In conclusion, some of the best football players in the world have also made the biggest impressions.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic won numerous trophies thanks to his well-known strength.
Hulk recorded incredible shot speeds while showcasing his strength with his arms and legs.
The best football players have a way of making a lasting impression on the beautiful game, regardless of the time period. Winning or losing games can frequently be determined by a player’s ability to dominate a striker, use strength to smash through on goal, or muscle off an opponent.
Football’s most physically fit players can force their way to the top, as seen by Yaya Toure’s dominant play in the middle of the park for Manchester City and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s muscular striker skills that won him trophies everywhere he went. Here are 12 of the greatest football players in history in light of that.
12Sol Campbell
Career Span: 1992 – 2011
A titan of a man, Sol Campbell is perhaps best known for being involved in one of the most contentious football transactions ever: his July 2001 move from Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal. However, do not allow that to overshadow your assessment of his superiority as a centre defender.
Over the years, England has been fortunate to have a variety of relentless defenders don the iconic Three Lions uniform, but none have been able to equal Campbell’s unparalleled physical prowess. Campbell, a two-time winner of the most coveted award in English football, was not only naturally powerful but also incredibly fast, which made him extremely difficult to beat in a foot race. Without a doubt, Thomas Tuchel would stop at nothing to have a player with his calibre in the present lineup.
The Career Statistics of Sol Campbell
Appearances in the workplace
720
Notable Club or Clubs
Newcastle, Portsmouth, Arsenal, and Tottenham
11Ade Akinbiyi
Career Span: 1993 – 2015
Someone failed to inform Ade Akinbiyi that cardio is known to ruin your gains. The retired Nigerian international was roughly 20 pounds larger than the typical football player in the late 1990s, standing 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 190 pounds at his prime. He gained weight while playing for Sheffield United, when he ended up on the bench following a fight with a teammate in the locker room after a defeat. He concentrated on the weight room as he had no time on the pitch.
His manager at Leicester City, however, eventually determined that the strapping center-forward’s inability to convert his chances was due to his weight training. Then, in an attempt to keep him athletic and fit for top-tier football, Steve Cotterill banned him from bodybuilding when he was at Burnley. In actuality, his body resembled an anatomy chart.
The Career Statistics of Ade Akinbiyi
Appearances in the workplace
506
Notable Club or Clubs
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Norwich City, Gillingham, Bristol City, Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Stoke City, and Burnely Notts County, Houston Dynamo, and Sheffield United
10Jan Koller
Career Span: 1994-2011
Given his immense size and stature, the 6′ 8 A true human lighthouse was Jan Koller. The Czech forward proved to be a skilled scorer as well as a forward who could bring others into action, making him a target for imaginative wingers and midfielders, particularly for teams like Lokeren, Anderlecht, and Borussia Dortmund.
The tall Koller scored 245 goals in 587 games during his career, including a national record of 55 goals in 91 games, demonstrating excellent poise, physical presence, and hitting skill. Koller frightened numerous hearts throughout the five countries he played in with his ability to hold off even the best defenders. For extended periods of his career, he was referred to as Dino because of his enormous size and raucous demeanour.
The Career Statistics of Jan Koller
Appearances in the workplace
678
Notable Club or Clubs
Cannes, Krylia Sovetov Samara, Borussia Dortmund, Anderlecht, Lokeren, and Sparta Prague
9Eusebio
Career Span: 1957-1980
The renowned Eusebio was one of the most athletic men of his era at his height. When Portugal landed for the 1966 World Cup, the British audience was astounded by the Mozambican striker’s size and skill since they lacked the technology and knowledge of other nations that modern times had.
He genuinely defied the stereotype of what a football player should look like and the preconceived notions about black athletes of the time. He was unlike anything they had ever seen. Eusebio, who was well-known for his speed, effectively blended direct sprinting, subtle cunning, and pure might. With 733 goals in 745 games during his career, he was recognised as Benfica’s greatest player of all time as well as a much-needed athlete for post-colonial Mozambique and Africa as a whole.
The Career Statistics of Eusebio
Appearances in the workplace
745
Notable Club or Clubs
Playing for Benfica and Lourenco Marques
8Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Career Span: 1999-2023
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a Swedish football legend and trailblazer, created his unique look by fusing aggressiveness and raucous brutality with grace and elegance. With 62 goals in 122 games, the strong Zlatan set a record for Sweden’s national team and complemented a club career with some incredible outfits that totalled 511 goals in 866 games, rewarding supporters with some very amazing moments.
Zlatan’s physical stamina and durability with AC Milan in the latter stages of his career are excellent examples of his strength. He was still able to jump over defenceless markers with ease, push off defenders, and even mix it up with Romelu Lukaku of Inter. He was 41 years old, and his work ethic and physical state were just relentless. When discussing his 2023 fitness regimen with GQ, the seasoned forward commented, quite appropriately:
“I have no trouble staying motivated since I enjoy being active. I enjoy pushing my body because it makes me feel fantastic, happy, and alive. I go to excessive lengths: I’m never content with something, therefore I constantly strive to improve.”
Statistics for Zlatan Ibramhimovic’s Career
Appearances in the workplace
988
Notable Club or Clubs
Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, and Malmo FF
7Yaya Toure
Career Span: 2001-2019
In the middle of the park, Yaya Toure displayed the same agility as peak Zlatan, who was an all-around talented forward. The Ivorian string-puller had the ability to shoot, slip past his markers, and pick the most obscure passes. This was only a small indication of his physical prowess, which was also evident in his powerful tackles and unending endurance, when he was slain.
Several commentators called Toure a “human train” and a “colossus” due to his exceptional midfield play, particularly with Manchester City. Toure earned four African Footballer of the Year honours and was rightfully considered one of the top players in his position in the world. The midfield hero earned 17 career awards, including six trophies in a single year with Barcelona and Manchester City’s first league win in 44 years, in addition to leading Ivory Coast to an AFCON success in 2015.
The Career Statistics of Yaya Toure
Appearances in the workplace
717
Notable Club or Clubs
Manchester City, Barcelona, Monaco, and Olympiacos
6Adama Traore
Career Span: 2013-Present
Adama Traore’s statements that he doesn’t lift weights aren’t entirely credible. Since his arrival from Spain to the British shores and Aston Villa, the quick winger’s physique has been admired, whether it is natural or trained.
The Premier League veteran, who joined Fulham from Wolverhampton Wanderers, has a striking appearance, but his strength extends beyond his broad biceps and commanding shoulders. He is sixth among the quickest football players in the world thanks to his strong, powerful legs, which allow him to sprint past wing-backs all across the nation and even reach speeds of 36.6 km/h. Traore discussed the significance of pace for his game in 2021:
“I believe it to be natural. Speed has always been my first priority, even as a little child. People don’t believe me when I say that I don’t lift weights because doing so may cause you to become slower in the future.
“If I can be strong in any aspect of the game and work with any part of my body, that will help me.”
The Career Statistics of Adama Traore
Appearances in the workplace
416
Notable Club or Clubs
Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Middlesbrough, and Barcelona
5Romelu Lukaku
Career Span: 2009-Present
Romelu Lukaku, a striker for Napoli and Belgium, was big and strong from a young age. He was so naturally tall that he dwarfed officials and opponents in youth football, and even caused opposing parents to wonder how old he really was. But after overcoming such obstacles, the striker’s goal-scoring ability and toughness made him a formidable opponent in the senior league.
Chelsea made a failed attempt to sign the Anderlecht star, but his physical strength and dynamism were demonstrated during loans to Everton and West Bromwich Albion, which launched a career that currently has over 300 goals. He is still Belgium’s all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 119 appearances, and his stature, power, physical build, and ability to hold up play with his back to goal have allowed him to pose serious defensive problems around Europe and the international arena.
Statistics for Romelu Lukaku’s Career
Appearances in the workplace
790
Notable Club or Clubs
Chelsea, Everton, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Roma, Napoli, Anderlecht, and West Bromwich Albion
4Danny Shittu
Career Span: 1999-2015
As one of seven siblings, Danny Shittu was reared in the “tough area of London’s East End” after immigrating to England at the age of seven from Lagos, Nigeria. His upbringing was anything but ordinary, but it gave him a strong will to succeed, and he was even on the verge of enrolling in college to study computer technology. But rather than enhancing his mental faculties, Shittu cultivated his passion for football and used his size to his advantage to become a formidable defender.
Despite having to write to more than 92 clubs at the beginning of his career, Shittu settled in with Charlton Athletic before eventually having a 16-year career. Known for his raucous tenures at Millwall, Watford, and Queens Park Rangers, he even made 32 appearances for the Nigerian national side. In 2014, Shittu casually dribbled the ball out of defence, and Bolton’s Darren Pratley bounced off him with ease, demonstrating his strength. The midfielder and the day’s analysts both laughed:
“Darren Pratley is having a good chuckle! “He ended up lying on Danny Shittu’s backside after attempting to go shoulder-to-shoulder with him.”
The Career Statistics of Danny Shittu
Appearances in the workplace
407
Notable Club or Clubs
Queens Park Rangers, Millwall, Watford
3Hulk
Career Span: 2004-Present
Getting the nickname “Hulk” requires a lot of discipline, but for Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, it makes perfect sense. The Brazilian, who is well-built for a football player, got his moniker because he resembles actor Lou Ferrigno, who portrayed the Incredible Hulk on the television program in the 1970s and used his absurd physical strength to intimidate defences in Brazil, Portugal, Russia, China, and Japan.
Hulk has scored more than 400 goals in his career and is described as “a direct powerhouse of a centre – or wide-forward who knows his way around the box” on FIFA’s official website. Hulk, who was gifted with a fantastic strike, once used a fantastic ripper into the top right corner to silence some racist Benfica supporters. In 2021, that one recorded an amazing 108 km/h (67 mph). He demonstrated that he is still capable at the age of 38 by scoring two free kicks for Atletico Mineiro in a single game, the second of which was reported to have travelled 119 km/h (about 74 mph).
The Career Statistics of Hulk
Appearances in the workplace
847
Notable Club or Clubs
Atletico Mineiro, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Shanghai SIPG, Consadole Sapporo, Tokyo Verdy, and Porto
2George Elokobi
Career Span: 2002-2022
As the manager of FA Cup champions Maidstone United in recent years, George Elokobi has shown himself to be a gentle giant with a loving heart. His on-field persona differs greatly from his time in the dugout. Elokobi, a muscular defender, had many obstacles during his career while playing for teams like Wolverhampton Wanderers, Maidstone, and Colchester United. But he scored goals in every tier, from the Premier League to the National League South, and won promotion four times because to his incredible tenacity and diligence.
Despite not being the tallest centre-back, the Cameroonian goalie made use of his strength and notably said something that was similar to what our previous subject, Adama Traore, had said. At one point, Elokobi told the Daily Mail:
“I avoid lifting excessive weights. Simply put, I’m strong. This is who I am. I don’t lift any weights or engage in any strength training. I will continue to look like this for the next two years if I do nothing. I am able to refine them. However, I don’t have to kill myself in the gym.
The Career Statistics of George Elokobi
Appearances in the workplace
361
Notable Club or Clubs
Colchester United, Maidstone United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers
1Adebayo Akinfenwa
Career Span: 2001-2022
The man at the top of this list resembles a bodybuilder more than a goal-scoring striker. Adebayo Aknifenwa, popularly referred to as “the Beast,” was a target man with a massive build and Football League notoriety after scoring some crucial goals for teams like Wimbledon, Wycombe, Northampton, Gillingham, Torquay, and Swansea. Although his 234 career total is very respectable, his strength and physique have given him a certain cult following.
Akinfenwa was able to further develop his “Beast” character after YouTuber KSI showed a preference for the striker’s in-form card on FIFA 12 Ultimate Team. He became a symbol of power for a generation and was frequently the strongest player in the video game. Renowned for his efforts to change the perception of football players, the affable Akinfenwa has fought against preconceptions and been influenced by the ‘Too large to play football’ mentality of the past.
The Career Statistics of Adebayo Akinfenwa
Appearances in the workplace
797
Notable Club or Clubs
Northampton Town, Gillingham, AFC Wimbledon, Wycombe Wanderers, Torquay United, and Swansea City
