Well, religiously followed by billions of sports aficionados from all over the world, the game of football has undoubtedly evolved to become one of the most popular and prominent sports in the world. The glorious history of football, which spans over decades, has witnessed numerous legendary football players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and many others who have won millions of hearts from all over the world and grabbed enormous attention from football aficionados for their unmatched and dominant exploits on the field.
Interestingly, a few legendary football players over the years have continued to receive enormous fame and recognition even after announcing their official retirement from the game by joining the glamorous and glitzy world of entertainment. Have you ever wondered about the top-notch football players who became actors after completing their on-field journey? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four most iconic football players who became actors after announcing their retirement from the game.
Top 4 Football Players Who Became Actors After Retirement
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Eric Cantona
The legendary French former professional football player Eric Cantona is at the first spot in our list of the top four legendary football players who transformed into actors after announcing their official retirement. Often regarded as one of the most prolific forwards in the history of the game, Eric Cantona announced his official retirement in June 1997 at the age of thirty, leaving his fans in utter shock.
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Shortly after announcing his retirement from professional football amidst the kung-fu kick incident, Eric Cantona started off with his acting journey and played the role of a rugby player in his first movie, titled “Happiness Is in the Field (Le bonheur est dans le pré).” Later on, Eric Cantona went ahead and did numerous memorable roles in blockbuster movies, including Elizabeth (1998), Mookie (1998), The Children of the Marshland (1999), The Overeater (2003), The Second Wind (2007), Jack Says (2008), French Film (2008), Ulysses & Mona (2018) and many others.
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David Beckham
At the second spot in our list of the top four most iconic football players who became actors after announcing their retirement from the game, we have the legendary English former international football player David Beckham, who is often regarded as one of the greatest set-piece specialists of all time. Throughout his star-studded professional football career, David Beckham clinched a total of 19 major trophies and also established himself as the only English football player to win league titles in four different countries: England, Spain, the United States and France.
After announcing his official retirement from professional football in 2013, David Beckham took up cameo roles and garnered immense appreciation from the audience from all over the world. David Beckham’s acting career kick-started with a role in the movie “Goal.” Ever since, the former English football stalwart has been a part of numerous popular movies and TV series including Goal II: Living the Dream, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) and King Arthur deleted scenes (2017).
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Vinnie Jones
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four legendary football players who transformed into actors after announcing their official retirement, we have the British former professional football player Vinnie Jones, who played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chelsea, and Queens Park Rangers. Throughout his professional football career, Vinnie Jones played a record total of 200 games during two spells between 1986 and 1998.
After witnessing an absolutely glorious professional football career, Vinnie Jones announced his sudden retirement from the game in late 1998 at the age of 34. While fans were anticipating the British football stalwart to take up coaching roles, he left the fans stunned after he appeared in the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, which was released in 1998. Later, Vinnie Jones was seen in cameos as well as mainstream roles in various blockbuster movies including Snatch (2000), Mean Machine (2001), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).
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Frank Leboeuf
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four legendary football players who transformed into actors after announcing their official retirement, we have the iconic French professional football player Frank Leboeuf, who clinched the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 with the France national football team. Additionally, Frank Leboeuf clinched numerous domestic trophies during his iconic five years of stay with the Chelsea club. Frank Leboeuf announced his official retirement in June 2005 at the age of 37 after playing his last season in Qatar.
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Shortly after announcing his official retirement from professional football, Frank Leboeuf made his acting cameo in the movie The Price of Dreams, which was released in 2007. Moreover, Frank Leboeuf has also been a part of numerous popular movies, including Golden Goal! (2008), Caravaggio: The Search (2010), Allies (2014), The Theory of Everything (2014), The Eighth Sin (2015), I Love My Mum (2018) and Sur mon chemin (2023).
