Mr Mohamed Salah might lay claim to being the most loved footballer in recent memory. The affable 28-year-old Egyptian forward was already one of Liverpool FC’s brightest stars even before helping win the 2019-20 English Premier League, and has legions of fans all around the world.
Part of Salah’s fame stems from his humble, hard-working nature. Unlike many flashy pro footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar Jr., Salah doesn’t like to splash his cash or court headlines with his fashion choices: rather than changing his look every few weeks, he keeps things restrained and he lets his prodigious skills do all the talking for him.
All that has left his 39.6 million Instagram followers particularly (and pleasantly) surprised with his latest post, which shows off a new haircut and outfit that makes him look (almost) decades younger.
Salah’s swapped his normally frizzy ‘fro for a closer, crisper trim. He’s also wearing a t-shirt from Louis Vuitton creative director Virgil Abloh’s luxury fashion label Off-White – an out-of-character flex for the Liverpool superstar.
Mo’s not an unattractive man by any means – the man has one of the most incredible rigs in the English Premier League – but this new look works wonders for him.
Indeed, his transformation is made even more notable because he so infrequently shows off luxury brands or posts photos that purely for preening purposes. Trawl through his Instagram and you’ll see plenty of uploads showing off training or his family, and admittedly the man wears an Audemars Piguet watch, but he rarely posts selfies that are so… ‘Feeling himself.’
But a man’s allowed to feel good about himself, particularly when he’s genuinely looking real good.
It goes to show how dramatic the effect even a subtle haircut can have on your appearance. A simple trim’s made the already vivacious Salah look even more youthful, its tapering effect making him look taller and brighter. It’s why spending a bit of money at the barber’s can pay dividends in the long run.
Midge Purce, United States women’s national soccer team defender, summed it up best: “baby Momo”.
Nicely played, Mo.