Germany midfielder Jamie Leweling pledged to cut his hair into the distinctive triangle fringe style made famous by Brazil's Ronaldo at the 2002 World Cup if Germany lifts the trophy this year [1, 2, 3]. Leweling sparked attention by changing his social media profile picture to an AI-generated image of himself sporting Ronaldo's iconic hairstyle [1, 2, 3]. After seeing the profile, Brazilian football legend Ronaldo sent Leweling a signed Brazil national team shirt, which a Brazilian reporter later delivered to the German player [1, 2, 3].
Leweling publicly shared the signed shirt on June 23, reiterating his commitment to the haircut if Germany wins the tournament. "You saw I changed my profile picture with this Ronaldo haircut. It was a bit of fun but it got so much attention that the real Ronaldo sent me a shirt," Leweling said [1]. He added, "Until the final there are still a few games to go but if we win the final then I will make that haircut. This is my promise to Germany" [2].
Germany secured first place in Group E after victories over Curacao and Ivory Coast, ensuring qualification for the round of 32 match in Boston [1, 2, 3]. The team will face Ecuador in their final group game on June 26 and aims to finish with three wins from three matches. Leweling noted Ecuador's quality, saying, "Ecuador have players who play at the highest level in Europe. They may not have had a good start to this World Cup. We will have solutions" [2].
Substitutes have played an important role for Germany in the early matches. Forward Deniz Undav has scored three goals and provided two assists so far [1, 2, 3]. Leweling praised the squad's spirit and the impact of substitutes, stating, "We have a very good team spirit and it seems to come across. On the bench we have fun, we talk a lot. When we come on, we are excited. It worked well for the substitutes on Saturday" [2]. Reflecting on Undav's form, Leweling added, "It's great to see Deniz up there (on the scorers' list). It is fully deserved" [1].
Germany's next test is their Group E encounter with Ecuador on June 26, where the team plans to field a strong side in pursuit of maximum points [1, 2, 3]. Leweling’s promise to adopt Ronaldo’s hairstyle remains in place as Germany continues its quest for World Cup glory.
