The Hottest Footballers of All-Time
If you think David Beckham is the only fit footballer, you're seriously mistaken
Rex FeaturesAndrea Pirlo
Be still our beating hearts for Juventus' Andrea Pirlo whose distinctive bearded good looks have become a staple of the Serie A league in Italy. After Italy's unsuccessful campaign in Brazil though, Pirlo was snapped relaxing on holiday on the beaches of Ibiza and he just so happened to be shirtless for some of it. #sorrynotsorry
Rex FeaturesDavid Beckham
No fit footballer list would be complete without this man! David Beckham’s made good use of his good looks; his face is as globally recognisable as the Coca-Cola logo, and he’s modelled for the likes of H&M, Adidas and Armani, to name but a few. Becks might have retired from football but he still makes us go a bit weak at the knees, especially when he’s snapped being all DILF with little Harper.
PA PhotosMario Gomez
Half-German, half-Spanish footballer Mario Gomez could have been chiselled out of stone, his features are so sharp. And we haven’t even mentioned his hair, which looks salon-ready, even after 90 minutes of slogging it out, running around the pitch.
PA PhotosThierry Henry
Half of Europe fell for Thierry Henry, not when he was on the pitch, but when he was behind the wheel of a Renault car. Who can forget the Frenchman’s famous slogan “va-va-voom”, which was so popular it was added to the Oxford Dictionary. Since retiring from football, Thierry has become something of a humanitarian, championing UNICEF, AIDS research and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
PA PhotosFernando Torres
There’s a reason Spaniard is nicknamed “El Niño”, aka The Kid, and it’s those boyish, floppy-haired good looks. If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan, then you might want to get to know this footballer a bit better: he’s a fan of J.R.R Tolkien and has a tattoo of his name in Tengwar (Middle Earth language) on his arm. That said, you’ll have to get past his childhood sweetheart Olalla and their two children first.
PA PhotosJamie Redknapp
Circa 1995, Jamie Redknapp was in prime heartthrob mode. This was a footballer who won the gene pool lottery; his elder brother is a model (well, obvs.) and he’s the cousin of fellow fit footballer Frank Lampard. No wonder he managed to hook himself a member of Eternal, and forge a media punditry career after his retirement.
PA PhotosCristiano Ronaldo
People either love or hate Cristiano Ronaldo – and not just because he’s known for having (how should we put it) a slightly confident manner. If you like your men with a tanned six-pack, a cheeky grin, a bulging bank account and their own fashion boutique (Cristiano’s is called CR7 after his shirt number), then this Portuguese superstar is your man.
PA PhotosGerard Pique
These cheek bones and that fulsome pout belong to Mr Shakira himself, Gerard Pique. While this gorgeous specimen of a man is well and truly off the market, he’s a prolific tweeter so you gaze at his fine features in Twitpic form, or hang on his every word (if you know Spanish), by joining his 6m+ followers on Twitter.
PA PhotosFreddie Ljungberg
More Greek God than Swedish winger; in 2003, Freddie Ljungberg modelled Calvin Klein underwear in a campaign that became one of the label’s most successful ever. His good looks came at a cost; apparently women would frequently come up to him in nightclubs to check out his famous assets.
PA PhotosRobin van Persie
Dutchman Robin van Persie hit the jackpot when they were dishing out great bone structure, but he’s more than just a pretty face. Estimated to have earned $75m between 2012 and 2013, much of the sportsman’s income comes from outside football, as Van Persie has stock investments, a substantial amount of property, several burger restaurants, a top-selling perfume (hilariously called With Love From Robin) and his own brand of vodka.
PA PhotosLee Sharpe
Lee Sharpe was one of the original 1990s football poster boys known as the “Spice Boys”, famous for his interesting (and ever-changing) hairstyles. As you might expect, he was a bit of a ladies man as well, romancing both Jayne Middlemass and Abi Titmuss when he appeared on reality TV show Celebrity Love Island.
PA PhotosGeorge Best
The original celebrity footballer, George Best had charisma and exuberance in droves. Known for his flowing locks, cute dimples, but mostly his party-loving ways, George famously said: "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". The footballer’s extravagant lifestyle eventually caught up on him in 2005, when he died following a liver transplant.
PA PhotosDavid Ginola
A footballer with oodles of French flair, David Ginola charmed Brits when he moved to Newcastle United in 1995. He was an ad man’s dream and fronted campaigns for Braun, Morgan, L’Oreal and Renault, as well as walking the catwalk for Cerruti. But David’s talents extend past football and model good looks; he’s a dab-hand at knocking up a tipple and has won wine-making prizes for his vineyard in Provence.
PA PhotosRyan Bertrand
Touted as the new Ashley Cole, Ryan Bertrand’s already making an impact at Chelsea, despite being just 24. He made a pleasing addition to the London 2012 Olympic side and is a handsome face to keep an eye on for the future.
PA PhotosGary Lineker
Many a-female supporter noticed that Gary Lineker, as well as having obvious ball skills, also had a very fine set of legs. Sadly, nowadays they usually remain covered when he’s presenting Match of the Day; at least we can ogle his still-fine physique through his colourful range of shirts.
PA PhotosFrank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard has fiancée Christine Bleakley to thank for upping his glamour quotient of late – but this Chelsea footballer has always loved the party circuit. His endorsements with Adidas and Pepsi have only added to his appeal, as has the fact that he was named the Premier League’s Player of the Decade in 2009.
PA PhotosDavid James
Like your footballers to be able to enthuse about literature and art, as well as having a killer right hand boot and a handsome visage? Then David James is your man. This former England goalkeeper has modelled for Giorgio Armani and H&M, illustrated a number of children’s books and writes a regular column for The Observer newspaper. He also does charity in Malawi to help raise AIDs awareness. Fallen in love yet?
PA PhotosAitor Ocio
This retired Spanish footballer might not be on your radar – but he really should be. Great hair, a lovely smile and piercing Mediterranean eyes. And the best thing? From what we can tell, the 36-year-old is currently single.
PA PhotosYoann Gourcuff
If dark, sultry looks are more your fancy, learn Yoann Gourcuff’s name and learn it quickly. The Frenchman is a natural athlete, who’s been championed as one of the best of his generation.
PA PhotosDion Dublin
Dion Dublin, brilliant defender, beautiful human being and accomplished percussionist. All are true about the retired England player, who is surely the only footballer crediting with creating his own instrument, The Dube, and playing with Ocean Colour Scene. Alex Ferguson has claimed that he has a “magnificent package” but we couldn’t possibly comment.
PA PhotosOlivier Giroud
Known for his power and physical strength, 6ft 4in Olivier Giroud gives us butterflies just watching him. No wonder he’s collected more than his fair share of admirers in his native France and in Britain, but this Arsenal player only has eyes for wife Jennifer, who is undeniably beautiful.
PA PhotosRicardo Kaka
Kaka’s smouldering Brazilian looks led to two of Italy’s biggest fashion houses, fighting over his face in 2007. Due to a previous modelling contract with Armani, Kaka was unable to star with the rest of his Milan teammates in a Dolce & Gabbana shoot. Endearingly though, this is a player who has never sought the limelight; he married his childhood sweetheart Caroline Celico and says his favourite book is the Bible.
PA PhotosMichael Ballack
Michael Ballack (or The Locomotive as he’s also known) wears the No13 shirt but this is a German who always has luck on his side. He’s one of his country’s top goal scorers of all time and has a sexy, steely glare that can terrify his opponents.
PA PhotosJoe Hart
This England and Manchester City goal keeper is 6ft 5in of pure beefcake. And that’s before we even get started on his blonde locks, which have attracted attention from many quarters, including the people behind Head & Shoulders shampoo.
PA PhotosFrancesco Totti
Francesco Totti and his former showgirl wife Ilary Blasi are often referred to as the “Italian Beckhams”. Like their namesakes, the couple have developed themselves as a brand, with Francesco running his own motorcycle racing team and fronting several magazine covers with his photogenic features.
PA PhotosPablo Osvaldo
Argentine-born, Italian striker Pablo ‘Dani’ Osvaldo is the brooding type, with as many internal demons as goals to his name. “There are days when I feel sad, I would like to be another person, get lost in the world,” he once said. Pablo’s currently playing for Southampton so if you think you can handle his rock stars ways, at least he’s not far away.
PA PhotosXabi Alonso
Sorry ladies, Xabi Alonso is a dedicated family man, even ignoring criticism and missing a Champions League tie to be with his wife while she gave birth. Another Real Madrid alum, Xabi is rumoured to be worth a cool £16m.
PA PhotosMikel Arteta
You’ll have to get past his wife, former Miss Spain Lorena Bernal, if you want anything to do with this saucy Spanish hotshot. Or you could just content yourself with following his musings on the beautiful game on Twitter.
PA PhotosMarco Borriello
Marco Borriello’s exquisite sense of style and his ability to catch the eye of the ladies, have led many to describe him as a footballing dandy. In his time at the top, the sportsman has romanced a number of Italian actresses, including Brazilian model Camila Morais.
PA PhotosIker Casillas
We seriously suspect that the Real Madrid footballing scouts might well be looking for something other than good footballers because this team seems to have a disproportionately high number of hot players. Here’s another… goalie Iker Casillas. Fit, no?
PA PhotosRyan Giggs
Gorgeous Welshman Ryan Giggs has always proved a hit with the ladies - but the less said about that the better!
Rex FeaturesAdam Lallana
Southampton midfielder and England team member, Adam Lallana is highly regarded for his footballing prowess, not to mention his boyish good looks. Who are we to argue with that?
PACesc Fabregas
Francesc 'Cesc' Fàbregas plays for Spain and Chelsea and, let's be honest, with his rugged good looks and tattoos is the perfect sporting specimen.
PAChris Smalling
When he's not strutting his beefcake stuff for the national team, Chris Smalling plays centre back for Manchester United. With his brooding good looks and honed physique, he's a credit to the English team!
GettyManuel Neuer
Manuel Neuer is another easy-on-the-eye German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bayern Munich, as well as his national team. According to Wikipedia, Manual is known for "his reflexes, excellent shot stopping abilities and distribution of the ball." He's also one smart cookie, scooping half a million euros on the German version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire for charity.
Rex FeaturesMats Hummels
At 6ft 4, Mats Hummels is one towering German man hunk. When he's not playing for Borussia Dortmund, Mats can be found hanging out with his girlfriend Cathy Fischer. We're not bitter.
