World's most stylish soccer stars

New Delhi: Fashion and soccer go hand in hand. After all, the terraces of English football clubs were pivotal in the adoption of sportswear as everyday items. Yet, for as much pull as the fans have in the style sweepstakes, there are a few men in the history of soccer who were as stylish (if not more) off the field as they were on. Soccer style has seen a resurgence with the return of brands like Umbro to the American style scene, so we thought it appropriate that we'd count down, who in our opinion, stood out both on and off the pitch. 1. David Beckham Beckham is the first man to be on the cover of women's fashion magazine Elle. After winning his first MLS cup with the Galaxy in November 2011, Beckham re-signed for two more years with the Los Angeles team, turning down a more lucrative deal with the French club Paris-St. Germain. His endorsement deal with Adidas is the biggest in the sport thanks to royalties from soccer apparel and cleats as well as lifestyle lines like ObyO. Beckham is also considered one of the most stylish athletes in the world.2. Cristiano Ronaldo Portuguese International Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Spanish Champions Real Madrid and the Portugal National Team. Ronaldo is officially the most expensive player in the world. Real Madrid signed Ronaldo from English Giants Manchester United for astonishing £80m. Ronaldo is the famous athlete in the social networking sites which includes both Facebook and Twitter. He has modelled for Ermeneglido Zegna, Armani and Pepe jeans. 3. Gerard Pique Gerard Pique is a Spanish footballer who plays as a centre-back for FC Barcelona. A product of Barça's cantera, he initially left the club for Manchester United in 2004, where he remained for four years, before returning to Barça under Pep Guardiola's leadership, helping the club become the first ever to complete The Sextuple. Piqué is one of four players to have won the UEFA Champions League two years in a row with different teams, the others being Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa and Samuel Eto'o. Piqué has also represented the Spanish national team, making his debut on 11 February 2009. He played an integral role in the Spain team that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. Pique girlfriend is the famous singer Shakira. Pique is the brand ambassador for Mango, Nike. 4. Carlos Valderrama Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio, also known as El Pibe ("The Kid") is a former Colombian football player. His mesmerizing mass of flowing blond afro hair, coupled with his equally flamboyant and mesmeric technique on the ball, made him one of Colombia's most recognizable footballers, and arguably, one of the most recognizable footballers around the globe historically. 5. Ruud Gullit Ruud Gullit is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. He was a versatile player, playing in numerous positions during his career. Gullit was working to promote the Belgian-Dutch 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid. He was known for his famous dreadlocks and moustache. 6. Freddie Ljungberg (he posed semi-nude for Calvin Klein, became england's gay icon) Freddie Ljungberg once posed semi-nude for Calvin Klein, that made women swoon. He also became England's gay icon. A retired Swedish footballer, his last club was Shimizu S-Pulse after his contract was terminated by mutual consent. Ljungberg was captain of the Swedish national team until he announced his international retirement after UEFA Euro 2008. On 24 August 2012 Ljungberg announced his retirement from club football after a stint in the J-League after which he was contract-less for 6 months. Ljungberg was a model for Calvin Klein underwear until 2007. He previously represented brands such as Nike, Procter & Gamble, L'Oreal and currently represents Puma, ESPN and Pepsi, as well as running his own blog since October 2009. 7. Hidetoshi Nakata (known as Asia's Beckham, coulourful hairdo, models Calvin Klein underwear) Known as Asia's David Beckham, Hidetoshi Nakata is known for his colourful hairdo, and models Calvin Klein underwear. A retired Japanese football player, he was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation. Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S. Roma in 2001, played for Japan in three FIFA World Cup tournaments (1998, 2002 and 2006) and played in the Olympics twice (1996 and 2000). In 2005, he was made the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity, one of Italy's highest honors, for improving the country's image overseas. Nakata has also been involved in fashion, regularly attending runway shows and wearing designer clothing. In March 2004, Pelé named Nakata in his FIFA 100, a list of the top living footballers at the time. 8. Pep Guardiola Pep Guardiola is known for his elegant dress and a stylish trimmed stubble. He is a Spanish football manager who will become manager of German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich at the start of the 2013–14 season. Guardiola had played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona. He was part of Johan Cruyff's "dream team" that won Barcelona's first European Cup. He also played for Brescia and Roma in Italy; Al-Ahli in Qatar; and for Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico while attending managing school. On 8 September 2011, Guardiola was awarded the Catalan parliament's Gold Medal, the highest honour. On 9 January 2012, Guardiola received the 2011 FIFA World Coach of the Year award for Men's Football. On 30 June 2012, Guardiola quit as Barcelona manager, after achieving 14 titles in four years in charge of the club. On 16 January 2013, the management of FC Bayern Munich declared that Guardiola will join the club for the 2013-14 season after Jupp Heynckes retires in July 2013. 9. David James David James' hairstyles ranges from Afro to clean shaven, and he endorses Armani. James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bournemouth. On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He was capped 53 times by England between 1997 and 2010, and was first choice goalkeeper during both Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup. James also holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets, with 173.

World's most stylish soccer stars

New Delhi: Fashion and soccer go hand in hand. After all, the terraces of English football clubs were pivotal in the adoption of sportswear as everyday items. Yet, for as much pull as the fans

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