In a vibrant display of national pride, football fever has literally gone to the heads of fans in Resende, Brazil, where barber Washington Santos is crafting intricate haircuts featuring the country’s iconic flag.
The 27-year-old’s unique “Hexa Cut” is a striking tribute to Brazil’s quest for a record-extending sixth World Cup title.
The patriotic style has become a sensation among local supporters, eager to showcase their unwavering confidence in the national team’s campaign.
First introduced during the 2022 World Cup, when videos of his work quickly went viral online, Santos has revived the design for this year’s tournament. He has already adorned the hair of around 30 customers, predominantly children and teenagers, with the distinctive green, yellow, blue, and white flag.
“I wanted to create something different,” Santos explained.
The meticulous process begins with a standard haircut, followed by bleaching the hair to a pristine white. Using homemade stencils, he then carefully outlines the flag before painting the blue circle, yellow diamond, and green background, finishing the finer details by hand.
Santos, who embarked on his barbering career over a decade ago after a friend encouraged him to take a local course, now sees approximately five customers a week requesting the special design. Demand, unsurprisingly, surges in the run-up to Brazil’s matches.
Beyond the national colours, Santos has expanded his artistic repertoire to include flags of other nations, intricate spider webs, and various football club colours. For fans like 27-year-old Gleizyane de Souza, who visited the barber this week, the haircut is more than just a style; it is a contribution to the national effort.
“We’re doing our part,” she remarked. “Now it’s up to the players to do theirs.”
Brazil dug deep to beat Japan 2-1 in their last-32 clash on Monday after falling behind in the first half. Gabriel Martinelli scored a stoppage-time winner for Carlo Ancelotti’s men after Casemiro had brought the South American giants level early in the second half.
Next up for Brazil will be Erling Haaland’s Norway, who saw off Ivory Coast 2-1 on Tuesday. The Manchester City striker scored a late winner and will be hoping to break Brazilian hearts when the two teams meet with a quarter-final spot on the line.
