Portuguese 
Spanish 
Vinícius Corrêa, the Mini Haaland from Santa Catarina, copied the hairstyle and even the celebration of the Norwegian idol, gained thousands of admirers and heard from Erling Haaland himself: “keep doing your thing and don’t care about what everyone says”
The story of the Mini Haaland from Santa Catarina is one that the internet cannot ignore. According to ND Mais, in a report from July 9, 2026, the long hair, the passion for football, and a curious resemblance to one of the biggest stars in world sports made Vinícius Corrêa, from Camboriú, in Santa Catarina, win thousands of admirers on social media.
The boy earned the nickname for resembling the Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, from Manchester City, and the comparison, which is now a source of pride, began in childhood and went through a difficult phase before becoming a special story, according to ND Mais. The outcome involves a message sent by the star himself, a birthday party entirely dedicated to the idol and a message that serves for any child in Brazil.
How the nickname Mini Haaland was born at school
It all started when Vinícius decided to let his hair grow. At school, the boy began to hear comments from other children about his appearance, and the teasing ended up making the young fan sad, according to ND Mais. The detail that bothered him was precisely what would make him known throughout the country.
-
During the routine drainage of a lagoon in England, an employee found the nearly complete skeleton of a 10-meter, 180-million-year-old “sea dragon,” the largest and most complete marine reptile ever discovered in the United Kingdom.
-
A college in Peru turned a street billboard into a ‘factory’ for drinking water that pulls moisture from the air: in three months, the panel produced almost 9,500 liters in one of the driest capitals on the planet.
-
The coast of Pernambuco has more than a dozen deliberately sunken ships at the bottom of the sea, and what started as a junkyard has become one of the largest wreck diving parks in Brazil, a refuge for turtles and schools of fish.
-
A woman left São Paulo to help her 88-year-old father in the hinterland of Paraíba, found the abandoned family farm, switched cassava and cattle for organic fruits, and harvested 24 tons of melon and watermelon in the semi-arid region, proving that tradition, irrigation, and planning can transform forgotten land into a sustainable business.
The situation changed when the comparison with the football star emerged. Because of the long hair and the style similar to the player, classmates started calling Vinícius Mini Haaland, reports ND Mais. What was teasing turned into a star nickname, and the nickname became an identity.
It is worth noting the size of the coincidence, as observed by this editorial, duly highlighted: among all the players on the planet, the boy from Santa Catarina was compared precisely to one of the most famous and top-scoring strikers in current football, the Norwegian who collected goal records in England. For a boy passionate about football, is there a better nickname?
From discomfort to pride: the Mini Haaland even copies the celebration
The boy’s turning point was complete. From the new nickname, Vinícius began to see the resemblance in a different way: passionate about soccer, he started following the Manchester City striker, copying the idol’s hairstyle, and even celebrating goals like the Norwegian star, according to ND Mais.
What was once a source of discomfort became a characteristic that Vinícius began to carry with pride, the report highlights. The long hair stopped being a target and became a trademark: today it is what makes the little fan from Camboriú recognized, and it is what sustains the resemblance to the most feared number 9 in England.
The message from Haaland that crossed the ocean
Then came the chapter that no one expected. The story of the little fan reached Haaland himself, who decided to surprise the boy and sent a special message, according to ND Mais. The star who competes for titles with Manchester City paused the routine of one of the world’s biggest clubs to speak with a 5-year-old boy from the coast of Santa Catarina.
In the message, the player encouraged the boy to continue being himself and spoke about the importance of not worrying about others’ opinions, ND Mais reports. “Long hair is very beautiful. Keep yours and don’t care about what everyone says,” said Haaland, in the quote recorded by ND Mais. A short, direct phrase that answered once and for all the comments the boy heard at school.
And notice the symbolic weight of the gesture, in this editorial’s reading, duly noted: the same Haaland that defenders worldwide cannot stop, stopped alone, of his own will, to defend the hair of a little Brazilian boy. In modern soccer, full of advisors and distance between idols and fans, a personal message like this is worth more than a signed jersey.
The 5-year-old’s party with the idol in every detail
The admiration for the Norwegian star also dominated the most important celebration of the year. Vinícius’s 5th birthday party was completely inspired by the player, with a Haaland panel, personalized cake, themed decoration, and photos of the birthday boy alongside the idol, according to ND Mais.
The birthday boy, of course, appeared in the photos with the look that has become his signature: the long hair that created the comparison with the striker, reports the article. In Camboriú, Mini Haaland celebrated his 5th birthday dressed as the character himself, which today is the best costume he could want. Giant panel, cake with the idol’s colors, and a birthday boy with hair blowing in the wind: the party turned into a celebration exactly what was once a reason for sadness at school, as shown by the series of records published by ND Mais.
And the choice of theme says a lot, in the reading of this editorial, duly signaled: a children’s party usually has a cartoon superhero, and Vinícius’s had a flesh-and-blood player who became a personal hero for a reason that no movie character would deliver, the idol who responded.
Why the Whole of Brazil Embraced Mini Haaland
Here is the observation of this editorial, duly signaled: in a country that breathes football, Vinícius’s story combines the three ingredients that make any content explode, a charismatic child, a world idol who responds, and a school situation that almost everyone has experienced on one side or the other. It’s no wonder that the boy from Santa Catarina won thousands of admirers, as recorded by ND Mais.
There is also a contrast that magnifies the gesture, also in the signaled reading of this editorial: Erling Haaland is one of the most valuable and sought-after athletes on the planet, and his message to the Brazilian fan didn’t talk about goals, titles, or money, it talked about self-esteem. Manchester City gained a young fan in Camboriú, and the young fan gained something bigger: the proof, coming from his own idol, that what makes you different can be exactly what makes you special.
The ND Mais report shows that the comparison was born spontaneously among the children, grew at home with the family’s support at the themed party, and exploded on social media without any machine behind it. It’s the kind of viral that no agency can manufacture. Tell us in the comments: has your child or you ever experienced something similar at school, and how did the turnaround happen?
Watch: the Haaland Phenomenon that Mini Haaland Imitates
To understand why Vinícius chose this idol, it’s worth seeing the size of the star on the field. The official Manchester City channel compiled a video of all the goals from Erling Haaland’s 100 goals in 105 games for the English club, the goal machine that the Mini Haaland of Camboriú celebrates just the same on the coast of Santa Catarina, long hair blowing in the wind.
