Matildas hero Hayley Raso slams haters who don’t like the way she looks on the field after scoring twice in World Cup win over Canada

Matildas hero of the hour Hayley Raso has a message for those football ‘fans’ who don’t like the trademark ribbon in her hair – get a life.

The 28-year-old was the target of a social media post in which a troll called her out for her iconic on-field look – and the recent Real Madrid signing was typically blunt.

‘Suggest you drop the ribbon. Hard t (sic) take you seriously as a professional adult football player when you wear a ribbon in your hair,’ the supposed football fan tweeted.

Raso’s response was epic: ‘Have you seen me play soccer though? Hard to take you seriously when your sentence doesn’t even make sense.’

The brilliance of Raso guided the Matildas into the round of 16 of the Women’s World Cup on Monday in Melbourne after she finished with a first-half brace.

The midfielder was unstoppable against Canada, scoring twice in the first half as the Matildas won 4-0 in Melbourne

In a post-match interview on Monday night, Raso was asked, ‘Will anyone ever question your hairstyle again after that?’

She replied with a blunt, ‘No.’ 

The 28-year-old opened the scoring with a clinical finish from the edge of the area to set the tone after just nine minutes, and then found the back of the net leading into halftime when she pounced on a loose ball following a corner from young gun Kyra Cooney-Cross.

Gold Coast product Raso made her Matildas debut in 2012, and quickly became a mainstay in the squad.

Her hairstyle saw her nicknamed ‘Ribbons’ and she has adopted the look since she was in junior football.

‘It’s something I like to wear. I’ve done it for a long time, since I was young going through the state level, it’s just my thing and I enjoy doing it,’ she said in 2017. 

Raso’s hairstyle even inspired the children’s book ‘Hayley’s Ribbon’, which was released in 2021.  

Before signing with Real Madrid, Raso played in the W-League for Canberra United as a teenager from 2011 onwards, followed by stints at Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar.

Next was the US in 2015, where Raso represented Washington Spirit and Portland Thorns (2016-2019), before moving to England and turning out for Everton (2020-2021) and Manchester City (2021-2023).

The thumping result ensured Australia topped Group B, and moved into World Cup round of 16 (Raso is pictured right, with her iconic hair ribbon)

Following her two goals versus the shell-shocked Canucks, Raso was awarded player of the match on Monday, with Tony Gustavsson’s rampant team finishing top of Group B.

It was the manner in which they totally outclassed their opposition – who happen to be the Olympic champions – that left Matildas fans elated.

And they are poised to be even more lethal if superstar striker Sam Kerr is named to play in the round of 16 clash on August 7 at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.

Kerr, 29, was on the bench against Canada, but was kept in cotton wool with the result assured.