With Inter Miami’s preseason underway and Lionel Messi enjoying a brief four-day break between matches, the Argentine icon has switched things up—this time with his hair.
Messi’s had ever-evolving trims throughout his career; whether it was the long, luscious locks early on or the blonde look with the beard, fans have seen it all.
As recently as February 3, Messi was rocking his usual slick, side-parted “good boy” look—clean, neat, and refined, the trim he’d gone with all season. But that’s all changed now. Having scored 23 goals and registered 13 assists for Inter Miami last season, perhaps this is the final evolution of Messi’s style as he builds toward the 2026 World Cup.
The haircut itself is a subtle yet stylish shift. Messi’s new trim features a slightly puffy front, blending elements of both a side and mid-part. The sides appear to have a neat fade, keeping things sharp. The side part is shaped, and the front is probably blown up a tad bit with a hair dryer.
The look isn’t far off from Frenkie De Jong’s signature look, causing fans to draw comparisons and compelling a user to tweet, “Messi with a Frenkie haircut lol,” as he posed with a fan.
A simple yet stylish cut, with a long taper on the sides, a medium-length top, and a likely fade at the back as well, this looks suits Messi as it does Frenkie, along with the thin beard Messi has going for him as well.
Interestingly, Messi’s go-to barber in Miami, Luis Rivera (ElBoribarber), hasn’t posted any pictures of the trim, which suggests this one might have been someone else, or probably not his regular barber. The first glimpses, as mentioned, came from a picture where Messi seems to be with a fan.
Fans online had varied reactions. While most compared it to Frenkie, one user took to Hollywood with his comparison, “Messi rocking the john mulaney cut.”
Another fan compared the style and vibe to Inter Miami owner Beckham, chalking the trim choice down to spending too much time with Beckham: “bro spending too much time with beckham i guess.”
Other fans hoped that the Argentinian would grow his hair out until the 2026 World Cup, with some even posting edited images of Messi with long hair in an Argentina kit. “If he wins WC26 like that …. on god… we’ll have unbelievable Aura maxing Goat,” said one user on X.
