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Prepare for a wild journey into the world of football facial hair as FourFourTwo guides you through some of the most iconic beards and moustaches in the history of the game.
Players and managers alike from over the years feature here – including some of the very biggest names around.
Click on the right-hand arrow above to get started...
32. Jackson Irvine
The ultimate football hipster, Jackson Irvine leaned right into the vibe during his time at St. Pauli (of course he’s played for football’s ultimate hipster club).
A member of Australia’s 2018 and 2022 World Cup squads, the former Hull City midfielder also has some of the coolest tattoos in the game.
31. Mario Kempes
A great player with great hair and a great moustache, Mario Kempes inspired Argentina to glory at their home World Cup of 1978, winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot.
The legendary former Valencia striker wasn’t moustachioed for all that long, but he made sure his top-lip adornment was a memorable one.
28. Rene Higuita
You could be forgiven for thinking that Rene Higuita’s hair was a wig (it’s definitely not), but there can never have been any doubt about the authenticity of his moustache.
And the crazy Colombian goalkeeper – the man who famously pulled off a scorpion kick against England at Wembley – looks just the same now as he did during his playing days.
27. David Seaman
David Seaman looked best with a ‘tache before he entered his ponytail era, but the Arsenal and England goalkeeping icon’s lip warmer was a key part of his aesthetic regardless.
It helped that he had both when pulling off arguably the greatest save of all time: this truly mind-blowing effort to deny Sheffield United’s Paul Peschisolido in the 2003 FA Cup semi-final.
26. Carlos Valderrama
Carlos Valderrama’s peroxide afro is the greatest hairdo in football history – and the little extra perched above his top lip was almost as great.
As if that pair wasn’t striking enough, though, the cult favourite Colombian midfielder – captain of his country at all three World Cups during the 90s – rocked a cheeky little soul patch, too.
25. David Beckham
David Beckham hasn’t mixed it up with his facial hair to quite the same extent as he has with his hair hair over the years, but he sure can pull off a beard.
Not that anyone should be surprised… Whether during his career or in retirement, Becks has long been one of the game’s great trendsetters.
23. Ruud Gullit
The Netherlands’ 1988 European Championship-winning skipper, Ruud Gullit was one of the very best footballers of his generation.
He also had some of the very best hair in the game – and, to top it off, one of the very best moustaches, the perfect accompaniment to his enviable dreadlocks.
22. Rudi Voller
Ok, maybe we’re cheating here – because German legend Rudi Voller probably wouldn’t place as high as 19th if he hadn’t combined his moustache with a spending perm.
But do we care? Not one bit – a moustache is only as good as the hair which accompanies it (can we copyright that?).
20. Andrea Pirlo
Simply majestic to watch at his mesmerisingly metronomic best, Andrea Pirlo’s enviable locks made him one of the coolest men in football.
But then he grow a beard, and with it came an added authority (as if he wasn’t already among the world’s very best deep-lying playmakers at his peak).
19. Sergio Ramos
Notorious for his, er, antics on the pitch, Sergio Ramos has never looked more terrifying than when he really let loose with his beard.
At one point during the World Cup and Euros-winning Spanish defender’s Real Madrid ways, it was starting to consume his face – which was emblematic of his ‘no cares given’ attitude to the game, really.
18. Tim Howard
Tim Howard takes the honour of the greatest beard ever grown by a Premier League goalkeeper, and it took him from relatively baby-faced arrival at Manchester United to grizzled veteran at Everton.
Mind you, the former USA international was clean-shaven when he joined the elite group of Prem ‘keepers to get on the scoresheet, netting for Everton against Bolton Wanderers in 2012 courtesy of a wind-assisted goal-kick.
17. Olivier Giroud
One of the most dashing chaps in the modern game, Olivier Giroud has never been anything less than meticulously well-groomed.
That goes for the big Frenchman’s hair and his borderline outrageously neat beard – which he just looks totally wrong without, to be honest (come on – is this even the same guy?).
16. Olof Mellberg
Devastatingly handsome Sweden legend Olof Mellberg is another member of the ‘great Premier League beards’ club – and the ex-Aston Villa defender has kept his facial fuzz well into retirement.
In fact, it’s probably better now than it ever was during his playing days (maybe coaching gives you more time in the bathroom in the morning – who knows).
14. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi does not have the best facial hair in football – he can’t be number one in everything – but he stills comes out pretty well in that department.
It’s been a long time since the GOAT was clean-shaven (now, there’s an interesting image); maybe the beard made him even greater than he might have been without it? Hmm.
12. Gennaro Gattuso
Consistently moustachioed, Gennaro Gattuso mixed it up with the beard element of his facial hair – although the Italian midfield terrier usually incorporated some sort of goatee.
The AC Milan legend usually paired it with slightly messy long hair, but he did go for a buzzcut at one point – and the ‘tachetee’ (no one’s ever called it that, but maybe we can start a thing) remained.
10. Rigobert Song
If you’re going to bleach your hair hair, you might as well bleach your facial hair too, right? Well, that was clearly Rigobert Song’s logic.
The Cameroon great – former captain of his country and later manager – went all out with this utterly iconic look, which he showed off at the 2010 World Cup.
7. George Best
George Best’s beard enhanced what was already an utterly iconic aesthetic. One of the best players of all time, the Manchester United and Northern Ireland great was also one of the best-looking – let’s not beat around the bush.
And when he complemented his quintessentially 70s locks with some tidy facial foliage, well… The results speak for themselves.
5. Vicente del Bosque
It was a sad day indeed when Vicente del Bosque shaved off his famous walrus moustache – the one with which he coached Spain to 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 glory.
He’d had the wonderful facial embellishment since his playing days at Real Madrid back in the 70s, and he might just have been the last top-level manager to sport such a masterpiece.
4. Roy Keane
Roy Keane has been pretty much equally uncompromising as a player and as a pundit – but if there’s one thing which really differentiates between his two guises, it’s the beard.
He often had a little bit of facial hair going on during his Manchester United days, but the Irish hardman’s proper beard (which briefly became a moustache) is something else entirely – ranking top of FFT’s definitive countdown of his various looks.
3. Abel Xavier
If we didn’t know better, we’d say Abel Xavier much preferred blond over his natural hair colour… And, well, he wasn’t going to miss out his beard, was he?
The eccentric ex-Portugal, Liverpool and Everton defender had some quirky styles going on over the course of his career, but he was most recognisable for what resembled a mini lion’s mane encircling his mouth.
2. Rivellino
At last, we come to the greatest moustache in football history – that which belonged to Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning star Rivellino.
We say ‘belonged’; he’s kept it long into retirement. And, to be fair, why on Earth wouldn’t he? Every bloke wishes they could look this iconic, whether they admit it or not.
1. Alexi Lalas
Now, that is a goatee. Alexi Lalas, in all his ginger glory takes the crown for the most iconic football facial hair.
It made him the most recognisable player on the USA team which reached the last 16 of their home World Cup in 1994, and we can’t fathom why he eventually decided to get rid of it. Truly a work of art.
