The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Hair in the 2014 World Cup
The World Cup: An international celebration of soccer and athleticism, camaraderie and cultural exchanges, national pride and long-remembered heroes. And hair too, of course. Though naturally media focus on talented players revolves around showcasing their prowess on the pitch, the men performing on this worldwide stage have certainly not overlooked their pregame grooming. In some ways, the styles on the field are both a display of global male hair trends and also country specific dos. At other times, certain players’ looks are so unique and conspicuous that many viewers walk away remembering more about the guy’s mane then about his contributions to his team. In any case, the combination of great hair and great soccer has not disappointed over the past few weeks, and we’re looking forward to seeing who takes the Cup home after the final a week from Sunday. First, we take a look at some notable hair highlights.
The Good
These smooth guys are rocking it at all times. They are drenched in sweat after 90 minutes of hard, top level play, and their hair still looks completely GQ. The pompadour is an easy favorite among popular mens styles in 2014, and variations of it and other long hair styles have certainly made their presence felt in the Cup. A great look for futbolers and business men alike, these full manes are definite winners. Think Portugal’s Christiano Ronaldo and Chile’s Alexis Sanchez who have gone long on top with cleanly trimmed sides, or Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani and the US’s Graham Zusi who let their glorious locks grow free enough to be tied back.
The Bad
For the most part, the 736 men who make up the 32 teams battling for the 2014 Cup seem to take their appearance into consideration. There are of course a few though who seem unaware of the enormity of the stage and sadly miss the style boat. Rather, their locks are just devoid of personality altogether and entirely blah. Take Greece’s Dimitris Salpingidis for example, or Russia’s Alan Dzagoev, Spain’s Andres Iniesta, and Switzerland substitute Tranquillo Barnetta. What can one even say? Yawn…
The Ugly
Ah, the ugly. A World Cup wouldn’t be complete without a few guys who seem to make a special effort to showcase ‘what not to do’ with your hair. The first player who comes to mind here is the US’s Kyle Beckerman. Some people like his nest of dreads. More power to them. In terms of taking style onto the pitch though, this gigantic mass is a miss and a heavy hindrance too. It’s not all outrageous manes making the ugly list though. Algeria’s Saphir Taider, Ghana’s John Boye, and Croatia’s Danijel Pranjic all brought their own versions of less than desirable Mohawks to the show. These loud dos are similar enough to the globally popular pompadour that they appear to be poorly executed attempts at hitting the trend, even if they’re not.
What would a World Cup be without a bit of variety in style? At the end of the day, we enjoy watching them all: the Good, the Bad, and yes, even the Ugly.
All photos are hyperlinked to sources. Click to view.
