Every top football team requires certain players who don’t mind putting in a hard effort occasionally and doing the grunt work. Teams need someone who can’t let anyone get past them easily, but who also doesn’t mind yelling at referees and opposing players when needed, because not everyone can be Lionel Messi.
Although those players have the power to determine whether a team wins or loses, some celebrities have elevated that responsibility to a whole new level over the years. Throughout their careers, some players were shown more cards than you could find in a Hallmark store, and they are renowned only for how filthy they were on the field. Based on information from PopFoot and Transfermarkt, here are the 10 dirtiest footballers in the 21st century.
For good reason, Xabi Alonso’s extraordinary football intelligence has been the subject of much discussion over the years. When he was playing, few players could read the game in the middle of the park as well as he could, and now he’s doing wonders as manager of Bayer Leverkusen.
However, despite his brilliant grasp of the game, Alonso was still prone to occasionally toeing the line and occasionally making a hasty tackle. The Spaniard was given 195 yellow cards and six red cards since 2000, making him one of just nine players to receive more cards overall.
No. 9: Scott Brown has 212 total cards.
Scott Brown’s reputation as a football player is entirely founded on his toughness and dirtiness on the field. He was never scared to make some really hard tackles, whether it was for Hibernian, Celtic, or Aberdeen, and he was almost always given a card for it.
In the 2000s and 2010s, he was the ideal player to play for Celtic in some of the fierce Old Firm matches. In fact, he seemed to thrive in a hot environment and never shied away from it. In spite of this, he was prone to losing his head and received nine red cards in the twenty-first century.
No. 8: The Mascherano Javier
has 213 Total number of cards
Next up is Javier Mascherano, another legendary former midfielder for Liverpool. For the Reds and then Barcelona, the Argentine dominated the biggest stages for the majority of his career. Without him keeping the fort in the middle of the park, the teams he played for wouldn’t have been nearly as good.
Nevertheless, Mascherano had his problems, and occasionally he was a very filthy football player. He has earned his place on this list, for better or worse, whether it was for biting Jermaine Defoe during a West Ham United vs. Tottenham Hotspur game early in his English career or the sheer number of times he has been sent off by a referee. Mascherano was sent off 12 times in his career.
has a total of 214 cards
Raul Garcia made a good career for himself in Spain, but he’s not quite as well-known as many of the people on this list. He played for Osasuna, Atletico Madrid, and Athletic Bilbao over the course of 20 years, becoming a key figure in La Liga. He had a great eye for goal as an attacking midfielder and scored 151 goals in his career.
With 70 assists to his name, he was also a successful playmaker for his teams. Having said that, he also occasionally couldn’t help himself and received 214 yellow or red cards during the 21st century. His influence in the last third is demonstrated by the fact that he continued to be relied upon despite his lack of discipline.
Messi, Neymar, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta were given a lot of credit for Barcelona’s dominance in the twenty-first century. They are among the best football players of all time, and with good reason. The success of that team was also greatly aided by Sergio Busquets, who at Camp Nou became one of the world’s top midfielders.
Although he is one of the sport’s best passers, he also acts aggressively in the middle of the park and frequently dives in for a crunching tackle. As a result, 222 red and yellow cards have been dealt to him over the years, and since he continues to play today, alongside Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, this tally might keep rising.
Pepe is one of the few football players in the twenty-first century who has gained a reputation for being violent and filthy. The Portuguese legend has frequently been spotted putting his opponents through some really tough challenges, frequently without caring if they survive. He played at a very high level well into his 40s and was a threat for Real Madrid.
Pepe retired in August 2024, shortly after playing for his country at Euro 2024, but not before accruing 227 cards in his career, including 17 reds. He is one of the greatest Portuguese players of all time, and his presence will be missed now that he has hung his boots.
Throughout his career, Arturo Vidal has represented some of the world’s top teams. Over the years, he has played for teams like Juventus, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Bayer Leverkusen. Some elite football clubs regularly trusted him, so it was clear that he was doing something right. He won nine league titles in various nations and experienced success everywhere he went.
However, he also received numerous cards from referees for his vicious tackles in addition to that success. In the 20 years since he made his senior debut for Colo-Colo in 2005, Vidal has been dealt 245 cards. That number will likely only increase now that he is surprisingly still playing and back with the Chilean squad.
Dani Alves, who was once thought to be among the world’s best full-backs, had experienced both a booking and a dismissal. He played for Barcelona for nine years in two stints, contributing significantly to their success in the 2000s and 2010s.
Throughout his career, he won numerous awards while playing for Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. However, he was sent off 14 times during his time on the field, and he was shown 250 cards. After he was arrested for sexual assault in 2022, his career came to an end.
No. 2: Felipe Melo has 279 total cards.
Felipe Melo is undoubtedly one of the dirtiest football players on this list, even though his name may not be among the most familiar. Over the years, the midfielder has played for teams like Juventus, Galatasaray, and Inter Milan. At the age of 41, he ended his career with Fluminense in Brazil. On the field, he never held back and was frequently reprimanded by referees for his violent tendencies.
In addition to receiving 254 yellow cards during his career, Melo was sent off 25 times. Although he was a real liability at times, he was good enough to earn 22 caps for Brazil. He was appropriately sidelined for the final five league games of his career because of a suspension, having been sent off during a game vs Geremio when was a substitute.
Sergio Ramos is by far the dirtiest football player of the twenty-first century. With Real Madrid, PSG, Sevilla, and CF Monterrey, the Spaniard has been playing at an elite level for the past 20 years. He developed into one of the world’s top defenders during his tenure at the Bernabeu, where he played a pivotal role in their on-field success.
He has scored more than 100 goals in his career, which is a remarkable number for a defender, demonstrating his effectiveness in front of goal as well. However, he also demonstrated his capacity for aggression and ruthlessness.