Neymar practice
Dani Alves and Neymar share a laugh during practice. Reuters

Athletes dying or shaving their heads before or during a big tournament is nothing new among teammates. Usually it is done as a sign of solidarity, or as a way to reverse their team's fortunes.

But in the 2014 World Cup, Brazil seems to have done something different. In a Group A match on Tuesday against Mexico in Fortaleza, young star Neymar has colored his hair blonde, while teammate Dani Alves has colored his hair silver. There didn't seem to be an impetus for such a style change -- just two guys looking to mix things up.

Neymar and Alves, who both play for Spanish titans Barcelona, sported their new style at the Brazil training session Sunday, but they introduced to the world when they stepped on the field against Mexico.

The sides of Neymar's head are shaved with the front dyed blonde. It's not the first time that the 22-year-old has gone with a flashy style. He has kept the same style for several months, but previously had a mohawk among other styles.

Alves previously had a fully blonde haircut with Barca, but this time the defender went with a short and silver style.

Both Neymar and Alves have some work to do if they want to catch up to David Beckham. The former England star went through a wide variety of hairstyles over his long career.

Mexico