Top 5 attacking footballers and their wildlife equivalents

One thing that is common in football and wildlife is the “survival of the fittest”. In the jungle, wild animals hunt prey to satisfy their hunger and to survive. And hunting prey in the wild is not a cake walk rather a long haul. Wild animals learn by trial and error and then deploy certain strategies and tactics to chase and gun down their prey.

The same can be related to football. Attacking football players try to outsmart and outmaneuver defenders to score goals. And this job too requires practice, precision, and tactfulness. This article is not meant to mock anyone or to really claim these players behave like wild animals but rather to relate to a certain character trait that the wild animal and player may have in common.

Neymar – Hyena

Hyena is from a big cat family and is the most cunning wild animal in the jungle. Hyenas are the typical scavengers of the wildlife and do not put in efforts to hunt in the jungle. They prefer to steal food from other animals.

Neymar no doubt is world class player but his recent antics in the world cup and otherwise on and off acting and diving in league matches to get the decision in his favor is kind of similar to a hyena’s trait to steal and scavenge food. As a result, it only makes sense to equate these two.

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Lionel Messi – Leopard

This is a one man army

Leopard is also from the big cat family. Leopards are the least vocal and most unpredictable amongst all the big cats. They attack with stealth and surprise giving their prey least time to react and are the only big cat who can climb a tree. Leopards are solitary, which means they hunt alone and singlehandedly bring down the prey.

Messi to a larger extent is a solitary man for Argentina and at times for Barcelona. He makes some unbelievable darting runs and single-handedly takes on the defenders to score solo goals and defenders are often left astray. Hence, we can say that Messi’s closest equivalent is the Leopard.

Gareth Bale - Cheetah

Both getting ready for a 100-meter race

Cheetah too is from a big cat family. Cheetahs are known for their speed and acceleration. When on full-throttle, they can easily catch their prey. In fact, Cheetah’s are known to have the highest hunting success rates compare to other big cats.

Now we all about Gareth bale pace, he can leave any defender gasping for breath. As per a study, Bale was named the fastest footballer in the world clocking 36.9 km/h leaving the likes of Ronaldo and Messi behind. Hence, it is fair to conclude that Bale’s truest equivalent is the Cheetah..

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Lion

A true Lion

The Lion does not need an introduction, as Ibrahimovic. Lions usually hunt in groups and the biggest master tacticians compare to other big cats. But the male lion doesn’t participate much in hunting mediocre prey, he usually joins the hunt to take down bigger prey like buffalo or giraffe. No other big cat can handle prey of this magnitude. Lions are also the most vocal among all other big cats. They keeping roaring to signal that they are the king of the jungle.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in an interview, said "lions do not compare themselves to humans”. Just like the male lion, he goes for something bigger and impactful, that’s to score world class goals that are revered for ages to come. Just like the lion, Zlatan too is outspoken and vocal with his controversial statements he made in the past. Hence, he rightfully owns Lion’s equivalent.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Tiger

The two complement each other

Tigers are also from the big cat family. As per a study by a team at Oxford University, Tiger’s brain size is bigger than other big cats; as a result, tigers are brainer than other big cats. Tigers have more muscle mass than lions and hunt alone.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s footballing brain as a mightier as the tiger, his ability to score insane goals out of the blue has won him many accolades. If that wasn’t enough, his physique and lean body muscle mass perfectly embody the tiger.