While most of the focus during a football match revolves around players' feet, some bold stars dare to defy the rest and draw the world's wide eyes up to their heads. Whether the peculiar hair-styling choices of World Cups past helped a team to victory or soured their defeat, the best of the bad hair days have a special place in the tournament's hallowed history. Check out here some of the greatest follicle faux pas to ever grace the World Cup stage.
Rene Higuita (1990) perfected the wet perm as well as the ‘scorpion kick’ during his long tenure as Colombia keeper. Nicknamed ‘El Loco,’ he missed the 1994 tournament, having only recently been released from prison.Taribo West (1998, 2002) sported many wacky hairstyles during his time representing Nigeria. Impending baldness didn’t prevent him sporting this defiant Keith Flint-esque (The Prodigy) ‘do in 2002.Abel Xavier's (2002) mane underwent a number of spectacular transformations during his long career. The peroxide lover started from the bench in Portugal's final group stage match.Alexi Lalas (1994, 1998) will long be remembered for his raging red locks and goatee combo, which, despite their luminous glow, did little to help the USA achieve World Cup success.The hue of Andy Townsend's (1990, 1994) spikes acted something like a lighthouse for the midfielder, as he captained Ireland as far as the quarter-finals.Benoit Assou-Ekotto (2010, 2014) of Cameroon possesses what many would consider the puffiest afro in the history of mankind... when he chooses to unleash it that is.Carlos Valderrama's (1990, 1994, 1998) glorious blond, floppy mane might be the most ambitious World Cup hair feat of all time, remaining famous and well loved to this day.Gervinho (2010, 2014) of the Ivory Coast continues to dazzle audiences with his beautiful choice to don a horizontal headband that seemingly serves little purpose at all.Rudi Voeller (1986, 1990, 1994) sported a dry, damaged perm for much of his career with Germany. His tired locks famously received some much-needed moisturising form Frank Rijkaard in a spitting incident at Italia 90.Roberto Baggio (1990, 1994, 1998) might be well remembered in his home of Italy for missing the team's last penalty in a bygone final, but he will never be forgotten anywhere for his flickering, brave braids blowing in the wind.Ronaldo (1998, 2002, 2006), considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, led Brazil to World Cup victory sporting the ubiquitous, bizarrely charming 'front fade.'Oh, dear. Renowned hair farmer Barry Venison (wild card) never actually featured at a World Cup. England’s failure to qualify for USA 1994 meant he was cruelly denied the chance to flaunt his platinum tresses on the global stage.
