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There used to be a time when losing your hair was an unstoppable process and going bald early was inevitable. There are plenty of things that can be done like wigs, hair transplant (Wayne Rooney and Wesley Sneijder) and hair plugs to hide your receding hairline today though, yet there are still plenty of players who have embraced nature's course.
There have been some amazing players who have thrown caution to the wind and shaved it all off or left it be. The following list has the best footballers in the modern era who don’t just have shining heads but also shining skills.
PS. I have included players who are entering the twilight years of their career or have just finished their career and players who have embraced their baldness.
#5 Patrick Vieira
Senegalese born, France international was Arsenal’s bulldog in midfield for 9 years dominating opponents with tough, aggressive and winning mentality. A box to box player, he was Arsenal’s captain from 2002 to 2005 lifting 3 FA Cups and 3 League titles including the famous Invincible season.
He went on to play for Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City winning 3 Serie A titles and 1 FA Cup. He was also the captain of France for a period and won the 1998 World Cup with them in addition to Euro 2000. He played a huge role in reaching the finals of WC 2006 as they finished runner-up. He is currently Nice’s manager in Ligue 1.
#4 Arjen Robben
At 34 years, it’s a wonder how he is still one of the fastest and trickiest wingers out there. His cut-ins from the wing and shots are feared by most defenders and goalkeepers alike as it almost always ends in a goal.
A terrific dribbler, he has been at Bayern Munich since 2009 making 189 appearances and scoring 95 goals. An ex-Real Madrid player and Chelsea player, he has 3 Premier League titles and one La Liga title to his name.
With Bayern Munich, he has won 7 Bundesliga titles, 4 DFB-Pokal and one Champions League title. He has been instrumental for every one of these triumphs. He carried the Netherlands to a second-place finish in 2010 and a third-place finish in 2014 almost single-handedly.
#3 Roberto Carlos
Nicknamed “The Bullet Man” thanks to his thunder shots, he is best known as one of the best-left backs in history. He is known for his stamina, technical ability and more than anything else, his 24-inch thighs.
He won the FIFA WC in 2002 with Brazil and made 584 appearances for Real Madrid winning 4 La Liga titles and 3 UEFA Champions League titles. He was last spotted on the touchline in Delhi as manager of the Delhi Dynamos.
#2 Thierry Henry
Arsenal's and France’s top scorer of all time, Theirry Henry has played for Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal and Barcelona. He started as a winger and was then converted to a striker under Wenger. He was extremely fast, a voracious dribbler and an even better finisher.
He spent 8 years at Arsenal cementing his status as a club legend scoring 226 goals in 369 appearances. He won two FA Cups and two league titles including an invincible title-winning campaign.
Hery led Arsenal to a Champions League final with Arsenal and finally won it with Barcelona where he also won two La Liga titles. With France, he won the World Cup in 1998 and Confederations Cup in 2003. The Ballon d’Or eluded him with a runners-up in 2003 and third place in 2006.
#1 Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is widely considered as one of the greatest players of all time. He was a top-class playmaker, known for his technique, vision and mastery of the midfield. He played as a central attacking midfielder for several top-level clubs most notably Juventus and Real Madrid.
After 2 Serie A titles and one UEFA Super Cup with Juventus, he earned a €77.5m move to Real Madrid, which remained a world record transfer fee for 8 more years. He continued his form in Madrid winning one La Liga title and one Champions League.
He is considered a national treasure by France after winning the World Cup for them in WC1998. This image was slightly tainted after his headbutt cost France the World Cup in 2006 though he was provoked into doing so.
On a personal level, he won innumerable accolades including FIFA World Player of the year thrice. After his playing career, he started coaching, leading Real Madrid to three straight Champions League titles and one La Liga title. Zizou is truly one of the modern greats of the game.
Special mention: Pierluigi Collina
The former Italian referee is infamous for his distinctive bald appearance, earning him the nickname Kojak. He is known for his no-nonsense attitude and being an exceptional referee.
He was so good that the FIGC raised the age bar for retirement to age 46 just to accommodate him and begged him to stay on even after resigning. He was voted FIFA’s best referee of year 6 times in a row and is a member of the UEFA Referee’s committee.
He was also one of only two refs to be left unscathed by the match-fixing scandals that rocked Italian football. He is also the only referee to appear on Pro Evolution Soccer’s cover.
