FIFA IS RIGHT...for once: THE CUT SOCK TREND MUST END – RESPECT THE GAME

Football is a game of tradition, elegance, and respect. It has always been about more than just tactics and skill—it’s about how the game is played, how players present themselves, and how they uphold the legacy of those who came before them.

That’s why we at TENLEGEND® stand with FIFA’s decision to ban the cutting of socks.

In recent years, we’ve watched footballers take scissors to their socks as if they were customizing a pair of jeans. At first, it seemed harmless—a trend, a quirk of the modern player. But it has now spiraled into an unnecessary and unsightly distraction, one that disrespects the traditions of the game and makes a mockery of football’s elegance.

Would Pelé have needed to cut his socks to dominate in 1958?
Did Maradona slice through his kit before slaloming through England in 1986?
Did Platini, Zidane, or Baggio need grip socks to control a game with their sheer genius?

Would Bergkamp, Henry, or Batistuta have even thought about cutting holes in their kit before delivering world-class performances?Did Riquelme, Iniesta, or Xavi need to “optimize” their socks before orchestrating the game with intelligence and finesse?

No, of course not.

The legends of football didn’t need gimmicks. They didn’t take shortcuts. They played the game as it was meant to be played—with respect for the craft and for the uniform they wore. It’s time for today’s players to do the same.

THE PROBLEM WITH CUT SOCKS: WHY FIFA HAD TO STEP IN

1. It’s an Aesthetic Disaster

Football has always been about style—on and off the pitch. From the way a player carries himself to the pristine white kits of Real Madrid to the deep red of Milan or the royal blue of France, football’s beauty is in its presentation.

But in recent years, we’ve seen players running around with hacked-up socks, holes scattered around their calves like a DIY fashion experiment gone wrong. It’s a sloppy, amateurish look, and it takes away from the elegance that should define football.

If football is the sport of gentlemen, then its players should dress like gentlemen—not like teenagers cutting up their clothes in rebellion.

2. A Disrespect to Football’s Greatest Traditions

When you pull on a football shirt, socks, and boots, you are stepping into a tradition that spans over a century. Every great player before you has worn that kit with pride, discipline, and respect.

Maldini never disrespected Milan’s kit like that. These players understood that the kit is sacred. It represents your team, your country, and the game itself.

By cutting socks, players today are signaling that they think they know better than those who built football’s legacy. It’s an insult to the sport’s history, and FIFA is right to put an end to it.

3. The Excuse of “Performance” is Nonsense

One of the main arguments for cutting socks is that they reduce compression on the calf, allowing for better circulation and less fatigue.

That’s laughable.

Football has been played at the highest level for over 100 years. We’ve seen players run longer, harder, and faster than ever before without needing to butcher their socks.

• Platini bossed midfields for over a decade without cutting his socks.
• Zidane played the most elegant football the world has ever seen—no hacks to his kit necessary.
• Luka Modrić, in his late 30s, is still controlling games at the top level without ever taking scissors to his socks.
• Baggio, Del Piero, Bergkamp—players who floated on the pitch, who made the game look effortless—never needed cut socks to feel “comfortable.”

And now, suddenly, modern players claim they “can’t perform” without it? Please.

If anything, it’s an excuse—another way of creating a trend that makes the player feel special rather than actually improving performance. Football is about grit, technique, and intelligence—not about making sure your socks have just the right number of holes in them.

4. It’s a Slippery Slope

Let’s be honest—if FIFA didn’t step in, where would this end?

• First, it’s cut socks.
• Next, players are removing sleeves from shirts for "comfort."
• Then, we’ll see shorts customized with slits up the sides because they’re “restrictive.”
• Eventually, we’ll have players showing up looking like they designed their own kit the night before.

Football is not streetwear. There are rules and standards for a reason. FIFA had to draw the line, and they’ve done so in exactly the right place.

A CALL FOR DISCIPLINE AND RESPECT

Football is a game of elegance, intelligence, and respect. It is not a game for gimmicks.

At TENLEGEND®, we celebrate the legacy of football’s greatest players—not just their skill, but their class. The way they carried themselves. The way they presented the game with dignity.

It’s time for today’s players to act like professionals again.

Want to be a legend? Play the game the way it was meant to be played. Respect the uniform. Respect the history. Respect the sport.

FIFA’s decision is not about restricting players—it’s about restoring the dignity of football.

If the greatest players of all time never needed cut socks, neither do today’s players.

The time for nonsense is over.

It’s time to respect football.

Be a TENLEGEND®.