Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Haaland: Top 10 worst football fashion disasters - in pictures


Stuart James
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Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the classiest players to have graced a football pitch. Between them, they’ve collected 12 Ballon d’Ors.

But genius doesn’t guarantee success when it comes to kitting themselves out.

The “Golden Shoe” is often on the other foot when dress sense is the name of the game. Here we tackle 10 of football’s worst fashion own goals.

No 10 - Cristiano Ronaldo

He may be the greatest goalscorer of all time but Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus legend Cristiano Ronaldo was guilty of a glaring miss with a multi-coloured mess of a sweater when he first signed for United in 2003.

No 9 - David Beckham

There was no skirting around the media storm when the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star stepped out in a sarong during England’s 1998 World Cup campaign. But a matching double-leather combo in 1999 was a real stinker from Becks and wife Victoria.

No 8 - Lionel Messi

The Argentine's career is full of football’s glittering prizes. But while his dazzling skills have lit up the world’s pitches, the shiny red suit he wore to the 2014 Ballon d’Or award ceremony had us reaching for the shades.

Liverpool's players in their infamous white suits on the pitch at Wembley before the 1996 FA Cup final against Manchester United. Getty
Liverpool's players in their infamous white suits on the pitch at Wembley before the 1996 FA Cup final against Manchester United. Getty

No 7 - Liverpool

Ah, yes, the original and some would say still the best football fashion foul – Liverpool’s white suits at the 1996 FA Cup final were a real loser. Needless to say, they went on to be beaten by Manchester United. A timeless classic.

No 6 - Hector Bellerin

Arsenal’s Spanish right-back, who spent last season on loan at Real Betis, got into a bit of a tactical mess with a get-up of bucket hat, fur-collared mac and pin-striped strides at London Fashion Week in 2019.

No 5 - Neymar

The Paris Saint-Germain star is the golden boy of Brazilian football. But the outlandish rig of silk jacket, baggy shorts and dodgy hat donned by football’s €222 million ($248.1m) record transfer was a world-class howler.

No 4 - Erling Haaland

Manchester City's £51 million ($63m) signing from Bayern Munich donned a garish suit that looked uncannily like it was in the red, white and black colours of his new club's bitter crosstown rivals United. Is there something you're not telling us, Erling?

No 3 - Tom Davies

Difficult to guess what was going through the Everton midfielder’s mind when he woke up in the morning and thought that a dressing-gown, cravat and pointy purple shoe ensemble was a knock-out for New York Fashion Week in 2020.

Mario Balotelli sports his 'chicken' hat in 2010.
Mario Balotelli sports his 'chicken' hat in 2010.

No 2 - Mario Balotelli

Why always him? The Italian has bagged a few hat-tricks in his time but the former Inter Milan, Manchester City and AC Milan star outdid himself with this hilarious headgear. His “chicken” hat from 2010 certainly ruffled a few feathers.

No 1 - Kalvin Phillips

The Leeds United and England midfielder is one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League and beyond but his "Quaver" boots were more likely to leave a bad taste in the mouth than to have fans hungry for more.

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Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

Results
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The biog

Siblings: five brothers and one sister

Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota

Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym

Favourite place: UAE

Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera

What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books

Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster

Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.

Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.

The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.

The five types of long-term residential visas

Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:

Investors:

A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.

Entrepreneurs:

A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.  

Specialists

Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.

Outstanding students:

A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university. 

Retirees:

Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.

Updated: June 21, 2022, 9:50 AM`