Cristiano Ronaldo has entered his newlywed era with a noticeably different look. The 41-year-old Al-Nassr star was photographed in Paris on Monday, August 24, sporting freshly lightened blonde-copper hair, a dramatic departure from the dark brown shade that has defined much of his career.
Ronaldo was seen making his way through Paris while dressed almost entirely in black, allowing his new hair color to do most of the talking. His short crop appeared warm blonde with distinctly copper undertones, particularly noticeable in daylight.
© Backgrid UK/The Grosby GroupThe footballer also stopped to greet supporters and sign autographs before continuing his journey, giving fans a closer look at the transformation.
The change comes less than two weeks after Ronaldo married his longtime partner, Georgina Rodríguez, making the timing of his makeover particularly notable. The couple wed in a private civil ceremony in Cascais, Portugal, on August 11.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s blonde-copper hair marks a newlywed transformation
Ronaldo has experimented with his hair plenty of times during his decades in the spotlight, from slicked-back styles and shaved sides to curls and closely cropped cuts. Color, however, has generally remained more consistent.
For his wedding, Ronaldo kept his natural darker hair, pairing the classic look with a light beige Gucci suit. Rodríguez also chose Gucci, wearing a white silk skirt suit for their intimate ceremony.
© Future Publishing via Getty ImagRonaldo appears to have changed his hair almost immediately after getting married. Sky Sport reported on August 14 that he had returned to Al-Nassr training with an extremely short cut and a color that appeared almost red.
By August 15, the transformation was even more apparent when Ronaldo attended a soccer match in Riyadh with Rodríguez and their family. His hair had been lightened to a brassy blonde shade.
© AFP via Getty ImagesIn natural light, it reads less like a traditional platinum or golden blonde and more like a blonde-copper hybrid, with warm reddish tones running through the closely cropped style.
© Getty ImagesCristiano Ronaldo brings his new hair to Paris
Ronaldo's Paris appearance came during an eventful few days away from Saudi Arabia. On August 23, he attended the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup at the Grand Palais in Paris. The event brought together a high-profile guest list that included Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The following day, Ronaldo kept the styling simple for his outing in Paris. He wore a black Gucci T-shirt beneath a black zip-front jacket with matching trousers. Sunglasses were initially hooked onto his shirt before he was later photographed wearing them.
© Backgrid UK/The Grosby GroupAgainst the monochromatic outfit, his newly lightened hair became the most noticeable part of the look.
© Backgrid UK/The Grosby Group
© Backgrid UK/The Grosby GroupThe makeover comes after Cristiano Ronaldo’s 977th career goal
The hair transformation is arriving at another significant point in Ronaldo's career.
Just before traveling to Paris, the Portuguese forward scored his 977th career goal as Al-Nassr defeated Al-Riyadh 4-0 in Saudi Pro League action on August 21. ESPN reported that the goal also meant Ronaldo has now scored across 25 consecutive professional seasons.
© AFP via Getty ImagesReuters similarly reported that Ronaldo scored his first goal of the season as Al-Nassr maintained its perfect start with the 4-0 victory.
Ronaldo came off the bench and scored late in the match, adding another milestone to a career increasingly focused on the march toward 1,000 goals.
So while the blonde-copper hair is new, his ability to turn up in front of goal certainly isn't.
