FOTBALL MOMS
Behind every great football star there is often an even stronger mum. We take a closer look at three of football's most famous mums - Turid Gunnes (Oscar Bobb), Gry Marita Braut (Erling Haaland) and Fayza Lamari (Kylian Mbappé) - and how their sacrifices have shaped the careers of some of the world's best players. Read more about Oscar Bobb's mum here.
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Football mums who shaped the stars - about Turid Gunnes, Gry Marita Braut and Fayza Lamari
Want to know more about Oscar Bobbs' mum Turid Gunnes and her role in his career? Read our in-depth article about Oscar Bobb and his mum here.
OSCAR BOBBS' MUM - THE ACTRESS WHO SACRIFICED EVERYTHING FOR HER SON'S DREAM
Turid Gunnes is not just anyone. She's a Norwegian actress with roots in the Gunnes sports family from Rennebu - and she's the mother of one of Norway's most exciting football talents, Oscar Bobb, who now plays in the Premier League for Fulham.
What makes Turid Gunnes special among football mums is the story of what she actually did for her son. In 2015, she packed her bags and moved to Portugal - not because she had to, but because her then 12-year-old son Oscar had been given the chance to play for FC Porto's prestigious academy. In order for FIFA's rules on international transfers of underage players not to block Oscar's opportunities, there needed to be a legitimate reason for the family to be in Portugal. Turid solved this by taking a theatre project in Porto and establishing herself there.
It was a bold move. FIFA never approved the transfer certificate, and the case eventually went to CAS - sport's highest legal body - which sided with FIFA. Oscar was forced to return to Norway. But his mother Turid had shown what she was prepared to do for her son. The whole episode testifies to a commitment that goes far beyond the ordinary.
Turid Gunnes is open about the fact that Oscar probably inherited his sporting talent from the Gunnes side of the family - a family with strong sporting traditions. Oscar Bobb is of Norwegian-Gambian descent, and the combination of backgrounds seems to have given him the technique, speed and nose for goal that makes him one of the most interesting players in the Premier League today.
Today, Oscar Bobb plays for Fulham, where he joined from Manchester City in January 2026 in a deal worth around £27 million. His mum Turid is often seen in the stands and has never stopped being the person Oscar turns to when the wind blows.
GRY MARITA BRAUT - THE MOTHER OF EUROPE'S TOP SCORER
When talking about football mums in the Nordics, it's almost impossible not to mention Gry Marita Braut - the mother of Erling Haaland, Manchester City's and Norway's absolute star.
Gry Marita Braut is not just a proud mum in the stands. She is herself a former track and field athlete and elite heptathlete, so the talent in the family has clear genetic roots. When people wonder why Erling is so athletic, explosive and physically dominant, just look at his mum.
Erling Haaland is known for his extreme dedication to training, his strict dietary habits and his professionalism off the pitch. Many of those attributes are linked to his upbringing in Bryne and Molde, where his mum and dad Alfie Haaland - who also had a Premier League career - set high standards combined with loving support.
Gry Marita Braut generally keeps a low profile compared to other football parents, but she is a fixture in the stands when Erling plays for Norway or his club. The Norwegian press has repeatedly highlighted her as a key part of Erling's stable personality and mental strength.
Erling Haaland broke the Premier League record for goals in a season with 36 in his debut season and is now ranked as one of the best footballers in the world. Behind that success is a childhood shaped by two sporting parents - and a mother with an iron will.
FAYZA LAMARI - THE MUM WHO BECAME FOOTBALL'S MOST POWERFUL AGENT
No list of influential football mums is complete without Fayza Lamari - the mother of the French superstar Kylian Mbappé.
Born in 1974 in France with roots in Algeria, Fayza Lamari was a successful handball player herself, representing the French national team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But it's her role as her son's agent and business strategist that really put her on the map.
It is Fayza who has guided Mbappé's career choices, negotiated contracts with clubs like PSG and Real Madrid, and built a business family around her son. Kylian Mbappé himself has defended his mother in public, emphasising that she is not his agent, but his mother - but that she happens to do the work of an agent better than most.
Fayza founded the FLA agency in 2022 to formally represent Kylian and his brother Ethan. That same year, she played a pivotal role in one of the most talked-about contract negotiations in football history, when Mbappé ultimately chose to stay at PSG despite an offer from Real Madrid - a decision Fayza herself described as wrong, as she wanted her son to leave.
The Mbappé family also bought into French second division club Caen in 2024 for around €20 million. The project has had a rough start and the club was relegated from Ligue 2, but Fayza has continued to defend the venture, emphasising that it is a long-term community project.
Fayza Lamari represents a new generation of football mums - those who are not content to sit in the stands but actively shape their children's careers.
WHY ARE FOOTBALL MUMS SO IMPORTANT?
There is a recurring pattern in the stories of the world's best footballers: the mother plays a crucial role, not only as emotional support but as an active driver, logistician and sometimes strategic partner.
Turid Gunnes packed up and moved to Portugal. Gry Marita Braut brought her sporting genes with her and created an environment where performance was highly valued. Fayza Lamari trained, networked and took her place in the negotiating room.
It's easy to focus on the stars on the pitch. But behind them are women who often made the toughest decisions, sacrificed their own careers and ambitions, and fought behind the scenes to ensure their children had the chance to realise their potential.
For more on Oscar Bobb and his Norwegian background, you can read more about how his upbringing and family shaped his journey to the Premier League.
THREE MUMS, THREE STORIES, ONE COMMON THEME
Football is about more than technique and training. It's about upbringing, environment and the people who believe in you when no one else does. Turid Gunnes, Gry Marita Braut and Fayza Lamari are three very different women from three very different backgrounds - but they share a common denominator: they have all produced world stars.
Next time you see Oscar Bobb accelerate past a defender at Craven Cottage, Erling Haaland place a goal in just the right corner or Kylian Mbappé set up a move at the Bernabéu, remember that there is a mum in the background who once made a decision that changed everything.
The pattern is also seen in Swedish stars - like Zlatan Ibrahimović, whose mum Jurka Gravic read more here also played a central role in his life."
Let's test your sports knowledge!
FAQ - Football mums who shaped the stars
Who is Oscar Bobbs' mum?
Oscar Bobbs' mum is Turid Gunnes, a Norwegian actress. She is known to have moved to Portugal in 2015 to enable her son to train with FC Porto's academy. Turid comes from the Gunnes sports family in Rennebu and is believed to have passed on her athletic talent to Oscar.
What is Erling Haaland's mum's name?
Erling Haaland's mother is Gry Marita Braut. She's a former elite level heptathlete and is credited with giving Erling his exceptional athleticism and mental strength. Gry Marita grew up in Bryne, Norway, and is one of the most talked about football mums in the Nordic countries.
What characterises her style of play as a goalkeeper?
Erling Haaland's mother is Gry Marita Braut. She's a former elite level heptathlete and is credited with giving Erling his exceptional athleticism and mental strength. Gry Marita grew up in Bryne, Norway, and is one of the most talked about football mums in the Nordic region.
Who is Kylian Mbappe's mum?
Kylian Mbappe's mother is Fayza Lamari. She is a former handball player from France with Algerian roots and has served as her son's agent and business strategist. Fayza Lamari founded the agency FLA in 2022 and is considered one of the most influential women behind the scenes in football.
Have football mums really influenced their sons' careers?
Indeed, research and journalism show that parents - and mothers in particular - play a crucial role in the career development of young athletes. In the case of Oscar Bobb, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, mothers have actively shaped career choices, negotiated contracts or created the right conditions for success from an early age.
Why did Oscar Bobbs' mum move to Portugal?
Turid Gunnes moved to Portugal in 2015 to give her then 12-year-old son Oscar the opportunity to play for FC Porto's academy. According to FIFA rules, a legitimate reason was required for a minor player to make an international transfer. Turid took a theatre project in Porto to fulfil this requirement, but FIFA never approved the transfer certificate and Oscar was forced to return to Norway.
Is Fayza Lamari Mbappe's agent?
Officially, Fayza Lamari is not registered as Kylian Mbappé's agent, but in practice she has played a central role in all his major contract negotiations - including the deals with PSG and Real Madrid. Mbappé himself has publicly defended his mother, emphasising that she is not his agent but his mother, who happens to do exceptional work for his career.
Who are the most famous football mums in the world?
Among the most talked about football mums globally are Fayza Lamari (Kylian Mbappé), Gry Marita Braut (Erling Haaland) and Turid Gunnes (Oscar Bobb). Jurka Gravic, mother of Swedish football star Zlatan Ibrahimović, is also often mentioned in the same context. What they all have in common is that they have played an active and decisive role in their sons' rise to the top of world football.
