Pedro Neto took to the pitch with a hole in the heel of his boot during Spain-Portugal at the 2026 World Cup. It was not a manufacturing oversight or a last-minute tear: the Portuguese player had modified the footwear on purpose.
The reason has a name: Haglund syndrome, a bony deformity at the back of the heel that causes the rigid heel counter of any shoe to rub against the bone and hurt with every step. In the middle of the match, after a collision with Marc Cucurella on the wing, the boot finally split open completely and Neto showed it to referee Anthony Taylor to appeal for the foul.
It is not the only case. Philippe Coutinho resorted to the same trick for the same reason. And although it may sound like an injury exclusive to millionaire footballers, that heel pain can be felt by anyone who wears tight shoes for hours.