A nickname is a familiar or humorous name given to a person as a substitute for the proper name. Like other people, lots of soccer players also have unique nicknames.
Cristiano Ronaldo is CR7, Adriano is L’imperatore, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira is Ronaldinho, and Givanildo Vieira de Souza, is simply known as Hulk.
Some nicknames are personal choices of the players, while others were bestowed upon a player by their siblings, managers or supporters.
A good nickname can show the reverence fans or the media have for the soccer player; it can also demonstrate a sense of humor or simply just for fun.
Sometimes nicknames are ironic or funny, related to a player’s size or strength or hair or look. Some soccer players probably hate their nicknames, but nevertheless, it stuck with them.
Here, TOP SOCCER BLOG looks at 20 of the best nicknames throughout soccer history.
1. Edson Arantes do Nascimento (“Pele”)
Widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, Pele’s famous name was actually not his name; he was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento.
He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison. His parents decided to remove the “i” and call him “Edson.”
He received the nickname “Pelé” during his school days after mispronouncing the name of his favorite player, Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé.
In his autobiography released in 2006, Pele stated he had no idea what the name meant, nor did his old friends — and the word has no meaning in Portuguese either!
During his international career, the Brazilian legend won three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962, and 1970. He was the only player to do so and the youngest player to win a World Cup (17 years old).
Moreover, he was also nicknamed O Rei (“The King”) after the 1958 World Cup.
2. Diego Maradona (“El Pibe de Oro”)
Undoubtedly as one of the greatest dribblers in the history of soccer, Diego Maradona was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award — alongside Pele.
Due to his incredible talent, Maradona was given the nickname El Pibe de Oro (“The Golden Boy”), a name that stuck with him throughout his illustrious career.
3. Roberto Baggio (“The Divine Ponytail”)
A technically gifted creative playmaker and set-piece specialist renowned for his curling free-kicks, dribbling skills, and goalscoring, Roberto Baggio was one of the best players of his generation.
In 1999, he came fourth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll and was chosen on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002.
In 1993, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year and also won the Ballon d’Or.
Baggio is nicknamed Il Divin Codino (“The Divine Ponytail”) for the hairstyle he wore for most of his career, for his talent, as well as for his Buddhist beliefs.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (“CR7”)
Cristiano Ronaldo is most often called CR7, in allusion to his initials and shirt number. He is one of the best football players who wear the number 7 jersey.
The unique nickname has become a global brand for the Portuguese superstar. He has various sponsorships and businesses under the brand.
One of the world’s most marketable and famous athletes, Ronaldo was ranked the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016, 2017, and 2023, and the world’s most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019.
Time included him on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. He is the first footballer and the third sportsman to earn US$1 billion in his career.
5. Sergio Aguero (“Kun”)
Former Manchester City and Argentina striker Sergio Aguero was given the moniker Kun by his grandparents, who thought their grandson bore an uncanny resemblance to his favorite television program as a child — a Japanese cave-boy anime character.
“Kun actually represents a Japanese cartoon character from my favourite series that I used to watch as a child,” explains Aguero.
“I coined the nickname Kun because of my resemblance to the character, who was actually named Kum Kum.”
6. Eric Cantona (“King”)
Regarded as one of the greatest Manchester United players of all time, Eric Cantona is credited with having played a leading role in making Man United the dominant force in English soccer in the 1990s and has legendary status at the club.
A large, physically strong, hard-working, and tenacious player, the French forward combined technical skill and creativity with power and goalscoring ability.
Cantona was affectionately nicknamed the “King” or “King Eric” by Manchester United fans.
7. Javier Hernandez (“Chicharito”)
Javier Hernandez is known for his clinical finishing, along with his pace and technical ability, and is widely considered to be amongst the greatest Mexican soccer players of all time.
He is commonly known as Chicharito, meaning little pea in Spanish, and wears the name on his shirt.
This nickname is due to his father, Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, being nicknamed Chícharo (pea) because of his green eyes.
“Chicharito” is seen as the little version of his father, “Chícharo.” He is one of the highest-paid players the the MLS.
8. Ronaldo (“Il Fenomeno”)
Ronaldo de Lima is regarded as one of the greatest and most complete strikers of all time. He is one of the greatest goalscorers in World Cup history.
He was deservedly nicknamed ll Fenomeno (“The Phenomenon”). He was also sometimes referred to as “R9”.
The Brazilian was a prolific goalscorer, and despite being more of an individualistic attacker, he was also capable of providing assists for his teammates due to his vision, passing, and crossing ability.
Furthermore, he was an extremely powerful, fast, and technical player with excellent movement, as well as a composed finisher.
Highly regarded for his technical ability, Ronaldo was able to use both feet, despite being naturally right-footed, and is considered one of the most skillful dribblers in soccer history.
What a phenomenon!
9. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (“Baby-Faced Assassin”)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spent the majority of his career with Manchester United, playing 366 matches and scoring 126 goals during a successful period for the club.
He earned a reputation as a “super-sub” for his knack of coming off the substitute bench to score late goals, resulting in him getting the nickname “The Baby-faced Assassin.”
Solskjaer’s greatest moment was in added time at the end of the 1999 UEFA Champions League final when he scored the winning last-minute goal against Bayern Munich, with Manchester United having trailed 1-0 as the game passed 90 minutes.
Moreover, the iconic goal ensured the Red Devils won a historic treble that season.
10. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (“Ronaldinho”)
Born Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, the trickster was given the nickname Ronaldinho – “inho” meaning small – because he was often the youngest and the smallest player in youth club matches.
Ronaldinho won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d’Or and is said to be one of best playmakers in soccer history.
The Brazilian is the only player ever to have won a FIFA World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores, and a Ballon d’Or.
He is also nicknamed “O Bruxo” (“The Wizard”)
11. Fernando Torres (“El Nino”)
Due to his rapid progress into adult football and his consistent goalscoring rate as a very young player, Fernando Torres was nicknamed El Nino (“The Kid”), which stuck with him throughout his career.
In his prime, Torres was praised for his pace, accurate finishing, and proficiency in heading, and was named in the FIFA World XI twice.
Did you know? Fernando Torres is one of the youngest captains in football history.
12. Gerd Muller (“Der Bomber”)
A prolific striker, especially in and around the six-yard box, Gerd Muller is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of soccer.
Nicknamed Bomber der Nation (“the nation’s Bomber”) or simply Der Bomber (“The Bomber”), Muller used extreme acceleration and deceptive changes of pace to get to loose balls first and bypass defenders.
The German is considered by many to be one of the greatest strikers in soccer history.
With success at club and international levels, he is one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or.
14. Edinson Cavani (“El Matador”)
Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani was nicknamed El Matador (“The Killer”) due to his very clinical finishing.
He is also called Cazador (“Hunter”) because of his iconic celebration, in which he makes a gesture resembling a bow and arrow.
Cavani is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and one of Uruguay’s greatest players.
His career has been amazing and he is also one of the most underrated soccer players ever.
15. Franz Beckenbauer (“Der Kaiser”)
Franz Beckenbauer was nicknamed Der Kaiser (“The Emperor”) because of his elegant style, dominance, and leadership on the field, and also as his first name, “Franz,” is reminiscent of the Austrian emperors.
Beckenbauer is widely regarded to be one of the greatest players in the history of soccer.
16. Givanildo Vieira de Sousa (“Hulk”)
Due to his incredible physique, Givanildo Vieira de Sousa is famously known as “Hulk.”
Givanildo’s father, Djovan, who was a massive fan of Lou Ferrigno (the bodybuilder/actor who played the Incredible Hulk in the American TV series), affectionately named his son after the actor.
17. Ferenc Puskás (“The Galloping Major”)
Ferenc Puskas was nicknamed “The Galloping Major” due to his unique ability to maneuver and change positions quickly on the pitch by moving from inside left to center forward.
He was also able to dummy his opponents with fake dribbles and would confuse his markers by pretending to go one way before going another.
Puskas had excellent ball control, mostly with his left foot, and had a great first touch of the ball, giving very quick and precise passing and crossing.
18. Lev Yashin (“The Black Spider”)
Regarded by many as the greatest goalkeeper in the history of soccer due to his goalkeeping abilities, Lev Yashin was nicknamed the “Black Spider.”
He was known for his athleticism, positioning, imposing presence in goal, and acrobatic reflex saves.
He earned the nickname at the 1958 FIFA World Cup — the first to be broadcast internationally — where he dressed head to toe in apparent black (the color was actually dark blue).
Yashin remains the only goalkeeper to have won the Ballon d’Or (1963).
Also, he saved 151 penalty kicks during his career (more than any other goalkeeper in history) and kept over 270 clean sheets.
19. Lionel Messi (“La Pulga”)
Arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, Lionel Messi has won a record 8 Ballon d’Or awards. He is the player with the most individual awards ever.
He was nicknamed La Pulga (“The Flea”) or La Pulga Atómica (“The Atomic Flea”) due to his short stature, which gives him greater agility, allowing him to change direction more quickly and evade opposing tackles.
A flea is a small, wingless, parasitic insect renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities. _Literally, Messi “flees” away from opponents when on the ball!_
20. Zinedine Zidane (“Zizou”)
Zinedine Zidane was affectionately nicknamed “Zizou” — coined from his name — during his playing career.
He was an iconic playmaker renowned for his elegance, vision, passing, ball control, and technique.
He received many individual accolades as a player, including being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, and 2003 and winning the 1998 Ballon d’Or.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
Eusebio (“The Black Panther”)
Iker Casillas El Gato (“The Cat”)
Luis Suarez El Pistolero (“The Gunman”)
Javier Zanetti (“The Tractor”)
Nicolas Anelka Le Sulk (“Sulker”)
Stuart Pearce (“Psycho”)
Michael Essien (“The Bison”)
Frank Lampard (“Super Frank”)
John Terry (“JT”)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (“Ibra”)
Carles Puyol (“Tarzan”)
Lisandro Martinez (“The Butcher”)
Francesco Totti Er Pupone (“The Big Baby”)
