The beautiful game is full of friendships and rivals, but we’re not going to focus on the latter. We’ve picked out the 10 best football bromances that still exist in 2022… *evil eyes off*!
We’ve all heard of players who are rivals on the pitch. But perhaps not so much that they stop being friends off the pitch. In fact, oftentimes, these two traits have an inverse relationship.
However, what about those players who are best friends both off and on the pitch?
Like any good friendship most likely, it required hard work and a lot of patience to see past each other’s flaws; whether that was over time or because of one big event.
There has always been a lot of rivalry between teammates in everything from business to sports. But are there any football pairs who have an unbreakable bond? That’s what we’re going to discuss here.
Top 10 Footballers Who Are Best Friends [2023 Updated]
The footballers we are about to look at here are blessed not just with talent. But in many cases, also with a very strong bond of friendship.
Why is it important?
Well, it shows that they have true friends that they can depend on. And confide in during both the good and bad times, which must help them remain more relaxed and positive.
Let’s take a quick look at the world’s top 10 footballers who are best friends.
1). Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo Vieira
Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo are considered by many to be the best friendship in the football world – sharing several La Liga and Champions League titles together. They are known for being the finest players Real Madrid ever had. Ronaldo can dribble better, but Marcelo has a faster sprint.
And although they are not brothers or blood-related. They always look forward to spending time with each other. When Ronaldo changed his team in 2021, he also lured Marcelo to join him. Because he wanted that they should play together again. And win trophies.
It’s also been said that Ronaldo and Marcelo take care of each other’s families in case anything happens to them. If one of them gets injured, they would never want the other one to play without them by their side. It’s this kind of relationship that sets them apart from all other soccer bromances in today’s world.
And despite playing for rival clubs now, their friendship has not only withstood their separation on pitch. Infact, it has grown much stronger with time.
2). Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez
The men behind the goals. Messi and Suarez: two childhood football friends, who’ve grown into two sensational strikers who love popping up in each other’s games. Best mates on the field and off it, they’re inseparable. They are the true blood brothers of football whose wives even have a clothing label together.
The unstoppable attacking duo have won the Spanish league, Champions League crowns, among other titles. Football can be cruel, but when it comes to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in the tournaments, the goals always flow for them. And it’s not just on the pitch that Messi and Suarez seem to have an eye for each other. It would be fair to say that their friendship seems to transcend the sport.
3). Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen
The two players, who have played together since they were 10 and went to the same high school, are good friends off the pitch. They make a formidable pairing on it, too. Both tall and strong, they both play at center-back for their club and for their national team. The pair never gives less than 100% to their team and always support each other. Mousa calls Jan his “brother” and Jan calls Mousa “his other half.”
When they play football they form a terrific attack. But something much more powerful than football unites them – their friendship. Since they were 10 years old, Moussa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen have shared laughs, love, and everything in between.
4). Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny
Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny are footballers who are best friends in 2022. They have been through hell and high water together on and off the field.
When Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny were playing for the same team, their friendship evolved into two best friends who are willing to do anything for each other. At that time, they know how to sacrifice, how to love, and how to fight together. They won the FA Cup their team. Today, they are both playing in different teams but their football bromance is growing stronger.
5). Aubameyang and Lacazette
They are two of the most exciting strikers in the Premier League. And best friends away from the pitch as well. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette’s love life, have a special rapport on and off the pitch. And are now partners in crime at Arsenal.
Arsenal is fast emerging as the biggest rival to Liverpool’s dominance. The Gunners have a lot of depth in their squad, which will not only make them difficult to beat. But also provide a strong bench against teams that like to sit deep. In short, they have Aubameyang and Lacazette, who are best friends on the pitch and off it. And their combined form has helped Arsenal storm their way into the top four after some unconvincing performances last year.
6). Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku
Sometimes rivals and teammates. Best friends Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku have managed to find that sweet spot when it comes to their friendship away from the pitch.
Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku are strong, powerful, surprising, and skillful. They are called friends because they are often spotted together by the paparazzi.
Knights in shining armor, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku provide the perfect combination of strength and finesse. They’ve gelled on the field, lifting both Manchester United and Belgium to new heights. But when they’re not racking up trophies, they spend their spare time together enjoying what matters most – good company.
7). Erik Lamela and Kyle Walker
Footballer friends to the end, Erik Lamela and Kyle Walker are best mates on and off the pitch. They’re not only both players for Tottenham Hotspur, but they’re inseparable away from the game.
In a world where footballers are increasingly more ambitious and largely driven by greed, not many have time for friends. It’s heartwarming to see that friendship still exists in the game. Take two players from Tottenham Hotspur, Kyle Walker, and Erik Lamela. The pair are best mates who jet off on holiday together and celebrate at each other’s houses.
8). Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana
Liverpool players Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana have been best football friends for some time now. Lallana states, “Most of the squad would sit around and watch TV shows together after a match, but me and Hendo just ended up chatting.”
When Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana play in the same game, they are either in a 10-yard wedge to the right of goal as Liverpool’s central midfielders. Or as part of a triangle deployed to the left of the two central defenders. Between them, they put in more than three times as many passes into the box better than any of their teammates. They also supply most of Liverpool’s forward runs – so much so that when one is out of action through injury, the other tends to drop deep and fill the gap.
9). Ander Herrera and Juan Mata
They are footballers who are best friends. Juan Mata and Ander Herrera have known each other since they were youngsters in their hometown of La Laguna in the Canary Islands. Now both play together for Manchester United, with Juan having arrived from Chelsea.
The pair – who even share an agent – regularly take part in pranks on each other, including painting each others’ faces white and pretending to be chefs. Their friendship has gone from strength to strength, and the pair gives its best to help Manchester United get back on track.
Ever wondered what Ander Herrera and Juan Mata get up to when they’re not playing for Manchester United? Well, it turns out that they like to play pranks on each other. And, as with most good friends, they are always ready to share pictures and videos of their special moments together.
10). Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka
In the modern footballing world, players from different countries get together to play for a team. Hence, there is an amalgamation of the styles and skills that these players bring in with them. But not all players could be compatible with each other.
However, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka are two top footballers who are said to be best friends. And have each other’s back on the pitch no matter what.
The compatriots know each other well and are best friends. Ask any Arsenal player who he considers the funniest or the hardest and all will mention one or the other. All will say, too, that Xhaka has become just as important to them as Ozil since he joined in the summer. And that Xhaka’s English has gotten better in a very short time because of his friendship with Ozil.
The self-proclaimed best friends from their time in Switzerland, Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil have a bond that extends beyond the pitch. The Gunners pair play with no ego and claim no star status in the dressing room. And get on very well together.
