The 20 biggest egos in world soccer

While everyone waits patiently for the European club season to start up again, we decided to take a look at some of the biggest egos in soccer.

Soccer, like every sport, is full of egos, some of them justified, some of them less so. This list is designed to rank the cockiest players and managers in the game — those who crave the media spotlight and always demand to be the center of attention.

To make the task somewhat more manageable, we’re limiting ourselves to current players and managers. George Best, Eric Cantona and Brian Clough are All-Arrogant Team legends, but they don’t make the cut here.

Candidates will be rated based on a number of factors, including flamboyant hairstyle choices, clashes with managers, interactions with media and playing/management style.

20. Dani Alves

Few players play with the type of flair and intensity Dani Alves does. He’s one of those players who leaves everything on the field, and sometimes that’s the problem. The Brazilian right-back is very confident in his abilities, sometimes overly so.

His hefty price tag includes his ego as well. Starting early in his career, Alves had problems when he felt his skill level was above that of his current team. At Sevilla, Alves had an issue with the president because they declined Alves’ preferred move to Chelsea. It’s a sure sign of a big ego when a player thinks he’s too big for his club, even if it’s true.

That was just the beginning of Alves’ rise however. Eventually, the Brazilian found himself at Barcelona, where players believe they are Gods among men. Barcelona oozes a sense of arrogance. Their tiki-taka style of play creates a natural confidence the players buy into, and Alves was no different.

He took the loss against Atletico Madrid in the semifinals of the 2015-16 Champions League to heart. Alves decided it was time for a change, and took himself and his ego to Italy to join champions Juventus.

While there, he excelled on the pitch, playing a crucial in another Serie A victory for the Old Lady and helping them to the Champions League final. However, he was released from his contract at the end of his only season, telling fans on Instagram, “I apologise to the fans of Juventus if they at some point thought I did something to offend them … I have a way of living things spontaneously that few understand.” Okay, Dani. Sure.