# What is the most iconic hairstyle in soccer history?

> From Ronaldo's iconic triangle shave to Ruud Gullit's legendary dreadlocks, football has given us some of the most unforgettable hairstyles in sports history. Whether it's a statement mohawk, a flowing ponytail, or a perfectly permed afro — which footballer's haircut made the biggest impression of all time?

*By YPB Team · Published May 7, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-most-iconic-hairstyle-in-soccer-history*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Ronaldo's Triangle**
   R9 Ronaldo's bizarre 2002 World Cup shaved patch — a tiny island of hair on the forehead that became one of the most talked-about cuts in football history.
2. **Roberto Baggio's Ponytail**
   The Italian maestro's signature long ponytail, inseparable from his brilliant career at Fiorentina and Juventus in the late 1980s and 1990s.
3. **Beckham's Mohawk**
   David Beckham's bold faux hawk/mohawk unveiled at the 2002 World Cup, launching a wave of imitations from schoolyards to barbershops across the world.
4. **Kevin Keegan's Perm**
   The English legend's iconic tightly permed curls in the 1970s–80s, a true product of its era and one of the most recognisable looks in football history.
5. **Ruud Gullit's Dreadlocks**
   The Dutch maestro's flowing dreadlocks were revolutionary for a top-level European footballer in the 1980s, cementing his image as a style icon.
6. **Carlos Valderrama's Afro**
   El Pibe's towering golden-blond Afro is one of the most distinctive sights in World Cup history, worn by the Colombian legend throughout his career.
7. **Abel Xavier's Bleached Look**
   The Portuguese defender's bleached white-blond hair and matching platinum beard turned heads in the late 1990s Premier League, impossible to forget.
8. **Neymar's Batman Logo**
   Neymar shaved the Batman logo into the side of his head for Halloween 2021 — a surreal moment of celebrity ego and pop-culture mash-up.
9. **Paul Pogba's Mohawk Lines**
   Pogba's ever-changing mohawks with intricate shaved lines and colour experiments made him the most talked-about style player of the 2010s.
10. **Mario Balotelli's Mohawk**
   Super Mario's exaggerated mohawk, worn during his time at Manchester City and AC Milan, perfectly matched his larger-than-life personality.
11. **Ronaldo Nazário's Bowl Cut**
   R9's early 1990s asymmetric bowl cut at Cruzeiro gave the first hint that this striker would never do anything by the book — on or off the pitch.
12. **Gareth Bale's Man Bun**
   The Welsh winger's neat man bun became a symbol of his Real Madrid years and inspired a generation of footballers to grow out their hair.
13. **Ronaldo's Curtains (1996)**
   CR7-era predecessor: R9 Ronaldo's early curtains-style at Barcelona — thick dark centre-parted locks that were everywhere in mid-90s football.
14. **Sergio Ramos's Long Hair**
   The Spanish captain's flowing dark hair tied back, worn through Real Madrid's dominant Champions League winning years, becoming part of his fearsome image.
15. **Messi's Mullet**
   Leo Messi's unexpected mullet revival in 2021 at PSG surprised fans and sparked a fresh wave of mullet sightings across world football.
16. **Hector Bellerin's Man Bun**
   The Arsenal right-back's fashionable long hair and man bun in the mid-2010s made him a crossover style icon beyond the football world.

Tags: sports, soccer, football, players, legends, all-time