Pedro Neto Goes Viral Playing With Cut Off Heels: Why Footballers Do It During Games

More than Portugal’s last 16 World Cup defeat to Spain, it was an image that shocked and stunned fans across the stadium and the internet. Pedro Neto was seen with a modified boot. The winger had a large section cut out of the back of his expensive boot, with his sock protruding over the heel. While it can be assumed that this is a healthy prank or just a pair of used shoes, it has brought attention to a little-known problem that affects several professional football players.The image may have gone viral now, but players have featured cut-off heels throughout time. Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Mats Hummels and Daniele De Rossi all wore similar boots. Football players have modified their football boots to reduce the friction between the boot and the heel. In a sport where football boots are fitted to the millimeter and every sprint requires a sudden change of direction, heel discomfort can throw off the whole game of a player and his team.It all goes to the heels. Everyone has a different size and some have a “bigger heel” than others. In footwear, this can cause various types of discomfort such as chafing and blisters, soreness and chronic conditions such as bone deformities. Among the most cited explanations for heel discomfort during the 2026 FIFA World Cup is Haglund syndrome.

Haglund syndrome

This condition is a bony growth or protrusion on the back of the heel bone that can rub against the Achilles tendon, causing pain and inflammation.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, this condition is a bony growth or protrusion on the back of the heel bone that can rub against the Achilles tendon, causing pain and inflammation. Technically it is a “deformity”, the symptoms associated with it, such as insertion tendinopathy and discomfort when wearing closed toe shoes, make it a condition or syndrome. The condition, also called “pump bump”, is named after Patrick Haglund, a Swedish surgeon who described it in 1927.According to Bartholomew Hudson-Gill, a physiotherapist who has worked with elite footballers at the FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, the condition develops through a combination of the shape of the heel bone, thickening of the Achilles tendon and inflammation of the surrounding bursa. “The exchange is basically like a shock absorber,” he told The Athletic. “The tendon gets stronger, the bursa gets irritated, and then the irritated bone starts.” “The more they burden her, the more it hurts.” This pain means there are changes in the bone, which means it hurts even more.’Treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms or pain. The first option is shoe modification. It is recommended to wear cushioned shoes and avoid tight ones, and the second is to use protective heels. Since soccer cleats are a must by regulation, they cannot be replaced, but they can be modified.According to Michael Robson, a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist at LDN Physio, people can have the syndrome without experiencing any symptoms. “It really becomes a painful syndrome when the enlarged bone repeatedly irritates the soft tissue around it,” he told the paper.

Football boot

The best way to deal with fitness, at least in football, is to make room for the heel to go somewhere, at the back.

There is no one-size-fits-all boot in professional football. Although the models used at the World Cup are the same as those available on the market, players often modify them to fit the shape of their feet or alleviate specific discomfort.The look gained attention after player Pedro Neto wore two pairs of boots with the heel cut off. The football boot he had on the cut heel was the Nike Mercurial Vapor 16 Elite. While Neto has not publicly explained why his boot was modified, the explanation could be Haglund syndrome or just a blister.If the player is managing the syndrome, then opening the back of the shoe can reduce pressure on the heel. Otherwise, firm heels can push directly into the irritated area and cause pain. Other ways to manage this condition are physical therapy, shock wave therapy, injection therapy, and activity changes. “They’re not going to stop playing because of a little pain in the back of their heel,” Hudson-Gill said. “Maybe they will be needed for a cup final or World Cup qualification.”Even a century later, the best way to deal with fitness, at least in football, is to make room for the heel to go somewhere, at the back.