Ever wondered why footballers bear some nicknames?
Nicknames are diminutive names that are given to a person either by default, self-appointed, or through bestowing. Quite a number of top footballers have a nickname either giving to them by their fans for how exceptional they’ve proved themselves on the pitch, or by default.
With that in mind, some of the nicknames are quite cool, catchy, and memorable while some aren’t.
Here’s a list of iconic Football nicknames
- O’Fenomeno – Luis Nazario de Lima Ronaldo
Ronaldo is arguably the greatest striker to ever grace the pitch with his mind-blowing talent. The phenomenon was no doubt one of the most complete forward to ever come out of South American blessed with amazing power, electrifying moves, and intelligent eyes for goal.
He’s an unstoppable talent that will forever remain a legend in the mind of every football enthusiast that saw him donned the Selecao jersey and all of the clubs he played for.
Just like his nickname O’Fenomeno, he was so good that the tales of his feat will forever be talked about in footballing folklore.
Call him O’Fenomeno or Ronaldo you won’t be wrong because it’s a unique nickname that was deservedly given to him for his intelligence and mind-blowing display on the pitch.
- Zizuo – Zinedine Zidane
Zizuo may not be the greatest midfielder of all time, but he’s obviously one of the finest players ever to play the round leather game.
The France and Los Blancos legend isn’t the kind of player with an electrifying run like Ronaldo, but he does possess a unique skill in controlling the tempo of a game with his flashes of brilliance that made him stand out amongst his peers.
“We signed Zizou, who was at that time Known as Zinedine Zidane, with the surname of Yazid. I found every syllable of his name disturbing to the ears.
In the first training sessions, I was calling him Ziz. And then in an exchange of passes, I heard Jean-François Daniel call him Zizou.
Paf, that sounded perfect to my ears! I told myself that’s his nickname. I found that more affectionate than Yazid or Zinedine (…) I think everyone must have realized that it was nice for us to nickname him Zizou.
Again he loved it himself. I did not know that the nickname will stick with him,” Rolland Courbis told RMC.
All through his playing days for Les Blues, Juventus, and Real Madrid, his mind-blowing skills captivated the football audiences for years.
Zizuo isn’t just loved for what he does, he is loved and revered so much for his unique craftiness on the pitch creating a style of play that is incomparable to anyone in terms of passing, controlling the ball, and body movement.
- El Pibe de Oro – Diego Maradona
The Argentine national team is known for its penchant for producing some of the finest footballers the game has ever seen. El Pibe de Oro “Golden boy” is the nickname synonymous with the late Maradona because he was obviously the best thing ever to happen to “La Albiceleste”.
Maradona singlehandedly dragged his country and club to the pinnacle of success with his brilliance on the field with fascinating dribbles and fantastic goals that football aficionados will forever talk about even after his demise.
Irrespective of his flaws and misdeeds as a player, his ability to dance past defenders put him high there as arguably the greatest player ever to lace a boot with a fearless heart and a terrorizing pace.
His “Hand of God” goal against the English will probably remain a controversial conversation for many generations while his nickname simply depicts how “Golden” he was for the game.
- The King – Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pele
More often than not Brazilian players get their nickname by default because of how they’ve proved themselves to be fantastic players. Pele wasn’t just labeled the king for fun he dominated the world of football with his fascinating dribbles, mesmerizing pace, and the ability to conjure magic in front of goal.
The Selecao legend spent his entire career setting records at the international level scoring goals with aplomb that makes him Brazil’s highest goal-scorer.
De Rei “the king” had every quality that is expected of a great legend like him which made many people considered him as the greatest of all time.
Pele was so special that he’s been considered a god figure in Brazil for his immense technical ability on the ball. All through his 21-year professional career all he does is bring smiles into the faces of all his fans through his God-given talent on the pitch.
READ ALSO: 10 Football Clubs’s Nickname & Meaning
- The Divine Ponytail – Roberto Baggio
Italians over the years are known for producing marvelous footballers. With that in mind, Baggio is no doubt one of the finest talents from the land of the Azzurri’s. Watching him in his active days will certainly give you goosebumps due to the avalanche of fascinating knowledge of the game bestowed on him.
Baggio didn’t only have a successful career he also boosts a pretty groovy hairstyle which brought about his nickname. His ponytail is so famous that people started calling him “The Divine Ponytail”.
- Baby-faced Assassin – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Former Norwegian forward may not be the finest player the world has ever seen graced the field, he’s no doubt a legend for his country and Manchester United. Solskjaer was an ultimate super-sub for the Red Devils and despite that, he is regarded as a legend at Old Trafford.
His nickname fits perfectly well for the role he played under Sir Alex Ferguson coming on from the bench to assassinate the opposing team with his ever smiling- young face coupled with a great instinct of a real goal poacher,
- CR7 – Cristiano Ronaldo
The nickname “CR7” was carved out for him through his name and his popular jersey number, which also fit perfectly for him as a brand and a global superstar.
The CR7 brand literally has an out-of-this-world appeal following the decision to name a galaxy after the player in 2015. The galaxy known as Cosmos Redshift 7 or Galaxy CR7 was inspired by the former Real Madrid player.
Cristiano won everything winnable in the game for both his country and all of the club’s he donned their jersey breaking records like never before.
- La Pulga – Lionel Messi
Ever wondered why one of the greatest footballers of all time is described as La Pulga meaning “The Flea”?
Messi is a well-known player all over the globe with a magnificent talent, he’s been called the flea because of his small stature which allows him to maneuver his way through the toughest of defense with electrifying movement. Fleas are considered filthy, which in fact is not fair nick for the 6-time Ballon dOr winner, but it’s a moniker for a reason.
He may not be revered as much as the late Diego Maradona in Argentina, he’s also considered a demi-god and some of the fans even refers to him as Maradona. La Pulga has conquered Europe with Barcelona winning the Champions League, LaLiga titles amongst other trophies but he’s yet to win something tangible for La Albiceleste on the international level.
With Argentina in the final of the Copa America, Messi is on the verge of winning a title for his country that would go on to write his name in the folklore of the nation should he drag the team to the final stage against Brazil.
- Kun – Sergio Aguero
Aguero’s nickname was given to him by his grandparents who thought their grandson bore a mysterious resemblance to a Japanese cave boy animal character. Kun isn’t Sergio’s name for those who don’t know, it was actually a nickname that represents a Japanese cartoon character from his favorite series he watched as a kid.
The former City legend is one of the most talented footballers that came out of Argentina. Martin Tyler once opined that the goal he scored against Queen Park Rangers in 2012 that crowned the Cityzens EPL champions was something that the fans will never see again.
I coined the nickname Kun because of my resemblance to the character, who was actually named Kum Kum.”
According to Aguero who says “his nickname is different in comparison to most athletes and the fact that he grows to appreciate it makes it’s unique because not every day an athlete is nicknamed after a cartoon character”.
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- El Matador – Edinson Cavani
When Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini signed Cavani from Danubio for €4.5m he wasn’t aware of how great he’s going to be for the Silician club.
The former Paris Saint Germain forward arrow goal celebration got him the nickname El matador which he earned during his stay at Napoli.
Cavani proved himself worthy everywhere he finds himself scoring on the grandest of stages and winning a golden boot in two separate leagues.
Though the Uruguayan is in the last stage of his professional career with United yet he’s still banging in goals with grits. Making a list of all of the top players that ever donned the Uruguay jersey, El matador will convincingly stroll into the list without qualms.
Fernando Torres – El Nino (the kid)
Carlos Valderrama – El Pibe
Paul Scholes – Ginger Ninja
Enzo Francescoli – El Principe (The Prince)
Michael Owen – Wonder Boy
Javier Hernandez – Chicharito or “Little Pea”
Eidur Gudjohnsen – Ice Man
Gennaro Gattuso – The Pit Bull
Pablo Aimar – El Payaso (the clown)
David Beckham – Golden Balls, Spice Boy, or Becks
Guillermo Barros Schelotto – El Mellizo (“the twin”)
Wayne Rooney – The White Pele
Diego Milito – El Principe
Nicolas Anelka – Le Sulk
Roberto Baggio – The Divine Ponytail
Shevchenko – Sheva
Roy Keane – Keano
Thierry Henry – Titi
Julio Baptista – The Beast
Steven Gerrard – Captain Courageous, Huyton Hammer
Dennis Bergkamp – Non-Flying Dutchman, (he’s afraid to fly)
Carlos Valderrama – ‘El Pibe’ means ‘the kid’ as well
Gabriel Batistuta – Batigol
Alfredo di Stefano – La Saeta Rubia (the Blond Arrow)
Diego Maradona – Pelusa (Dishevelled one)
Ronaldinho – means little Ronaldo
Hristo Stoichkov – the Dagger
Claudio Lopez – “El Piojo” (The Louse)
Dennis Bergkamp – “The Menace”
Javier Zanetti – The Tractor
Peter Schmeichel – the Great Dane
Eric Cantona – The King
Michael Essien – the Bison
Dwight Yorke – The Smiling Assassin
Esteban Granero – The Pirate
Franz Beckenbauer – The Kaiser
Ferenc Puskas – The Galloping Major
Eusebio – The ‘ Black Panther’
Paul Ince – The ‘ Guv’ nor’
Kevin Keegan – Mighty Mouse
Darren Anderton – Shaggy
Paul Gascoigne – Gazza
Jack Charlton – The Giraffe
Marco Van Basten – The Swan of Utrecht
Ruud Gullit – Il Tulipo Nero
Stuart Pearce – Psycho
Samuel Eto’o – Pantera Negra (the Black Panther)
Frank Lampard – Fat Frank, Super Frank
John Terry – JT
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Ibra
Carles Puyol – Tarzan
Francesco Totti – Er Pupone (The Big Baby)
Iker Casillas – El Gato (The Cat)
