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As the most popular sport, football is watched and played by people all over the country, ranging from professional leagues, to youth teams, and even families in their yards. But how much do you really know about your favourite footballers? Do you know many famous footballers actually don't use their real names in their professional careers?
Many footballers' real names are distinctly different from what are effectively stage names they use for their professional careers. Many figures even choose to go by relatively shorter names to make it easier for people all over the world to remember them by.
Let’s go ahead and dive into some real names of famous footballers you probably don't know.
Real Names of Famous Footballers
1. Dele Alli
- Real Name- Bamidele Jermaine Alli
Dele Alli's full name is Bamidele Jermaine Alli. He does not use his full name professionally and instead goes by "Dele Alli". Dele Alli used to be a big name in the round leather game some years back. When he was 20, he was already considered as English football’s biggest rising star.
2. Raphinha
- Real Name- Raphael Dias Belloli
Raphinha's full name is 'Raphael Dias Belloli'. He does not use his full name professionally and instead goes by Raphinha. Raphinha is known for his skills in dribbling, pace, and creativity on the field. He currently plays as a winger for Leeds United in the English Premier League.
3. Moises Caicedo
- Real Name- Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo
Caicedo's real name is 'Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo'. He is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for the English club Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion and for the national team of Ecuador. He is a versatile player with ability to control the tempo of the game.
4. Cole Palmer
- Real Name- Cole Jermaine Palmer
Cole Palmer's full name is 'Cole Jermaine Palmer'. He is regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. The English footballer plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team.
5. Kaka
- Real Name- Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite
Kaka is arguably one of the defining footballers of his generation. The Brazilian was the last player to win a Ballon d'Or before the decade-long duopoly between Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Kaka has several major honours to his name, including a FIFA World Cup, a UEFA Champions League, and an endless list of individual awards.
6. Van Gaal
- Real Name- Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal
Van Gaal's full name is Aloysius Paulus Maria 'Louis' van Gaal. To some, He's one of the best managers of the past two decades, willing to sacrifice style for substance and flair for formality. To others, he’s an unnerving disciplinarian, an expert at alienating his players and fans. Whatever side of the fence you fall, few will doubt that Louis van Gaal is one of the most pragmatic managers in the modern game.
7. Fikayo Tomori
- Real Name- Oluwafikayomi Oluwadamilola Tomori
Oluwafikayomi Oluwadamilola "Fikayo" Tomori is an English professional footballer known for his defensive skill as a center-back, currently playing for Serie A club AC Milan and the England national team.
8. Cristiano Ronaldo
- Real Name- Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Cristiano Ronaldo aka Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is still plying his trade in the professional game for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. However, he is already considered one of the greatest players of all time. Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards in his illustrious career, which is a record only bettered by a certain Argentine forward.
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9. Bukayo Saka
- Real Name- Bukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Saka
Bukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Saka is an English professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team. He is often hailed as one of the greatest football players in the world.
10. Lamine Yamal
- Real Name- Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana
Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, also known as Lamine Yamal, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team.
11. Pepe
- Real Name- Kepler Laveran de Lima Ferreira
Former Real Madrid star Pepe is quite commonly regarded as one of the best and most aggressive defenders of his time. The centre-back is still playing European football at the age of 38, and put in a string of magnificent displays in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League. The Portuguese rolled back the years against Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus with a breathtaking showing to knock them out of the UCL.