Ronaldinho comes to mind
Most charismatic footballers ever
- Thread starter GatoLoco
- Start date
Think I'd go for Maradona, Cantona or Cruyff. Some others who haven't been mentioned yet:
Ronaldinho (different kind of charisma, though)
Totti
Di Stefano
Raul
Pirlo
Buffon
Ronaldinho (different kind of charisma, though)
Totti
Di Stefano
Raul
Pirlo
Buffon
Trying to think of Chelsea's most charismatic, Gullit probably, super cool when when he was playing.
Most modern footballers are boring feckers. Zlatan is probably the most charismatic currently playing.
Most modern footballers are boring feckers. Zlatan is probably the most charismatic currently playing.
Obviously not in the all time list but for current players Grealish is up there.
Pogba is very charismatic too.
Pogba is very charismatic too.
Prosinecki.
Lee Sharpe has to be up there
Vinnie Jones seems to have a bit of charisma, love him or hate him.
Got to be Cantona, closely followed by the real King, Denis Law.
Other teams: Gunter Netzer, Rodney Marsh, Tony Currie, Frank Worthington (all from the same era)
From the modern day: Zlatan
Other teams: Gunter Netzer, Rodney Marsh, Tony Currie, Frank Worthington (all from the same era)
From the modern day: Zlatan
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Karim Rekik
Joey Barton
Jonjo Shelvey
Dirk Kuyt
Phil Jones
Jonjo Shelvey
Dirk Kuyt
Phil Jones
Giroud ?
Kahn was someone with an anger management problem, who went about his ways unchecked, because he was a Germany and Bayern legend. In football people like to equate bullying and abusiveness with leadership.
Choice of:
Cantona
Zlatan
Christiano Ronaldo.
Cantona
Zlatan
Christiano Ronaldo.
Maradona
Best
Gascoigne
Ronaldinho
Cantona
Zlatan
Best
Gascoigne
Ronaldinho
Cantona
Zlatan
Shearer? He's dull as dishwater isn't he?
Fritz Walter
Michael Owen springs to mind, I don’t think anyone has mentioned him yet.
Pogba is charismatic. Heard Julie Roberts gushing over him anyway.
Theirry Henry ... His was a cool charisma but you just felt he was the king of Highbury and you were in his house when you went there
Zlatan is more caricature than charismatic.
Zola was charismatic. Lee Sharpe, Ginola, Gazza, Pepe Reina, Henry, Eric of course. Pogba, Evra in many ways. Di Canio, Joe Cole. Maradona many have said. Seba Veron was a charismatic bastard everywhere he played apart from England, language barrier perhaps.
Zola was charismatic. Lee Sharpe, Ginola, Gazza, Pepe Reina, Henry, Eric of course. Pogba, Evra in many ways. Di Canio, Joe Cole. Maradona many have said. Seba Veron was a charismatic bastard everywhere he played apart from England, language barrier perhaps.
Dier and Wan Bissaka.
Maradona is the first player I thought of. He has bucket loads of magnetism and flamboyance. People are drawn to him. But I'm not sure if this counts as charm
How can you dismiss Zlatan as being charismatic then proceed to mention the likes of Pogba, Henry, and Joe Cole? They might have some swagger on a football pitch but they definitely are not charismatic off-field. Depends on what you mean by charisma though. On or off-field.
How can so many have an issue with Beckham being called charismatic? I think people have this idea that a colourful personality is charismatic, but it’s much more than that.
adjective
adjective: charismatic
exercising a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others.
"a charismatic leader"
It doesn’t get anymore charismatic than that.
There was something special about him from the moment he burst onto the scene. United supporters not thinking Becks is charismatic is madness to me.
adjective
adjective: charismatic
exercising a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others.
"a charismatic leader"
It doesn’t get anymore charismatic than that.
There was something special about him from the moment he burst onto the scene. United supporters not thinking Becks is charismatic is madness to me.
charismatic -
Exercising a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others.
A person who possesses special traits that attract, inspire, or fascinate other people : a person possessing charisma
Charisma
1: a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (such as a political leader)His success was largely due to his charisma.
2: a special magnetic charm or appeal
Oliver Kahn is charismatic in the same way as Roy Keane, Vinny Jones or Graeme Sourness.
Exercising a compelling charm which inspires devotion in others.
A person who possesses special traits that attract, inspire, or fascinate other people : a person possessing charisma
Charisma
1: a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (such as a political leader)His success was largely due to his charisma.
2: a special magnetic charm or appeal
Oliver Kahn is charismatic in the same way as Roy Keane, Vinny Jones or Graeme Sourness.
Pablo Escobar friend, kidnapper and scorpion kicker Rene Higuita deserves to be mentioned.
Cantona
I was thinking, when he's on the field; players looked at to him, and opponents respected him. But yeh, him as a pundit isn't shining with persona.
Best
Cantona
Maradona
Cruyff
Robin Friday
Cantona
Maradona
Cruyff
Robin Friday
I suppose it's because when he opens his mouth, all that on field charisma seeps away immediately. His monotone, drippy way of talking goes against him in the 'compelling charm' stakes.
James Milneymar.
I feel that charismatic players are incredibly rare. Leaders like Keane, hardworking specimens like Ronaldo and geniuses like Ronaldinho aren't really 'charismatic'. Players probably respond to them because they are good role models or just super inspiring. A charismatic player would be someone who is well-liked and respected almost regardless of skill-level. Someone who just steals all the attention when they walk in the room. Someone with charm in abundance.
It's very hard to make any conclusions, as we don't see the stuff happening behind closed doors. I guess interviews and on-field display from team mates is the only thing we can base this on. In which case: Zlatan is a good shout, even though he can be a bit of a dick. George Best is also a good shout.
EDIT:
And Cantona, of course.
It's very hard to make any conclusions, as we don't see the stuff happening behind closed doors. I guess interviews and on-field display from team mates is the only thing we can base this on. In which case: Zlatan is a good shout, even though he can be a bit of a dick. George Best is also a good shout.
EDIT:
And Cantona, of course.
Ok I was pushing it a bitFrank Stapleton is charismatic?
Come to think of it, I don't think it's possible to be charismatic in sport if you're not also very good. You could be charismatic off the pitch in a non-football setting, but that's hardly the same.
Charisma is being able to consistently land jobs and promotions ahead of stronger candidates, without playing dirty. It's the ability to get noticed in a positive manner without even trying. It's the ability to seduce people who are more conventionally attractive than you, purely based on your own being. In sports such charisma isn't really gonna take you far. Whether you're good enough or not is quite binary and whatever charisma you possess is gonna evaporate the moment you don't stand out professionally.
That also explains why it's so hard to think of charismatic footballers. 'Charisma' is probably as rare as 'talent' and 'work ethic'. The odds of someone having all 3(as well as luck!), is pretty slim.
Charisma is being able to consistently land jobs and promotions ahead of stronger candidates, without playing dirty. It's the ability to get noticed in a positive manner without even trying. It's the ability to seduce people who are more conventionally attractive than you, purely based on your own being. In sports such charisma isn't really gonna take you far. Whether you're good enough or not is quite binary and whatever charisma you possess is gonna evaporate the moment you don't stand out professionally.
That also explains why it's so hard to think of charismatic footballers. 'Charisma' is probably as rare as 'talent' and 'work ethic'. The odds of someone having all 3(as well as luck!), is pretty slim.
Poch was on MNF recently and he said the three most charismatic players he'd met in football were Maradona, Ronaldinho and ... Dele Alli 
Frank Stapleton? You mean Frank Worthington?
Half of that Chelsea team of the 70's were charismatic.
Osgood, Hudson, Cooke, Hutchison, Hollins etc. Chopper Harris would be pushing it a bit though.
Which stories are those? He was by all accounts a very, hm, unique personality that was solely focused on football (and even more so, on dribbling), who hardly had any meaningful interactions with anyone. If you're talking about the way he is/was cherished by Brazilians then it has more to do with his pure obsession with football/joga bonito as an opposite to a marketing-oriented Pelé; not with his individual charisma.
I loved Currie. The only player I didn’t instantly hate on signing for Leeds.
Marsh definitely. Stan Bowles also; he was an annoying tw@t but you couldn’t deny he had charisma.
Not Stapleton though. His predecessor Jordan maybe.