SEATTLE — Ahead of what the U.S. men’s national team called its biggest game, attention has turned to a lighter but visible metric: whether this roster sports the best hair the United States has ever brought to a World Cup. The piece argues the evaluation is layered, citing Christian Pulisic’s tapered modern mullet as one example of the group’s variety.
This U.S. contingent features a range of distinct looks: Weston McKennie with a red-white-and-blue dye patch, Folarin Balogun’s tight curls, Tim Ream’s man bun, Chris Richards’ afro, Antonee Robinson’s bleached hair and Matt Freese’s near-mohawk fade. The article notes that the team’s overall follicular range is substantial and that no single style dominates.
Former U.S. goalkeeper Tony Meola, whose playing career included the 1990, 1994 and 2002 World Cups, pushed back on the idea that the current squad is the most distinctive. “I might be biased, but hell no,” Meola said, pointing to the 1994 team and names such as Alexi Lalas’ untamed red mane, Marcelo Balboa’s “long flow,” Cobi Jones’ dreadlocks and Meola’s own slicked-back ponytail. The story also recalls Clint Mathis’ intense mohawk at the 2002 World Cup as an outlier of its time.
The United States has a renowned stylist embedded with the team. Sheldon Edwards of HD Cutz, who is from London, has been with the squad since the start of the tournament, and Edwards told ESPN that many players take their hair very seriously and arrive with specific concepts. “They’re connecting to fans in a different way,” Edwards said. The piece details specific work: Ream cycles through elastics and used a pink one in practice, Weah is particular about angles, Tyler Adams prefers a slick, precise look, and colleagues helped braid Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson and Haji Wright. Edwards said coach Mauricio Pochettino received a cleanup and product to keep wind from blowing his hair on the sidelines.
The article also highlights a hair-loss element: an unscientific review of team photos indicates this is the first U.S. World Cup roster in at least 20 years without a bald player or head coach. Bob Bradley is noted as one of the bald coaches in 2010, underscoring how appearance trends have shifted over time.
