We’re halfway into the 2026 World Cup, and few things have become very apparent: South Korea is really, really not happy with its now-former head coach, fans truly cannot stand SoFi Stadium, and frosted tips are the unofficial hairstyle of the global event.
Football fans have been treated to some seriously entertaining matches for these past couple weeks. And even those who aren’t glued to their screen at every odd hour of the day have come to learn that the World Cup is also a great runway for the latest style and grooming trends.
Case in point: Earlier this month, Ecuadorian captain Enner Valencia debuted a bleached close-cropped top that he’s since ditched as the South American team has solidified their rank at the top of the group stage. (He joked that he dyed his hair to hopefully help his team score more goals.) Spain’s Nico Williams has been sporting frosted-tip dreadlocks throughout the tournament, and Curaçao’s Tahith Chong’s dip-dyed curly coils prompted the football media company Versus to post on X that he had “entered World Cup aesthetic lore.” Add to the count Derek Cornelius of Canada, Ibrahim Mbaye of Senegal, and Hannibal Mejbri of Tunisia, and you’re more than half way to a full frosted tip soccer team.
“Athletes are known for taking fashion and beauty risks and the World Cup is an amazing opportunity to stand out,” celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of Highlight Artists Justine Marjan says. “Hairstyles are a huge part of an athlete’s branding and we come to identify them by their hairstyles and facial hair. It helps recognize them from far away on a screen or field and for them to create a recognizable persona.”
Soccer players, in particular, often take a Dennis Rodman-like approach to standing out on the field. Decorated soccer player (and overall stylish dude) David Beckham famously played with a blond halo, among other choice hairstyles. AS Monaco midfielder Paul Pogba—who himself hopped on the bleach bandwagon as he recently watched the World Cup from the stands—made news with his leopard-dyed mohawk when he played for Juventus in 2016. And let’s not forget former Italian second striker Roberto Baggio and his rattail, so iconic it earned the former FIFA World Player of the Year the nickname “The Divine Ponytail.”
As celebrity hairstylist TerraRose Puncerelli says, an athlete’s hair is one of the best ways to stand out on a big field of hard-to-see faces. “Long before someone reads a player’s name on screen, they recognize a silhouette, a haircut, or a color choice,” she says. “That visual consistency becomes part of an athlete’s identity.”