5 of the most powerful footballers in the world

Flair, quality, and intelligence might be the most important skills one needs in order to succeed as a football player, but it certainly helps to be well-built because football requires one to be strong.

A player needs to endure the rough tackles, shoulder barges and challenges to make it big at the top level.

Yaya Toure and Giorgio Chiellini used to be two of the strongest footballers on the planet, but their age has certainly taken a toll on them.

Regardless, we still have a number of footballers who can be a nightmare to the opposition without even having the ball.

We all love seeing a fair physical battle on the football pitch, but don't expect anything to be fair when you come up against the following 5 players.

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#5 Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku's style of play is dependent on his physicality.

Romelu Lukaku is one of those rare players who aren't just buff, but know how to make the best use of it too. He has been pivotal to whatever little success Manchester United have found this season, and their style of play is reliant on Lukaku's ability to hold the ball.

So often he has bullied the opposition defenders with sheer strength. The fact that it takes more than one player to counter the Belgian's strength has resulted in his teammates finding more space to exploit.

His ability to leap higher than most defenders has been used very effectively too. His assists for Anthony Martial's goal against Tottenham Hotspur this season, or Marcus Rashford's strike against Liverpool buttresses this point.

#4 Victor Wanyama

Wanyama doesn't shy away from a crunching tackle

Good luck trying to shove the big Kenyan off the ball. Victor Wanyama is a man-mountain who could put you in a heap with one push.

Standing 6 feet tall, the Tottenham Hotspur man made his name as a no-nonsense defensive midfielder at Southampton before moving to London. He reunited with his first Southampton manager, Mauricio Pochettino, at Spurs, and Poch brought out the best in him.

Wanyama is extremely strong and as a result, wins almost every midfield battle, irrespective of who he is up against.

Tottenham missed him for a long period this season, as he was out due to injury. When he returned, he found his spot captured by Eric Dier.

#3 Hulk

Hulk - the name says it all.

He was so strong they named him Hulk, enough said. Givanildo Vieira de Sousa is known best for his hammer of a left foot, which could lift the roof of the net with ease. Hulk has scored plenty of long-range stunners for Porto and Zenit and is quite skillful on the ball aswell.

Playing as an inverted winger, Hulk impresses us with his footballing ability just as much as he does with his power.

He has 47 caps for Brazil, and you can't get anywhere close to that number unless you're a very, very good footballer.

His strength was once so talked about, that Zenit made a satirical video showing-off his abilities!

All stats via transfermarkt

#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

You would think he is a kung-fu fighter!

Although 36 now, he still gives defences something to worry about. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a physical specimen of the highest cadre, and the fact that he still manages to be fairly agile tells us what an incredible footballer he is.

Ibrahimovic has done plenty of acrobatics on the pitch, and scored plenty of goals which another body would probably fail to pull off.

Ibrahimovic is nearing the end of what has been an enviable career. We'll never find anyone quite like him again. One of a kind. He is the kind.

#1 Adebayo Akinfenwa

Akinfenwa is in a league of his own.

Let's get this straight - Adebayo Akinfenwa is a certified beast. There just couldn't be anyone else but him on top of this list, and deservedly so.

Almost 6 feet tall and weighing over 100 kilograms, Akinfenwa is more of a body-builder than a footballer.

To be fair to him, he has been a pretty good player for Swansea City, Northampton Town, and most recently - Wycombe Wanderers. 196 career goals in 451 games, and still going strong at 35. With that physique, you needn't wonder why!

However, it's certainly not his footballing ability we will remember him for.