What is the Salon d'Or?

The inaugural Goal fan poll for the best hairstyle in football starts on January 5 with the winner announced on January 8

Every January, football's biggest stars do battle for the prestigious Ballon d'Or - Fifa's coveted award for the greatest player of the previous calendar year.
The 2014 vote is a straight race between Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, with Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer completing the three-man shortlist but a clear outsider.
They are being judged on goals, assists, dribbles, passes, tackles and – in Neuer's case – saves.
But many fans and pundits use another factor to judge footballers: style. And it's not just since the days of David Beckham that players have done battle in the fashion stakes.

Our sporting heroes have long been leaders in the world of haircuts, from George Best and Socrates, through Roberto Baggio and Chris Waddle, to Mario Balotelli and Marek Hamsik today.
So Goal is giving you the chance to vote for the best male footballer hairstyle of 2014. The rules are simple – he must have been active last year, he must play at the highest level of a professional league system and, most importantly, he must have great hair.
We have made things easier for you by enlisting the help of celebrity men's hair stylist Daniel Johnson, who regularly styles footballers in England, Italy and Spain – including Balotelli, Gareth Bale and a refurbished Wayne Rooney.


So who will claim the 2014 Salon d'Or? Daniel has whittled the list down to the 20 best footballer hairstyles of the year – but the rest is down to you…
Salon d'Or style consultant Daniel Johnson is an international hairstylist who specialises in footballers. You can visit his website here, follow him on Twitter and Facebook and check out his pics on Instagram.