20 World Football Stars We'd Love To See In Movies

World football is a lot like Hollywood when you think about it: the big egos, the high-powered celebrity couples, the expensive endorsement deals, the red-carpet fashion and fast cars, the scandals, we could go on forever.

And with the movie-star looks, larger-than-life personalities and occasionally Oscar-worthy drama-hounding of some of the game's biggest stars, we here at Bleacher Report decided to choose 20 big names in the footy world who we would like to see take on the world of acting.

Sure, there have been plenty of footballers in the past who've made their mark on Hollywood—Eric Cantona in Elizabeth and Looking For Eric, Vinnie Jones in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and David Beckham has that lovely family footy comedy with his name in the title. Brazilian star Ronaldo will be making his debut in the upcoming film Open Road.

And that's not even counting the many 'as-themselves' cameos: Franz Beckenbauer, Pelé and many others have played themselves on screen and Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Kenny Dalglish will appear as themselves in the upcoming feature film Will, about a young boy who runs away to Istanbul to watch Liverpool play in the 2005 Champions League final. 

But there are plenty of other stars who we think could make it off the pitch and in the pictures. Here are our picks—if you have more, please tell us in the comments.

Sergio Busquets

The Barcelona star is known for starting some serious drama on the pitch, and has been accused by fans of diving, faking injuries and starting rather fiery conflicts with opposing players. One particular dive, in a 2010 match against Inter Milan where he got Thiago Motta sent off, has been referred to as 'Oscar-winning.' If his acting is this good on the pitch, who knows what he can do on the big screen? 

Possible movie roles: An ill-fated prison snitch, the henchman to a comic-book villain.

Theo Walcott

The young Arsenal star has proved himself something of a Renaissance man, penning five books, including an autobiography. If he can break into the literary world, maybe he should try acting next? Also, he's not afraid to get a bit ridiculous (for a good cause) and cleans up nicely, even with his arm in a sling, two ultimately essential attributes for Hollywood success. 

Walcott actually missed out on a debut film role in 2006—he was set to make a cameo appearance in the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix alongside the rest of his family, but had to pull out at the last minute due to scheduling conflicts with the Gunners.

Possible movie role: He's written a few sports-themed books for kids, so perhaps a player in a family-friendly inspirational sports tale would be best for Theo. And even though the movies are done now, he could have pulled off a role in one of the Harry Potter films as one of the older, 'cool' Hogwarts students. Theo Walcott the Quidditch star, anyone? 

Martin Škrtel

This probably has more to do with the fact that the Liverpool centre-back looks like Wentworth Miller than anything else. His tattoos, shaved head and stone-cold gaze (not to mention his aggressive playing style) give off the image of the sort of terrifying but alluring inmate you'd see in a Prison Break-style situation. 

Possible movie role: Anything involving breaking out of a prison/maximum-security facility/heisting something valuable, clearly. He'd do well in any sort of big budget action setting, perhaps one with lots of chase scenes or explosions (The Fast and the Furious: Slovakia Drift?). 

Jens Lehmann

The former Arsenal goalkeeper known as 'Mad Jens' was a fan favorite at the Emirates for his killer clean-sheet-maintaining abilities and fearlessness on the pitch, but he gained notoriety in the footballing world for his almost cinematic antics.

Whether he's urinating on the pitch, raging at an opposing team's ball boy or suing players for calling him 'a muppet,' Lehmann is outrageous, engaging and always keeps us guessing, like so many great film performances.

Possible movie roles: Madcap assassin in an action spoof; some sort of military leader/drill sergeant leading a very intense operation. 

Fernando Torres

In addition to the accusations of diving, play acting and his will-he-or-won't-he transfer fake-out, Nando has shown us he has actual acting chops (sort of) on the small screen, appearing as himself in advertisements in his native Spain and on the Spanish sitcom 7 Vidas, where he plays the straight man in a conversation with two very zealous football-loving characters.

His acting performances seem more expressive on the pitch, but maybe the film world is ready for the star and his Hollywood-ready coif. 

Possible film roles: He's proved himself an action hero in the advert in the link above, but his features and movement style suggest something more fantastical. We've heard jokes before about Torres starring in the Twilight movies as a hunky vampire, but his speed and deadly strike recall the Elven archers of Lord of the Rings. With The Hobbit in the works, maybe we'll see Nando transfer to Middle Earth this winter.

Diego Maradona

Icon, talent, firestorm of controversy, even the deity around which a local religion is centered. Argentine legend Diego Maradona is larger-than-life personified—we're not sure if there's a screen even big enough to fit his personality. 

Maradona has already made his mark on popular culture across the world in a rash of different ways, so it only makes sense that he would attempt an appearance on the big screen. He's even been a comic book character in the Argentine cult comic Cazador de Aventuras. Talk about an animated guy.

Possible movie role: The best possible role for Maradona would be him starring in any kind of biopic with a large, cult-of-personality figure at its centre, something like The Doors or Scarface. Ideally, this would be a Diego Maradona biopic in which Diego Maradona would play a fictionalized version of Diego Maradona. 

Thierry Henry

Stylish, successful and simultaneously loved and reviled by many, like many Hollywood greats, Thierry Henry has had his Oscar-worthy performances (with 'The Invincibles' at Arsenal and the 2009 'Best Ever' sextuple-winning squad at Barcelona) and his critical flops (that notorious handball against Ireland). 

Few in the game understand the fickleness of fame and public admiration quite like Titi, an understanding which could make him an asset in the film world. His looks don't hurt his chances, either. 

Possible movie role: The protagonist of a drama about a once-successful entrepreneur/entertainer who gets embroiled in a scandal, experiences a downfall and fights hard for redemption with a struggling enterprise. That's funny, this sounds awfully familiar...

Rio Ferdinand

The Manchester United star is as much an entertainer as he is an athlete. There was his foray into the rap game, his surprisingly engaging Twitter account (and celebrity social media beefs with the likes of Piers Morgan) and outspoken nature—he seems tailor-made for the life of an actor. 

Chelsea star Frank LeBoeuf once described Ferdinand as having that certain 'je ne sais quoi.' Maybe he could be Hollywood's next 'It Guy' too? 

Possible movie role: The vociferous underdog who shakes the establishment and stirs up plenty of controversy, but saves the day in the end. Failing that, the co-star of a hip-hop buddy comedy with his pal Drake. 

Zinedine Zidane

Zizou is no stranger to the big screen: he appeared alongside David Beckham in Goal!, was the subject of a 2006 festival-hit documentary and even tried his hand at fantasy in a cameo role in the French comic book adaptation Astérix at the Olympic Games (watch the clip), which also featured appearances from a number of popular sports figures, including American basketball star Tony Parker.

Now retired, Zidane stays busy as the Director of Football for Real Madrid, but an acting career could give the normally reserved French legend a chance to come out of his shell.

Possible movie role: Seeing as he's already conquered one fantasy adaptation of an iconic Francophone comic series, maybe there's a cameo role for him in the upcoming Tintin movie. 

Kaká

He's modeled for some of the biggest couture names in the world, had forays into music recording and has been vocal about his message of spreading the gospel—Real Madrid star Kaká is not afraid to put himself out there in body and mind, so an acting career seems like a logical step.

And because he adheres to a stringent personal moral and spiritual code, he's avoided many of the scandalous pitfalls high-profile athletes and other celebrities often fall into, which would certainly make things easier for his PR team. 

And like many people in Hollywood (and many of his footballing contemporaries), Kaká has used his powers of fame for the greater good as an ambassador for the World Food Programme. A celeb with a cause. 

Possible movie role: Well, it would clearly have to be some kind of uplifting tale with positive moral values. Perhaps he could play a young celebrity Lothario who has a spiritual awakening and realizes there's more to life?

Nemanja Vidić

There are few players in the world of football who are equally as endearing and terrifying as Manchester United's fortress of a centre back, Nemanja Vidić. Hard as nails and an aggressive, fight-until-the-end force on the pitch, Vidić is also a cult fan favorite at Old Trafford.

We could see him joining the likes of Javier Bardem or Gary Oldman as the kind of actor who always plays the really scary bad guy, but is still totally awesome and beloved by fans while doing it.

Possible movie role: A cold-blooded, effective and totally B.A. hit man in the style of Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men.

Steve McManaman and Robbie Fowler (tie)

Or, really, any of the notorious 'Spice Boys' who shook things up at Anfield in the '90s, among them David James, Jamie Redknapp and Stan Collymore. 

The Liverpool players given the now-notorious nickname were known for their fashion sense, playboy attitudes and rock star swagger, and were part of the cultural paradigm shift that led to footballers being perceived in the same manner as entertainment-industry icons.

But Fowler and McManaman are a special duo out of the bunch for their instigation of some crazy antics on and off the pitch, from the 'dentist's chair' goal celebration to that time they convinced several other squad members to purchase two racehorses and name them 'Some Horse' and 'Another Horse.' You can't make this stuff up.

Possible movie role: It's gotta be a Farrelly Brothers-style, raunchy, outrageous buddy comedy. 

Jimmy Bullard

The veteran midfielder, now at Ipswich Town, has been praised many times by fans and peers for his charisma on the pitch. His expressive nature, sense of humor and colorful goal celebrations could make him a big presence in the wide world of film. 

Possible movie role: His wide variety of amazing facial expressions, general likability and mad skills make him a candidate to be a comic relief-providing or otherwise helpful member of an ensemble superhero squad a la The Avengers.

Arsène Wenger

The manager once nicknamed 'The Professor' has been hailed as the thinking man's coach, with his talk of 'mental strength' and his intelligence and cunning being attributed to Arsenal's success. Like Arsène Wenger the manager, Arsène Wenger the actor would delve into his roles with an almost Hitchcockian mindset, picking at the details and trying his best to get into his characters' heads as much as possible. From manager to method actor. 

Possible movie role: Due to his cerebral coaching style, we'd love to see Wenger take on the role of a detective in a film noir set in North London. Highbury meets Chinatown. 

Ashley Cole

The Chelsea star is the sort of celebrity people love to hate—he's got heaps of money, a stellar celebrity wife who he then cheated on, and displays some rather dastardly behavior on the pitch at times (like the challenge on Javier Hernández at the last Chelsea-Man United matchup).

Over the summer, Cole placed third in a SyFy Channel poll looking to name the 'biggest villain' of the decade, losing only to Sepp Blatter and Royal Bank of Scotland head Andrew Goodwin. With that kind of status already sealed, it's only natural that he takes his talent for playing the bad guy to the big screen.

Possible movie role: He's rich, looks good in a suit and has been framed as a villain in the gossip rags for ages. Hollywood, say hello to your next great James Bond baddie.

Ronaldinho

The Brazilian star is one of the biggest names in the world, with personality and marketability to match. So larger-than-life that he's already had a statue constructed of him and then destroyed. And he's already conquered YouTube, which is becoming a more important path to fame with time, so obviously, a film career is next.

Possible movie role: With his mad samba skills, it might be fun to see Ronaldinho take on the role of a coach in a combination dance/martial arts flick. 

Joey Barton

Always expressive and entertaining, the Premiership's favorite bad boy has personality for days, is known for some rather theatrical displays on the pitch and has played both the hero (catching a burglar trying to break into his neighbor's house in Newcastle) and the villain (many temperamental clashes with players) on many an occasion. And he's great with Twitter, which we guess is some sort of prerequisite for succeeding in Hollywood these days.

Possible movie roles: The 'loose cannon' in a Lock, Stock-style heist film, a Quentin Tarantino-style anti-hero, gangster with a heart of gold.

Cristiano Ronaldo

The guy said it himself: people are envious because he's rich, handsome and talented. And what else do you really need in Hollywood? Between his looks, his talent and his massive ego/distinctive sense of humor (depending on which camp you're in), it's a bit surprising he hadn't tried his hand in the film industry yet.

What sealed Ronaldo's spot on the list though was his storyline in Nike's 'Write the Future' ad campaign for the 2010 World Cup, where he confidently struts the red carpet on his way to the premiere of Ronaldo: The Movie (starring Spanish actor Gael García Bernal as Ronaldo). 

Possible movie role: We can't really see CR7 as playing anything but a footballer, whether it's in a character-study drama on a colorful athletic superstar, a comedy where he plays the celebrity superstar boyfriend of the schlep trying to win his ex back, a high-octane action flick or your classic sporting saga. 

David Beckham

Alright, alright. So this one's a bit of a cop-out, and he's appeared in many, many television programs and movies as himself. But he's a megastar, he's posed in his skivvies for Calvin Klein, he's used to the paparazzi, he's got the built-in fan base and he's given all his kids quirky-exotic celebrity kid names (Harper Seven! HARPER SEVEN!). His as-himself cameos (like the one in Goal!) may have been a bit stilted, and his chops may need some work, but if there's anyone in the game who's tailor-made for a Hollywood career, it's Becks.

Plus, his A-List wifey has spent time on the big screen in the greatest cinematic feat of the '90s* (Spice World, obvs), so she can give him some pointers. And he's probably gonna retire from football soon, so acting may be the next logical path.

Possible movie role: The stylish but skeevy foil to a bumbling Colin Firth or Hugh Grant in a Bridget Jones' Diary-style Anglo romantic comedy. 

* Not the actual opinion of this write or anyone else on the BR staff, to our knowledge.