How Mbappé and Co. Found Their Barber and Then Sent Him to the Moroccans

A flawless fade, a precise trim, or perfect waves... Behind the immaculate hairstyles of the French national team in Boston stands one man. He's a somewhat unusual participant in this Thursday's World Cup quarter-final clash between France and Morocco. If "Les Bleus" look sharp on the pitch, it's partly thanks to Candido "Coco" Fernandez.

The owner of Mobar Cuts in Waltham, this American barber has become the go-to stylist for the French squad during the World Cup. His salon is conveniently located near their Boston training camp. Kylian Mbappé and his teammates chose him to keep them looking fresh throughout the summer tournament, after he first met the French captain during international matches in March. He hadn't expected a call back.

"I received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number. They asked if I was free to come cut someone's hair. When I arrived, I saw it was Kylian (Mbappé) and Ousmane (Dembélé)," Candido Fernandez recounted to BFMTV. "I tried to stay calm, but by the end of the day, I realized I had just cut the hair of the biggest players in the world."

What's more, in recent weeks, "Coco" Fernandez has been a regular visitor to the French team's hotel, tending to his high-profile clients despite the stringent security measures surrounding Didier Deschamps' squad.

"I've worked with many celebrities, athletes, big stars, but I'd never seen this level of security," the barber shared. He then revealed what Mbappé, Dembélé, and Désiré Doué typically request: "What they most often ask me is not to push the hairline back too far. Especially not to push it back."

Evidently, word-of-mouth advertising worked wonders, thanks to a luxurious sales representative in Kylian Mbappé: "Mbappé told Hakimi I was a good barber, so we went to their hotel to take care of the Moroccan players."

The French squad, it seems, has forgiven him for this "betrayal" and the fact that several Moroccan players, such as Chadi Riad, Bilal El Khannouss, and Achraf Hakimi, passed through his expert hands, or those of his associates, in June.

Called upon again to groom both the French and the "Atlas Lions" before Thursday's quarter-final (11:00 PM Bulgarian time), Candido Fernandez refrained from making a prediction.

However, despite having clients from both national teams, the barber proudly displays a cape in his salon inspired by the French jersey. Attention to detail, right down to the last strand of hair.