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Football is a game of raw emotions, unbounded passion and relentless drama. At the top most level, it is difficult to satisfy the hunger of a professional footballer who has tasted victory once. Their ego, nurtured with utmost conviction, propels them towards greater heights and major silverware, repeatedly.
Fans join their favorites in the stadiums and on various other platforms to show support, demand more intensity and chase glory as a unit. Sure, football is a team sport, but every individual who watches the game as an audience identifies with someone on the field.
And that is the beginning of favoritism, sometimes temporary, which vanes with fading contributions, sometimes endless, which is survived by innate liking. Now 'hate' is a strong word, one that is even more harmfully propogated in today's age.
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But the spectators must not be taken for fools, they judge everything keeping the spirit of the game in mind. In that case, any shenanigans and antics which are unnecessary, manipulative and sneaky are hardly ever appreciated and invite strong emotions of dislike.
Some footballers have unfortunately been on the receiving end of those negative emotions, sometimes for warranted reasons while sometimes for just being who they are. Here are the five most hated footballers in the world right now.
#5 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City/England)
England international and Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling is one of the most hated players in the country. There have been hateful comments directed towards him numerous times on social media platforms recently. The player has unfortunately been on the receiving end of racist abuse as well.
Sterling's playing style has not been easy on the eye as a winger and his running action is quite unnatural. Although that is all nature's doing, Sterling has been trolled for it and rudely treated for the same. However, not all of it is uncalled for and the forward has been correctly criticized for his intentions of diving.
While the game is being played at a frantic pace one can be forgiven for making rash choices, what fans refuse to forgive players for is the act of simulation. The 27-year old has often been found looking for a touch to go down in the penalty area and has gone down on the softest contact.
The most recent incident of Sterling getting bashed on social media for the same came at Euro 2020. In the semi-final, the English forward dived to win a penalty with the score poised at 1-1. The resulting penalty helped the Three Lions reach the finals. Danish and Italian fans were extremely upset with the 27-year old.
Even Manchester City fans themselves have booed the winger. In 2020, two City supporters were banned from the stadium for racially abusing Sterling. Back in 2018, the player was the victim of racial abuse at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea banned those who were responsible.
Sterling is and continues to be one of the most polarizing figures in English football.
#4 Mario Balotelli (Adana Demirspor/Italy)
A man who holds little regard for others' emotions, Mario Balotelli has always divided opinions among football fans. The Italian has a boastful CV in terms of the clubs he has been with - AC Milan, Inter Milan, Manchester City and even Liverpool are just some of the top clubs he has played for.
Yet most managers who have managed him and the players he has played with will tell you that Balotelli never reached his ceiling. It was all down to his attitude. A provocative figure, the striker knew exactly how to annoy opposition players and crowds in the stadium.
His celebrations in the most tense and high stakes games, the way he threw tantrums on a few other occasions, were all traits of his personality. The 31-year old was being his usual unapologetic self on all those occurrences, but continued making enemies throughout his career.
From his teenage days, when Balotelli was granted Italian citizenship, racist and abusive phrases were hurled at him for no reason. One of the most notable instances from the early days was a 1-1 draw between Juventus and Inter Milan in 2009. The striker was the target of such demeaning chants throughout the match.
Media outlets that were heavily influenced by right-wing ideoligies directed hate towards the Italy international. US-based website Stormfront was shut down in Italy for the same reasons. At Euro 2012, he was again targeted by Croatia and Spain fans.
Sure, Balotelli is a difficult character to understand, but he's definitely one of the most mentally driven and strong footballers around. He has had grumpy relationships with his teammates and ex-managers, but he's not a bad bloke as such.
The abuse never stopped when he played for Manchester City or OGC Nice in France, the occurrences continued.
But 'Super Mario' has taken a strong stand from time to time and continues to smile through it all. His famous celebration "Why Always Me?" captures all these interesting aspects and instances.
#3 Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid/Uruguay)
In his prime, Luis Suarez was definitely among the top-five strikers in the world. But the hugely talented Uruguayan is also one of modern sport's greatest villains. He has always suffered with temperamental issues and those have contributed to tarnishing his reputation.
The centre-forward is considered a very lucky man because despite his on-field theatrics the player has only been sent off twice in his career.
He has been booked for simulations in the final-third, has caused unrest in the dressing room and provoked rival fans. But that is just an everyday nuisance for Suarez and not what makes him special. Offenses like racially abusing Patrice Evra, handling the ball and affecting the outcome of games are the ones that make him the bad boy of football.
And of course, there are the infamous biting acts, performed with equal malice not once, twice but thrice! All at different times, all wearing different jerseys in complete consciousness.
Yet after all those altercations, charges and accusations, Suarez will be remembered as one of the most lethal strikers of modern football.
#2 Diego Costa (Spain)
There are rumors suggesting that some clubs in the Premier League are lining up a return for Diego Costa to English football. If that comes true, then England might just get back one of the most hated figures to play there. In his time as a Chelsea player, Costa often riled up opposition fans and players.
The short-tempered centre-forward has been shown a yellow card 147 times in his career and has been given his marching orders 11 times. Keeping himself disciplined has been difficult for Costa, who has crossed the line on the pitch multiple times. The Blues fans had little problem with him because the player was trying to do everything to win, even if that meant getting nasty and unfair.
The Spanish international was a bully to defenders and that much credit he deserves. But very often he shoved players for no reason, head-butted them, attempted to bite them and sometimes even grabbed them by the neck. The rival fans absolutely hated the sight of Costa, not just because he'd give them a tough time but also because he played dirty.
The most notable instances for which he has invited all the hate have involved players like Everton's Gareth Barry and Stole City's Ryan Shawcross. In the 2015 League Cup semi-final, Costa had various toxic exchanges with the Liverpool side, whom he tried to take on all alone.
At the 2014 World Cup, the Brazil-born striker represented Spain after being unsure of making the Brazil squad. The reception that he got from the home fans was volatile, aggressive and they despised the sight of him. We can't wait to see if the former Atletico Madrid striker will be back in the Premier League this season.
Will the 33-year old be the same or will he be bullied by defenders this time?
#1 Neymar Jr. (PSG/Brazil)
There are many things that unite strangers in football, one of them is the rage and urge to troll Neymar Jr. The Brazilian is the most expensive footballer in the history of the sport but has failed to live up to those towering expectations. Many sides have tried to target him and to rough him up, but you can't deny he certainly is an actor par excellence and loves exaggerating.
The striker is one of the most gifted modern footballers and on his day he can take any defender for a spin. But when the going gets tough, Neymar chooses to side with his petty antics and influence the tide of the game. After years of continuing this on the big stage, audiences around the world really turned against him in 2018.
At the World Cup against Mexico, the PSG forward collided with Miguel Layon and acted afterwards as if he'd been shot in the leg! Premier League legend Alan Shearer and former England striker Gary Lineker rubbished his theatrics and were visibly upset at seeing a top level professional act so childishly.
His immaturity has been visible on the field on many occasions and he's just gotten carried away with his emotions. The conflict with Edinson Cavani on the penalty incident was well covered by the French media and Neymar was the villain again.
The Brazilian was supposed to be a man for the big moments, constantly grabbing headlines for the right reasons and he's done everything but that. In his best years he did not win the Ballon d'Or and was eclipsed by rising star Kylian Mbappe.
