Top 10 footballers who ventured into politics

Some of these players went on to become senators and leaders of their nations.

“Politics and football don’t mix.” These words were mentioned by Ruud Gullit, the legendary Dutch footballer. But, was he right? Maybe not, as there are many footballers around the world who have made their way into politics.

Here is a list of 10 footballers who later went on to ply their trade in the field of politics:

10. Zico

Zico is one of the biggest footballers in Brazilian history. His exuberance on the pitch amazed millions. In a span of 10 years, ranging from 1976 to 1986, Zico made 71 appearances for the Selecao and scored 48 goals.

Later, in 1990, the legend went on to become the first Sports Minister of Brazil. He made attempts to improvise the football standards in the country, but had to leave after 13 months.

9. Grzegoz Lato

Grzegoz Lato is the only Polish footballer to have won a Golden Boot at the FIFA World Cup. He achieved the feat in 1974, when he bagged seven goals to his name. In a 14-year long career for the national team, he appeared 100 times and scored 45 goals.

In 2001, the footballer entered politics when he went on to become a senator for the Democratic Left Alliance Party. Later, he also enjoyed the position of the President at the Polish Football Association.

8. Oleh Blokhin

Oleh Blokhin scored 211 goals in 432 appearances for Dynamo Kyiv. For the Soviet Union, he scored 42 goals in 112 matches. He is one of the finest players that Ukrainian football has ever witnessed. He even holds a good reputation as a manager. Under his tutelage, Ukraine made it to the FIFA World Cup 2006 and also made their way to the quarter-finals. This was the first time the country had qualified for a major tournament.

The former footballer made his way into politics when he was elected to the parliament for Hromada (All-Ukrainian Association “Community”) in 1998. He joined Hromada while still being a member of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

7. Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell is one of the greatest English defenders .He is certainly a legend for the nation and clubs he has played for, namely Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. In his career, he has made 73 appearances for England.

Campbell joined the Conservative Party in England in 2014 and took part in the election in 2016 to replace Boris Johnson as the Mayor of London, but failed to do so.

6. Hakan Sukur

Hakan Sukur is considered to be a Galatasaray legend. He has scored 217 goals in 392 appearances for the club. Apart from Galatasaray, he also plied his trade for notable clubs like Torino, Inter Milan, Parma and Blackburn Rovers. Internationally, he is Turkey’s all-time highest goalscorer with 51 goals in 112 appearances.

Sukur won a seat in the 2011 general elections . He then went on to become a Member of Parliament for the ruling Justice and Development Party. Two and a half years later, he resigned from the party and became an independent MP. In 2016, an arrest warrant was issued after he was charged with being associated with a terrorist organization in Turkey.

5. Samuel Eto'o

One of the greatest strikers to ever play the game, Samuel Eto'o is a three-time UEFA Champions League winner and three-time LaLiga winner. He has plied his trade with some of the biggest clubs in the world, namely FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea. Eto'o has also led Cameroon to two African Cup of Nations titles and was part of the 2000 Olympics gold medal winning team.

He is the latest in this list of footballers to join the field of politics, as he was elected the new President of the Cameroon Football Association (FECAFOOT) on December 11, 2021. A governing body long tainted with infighting, corruption and mismanagement, FECAFOOT will be heading in a new direction under perhaps the greatest player the country has ever produced.

4. Andriy Shevchenko

Andriy Shevchenko was an extraordinary footballer. In his career, he has played for reputed clubs like Dynamo Kyiv, AC Milan and Chelsea. He also was the recipient of the prestigious Ballon d'Or. He is currently serving as the manager of the Ukrainian national team and was seen plying his trade at Euro 2020.

His interest in politics was prevalent since his football days. He backed the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine in the 1990s. In 2012, the former footballer dabbled into politics when he joined the Ukraine – Forward! Party but failed to make his way to the parliament.

3. George Weah

George Weah is held as one of the greatest footballers of all-time. The three-time African footballer of the year is the only player from the continent to receive the Ballon d'Or to-date. The former Chelsea, AC Milan and AS Monaco striker has 184 goals at club level and 22 goals at the national level for Liberia.

In 2014, Weah was elected to the Liberian Senate from Montserrado County, with an overwhelming majority. Representing the Coalition for Democratic Change, Weah ran for the President of Liberia in 2016, and eventually won with a share of 60% of the votes.

2. Romario

The stalwart who donned the Brazilian colours 70 times and netted 56 goals to his name, is not only a great footballer but also a reputed name in Brazil politics. He was a member of the 1994 FIFA World Cup winning squad and also won the Copa America twice in 1989 and 1997. His club career witnessed reputed and notable clubs like PSV Eindhoven, FC Barcelona, Fluminense and Flamengo.

He is a member of the Brazilian Socialist Party. In his budding political days, Romario got elected to the Chamber of Deputies. He also used his position to lobby against the hosting of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil (2014). In October, 2014, Romario was elected to the Brazilian senate with the highest number of votes received by a candidate from the state of Rio de Janeiro.

1. Pele

Pele is perhaps one of the greatest footballers the world has witnessed. He has the reputation of winning three World Cups and also remains the youngest footballer (17) to have scored in a World Cup.

The legend was previously the Extraordinary Minister of Sport (Brazil). He also served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and UN Ambassador for Ecology and the Environment. Interestingly, he had a law named after him in Brazil, namely “Pele Law,” whose focus was to reduce corruption in football in the country, but later got himself involved in a corruption scandal and left his position in 2001.

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