Soccer
Look at that barnet! The worst haircuts in tournament history
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When you've got the eyes of the footballing world on you, it's a pretty good idea to make sure you're remembered for what you're doing on the pitch rather than what you look like.
Unfortunately, though, over the years, the World Cup has been the setting for some truly horrific hairstyle choices.
What may have seemed like a good idea at the time, whether it was in fashion or not, has stayed in tournament folklore since, and some haven't aged well!
Here then are the worst offenders and the craziest hairdos in World Cup history.
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Bobby Charlton (England, 1966)
The sweep over was very much the hairstyle of the time, but to do it correctly, you could do with a full head of hair to play with, Charlton didn’t care.
The Manchester United legend made the wispy locks that just about stretched across his head, and made it his hallmark as England enjoyed their greatest-ever triumph. What’s most astonishing is that he was still only 30 when he was sporting this do.
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Chris Waddle (England, 1990)
From very little on top to a mane that Chris Waddle sported during Italia ’90. Clinging on to the 1980s when mullets were all the rage and the England winger was riding the pop charts with Glenn Hoddle, Waddle stuck with what worked into the next decade.
Full on business at the front and a party down the back, it wasn’t until halfway through the tournament that he decided to give himself a new glow. Unfortunately, it coincided with the Germany semi-final and his penalty miss, leaving fans wondering if his magic actually lies in the mullet.
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Roberto Baggio (Italy,1994)
The Italian was one of the great World Cup players of his era, with his distinctive swagger and intelligence lighting up three tournaments across the 1990s.
And he did all the while sporting a hairstyle that would have looked ridiculous on nearly everyone else but the forward. But the look was actually embraced by football fans and gave Baggio the nickname ‘The divine ponytail’, even if there was very little about the scrawny, braided tail at the back of his head that was divine.
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Alexi Lalas (USA, 1994)
The US really embraced their hosting of the World Cup in 1994 and no one epitomised the tournament more than the image of Alexi Lalas.
Decked out in adidas denim and showing a talent for busting a tune on the guitar, the USA defender topped off the look with his long ginger locks and matching beard.
A look he pulled off with aplomb.
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Trifon Ivanov (Bulgaria, 1994)
By 1994, the mullet look was certainly a thing of the past, pity then no one happened to tell Trifon Ivanov, whose look at the tournament earned him the nickname the ‘Bulgarian Wolf’.
Not content with just the classic 80s look on top, the defender complemented his hair with the kind of side burns and beard usually reserved for Michael J Fox’s Teen Wolf.
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Taribo West (Nigeria, 1998)
A man who became known for his outlandish barnets, it was at the 1998 finals where we first saw West’s most famous look.
Sporting what can only be described as small bunches on top of his head, the green dye made it look like broccoli stems, but somehow the defender managed to pull the look off.
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Romania (1998)
You know those ideas you have late at night that seem like a good idea at the time, but then become instantly regrettable in the light of day? Well, this would seem like the perfect example.
Having managed to get out of the group stages at France ’98, the whole Romanian team celebrated by all getting matching bleached blonde looks for their final games at the tournament. What was funny at first soon became awkward, especially when they were promptly knocked out by Croatia.
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Ronaldo (Brazil, 2002)
Is there a more famous haircut in World Cup history than Ronaldo’s ‘half done’ look in 2002? It’s hard to know what the Brazilian was going for when he took to the field sporting a half-moon-shaped slice of hair at the front of his head.
A hairstyle and moment caught in time, because funnily enough, it has never been replicated…well, apart from the random school kid, Google it.
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Christian Zeige (Germany, 2002)
It takes a certain mentality to go with a mohawk, whatever timeline you’re on, and Christian Ziege went full on Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver at the 2002 finals.
Given that the defender already gave off quite the menacing vibe, this look just added to his persona as he picked up a runners-up medal with Germany at the tournament.
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Rodrigo Palacio (Argentina, 2014)
Ponytails have had their place in World Cups as we’ve already seen, but we just can’t get on board with this evolution of the look that appeared during the tournament in Brazil.
Nothing wrong with Palacio’s shaved look at the front, but when has there been any need for the rat's tail that poked out the back of his bonse?
In fairness, the forward stuck to his guns, as he kept the style for the majority of his career.
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