The popularity of tattoos in general has risen sharply over the past ten years and it is now estimated that there are 225m people in the world who have at least one. People often get tattoos related to things that mean a lot to them and as football is a huge passion for millions of people worldwide, football tattoos are incredibly popular.
While some football tattoos are quite unique and special, there are others that just look silly and over the top. Below, we've compiled a list of ten football tattoos that we've seen around the grounds and ranked them from best to worst.
Football tattoos – ranked
The worst
5) This is Liverpool
One Liverpool fan clearly had an infatuation with the film ‘300' and had the bright idea of combining his favourite football team with his favourite film. The result was a giant portrait of Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard with spears, capes and shields attached to them being emblazoned onto his back.
4) Chubby Messi
Messi is almost a god-like figure in Argentina, particularly after he led his nation to World Cup glory in 2022. To commemorate that victory, one Argentinian got a picture of Messi holding the famous trophy aloft. Unfortunately for him, his tattoo artist must have been looking at a picture of Wayne Rooney post-retirement when applying the ink.
3) Tottenham til I die
Sometimes, you need your friends and family to step up and let you know that getting a tattoo on certain parts of the body is just a bad idea. Unfortunately, no one bothered to step in when this Spurs fan decided to get the words “Tottenham til I die” tattooed onto the back of his bald head. If that wasn't bad enough, there are also two giant cockerels sit either side of the wording.
2) Eeverton
This tattoo would have been a fairly standard football tattoo had things gone according to plan. The fan in question just wanted the word “Everton” tattooed onto their lower back in gothic lettering. Instead, the tattoo artist made a huge spelling mistake which now means the fan in question has “Eeverton” sprawled across his back. Still, at least it's not on the back of his head.
1) Man Utd disaster
Getting your club's badge tattooed onto you is probably the most standard type of football tattoo out there. However, this one is far from ‘standard'. This fan not only got the Manchester United badge tattooed on to them but he also got the words ‘You'll Never Walk Alone' to surround it. Was this a forfeit for some kind of bet? Or are they really that clueless?
The best
5) Real Madrid/Champions League
Real Madrid and the UEFA Champions League are synonymous with each other with Los Blancos far and away the most successful team in the competition's history with 14 titles to their name. One Real Madrid fan got a tattoo of the Real Madrid crest blended into the UEFA Champions League trophy and we think it looks great.
4) Messi with the World Cup
Earlier, we showed a disastrous Lionel Messi tattoo but this one is far slicker. An Argentina fan has the ex-Barcelona man tattooed onto his leg with the World Cup trophy in his arms alongside the Argentinian logo and the date of the World Cup final. Classy.
3) Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating
One of the most iconic celebrations in football history has been etched onto this Real Madrid fan's leg. The tattoo depicts Cristiano Ronaldo doing his ‘sui' celebration alone in front of the Bernabeu crowd. The level of detail is superb and puts some of the earlier ones we showed you to shame.
2) Man Utd badge underneath the skin
This tattoo type could have been used for just about any club but the redness and the devil make it even more impactful with the Manchester United crest. This United fan has had the badge tattooed on to him but with an effect that makes it appear like the badge is coming from underneath the skin. The message is clear – this club is part of me.
1) A boy with a ball
This simple but effective design basically reminds everyone why we started loving the game of football in the first place. Not for the superstars on the pitch but for the simple love of kicking a ball around in the street as a kid.
