Footballers Who Have Served In The Army

Footballers Who Have Served In The Army

Football is a great team and sometimes it seems like teams are going to war and only the one who can suffer on the field for 90 minutes will emerge victorious. But Did you know, there are several footballers who have had a career in the Army or military forces. 

Here is the list of footballers who have served in the Army

• Heung-Min Son:

  

  The South Korean star completed his mandatory military service in 2020, opting for a shorter three-week training with the Marine Corps due to his Asian Games gold medal win.

• Paolo Maldini:

  

  Before becoming AC Milan’s eternal No. 3 and one of the greatest defenders of all time, Paolo Maldini had another role to play: Italian conscript. Back when military service was mandatory in Italy (until 2004), young men had to serve whether they were future football icons or not. Maldini managed to juggle his rise in Serie A with basic training, proving that even the calmest defender in the world could swap sliding tackles for army drills.

• Kim Min-Jae:

  

  South Korea is famous for its strict military service rules. Every able-bodied man must serve, no exceptions, unless you bring home major sporting glory, which can earn you an exemption. Kim Min-Jae, now at Bayern Munich, did just that. His sporting achievements allowed him to complete his service in an unconventional way: remotely. Yes, the “Korean Wall” did his mandatory duty by logging in online for one to two hours a week after a short training camp. Defence is defence, whether it’s on a football pitch or a military network.

• Christopher Katongo:

  

  Christopher Katongo’s military connection runs deeper than a few months of training. The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations-winning captain for Zambia actually served as a Warrant Officer Class I in the Zambia Army. He worked as a sports officer at Army Headquarters while still actively representing his country. Katongo’s career shows that sometimes, being a leader on the pitch comes from real-life leadership off it too.

• Eric Cantona:

  

  The French legend served in the French Army for two years, starting in 1984, before his illustrious football career took off.

• Sir Bobby Charlton:

  

  The Manchester United and England great served in the Royal Army Ordinance Corps in 1956.

• Mohamed Salah:

  

  While he was eventually spared, Salah was at risk of mandatory service in the Egyptian Army in 2014, a situation resolved through governmental intervention due to his studies abroad.

• Bruce Grobbelaar:

  

  The former Liverpool goalkeeper had a challenging experience, serving in the Rhodesian Army during the Bush War before his football career.

• Lev Yashin:

  

  Before becoming one of the greatest goalkeepers, Yashin worked in a weapons factory in Moscow during World War II.

Also Read- 7 Oldest Active Footballers In 2025

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