Five or six years ago, if you’d have said that Lionel Messi would one day have tattoos everywhere and bright blonde hair people would have thought you were crazy.
The Barcelona superstar, who is widely regarded as a humble and modest kind of guy, is clearly more interested in fashion and the latest trends that everyone previously thought he was.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner used to grow his hair long - as is common in Argentina - but bright blonde hair and tattoos? It all seems very un-Messi like.
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Nevertheless, the man himself appears happy with the final outcome - as does his long-term partner, Antonella Roccuzzo.
But who was responsible for the decision? Messi, of course, would have had the final say - but who encouraged him to follow in the footsteps of Aaron Ramsey and Phil Jones by bleaching his hair?
Messi's barber claims responsibility
Well, judging by the Instagram post of his barber, Ariel Bermudez, it may not have entirely been Messi’s idea.
“Always a pleasure to do what I like … I enjoy … I have fun and who better than you Leo … thank you for trusting me and enjoy life with these small details,” Bermudez posted - quotes translated by 101 Great Goals - on Sunday.
The photo shows the finished product, with Messi smiling but probably wondering if he’d just made a huge mistake *for* trusting his barber.
Is Messi drawing a line under his traumatic summer?
Perhaps the blonde hair is the superstar forward’s way of drawing a line under what has been a traumatic summer.
The 29-year-old announced his retirement from international football after Argentina were beaten by Chile in the Copa America final.
A week later and he was handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of three tax crimes.
Barcelona have stuck by Messi, who flew to England with some of his teammates - including Luis Suarez - for the club’s first pre-season match against Celtic on Saturday.
The Catalan giants then face Leicester City, Liverpool and Sampdoria before their Spanish Super Cup first leg against Sevilla on August 14.
Are you a fan of Lionel Messi’s new hairstyle? Have your say by leaving a comment below.
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