The Bearded XI of Football

People say facial hair defines a tough male and highlights his herculean character. However, football in particular has witnessed very few players sporting facial hair; fewer are the ones who have actually carried the style well. While we have witnessed some very stylish beards sported by the likes of Spurs’ Ricky Villa and United’s George Best, we have also seen Abel Xavier’s outrageous beard and mohawk combo. Nowadays, although footballers prefer a light stubble or clean-shaven face, there are still some who fashion a stylish beard and only few have been able to pull it off.

Here is our compilation of a playing XI of soccer players who fashioned the best facial hair last season:

GOALKEEPER

Iker Casillas

The finest goalkeeper in the world may have been unceremoniously dumped on the sidelines by Jose Mourinho, but undoubtedly he had a fine beard last season. It was well styled, with his thin beard hugging the cheekbones and a trimmed moustache to accompany the same. Unlike most other goalkeepers, like Ali-al Habsi (who is the only example I can think of ), it wasn’t an unkempt one and went well with his handsome looks.