Jamie Leweling, the German midfielder, has publicly committed to cutting his hair into the triangular fringe made famous by Brazil’s Ronaldo at the 2002 World Cup, on the sole condition that Germany win the 2026 title. The pledge, delivered at a press conference in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where the German squad is based, came as Leweling held up a signed Brazil national team shirt sent to him by Ronaldo himself.

The chain of events began when Germany’s coach Julian Nagelsmann assigned the No. 9 shirt to Leweling, a winger for VfB Stuttgart, a number typically reserved for central strikers. In a light-hearted response, Leweling used artificial intelligence to create an Instagram profile picture showing himself with Ronaldo’s 2002 fringe and a Brazil jersey. The image circulated widely, and Ronaldo, upon seeing it, arranged for a signed Brazil shirt with a personal dedication to be delivered. German press accounts detail that a Brazilian journalist, Bruna Dealtry, presented the shirt to Leweling in Toronto after Germany’s match against Ivory Coast. Leweling thanked Ronaldo but, laughing, declined to don the jersey, remarking, “Germany is better than Brazil.”

Germany have already secured first place in Group E after victories over Curacao and Ivory Coast. In the 2-1 win against Ivory Coast, substitute Deniz Undav scored both goals, taking his tournament tally to three and placing him among the top scorers. Leweling, speaking to German media, highlighted the squad’s depth and spirit: “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.”

The haircut, a small triangle of hair left on the forehead, became one of the most recognisable images of the 2002 tournament as Ronaldo won the World Cup and the Golden Boot. Leweling’s promise — “if we win the final then I will make that haircut. This is my promise to Germany” — sets a personal condition on the team’s success. Germany face Ecuador on Thursday in their final group match, aiming for a third consecutive win, before a round-of-32 fixture in Boston. The team awaits its knockout opponent, with the depth that has already proved decisive likely to be tested further.