Last Updated on September 16, 2026 by Gabriel
Amahl Pellegrino’s family story has had a major influence on both his personality and his football career. Born and raised in Drammen, Norway, to a family with Tanzanian roots, the San Diego FC forward grew up with his mother, Sarah, and three younger brothers: Anwar, Domi and Raul.
Pellegrino has spoken openly about growing up with limited financial resources and taking significant responsibility for his younger brothers while his mother worked multiple jobs. Today, he has a family of his own with his wife, Hanne Hekneby Pellegrino, and they have two publicly documented children, Alissia and Gabriel Gaucho.
Who Is Amahl Pellegrino’s Wife?
Amahl Pellegrino is married to Hanne Hekneby Pellegrino. Their relationship dates back to before Pellegrino established himself as one of the leading scorers in Norwegian football.
The couple married on July 21, 2018, at Bragernes Church in Drammen. Pellegrino had proposed to Hanne on New Year’s Eve in New York before their wedding.
His then-club Strømsgodset publicly celebrated the marriage and described Pellegrino as newly married while documenting an important period in both his football and personal life.
Who Is Hanne Hekneby Pellegrino?
Hanne Hekneby Pellegrino has generally kept a lower public profile than her husband, but Amahl has repeatedly spoken about the importance of her support.
In an interview discussing fatherhood and family life, Pellegrino described his wife as the person who holds the family together. He explained that Hanne helps create the stability that allows him to dedicate the necessary time to recovering physically and mentally from professional football.
He has also credited both Hanne and his mother with making sacrifices that allowed him to build the career he eventually achieved.
Does Amahl Pellegrino Have Children?
Yes. Amahl Pellegrino and his wife have two publicly documented children: a daughter named Alissia and a son named Gabriel Gaucho.
Pellegrino has spoken extensively about how becoming a father changed his perspective on football. Earlier in his career, defeats could affect him for days, but having children helped him understand that football was only one part of his life.
When leaving Bodø/Glimt in 2024, Pellegrino described becoming the father of his two children as one of the best things that had happened to him, alongside his successful period with the Norwegian club.
Who Is Amahl Pellegrino’s Daughter Alissia?
Alissia Pellegrino is Amahl Pellegrino’s daughter. Aftenposten documented her publicly when discussing the forward’s family life and his experiences as a father.
Alissia was around four years old when Pellegrino discussed his children in a detailed 2023 interview. He explained that becoming a parent had transformed the way he dealt with the emotional pressure associated with professional football.
Earlier reporting from 2021 also documented Hanne and the then-two-year-old Alissia preparing to join Pellegrino in Bodø after spending time in Drammen with his mother.
Who Is Amahl Pellegrino’s Son Gabriel Gaucho?
Amahl Pellegrino’s son is named Gabriel Gaucho. He was approximately one year old when his father discussed him publicly in 2023.
His distinctive middle name has a football connection. The name Gaucho was chosen in reference to Brazilian legend Ronaldinho Gaúcho, one of the most famous attacking players of his generation.
Pellegrino has joked about watching his young son’s interest in football and wondering whether he might eventually become left-footed.
How Fatherhood Changed Amahl Pellegrino
Fatherhood has become one of the most important parts of Pellegrino’s life. He has explained that before having children, football results could dominate his mood and make defeats extremely difficult to process.
Alissia and Gabriel helped him develop a healthier separation between football and home life. Pellegrino has said that his most important responsibility is being present for his children and supporting them regardless of what happens in their lives.
That desire is closely connected to his own childhood because he grew up without an actively present father.
Who Are Amahl Pellegrino’s Parents?
Amahl Pellegrino was born in Drammen, Norway, to parents of Tanzanian origin. His mother is named Sarah, while reliable mainstream sources do not publicly establish his father’s name.
Sarah had the dominant parental role during Pellegrino’s childhood. Amahl has explained that his father was not present while he was growing up and that his mother effectively fulfilled the responsibilities of both parents.
Pellegrino has repeatedly credited Sarah with making enormous sacrifices for him and his three younger brothers.
Who Is Amahl Pellegrino’s Mother, Sarah?
Sarah raised Amahl and his three younger brothers in Drammen under financially difficult circumstances.
VG reported that she worked from job to job to provide basic necessities for her four sons. Pellegrino has recalled how little money the family had and how, as a child, he initially struggled to understand why he could not enjoy all of the same activities as some of his classmates.
As he became older, he developed a much greater appreciation for what his mother had done. Pellegrino later said that one of his goals after succeeding professionally was to repay Sarah for everything she had sacrificed.
Amahl Pellegrino’s Relationship With His Mother
Pellegrino has described having an extremely close relationship with his mother as an adult. During his years with Bodø/Glimt, Sarah regularly traveled to Bodø to visit him.
He has said that his mother did everything possible to give her children a good life despite the family’s financial challenges.
When Pellegrino returned to Norway after playing in Saudi Arabia, he also spoke about owning a multi-generational home in Drammen where his wife and daughter spent time with his mother while he settled into life at Bodø/Glimt.
Who Is Amahl Pellegrino’s Father?
Amahl Pellegrino has publicly discussed growing up without a father who was actively present in his daily life. However, his father’s name has not been reliably established by the strongest mainstream sources.
Rather than focusing extensively on his father’s identity, Pellegrino has discussed how that childhood experience shaped his approach to parenting.
He has said that he learned from the absence of his own father and became determined to be consistently present for Alissia and Gabriel.
Does Amahl Pellegrino Have Siblings?
Yes. Amahl Pellegrino has three younger brothers: Anwar, Domi and Raul.
The four boys were raised primarily by their mother Sarah in Drammen. Amahl is the oldest sibling and assumed considerable responsibility for his brothers while still a child himself.
VG publicly identified all three brothers in a detailed account of Pellegrino’s upbringing, while Bodø/Glimt has also confirmed that he was the oldest of four siblings.
Who Is Amahl Pellegrino’s Brother Anwar?
Anwar D’Vaz Pellegrino is Amahl’s younger brother and also pursued football seriously.
Born in Drammen, Anwar developed through youth football and played primarily as an attacking player. His career included time in the Strømsgodset youth system and senior football in Norway.
Transfermarkt currently records Anwar as a former player and directly identifies him as Amahl Pellegrino’s brother.
Football therefore became a profession for more than one member of the Pellegrino family, even though Amahl went on to achieve the greater prominence through his success in the Eliteserien and Major League Soccer.
Who Are Domi and Raul Pellegrino?
Domi and Raul are Amahl Pellegrino’s two youngest brothers. They are twins, according to Pellegrino’s account of his childhood.
When Amahl was around 12, Domi and Raul were approximately two years old. Their mother was frequently away working, meaning Amahl had significant responsibilities caring for them.
Unlike Amahl and Anwar, Domi and Raul have not developed prominent public profiles through professional football, and reliable sources provide little information about their adult lives.
Amahl Pellegrino Helped Raise His Brothers
One of the defining aspects of Pellegrino’s childhood was the responsibility he assumed for his younger siblings.
He has recalled that when he was around 12 or 13, his mother worked from morning until evening. Amahl therefore helped look after his younger brothers, including collecting one brother from school, preparing food and caring for the younger twins.
Pellegrino later joked that in some ways he had been a father since the age of 13 because of the amount of responsibility he assumed for his brothers.
Those experiences forced him to mature quickly and later influenced how seriously he approached becoming a parent himself.
Amahl Pellegrino’s Childhood and Family Struggles
Pellegrino has spoken unusually openly about growing up in financial hardship. His family lived below the poverty threshold, and there were periods when money and time prevented him from participating in organized football like other children.
Instead, he sometimes watched classmates train from outside before returning home to play football informally with his younger brother.
His mother continued working multiple jobs to support the household, while Amahl helped care for his siblings.
He did not establish himself as a professional at the unusually young ages associated with many elite players, but his persistence eventually took him from lower-level football to the Norwegian top division and later abroad.
Amahl Pellegrino’s Tanzanian Family Heritage
Although Pellegrino was born and raised in Norway, his family has Tanzanian roots. San Jose Earthquakes officially described him as being born in Norway to Tanzanian parents when announcing his arrival in Major League Soccer.
His heritage also created an international football connection with Tanzania. In December 2023, Pellegrino was included in Tanzania’s provisional squad ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
He therefore has strong connections to both Norway, where he was born and built most of his career, and Tanzania through his parents.
How Amahl Pellegrino’s Family Influenced His Football Career
Pellegrino frequently connects his professional success to the people closest to him. His mother’s sacrifices gave him motivation to build a better life, while taking responsibility for his brothers helped him mature earlier than many children.
His wife Hanne later provided another source of stability during his professional career, while becoming the father of Alissia and Gabriel changed his perspective on both success and failure.
When discussing his achievements at Bodø/Glimt, Pellegrino has repeatedly emphasized that football is no longer the only thing defining his life. His family remains central to how he views his career and future.
FAQ About Amahl Pellegrino’s Family
Who is Amahl Pellegrino’s wife?
Amahl Pellegrino is married to Hanne Hekneby Pellegrino. The couple married at Bragernes Church in Drammen on July 21, 2018.
Does Amahl Pellegrino have children?
Yes. Pellegrino has two publicly documented children, Alissia and Gabriel Gaucho.
Who is Amahl Pellegrino’s daughter?
His daughter is named Alissia. Pellegrino has spoken publicly about how becoming her father changed his perspective on professional football.
Who is Amahl Pellegrino’s son?
His son is named Gabriel Gaucho. His middle name was inspired by Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho Gaúcho.
Who is Amahl Pellegrino’s mother?
Amahl Pellegrino’s mother is named Sarah. She raised Amahl and his three younger brothers in Drammen while working multiple jobs to support the family.
Who is Amahl Pellegrino’s father?
His father’s name has not been reliably established by major public sources. Pellegrino has said that his father was not actively present during his childhood and that his mother effectively filled both parental roles.
Does Amahl Pellegrino have siblings?
Yes. He has three younger brothers: Anwar, Domi and Raul.
Who is Amahl Pellegrino’s brother Anwar?
Anwar Pellegrino is Amahl’s younger brother and a former footballer. He played as an attacking player in Norwegian football.
Are Domi and Raul Pellegrino twins?
Yes. Pellegrino’s own account of his childhood identifies Domi and Raul as his younger twin brothers.
Where is Amahl Pellegrino’s family from?
Pellegrino was born and raised in Drammen, Norway, while his parents are of Tanzanian origin.
Gabriel Lucio is a football analyst covering La Liga, focusing on match analysis, tactical trends, and the race for domestic and European positions.
