Jayèma’s experience of this World Cup has been unlike anyone else’s. Who else, as a London-based hair stylist, has worked with footballers from England, Brazil, the United States and Canada, spent time with Lamine Yamal and his family, and only recently discovered who Lionel Messi is?
Who else, besides Jayèma, attended her first men’s football match and left early during a chaotic clash between Mexico and England at the Azteca because the atmosphere was too “rowdy”? Who else has helped so many footballers feel confident about their hair and themselves, all while being the hardest-working stylist and male grooming expert in elite sport?
“I’m exhausted,” she says the morning after returning to Los Angeles from Mexico City. “All those early starts, late finishes and missed flights.” She might soon be heading to Kansas City or Miami if Marcus Rashford or Noni Madueke “call me to freshen up their hair” before England face Norway in their World Cup quarter-final on Saturday. “I’m permanently tired but my work ethic is unmatched. I’m always ready.”
Jayèma smiles in the Californian sun when I ask if she enjoyed her fleeting break from work after accepting a ticket to last Sunday’s epic game. “It was fine but I didn’t stay until the end. It was overwhelming. Someone was literally yelling in my ear and drinks were being hurled everywhere. The Mexican fans were rowdy. I heard the [England] lads got a hostile welcome when they arrived. I thought: ‘God, please let them win. Show them they’re not alone.’”
After that draining match, she was perplexed. “I still can’t grasp football, like how it reduces people to tears,” she says in her London accent, eyes wide at the emotional extremes. “But I’ll be honest. Even though I’m not really into it, I felt a sense of pride when England won. I saw genuine joy.”
Did she leap up when Jude Bellingham scored twice – especially after joking with him earlier in the week? “No, but I was glad we won. It was the first ever men’s football match I’d attended.” Jayèma pauses. “Actually, I’ve been to a women’s soccer match because I work with some fantastic female footballers.”
She was taken aback by footage of Jordan Henderson breaking his wrist during the celebrations. Warm and approachable, Jayèma was shocked to learn that Henderson was part of the England squad.
“I had no idea who he was, and yet he helped me carry my bags when I arrived at the England house. He was such a gentleman and I didn’t know he was a player. I kept going to him whenever I needed assistance with the wifi. I was the sole woman there, but every one of them was so courteous.
“I didn’t even realise Jude was a player. But then we discovered my birthday is the same as Jude’s and [Eberechi] Eze’s. The three of us share the exact same birthday [29 June]. So it was mind-blowing to look them up and see they have millions of followers.”
Jayèma – whose real name is May Jika – grew up in Plaistow, east London. Her professional name fuses the first two letters of her brother’s, her mother’s and her own name, and she has been on a successful business journey since her teenage years. “I was among the first to open an Afro-Caribbean salon in Vicarage Field [shopping centre] in Barking. I was only 17, but I had the vision at 15. I’ve always been focused. Even when my peers were enjoying university life, I was working on my plan. Things are happening now and it doesn’t amaze me because of the effort I’ve invested. I’ve earned my stripes.”
Her craft was noticed by leading WNBA players, including the outstanding A’ja Wilson, who shared Jayèma’s work on social media and brought her to the Paris Olympics two years ago. Jayèma was introduced to LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. “Everyone was amazed I didn’t recognise them. They loved that I treated them like ordinary people. I did their hair, ate with them, laughed with them. They were really grounded and easy to relate to – just like the Super Bowl athletes I’ve worked with.”
Though based in London, Jayèma constantly shuttles back and forth to the United States. Her work has increasingly caught the eye of footballers, such as Raphinha, whose hair she braided once more during Brazil’s World Cup. “I think we created a signature look for him. He’s a truly lovely guy.”
Madueke and Rashford invited her to visit the England camp before their opening match against Croatia. “Noni is such a character. He’s hilarious. I adore both of them. Noni knows exactly what he wants, but Rashford was new to braiding and told me to choose what I thought suited him. I studied his face shape and aura and gave him something to boost his confidence.
“I recall that first day when I finished with them. They were about to go off for their match and I was on a flight to LA. I said a prayer for them and fell asleep. When I woke up and it was time to disembark, my phone was buzzing. Rashford had scored and I was so happy for them. He said he loved his hair and that there was a lot of attention on his look after the goal. But I didn’t understand how big the World Cup was then. I know we love football in the UK, but I didn’t realise the scale – like all the appreciation I’m receiving, with people saying: ‘Thank you for looking after our boys.’ I’m like: ‘Wow! Give me another medal!’
“I told Rashford I’m the least sporty person in the world, yet I’ve ended up in sport. Over the last year and a half I’ve been the only stylist to cover the majority of major sporting platforms. I sense that many [athletes] aren’t entirely sure what they want and they’re also wary because their main focus is performing well. But they’ve seen my work and they trust me to craft a style that can only elevate their game.”
Messi again demonstrated his greatness at this tournament, but Jayèma laughs when I mention he doesn’t have the trendiest haircut in football. “You know what? The England team told me about Messi. I don’t believe I’d ever seen his face until a few weeks ago. I told one of the women’s footballers I work with that if I saw Messi I wouldn’t recognise him. She was like ‘What!? He’s the only person I’d ask for a photo with.’ But I’d heard of [Cristiano] Ronaldo.”
Jayèma moves in football’s elite circles without recognising many major stars – while also forging a natural friendship with Lamine Yamal’s family.
“I was asked to style his mum’s hair and afterwards everyone was like: ‘Oh my God! You’re big time now. How do you know Lamine Yamal?’ I was like: ‘You mean her little son?’ That’s when I realised he’s one of the biggest footballers on the planet. I’d been in their home, sitting around with the grandma and the whole family, eating chicken and fried rice while they made things for me. I had no clue what it meant until I posted a picture and my friends went wild.”
Has she ever done his hair? “No, he keeps his natural hair. I only do it for his mum, and during the World Cup I saw them all together. Me and his mum are on good terms and Lamine’s [three-year-old] brother Keyne [who has become a viral sensation] is so sharp. He loves African dancing and I say to his mum: ‘How does he know all the songs at his age?’ She just laughs.
“They’re so humble. His mum told me the story of their struggles and how she chose his name – because Lamine and Yamal were the two men who helped them when he was tiny. I got goosebumps while they were telling the story. They’re beautiful people.”
What about Erling Haaland? “I heard of him for the first time yesterday,” Jayèma exclaims. “He’s got that long blond hair and he’s massive.”
Would it be an appealing challenge to work with Haaland’s flowing mane? “It’s a possibility because I checked out his profile and he’s had braids before.”
There’s no chance of that this week because when the Ghana squad tried to book Jayèma before playing England, she felt a duty to say no. “But [Haaland] could reach out after the World Cup since he plays in the UK, right? It might happen.”
As we consider the possibility of England reaching the World Cup final, I ask Jayèma if she knows what occurred with Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho after the Euro final against Italy at Wembley in 2021. She shakes her head, and then I describe the racist abuse the young footballers suffered after each missed a penalty in the shootout. Jayèma looks appalled.
“I don’t get it. These [racist] people want them to represent England, but how can they expect them to perform while enduring abuse? I began to see [the racism] when I started posting about the players. I was really shocked by some of the comments. Why are people so harsh on these young men who desperately want to do well? People don’t understand the sacrifices they make. They have such a strong worth ethic and are so positive.”
Jayèma smiles when I remark that the England team, with its mix of backgrounds and hairstyles, is an uplifting antidote to racism and divisive politics. “Exactly. Football is supposed to bring us together and foster unity. Through my work I just want to show that these footballers are incredible people.”
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