The world s No. 1 midfielder, why was he kicked out of the World Cup because of his long hair

Fernando Redondo in 1998 was at the peak of his career. He was the midfielder brain of Champions League champion Real Madrid and was the most elegant and smartest No. 5 player in the world at that time. Everyone believes that he will be the core of the throne that summer, Argentina in the French World Cup.

However, all this turned into a bubble because of a long hair. The showdown between the artist and the general

The then Argentine coach was legendary defender Daniel Passarella. In contrast to the artist Redondo's style, Passarella is a general who believes in iron discipline. In order to create the fighting spirit of the team, he promulgated an iron rule: all members selected for the national team must cut their hair short and shave. The collision of the principle of

Redondo chose to refuse.

He insisted that long hair was part of his personal identity and had nothing to do with his performance on the court. It's no longer about hairstyles, it's about the collision of principles. Passarella is unwilling to make an exception for anyone, and Redondo is unwilling to sacrifice himself to please the coach.

As a result, the best midfielder in Argentina at the time was excluded from the 1998 French World Cup roster.

An eternal question mark

In that World Cup, Argentina was eliminated by Borgkamp's century goal in the quarter-finals. Many experts are still regretting: if Redondo was present at the time, sorting out the midfield and controlling the rhythm, would that goal be lost still happen?

Redondo never regretted his decision. In his heart, maintaining freedom of personal identity is as important as any title. He later continued to achieve brilliant achievements at Real Madrid, won another Champions League, and won the Best Player of the Tournament.

But the story of 1998 is still a stain on his glorious career and has become one of the most ridiculous unsolved cases in the history of the World Cup: a genius, at his peak, missed the most important stage just because of his long hair.