Ferran Torres Won the Haircut World Cup, Too

I’m not alone in saying that last night’s World Cup final was boring. With so few shots on goal and Argentinian players playing kick-to-kick in the biggest match of their lives, you can’t blame me for turning my attention to the players’ hair. Specifically, as Ferran Torres speared one over the head of the keeper, I had two thoughts. One was: Jesus, finally someone remembered where the net is. And the other was, That’s a real nice haircut.Tullio Puglia - FIFA/Getty ImagesTurns out TJ Hunt, a barber at Time Shoreditch, and I were on the same page. “I was watching the match last night and when he scored the winning goal, I thought ‘His hair looks really good, actually!’” said Hunt over the phone.If I was going to award a Golden Boot in the trim department (Golden Snip? Working title, bear with me), Torres would likely be top of the pile. There’s something alluring about how it’s simultaneously both lived-in and polished in an old school way.“I describe it as a loose middle length, flow haircut with what we call a 70-30 part,” says Hunt. “Rather than being right on the side of the head like your traditional side part,” he explains, a 70-30 part “splits a third into the head. It’s a really nice trim! It’s easy to maintain.”The all-over softness is key, says Hunt. “It’s got a bit of weight to the back, but without being sort of mullet-y,” he says. “There’s no real area through the top where it’s any longer than the rest of it, so it’s not like a curtain style, say, where the fringe is longer, and it's not like a classic swept back where the hair's longer at the front to allow the flow to go back.”Hunt points out the soft edges and how it suits his hair type as key points. The fact that it works with his natural texture makes the styling easier. Hunt theorizes he probably doesn’t style it for matches—just lets it do its thing.Michael Regan - FIFA/Getty ImagesA key point for me is how the layers look wet. If you’re going to spend most of your time drenched in sweat and Gatorade, it pays to have a cut that works with the wet-look. The way Torres’ layers separate and frame his face the further he gets into the match is a chess move.Of course, all winners need runners-up. If the Golden Snip (maybe Golden Trim? Let me keep at it, I swear it’s nearly there) had a top three, it would include Torres at the top, gold medal round his neck. Second would go to England’s Djed Spence, who went for auburn-toned twists that complemented his skin tone nicely. Styled back off his face, and tied back for games, it hit that line of rugged and neat spot-on. In third place is Norway’s Julian Ryerson, who went for a pale pink buzz cut that really tickled me.A version of this story originally appeared in British GQ.