The craziest and most daring hairstyles in football

Footballers' livelihood is linked with the ball, but they also depend on their image for other financial opportunities. Big stars curate their image for marketing purposes, essentially elevating them to football icons. The more eccentric and flamboyant, the more attention the player receives, and what better way to grab attention than having a funky haircut? Here are some of football's most daring hairstyles!

The iconic 2002 Ronaldo Nazario 'bangs' are arguably one of the most renowned hairstyles in football heritage! The Brazilian striker used to have his hair fully shaved but chose to grow out some 'bangs' for the World Cup. After lifting the title, many went to their barber asking for the same finish!

The Angolan right back Manuel Loco, who spent his entire professional career playing in his country, chose to emulate the iconic Ronaldo 'bangs'. What a sharp look!

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Paul Pogba is another footballer who constantly changes his hairstyle. The French midfielder had a successful stint with Manchester United and Juventus, as well as the French national team, until he was banned for doping. He takes his hairstyles a step further and mixes sharp cuts with eccentric hair dyes.

There was no other footballer in the history of the sport who exploited his image better than David Beckham. The English midfielder triumphed at Manchester United as one of the world's best mids, but his eye-catching styles made him a popular figure off the pitch. His 2001 'Mohican' stage remains as one of the most epic cuts in football!

Considered by many to be the great successor of David Beckham, in every sense, Jack Grealish also takes great care of his image. He surprises fans with funky hairstyles every once in a while!

The Nigerian defender stood out during the 90s thanks to his lettuce-styled hair! A hairstyle that left many Inter and Milan fans puzzled, nevertheless, it was a very stylish finish.

Controversial and eccentric. Radja Nainggolan, the Belgian midfielder who triumphed in Italian clubs such as Roma and Inter Milan, is another example of a player who rocks multiple hairstyles. His iconic mohawk variations always left fans in awe!

Abel Xavier is remembered for his fierce defense and his crazy hairstyles! He would dye and mold his hair into some crazy styles, a true visual spectacle.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a Franco-Gabonese forward with Spanish roots who enjoyed a successful stint at Arsenal, FC Barcelona, and Olympique de Marseille, among other teams, usually surprises fans with his unique hairstyles, something he used in 2018 to pay tribute to his grandmother Marina in a match against Stoke City after her death.

The Austrian defender Paul Scharner, a great fan of dying his hair in all the range of colors that exist, did it between Wigan Athletic and Hull City as a sign of gratitude to his fans.

Marek Hamšík is another player with an iconic mohawk! The Slovakian midfielder became the great leader of a Naples team, and he is not remembered without his characteristic hairstyle.

The Brazilian, Neymar Jr. also enjoyed some funky mohawks! The young forward rocked the hairstyle in his early days as a professional playing for Santos.

The giant and strong French defender, whose most notable stage as a footballer was spent between PSG and Liverpool, was a big fan of the mohawk, giving this type of hairstyle a step further by including blonde dye and artistic drawings.

Very much in his style - dyed blonde mohawks - Ivorian midfielder Serey Die, who played in Europe for Basel and Sion.

Another 'Mohican' that we cannot forget is, without a doubt, the former Portuguese footballer Raul Meireles, especially remembered for his time in Porto and Chelsea.

Adama Traoré, has left us in history a few curious and colorful hairstyles in which he also played with dyes and decorated with dreadlocks and braids. The former Barcelona player had some jaw-dropping looks!

Like Traoré, many others have sought to show off the most attractive hairstyles using dreadlocks and dye, in this case, that of Brazilian striker Gabriel Barbosa, who dyed his dreads blonde. He wore this particular look in 2021 as a Flamengo player.

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Brazilian striker Vágner Love, who spent his best years as a footballer at CSKA Moscow, always liked to wear the same hairstyle based on braids at the roots, always changing the color!

American defender DeAndre Yedlin has worn the shirts of Seattle Sounders, Tottenham, Sunderland, Newcastle, Galatasaray, Inter Miami, and FC Cincinnati throughout his career.

Rio Ferdinand had cornrows! The London defender stood out, especially during his early years as a Manchester United player. What a fearless defender he was.

Dreadlock braids, are widely used among footballers with the most attractive looks, such as the French striker Allan Saint-Maximin who, in his time as a Newcastle player, wore them this well, decorated with black and white earrings and beads.

The Dutch forward has spent time at clubs such as PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Olympique Lyonnais, and FC Barcelona, where he has experimented with his hair, but it has been at Atlético de Madrid where he has created a trend with authentic works of art, like this braid that he wore in 2024 against Las Palmas.

The topic of dying your hair, as we have already seen in other cases on this list, is also quite recurrent. In the case of French attacker Djibril Cissé (Auxerre, Liverpool, Olympique de Marseille, Lazio...) with blonde dye, but giving it an extra extravagance with his cuts forming patterns.

Then some players dye their hair the color of their team to celebrate great victories, like the Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, who did not hesitate to appear with sky blue hair for the titles won by Manchester City in 2023.

Another who did the same as Ederson was his compatriot Raphinha, who, just after becoming La Liga champion with FC Barcelona in May 2023, appeared in this way, with blonde hair and blue and scarlet stripes, the colors of his equipment.

The Spanish defender Aitor Ruibal likes to wear his hair dyed in colors, in addition to showing off his particular way of dressing, combing his hair or painting his nails. He made it once in green and blue and other times, like this one, in a multicolored amalgam. The reason, as published by Goal.com, is that he usually does it because it brings him luck.

The 'little prince' Antoine Griezmann has dyed his hair in all kinds of colors to show off his extravagant spirit. His style which caught the most attention was his pink buzz cut after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Next up is Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal (Juventus, Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan...), who we have always seen with his characteristic crest of 'mohawk' and shaved hair with different shapes and designs.

Others have decorated their hair with fringes with much more style than good old Margas, as is the case with French striker Moussa Diaby, who enjoyed time at PSG, Bayer Leverkusen, and Aston Villa, and who, in 2019, in the French club made this interesting red lightning bolt crossing its head.

A drawing that the Portuguese winger Ricardo Quaresma further perfected with this durable pen that he wore in the Euro 2016 final between Portugal and France, and that gave him luck, as they ended up lifting the title.

The Belgian former midfielder of Moroccan descent Marouane Fellaini, who stood out especially at Everton and Manchester United, as well as at Standard Liege, always wore a characteristic afro mane, which, in an interview with GQ magazine, he shaped with two buns.

(Photo: Official Instagram Marouane Fellaini)

He left Boca Juniors to succeed in England, playing for West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City and, from time to time, he experimented with his hair. Of course, none will surpass the look with which he showed up to a 2017 training session with the 'Hammers' in which he looked like Lou Ferrigno in his role as the eighties Hulk.

We cannot forget on this list the Ivorian striker Gervinho, who always hid his alopecia covered in fine braids under a huge headband, although there were times when he showed it off without any problems. That hairstyle (and his game) left great memories for clubs like Lille, Arsenal, Roma and Parma.

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