More than Portugal’s World Cup last-16 defeat in Spain, it was a picture that had fans in the stadium and the Internet shocked and surprised. Pedro Neto was spotted with a modified football foot. The winner had a large section cut off the back of her expensive shoes, and her sock sticking out of the heel. Although one might think it’s a healthy prank or used shoes, it shed light on a not-so-well-known story that involves several football professionals.The image may be viral now, but players have always been showing off their cut heels. Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Mats Hummels and Daniele De Rossi have all worn the same expensive boots. Football players have changed their cleats to reduce friction between the boot and the heel. In sports where cleats are placed to the millimeter, and every run requires a sudden change in direction, discomfort in the heel can affect the entire game of the player and their team.It all comes from the heels. Everyone has their own size and some have a “bigger heel” than others. These shoes can cause a variety of problems, such as blisters, pain and chronic diseases such as osteoporosis. Among the reported explanations for heel discomfort at the FIFA World Cup 2026 is Haglund’s syndrome.
Haglund’s syndrome
This disease is a bone growth or prominence at the back of the heel bone that can rub the Achilles tendon and cause pain and swelling.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, this disease is a bone growth or prominence at the back of the heel bone that can fight the Achilles tendon and cause pain and inflammation. Technically “crippling”, the symptoms associated with it, such as insertional tendinopathy and discomfort when wearing closed shoes, make it a condition or disease. This disease, also called ‘pump bump’, was named after Patrick Haglund, a Swedish surgeon who described it in 1927.According to Bartholomew Hudson-Gill, a physiotherapist who has worked with top footballers at the FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, the problem is caused by a combination of the heel bone, thickening of the Achilles tendon and inflammation of the surrounding bursa. “That bursa, really, is like a puzzle,” he told The Athletic. “The tendon gets stretched, the bursa gets irritated, then the bone gets irritated. “They carry a lot, they hurt a lot. This pain means that there is a change in the bone, which means that it hurts a lot.”Treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms or pain. The first step is to change the shoes. It is best to wear protective shoes and avoid tight ones and the second is to use heel protectors. Since the game of football is required by the rules, it cannot be changed, but it can be changed.According to Michael Robson, a musculoskeletal specialist at LDN Physio, people can have the condition without experiencing any symptoms. “It’s only painful when the growing bone repeatedly irritates the surrounding soft tissue,” he said.
A football shoe
The best way to solve this problem, especially in football, is to make room for the heel to go somewhere, behind.
In professional football, there is no one-size-fits-all shoe. Although the models used in the World Cup are the same as those available on the market, players often modify them to fit the shape of their feet or to reduce other problems.The sight became popular after player Pedro Neto wore a pair of cut-out heels. The soccer cleat he was wearing with a cut-out heel was the Nike Mercurial Vapor 16 Elite. Although Neto has not publicly explained why his boot was changed, Haglund syndrome or a blister may be the explanation.If a player is managing an infection, then opening the back of the boot can reduce pressure on the heel. Otherwise, tight heel counters can press directly on the offending area and cause pain. Other ways to deal with this problem are physiotherapy, shockwave therapy, injections and changes in behavior. “He’s not going to stop playing because of a little pain in the back of the heel,” Hudson-Gill said. “They may need to finish the cup or join the World Cup.”Even after a hundred years, the best way to solve this problem, at least in football, is to make room for the heel to go somewhere, behind.
