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If you play at an elite level, chances are that you will face some of the most gruesome injuries, because the passion, commitment, and the intensity that football has to offer is like none other. Some of the injuries the sport has given us are more than just painful, as they are heartbreaking for the players involved.
The game has the ability to make or break an athlete. Some footballers are labeled as being 'soft', but there are some players who have experienced an extremely gruesome injury but continued to play for the rest of the match, or even the rest of the season.
Our picks for 5 world-class football personalities who continued to play despite experiencing breathtaking injuries, will make you realise their commitment to the sport.
#5 Wilfried Bony - Swansea City - Torn ligament
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The Ivorian caught a lot of attention after the 2014-15 season, where his unparalleled performance with Swansea earned him a spot in Manchester City's squad. The striker however returned to Swansea in 2017-18, and ended up tearing his anterior cruciate ligament minutes after he came on the pitch against Leicester City.
At first, it was not understood by the fans and by the manager as to what happened after the unusual landing, but Bony continued to play for the rest of the match.
After the match, the news wasn't something really great for the Swansea supporters, as the Ivorian striker's injury was so severe that he was forced to not play for the rest of the season. The fact he continued to play despite being injured was something that worsened his injury.
#4 Stuart Pearce - West Ham United - Broken leg
'Fierce Pearce', as we like calling him, was often considered one of the most passionate football players in the history of football. The Nottingham Forest legend was one of the most feared defenders way back in the 80s. His skills as a center back earned him some of the most prestigious honors both as an individual, and as a team player.
One of the most 'hyper' footballers in the world, 'The Psycho', as the media labeled him, did something that was truly unbelievable. In a fixture for West Ham United, Pearce ended up breaking his leg in the first half.
Most football players would go to the hospital, but Pearce was like none other, as he decided to continue in the second half. Six months later, Pearce broke the same leg and refused to be stretchered off.
"He put his boots back on, and was ready to go. Even I couldn't run off such a bad injury" - Harry Redknapp on how Pearce wanted to continue despite having a broken leg
#3 Cesc Fabregas - Arsenal - Broken foot
One of the most important players in the history of the Premier League, Fabregas requires no introduction at all, as the Spaniard started playing for The Gunners at a very early age of 17.
His play-making abilities as a midfielder earned him the captain's armband at the Emirates, making him one of the youngest captains in the history of the sport.
However, the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals truly showed how strong this Spanish midfielder can actually be, as Fabregas claimed to have broken his foot somewhere at the beginning of the first half, yet the Spaniard ended up scoring a penalty, despite a career-threatening injury.
In addition, Fabregas also mentioned that he wasn't sure if his leg broke in the previous match against Birmingham, or in this particular fixture. Fabregas played till the second half when he was substituted.
"Some people think that I broke my leg in the match against Birmingham, but I really don't know. I think the injury became worse after I scored a penalty"
#2 Vincent Kompany - Belgium - Broken nose, broken eye-socket, concussion
One of the most important defenders for Manchester City, the Belgian International has been criticised for showing proneness to a lot of injuries.
In fact, he is easily one of the most injured football players in the history of the club. But that does not change the fact that the Belgian has won 3 Premier League titles in a short span of 8 years, making him one of the most decorated defenders in the league.
A lesser-known fact about the 32-year-old is that he once played an entire game of football with a broken nose, a concussion, and to make things worse, a broken eye socket.
After Belgium's clash against Serbia in 2013, Kompany looked as if he had been put through a wood chipper, but the passion and the commitment kept him on the pitch, as he made sure that he did finish the match as their captain.
#1 Ronaldo - Brazil - Seizures before the match
The former Ballon d'Or winner has had a splendid career not just with his national side, but also with clubs like Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. His performance as a world-class striker has earned him some of the most prestigious comparisons with football legends like Pele and Marco van Basten.
One of the most feared strikers of his generation, the World Cup winner made sure that he delivered every single time he stepped foot on the pitch.
However, a fact that isn't known by many is that the Brazilian legend just hours before the 1998 World Cup final reportedly experienced a 'fit', that had foam erupt from his mouth. He was forbidden to play by the doctors, but as his passion for the sport spoke through his actions, he did show up at the finals.
Though, Selecao ended up losing, they did respond to the French side 4 years later. As mentioned earlier, he was not cleared to play, and as a result, this fact generated a lot of controversy in the media, stating that Nike forced the Brazilian to play. However, both Ronaldo and Nike denied all the speculation.
