World Football's 25 Nastiest Bone-Breaking Tackles Ever

Everyone loves a good, clean, hard tackle. These tackles are nothing of the sort.

Bone-crunching tackles happen at all levels of football, and the perpetrators come from all walks of life (even a London mayor can do it, apparently). This is a list of 25 of the nastiest and worst.

First, though, there are a few disclaimers. Most of these tackles are new, and they come mostly from the world's biggest leagues. That's because the video of that one tackle from your favorite 1957 non-league match doesn't exist. Sorry, guy.

Also, some of them aren't exactly tackles in the truest definition of the word. Not that you care.

Finally, you should probably be aware that some of these tackles resulted in grievous bodily harm. I'm talking broken legs and such, happening right in front of your eyes. You've been warned.

Enough, let's get to the carnage already.

Roy Keane

Let's get this out of the way first. This is Manchester United's Roy Keane ending the career of Alf-Inge Haaland.

You've seen this a million times, but it belongs here all the same.

Martin Taylor

This one is pretty well-known also. That's Birmingham City's Martin Taylor breaking Eduardo's leg.

Look away now if you have a weak stomach.

Ryan Shawcross

The Eduardo injury wasn't the only such debacle in Arsenal's recent past.

Aaron Ramsey suffered a similar injury after a tackle by Stoke's Ryan Shawcross in 2010.

Julio Cesar Dominguez

Also in 2010, Cruz Azul's Julio Cesar Dominguez delivered a boot to the crotch of Pachuca's Jose Francisco Torres.

Torres is a member of the US national team, and he just earned my respect.

Mystery Man

And here's another crotch-shot, though this time I don't know who's involved.

Still, that's worthy of inclusion.

Alex Witsel

Here's another broken leg. This time the culprit is Alex Witsel of Standard Liege.

The victim is Anderlecht's Marcin Wasilewski.

Felix Musasa

Mpumalanga Black Aces captain Felix Musasa breaks the leg of Carara FC's Oupa Ngulube during this 2009 South African league match.

Musasa drew a red card and eight-match ban.

Oh dear!

Nuno Claro

Don't be too hard on CFR Cluj goalkeeper Nuno Claro. In fairness, he'd been playing Street Fighter 2 all day (that's an old game, kids, look it up).

That's little consolation to Georgian international Paun, though.

Benjamin Massing

Serious question: Did Cameroon's Benjamin Massing receive a yellow card after the red card?

His tackle on Argentina's Claudio Caniggia during the 1990 World Cup certainly deserved both.

Nigel De Jong

If you watched the 2010 World Cup final, you remember this well.

And you probably remember that Holland's Nigel De Jong somehow avoided a red card for this kick to the chest of Spain's Xabi Alonso.

Andoni Goikoetxea

How does one earn the nickname "the Butcher from Bilbao?"

Obviously, by doing this to Maradona.

Ben Thatcher

Manchester City defender Ben Thatcher earned an eight-match ban for this tackle and elbow on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes.

Mendes was knocked unconscious and suffered a seizure later in the hospital.

Julien Rodriguez

Monaco's Julien Rodriguez gets some serious air under him before delivering a brutal boot to the face of Ajaccio's Edson in this clip from Ligue 1.

He should have tried out for the X Games.

Mario David

This club of the famous Battle of Santiago from the 1962 World Cup is no laughing matter.

But the commentary is pretty hilarious. Tell me, wise commentator, who are these Chilly-ens you speak of? Are they chilly all the time?

And did you really just say "If the World Cup is going to survive in its present form"? Really?

Anyway, Mario David takes the top dishonor here for his tackle around the 2:09 mark.

Michael Brown

To this day, no one knows how Fulham's Michael Brown escaped a red card for this two-footed lunge on Ryan Giggs.

Honestly, though, it's a great way to defend after losing the ball.

Paul Gascoigne

The video won't embed, so you'll have to click the YouTube button in the bottom-right corner.

When you do, you'll see Paul Gascoigne injuring himself while putting in a dirty tackle on Gary Charles during the 1991 FA Cup final.

That's quick karma.

Chris Kamara

Our last tackle featured karma. This one features Chris Kamara.

These days, everybody loves to hate Kamara for his awful punditry. Back in his playing days, people hated him for stuff like this.

Harald Schumacher

French defender Patrick Battiston lost two teeth, suffered spine damage and slipped into a coma as a result of this challenge from West German keeper Harald Schumacher in the 1982 World Cup semifinal.

Schumacher escaped without so much as a booking.

Norbert Siegmann

This is just sick.

Yes, that's Arminia Bielefeld's Ewald Lienan walking around with his leg bone showing after a nasty tackle by Werder Bremen's Norbert Siegmann in 1981.

Holy crap.

That was when footballers were manly men.

Duncan Ferguson

Duncan Ferguson, on the other hand, is just a punk.

That's all you can say for this challenge, which earned him an assault charge.

Neil Simpson

This tackle by Aberdeen's Neil Simpson on Rangers' Ian Durrant in 1988 left Durrant unable to play football for three years.

That's hard to watch.

Marcos Mondaini

If my Spanish is correct, Marcos Mondaini broke the leg of Javier Morales in this 2011 MLS match between Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake (yes, that's their real name).

Who says MLS is a second-rate league? The tackles are as nasty as any other league's.

Commins Menapi

This one is even harder to watch.

That's former YoungHeart Manawatu forward Commins Menapi breaking the leg of Auckland City defender Riki van Steeden during the 2007 Grand Final of the New Zealand Football Championship.

Peter Cavanagh

Which is more disturbing?

Is it the tackle by Accrington Stanley midfielder Peter Cavanagh on Exeter City's Chris Todd during the 2005-06 season?

Or is it the reaction from the commentators?

"That's no nonsense by Cavanagh!"

Zinedine Zidane

Of course we couldn't leave this out, even if it's not technically a tackle.

You know what happened. Zinedine Zidane of France headbutted Marco Materazzi of Italy during the 2006 World Cup final.

Zidane was (obviously) sent off, and Italy won.