The former Chelsea striker caught the attention of social media with his new look after he was spotted by a Miami fan. Unrecognizable from his time at Stamford Bridge, the player was one of the greatest strikers of his generation. He made 710 appearances for club and country, scoring 335 goals and winning six league titles before retiring in 2022.
The prolific forward spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Chelsea, but failed to set the world on fire, scoring just five goals in 18 games. However, although he was a member of the team that won the Europa League, he did not come on as a substitute in the final. He joined Inter Miami, where he saw out the rest of his career before retiring.
The player in question is, of course, Gonzalo Higuain. He was recently spotted by a fan in Miami with a completely different look, with messy bald hair and a long, bushy beard.
@marcosmondria10 posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) with a pretty brutal caption. “It’s not AI. A friend’s brother ran into this guy yesterday. A guy who was beaten and washed up. I support him anyway.”
The photo has since gone viral, prompting comments of shock and concern from football fans across social media.
It is unclear what Higuain has been doing since retiring from football, but it appears he is still based in Miami, where he ended his career.
When the iconic striker announced the end of his career four years ago, he tearfully said: “After the most incredible career I could have had, I feel that football has given me so much.
“Thank you to those who have always believed in me… It’s time to say goodbye. My biggest motivation is to help my teammates.
“I think the best gift I can give my teammates is to be able to retire as champions with them, because they’ve been there with me, they’ve been there for me this year when I’ve been down, and they’ve helped me through this path.
“It’s not just for the players, it’s for the physio, the staff, my brother, my family, this is for all of them. I want to retire here as a champion. I think I deserve it and it would be a very special dream.”
“We know we have two more games left and I really hope the fans can come and fill the stadium, because that’s very important for us. Then in the playoffs, it’ll be different. My dream is to retire as champions with all my teammates.”
Unfortunately for Higuain, he never got the chance to retire as MLS champion, as Inter Miami lost to New York City in the first round of the playoffs.
