sport news Definitive guide to the iconic hairstyles of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar trends now

Billions of people sit glued to their screens every time a World Cup rolls around - so it's no wonder some footballers go to great lengths to make sure their hair is on point.

The styles this tournament are surprisingly tame but a literal lion's mane, the colours of the American flag and a Balenciaga catwalk model with blonde-tipped braids are some of the highlights wowing - and dividing - fans. 

Here's Daily Mail Australia's definitive guide to all of the most iconic hairstyles of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia)

When it comes to the most luscious locks at the World Cup, Mejbri has it in the bag, no contest. 

Born in France to Tunisian parents, the midfielder made his senior International debut last year, and after joining Manchester United in 2019, has spent the current EPL season on loan to Birmingham City.

He's tipped for big things in football, but he might have a career in modelling if it doesn't pan out. 

Weston McKennie

Charismatic 24-year-old midfielder Weston McKennie, who plays at Serie A powerhouse Juventus, is a very patriotic American - just ask his hair.

The son of a US Air Force veteran, McKennie's iconic black curls got an eye-catching addition at the start of the tournament: red, white and blue streaks to show his heart beats true for the stars and stripes. 

It has instantly catapulted him to the World Cup Haircut Hall of Fame, but fan reaction was mixed, with some making fun of the style and others applauding the risky choice. 

The memes practically wrote themselves. 

Sebastian Sosa

Uruguay's back-up goalkeeper Sebastian Sosa doesn't have the heart of a lion - he has the HEAD of a lion.

The 36-year-old Independiente veteran has a literal mane above a spectacular tattoo of a male lion on his scalp, which took seven hours to be completed.

The hair is still rather spectacular from the front, with his voluminous mane gelled straight upright to form a thick mohawk of sorts.   

Sosa explain he got the intricate tattoo because he has 'always liked lions', after his hair started falling out following a battle with Covid in 2020.

'I had coronavirus in July and at the end of August my hair started to fall out abruptly. It fell from all parts of my body. I knew it was a sequel to Covid,' he said.

'I only had a few left, so I decided to shave. I've always liked lions, that's why I wanted to tattoo one on the back of my head.'

DeAndrew Yedlin 

American defender DeAndre Yedlin is well known for trying a multitude of different hairstyles, but this might just take the cake.

You can sense the theme, with US stars clearly proud of their nation's colours - but in this case Yedlin took it a step further by crafting in what one may gather is a glowing tribute to the Rockies, or some other American mountain range.

With bleached peroxide blonde on the top - and bizarre bracket-shaped line on the front - Yedlin then opted for mountain-like lines to be shaved into his hair. The bottom of which is fire engine red.   

He also has his year of birth tattooed on his neck, just in case he ever forgets it and has a mirror handy. 

Jason Cummings

It's not so much an eye-catching hairstyle as it is a viral video involving Socceroos striker Jason Cummings enjoying a haircut and VERY physical scalp massage just a little bit too much.

'Ohhh, give this guy a tip! Unbelievable ... treatment for the big dogs,' Cummings laughed about his barber in a video posted to the Socceroos social media pages.

The barber massaged Cummings' scalp with his fingers, eliciting quite the response from the Socceroos star before he began to lightly knock on his skull.

'Chopping me up, mate. Feels nice, though,' Cummings quipped.

Cummings' enjoyment of the fresh cut didn't go unnoticed by delighted teammate Bailey Wright. 

In a nod to the iconic 'When Harry Met Sally' movie scene starring Meg Ryan, Wright - who favours a slightly more conservative haircut - was not shy in admitting he wanted to feel exactly the way Cummings had.

'Take my money mate, I'll have what he's having,' Wright said to the barber - who is no doubt be in high demand over in Doha.

Dayne St. Clair

Curly-haired Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair takes his style very seriously.

'A haircut will really change your whole perspective on life,' he wrote on Twitter earlier this year. 

Letting his curls hang proudly, St Clair's cousin is a hair stylist, so he is often cutting and dyeing his hair different colours and shapes.

Neymar

He's one of the most recognisable footballers in the world, and Brazilian sensation Neymar Junior is quite fond of experimenting with his hairstyle. 

He's had a neon pink fade, done his best Backstreet Boy impression and often had some intricate sort of design shaved - and several mohawks.

For the 2022 World Cup to start with he opted for a closely-trimmed beard and comparatively conservative fade on the sides, with cropped curls on the top splashed with a blonde tinge...but that was turned on its head (pardon the pun) in the playoffs.

Neymar flew his Paris-based hairdresser to Doha and asked him to bleach his hair, despite the superstar being famously superstitious. 

He gave Neymar a fresh trim ahead of the game and dyed his hair before writing the following caption on

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