A photo attributed to Gonzalo Higuaín has gone viral in the last few hours, showing what appears to be the former striker inside a sports store in Miami, with a very full beard, a sleeveless shirt and casual clothes.
The image spread quickly because it looks so different from the figure fans remember from River, Real Madrid, Napoli, Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Some users questioned whether it was real at all, in part because no official confirmation has been offered.
That doubt has given the picture a second life online. Higuaín announced his retirement at the end of the 2022 season with Inter Miami after more than 17 years and more than 300 goals between clubs and the national team, according to the club.
The reaction also fits a pattern. In 2021, during his time at Inter Miami, his full beard and hair loss already drew comments, memes and jokes on social media, and the latest image has revived that same mix of surprise and amusement.
For Higuaín, who has been living a quieter life away from the constant attention that follows top football stars, the photo is less a comeback than a reminder of how quickly an old name can return to the center of the internet when the image attached to it seems to change overnight.