March Madness Bracket Challenge: Best Hairstyle in Roma History, the Finals

This is it! After starting off with a field of 16 different hairstyles sported by players as far-ranging as Manuela Giugliano, Francesco Totti, Stephan El Shaarawy, and even a young Claudio Ranieri, we've reached the finals. We've waded through ponytails, mohawks, fauxhawks, luxurious, sweeping bangs, and even silver-laced braids. And the final matchup pits two completely divergent looks (long locks vs. bleached spikes) from two enormously popular players.

You can track the progression of this bracket challenge from the field of 16 to the quarterfinals to yesterday's semifinals. Needless to say, we've seen a wide range of hairstyles from the men and women of AS Roma over the past several decades. So, regardless of who your champion may be, take a moment to appreciate the level of competition faced by Francesco Totti's circa 2001 long locks and Radja Nainggolan's bleached mohawk from 2014.

Okay, onto the voting.

Francesco Totti's 2001 Scudetto-Winning Long Locks (Circa 2001)

Grid View

• Getty Images
• Photo by contrast/Ralf Pollack/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Long hairstyles for men come in and out of vogue seemingly every ten years or so, but I'm not sure any footballer perfected this look quite like Francesco Totti during the turn of the 21st century. Whether it was perfectly polished and coiffed for a post-match presser or promotional event or drenched in sweat and clinging to the collar of his kit, Francesco Totti's long, luxurious locks were the stuff of legend. He may have been strutting up and down a football pitch, but that hairline, that jaw, and that kit might as well have been etched in stone by Michelangelo—it's that timeless.

Radja Nainggolan's Bleached Mohawk (Circa 2014)

Grid View

• VI-Images via Getty Images
• Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
• Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
• Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
• Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

Radja Nainggolan's fastidiously bleached and manicured tips may not evoke the same classical look as Totti circa 2001, but where Totti's long locks spoke to class and elegance, Nainggolan's bleached mohawk was a testament to the power of precision and detail—this wasn't a hairstyle you just rolled out of bed with. To delicately balance the roots with the tips, Nainggolan's hairstyle required a meticulous eye for detail and fingers nimble enough to craft those delicate yet foreboding tips. This hairstyle was a lesson in form, function, and fashion.

If Totti is the stuff of statues and sculptures—of Michelangelo, of Rodin—then Nainggolan is the stuff of the silver screen—The Fifth Element, Mad Max. Either way, this is an incredibly difficult choice.

Get those votes in today before we unveil the winner Friday evening. Thanks for reading and thanks for voting!