Haaland calls out Vinicius Jr. ahead of Brazil vs Norway — and Brazil still can't pronounce his name
The Norwegian striker laughed at a meme and sent a direct message to Vinicius Jr. before the round of 16. There's just one problem: Brazil still doesn't know how to say his name.
Erling Haaland laughed at the meme, looked straight into the camera and sent a direct message to Vinicius Jr. That's the mood ahead of Brazil vs Norway in the World Cup round of 16 — and the duel has already started before a ball has been kicked.
According to A Bola, the Norwegian striker played along with a meme circulating online and used the moment to throw down a challenge to the Brazilian forward. No formalities: Haaland went straight for the provocation.
But there's one detail that's still tripping people up over here: how do you actually say his name? According to Trivela, the correct pronunciation of Haaland is still far from common knowledge in Brazil — so much so that FIFA itself asked players to record videos explaining how their names are pronounced, precisely to help the professionals working at the tournament.
It's the kind of thing that seems minor, but it says a lot about the size of the opponent Brazil is about to face. Haaland isn't just Norway's top scorer at this World Cup — he's the name the entire world is still learning to say.
Golmetria's model gives Brazil an 8% chance of winning the title — a figure that rises or falls depending heavily on what happens in this round of 16. Getting past Norway is the first mandatory step.
Haaland has made his move. Vinicius Jr. will have his answer — but only on the pitch.