Messi, formally known as Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini, is not only a famous footballer from Argentina - he's a hair icon. He is an absolute legend on the field, winning the Golden Ball at the FIFA World Cup, Ballon d'Or awards, and European Golden Shoes. But enough of his athletic acheivements, let's move onto the important stuff - Messi's hair. Over the years, we've seen Messi go from a longer shag cut to a much cleaner taper fade. Oh, and we can't forget the one time he went platinum. And while we can't teach you to master the art of a drop kick, we can help you find the best Messi haircut to try for yourself. ¡Vamanos!

10 Best Messi Haircuts Of All Time

Short Pompadour

Messi bounces back and forth from clean-shaved to bearded, but this is one of the best hairstyles to go with if you are not going to have any facial hair. It is long enough to frame the face but short enough to look presentable. This Lionel Messi Haircut is a great option for men of all ages, too. We've seen guys pull of haircuts like these from fifteen years old to sixty years old.

Short Haircut with Fringe

This Lionel Messi haircut is the bridge between his "mullet" days and the more recent taper fades we have seen him with. He's wearing a thin layer of suture and a short haircut with fringe. This is one of the easiest Messi haircuts to style, so if you are looking for simple, low-maintenance hairstyles, go for this one.

 Blonde Quiff

Lionel Messi may not be rocking this cool hair color anymore, but it is still one of the best haircuts we've seen from him over the years. Messi normally sports his natural hair color, a dark chocolate brown on the field, but by the looks of this photo, the platinum tips gave him all sorts of good luck.

Taper Haircut

Messi doesn't go anywhere without his taper fade anymore. As he's gotten older, Messi has cleaned up his look with this sharp, classic haircut. His reddish beard blends into his taper fade, making even the manliest of facial hair appear more put-together.

Blonde Taper Haircut

Who says guys can't dye their hair? This may be our favorite Lionel Messi hairstyle. Messi is showing off all colors of the rainbow here, with white tips, brown roots, and a red beard. While this photo was taken a few years ago, the taper fade and beard is still one of the most popular haircuts for guys.

Mid Fade Haircut

After is platinum days, Messi went back to his natural hair color and has been wearing a version of this haircut every since. Here, he's got a mid fade and medium-length haircut with quite a bit of volume on top. Leo Messi was blessed with thick, coarse, and straight hair, meaning he can get away with not adding products to it or styling it.

Messy Bangs Haircut

This look from Leo Messi is a signature footballer haircut. You've got the short sides and long layers on top, finished off by the messy (pun-intended) curtain bangs. It's a cool haircut for athletes because it can be left un-styled and won't create distraction around the face. But, if you add a few products to the bangs, like hair wax and gel, you can get an easy, slicked-back look.

Straight Across Bangs

This longer Messi haircut is giving off serious mullet vibes, and we can't help but be thankful the footballer decided to move away from the straight-across bangs. But if you're looking for a throwback haircut, this Lionel Messi haircut will take people all the way back to 2011.

Taper Fade with Crew Cut

Messi's taper fade is a bit more prominent here than in other images, perhaps because it does not start until his temple area. We think this is the haircut Messi looks his best in, simply because it complements his face shape and bone structure the best. Pro tip: if you have a rounded face and would like to strengthen the look of your jawline, go for this haircut and beard combo. A well-shaped beard will frame the jaw and make it appear more square, while tall and tight haircuts will elongate the face and make it appear less round.

Short Sides Long Top Haircut

This is another classic Messi haircut, that's somewhere between a pompadour and a quiff. Both hairstyles require a bit more structure than Messi is working with in this image, but he could easily achieve them by styling them back, rather than leaving it spiked to the front.

Any hair type and face shape can pull off this Messi haircut because it does not require much volume or styling. If you have thin hair, it may be more difficult to achieve the spikes, but you can add some matte hair wax to thicken your strands and give them more support.

What Color Is Messi's Hair in 2019?

Have you picked out your favorite Lionel Messi hairstyle yet? Messi has a history of changing his hair color from time to time, so you may be wondering what shade of brown (or blonde) he's working with today. The latest Lionel Messi haircut we have seen resembles a his natural brown hair with a taper fade and beard.

Enough about Messi. Who's ready to check out his rival's hair?