Crazy Soccer Hairstyles

Some footballers like to take center stage on and off the pitch. They want to be noticed not just for their skills with a ball at their feet or, in the case of goalkeepers, in their hands, but for the way they look as well. With their uniforms pre-determined, they've only their hair to express themselves---and express themselves they do.

  1. Carlos Valderrama

    • There was a time when a football tournament couldn't truly begin until Carlos Valderrama graced the field. He captained Colombia in three World Cups and won 111 international caps between 1985 and 1998. Although his style of play and talent with the ball was exceptional, it was his hair that drew the most attention. His mass of blond curls bounced and flowed as he charged about the pitch. Add his moustache and his off-pitch love of jewelry and you had a look that became world famous.

    Rene Higuita

    • Another Colombian, Rene Higuita was a goalkeeper most famous for his 'scorpion kick' in a friendly match against England at Wembley Stadium. But his acrobatics were nothing compared to his tight jet black curls. His head looked as if it was leaking caviar as his hair dropped in waves of ringlets down past his shoulders. The fact that he was known as 'el loco' added to his mystique especially as he often left his penalty area and dribbled the ball up field to score goals---he scored three in his 68 international appearances.

    Rigobert Song

    • The Cameroonian veteran took part in his fourth World Cup in 2010; his first was back in 1994. His hair is an impressive collection of bleached dreadlocks that make him look like a bad guy in a bad Matrix movie. But those locks certainly make him stand out on and off the field. The crazy hair goes with the crazy footballer in Africa too: Song is still the youngest player to receive a red card in the World Cup finals as he was sent off in 1994 at 17 years old.

    Djibril Cisse

    • The Frenchman is famous for not just breaking but snapping both his legs. With a temperament to match his hair Djibril Cisse has been back playing within a year after each break. He changes his hair styles with his socks. Color, shaved patterns, and died facial hair increase the look of a truly crazy-haired footballer.

    David James

    • David James is an English goalkeeper with a flair for hair not always matched by his goalkeeping. His nickname is 'Calamity' James and when he makes mistakes they look even more spectacular alongside his hair. It's been bleached, died, shaved, curly, straight, dreadlocked, little and large, long and short, and as of the 2010 World Cup he had grown a hirsute halo that bounced around the goal with a vigor that belied his age of 39.