Erling Haaland haircut: why we rate the dramatic short cut

Erling Haaland has traded his long blonde hair for a very short crop, unveiling the change in an Instagram video. For the Manchester City striker, whose pulled-back length had become an instantly recognisable feature, it is a substantial visual reset rather than a routine tidy-up.

Our verdict: we rate the move. Removing that much hair puts the emphasis on the face and creates a much simpler outline. But the useful question for anyone considering the same change is not whether they can pull off a footballer’s haircut. It is how short their own hair can go while still giving them the finish they want.

What happened

Haaland’s Instagram reveal moves through progressively shorter looks, including a side-parted stage, before arriving at an almost-buzz cut. The final result is a decisive departure from the longer style he had been wearing, with none of the length required to pull the hair back.

That distinction matters when describing it in the barber’s chair. A very short crop and a uniform buzz cut can look similar at a glance, but they are not necessarily constructed in the same way. A crop can retain extra length on top; an all-over buzz uses the same cutting length across the head.

Nor does short automatically mean skin-faded. A fade describes the transition between lengths at the back and sides, sometimes down to exposed skin. You can have a close crop with softly blended edges, a taper concentrated around the neckline and sideburns, or a much more conspicuous fade.

For a useful reference, save clear front, side and rear views of the haircut you like. One image can conceal a longer crown or a sharper transition behind the ears. Our guide to buzz-cut lengths and what to ask your barber explains the choices behind a seemingly straightforward short cut.

We would borrow Haaland’s willingness to lose the length, not treat his head as a cutting template. A good interpretation should still look considered once the celebrity reference has left the conversation.

The background

Footballers’ haircuts have long carried an identity beyond the pitch. David Beckham’s changing styles and Jack Grealish’s curtains and headband are familiar examples. Haaland’s pulled-back blonde hair served a similar visual purpose: it was a feature supporters could recognise without studying his face.

Losing a signature style also changes how we judge the replacement. The first reaction is often to the absence of the old look, rather than the quality of the new one. Our view is that a dramatic haircut deserves to be assessed as a shape in its own right, not marked down simply for being unfamiliar.

For everyone else, texture is the first practical consideration. Straight hair can stand away from the scalp at certain short lengths, while waves and curls may lose their visible pattern when cut closely. Coils create a different surface again. The same guard can therefore produce noticeably different results on different heads.

Density matters separately from texture. Fine strands are not necessarily sparse, and coarse strands do not guarantee thick coverage. Taking hair shorter can make areas of visible scalp more apparent, especially where density varies. Our guide to choosing a haircut for your hair type is a useful starting point before committing to the clippers.

Growth direction deserves equal attention. A crown whorl or a strong cowlick may behave quite differently once the weight of longer hair disappears. Ask the barber to assess your hair dry before cutting, so those patterns are visible rather than temporarily flattened by water or styling product.

There is also a trade-off in upkeep. Short hair generally takes less time to wash, dry and arrange, but small amounts of regrowth can change its outline quickly. Less work each morning does not necessarily mean fewer appointments over the course of a year.