Tattoos and sport have a long history together, but you won’t just find them in boxing and on Dennis Rodman. Soccer players also sport some cool tattoos, and you can see a selection of the coolest tattoos in the sport listed below.
David Beckham
Beckham may just be trying to cover his whole body with tattoos. Aside from the typical loved-ones names (his kids and wife Victoria), he mostly has religious symbols on his skin, from a large cross spanning his back to an angel on his arm to Jesus on his side.
Deco’s Geisha
The Brazilian-born Portugal nation team player has a beautiful piece of artwork on his right back and shoulder blade. The portrait of a Japanese geisha is unique among soccer tattoos for its elegance and linework. Cherry blossoms and other details down his right arm complete the tattoo. As an artist on the field he pulls off this tattoo with his trademark elegance and style.
Diego Maradona’s Revolutionaries
The former national player for Argentina is reviled by England fans for the infamous “hand of God” that knocked them out of the World Cup in 1986, but nobody could deny his skills on the pitch. Controversy has always followed him with his exploits including drug abuse and legal troubles. The former coach of the Argentinean national team also decided to make use of tattoo supplies to show his politics – he has two tattoos of revolutionary Marxists, Fidel Castro on his leg and Che Guevara on his arm.
Landon Donovan’s Hummingbird
While he hasn’t reached the scale of LA Galaxy teammate David Bekham, Donovan does have a tattoo of his own. The simple hummingbird in flight is tattooed inside of his left wrist. The thing that makes the tattoo so cool is the fact that his wife has a matching tattoo of a nesting hummingbird on her wrist and, as Donovan says
“Hummingbirds mate for life and are monogamous, unlike humans.”
Stephen Ireland’s Wings
Like Djibril Cisse, Stephen Ireland sports a pair of wings on his back, but Ireland’s wings are easily three times larger. The Irish national team and Aston Villa player’s feathered wings stretch across the breadth of his shoulder all the way down to his hips.
Keep your eyes peeled during the next World Cup and you will see an international array of soccer tattoos. You might find the inspiration you have been seeking for the next tattoo of your own.
Guest Author Byline: Now that you’ve gotten more information about soccer players’ tattoos, your next step should probably be learning more about tattoo supplies. Post written by guest blogger Susan Connolly.