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The World Cup is upon us and today kicks off over a month of international matches, starring the game’s leading names.
With so many 32 countries competing for glory, we can expect an eclectic mix of personalities.
The good, the bad and the outright entertaining will grace the stadiums of Brazil, but which are the key names to look out for?
We’re not talking about sporting prowess or skill, rather players that have more to them than meets the eye – whether friends with Mafia mobsters or impressive dancers.
We have rounded up our 11-man team of the tournaments key characters, from the controversial (Mario Balotelli and Luis Suarez ) and the angelic (thank everyone for Didier Drogba ) to those known for their excellent humour and hair.
Bad boys, peace-makers and drama queens - we present the biggest characters of World Cup 2014.
Show all 11 1 /11World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Luis Suarez, Uruguay One of the most controversial figures in football, Suarez most recently made headlines for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic on the arm during a Liverpool game. He is perhaps more famous, however, for stopping Ghana's Dominic Adiyiah from scoring in the final minute of the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals with a deliberate handball on the line – for which he was sent off. Other past misdemeanours have included making offensive gestures to Fulham fans, racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra during a Premiere League match and punching West Brom’s Chile defender Gonzalo Jara.
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Mario Balotelli, Italy Jose Mourinho once described Balotelli as “unmanageable”, such is the striker’s reputation for being difficult. His well-documented off-field pursuits are diverse to say the least; he has been known to fire air pistols in the open in Milan's Piazza della Repubblica; spend time with members of the Mafia; and to casually visit an Italian women’s prison to "have a look round”. He also famously once set fire to his own house after conducting his own fireworks display. Curiously, he was later made Greater Manchester's ambassador for firework safety and, even more oddly, was also celebrated with a 12-metre tall bonfire effigy of Balotelli was unveiled at Edenbridge’s annual fireworks display. The love life of Balotelli – also known as Super Mario – is a complicated affair. Although newly engaged to girlfriend Fanny Neguesha, he acknowledged that he was the father of his 18-month daughter, Pia, following DNA tests, and is currently fighting for visitation rights with ex-girlfriend Raffaella Fico.
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players David Luiz, Brazil One of the most carefree characters in football, Luiz is best known for his curly mane of hair, which has been likened to that of Simpsons character Sideshow Bob. Pictures of him having apparently shorn off his locks caused a stir on Twitter recently, but the photos, thankfully, turned out to be a hoax. Luiz, a devout Christian, is often pictured with his tongue out and making a thumb’s up sign, reaffirming his much-loved laidback and upbeat reputation. "Even if everything goes wrong, smile!,” he once said.
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Raheem Sterling, England Sterling hit headlines last year over allegations that he assaulted his former girlfriend after a night out in Manchester. The 19-year-old was cleared of the charges, after model Shana Ana Rose gave "disappointing" evidence in court.
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon Jose Mourinho was secretly recorded recently discussing the age of Eto’o, the captain of the Cameroon team, joking that the Chelsea footballer may be older than everyone thought. Not one to cause a rift, Eto’o made light of the situation and used the corner flag to help prop himself up after scoring in a Tottenham game, in the manner of an OAP.
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, Brazil Brazil’s golden boy, Neymar has been compared to footballing great Lionel Messi in terms of skill, but aptitude aside, he is worth watching for his post-goal Samba dancing. The 22-year-old is quite the mover; his 2011 video in which he danced in front of his teammates in the Santos locker room to the tune of Michel Teló's hit "Ai se eu te pego!" went viral and in 2013 he featured in a rap music video for MC Guime, entitled "Pais do Futebol".
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Chris-Smalling, England As far as unpolitically correct costumes go, Chris Smalling’s much-documented fancy dress ensemble was extreme to say the least. The Manchester United defender decided to dress as a suicide bomber for a Christmas party, strapping bottles of Jagermeister and Red Bull to his body as an elaborate play on Jagerbombs. He quickly apologised for his “insensitive” outfit and for any “offence caused”. It’s unlikely that he’ll wear anything similar during the tournament.
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast Drogba is on our list for more charitable reasons. He has been credited for having brought peace to his country, after calling to combatants in his native, civil war-striken country to lay down their arms – at which point reconciliation began. A United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, Drogba has recently urged for more action to be taken against malaria, one of the many missions of his charitable foundation which provides financial and material support in both health and education to African people. He also donates all that he earns from endorsements to building hospitals in the country. So impressive is he that Jeremy Clarkson controversially named his dog after him – probably the least impressive of Drogba’s achievements.
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal Even for those not into football, Ronaldo’s on-field theatrics are unarguably impressive – ranging from dramatic gesticulation and wild diving to pained, tortured expressions. He celebrated his winning goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final in May by ripping off his shirt, flexing his muscles and roaring. His famous self-confidence was demonstrated on a recent issue of Spanish Vogue, in which he appeared naked – his modesty covered by model girlfriend Irina Shayk – in a pose that would make Derek Zoolander look shy. “People are jealous of me as I am young handsome and rich,” he said in 2011, but he recently argued that he has matured since then and no longer feels the same way.
World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Wayne Rooney, England Rooney has received much flak for apparently not deserving his place on the England squad (not that Jose Mourniho agrees), but what would the nation’s team without its hot-headed striker? He has a firm reputation for losing his temper on the pitch and with the press, mainly during the earlier stages of his career. His private life has been marred with a string of infidelity rumours, but he remains married to Coleen Rooney with whom he has two children.
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World Cup 2014: The most entertaining and controversial players Raul Meireles, Portugal Arguably one of the most dapper players in the World Cup 2014 tournament, Meireles is one of the only tournament’s footballers to own his own clothes shop. The midfielder’s love of fashion is no secret; he married wife Ivone wearing matching the same high-end designer Fatima Lopez. Easily recognisable by his bushy beard and tattoos (he once said he wanted to win the “tattoos championship”, he opened a small fashion store in Ermesinde, Portugal, in 2012.
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