Football’s most interesting haircuts from Phil Foden to David Beckham’s cornrows, ranked

Ronaldo’s 2002 FIFA World Cup hair and Neymar’s bright pink mohawk both made the cut

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Manchester City footballer Phil Foden, who is set to play for England at Euro 2020, has debuted a new, bleach blond haircut ahead of the team’s first match on Sunday.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, he hinted that he had taken inspiration from Paul Gascoigne, who sported a similar haircut for much of his football career with the caption “Euro 96 vibes”.

Since unveiling his updated look, Foden has been compared to both Eminem and Gascoigne, earning the nickname “Stockport Gazza”. Gascoigne played for England in the Euro 1996 competition, during which he scored a memorable goal against Scotland at Wembley.

Phil Foden has dyed his hair ahead of the Euros (PA Media)

Foden has since said he doesn’t mind the nickname - “he’s a great player, I wouldn’t mind that at all,” he told a press conference - but it is not the first time a football player has debuted an interesting haircut.

And while some players admit they used their hair as a tactic of distraction, others have since expressed regret over their past choices.

From Ronaldo’s mostly shaven head (save a half-moon of hair) at the 2002 World Cup, to Neymar’s bright pink 2020 hair, we’ve ranked the most unique cuts on the pitch.

10. Joe Cole

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Coming in at last place (or first depending on how you look at it) is England coach Joe Cole, who like Foden and Gascoigne, was also a fan of bleach-blond hair during his days as a player for West Ham United, adopting the hairstyle in 2002.

9. Asamoah Gyan

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Players shaving squad numbers into their heads is not completely uncommon, despite the fact that everyone can see already see the numbers on the back of their shirts. But Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan went the extra mile with a mohawk and his number, three, highlighted in gold.

Gyan is pictured here with the squad number shaved on his head during a friendly match between Ghana and South Korea in 2014.

8. Kevin Kampl

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Yet another fan of bleach-blond hair (maybe it lifts nicely against the green of the grass?) 30-year-old Kampl interestingly also chooses to keep his roots dark despite the bright blond ends.

He’s been sporting the look since 2015, back when he was styling his blond locks into a high-rising quiff.

Nowadays, the German player still sports the platinum blond, but he prefers to let his hair fall a little more naturally.

7. Stephan El Shaarawy

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Jumping on the bandwagon of one of the most popular hairstyles amongst footballers in the early 2000s, Italian player El Shaarawy had one of the tallest mohawks we could find.

Pictured in action during a training session at Milanello in 2011.

6. Paul Pogba

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Famed for his ever-changing hairstyles, Manchester United player Pogba is no stranger to hair dye.

Over the course of his career, we’ve seen him sport a blond mohawk, an all-over platinum-blond buzz cut as well as this iconic red strip, which just so happens to be the colour of his team.

Here he is pictured during a Manchester United and Rochdale AFC game in 2019.

5. Neymar

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In fifth place, we’ve placed Neymar, another player who does not shy away from more unusual hair colours.

At the beginning of 2020, the Brazilian player debuted a highlighter-pink mohawk, which went on to be featured in Vogue.

Here he is pictured alongside Kylian MBappe in Paris in February 2020.

4. Ronaldo

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Despite Ronaldo’s legendary status in the football world, his hair was the main event at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The Brazilian ‘O Fenômeno’ player took the decision to shave all of his head, leaving an interesting half-moon right at the front. He later admitted that he wanted a distraction from a recent leg injury.

“Everybody was talking about the hair and forgot about the injury. I could stay more calm and relaxed and focused on my training.

“I’m not proud about the hair itself because it was pretty strange. But it was a good way to change the subject,” he told ESPN at the time.

3. David Beckham

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David Beckham has had a lot of hairstyles over the years but possibly the most unforgettable one is the cornrows he got in 2003. He later told Graham Norton the braids were a “bad decision”.

“It was bad timing as well as I was going to South Africa at the time with England and ended up meeting Nelson Mandela, so that’s why I regret that one,” the former England player said.

2. Rodrigo Palacio

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Known for his “rat-tail braid”, Argentinian player Rodrigo Palacio said it has become his “trademark” hairstyle, and one he cannot part with until he retires from the football world.

“My daughter sometimes asks, ‘Dad, when are you going to cut off?’ Well, as long as I play football, it stays that way,” he told Tekdeeps in December 2020.

Here he is pictured during the FIFA World Cup 2014.

1. Djibril Cissé

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The former Liverpool player, who hails from France, has by far the widest-ranging, most interesting catalogue of hairstyles.

From platinum blond cornrows and buzzcuts to geometric patterns and leopard spots shaved into his hair, Cissé is not opposed to experimentation.

His most fun look is this neon green mohawk he sported in 2008. He even dyed his beard to match. Commitment to the game.