Erling Haaland’s former ponytail has become the unlikely centre of a legal dispute in Norway, with the Manchester City striker taking action against Norwegian Air Shuttle over an image used during the World Cup.
A hairstyle turned into a commercial dispute
Haaland, who has recently changed his look, had long made the ponytail one of his most recognisable features. The hairstyle was widely shared and adapted across social media, but an airline campaign has now taken the joke into the courtroom.
During the World Cup, Norwegian Air Shuttle published an edited image showing Haaland’s ponytail added to one of its aircraft. The post has since been removed, but it is understood to be at the heart of the complaint filed by the Norway international.
- Haaland has launched legal proceedings against Norwegian Air Shuttle.
- The case concerns the airline’s use of his distinctive appearance in ticket promotion during the World Cup.
- The disputed image reportedly placed the striker’s ponytail on an aircraft.
- The airline later deleted the publication.
Haaland’s legal position
Thomas Hagen, the forward’s lawyer, said the case concerns Norwegian’s “unlawful use of Haaland’s distinctive characteristics” in the promotion of flight tickets during the football World Cup.
The complaint focuses on the commercial use of an image associated with the Manchester City forward, rather than simply the online circulation of memes involving his old hairstyle.
Airline calls for dialogue
Norwegian Air Shuttle said it regretted that the matter had reached this stage and indicated that it did not understand the decision to pursue a legal case.
Company spokeswoman Catharina Solli said the airline, like much of the country, had been supporting Norway’s national side during the summer through spontaneous social-media posts inspired by online trends.
The airline hopes the disagreement can be settled through what it described as a reasonable dialogue.
Oslo hearing set for October
The dispute is expected to go before the Oslo District Court on 9 October. It will place one of football’s most recognisable modern images under legal scrutiny, even after Haaland has moved on from the hairstyle that helped create it.
