Erling Haaland sues Norwegian Air Shuttle over use of his image
Lawsuit says airline used a digitally altered image of Haaland during the World Cup; first hearing October 9, 2026 in Oslo.
Published October 1, 2026 — Erling Haaland has filed a lawsuit against Norwegian Air Shuttle, alleging the carrier used his likeness without permission in a promotional social media post during the World Cup.
The dispute centers on an image published by the airline that showed one of its aircraft with a digitally added version of Haaland’s distinctive hairstyle. The post carried the message "We have never looked so Norwegian," and has since been removed from the carrier’s channels.
Norwegian Air Shuttle confirmed it has been served with the complaint but said it finds the legal action difficult to interpret and that the posts were intended as support for the Norwegian national team.
Hearing scheduled in Oslo
The first hearing is set for October 9, 2026, at a court in Oslo. Haaland’s lawyer says the claim concerns unauthorized commercial use of the player’s image; the airline disputes that characterization.
Legal questions in the case are expected to focus on image and publicity rights and whether the social post amounted to a commercial exploitation of Haaland’s persona. Observers say similar disputes often hinge on how the court interprets consent and the commercial context of the publication.
Haaland, one of Norway’s most prominent footballers, brought the suit while the World Cup remained underway, turning a marketing post into a legal confrontation ahead of the scheduled October hearing.
Photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
