Soccer has always been a physically demanding sport. Every time the ball is in play, the players lunge into one another at high speeds, along with hard-hitting force, resulting in physical injury to the body and traumatic blows to the head.
In modern times, the round-leather game is less tolerant of aggressive plays, and while referees now enforce matches more strictly, there are still players who are very combative.
In this piece, TOP SOCCER BLOG presents you with the top 15 most aggressive soccer players of all time.
1. Joey Barton
Joey Barton is arguably the dirtiest player in Premier League history. His “hard man” style is reflected in the high number of fouls he has committed during his career.
He received 39 bookings and three red cards during his time at Manchester City alone!
Furthermore, Barton’s career and life have been marked by numerous controversial incidents and disciplinary problems, and he has been convicted twice of violent crimes:
In May 2008, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for common assault and affray during an incident in Liverpool City Centre. Barton served 74 days of this prison term. He is one of the few soccer players who went to prison.
In July 2008, he was also given a four-month suspended sentence after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm on former teammate Ousmane Dabo during a training-ground dispute on 1 May 2007. This incident effectively ended his Manchester City career.
Moreover, Barton has also been charged with violent conduct three times by The Football Association: for the assault on Dabo, for punching Morten Gamst Pedersen in the stomach, and for attacking three players on the final day of the 2011/12 season!
2. Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos is a physically strong player, combative, and aggressive tackler.
He is often criticised in the media for using excessive, reckless force while playing, as well as for his lack of discipline and tendency to pick-up an excessive number of unnecessary cards.
The Spaniard holds the record for most carded player in La Liga, with 191 cards. His 171 yellow cards surpass Alberto Lopo, the former record holder for La Liga yellow cards. The remaining 20 are red cards, making Ramos the most sent-off player in La Liga as well.
Moreover, his La Liga card record is higher than any other player’s in the major European leagues, making him the most booked player in all major European top divisions.
In the Champions League, Ramos has amassed a shocking 40 yellow cards and 4 red cards (3 of which were straight red cards), which makes him both the most-carded player and joint-most red-carded player in Champions League history.
The legendary Real Madrid defender is also one of the most red-carded soccer players in history.
Lastly, Ramos also holds the record for being the most carded player in the history of the Spanish national team, with 24 yellow cards.
3. Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso was famous for his high-energy, aggressive, combative, and hard-tackling style of play.
His tenacity on the pitch (exemplified by his fierce challenges and stamina) earned him the nickname “Ringhio” (Snarl).
In addition to his footballing abilities, Gattuso also stood out for his competitive spirit, determination, and leadership.
The Italian is considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders in football history.
4. Roy Keane
Noted for his hardened and brash demeanour, Roy Keane was ranked at No. 11 on The Times’ list of the 50 “hardest” footballers in history in 2007.
A powerful, dominant, consistent, and highly competitive midfielder in his prime, Keane was known for his work-rate, mobility, energy, physicality, and hard-tackling style of play — which earned him a reputation as one of the best players in the world in his position.
His playing style earned him a degree of notoriety due to his temper tendency to pick up cards, confront opponents, and commit rash challenges.
5. Pepe
Widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation, Pepe is a quick, aggressive, physically strong, and tenacious defender.
He was renowned for his tendency to pick up cards, as he has often shown violent or unsportsmanlike behaviour, which includes diving and violent challenges on the pitch.
6. Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong garnered a reputation for being a combative and feisty player in his days — a reputation that earned him nicknames such as “The Destroyer” and “Lawnmower.”
The Dutchman often drew criticism due to his feisty, physical, and combative playing style.
During an international friendly on 3 March 2010, De Jong fractured the leg of Bolton Wanderers’ American international Stuart Holden as the result of a late challenge.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, he kicked Spanish player Xabi Alonso in the chest, a challenge for which De Jong admitted he was lucky not to have received a red card.
On 3 October 2010, in a Premier League match against Newcastle United, a tackle by De Jong on Hatem Ben Arfa resulted in the latter being carried off the pitch with a double fracture of his left tibia and fibula.
In April 2016, while playing for the LA Galaxy, De Jong was involved in another controversial incident when a strong takedown led to Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe being removed from the field with an injury.
The tackle led to a 3-game suspension for De Jong after the disciplinary committee determined the action to have been “a clear and unequivocal red card.”
In December 2013, Spanish football website El Gol Digital ranked De Jong 10th in its list of the world’s dirtiest footballers.
Furthermore, his style of play earned him the title of the most violent footballer in the world, according to the French newspaper L’Équipe.
7. Vinnie Jones
Vincent Jones is a British former professional footballer, now turned actor and presenter.
Throughout his career, he gained a reputation for adding steel to a team with his highly aggressive and physically uncompromising style of play, earning him a “hard man” image on and off the field and on screen, where he is often typecast as violent criminals and thugs.
Jones was sent off 12 times in his career as well as holding the record for the quickest-ever booking in a football match, being booked after just five seconds for a foul on the opposition player Dane Whitehouse in an FA Cup tie between Chelsea and Sheffield United in 1992.
In his autobiography, he recalls: “I must have been too high, too wild, too strong or too early because, after three seconds, I could hardly have been too bloody late!”
In an incident in October 1988, Jones was famously photographed covertly grabbing Paul Gascoigne by his testicles during a league game for Wimbledon against Newcastle United.
8. Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith played as a defender at Liverpool for 16 years, from 1962 to 1978. He was known for his uncompromising defensive style, and manager Bill Shankly once said of him: “Tommy Smith wasn’t born; he was quarried.”
Smith used psychological ploys to threaten and intimidate opposition players.
He was nicknamed “The Anfield Iron,” and it was said that “Merseyside mothers kept his picture on the mantelpiece to keep their kids away from the fire.”
A common story stated that he “missed the 1978 European Cup Final after tripping on a pickaxe and injuring his foot. The pickaxe was a write-off”.
9. Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi was an aggressive, physical, and hard-tackling centre-back who was also known for his tight marking of opponents.
A controversial and provocative figure in football, he received more than 60 yellow cards and 7 red cards throughout his playing career.
Due to his temper and his heavy challenges, Materazzi was involved in several altercations with other players during matches throughout his career.
He was famously headbutted by Zinedine Zidane (who was punished with a red card) during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final.
10. Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes was known for being very capable of pulling the strings in midfield and dictating the flow of game.
But he was also a hard tackler, sometimes too hard a tackler.
Scholes received frequent criticism for his hard tackling, which was questioned for its potentially malicious intent.
The Englishman also had a terrible disciplinary record, amassing the fifth-most yellow cards in Premier League history with 97 and also receiving four red cards.
Paul Scholes was also booked 32 times in the UEFA Champions League, surpassed only by Sergio Ramos.
He is one of the few soccer players who retired and came back to play.
11. Luis Suárez
Often regarded by many as one of the best strikers of all time, Luis Suárez also has an aggressive, in-your-face, arrogant, and vicious side.
He has been widely accused of diving and his tendency to receive yellow cards.
Suárez is equally infamous for biting opponents on multiple occasions. In a Group D matchup at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he was shown to have bitten Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, resulting in FIFA suspending Suarez from all football activities for 4 months.
While playing for Liverpool, the Uruguayan bit Chelsea player Branislav Ivanović in a Premier League match and was punished with a ten-match ban.
In an earlier incident, while playing for Ajax, he was caught biting PSV player Otman Bakkal and was suspended for seven games.
Luis Suarez has also been accused of stamping on opponents in the Premier League and the UEFA Europa League.
Due to his diving, biting, stamping, and other antics, Suárez has been frequently labelled as a pest and a cheat.
In December 2013, Spanish football website El Gol Digital ranked Luis Suárez at fifth in its list of the world’s dirtiest footballers.
Irrespective of him being one of the most aggressive soccer players of all time, Luis Suárez is still among the greatest Uruguayan players ever.
12. Ryan Shawcross
Ryan Shawcross was known for his no-nonsense style of play and regularly crossed the line when playing against Arsenal.
In November 2008, Arsenal faced Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. Three Arsenal players were injured, but one tackle stood out due to its blatant maliciousness.
The ball was going out of play while Emmanuel Adebayor was shielding the ball. Shawcross aggressively stands on Adebayor’s ankle with the clear intent to cause injury. Shawcross succeeded as Adebayor could not continue and missed three weeks of action.
In January 2010, Arsenal faced Stoke in the FA Cup. Arsenal lost 3-1 in a tightly-contested game in which Stoke deserved their win.
However, one tackle stood out and warranted a booking, yet the incompetent Martin Atkinson allowed the foul from Shawcross on Cesc Fabregas to go unpunished.
There was no attempt to play the ball; Shawcross was late and only attempted to cause injury.
On 27 February 2010, in a match against Arsenal, Shawcross was sent off after his tackle left Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey with a broken leg.
Shawcross himself wept when he saw the extent of the injury to Ramsey, who had to be stretchered off and taken to hospital.
13. Diego Costa
Known for his fiery temperament, Diego Costa has been criticised and punished for several aggressive confrontations with opponents. He was nicknamed after bullfighter Curro Romero and the Tasmanian devil.
Costa always stands a risk of being booked due to his provocative and aggressive nature.
French newspaper L’Equipe named Costa as the most hated footballer in December 2015, based on his provocative and violent behaviour.
14. Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn was known for his eccentricity and charismatic leadership from the back, which often saw him call out his defenders whenever they made errors.
Due to his formidable presence, commanding influence, and aggressive playing style, Kahn was nicknamed Der Titan (“The Titan”) and vol-KAHN-o (“volcano”).
The German was feared by both opponents and teammates alike. His achievements, leadership, shot-stopping abilities, and tenacity has made him one of the greatest soccer goalies in history.
15. Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović was known for his strong mentality and leadership, as well as his extroverted and highly competitive personality.
The Swedish striker was often criticised in the media for his arrogance, aggression, and rebellious character, as well as his lack of discipline on the pitch — particularly early in his career.
His character has led him to be involved in confrontations with other players, some of his managers, and even reporters.
