Norway football star Haaland sues airline over ponytail image
Football star Erling Haaland is suing Norwegian Air Shuttle for using his likeness in a social media advertisement without permission. The airline expressed regret over the legal action, stating the post was intended as a lighthearted show of support for the national team.
Why it matters
This case highlights the legal complexities surrounding image rights and intellectual property in the age of social media marketing.
Norwegian Air Shuttle reportedly removed a social media photo of a plane sporting Haaland’s signature ponytail.
OSLO – Norway’s football superstar Erling Haaland is suing airline Norwegian Air Shuttle for unlawfully using his likeness, a lawsuit which the airline claims is incomprehensible and “regrettable”, the two parties said on Oct 1.
“The case concerns Norwegian’s unlawful use of Haaland’s distinctive signs in its promotion of plane tickets during the football World Cup,” Haaland’s lawyer, Thomas Hagen, said in an e-mail to AFP, referring to the airline, which is also known simply as Norwegian.
Haaland, who plays for Manchester City, inspired Norway to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in the summer of 2026, in their first appearance in football’s showpiece event since 1998, before losing 2-1 to England .
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