Football hair God David Beckham had a profound effect on how footballers styled their mane on the field.
From Mohawks, buzz cuts, to dreadlocks, football superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, and Neymar have all adopted Beck’s hairstyles.
Let’s take a look back at Beck’s most iconic haircuts during his football career.
Mohawk
Sir Alex Ferguson once made David Beckham shave off his mohawk in the Wembley toilets an hour before the 2000/2001 Charity Shield against Chelsea.
“I was in the dressing room with an hour to go before kick off when Sir Alex Ferguson saw my mohawk and made me shave it off,” recounted Beckham years later.
“I said no at first and then I saw his face change very quickly so I went and shaved it off in the toilet. He wanted all the players to look professional and he felt it wasn’t the right look. We were playing at Wembley too, so he kind of had a point!”
Alice Band
There was a time in England circa 2003 when everyone wanted an Alice band and a pair of Adidas Predators. Call it the ‘Beckham effect.’
Undercut
Long on top with hair over the earlobes, Beckham wore the sleek undercut with signature blonde curtain highlights pre-World Cup 1998 when he paired up with England legend Bobby Charlton for a photo session.
Corn Rows
David Beckham adopted cornrows upon England’s visit to South Africa in 2003. But he’d later regret. Admitted Beckham twelve years later, “Some of them have been really bad,” he said.
“I hadn’t thought them through. The topknot wasn’t too bad but the cornbraids 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.”
Long Hair Look
Beckham sported a much longer look in 2003 when he signed with La Liga giants Real Madrid. The likes of Gareth Bale followed suit a decade later, sporting the additional headband and man bun option as well.
Buzz Cut
Beckham sported the buzz cut while scoring one of his important trademark “bend-it-like-Beckham” goals against Greece to send England to the 2002 World Cup.
Bleached Hair
With intricate-trimmed ends, Beckham’s flashed his version of “outgrown” bleached hair during the Manchester United. Neymar stole the look for many of his own iterations years later.
Bleached Crop
During the MLS offseason in 2008, Beckham trained with the Arsenal with a bleached crop died peroxide blonde. Talk about a firestarter.
Faux Hawk
Beckham has worn one of his best looks, the Faux Hawk, throughout his career culminating with a perfected and frosty-tipless version during his days with the LA Galaxy.
Comb-Over
Beckham put his own spin on the classic comb-over by adding even more volume, further proof that Becks can rock any style.
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