Names of soccer legends
The first names of the players who made the world stop and watch: Pele, Ronaldinho, Zinedine, Messi. Each one is shorthand for a particular kind of magic on the pitch, skill that looked like joy.
Leo lion; famously borne by Leo Messi
Lionel little lion (French diminutive of Leo); famously borne by Lionel Messi
Diego supplanter (Spanish, from Santiago/James); famously borne by Diego Maradona
Cristiano Italian and Portuguese form of Christian; famously borne by Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo ruler's counselor (Portuguese form of Ronald); famously borne by Brazilian striker Ronaldo and by Cristiano Ronaldo
Kylian French form of Irish Cillian, traditionally linked to 'little church'; famously borne by Kylian Mbappé
Zinedine from Arabic Zayn al-Din, 'ornament of the faith'; famously borne by Zinedine Zidane
Andrés manly, brave (Spanish form of Andrew); famously borne by Andrés Iniesta
Xavi new house (Catalan short form of Xavier, from Basque Etxeberria); famously borne by Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernández
Iker visitation (Basque, honoring the Visitation of Mary); famously borne by goalkeeper Iker Casillas
Thierry ruler of the people (French form of Theodoric); famously borne by Thierry Henry
Didier longed-for, desired (French, from Latin Desiderius); famously borne by Didier Drogba
Samuel God has heard; famously borne by Samuel Eto'o
Sadio West African given name of the Mandé region, meaning uncertain; famously borne by Sadio Mané
Mohamed praiseworthy (Arabic); famously borne by Mo Salah
Neymar modern Brazilian coinage, shared with his father Neymar Sr.; famously borne by Neymar Jr.
Ricardo brave ruler (Spanish and Portuguese form of Richard); famously borne by Brazil's Kaká, born Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
Edson son of Ede (English surname); famously borne by Pelé, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento and named after Thomas Edison
Zlatan golden (South Slavic); famously borne by Zlatan Ibrahimović
Luka man from Lucania (South Slavic form of Luke); famously borne by Luka Modrić
Landon long hill (English surname); famously borne by US star Landon Donovan
Clint settlement on a hill (short form of Clinton); famously borne by US striker Clint Dempsey
Tim honoring God (short form of Timothy); famously borne by US goalkeeper Tim Howard
Franz German form of Francis, "Frenchman"; famously borne by Franz Beckenbauer
Johan God is gracious (Dutch and Scandinavian form of John); famously borne by Johan Cruyff
Eusebio pious, devout (from Greek Eusebios); famously borne by Portuguese great Eusébio
George farmer; famously borne by George Best and George Weah
Harry estate ruler (English pet form of Henry); famously borne by Harry Kane
David beloved; famously borne by David Beckham
Luis renowned warrior (Spanish form of Louis); famously borne by Luis Suárez and Luís Figo
Sergio from the Roman family name Sergius, of uncertain meaning; famously borne by Sergio Ramos
Paolo small, humble (Italian form of Paul); famously borne by Paolo Maldini
Francesco Frenchman (Italian form of Francis); famously borne by Francesco Totti
Karim generous, noble (Arabic); famously borne by Karim Benzema
Erling descendant of the jarl, heir of the chieftain (Old Norse); famously borne by Erling Haaland
Gareth gentle (Welsh, popularized by Arthurian legend); famously borne by Gareth Bale
Mia mine, beloved (Scandinavian and Italian pet form of Maria); famously borne by Mia Hamm
Marta lady of the house (Portuguese and Spanish form of Martha); famously borne by Brazil's six-time world player of the year Marta
Alexia helper, defender (Greek); famously borne by Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas
Megan pearl (Welsh pet form of Margaret); famously borne by Megan Rapinoe
Abby father's joy (pet form of Abigail); famously borne by Abby Wambach
Carli variant of Carly, feminine form of Carl (Germanic karl, 'man'); famously borne by Carli Lloyd
Hope hope (English virtue name); famously borne by goalkeeper Hope Solo
Alex defender of mankind (short form of Alexander and Alexandra); famously borne by Alex Morgan
Trinity triad, the Holy Trinity; famously borne by US winger Trinity Rodman
Sam short form of Samuel ('God has heard') and Samantha; famously borne by Sam Kerr
Ada noble, nobility; famously borne by first women's Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg
Michelle who is like God (French feminine of Michael); famously borne by Michelle Akers
Aitana from the Aitana mountain in Valencia, Spain; famously borne by Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí
Homare honor, glory (Japanese); famously borne by World Cup winner Homare Sawa
Christine French form of Christina; famously borne by Christine Sinclair, international soccer's all-time leading scorer
Julie youthful (French form of Julia); famously borne by World Cup winners Julie Foudy and Julie Ertz
Briana noble, strong (feminine of Brian); famously borne by goalkeeper Briana Scurry
Lamine West African form of Arabic al-Amin, 'the trustworthy, the faithful', an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad; carried across Senegal, Mali, and Guinea, and famously borne by Spain's Lamine Yamal, whose family roots span Morocco and Equatorial Guinea
Jude praised (English form of Judah); long a quiet biblical choice, it has climbed steadily with US parents since 2000 and now sits comfortably in the top 200; famously borne by England midfielder Jude Bellingham
Vinícius from the Roman family name Vinicius, possibly linked to Latin vinum, 'wine'; a beloved Brazilian classic via poet Vinicius de Moraes, and famously borne by Vinícius Júnior
Jamal beauty, grace (Arabic); a mainstay of African American naming from the 1970s through the 1990s, and famously borne by Germany's Jamal Musiala
Pedro rock, stone (Spanish and Portuguese form of Peter); a steady presence in Latino families across every US generation, and famously the given name behind Pedri, Spain's Pedro González López
Bukayo adds to happiness (Yoruba); Saka himself translates it as 'added joy' and says his grandmother chose it; famously borne by Arsenal and England winger Bukayo Saka
Ousmane West African form of Arabic Uthman, the name of the third caliph, of uncertain meaning; widespread in Senegal and Mali, and famously borne by France's Ousmane Dembélé
Aurélien golden (French, from Latin Aurelius); famously borne by France midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni
Rodrigo famous ruler (Spanish and Portuguese, from Germanic Roderick); famously borne by Spain's Rodrigo Hernández, the Ballon d'Or winner known as Rodri
Heung-min Korean given name written with hanja for 'rise, flourish' (heung) and 'clever, quick' (min); famously borne by Son Heung-min, whose surname comes first in Korean order
Takefusa Japanese, written with kanji for 'build' (take) and 'excellence' (fusa); famously borne by Japan's Takefusa Kubo
Endrick Brazilian take on Hendrick, from Germanic Henry, 'home ruler'; part of Brazil's long fashion for English-styled names, and famously borne by teenage striker Endrick
Kenan Turkish, from Arabic Kan'an, the biblical land of Canaan; also the name of a patriarch in Genesis; famously borne by Turkish prodigy Kenan Yıldız
Arda Turkish, traditionally linked to 'scepter, marker stake'; also the name of a river in Thrace; famously borne by Real Madrid's Arda Güler
Achraf most noble (Maghrebi French spelling of Arabic Ashraf); famously borne by Morocco's Achraf Hakimi
Serhou Guinean given name, meaning uncertain; famously borne by striker Serhou Guirassy
Federico peaceful ruler (Italian and Spanish form of Frederick); famously borne by Uruguay's Federico Valverde
Cole from an English surname meaning 'charcoal, swarthy', also a short form of Nicholas; a US favorite since the 1990s, part of the one-syllable surname wave; famously borne by England's Cole Palmer
Florian flowering, blossoming (from Latin Florianus, borne by a Roman saint); a staple in Germany, Austria, and France, and famously borne by Germany's Florian Wirtz
Kevin handsome birth (Irish Caoimhín, from caomh, 'dear, gentle'); a midcentury American giant that grandparents wore first, now global; famously borne by Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne
Declan Irish Deaglán, the name of a 5th-century saint of Ardmore, of uncertain meaning; a fast riser with US parents since the 2000s, and famously borne by England's Declan Rice
Christian from Christianus, 'a Christian'; famously borne by US star Christian Pulisic
Weston west town (English surname); one of the fast-rising surname names of the 2010s, and famously borne by US midfielder Weston McKennie
Alphonso noble and ready (variant of Alfonso, of Germanic origin); an American fixture a century ago, and famously borne by Canada's Alphonso Davies, born in a refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents
Gianluigi Italian compound of Gianni (John, 'God is gracious') and Luigi ('renowned warrior'); famously borne by goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon and Gianluigi Donnarumma
Khvicha traditional western Georgian name of debated origin, sometimes linked to a root meaning 'to shine'; famously borne by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Sophia wisdom (Greek); the number one US girls' name of the early 2010s, so today's young stars and today's toddlers share it; famously borne by US forward Sophia Wilson
Mallory from an English surname meaning 'unlucky' in Old French; American parents embraced it anyway in the 1980s; famously borne by US forward Mallory Swanson
Naomi pleasantness (Hebrew); famously borne by US defender Naomi Girma, the first million-dollar transfer in women's soccer
Linda soft, tender (from Germanic lind), long associated with Spanish linda, 'pretty'; the number one US girls' name of the late 1940s, a grandmother-era signature now rare on birth certificates; famously borne by Colombian phenom Linda Caicedo
Salma safe, peaceful (Arabic); famously borne by Spain's Salma Paralluelo, an elite junior sprinter before she chose soccer
Alessia defender (Italian feminine of Alessio, from Greek Alexis); famously borne by England striker Alessia Russo
Lauren laurel (English, from Laurence); a top-fifteen US name through the 1990s, now a young-parent generation marker; famously borne by England's Lauren James
Which of these fits YOUR family? →