Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has cut off his long blonde hair, and a Danish barber chain says it expects more men to ask for short cuts.
DR reported on August 24 that Matthias Johansen, operations manager and barber at Carlsens Barbershop, expects a small run of customers wanting short hair. The chain has salons in Copenhagen, Odense and Aarhus.
Johansen told DR that some men will now come in asking for short hair simply because Haaland has done it. He said the Manchester City forward is far from the first star to change how Danish men wear their hair.
Haaland presented the new look on his Instagram account with a caption about not caring for short hair. According to DR, the post drew more than 200,000 comments.
Sky Sports described the change as a fresh shaven style and noted that it replaced his trademark long, tied back hair. The outlet reported that the reveal came shortly before Manchester City opened the 2026/27 Premier League season against Bournemouth.
Complex reported that Haaland posted before and after footage on Instagram and X on August 23. Per Complex, it is the shortest style he has worn since his professional debut at Molde.
Celebrity cuts drive demand in Danish salons
Johansen told DR that customers regularly arrive with photographs of famous men when ordering a cut. He named a closely cropped David Beckham, Brad Pitt in “Fight Club” and Matthew McConaughey as recurring references.
As stated by Johansen, part of the job now involves following social media to track the latest trends. He said trends often start in the United States and reach Denmark about six months later. Once they appear on TikTok and Instagram, the effect is felt in the shops, according to Johansen.
The reaction has been framed internationally as a viral event rather than a routine style change. Us Weekly covered the buzz cut as a hair transformation and reported on fan responses. Yahoo Sports reported that the new look caused chaos online.
DR noted that Haaland gained several million new social media followers during the summer World Cup. The broadcaster described him as a cult figure for Norway’s success at the tournament. Sky Sports also linked his rapidly growing online following to the scale of the reaction.
Complex and Us Weekly both reported that Haaland tied the change to the new campaign, posting about a new season and a new trim. Both outlets said the captions appeared within a short window of each other on August 23. The style has been variously described as a buzz cut, a shaven look and a short back and sides.
