Ronaldo, Beckham, Baggio: Top 10 worst hairstyles in World Cup history | OneFootball

The World Cup is home to some of the best talents across world football, but it is also the stage where players showcase some of the most bizarre yet iconic hairstyles of all time.

10 worst haircuts in World Cup history

10) David Beckham- World Cup 2002

Throughout his career, David Beckham showcased an array of hairstyles that were either hailed or criticised.

However, one of his most controversial came in the 2002 World Cup, where the England legend sported an incredibly bold mohican, with a mullet-esque tail.

The tournament did see him pick up four goal contributions as England reached the quarter-finals.

9) Roberto Baggio – World Cup 1994

Roberto Baggio is an Italian legend but remains remembered for his hairstyle, earning him the nickname ‘the divine ponytail’, as much for his footballing ability.

Unfortunately for him, Baggio’s ponytail is immortalised by him missing the decisive spot kick in the 1994 World Cup final, handing that year’s trophy to Brazil.

After that, his form at both international and club level tanked – until the decision to cut off his ponytail in 1998 revived his fortunes in time for the next World Cup in 1998.

8) Romanian National Team – World Cup 1998

The 1998 Romanian national team all boldly dyed their hair bleached blonde.

The move seemed to have paid off as Romania topped Group G, which consisted of England, Colombia and Tunisia. During the groups, Romania even defeated England 2-1.

They would exit the competition after a 1-0 loss to Croatia in the round of 16, but their hairstyles will remain an iconic memory.

7) Rudi Voller – World Cup 1990

Rudi Voller is one of the greatest and most iconic strikers to represent Germany at the World Cup.

The forward played in two World Cup finals for Germany, even lifting the trophy in 1990 after providing the assist in a 1-0 win against Argentina.

However, one of the talking points of Germany’s successful World Cup run was the choice of hairstyle from the Mannschaft icon.

Voller sported a curly perm which appeared to have a blend of blonde, grey and brunette embedded within it, but it may have had superpowers as Germany lifted the tournament that year for the first time since 1974.

6) Trifon Ivanov – World Cup 1994

The 1994 World Cup saw Bulgarian defender Trifon Ivanov go mullet mad as he sported a very unique-looking haircut for the competition.

He was nicknamed the “Bulgarian Wolf” and was pivotal in defence as Bulgaria reached the semi-finals of the tournament before losing to Italy 2-1.

5) Carlos Valderrama – World Cup 1990

Valderrama was always known for his blonde curly afro hairstyle.

He was a crucial part of the Colombian national team, captaining the side to the round of 16, where they suffered a loss to Cameroon.

4) Christian Ziege – World Cup 2002

The 2002 World Cup saw Germany midfielder Christian Ziege go for a bold haircut as he sported a mohawk befitting of Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver.

Germany’s 2002 side got to the final, where Ziege went home with a runners-up medal.

3) Rodrigo Palacio – World Cup 2014

Rodrigo Palacio sported one of the strangest hairstyles in football at the 2014 World Cup. The forward had a shaved head but left a small rat tail at the back.

The specific hairstyle was sported by Palacio for a chunk of his career.

2) Ronaldo – World Cup 2002

The haircut that R9 sported for the 2002 World Cup is potentially one of the most iconic haircuts of all time, but all for the wrong reasons.

The legendary forward had a triangle of hair left at the front of his head while the rest of it was shaved off.

The 2002 World Cup tournament saw him have the competition of his life, winning the competition with Brazil, scoring in the final and taking home the golden boot.

1) Taribo West – World Cup 1998

Former Nigeria fullback Taribo West graced the World Cup with a unique look that saw him colour his hair green and have two little bits stuck up, with the rest tied at the back.

West made regular appearances in the tournament as Nigeria reached the round of 16 of the competition.