The World Cup may be over, but men are still walking into barbershops holding screenshots of soccer players taken somewhere between a corner kick and a yellow card.
That is the real cultural power of international soccer. The tournament crowns a champion, introduces a few new superstars and convinces thousands of otherwise cautious men that perhaps what their lives have been missing is bleached hair, a sharper fade or a ponytail requiring its own conditioning routine.
The 2026 World Cup became one of the year’s biggest showcases for men’s grooming. Players arrived with precision fades, long natural curls, carefully placed blond highlights, cornrows, modern mullets and facial hair that looked suspiciously well maintained for men supposedly concentrating exclusively on football.
Some of those looks will disappear as quickly as a disappointing group-stage team. Others have already earned a place on barbershop walls.
These are the World Cup haircuts men will still be asking for in 2027—and what you should actually tell your barber if you want one.
The Low Taper With Textured Curls
If one haircut won the tournament on pure wearability, it was the low taper with textured curls.
The style keeps the hair around the ears and neckline neat while preserving natural texture and movement on top. Unlike a high fade—which can create a much stronger contrast—the low taper cleans up the edges without making your entire haircut feel like it was designed using architectural software.
Players such as Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham demonstrated why this look works so well. It feels youthful without looking childish, polished without becoming stiff and fashionable without requiring you to explain yourself at a family gathering.
It is also adaptable. You can keep the curls short for a cleaner professional look or grow them longer for more personality.
What to ask your barber for: A low taper around the ears and neckline, natural texture left on top and a clean but not excessively sharp hairline.
Best for: Men with curly, coiled or wavy hair who want something modern enough for Saturday night but respectable enough for Monday morning.
The Modern Mullet Is Not Going Anywhere
Yes, the mullet survived.
More importantly, it evolved.
The contemporary version is softer, more textured and considerably less likely to come with a sleeveless denim jacket. Instead of severe short sides and an unexplained waterfall of hair in the back, the modern mullet blends the transition more carefully. It may include a taper around the ears, controlled volume on top and just enough length at the back to suggest danger without confirming it.
Soccer helped make the haircut feel athletic, international and unexpectedly masculine again. Latin American players, in particular, showed how well it works when paired with natural movement, a sharp beard or a confident mustache.
As we previously reported in “The Mullet Is Back. The Beard Got a Promotion. And Soccer Players Made It Dangerous Again,” the winning formula is controlled chaos. The hair gets to have personality, but somebody still needs to be in charge.
What to ask your barber for: A modern, taper or mini mullet with textured length in the back, cleaner sides and a shape that follows your natural hair pattern.
Best for: Men who want a noticeable change but are not prepared to become the entire personality of the neighborhood brewery.
Bleached Curls and the Return of Frosted Tips
The words “frosted tips” may cause anyone who remembers the early 2000s to experience a brief emotional emergency. Remain calm. The new version is better.
Instead of stiff spikes dipped in bright blond, today’s color is placed through natural curls and textured hair to create contrast, depth and movement. Players including Nico Williams helped turn warm blond curls into one of the tournament’s most recognizable grooming statements.
This works because the roots are often left darker. The color does not sit on the head like a separate hat. It blends through the texture, allowing the hair to look more dimensional when it moves.
The result is bold without automatically becoming costume-like—assuming it is done professionally. Bleaching textured hair at home after watching three videos is an excellent way to discover that confidence cannot repair chemical damage.
What to ask your barber or colorist for: Warm blond or honey highlights placed through the curls while maintaining a darker natural base.
Best for: Men with curls or waves who want a visible transformation and are emotionally prepared to purchase conditioner.
The Full Natural Curl
For years, men were told that looking polished meant cutting away most of their natural volume. The World Cup offered a very large, bouncing rejection of that idea.
Tahith Chong’s enormous halo of curls became one of the tournament’s most memorable looks. Marc Cucurella continued to make long natural curls part of his identity. Neither style depends on a fade, a severe outline or the appearance that every strand has been given a direct order.
That does not mean the look requires no maintenance. Long curls need hydration, careful detangling and products designed to define the hair without turning it into something crunchy enough to be served with salsa.
The difference is that the grooming supports the texture instead of trying to defeat it.
What to ask your barber for: A curl-focused shape that removes unnecessary weight while preserving length, volume and natural movement.
Best for: Men with naturally curly hair who are ready to stop treating their texture like a workplace disagreement.
Cornrows and Protective Braided Styles
Raphinha’s precisely sectioned cornrows were a reminder that protective styling can be functional, artistic and completely suited to high-level sport.
Braids keep the hair controlled during physical activity, but their appeal goes far beyond convenience. Parting patterns, braid direction and length can turn the style into something highly personal. The cleanest versions look intentional from every angle—which matters when cameras are following you around a stadium in ultra-high definition.
Protective styles must still protect the hair. Braids that are too tight can place unnecessary stress on the scalp and hairline. A skilled braider should create a secure style without making your forehead feel as though it is being pulled into next Tuesday.
What to ask for: Cleanly sectioned cornrows or another protective style appropriate for your hair length, density and scalp condition.
Best for: Men with suitable textured hair who want durability, creativity and less daily styling.
The Viking Flow
Erling Haaland did not invent long blond hair, but he did help turn it into one of soccer’s most imposing personal trademarks.
The Viking flow sits somewhere between a warrior, a luxury fragrance campaign and a man who knows exactly how much protein he ate yesterday. The hair is kept long enough to wear loose, slick back or secure in a ponytail or bun.
This is not simply a matter of avoiding the barber for 18 months. Long hair needs shape. Without occasional trims and proper conditioning, the Viking flow can quietly become the man-who-has-not-found-a-barber flow.
You will also have to survive the awkward growing stage, when the hair is too long to behave and too short to tie back. This period builds character. It also builds an impressive collection of hats.
What to ask your stylist for: Long, healthy layers with enough weight removed to create movement while preserving the overall length.
Best for: Men with medium-to-thick hair who are patient enough to grow it and responsible enough to condition it.
The Precision Crop
Not every man left the World Cup wanting more hair.
The short crop with a low fade or taper remains one of the safest and strongest options available. Cristiano Ronaldo has spent years demonstrating the advantage of a haircut that remains sharp in nearly every setting. It is practical for sports, easy to style and structured enough to give the face definition.
The modern precision crop relies on details: a smooth blend, controlled texture on top and a clean hairline that complements the wearer rather than looking drawn on with permanent marker.
It may not be the loudest haircut on this list, but it is the one least likely to make you stare into the mirror two days later and whisper, “What have I done?”
What to ask your barber for: A short textured crop with a low fade or taper, a natural-looking hairline and enough length on top to style.
Best for: Almost everyone, especially men who want to look polished without entering a serious relationship with their hair.
Which World Cup Haircut Works for Your Face?
The player you admire and the haircut that flatters you are not necessarily on the same team.
Men with rounder faces usually benefit from more height or texture on top and tighter sides. Longer faces should be careful with extreme height and may look better with additional width or movement. Strong, square faces work well with close crops, tapers and structured styles. Softer features can benefit from sharper edges or facial hair that creates more definition.
Hair density matters too. A photo cannot show your barber what your hair will naturally support. Fine hair may struggle to create the same volume as thick curls. A receding hairline can change where a fade or crop should begin. Curl patterns affect how the final length will sit.
Bring the photograph, but ask your barber to translate the idea for your face and hair. You are looking for inspiration—not attempting to steal another man’s scalp.
The Haircut Is Only Half the Look
One reason these styles looked so strong during the World Cup was that the hair was part of a larger presentation.
The mullets were balanced with shaped facial hair. Long curls were kept healthy. Fades were paired with clean edges. Mustaches looked deliberate rather than temporarily forgotten.
If you choose an expressive haircut, the rest of your grooming needs structure. Keep the neckline clean. Trim the mustache away from the lip. Maintain your beard’s cheek line. Use enough styling product to control the hair, but not so much that it becomes weatherproof.
The goal is to look naturally confident—not as though your bathroom contains a Formula One pit crew.
Moving Away From Conformity
The best World Cup haircuts were not memorable simply because they were unusual. They worked because they matched the players wearing them.
That may be the tournament’s biggest grooming lesson going into 2027. Men are moving away from the idea that everyone needs the same fade, the same beard and the same carefully approved version of masculinity. Natural curls can be enormous. Long hair can look powerful. A mullet can be polished. Blond tips can return without immediately resurrecting a boy band.
Soccer players helped make men’s grooming expressive again.
Just remember: bring a reference photo, listen to your barber and choose a version that works with your actual hair. World Cup confidence is available to everyone.
World Cup cheekbones are a separate matter.
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