In the current era of social media and paparazzi, snaps and style have become almost as important to football players as their performances on the pitch, Instagram profiles taking centre stage for the beautiful game's biggest stars.
To mark the unquestionable influence that fashion has in modern-day football, 90min has put together a list comprising of 30 footballers with the most outlandish yet stylish tastes in fashion.
Let the countdown commence.
30. George Best
This list wouldn't be about stylish footballers if it didn't include the late, great George Best whose lavish off-field antics led him to be arguably the first celebrity footballer.
Appearing on Top of the Pops in 1965 and opening a Manchester nightclub called Slack Alice in 1973 emphasised Best's playboy attitude when he wasn't mesmerising spectators at Old Trafford.
29. David Alaba
This shot of David Alaba at Bayern Munich's Christmas Party serves as proof of his love for fashion.
A suave, outlandish appearance runs in his family though. His sister, Rose May, is a songwriter who has had songs at number one on the Austrian iTunes Chart whilst his father works as a rapper and DJ. Quite the talented bunch these Alabas.
28. Michy Batshuayi
Batshuayi's exploits on the pitch for Chelsea over the past three years do not correlate in the slightest with his chic appearance.
Nicknamed 'Batsman', which seems rather odd as Belgium is unheard of in cricketing circles, Batshuayi probably wishes he could score for the Blues in equal measure to the number of
high-end suits he purchases on the Kings Road.
27. Memphis Depay
Depay has resurrected his career somewhat in Lyon after a disastrous couple of years in Manchester where nothing went right for him under Louis van Gaal.
The Dutchman was once engaged to American TV personality Steve Harvey's daughter Lori, who must love the look of a tattoo or two - Depay has them covering every spare skin cell.
26. Wilfried Zaha
These days, fewer footballers are repping a chequered suit better than Crystal Palace talisman Zaha.
Although he does get plenty of stick for his on-field antics, with many believing him to be a compulsive diver, few can question the sharp, swaggering collection that his wardrobe boasts.
25. Tammy Abraham
Although he has suffered a recent setback with an ankle injury, Abraham has enjoyed an enormously successful first season at Stamford Bridge when many pundits doubted if he had the ability to become Chelsea's main man.
The young striker has also got some panache to go with his clean pair of wheels. Nice Mercedes for a 22-year-old, that.
24. Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann is one dapper guy. Even if football teams were decided by a player's trendiness, the Frenchman would still be in the starting XI ten times out of ten.
He's won the FIFA World Cup and would be a strong contender to win the Football Fashionista World Cup, if it existed.
23. Presnel Kimpembe
As emphasised by this wonderful retro-chic photo from Adidas, KImpembe loves to be in the limelight.
The French defender can't resist a pose and he would be higher up the list but that moustache takes away a few brownie points. Gillette need to start sponsoring him as soon as possible.
22. Divock Origi
Remember that Carlsberg advert when they sponsored Liverpool: 'Probably the best in the world'.
Well, if it's true of Liverpool now, it's also true of their old kits as Divock Origi demonstrates here. The Belgian sure knows how to strike poses in front of a camera. Liverpool should make him lead model him in every kit launch from now on.
21. Serge Gnabry
The caption for this?
"Yeah mate I was busy scoring four at Spurs in the Champions League, so I'm just happy we could re-arrange the photoshoot. You picked a great location by the way, the outdoors make me look great in this white sweater".
20. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
The Ox has got everything right for this post. Lighting, angles, suit, bow tie. Faultless.
It's easy to see why Oxlade-Chamberlain had a reputation as one of the best dressed at Arsenal, and now at Liverpool. He's also made the shrewd move of going for a bow tie so the excruciatingly short 'footballer's tie' knot can be avoided. Smart thinking.
19. Hidetoshi Nakata
An icon of Japanese football, Nakata has always had a great interest in fashion, which he has clearly developed further during retirement.
The guy could be a world-famous model, let alone one of the biggest football stars of the early 2000s. He's only gone and made it with Louis Vuitton. What a baller.
18. Timothy Weah
This is the son of the President of Liberia, you might know his father better as George Weah.
Timothy Weah is tipped as one of the future stars of world football but if he doesn't make it to the top, he could always use the fashion industry as a backup option.
17. Pep Guardiola
Guardiola's smooth smart-casual attire in the City dugout has become almost as regular an occurrence as his team winning trophies each season.
Pep clearly knows the importance of dressing to impress, even on the sideline, whilst Sam Allardyce wouldn't go near cashmere even if you offered him a free packet of chewing gum.
16. Thierry Henry
"What we doin' today, cuz"?
Repping. That's what Stormzy does best and Henry thought he'd fancy a bit of that too given his somewhat understated love for fashion, his gloves back in his prime were iconic. He's carried a suave look into retirement too. Top marks for the hat, Thierry.
15. Olivier Giroud
Ever since his arrival in England back in 2012, Giroud has always been one to enjoy the finer aspects of fashion.
Mostly seen in fine formal wear as above, Giroud is unquestionably one of the sharpest-dressing footballers in the modern game.
14. Luis Suárez
For someone with enormously large teeth (which he made good use of on Giorgio Chiellini), Suárez posts a pretty decent picture.
One of the best players of the 2010s, the Uruguayan fitted in effortlessly at Barcelona after a £75m move from Liverpool to the Nou Camp back in 2014.
13. Leighton Baines
Think of the most unlikely celebrity friendship that you can.
Got it? I'm willing to bet it doesn't come close to anywhere like the mysterious bromance between Leighton Baines, Alex Turner and Miles Kane. How this came to happen I will never know but Baines certainly looks the part alongside the Arctic Monkeys frontman.
12. Sergio Ramos
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think Sergio Ramos wins this latest internet craze.
Famous for being a bit of a pretty boy who cared more about his reflection than stopping strikers early on in his career, Ramos developed into one of the world's best centre-halves at Real Madrid and still going strong at 33.
11. Kylian Mbappé
We knew this kid was good before the World Cup. Just not that good.
The 2018 World Cup-winning sensation that is Kylian Mbappé has the looks as well as the ability. Having already collaborated with a number of big-time brands, Mbappé is making a name for himself in football and fashion. The best of both worlds.
10. David Ginola
Not only was the man an extremely talented footballer but he made a good model, too.
His long locks were a sight to behold in the late 90s, when foreign players weren't as widely heard of in the Premier League. The guy was on the catwalk for Cerruti, does it get any more stylish than that?
9. Neymar
The Brazilian might be a whining, whingeing wimp on the pitch at times but he looks cool, calm and collected whenever a camera is thrust into his face, as demonstrated by this pensive pose to celebrate his partnership with Dior.
8. Gareth Bale
Golf > Madrid.
That is exactly what Bale is thinking in this picture. Who needs to entertain thousands at the world famous Santiago Bernabéu when you could just be lowering your par with a cheeky 18 holes anyway? Respect man, respect.
7. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is the best footballer in the world.
Not content with that, the diminutive Argentine looks like he's on a mission to conquer the world of fashion in this picture, sporting a striking blue suit at the FIFA Football Awards.
6. Xabi Alonso
This video brilliantly demonstrates the Spaniard's easy-going nature off the field.
This is the way every guy dreams of looking whenever someone films them driving. Unfortunately for all the wannabes out there, only one man can perfectly execute this look and that man is Xabi Alonso.
5. Andrea Pirlo
One could argue that Pirlo had an unfair advantage when it comes to style as he was born and raised in Italy's famous Lombardia region, home to the fashion capital of the world, Milan.
Pirlo also spent ten of the finest years of his career at Milan, so it's no surprise that he makes into the top five of this list. Props to Pirlo for that pinstripe number. A sight to behold.
4. Hector Bellerín
You just have to love Hector Bellerín.
But, if his wonderful Catalan-Cockney accent doesn't do it for you, his fashion sense surely will. Pictured here in London's Primrose Hill, the WWF shirt and retro Arsenal badge is the type of shirt that would have hipsters from nearby Camden with their eyes out on stalks. Dazzling.
3. Paul Pogba
Being the most expensive footballer in British transfer history clearly isn't enough for Pogba.
How much longer he will remain in Manchester is unclear, but what is transparent is that the Frenchman has got some serious expertise when it comes to fashion. Pogba can be spotted here in a pretty-patterned Versace outfit which half the world would be envious of.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is as surefire an entry on this list as any. The man loves himself almost as much as Brits love to moan about the weather.
You've got to give it to him though, he does look alarmingly photogenic, as seen here with his fragrance "Legacy". His love of fashion is no recent phenomenon either, having opened his first CR7 boutique back in 2006.
1. David Beckham
We all know how good he looks these days so here's boyish Becks instead.
Of course, the fact that he married Posh Spice helped him gain almost worldwide stardom. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Beckham also delved into fashion himself, launching his own fragrance collection, "David Beckham Instinct" that has earnt him $13.7 million.
If that's not enough, he also has a lifetime contract with Adidas worth $160 million. That really is worthy of the top spot.
Source :
90min
