Smartest footballers: A list of soccer players with the highest IQ

What is intelligence? Depending on whom you ask, this might be a difficult question, but according to the dictionary, it's the ability to think, understand and adapt. However, as shocking as it might be, researchers have found that footballers are some of the smartest people we have on this planet.

Researchers say you need superior intellectual faculty to become an elite footballer. This article suggests that only 5 per cent of people are better than footballers in creativity and working memory. Football has its fair share of brainiacs! Who are they? This article lists soccer players with the highest IQs.

Who is the smartest footballer in the world?

Contrary to the already-established stereotype that footballers are not exactly intelligent people, there are footballers with some of the highest IQs ever. To battle the stereotypes, we have compiled a list of known clever football players with the highest IQs.

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Smartest footballers

Socrates

Famously known as "Doctor Socrates", this late Brazilian captain symbolized "cool" for a generation of football fans.

He is the only known footballer to have completed a medical degree while he was playing. He is also known for his newspaper columns on sports, politics, and economics.

Romelu Lukaku

This Inter-Milan on-loan striker from Chelsea might be a top striker due to his technical prowess on the pitch, but a little-known fact about him is that he is brainy. This Antwerp-born Congolese star is a natural linguist, for he can easily speak up to eight languages.

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His mastery of English, Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese, German, Swahili, and native Congolese complement his public relations and tourism degree.

Glenn Johnson

His skills during his playing days might come as a mixed bag, but there is no denying that Glenn Johnson was one of the greatest players of his time. This star English right-back commanded some high-profile transfer fees during his time.

Away from football, he enrolled at Open University and studied for a degree in mathematics to solidify his commitment to education.

Simon Mignolet

Even though some may have divided opinions about this Belgian show-stopper, especially during his spell at Liverpool, where it was punctuated by inconsistency, there is no denying that he is one of the smartest footballers ever. Jurgen Klopp often praised him as the smartest goalkeeper he has ever worked with.

Apart from running a successful coffee house in his home country, he also holds law and political science degrees.

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Andrey Arshavin

This Russian pride proved to the world his worth as a footballer, but a little-known fact about him is that this former Arsenal superstar had a secret hobby in fashion design.

He graduated from St Petersburg State University of Technology and Design, where he studied clothing technology. He used his talent by launching his clothing line in his home country.

Giorgio Chiellini

This tenacious Italian defender might come off as a brute, but on the contrary, he is a geek at heart. He passed his high school exam with ease and later enrolled at the prestigious University of Turin, where he graduated with a business economics degree.

Before you continue to our top five picks, which consist of some footballers with the highest IQ, here are some notable players that are equally intelligent but could not make it to our list.

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Petr Cech- IQ score: 140

Not only does this former Czech show-stopper have the most clean sheets in Premier League history, but he also has a couple of trophies that sets him apart from other goalkeepers. He has won four Premier League titles, four FA cups, Europa League, and a Champions League.

His trophy cabinet and playing record is not the only thing setting him apart from other footballers. He is proficient in three languages; German, Slovak, and Czech, and he also graduated recently with a master's degree in business administration.

Juan Mata- IQ score: 142

Due to his numerous charities, this Spanish star is one of the most loved sports figures at the moment and also one of the smartest. While still at Chelsea earned a degree in journalism, and while at Manchester United, he obtained another degree in sports Science and finance.

Mario Balotelli- IQ score: 147

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This Italian superstar is probably a name that comes as a surprise to many. However, love him or hate him; Balotelli, or "Super Mario" as he is often referred to, is one of the athletes with the highest IQ.

Frank Lampard- IQ score: 150

Not only is this Chelsea legend one of the greatest goal-scoring midfielders in the game's history, but he is also brainy and is considered one of the smartest players ever to play football. His stint at Chelsea, both as a player and a manager, is nothing but phenomenal.

According to the Sun, this English star scored over 150 on an IQ test with Mensa, putting him among the 0.1 per cent of people on the planet.

Gerard Pique-IQ score: 170

For one of the only four players to ever win a UEFA Champions League twice, one would only mistake Gerard Pique for only being a football powerhouse, but according to his father, who spilled the tea to La Vanguardia, this Spanish star had an IQ score of 170. It is also worth noting that he studied Business economics at ESADE business school, one of the most prestigious business institutions in the world.

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What is the average IQ of soccer players?

The IQ of an average soccer player is about the same as that of an average person, which stands at 100. However, researchers recently discovered that what footballers lack in brains, they make up for it in skills such as dribbling, and finishing.

Who is the most educated footballer in the world?

Below is a compilation list of some of the most educated footballers

• Sócrates- Ph.D. in medicine
• Felix Owolabi Akinloye- PhD in physical education
• Duncan Watmore- Master's degree in international leadership, business, and management, together with a Bachelor's degree in economics and business management
• Patrick Henri Mboma- Double master's degree: mathematics and coaching
• Giorgio Chiellini- Master's degree in business management
• Romelu Lukaku- Master's degree in public relations
• Samuel Okwaraji- Master's degree in law
• Vincent Kompany- Master's degree in business administration

What is the IQ of Messi?

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Messi is one of the greatest footballers of all time. The topic of his IQ draws a lot of curiosity from fans. However, there is no official documented record of his IQ made public.

It will be unfair to assume that all the players mentioned above are the only hyper-intelligent footballers globally, for it has more to offer regarding its fair share of brainiacs. Even so, the smartest footballers mentioned above have debunked the existing stereotypes and proven that one cannot be constrained in one particular field.

READ ALSO: Who invented football? Fascinating facts about the origin of soccer

Sportsbrief.com recently did an article on the origin of football. With over four billion fans, football or soccer, as it is known in some parts of the world, is the most popular sport in the history of humankind.

So, who invented football? Click on the link above to find out!

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