25 Most Blatant Injury-Causing Tackles in World Football

Football is known worldwide as the "Beautiful Game."

However, just as in every sport, it more often than many would like is not so beautiful.

Tempers and attitudes can flare in an instant, and the heat of the moment can lead to some of the greatest and worst moments in the game.

While some tackles are not always meant to end badly, there are a number that are meant that way, and some that just end up looking as such.

Whichever way they are meant here are the worst injury causing tackles in the game.

Wayne Rooney

Luckily, this did not end in Niko Kranjcar being stretchered off, but Wayne Rooney certainly went for a bone breaking tackle.

Francesco Totti vs Mario Balotelli and Others

AS Roma captain Francesco Totti has some great abilities on the pitch.

However, they sometimes are overshadowed by his lesser qualities that are at times highlighted by his short fuse.

Axel Witsel vs Marcin Wasilewski

Standard Liege and Anderlecht have a strong rivalry in the Belgian Pro League.

Sometimes, the worst can come out even when it may or may not be meant to.

Roy Keane

Manchester United bad boy Roy Keane certainly looked to have meant this one in a Manchester Derby.

Stephen Hunt vs Petr Cech

Stephen Hunt was a midfielder for Reading the last time they were in the Premier League.

While chasing down a ball to be collected by Chelsea keeper Petr Cech, Hunt lowered his knee into the keeper's head and fractured his skull, nearly ending his career.

Carara vs Black Aces

Another case of stomping on the leg of the one who had the ball.

Scott Parker vs Joe Cole

One of the hardest tackles of both Scott Parker's and Joe Cole's careers saw the former send Cole for a flip.

Zidane vs Materazzi

The headbutt seen around the world when Zinedine Zidane unleashed on Italian Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup Final.

Benjamin Massing vs Claudio Caniggia

There was no way Caniggia was going to get away from a crunching tackle. After avoiding several along the way, he should have known it was coming.

John Terry vs James Milner

John Terry makes a crunching tackle on James Milner and is lucky not to have severely injured his England National teammate.

Keeper out of the Box

Major League Soccer gets on the list with DC United keeper Bill Hamid coming outside of his box and putting in a tough tackle before seeing a red card.

Schumacher vs Battiston

The 1982 World Cup match between Germany and France saw this keeper on forward clattering broadcast worldwide.

Paul Gascoigne vs Gary Charles

Tottenham midfielder Paul Gascoigne lunges into Nottingham Forest's Gary Charles but ends up hurting himself the most.

Antonio Valencia

Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia was thought to have just been the victim of an ordinary tackle by Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot, however it was much worse.

Ben Thatcher vs Pedro Mendes

Ben Thatcher is known more for being a thug and a hard man than a good footballer.

His flying elbow on Portsmouth's Pedro Mendes during his time with Manchester City is proof of why.

Martin Taylor vs Eduardo

Arsenal and Birmingham City's clash in 2008 saw striker Eduardo nearly have his career ended by the Blues Martin Taylor.

Norbert Siegmann vs Ewald Lienen

A 1981 Bundesliga match between Werder Bremen and Armedia Beilefeld saw Ewald Lienen suffer a massive gash down his leg from a studs raised tackle by Norbert Seigmann.

Ryan Shawcross vs Aaron Ramsey

Stoke City captain and defender Ryan Shawcross was reduced to tears as he left the pitch in 2010 after having broken the leg of fellow youngster Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal.

Andoni Goicoechea vs Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona gets harshly clipped by Andoni Goicoechea during a match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao.

Brian McLair and Denis Irwin vs David Busst

Coventry City's David Busst would endure 27 operations on his leg following this two-sided tackle by Manchester United's Brian McLair and Denis Irwin.

Busst would never play again.

Full paced injury view here.

Nigel De Jong vs Xabi Alonso

In one of his less than stellar moments, Holland midfielder Nigel De Jong takes out Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso is epic fashion.

Nigel De Jong vs Stuart Holden

Nigel De Jong at it again while on national team duty.

This time it was the United States' midfielder Stuart Holden victimized.

Nigel De Jong vs Hatem Ben Arfa

In a montage that sums up the past two slides as well as De Jong's injury to Newcastle United's Hatem Ben Arfa, we again see the Dutchman's bad boy tackling ways.

Eric Cantona vs Richard Shaw

Eric Cantona took his rage to the stands after having already been sent off during Manchester United's match with Crystal Palace in 1994-95.

Neil Simpson vs Ian Durrant

How much more deliberate of a leg breaking injury can you get than when Neil Simpson snapped that of Ian Durrant during a late 1980's match between Aberdeen and Glasgow Rangers.

Conclusion

There are plenty more tackles than I am sure that exists out there.

Please post your worst tackles in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out more on Bleacher Report and at the links below. You can follow me on Twitter @thedailyatz and Facebook, or visit my website.