Why do World Cup Footballers Cut Their Boots at the Back?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has seen several interesting events and moments taking place before, during and after the matches. However, one recent incident during the Portugal vs Spain clash has set social media discussion forums ablaze. A zoom-in of Portugal winger Pedro Neto's foot showed his football boots having a weird opening towards the heel.

The picture from the 2026 FIFA World Cup has intrigued many football fans who jumped on social media to check out the reasons why Neto might have made alterations to his footwear. The idea has spawned the question of ‘Why do footballers cut their boots?’ and it is something of an interesting phenomena witnessed among modern players.

Why Do Footballers Cut Their Boots?

The footballers are making the holes in the shoes as a way to take off the load of the annoying ‘Haglund’s heel’. Nicknamed by certain doctors as the ‘pump bump’, the phenomenon can happen to athletes when the heel bone forms a bit of a bony bump on the back.

The deformity can occur in an athlete who is facing the constant pressure of a stiff shoe heel being against the bump and triggering painful inflammation of the Achilles and the bursa. Footballers especially can be victims to this condition because of their intense sport and have to resort to techniques to get over that pain.

The inability for football boot manufacturers to cater to footballers' health demands does raise some serious questions. While the changes made by the footballers cut their boots are a temporary fix, it might be something which might spawn better equipments for all of our favorite athletes on the field in the coming years.