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Pulse Sports lists the players who have won fans’ admiration due to their humility.
Footballers are among professionals who are always in the spotlight given their job involves entertaining millions of fans.
That therefore offers them a platform not just to showcase their skills but also a chance to reveal some of their personalities as well as how they love to live their lives.
But while most of them are outgoing and rub team-mates and opponents the wrong way, others are so humble that they can barely get into a war of words, let alone a fist fight.
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10 Most Humble Footballers In The World
10. Juan Mata
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Spanish playmaker Juan Mata is among the most humble footballers in the world who prefers to let his football do the talking.
An intelligent player with an eye for a killer pass, the former Valencia, Chelsea, Manchester United and Galatasaray midfielder has won admiration by the way he carries himself and avoids confrontation even when he feels wronged.
In an era where footballers love to show off their luxury cars and mansions, El Mago prefers not, choosing to put his money in various charitable courses instead.
9. Andres Iniesta
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Juan Mata’s former Spain team-mate Andres Iniesta is another humble footballer despite his stature as one of the best to ever play the game.
Iniesta won numerous titles with Barcelona before helping Spain to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008 and 2012 but he won the hearts of fans across board due to his humility, even when he inflicted pain on opponents.
Like many on this list, Iniesta rarely shows off his wealth, despite being one of the best paid footballers in the world, choosing to let the world only know him for his football.
8. Javier Hernandez
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Mexican forward Javier Hernandez, popularly known as Chicharito, also won the hearts of fans due to his humility even as he played for some of the world’s top teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
A goal poacher who had a knack for being at the right place at the right time, Chicharito rarely got into controversy and always thanked God every time he scored a goal.
7. Mohamed Salah
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Liverpool legend Mohammed Salah might be one of the Premier League’s best players but he remains very humble both on and off the pitch.
Salah, who is also the captain of Egypt, is among the top five highest paid players in the Premier League, but he prefers to live a simple life, and back home, he has uplifted the less fortunate by building schools and hospitals.
6. Christian Eriksen
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Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen is another player who does not court controversy.
Despite his intelligence on the pitch, having played for Ajax Amsterdam, Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan, Brentford and Manchester United, Eriksen has only made news for his goals and stats, choosing a simple and humble life away from social media and the glare of the cameras when he gets off the pitch.
5. Edinson Cavani
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Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani has inflicted pain on rival supporters over the years due to his goals for the likes of Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Valencia but he remains very humble both on and off the pitch.
El Matador does not mind mingling with fans of all kinds and avoids controversy as well as the spotlight and he is always the first one to apologise even when he has been wronged.
4. Michael Olunga
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Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga is also among the most humble footballers despite his success and the big bucks he earns at Qatari giants Al Duhail.
The Kenyan striker has received lots of criticism from fans back home but he chooses to remain humble, a trait that has earned him admiration which also helps him to stay focused on his game rather than sideshows.
While he is active on social media, Olunga chooses carefully what to post, only focusing on his career, but nothing to do with his wealth or lavish lifestyle.
3. Philipp Lahm
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Germany and Bayern Munich legend Philipp Lahm enjoyed a career spanning 17 years and never got a red card, demonstrating his level of humility.
For a defender, who commits fouls quite often, that was a remarkable achievement but it was also down to his humble nature as he avoided any sort of controversy with either opponents or team-mates.
2. Sadio Mane
One of Africa’s finest, Senegal forward Sadio Mane has won hearts around the world due to his humility and continues to do so even now as he gets into the twilight years of his career.
Mane had a successful six-year spell at Liverpool, where he tormented defences, before an unsuccessful stint at Bayern Munich but even now playing in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, his humility has never left him.
Mane’s hometown of Bambali has felt the full impact of his humility and generosity as he has built hospitals, schools, provided free internet and still donates cash to the poor, choosing to spend his $40 million per year salary on others and not just himself.
1. N’Golo Kante
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The award for the humblest footballer in the world goes to French midfielder N’Golo Kante who many feel cannot even hurt a fly.
For a World Cup winner, two-time Premier League champion and also with a UEFA Champions League winner’s medal, it is hard to imagine that Kante still gets $10 haircuts, drives a mini cooper and has no problem accepting a fan’s invitation to have a meal with his family.
The former Leicester City and Chelsea midfielder, who now plays with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia and is believed to pocket $27 million per year, still wears simple clothes, lives in a humble neigbourhood and chooses against posting anything on social media.
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