To this day, when fans look back at 2016, they don’t just remember Neymar’s 20 league goals or his Olympic gold. They remember the journey of his hair. They remember logging onto Twitter after every international break, holding their breath, and asking the only question that mattered: “What did he do to it now?”
And Neymar, with a wink and a flick of whatever color it was that week, always answered. neymar hairstyle 2016
April arrived, and with it, the business end of La Liga and the Champions League. Neymar returned from international duty with Brazil looking like he’d just stepped out of a samurai film. The top was long, dark, and swept back into a man-bun, while the sides were shaved into a sharp, military-grade undercut. He called it the “Coque Samurai” (Samurai Bun). To this day, when fans look back at
But Neymar didn’t care. He wore that red hair like a badge of audacity. He stepped onto the pitch for Brazil’s friendly against Panama and scored a goal in the first five minutes. He pointed to his head as if to say, “The color is the source of the power.” April arrived, and with it, the business end
The year kicked off with a shock of white. On January 6th, Barcelona faced Espanyol in the Copa del Rey. When Neymar jogged out of the tunnel, the Camp Nou gasped. His once-dark locks were gone, replaced by a bleached, platinum blonde crop that looked like it had been struck by lightning. The press called it “the albino look.” His teammates called it “crazy.” His mother, Nadine, reportedly called him with a single question: “Você está louco?” (Are you insane?)
On June 1st, 2016, Neymar posted a single photo on Instagram. He was in a barber’s chair in Los Angeles. His hair was wet. The caption: “Novo ano, nova vida, nova cor.” (New year, new life, new color). Then, he posted the reveal.