Norwegian striker Erling Haaland’s decision to cut his signature long blond hair ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League season opener on Sunday has drawn attention, though its immediate impact on his performance remains inconclusive. Haaland, 26, opted for a buzz cut before the match against Bournemouth, where he went scoreless despite taking five shots in a 2-1 victory. Prior to this game, Haaland had scored in every Premier League opener he had played, totaling seven goals over four matches.
The haircut came after Haaland considered a change following the recent World Cup, during which he scored seven goals helping Norway to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in nearly three decades. In a video sharing the new look, Haaland described the upcoming season as a “fresh start” but acknowledged feeling some nervousness due to a playful warning from Zlatan Ibrahimovic that his hair was the source of his strength, alluding to the biblical story of Samson.
Throughout sports history, athletes have exhibited a variety of outcomes related to drastic hairstyle changes. Ronaldo, the former Brazil striker, is among the most notable examples: in the 2002 World Cup, he shaved most of his head except for a patch above his forehead. Despite serious knee injuries prior to the tournament, Ronaldo scored in critical matches, including the final, leading Brazil to victory and securing the Golden Boot with eight goals.
Other footballers have seen their hair transformations coincide with continued or renewed success. David Beckham’s 2000 close crop preceded a key goal for Manchester United, while Cristiano Ronaldo, after shaving his head post-2017 Champions League victory, helped Portugal with a two-goal performance in his first match back. In basketball, Kobe Bryant cut his Afro before the 2002 NBA playoffs and scored 34 points in his debut with the new look; Michael Jordan adopted a shaved head in 1989, a style that became iconic during his multiple championship runs.
Similarly, tennis star Novak Djokovic and young sensation Carlos Alcaraz saw significant success following head shavings—Djokovic began 2011 winning his first 41 matches and three Grand Slam titles, while Alcaraz reached and won the 2025 U.S. Open after an accidental haircut necessitated a full shave. Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar also credited a more aerodynamic shaved style for his dominant performances, including five stage wins and his fifth overall title.
Yet, the association between hairstyle and performance is not universally positive. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes maintained a distinctive long hairstyle during three Super Bowl wins, and only after the team’s 2025 playoff loss did he cut it short. The Chiefs subsequently endured a 6-11 season, missing the playoffs and recording their first losing record in 13 years, while Mahomes posted a career-low passer rating before ending his season due to injury.
Haaland’s new haircut marks just the beginning of this Premier League season, and while his scoreless debut attracted early commentary, the broader pattern among elite athletes underscores that changes in appearance may correspond with varying effects on performance rather than a definitive cause or predictor.