A ranked list of the 10 best soccer players with afros

A ranked list of the 10 best soccer players with afros

Claudia Kogi
updated at November 5, 2023 at 6:17 PM
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Like most celebrities, football players have a lot of influence, especially on those who view them as role models. Your attention is presumably drawn to whether your favourite players will cross the ball or whether that tackle warranted a red card when you see them on the big screen. However, have you ever observed how flawless some of their haircuts are? Who are these soccer players with afros?

soccer players with afros
Axel Witsel(L), Matteo Guendouzi(C), and Hamza Choudhury(R) are some of the many players rocking the afro hairstyle. Photo: Joe Prior, Emmanuele Ciancaglini, Stephen White (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The origins of the afro cut can be traced in tribal Africa, when social roles, hierarchies, and status were delineated by hair. The 1960s black power movement was a force that sought to alter how the black community perceived its power and identity. It encouraged black involvement in politics and society and revived racial pride. Football players come in various hairstyles: simple, fashionable, oddball, and letting their hair grow in an afro.

The top ten soccer players with afros

The Afro hairstyle maintains its undeniable coolness to this day. Sports Brief has compiled a list of the ten famous soccer players with afros in football history. And like the game itself, this list is a diverse affair with representatives from different times, places and backgrounds.

Read on to find more information about the various soccer players with big afros in the football arena, including details about their ages, places of birth, and current teams.

10. Leroy Sané

Brazilian soccer players with afros
Leroy Sane of Bayern Muenchen during the Bundesliga match against FC Schalke 04 at Veltins-Arena on 24 January 2021 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Photo: Stefan Matzke
Source: Getty Images

Leroy Aziz Sané is a German professional footballer who now plays as a winger for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the German national team. His speed and dribbling prowess are well-known.

With a $45 million transfer price, Sané joined Manchester City in 2016 after making his professional debut for Schalke 04 in 2014. Ever since his debut at Shalke 04, Sané has gained notoriety for his afro haircut.

  • Full name: Leroy Aziz Sané
  • Date of birth: 11 January 1996 (age 27 as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Essen, Germany
  • Current team: Bayern Munich
  • Nationality: French, German

9. Marcelo

football players with an afro
Marcelo Vieira of Fluminense walks in the field during the second leg of the Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2023 semi-finals against Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium on 4 October 2023 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Photo: Max Peixoto
Source: Getty Images

Marcelo, full name Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior, is a professional football player from Brazil who plays left-back for Fluminense, a team in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A.

Marcelo is recognised as one of the best left-backs of all time because of his offensive prowess, cunning, and technical talents. With pride, the Brazilian has shown an afro throughout his final career. He is among the Brazilian soccer players with afros as of 2023.

  • Full name: Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior
  • Date of birth: 12 May 1988 (age 35)
  • Place of birth: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • Current team: Fluminense
  • Nationality: Brazilian

8. Luis Díaz

Lucho Díaz, whose real name is Luis Fernando Díaz Marulanda, is a professional football player from Colombia who plays left wing for Liverpool in the Premier League and the Colombia national team.

Before attending Atlético Junior, Díaz started his professional career at Barranquilla in the Colombian Second Division. There, he won one Copa Colombia, one Superliga Colombiana, and one Categoría Primera A.

  • Full name: Luis Fernando Díaz Marulanda
  • Date of birth: 13 January 1997 (age 26)
  • Place of birth: Barrancas, Colombia
  • Current team: Liverpool
  • Nationality: Colombian

7. Hamza Choudhury

soccer players with afros
Hamza Choudhury during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leicester City and Stoke City at The King Power Stadium on 7 October 2023 in Leicester, England. Photo: Stephen White
Source: Getty Images

English professional football player Hamza Dewan Choudhury is a defensive midfielder for Leicester City in the EFL Championship. Choudhury joined Leicester City and is a product of the academy. He spent two loan periods at Burton Albion to obtain professional experience, and since 2017, he has made over 80 senior appearances for Leicester.

  • Full name: Hamza Dewan Choudhury
  • Date of birth and age: 1 October 1997 (age 26)
  • Place of birth: Loughborough, England
  • Current team: Leicester City
  • Nationality: English

6. Axel Witsel

soccer players with a big afro
Alex Witsel of Atletico Madrid during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Atletico Madrid at Celtic Park Stadium on 25 October 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo: Joe Prior
Source: Getty Images

Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel is a professional football player from Belgium who plays centre defence or defensive midfield for Atlético Madrid in La Liga.

Although his primary position is as a central midfielder, Witsel can also play offensive midfield. He made his debut for Belgium's first squad as a right winger.

  • Full name: Axel Laurent Angel Lambert Witsel
  • Date of birth: 12 January 1989 (age 34)
  • Place of birth: Liege, Belgium
  • Current team: Atletico Madrid
  • Nationality: Belgian

5. Mattéo Guendouzi

Brazilian soccer players with afros
Matteo Guendouzi of SS Lazio looks on during the Serie A TIM match against Bologna FC at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on 3 November 2023 in Bologna, Italy. Photo: Emmanuele Ciancaglini
Source: Getty Images

Kenzo Mattéo Elias French professional football player Guendouzi Olie plays midfield for the France national team and Serie A club Lazio, where he is on loan from Ligue 1 club Marseille. Guendouzi's mother is French, and his father is Moroccan.

Milan, one of his brothers, plays football as well. Mae and Guendouzi were married, and their daughter, their first child, was born in May 2021.

  • Full name: Mattéo Elias Kenzo Guendouzi Olié
  • Date of birth: 14 April 1999 (age 24 as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Poissy, France
  • Current team: Lazio
  • Nationality: French, Moroccan

4. Marouane Fellaini

football players with an afro
Marouane Fellaini of Shangdong Luneng looks on during the AFC Champions League match between Johor Darul Ta'zim and Shandong Luneng at Larkin Stadium on 24 April 2019 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Photo: Allsport Co
Source: Getty Images

Belgian-born Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui is a professional football player for Shandong Taishan of the Chinese Super League. Fellaini, whose parents are Moroccan and who was born in Etterbeek, was a youth football player for Anderlecht, R.A.E.C. Mons, Royal Francs Borains, and Charleroi before signing with Standard Liège.

As a player for Liège, he won the Ebony Shoe and the Belgian First Division before moving to England to play for Everton.

  • Full name: Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui
  • Date of birth: 22 November 1987 (age 36 as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Etterbeek, Belgium
  • Current team: Shandong Taishan
  • Nationality: Belgian, Moroccan

3. Willian

Brazilian professional football player Willian Borges da Silva, also known as Willian, plays offensive midfield or left wing for Fulham in the Premier League. Before moving to Shakhtar Donetsk in August 2007 for a reported €14 million, Willian began his career with Corinthians.

He won four Ukrainian Premier League championships and the 2009 UEFA Cup during his six years with the team. After briefly spending time with Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013, he signed a £30 million contract with Chelsea, where he won the Premier League and League Cup in his second season in England.

  • Full name: Willian Borges da Silva
  • Date of birth: 9 August 1988 (age 35)
  • Place of birth: Ribeirão Pires, Brazil
  • Current team: Fulham
  • Nationality: Brazilian

2. Mohamed Salah

famous soccer players with afros
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Carabao Cup match against AFC Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium on 1 November 2023 in Bournemouth, England. Photo: Andrew Powell
Source: Getty Images

Salah Mohamed, an Egyptian professional football player (full name) Hamed Mahrous Ghaly, is sometimes called Mohamed Salah or Mo Salah, and plays as a right winger or striker for Premier League Club Liverpool and serves as captain of the Egypt national team.

He is renowned for his precise finishing, dribbling, and speed. He is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest African players of all time.

  • Full name: Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly
  • Date of birth: 15 June 1992 (age 31 as of 2023)
  • Place of birth: Nagrig, Basyoun, Egypt
  • Current team: Liverpool
  • Nationality: Egyptian

1. David Luiz

famous soccer players with afros
David Luiz of Flamengo gives instructions to teammates during the final match of Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2021 against Palmeiras and Flamengo at Centenario Stadium on 27 November 2021 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Photo: Ernesto Ryan
Source: Getty Images

At the second position among football players with an afro is David Luiz Moreira Marinho, who is a Flamengo professional footballer. He has played as a defensive midfielder in addition to his primary position as a centre-back. David Luiz joined Benfica after initially playing for Vitoria, where he spent five seasons.

Having won the UEFA Champions League in the 2011–12 season, David Luiz joined Chelsea in January 2011. He took home the UEFA Europa League title the following year. He is one of the soccer players with a big afro as of 2023 and has been listed as one of the funniest footballers of all time.

Full name: David Luiz Moreira Marinho

Date of birth: 22 April 1987 (age 36 as of 2023)

Place of birth: Diadema, Brazil

Current team: Flamengo

Nationality: Brazilian

Wrapping up

In conclusion, we realise soccer players with afros and those without have a significant impact on those who look up to and appreciate them. They are respected not only for their abilities on the field but also for their demeanour and personality. Some of the players with afros reap just as many awards as their fellow teammates without afros, as depicted above.

READ MORE: Who are the best football fans in the world? Top 25 ranking

Sports Brief published an article ranking the best football fans in the world. Without fans, the beautiful game would be rid of all flavour. With over four billion fans all over the globe, click the link above and discover which supporters offer the best support for their teams.

Authors
Claudia Kogi photo
Claudia Kogi
Claudia Kogi is a Kenyan content creator with over 3 years of experience. Claudia joined Sportsbrief.com as a writer in January 2022, covering sports and relatable content.