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World Cup fades and comb-overs cause a buzz at Calgary barbershops

The beautiful game's biggest show is in full bloom but it's not just the football that has fans talking during the World Cup.

The matches are also an opportunity for the sport's biggest stars to show off their latest haircuts and those trendsetting 'dos are often as hotly debated as the stars who sport them.

Need proof? Check out the backlash to the haircut that Brazilian star Neymar opened the World Cup with. The bleach-blond lid was so widely panned on social media that the forward changed his hair mid-tournament.

Luigi Ruffolo isn't a fan of Neymar's hair debut at this World Cup. The Calgarian says his cut is modelled after the hair of Spanish star Sergio Ramos, who, he says, "always has the freshest cut."

Luke Mcloughlin, who cut Ruffolo's Ramos-inspired hair, says he likes the Brazilian striker's noodle look. He adds that it is much different than the "Ramos," which he describes as a "high, tight skin fade but with a line going through it."

Of course, not all barbers see eye to eye when it comes to Neymar.

Barber Omar Salem agrees the Neymar haircut was a big mistake, describing it as an "Ichiban noodles" look. Salem, who cuts hair at London Barbers in Calgary, says the most common cut asked for during this World Cup is one patterned after Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

"I just had a guy in his mid-30s asking for a zero fade comb over like Cristiano Ronaldo," Salem said.

But even the most conservative football fan can find their muse, according to Khaled Kabalan, the owner of Kensington Barbers in Calgary.

Kabalan says that Ronaldo has the most "classic" hair but adds that Argentinean star Lionel Messi is a good option for fans who want to play it a bit safe.

While most football stars have full heads of hair, even fans who don't can find inspiration on the pitch.

Nur Ahmed is patterning his haircut after Brazilian footballer Lucas Moura*, who he says also has a slightly "receding" hairline.

*Lucas did not actually make the Brazilian World Cup squad: it is unclear if his hair had an impact on that decision.

The buzz of the 2018 World Cup will last another few weeks but the fashion choices the tournament sparks will likely last much longer.

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