List of Popular Sports Nicknames
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Der Panzer, Der Terminator
Lothar Matthaus was one of the most complete and most dominant footballers of the 1980s and 1990s.
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Fußballgott, Schweini, Mr Calm
Bastian Schweinsteiger is one of the greatest German footballers ever.
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El Toro, El Matador
Mario Kempes is the legendary Argentinian footballer, the central point of the team that won the 1978 World Cup, a tournament where he won the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball awards for being the top scorer as well as the best player.
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Melwood Grandmaster
Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of the most promising young footballers in the world.
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The Hoover, Dyson, Flaco, The Lighthouse
Fabinho is a Brazilian football player, one of the best defensive midfielders in the game.
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Non-Flying Dutchman, Iceman, Dennis the Menace
Dennis Bergkamp was a Dutch footballer with blistering pace, amazing dribbling and a breathtaking first touch.
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Mimi, Mr. Three Hundred Million, Mr. Five Percent
Mino Raiola was one of the most influential football player agents in history, adored by his clients and despised by almost everyone else.
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Carletto, Diva Whisperer
Carlo Ancelotti was a world-class footballer who turned out to be an even better manager. He is the only boss to have won the title in all the "big five" leagues: La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A and the Premier League.
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Arra
Achraf Hakimi is a footballer representing Morocco, who played for high profile clubs such as Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain before turning 22 years old.
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The Big Fundamental
Tim Duncan is a Hall of Famer and quite possibly the best power forward to ever play the game of basketball.
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Coach Pop
Greg Popovich is one of the greatest NBA coaches in history and is the record-holder for all-time regular season wins.
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L'Imperatore di Milano (The Emperor)
Adriano Leite Ribeiro is a polarizing Brazilian footballer who was considered one of the best players in the world during his time at Inter Milan.
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Peaky Jack
Jack Grealish is a professional footballer, who played for Aston Villa since he was six years old and is currently the most expensive English footballer representing the colours of Manchester City.
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Chef Curry, Baby-Faced Assassin
Stephen Curry is one of the best point guards to ever play the game of basketball.
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Beckenbonucci, Bonnie-Bauer
Leonardo Bonucci is one of the greatest football center-backs Italy has ever had.
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The Joker, Big Honey
Nikola Jokic is a Serbian basketball player currently dominating the NBA league as a center for the Denver Nuggets.
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Golazo, Witch from Denmark
Christian Eriksen is a professional footballer from Denmark, who has made his mark on European football by playing for high-profile clubs such as Ajax, Tottenham and Inter Milan.
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The Tank
Carlos Henrique Casemiro is a professional footballer who plays for Real Madrid and the Brazil national team in the defensive midfielder role.
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KG, The Big Ticket
Kevin Garnett, one of the best basketball players of all time, played as a power forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics for the majority of his career in the NBA.
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The Beast
Reece James is a football player who plays in the right back position for the England national team and Chelsea FC.
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Gufetto (Little Owl)
Marco Verratti is a central midfielder for the Italian national team and the Paris Saint-Germain football club.
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Gigio
Gianluigi Donnarumma is one of the best goalkeepers in the sport of football.
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Radio Jorginho
Jorge Luiz Frello Filho, aka Jorginho, is one of the best midfielders in the game of football.
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Zen Master
Phil Jackson is the most successful coach the NBA has ever had.
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Zeke
Isaiah Thomas was a legendary Detroit Pistons player and the NBA Hall of Famer, who was at the top of his game in the late 1980s.
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Ederzinho
Eden Hazard is a creative dribbler, one of the best footballers of his generation.
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The Gypsy King
Tyson Fury is one of the most popular and polarizing fighters in the world of boxing.
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The Sniper
The Dutch footballer, Wesley Sneijder, was one of the best midfielders of his generation.
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Zuti, the Yellow One
Robert Prosinecki was a technical and creative genius on the football pitch.
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Black Panther, Black Pearl, o Rei
Eusebio da Silva Ferreira is the best African-born football player ever.
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Belfast Boy, El Beatle, The Fifth Beatle
George Best was the world's first football superstar.
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The Swan of Utrecht
Marco van Basten was a Dutch superstar footballer who graced the fields of Ajax and AC Milan.
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Ice Man
Eidur Gudjohnsen is the most famous Icelandic footballer ever.
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Il Genio, The Genius
Dejan Savicevic was a football player with a magical left foot and when he felt like playing, he was unstoppable.
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Garcom, Ice Man, German Sniper
Toni Kroos is the German football superstar, who plays for Real Madrid in a central midfielder role.
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Zorro, Zvone
Zvonimir Boban is a legendary Croatian footballer, who spent his best years playing for AC Milan as a playmaker.
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The Wizard
Hakim Ziyech is a football star, capable of scoring stunning goals and providing the wow moments for the fans with his outstanding ball skills.
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The Glove
Gary Payton is the best player in the history of Seattle Supersonics basketball team.
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The Answer, A.I.
Allen Iverson was one of the most unique and charismatic players in NBA history.
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Dr. J
Julius Erving was the best player in the NBA right before Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan came into the league.
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KD, Slim Reaper
Kevn Durant is the best scorer in today's basketball.
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Il Magnifico
Lorenzo Insigne is an Italian football star, famous for his scoring instinct.
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Captain Canada
Steve Nash was the best basketball point guard at the turn of the millennium.
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Pepo
Federico Chiesa is the brightest young star of Italian football.
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Tall Baller from The G, Dirk Diggler, German Wunderkind
Dirk Nowitzki is considered one of the best power forwards in the history of basketball.
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The Waiter, Pink Panther
Toni Kukoc is by many considered the best European player of all time.
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Larry Legend, Kodak, the Great White Hope
Larry Bird is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, NBA Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
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Batigol, El Angel Gabriel
Gabriel Batistuta - The Only Player Who Has Scored Hat-Tricks on Two World Cups
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The Godfather
A great player and turned into a great manager is the best way to describe Antonio Conte.
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The Captain, The Tower from Power
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA all-time leading scorer and one of the greatest centers to play the game.
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The Admiral
David Robinson is one of the greatest NBA centers of all time.
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Sheva
Andriy Shevchenko was considered as one of the most lethal strikers who has ever played the game.
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The Professor
Clarence Seedorf is the only player in history who has won the UEFA Champions League trophy with three different clubs.
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The Red Beard, La Barba Roja
Xabi Alonso has won it all in world football.
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Bobby Manc, Mancio
Roberto Mancini is one of few people who has reached a legendary status both as a player and as a coach.
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King Kong
Giorgio Chiellini is one of the best defenders in the game of football today.
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Pinturicchio, Fantasista
Alessandro Del Piero is a true football legend in Turin and generally in Italy.
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Woody
Marco Reus is a German professional football player, a star of Borussia Dortmund and the German national team.
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Saint Lloris
Hugo Lloris is one of the best shot-stoppers in the game of football.
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The Rocket, Assist King
Jadon Sancho is one of the best wingers of his generation in world football.
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Edou
Edouard Mendy is a world-class goalkeeper representing the colours of Senegal and Chelsea FC.
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The Spider
Anderson Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter, considered by many to be the best to ever step foot inside the octagon.
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Xavi, La Computadora, The Puppet Master
Xavier Hernandez Creus, better known as Xavi, is one of the best playmakers that the game of football has ever seen.
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Pedri
Pedro Gonzales Lopez is a Spanish football sensation, one of the best players of his generation in the world.
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The Octopus, The Giraffe
Thibaut Courtois is a Belgian goalkeeper considered to be one of the best in the world.
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King Carl
Carl Lewis is an American track and field icon, one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all time.
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The African King, The Drog
Didier Drogba is undoubtedly one of the best football players that came from the African continent.
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Menino de Ouro (The Golden Boy), Hurricane Felix
Joao Felix Sequeira is the Portuguese football prodigy, one of the most talented players of his generation.
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The Professor, TT
Thomas Tuchel is a German master tactician.
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The Ginger Pele
Kevin De Bruyne, the Belgian international, is one of the best midfielders in the game of football.
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O Goleiro Gato
Alisson Becker is a Brazilian goalkeeper, considered by many to be the best in the world.
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Magic Johnson
Earvin Johnson Jr. is according to many the best basketball point guard of all time.
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The Punisher
Andre Agassi is an American tennis great with eight Grand Slam titles to his name as well as an Olympic gold.
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King Arthur (Rey Arturo)
Arturo Vidal is a Chilean professional footballer, considered to be one of the best midfielders in the world during his prime years.
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Dave
Cesar Azpilicueta is a complete football player, strong with pace, always there where he is needed and with a cabinet full of trophies.
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The Noodle (Fideo)
Angel Di Maria is one of the top wingers in the game of football.
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El Paso Doble
Luis Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo is a legendary Portuguese footballer, arguably one of the best midfielders in the history of the sport.
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Fraulein Forehand
Steffi Graf was the number one ranked female player who held that title for more than seven years, a record for both females and males.
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Boom Boom Boris
Boris Becker is a legendary German tennis player and a former number one in the sport.
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El Hombre Bala - The Bullet Man
Roberto Carlos is a Brazilian footballer considered to be the greatest left-back in the world during his playing days.
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The Golden Boy
Oscar De La Hoya is a boxing legend came into the spotlight at an early age by winning an Olympic Gold Medal.
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Pistol Pete
Petros Sampras won what was at the time a record 14 Grand Slam titles in professional tennis.
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Big George
George Foreman most certainly has had the career many would envy, both during and after his boxing days.
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Sir Charles, Round Mound of Rebound
Charles Barkley is one of the greatest Power Forwards/Small Forwards in the sport of basketball of all time.
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Croatian Mozart
Drazen Petrovic was voted the best European Basketball player in history. His number 3 jersey has been retired by the New Jersey Nets.
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Ronnie
Phil Foden is one of the most exciting young English football prospects on the world stage at the moment.
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Alleskonner, King Kai
Kai Havertz is undoubtedly one of the most exciting German prospects to come through in recent times.
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Little Milla
Samuel Eto'o is typically regarded as one of the best Afrrican players of all time.
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The Worm
While Rodman's post-NBA career has been... eventful, nobody can deny the impact he had on the league.
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The Don, El Matador
Luka Doncic at his young age has shattered record after record for his scoring and assisting, which only seems to indicate him going even further to the top.
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N,Golinho, The Rat
Because of Kante's never-ending stamina, he was given the nickname by teammate Eden Hazard.
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Champions League Varane
Raphael Varane is one of the best centre-backs in European football who has won quite a lot in his time.
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The Swiss Maestro
An active philanthropist and gracious even in defeat, Federer has to be recognized as one of the all-time tennis greats, if not the best.
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The King of Clay
Rafael Nadal has been one of the players to transform professional tennis over the past 2 decades.
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The Diesel
Shaquille o'Neal has to go down as one of the best players in NBA history.
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Pep
Josep Guardiola is one of the greatest football managers of all time.
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The Problem Child
Jake Paul has a controversial history to go along with the successful boxing career.
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O Monstro
Thiago Emiliano da Silva is more commonly known as just Thiago Silva and is one of the best football defenders of the past decade.
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Tiger
Is there a more famous golfer than THE Tiger Woods?
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King Eric
Eric Cantona is regularly recognized as one of the best players to play in the English Premier League, but he also regularly got in trouble for his lack of discipline.
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The Red Baron
Michael Schumacher is one of the best Formula One racers to ever step out onto the track.
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Billion Dollar Man
Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful to ever hop into a Formula One car.
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Der Titan
Oliver Kahn is routinely included in lists of the best goalkeepers of all time for a reason.
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Jewel of La Masia
Ansu Fati is undoubtedly one of the brightest players for Barcelona's and Spain's future.
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Raumdeuter
Thomas Muller is unarguably one of the best German attacking players to ever play the game.
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The Beard
James Harden is one of the NBA's most recognizable faces.
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The Predator
Francis Ngannou is known as the hardest puncher in UFC history.
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Djoker
Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly one of the best tennis players of all time.
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Pogboom
Paul Pogba is one of the most polarizing footballers in the modern day.
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Stevie G
Steven Gerrard is a name that plays with the heart strings of many English and Liverpool fans.
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Lightning Bolt
Usain Bolt is the only one to have won gold at the 100 and 200 m races at 3 consecutive Olympics.
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The Baltimore Bullet
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, dominating almost every swimming event he has attended.
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Vini
Vinicius Junior is making a name for himself with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
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Kun
One of the greatest strikers to play in the Premier League, Sergio Aguero has written his name in the legend books.
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Captain America
Christian Pulisic is one of the most famous American footballers in the modern day.
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Road Runner
Alphonso Davies is one of the most exciting prospects in world football.
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Mountain That Plays Tennis
Serena Williams is the greatest female tennis player to ever step onto the court.
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Pele in Skirts
Marta Vieira da Silva (Marta) is one of the most successful female footballers ever, especially for those not from the United States.
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Mr Chelsea
Mason Mount clearly has Chelsea flowing through his veins.
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Coco, Benzegoal, King Karim, Big Ben, KB9
Karim Benzema is one of the most successful French strikers of all time.
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The Black Mamba
Kobe Bryant was not only a legend of the game, but one of those players who was dedicated to 1 team.
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HurriKane
Harry Kane has cemented his place as one of the best strikers in the English Premier League.
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Air Jordan, Black Cat
Michael Jordan is one of the most famous athletes of all time.
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Le Buteur de Charme (Charm Striker)
Olivier Giroud is the second highest goalscorer for the French national team and has had a sparkling career so far.
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Baby Horse
Alex Morgan is one of the most influential women footballers of the modern day.
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Big Rom
Romelu Lukaku he has played for a few of Europe's most prestigious teams, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Inter Milan.
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Big Brother
Mauricio Pochettino has had a long career in the world of football.
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Kova, Il Professore
Mateo Kovacic is one of those players that catches the eye whenever he gets the ball.
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Bobby
Roberto Firmino is a name that should be familiar to many Premier League fans over the past several years.
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Radio Wanker
Starting as a non-league striker and working his way up to Premier League Champion is a tale that few can claim, but James Vardy most certainly can.
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Manu
Manuel Neuer is one of those goalkeepers that you can point at as a revolutionary one.
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The Prince of England
Marcus Rashford has played for United since the age of seven and broke into the first team in 2015 at the age of 18.
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Gigi
Gianluigi Buffon has led a career that has firmly planted himself as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, if not the greatest.
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The Milkman
It was at Sporting that Fernandes truly lit up and caught the eye, thanks to his quality and creative performances.
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Assist King, M10
Mesut Ozil, the creative midfielder garnered a name for himself as someone who could see passes that others couldnt, even from the age of 16.
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California Cool, TB12
Tom Brady is undoubtedly one of the greatest football players to ever step onto the field.
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Guerriero
Mario Mandzukic, the Croatian forward, has played for some of the best teams in Europe while also remaining a proficient goalscorer.
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Bones
Jon Jones has the distinction of becoming the youngest champion in UFC history when he won at the age of 23.
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Furia Ceca
Nedved is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to come out of the Czech Republic, yet he's also been a great footballer regardless of nationality.
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Menino
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior is the world's most expensive footballer. He has also done a pretty large amount of playing to earn that price.
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The Eagle
Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely considered as one of the best to have ever taken part in mixed martial arts (MMA).
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The Normal One
Jurgen Klopp has to be considered one of the best football managers in the world in the current day.
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Donatello
Kylian Mbappe is one of the most fascinating football players on the planet at the moment.
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Egyptian King
Mohamed Salah has experienced a rise like few other football players have.
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King James
LeBron James is one of those names that everybody knows. Frequently his name is thrown in with Michael Jordan as the best to ever play the game of basketball.
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The Notorious
Conor McGregor is an MMA fighter that has made his name by being both good at fighting and being loud.
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Sonaldo (Sonny)
Son Heung-min is one of the best players in the Premier League at the moment, and most certainly has achieved the status as one of the best players to come out of Asia.
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Zeus
Travis Kelce is a legend among Kansas City fans. Yet, he has also shown that he can make it at the highest level and perform for just about a decade in the red and white of the Chiefs.
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The Black Tulip (Il Tulipano Nero)
A legend of the game, Ruud Gullit most certainly left his mark wherever he went.
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Golden Balls
David Beckham is one of the most famous footballers of the 1990s and 2000s. He not only became a great player, but also a British icon thanks to his cool looks and general influence on culture.
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Bosnian Diamond (Bosanski Dijamant), The Swan of Sarajevo
Dzeko became the first player to score 50 goals for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also made over 100 appearances for them, making him one of the most celebrated players in their history.
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Cruyff of the Balkans
Luka Modric is the first player other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in a decade to win the Ballon d'Or award in 2018.
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Money
Floyd Mayweather is one of the most attractive names in boxing. His fights garner millions of views and consistently bring in some of the greatest amounts of money in the sport of boxing.
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Iron Mike
The story behind the nickname of one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time - Mike Tyson.
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El Matador
Edinson Cavani has been one of the most prolific strikers of the last decade.
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The Baby-Faced Assassin
His playing career consisted of scoring many goals in a rather small amount of appearances.
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The Tarantula
Dani Alves is one of the most tattooed defenders of all time, but he's also one of the most successful.
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The Golfer
Gareth Bale eclipsed the world record fee that Real Madrid paid for Cristiano Ronaldo.
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The Magic Dwarf
Philipp Lahm was one of the greatest defenders of his generation, and quite possibly of all time.
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El Tigre
Radamel Falcao is the all-time leading goal scorer for the Colombian national team.
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Le Petit Prince
Antoine Griezmann has gained his nickname based on one of the literary works by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
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Il Divino Codino
Roberto Baggio is considered by many to be one of the best Italian players ever, having scored 318 goals in all competitions, making him the 5th highest scoring Italian ever.
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Chicharito
Javier Hernandez is a Mexican striker who has the interesting aspect of being more widely known by his nickname.
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Leo, La Pulga Atomica
Leonel Messi is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever live. In fact, there's a very strong argument for him to be number one.
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Vatreni
The Croatian national team is one of the more successful smaller nationals in international football.
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Wazza
Whether it was his early antics as a teen, incredible goal scoring record or on-field aggressiveness, Wayne Rooney made sure that everyone in England had an opinion of him.
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La Furia Roja
The Spanish national football team is one of the most renowned in the world. Their success at the end of the 2000s and beginning of the 2010s is one of the most astonishing in the history of football.
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The Terminator
Erling Haaland is one of the most exciting players to watch in recent years. He has picked up nicknames like "The Terminator" thanks to his physical attributes like height and speed.
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Titi
Thierry Henry is one of the most legendary footballing figures, often being placed at the top of "Best Players in the Premier League" lists.
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El Capitan, Cuqui
Regardless of how you view Ramos and his playing style, he has to be regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.
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Fergie
Widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, winning more trophies than any other.
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Invincibles
Arsenal are the only team in the Premier League history to go the full 38-match season unbeaten.
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Le Professuer
Arsene Wenger is one of the most famous managers of all time, contributing enormously to the English game over the course of 22 years.
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The Special One
One of the most successful managers of all time - Jose Mourinho
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Maestro
The Barcelona playmaker Andres Iniesta is widely considered one of the best of all time thanks to his vision, dribbling and general versatility as a midfielder.
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El Tiburon
Carles Puyol is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.
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Ibra
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, aka Ibra, is known for his goal-scoring, his trophy winning and (perhaps most of all) his PR abilities and brash persona.
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LewanGOALski
Robert Lewandowski, nicknamed LewanGOALski, might just be the greatest striker of the last decade.
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CR7, Ronnie
Cristiano Ronaldo, aka CR7, is one of the greatest players the world has ever seen.
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Big Pete
Petr Cech is the Czech goalkeeper who became famous for his career at Chelsea FC.
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Er Pupone
Francesco Totti made his first appearance for Roma at age 16 and is the second-highest scorer of all time in the Italian top league.
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Il Capitano
Paolo Maldini, aka Il Capitano, is commonly found on lists of the greatest players of all time.
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Super Mario
Mario Balotelli is a name that will be familiar to anyone who paid attention to European football for the past decade. Whether it's from his notable goal celebrations, off-field antics or performances for the Italian national team.
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Robbery
Of all the winger duos ever to play the game of football, you'll be hard-pressed to find one as prolific as Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
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Turbo Timo
Timo Werner is one of the most exciting prospects for German strikers since Miroslav Klose.
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Super Pippo
Filippo Inzaghi scored so many goals that he got the nickname 'Super Pippo' or just 'Pippo' from fans and the media. He is the seventh highest scorer in Italian football.
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Il Maestro
Andrea Pirlo, nicknamed Il Maestro, is one of the most renowned midfielders to ever play the game of football.
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Three-Lungs Park
In Ji-sung Park, fans saw a player who didn't give up and didn't run out of energy. Despite frequent injuries, he is the most successful Asian football player in history, having won 19 trophies in his playing career.
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Kojak
The Italian referee Pierluigi Collina, aka Kojak, is almost universally considered the best football referee of all time.
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The Great Dane
Peter Schmeichel, aka The Great Dane, became known worldwide thanks to his performances for Manchester United and the Danish national team.
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Gazza
Paul Gascoigne is passionately remembered by many English football fans as one of the best attacking midfielders they have ever had.
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El Cholo
How did Diego Simeone, also known as El Cholo, get his nickname?
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Le Roi
Michel Platini, the three time Ballon d'Or winner, earned his nickname Le Roi (The King) for his performances on the pitch.
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El Nino
The career story of Fernando Torres, also known as El Nino (The Kid).
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Cafu
Cafu is the most-capped Brazilian player of all time, making 142 appearances for the football giants.
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Gaucho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, more commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaucho or just Ronaldinho was perhaps the most famous player of the 2000s thanks to his flair, creativity and attacking skill.
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Garrincha
The story of Manuel Francisco dos Santos, also known as Garrincha.
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Kaka
How did the Brazilian football player Kaka get his nickname? One of the most talented players to ever play the game.
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Pele
How did the famous soccer player Pele get his nickname? What is his real name?
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Zizou
How did Zinedine Zidane get his nickname Zizou?
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El Pistolero
Luis Suarez is one of the most famous strikers in world football.
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Il Fenomeno
How did Ronaldo Luis Nazario get the nickname Il Fenomeno?
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D10S Maradona
The meaning of the iconic nickname D10S is explained, when it comes to one of the greatest footballers of all time - Diego Armando Maradona.
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Der Kaiser
How did the nickname Der Kaiser come about, when it comes to Franz Beckenbauer, one of the most iconic German footballers of all time?
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San Iker
When discussing the greatest goalkeepers to ever play the game of football, the name Iker Casillas will most certainly come up.
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The Great One
Gretzky's level of dominance in the sport of hockey was second to none, and many of his records will likely never be broken.
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