Soccer is a sport that demands a high level of physical fitness, coordination, and skill.
However, good vision is also a crucial aspect for players to excel on the field. For some soccer players, this means wearing corrective glasses while playing.
Since soccer is a contact sport, and according to FIFA rules, players are not allowed to wear any unauthorized items that may cause harm to another player. This includes spectacles or eyeglasses on the pitch, but they can wear contact lenses.
However, soccer players can wear eyeglasses off the pitch either for medical, lifestyle, or fashion reasons.
Hence, today we will take a look at some famous soccer players who wear glasses. This list includes both past and present soccer players who wear or wore glasses.
1. Edgar Davis
The former Dutch international was famous for wearing specialized goggles during a match due to his glaucoma eye problem.
The retired midfield player tried treating his condition with therapy and surgery before finally settling for special customized glasses he could be wearing on the pitch.
Davis wore it for most of his playing career during the 1990s and early 2000s.
2. Jerome Boateng
The former Bayern Munich defender is usually seen wearing sporty glasses, but it’s not just for stylish reasons.
Boateng wears them to also help improve his vision.
During a match, he usually wears contact lenses to protect his eyesight on the field of play and boost his vision.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar is undoubtedly one of the greatest soccer players of all time, having won a host of trophies and individual awards.
The forward surprisingly also has some issues with his eyesight and also wears glasses when he’s not on the field of play.
Ronaldo usually sports trendy glasses to match his unique fashion sense.
4. Kakà
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, better known as Kakà, is a renowned football player from Brazil.
With his natural talent for playmaking, he has made a name for himself in major teams such as Real Madrid and AC Milan, as well as in the Brazilian national team. Kakà has won both the Champions League and the World Cup, proving his skills on the pitch.
But there’s more to Kakà than his football prowess. Off the pitch, he can be seen sporting thin-rimmed glasses, revealing a different side to his personality.
In fact, he even modeled for Emporio Armani’s eyewear collection in 2009, showing off his sense of style.
Despite his success on the football field, Kakà’s passion for fashion and eyewear has also earned him recognition in the world of modeling.
5. Lilian Thuram
The former French international footballer has achieved almost everything there is to achieve in his sport.
He is considered to be one of the best wingbacks in soccer history.
Throughout his two-decade-long career, Thuram played a pivotal role in the success of the French national team. They won the World Cup in 1998 on home soil, and two years later, they also became the champions of Europe.
Off the pitch, Thuram has a passion for chunky black-rimmed glasses. However, he chose to wear contacts while playing on the field. Thuram has played for several top football clubs, including Juventus, Barcelona, Parma, and Monaco.
6. Alex Song
Alex Song is a retired Cameroonian professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He began his career at Bastia before moving to Arsenal in 2005.
Song made over 200 appearances for the Gunners and was then transferred to Barcelona in 2012. However, he struggled for playing time and was loaned to West Ham United for the 2014-15 season.
During his time at West Ham, Alex Song wore protective glasses because he suffers from an eye problem and dons the eyewear to prevent an infection.
7. Mario Balotelli
The enigmatic Italian footballer is known for his strength and skill on the ball.
Balotelli also wears glasses whenever he’s not playing due to his poor eyesight.
Mario is able to overcome this challenge by wearing contact lenses when he is playing.
This enables him to play with freedom without any serious hindrance to his vision.
8. Marek Hamšík
Marek Hamšík spent his career being recognised for his hair, with that sky-high mohawk becoming as much a part of the Napoli identity as the number 17 on his back.
But look through the archives and you’ll find a very different Hamšík: the one who steps in front of the cameras in a sharp pair of frames.
One clear example comes from 17 October 2011, when the Slovak sat down for a press conference at Napoli’s Castel Volturno training complex ahead of a Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
It’s a look he has returned to often at media events and public appearances.
He retired as Napoli’s all-time leading goalscorer and has since moved into coaching with the Slovakia national team, where the studious, spectacled look is less a style choice than a job description
9. Rinus Israel
Rinus is a retired soccer player who was active from the 1960s to the 1980s.
The former Dutch international was a defender during his playing.
Israel was able to play wearing glasses before FIFA regulations became more stringent.
10. Joop Van Daele
Van Daele is another Dutch player who was especially active in the 1970s. Joop was reported to wear glasses sometimes during a match.
There’s a particular story of the former Netherlands international wearing a pair during an international cup for his team Feyernord against Argentinean side Estudiantes.
It was said that an Argentinian player removed Joop’s glasses in protest when he was celebrating a goal he scored.
11. Joseph Jurion
Jef, as he was popularly known, was another player who wore glasses during a game due to his myopia.
Jurion was active in the 1950s-1970s and played for various clubs. The winger also featured for the Belgian national team between 1955-1967.
12. Annibale Frossi
The Italian footballer is recorded as the earliest player to have featured in a game while wearing glasses.
Frossi played for Italy at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
Annibale scored the decisive goals that won Italy the gold.
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