20 Biggest Characters in World Football

There are still some extravagant personalities in football, despite a tendency for any individuality to be somewhat stifled in the modern game.

Here we look at 20 of the most fascinating characters in the sport—men who buck against the trend to be bland and predictable.

In choosing the biggest characters in football, the selection has been limited to current players (a list of 20 managers with larger-than-life personas would not take long to compile at all!) who exhibit the kind of charisma that differentiates them from other footballers. 

Not all of them are likable. In fact, many of those listed here are controversial figures who rub fans of opposing teams the wrong way.

But the game needs its pantomime villains just as it needs its mild-mannered good guys. Fortunately, there is still a place for a few monster egos and intriguing entertainers as well.

20. Thomas Broich

Brisbane Roar's gifted playmaker, Thomas Broich, has certainly taken the road less traveled in terms of his football career.

The 32-year-old was once considered a future star for Germany, but for a variety of reasons he was never able to fulfill his huge potential and play for the senior national side.

A very different type of character to most of the extroverts on this list, Broich is somewhat of a footballing intellectual. His love of reading and classical music earned him the unwanted nickname of "Mozart" and perhaps contributed to his inability to jell with some of his teammates and managers in the Bundesliga.

Since 2010, the mercurial midfielder has found his home in Brisbane, Australia, where he was chief creative force in an entertaining Roar side which took out the 2010-11 and 2011-12 A-League titles. 

19. Gabriel Agbonlahor

With Gabriel Agbonlahor's complicated private life, as touched on here in the Mail Online, it is a wonder he has any time to play football for Aston Villa. 

He deserves credit for leaving his house at all, in fact, considering the torrent of abuse and death threats he received from teenage girls after clattering One Direction heartthrob Louis Tomlinson with a brutal tackle during a charity game.

Tomlinson writhed in agony on the pitch before throwing up on the sideline, much to the ire of millions of 1D fans on Twitter. 

18. Teofilo Gutierrez

Colombian striker Teo Gutierrez has gained a reputation wherever he has played as a man with tremendous faith in his own football abilities, as well as a very short fuse.

Never afraid to speak highly of himself in interviews, the former Barranquilla and Cruz Azul front-man has often courted controversy, both on and off the pitch.

An avid collector of red cards, he once went so far as to spit at referee Nestor Pitana while playing for Racing in Argentina.

His time at that club ended badly, to say the least. After being sent off for abusing the referee in a heated derby match against Independiente, Gutierrez threatened his furious teammates in the dressing room with a paintball gun (or an air gun, depending on which version of events you believe, described here in Spanish by Infobae) before leaving the stadium in a taxi.

That was the last time he played for Racing. 

17. Kevin-Prince Boateng

Ghanaian midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has a fancy name, a fancy haircut, fancy tattoos and a pretty fancy girlfriend. 

He also took an admirable stand against racism by leading his Milan teammates off the pitch when subjected to chanting from Pro Patria fans in a friendly match between the sides.

Oh, and he does a really good Michael Jackson impression.

16. Andrea Pirlo

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The epitome of the thinking-man's footballer, Andrea Pirlo may be quietly spoken, but he exudes effortless charisma.

The deep-lying playmaker never looks ruffled on the pitch as he goes about his business with calm authority.

Prime examples of the bearded one's magnificence were his delightful Panenka against Joe Hart in Euro 2012 and his gunslinger death stare after taking a penalty against Spain. 

15. Emmanuel Frimpong

Those who follow Emmanuel Frimpong on social media will already be well aware of his quirky personality.

The erstwhile Arsenal defensive midfielder and rapper is a prodigious poster on Instagram and Twitter and is particularly fond of a good meme. 

If only he could secure more playing time, he might be able to raise his Twitter following, currently sitting at just under 700,000, above the million mark. 

14. Diego Costa

The somewhat caustic on-field behavior of Diego Costa hasn't stopped World Champions Spain attempting to poach the Brazilian-born forward to their national team.

A sensational run of goal-scoring form this season has propelled Costa into the limelight, and as Richard Martin of Football Espana explained back in December of last year, he is quite the divisive figure:

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'An uncontrollable character', 'an anarchic striker', someone ‘who can't control himself when things get heated', and a player who 'understands football as a dogfight’.

These are just some of the many things that have been said about Diego Costa throughout his career. The 24-year-old Atletico Madrid forward has had to persevere and fight - often literally - in order to get to the top, but now few followers of Spanish football will be unaware of him, especially after the fortnight he has had.

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It is safe to say the Atletico Madrid man's fame has spread beyond Spanish football by now, following his 11 goals in 10 games to start the new season, and if he is selected for La Roja at next year's World Cup, his confrontational style will be introduced to an even wider audience.

13. Didier Drogba

Big and powerful when leading the line, Didier Drogba's forceful temperament has occasionally gotten him into trouble, but it also drives him to success.

The Galatasaray striker is worshiped back home in the Ivory Coast and remembered fondly at his former clubs Le Mans, Guingamp, Marseille, Chelsea and Shanghai Shenhua.

12. Juan Roman Riquelme

Famous for never smiling (except in the advert above), Juan Roman Riquelme has a tendency to divide dressing rooms through the sheer force of his personality. 

Some teammates become his disciples, while others, such as former Boca Juniors forward Martin Palermo, can barely stand to be in the same room as him, by all accounts.

Riquelme just keeps being Riquelme, meanwhile; scowling, arguing with referees, spitting, sitting on the grass and playing majestic football.

11. Joey Barton

Without even mentioning a host of red cards for violent conduct or his bizarre Twitter ranting, Joey Barton's antics have included poking a Manchester City youth team player in the eye with a lit cigar, breaking a pedestrian's leg while driving, physically confronting a 15-year-old Everton fan in Bangkok, being convicted of assault and serving 77 days in prison, mooning Everton fans after a match, punching Ousmane Dabo at training and speaking with a fake French accent while playing for Marseille. 

10. Ronaldinho

Brazilian legend Ronaldinho somehow manages to express his flamboyant style both on and off the pitch.

His endearing grin, effervescent nature and love of a good party are matched by an ability to produce an astounding range of tricks with a football. No wonder his popularity is so enduring.

9. Jong Tae-Se

Hummer-driving K-League star Jong Tae-Se was so proud to be representing North Korea at the last World Cup that he was moved to tears during the playing of the national anthem, despite never having lived in the country.

The Suwon Samsung Bluewings player was born and raised in Japan as part of the Korean Zainichi community, where he developed his immense patriotism from afar.

His unique path and unbridled passion make him one of the most enthralling individuals in world football.

8. Cristiano Ronaldo

The prancing Portuguese show pony, Cristiano Ronaldo, makes a habit of infuriating his critics by constantly crushing it on the field.

The Real Madrid goal machine may come across as incredibly arrogant, but he can back up that self-belief with his amazing footballing abilities. 

Sepp Blatter recently poked fun at Ronaldo's strutting style. Cristiano responded by scoring three goals against Sevilla and poking fun at Sepp Blatter in his celebrations. 

7. Antonio Cassano

Bari bad boy Antonio Cassano has never been afraid to speak his mind, or flip his lid, when things don't go his way.

His infamous "Cassanate" (temper tantrums) have caused all sorts of strife for the diminutive forward throughout his career. 

His autobiography packed a few punches as well, including this revelation about his love life, reported in La Gazzetta dello Sport:

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Four girlfriends in 11 years are not a lot.

To make up for that, I've also had other flings here and there.

Let's say 600-700 women, some twenty of which were from the entertainment world.

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6. Luis Suarez

There are few headline-generators in the game like Liverpool's prickly Uruguayan, Luis Suarez.

Love him or hate him—and if you're not a Liverpool or Uruguay supporter, you probably hate him—Saurez is without doubt one of football's most talked-about figures.

5. Neymar

Football's answer to Justin Bieber, this Brazilian wunderkind has proved this season that he is the real deal on the pitch and much more than just Neymarketing, if anyone still had doubts.

His hairstyle may be slightly more sensible these days, but Neymar's every more is still tracked by his legions of teenage fans back in Brazil.

He has even made a raunchy appearance on a Telenovela, shown here by Marca.

Fun-loving and likable, the 21-year-old's popularity is sure to increase as he builds his reputation in Europe.

4. Carlos Tevez

The kid from the Buenos Aires ghetto turned millionaire footballer, Carlos Tevez, never lost the fighting qualities which saw him develop into one of the game's elite players.

Some call him money-grabbing and self-interested, but to others, especially in his homeland of Argentina, he is still the people's hero.

A huge falling out with his Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini saw Tevez retreat to South America and spend several months in golfing limbo, but he was eventually accepted back by the Citizens and now appears to have settled nicely at Italian giants Juventus.

3. Francesco Totti

Is there any present-day player who commands such a personality cult in his home city than Francesco Totti?

The living Roma legend is worshiped by Giallorossi supporters and despised by Laziale in the capital, and he is arguably Italy's highest-profile celebrity.

Paolo Bandini describes in The Guardian the celebrations for Totti's recent 37th birthday:

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Christmas always comes early for Roma supporters. Their messiah was born on 27 September, not in a Bethlehem stable but instead room 12 of the Fabia Mater clinic in Rome. Francesco Totti was sent to earth to distract them from their sins, and lead them into footballing glory.

As such, his birthday is a time of great celebration. This year many fans gathered outside Roma's training base in Trigoria to give thanks.

A plane flew overhead trailing the message "History speaks for you". Inside, Totti was presented with a throne bearing his name and number, as well as a remarkable 37kg cake featuring a partial replica of the Colosseum.

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You get the picture. He's kind of a big deal.

2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Everything about Zlatan Ibrahimovic is enormous—his stature, his ability, his ego, his nose.

Despite a record of feuding with teammates and coaches alike, and an odd penchant for kicking his companions in the head (as seen above), Zlatan continues to get work at the world's top clubs due to his indisputable brilliance on the field.

Truly a cult figure in the game today, the giant Swede will be spoken about for generations to come.

1. Mario Balotelli

What more can be said about the man, the myth, Mario Balotelli?

His run-ins with various managers, his blazing self-confidence, the setting of his bathroom on fire, the visit to the women's prison, "Why Always Me?" his rap sheet of amusing incidents goes on and on.

Super Mario is truly unique. Let's hope he never retires.