With how many funny incidents in Football, its probably no surpise to hear there are footballers who are memes.
With memes being part of internet culture, especially on Instagram and Twitter.
It is quite hard nowadays for footballers to not end up being memed.
Now its worth noting for the most part not only are many of these funny.
But footballers will not only know about them, but it will also impact them too.
With more people learning more about the footballer.
Even those who don’t even follow the sport.
Now in this post, we are going to go over some of the most popular footballers who have turned in to memes.
Talking about where it all started, what memes exactly these are and the impacts of them.
So without further ado lets get right into it.
Table of Contents
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – Sui and Shoppee Advert
Starting of the list we have none other than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Known for his showboating, his crazy deal recently with Al Nassr and his goalscoring record, Ronaldo has been involved in many memes.
One in particular is the famous meme where he twists his finger in the world before jumping up to shout the word ‘Suiiiiii’.
Ronaldo has not only done this in interviews shouting down the mic.
But he will typically do this, or another variation each time the Portugease poacher hits the back of the net.
This meme has gone massively viral in recent years.
To the point, if you didn’t know who he was, you would at least recognise the ‘Suiii’ sound.
But being one of the greatest and most watched footballers means people will always find new things to take the mickey about.
So to give you another popular meme around Ronaldo, which you can see why it got so much attention due to how bizarre it was.
Was the advert with Shoppee in 2019.
Shown below, Ronaldo was pictured not only doing his ‘Suiii’ celebration.
But also bringing out the dance moves too.
Now with all these memes these have only increased his popularity online and expanded his reach.
You have the YouTuber Speed from America, primarily streamimg funny reaction/gaming content on Kick, who met the star earlier in 2023.
In which Ronaldo acknoledged both his awareness of the memes of him, but that his son talks to him about memes and content creators that are about Ronaldo.
2. Neymar Jr. – Theatrics
Neymar Jr. is one of the most gifted professional footballers of his generation.
However while the Brazilian player has a flashy playing style and is highly skillful, at a top level of the game.
Alot of the attention the winger gets, is thanks to his theatrics on the field.
This gets a mixed reaction unlike other memes.
Where people will diss Neymar for faking injuries and going down way to easy.
With fans clipping up matches, where Neymar has hardly been touched.
But is rolling round the field.
However this is part of Neymar Jr and his game.
Ever since he emerged on the stage at Santos, he has been known for doing stuff for attention.
From crazy hairstyles.
To celebrations, that later became a hit and became a toxic go to on Fifa.
Through to unnesscary skills, to wind up players in professional matches.
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Third Person
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a Swedish footballer who has recently retired at a incredible age of 41.
Still playing at the time at the highest level for AC Milan.
However while this great will always be remembered for his brilliance on the pitch.
Through his acrobatics, physical prowess and clinical nature anywhere in front of goal.
The Swede will also be known for his arrogance which has become a popular meme.
In interviews, Zlatan will often refer to himself in the third person.
It’s for that reason that the fans of culture have memed this, making everything inferior to Ibrahimovic.
Here is an image of just a few examples.
Which you will find under almost any YouTube video or social media post that features the tall Swede.
4. Paul Pogba – Dab
Paul Pogba has been rather quiet of late in the footballing world, with his unfortunate long spells on the sideline with injury.
However, despite his recent absence, the Frenchman was once one of the biggest memes in football.
In which if you did a certain action, you would straight away associate it with him.
What may this be exactly?
Well, it’s the Dab.
This was Pogbas signature move, which was essentially all about showing swagger on the haters.
It became quite mainstream with it being added to video games such as Fortnite and Fifa.
And just like how Zlatan’s memes can be found all over Instagram.
For a period of time, it was the only move people would do while recording themselves doing it.
5. Sergio Ramos – Overly Aggressive
Centre Backs are known for their physical type of play, where they will jump for balls aggressively to win headers.
However, arguably no player takes as far as Ramos, who makes sure to leave something on the player who is going up for a collision with.
Some of these are damn right reckless.
With him most notably having the most fiercest battles with Lionel Messi.
Which is arguably the most memed of the bizarre incidents Ramos has been involved in.
As whenever Ramos’s Real Madrid would play Barcelona, the Spanish defender would always target him.
6. Mario Balotelli – Why Always Me?
Mario Balotelli loved to be the centre of attention during the prime years of his career.
Over his spells at Manchester City and Inter Milan, he loved to make the headlines.
However, while he has set fireworks inside his bathroom.
As well as got sent off just minutes after halftime, despite strict instructions not to get red-carded.
Its one incident in particular that has been memed.
The ‘Why Always Me’.
This originated back in 2011 when the Italian striker took his top off to reveal an underlayer with the words ‘Why Always Me’.
Of which you can see below:
This meme has been used to express frustration and disbelief.
However, this isn’t the only Balotelli meme.
He has also taken his top off again to create another one called the ‘Balotelli Flexing’.
In has you can see below, he is tensing hard to portray the idea that he is really strong.
7. Pedro Neto – Very Falsee
Moving to more recent times we have the Pedro Neto meme, that went viral.
Taking place in a interview with SkySports where he alongside teammate at the time Conor Coady played True and False.
Neto went on to say that a statement was very false.
The way he was so adamant about this and said it multiple times.
Is what caused it to the rounds on social media has a funny clip.
With various different versions of the clips accumulating 100’s of thousands of views.
Here it is below:
8. Haaland – Bluntness + Why Not?
Erling Haaland has been doing a lot of talking on the pitch.
Scoring goals left right and centre, already making him one of the best norweigan footballers.
However when you take this to off the field.
Not only does he not say so much, but he is also quite cheeky and cocky with it.
Which is giving Zlatan vibes with how confident he is.
Currently, he is memed a lot for his blunt but funny remarks in interviews.
Another good example of a meme that has come from the Nordic striker.
Is his recent interview with the Independent newspaper alongside John Stones.
In which he put on a Yorkshire accent.
Quite an accurate one.
To imitate how the Manchester City centre half speaks.
It’s safe to say that Haaland is quite a character off the pitch, and I don’t think we will see the last of his memes.
9. Jamie Vardy – Ooo Danish Friends
A classic meme from back in, that always get to me is Jamie Vardy’s comments before a game.
This meme with now over 9 million views was created just before a fixture with Southampton at the King Power Stadium.
Hojberg approached Schmeichel to greet him before the sides walked on the pitch.
In which Jamie Vardy said ‘ooooo danish friends’.
This went viral due to its connection with the inbetweeners.
In which Vardy was essentially making fun of the fact they embraced each other, due to playing for the same international team.
Just like how everyone would take the mickey out of Jay in Inbetweeners for being friends with a footballer.
10. Lingard + Rashford – Yo Neymar its sunny innit
What was supposed to be a simple Q and A between Manchester United teammates Lingard and Rashford.
Turned into one of the biggest footballer memes, when Rashford was asked about his encounter with Neymar.
With the forward-facing off against the Brazilian in a friendly football match.
Rashford was rinsed for his conversational opener in the tunnel, in which was mocked by Lingard.
With the choice of Nike football boots, London nightlife and weather.
It was the latter that Rashford chose, which made a funny clip that has now been watched over 15 million times.
11. Unai Emery – Good Ebening
While not strictly a football player, Unai Emery the current coach of Aston Villa has found himself on the end of being memed.
This one is called ‘Good Ebening’ and originated when he started to do interviews during his time at Arsenal.
At the start of each interview he would start by saying good evening.
But due to his Spanish accent it would sound like he was saying a ‘b’ instead of ‘v’.
12. Kevin De Bruyne – Let Me Talk
Manchester City players would certainly not stop the talented Belgium from talking on the pitch.
Especially with his quality on the ball, however there was a rare occasion that resulted in KDB getting memed.
This happened after Manchester City beat Napoli in which he wanted to talk to the referee about why he got carded.
However both Fernandinho and David Silva surrounded him before ushering him away.
Just as you can see in the video below.
This clip went viral for the way De-Bruyne made it known he wanted to talk.
13. Marco Reus and Julian Brandt – ‘O Lets Go Thats Class’
For this meme that involves footballers, the german pair probably had no idea they would go viral for this reason.
After a twitch streamer opened a pack in Fifa 20, he thought he was going to get the highly rated Marco Reus.
In which he got excited and said the classic line ‘O lets go that’s class ahah huh’.
However only to find out that it was indeed wrong.
With him seconds later finding out that he got the slightly lower version card from the same club and country, Julian Brandt.
This happened over 3 years ago, however if you find yourself on social media you will never find yourself too far from finding this meme.
14. Divock Origi – Corner Taken Quickly
Last but not least we have one for the archives.
This being the Divock Origi meme.
That not only made him a Liverpool legend.
But made him a meme that would be watched by millions around the world.
Now the context of this one is Liverpool was down 3 nil on aggregate going in the second leg.
Of what was a Quarterfinal Champions League game against Barcelona.
After Liverpool pulled off the remarkable feat of bringing the game level at 3-3.
Divock Origi scored an impressive winner.
The ball was played in inquisitively by Trent Alexander Arnold catching everyone off guard.
Even the commentators who caught up to what was going to shout the famous words ‘Corner taken quickly, Origi’
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