This was the most aerodynamic Neymar yet. He was faster, leaner, and more efficient. In September, he scored a bicycle kick against Leganés. In October, he assisted Messi in the dying seconds to beat Valencia. The golden fringe flopped as he ran, a little flag of victory. For those months, Neymar was untouchable. The hair was a trophy. The hair was a promise.
August 2016. The new La Liga season. Neymar walked out with a buzz cut. But not just any buzz cut. He had shaved his head completely, leaving only a thin, bleached blonde fringe at the front, and then—in a stroke of genius—dyed that fringe golden . It was the “Golden Spike,” a homage to the Olympic medal around his neck and the spike of a sprinter leaving the blocks. neymar hairstyle 2016
The world took notice. Teenagers from Tokyo to Toronto started asking barbers for “the Neymar undercut.” However, this look had a tragic expiration date. In the Champions League quarter-final against Atlético Madrid, Barcelona crashed out. After the final whistle, Neymar sat on the turf, his man-bun sagging, his face buried in his hands. The warrior had fallen. By June, as Brazil prepared for the Copa América Centenario in the United States, Neymar knew he needed a transformation. He needed to shed the skin of failure. This was the most aerodynamic Neymar yet
This was his serious phase. The playful blonde was gone. In its place was a focused, angular assassin’s cut. On April 2nd, he scored a stunning solo goal against Real Madrid in El Clásico , running half the pitch, weaving past Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal, before slotting the ball past Keylor Navas. As he celebrated, he pulled the hair tie out and let the dark locks fall over his face. The image was iconic: Neymar as the warrior-poet, soft hair hiding a killer instinct. In October, he assisted Messi in the dying
This is where the story takes its most dramatic turn.