it did not understand the basis for the legal action, describing the advertisement as light-hearted social media content.
A planning hearing between Haaland’s representatives and Norwegian Air Shuttle is scheduled for October 9 at the Oslo District Court.
Haaland was one of Norway’s leading performers at the World Cup, scoring seven goals as the country reached the quarter-finals.