It has been almost twenty years since soccer players such as Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo became the leading faces of the term metrosexual. Over the decades, other sportspeople have put a lot of effort into their looks.
Tattoos, in particular, have become a staple for the bodies of many globally known soccer players. Apart from allowing those who get them to showcase art in their body, these tattoos often have special meanings you may not be aware of.
With the World Cup in full swing, many soccer fans might have noticed that more and more professional players have gotten their arms, legs, or necks tattooed. But some players, in particular, are well known for the intrinsic lines that cover their skin.
In this article, we’ll give you an overview of the most famous tattoos some of the top players in the world have and explain what they mean:
1. Neymar: Goku Tattoo
Currently regarded as one of the best players in the world, Neymar has an impressive tattoo of the anime character Goku on his back. In case you don’t know this character, it’s part of the series Dragon Ball Z, which has been among some of the most popular worldwide for several decades.
Along with the face of Goku, Neymar’s tattoo includes the words “Be Your Hero.” You can guess that the soccer player got this tattoo as a motivational inspiration, and that’s true.
The soccer player is such a fan of Goku that shortly before one of Paris Saint Germain’s matches for the Champions League in 2020, he posted a picture of himself on his social media account while in a hyperbaric chamber. The best part was that next to it was an image of Goku in a machine that helped him recover his physical abilities and health throughout the Dragon Ball Z series.
2. Otamendi: TV Characters Tattoos
While Neymar has a massive passion for Goku, Nicolas Otamendi took his love of television series one step further. Along with several personal tattoos, such as one realistic picture of his grandfather, the soccer player has multiple TV characters tattoos on his back.
All the characters picked by Otamendi have strong characters and have been through challenges in life. The tattoos include the faces of Ragnar from the series Vikings, Walter White from the television show Breaking Bad, and Tommy Shelby from the successful Peaky Blinders series.
Nicolas Otamendi stated that he got his first tattoo when he was only fourteen years old and hasn’t stopped adding new ones until today. With such a passion for this form of art, we can expect him to continue to get new ink in the upcoming years.
3. Luis Suarez: Lion Tattoo
The two previous soccer players share a passion for television. They have showcased how the characters in their favourite series impacted them, but Luis Suarez also used ink to express his passions.
The Uruguayan player has a lion tattooed on his index finger, and while it might seem like he is a big cat enthusiast, the meaning of the ink is much sweeter. His wife, Sofia Balbi, has a lioness tattooed on the same finger.
The couple has been together for many years, and their love seems to get stronger with each passing day. The Suarez family, which now also counts with the couple’s children Delfina and Benjamin, has been a frequent topic on the soccer player’s social media accounts.
4. Sergio Ramos: Back Tattoo
The Spanish star Sergio Ramos is well known for his tattoos, and one of the most impressive pieces sits on his back. The player has a masterpiece that comprises a wolf, a lion, a guardian, and a dreamcatcher.
These symbols cover up most of the player’s back, and while all of them have individual meanings to Ramos, the wolf might be one of the pieces with the most interesting story.
Sergio Ramos initially had another tattoo in its place, which he completed as a teenager and has grown to regret – a leprechaun holding a ball. The piece’s quality could have been better, and the player decided to cover it up with a wolf.
5. Zlatan: Lion Tattoo
Ibrahimovic is one of the most famous soccer players globally, and everyone knows he has multiple tattoos throughout his body. The player has confessed that getting new ink art is an addiction of his, which means we might be seeing some new pieces soon.
One of his most impressive tattoos sits on his back, where a lion encompasses older pieces, including a koi fish, the five Hindu Devas, Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, and an eagle feather. All of these individual elements strongly influence how Zlatan pursues his life, and the whole tattoo has become what many consider a masterpiece.
Considering his feelings about getting tattoos, we can’t wait to see if any new artwork will join his already existing pieces on his back.
Tattooed Soccer Players At The World Cup
Although some of the players that made it to this top 5 are competing at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2024, a few were unlucky, and sadly their national teams didn’t qualify. Nonetheless, plenty of extraordinary players still fight for their teams to make it to the next rounds of the competition, and several have outstanding pieces of art on their skin.
Memphis Depay, Marcus Rashford, Otávio, David Raum, and Nemanja Gudelj are just a few of the soccer players currently at the competition showcasing their inked arms, legs, and even necks in some cases.
Sadly, we’ll see some of these players abandon the competition with the knockout stage slowly approaching. Nevertheless, you can still accompany the other teams through the live-streamed matches and even place your picks on who you think will win.
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Until then, we can all keep up with the matches and try to discover if any player has added a new piece of ink while in Qatar.