Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest soccer player (footballer) of all time, with an amazing career that has earned him multiple honors, including eight Ballon d’Or awards, six European Golden Shoes, ten La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League wins, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The talented Argentinian is a role model, style icon and successful businessman who embodies class, creativity and subtle confidence, on and off the field. Messi has garnered attention not only for his extraordinary skills on the pitch but also for his stylish and evolving hairstyles.

Messi’s iconic haircuts have become influential trends and remarkable symbols of his persona, celebrity status and cultural relevance. From long to short, the superstar’s hair evolution is an inspiring phenomenon that continues to captivate fans and spark conversations in barbershops around the world.

In this article, we will look at some of Lionel Messi’s best hairstyles through the years, exploring his most memorable and attractive looks.

Memorable Messi Haircuts

Natural Brush Up with Mid Taper and Beard

While playing for Inter Miami, Messi often rocked a natural brush up and a sleek mid taper that highlighted his natural volume. The low-maintenance taper added structure to the style, helping to balance his signature rugged beard. The style framed his face while making his eyes pop, keeping his locks away from his forehead to avoid distractions on the pitch.

Messi Messy Long Hair

As a young professional footballer, Messi was recognized for his tousled and flowing long hair. This unstructured and messy longer hairstyle featured a scissor-cut finish with a fun, carefree vibe. His barber added shorter layers in the front to create a makeshift fringe, framing the face and highlighting his strong cheekbones and jawline.

Textured Crew Cut with Short Sides

The textured crew cut was a short hairstyle for Messi and he wore it effortlessly with tapered sides for a neat, structured appearance. He uses a light pomade to add texture to the top and front, which helps prevent the style from looking one-dimensional. His full beard stayed put and worked well against the mussed, tousled top, giving the famous footballer a boyish charm.

Modern Mullet with Middle Part

Messi’s classic long mop quickly transformed into a modern mullet with a middle part during his second Barcelona season. The long, flowing hairstyle highlighted his masculine features, offering a balanced look with light volume around the front. Subtly flicking the ends drew attention to his jawline and created a relaxed, messy look that made him the center of attention.

Classic Comb Over

Marking a change, Messi sported a classic comb over with a long-swept style, showcasing his heavy stubble and masculine features. With his career in Barcelona soaring, his sides were scissor-cut and relatively short, but he added volume and point-cutting through the front for a lifted finish.

Quiff with Mid Taper Fade and Highlights

A voluminous quiff, mid taper fade and blonde highlights let Messi show off his hair’s natural thickness with a bold look. The mid taper worked perfectly with the grown-out beard to give Messi’s overall aesthetic a sharp, masculine edge. Styling pomade, heat and a wide tooth comb bring distinctive lines and effortless height to the quiff.

Short Hair with Mid Drop Fade and Beard

Messi switched his heavily-styled quiff for short hair and a minimalistic drop fade as he moved up in the world’s soccer rankings. The shorter length and beard let his rugged side come through, while the blunt cutting on top gave his locks some edge and angularity. He kept the nape clean and tight for a balanced approach that looked striking from the stands.

Brush Forward with Classic and Spiky Fringe

A brush-forward style with a spiky fringe strikes the perfect balance between well-groomed and rebellious. The edgy, spiked front is a nod to the retro styles of yesteryear, with Messi’s platinum blonde top taking things into the modern age. The sides are lightly tapered to keep all eyes on the striking top, but you could always switch up his classic approach with a daring fade.

Long Flow with Part

Messi is no stranger to longer locks, and his relaxed flow was a huge hit when he played for Argentina. The layers added through the length offered movement and removed bulk, giving the style a lightweight appearance. A gel keeps the front pieces in place, while the full beard brings a mature feel to this free-flowing style.

Short Blonde Hair with Full Beard

While Messi enjoys longer styles, his practical short blonde hair looked undeniably awesome with a masculine full beard. This platinum cut made an appearance at the World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay in 2016, featuring choppy layers and a brushed-back top. The closely cropped sides add definition to the voluminous top, contrasting against his full, ginger beard for a well-rounded look.

Platinum Brushed Back Hair with Tapered Sides

A platinum brush back with tapered sides offered a cool, contemporary look that highlighted the soccer star’s bold moves on the field. Messi made this cut his own by creating a side part and lightly tapering the sides for impressive contrast against the textured top. The finished style was striking and cool-toned, looking handsome and creating instant visual interest against his warm, full beard.

Textured Spikes with Mid Fade

Messi looked phenomenal wearing a more laid-back look and these textured spikes paired perfectly with his dapper trimmed beard. The edgy mid fade pulls the eye upward by removing weight from the sides, and a strong-hold matte pomade is all you need to create an all-day hold on top.

Thick Crop with Undercut

The thick crop is a more sophisticated style than the bright blondes and mop tops that Messi chose to wear earlier in his career. This striking cut showcased contrast between buzzed sides and a short, textured top. The shorter length is practical enough for running around on the pitch, while the sides keep Messi cool and comfortable. The connected beard balances the style and brings symmetry to the player’s bold features.

Sexy Brushed Back Long Hair with Headband

Messi would often secure his youthful brushed-back style with a headband to keep his long hair under control. The hairband keeps the front sections in place and away from the eyes to minimize distraction. Messi keeps the length relatively uniform but weaves light layers through his locks for dimension and effortless movement.

Voluminous Comb Over with Low Taper

Messi’s voluminous, debonair comb over looked chic on and off the pitch. Chocolate brown strands give the hair subtle dimension, offering a modern appearance that blends with the player’s full beard. The low taper provides visual contrast against the clean-cut top that pulls the style together. This combination makes Messi’s eyes and jawline the stars of the show.

Dyed Blonde Hair

Messi shocked fans in 2016 when he dyed his hair bright blonde for the Copa America tournament. This bold, bleached look commanded attention as it contrasted heavily against his dark roots and full, orange-tinged beard. The cut featured light layers that were expertly point-cut for extra dimension and movement, letting the breeze whip through his locks as he zipped around the pitch.

Young Messi’s Long Mop

Messi’s iconic long mop burst onto the scene in 2006, perfectly representing his youthful energy and devil-may-care vibe. He sported this style early in his career with Barcelona and paired flowing locks with a shaved undercut for contrast and structure. The thick, lightly layered look highlighted Messi’s fun-loving approach on the field. His creativity, bold moves and memorable hairstyle made Messi a huge name mere days after his premier match with the Barcelona first team.

Short Brush Back with Cropped Sides

The short brush back gave Messi a voluminous, flowing look that let his warm-toned blonde hair shine with minimal styling. Adding heat around the front and crown gives an effortless lift to the hair. Moving the strands in different directions also creates a slightly disconnected, disheveled feel with a youthful energy. The Argentine keeps the sides cropped for a weightless feel and clean aesthetic.

Brush Up with Low Tapered Sides

A brush up turns limp and lackluster locks into a high-volume style with impressive texture. Messi’s brushed-up look requires heat to achieve volume and lift at the roots. The lifted top and clean-shaven look accentuate his strong jawline and masculine features, while the subtle, tapered sides balance the cut and create structure.

Full Beard

Along with a textured top, Messi rocked a handsome full beard during the UEFA Champions League game against Olympiacos. The beard was carefully groomed and connected to his sides for a seamless, blended appearance. A dash of pomade through the front and crown gave the locks texture that worked against the clean, buzzed sides for a multi-dimensional finish.

Shaved Look

Messi’s shaved face was a clean and timeless look worth noting. Full facial hair is often a masterful part of his look, but he decided to go clean-shaven while playing for Paris Sant-Germain (PSG). Although fans adored his classic full beard, the shave sharpened his style and brought a youthful, fresh-faced feel to his look. He kept his hair sleek and manageable by getting a short cut with cropped sides and a trimmed nape.

Textured Side Swept Style with Short Sides

As Messi gained more experience on the pitch, he ditched his long locks in favor of a smart side-swept style with short sides. The flat look still gave him a chiseled appearance and elongated face. The clean-shaven chin and jawline brought back his youthful appeal from yesteryear, instantly boosting his sex appeal.

Thick Brush Up with Mid Skin Fade

Before the 2022 World Cup, Messi showcased a thick brush up, modern mid skin fade and bright, blonde highlights. A round brush, heat and pomade give the front effortless lift, while the faded sides remove weight from the sides for a sleek finish with high contrast. The platinum tips worked against Messi’s bushy, orange beard to create visual interest and add warmth to his dark features.

Short Masculine Cut

Messi’s short masculine haircut offered the perfect balance between a longer textured top and classic tapered sides. The spiked fringe creates a sharp, angular appearance while the shorter blended sides offer some elegance with pulling focus. His signature beard looks cultured and age-appropriate, giving the structured style a softer feel.

World Cup 2022 Haircut

Messi’s World Cup 2022 haircut was a mid taper fade on the sides and back with thick volume on top and a spiky fringe. The Argentinian superstar brought his talent, leadership and impeccable style to the tournament. The trimmed beard effortlessly blended into the tight taper, creating incredible contrast. To copy his style, use a strong-hold pomade or gel to keep your hair up during soccer games.