We all have someone in our life to look up to, right? And if you’re a footballer, who better to seek inspiration from than a certain David Beckham?
Sure, you can try to imitate his technique, ball control, and those curled free kicks, but those are much easier said than done. So, why not start with something more easily achievable—like his iconic hairstyles? Well, Rodrigo de Paul is certainly walking down that path.
What more can we say about his on-field performance? We were blessed to watch this Englishman boss the midfield. But if there’s something that defines him even more, it’s his iconic charisma.
Renowned for his rugged good looks and the phrase ‘Bend it like Beckham,’ one thing that has always been attached to his name is his iconic hairstyles over the years.
David Beckham is undoubtedly the go-to textbook for many hairstylists around the world.
Whether it was the famous and most talked-about ‘mohawk’ hairstyle in 2001, the shaggy long hairdo during his time at Real Madrid in 2006, or even the ponytail in 2013 and the classic pompadour cut he sports today, he was among the first footballers to make a style statement within the game. Ever since Beckham shot to stardom, each year has seen a different hairstyle from him.
Throughout the late nineties and early 2000s, Beckham was a muse for school kids all over the world. Judging by recent appearance, Rodrigo de Paul seems to be one of them as well.
The Argentine World Cup champion surprised all football fans when he was recently captured sporting a fresh hairdo straight from ‘Beckham’s book of haircuts.’
The 29-year-old Argentine caught the attention of all the cameras present at Cerro del Espino as De Paul stepped onto the training ground with a blonde cornrows hairstyle.
Just for context, cornrows are a hairstyle of African origin that involves creating braids in parallel rows attached to the scalp.
This hairdo reminds us of the iconic David Beckham cornrows hairstyle from 2003. It was among the most talked-about styles he sported.
After 12 years, even the midfielder admitted that the decision to wear cornrows was influenced by a few glasses of wine the night before. Looking back, Beckham has labeled that decision as his ‘biggest regret’.
Moreover, meeting Nelson Mandela in that attire was enough embarrassment for him. That being said, this hairstyle was voted as the most iconic in a poll as per The Sun.
Rodrigo De Paul has certainly tried to recreate the iconic style statement. This isn’t the first time that his hairstyle has evoked memories of David Beckham’s.
Prior to Argentina’s triumphant World Cup campaign, De Paul dyed his hair platinum, reminiscent of the hairstyle of Inter Miami’s owner in 2021.
The Argentine has never shied away from making bold hairstyle decisions. Whether it was the bright blue dyed buzzcut accompanied by a black heart on the side of his head in June earlier this year or the more recent blonde hair during the South American Qualifiers, Rodrigo de Paul has time and again sported some unique hairstyles.
Recently, Atletico Madrid faced Sevilla for their last match in the calendar year 2023. De Paul took to Instagram to celebrate the 1-0 victory and flaunt his new hairstyle. His style did cause quite a stir, with people voicing their opinions in the comment section.
Prominent among them was the latest employee of David Beckham – Luis Suarez. The Miami striker was quick to throw a jibe at his ex-Atletico teammate, commenting, ‘What is happening to you? For God’s sake…’
Suarez might have deleted the comment, but the jibe is now making rounds on the web, courtesy of social media.
Besides possible Beckham inspiration, another theory that has popped up online features his ex-girlfriend Tini Stoessel.
The couple announced the termination of their relationship earlier this year.
Yet, one can’t overlook the fact that the duo has recently adopted similar braided hairstyles. Is this a sign of reconciliation?
We can’t tell for sure. But with La Liga set to celebrate a week-long winter break, we can confirm that De Paul is party-ready with his new appearance.
