As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway, football stars continue to influence naming trends across South America, where thousands of children have been named after some of the sport’s biggest icons.
Neymar remains one of the most popular football-inspired names in countries such as Ecuador and Brazil, while Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also have thousands of namesakes across the continent.
With new stars expected to emerge during the tournament, names such as Lamine, Ousmane, Harry and Vitinha could soon become popular choices for football-loving parents hoping to honour the next generation of global stars.
