Some football stars prioritise individual glory over team success, causing frustration among fans and teammates. Selfish players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, have dazzled fans but divided opinions. The me-first mentality of these players sparks drama and debate in the football world, as two English players feature....TAP TO READ THE FULL CONTENT | TAP TO READ THE FULL CONTENT
Football is a team game, but some players can’t resist making it all about themselves. They dazzle with incredible skill and breathtaking talent, but often at the expense of their teammates’ patience. These are the players who hold on to the ball too long, ignore the simple pass, and chase individual glory over collective success. Call them mavericks, entertainers, or simply selfish, they are the stars who have frustrated fans, coaches, and teammates alike in their pursuit of wowing onlookers with moments of individual brilliance.
From iconic dribblers who seemed allergic to passing, to goal-hungry forwards determined to score from impossible angles, football history is littered with examples of players who prioritised their highlight reel over their team’s scoreboard. While their selfish streaks have often led to spectacular goals or magical plays, they’ve also sparked dressing-room arguments, missed opportunities, and public criticism.
But what drives this trait? Is it arrogance, self-belief, or a deep-seated desire to steal the limelight? Whatever the case, these players have left an indelible mark on the game, for better or worse. In this article, we’ll dive into the stories of football’s most famously selfish stars—players whose me-first mentality defined their careers, split opinion, and fueled the drama that makes football so compelling.
10 Kevin Mirallas
Belgium
It may seem harsh to claim a footballer is one of the most selfish players of all time based on one incident, but there is one that springs to mind for Kevin Mirallas which remains difficult to forgive. Back in 2015, when Everton were awarded a penalty after Joleon Lescott handled the ball for West Brom, it was clear to everybody that Leighton Baines, the club captain with the tenth-most converted penalties in Premier League history, would do the honours and slot the ball home to break the deadlock against an underwhelming Baggies side.
But Mirallas had other ideas. The Belgian commandeered the ball, blanked Baines as the defender enquired into his intentions, and then took the penalty himself – only to shank it embarrassingly high and wide. Manager Roberto Martinez later downplayed the incident, but Mirallas was hooked off at half time. Everton went on to draw the game amid an underwhelming run of results and Mirallas’ personal form never quite recovered.
Perhaps players should be forgiven for one greedy mistake, but Mirallas was never the most accommodating of team-mates. Despite most commonly playing as a wide forward and not being an especially prolific one with only 68 goals in 553 appearances, the former Toffees man actually ended his career with even fewer assists, with just 66. It shows where his priorities were and the heightened sense of self he enjoyed as a player.
9 Luis Suarez
Uruguay
Luis Suarez has the fourth most assists in football history, so how could he possibly be considered selfish? Well, he could have been even better if he looked up ever-so slightly more often. The Uruguayan international may have forged a reputation as one of the most all-around strikers in the history of the beautiful game, but he also had a side to him that ensured he could keep pace with strike partners, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
There’s a common misconception that Suarez was a menace ball-hogger during his time at the top, but the reason he’s so far down in this article is the fact he often knew when to pass and when to keep the ball for himself and score. So, yes, while he was selfish, the Inter Miami star used this to his advantage.
8 Mohamed Salah
Egypt
After Mohamed Salah’s public spat with Jurgen Klopp when the former Liverpool manager subbed him off early against West Ham, the people upstairs claimed it was a justified reaction from a player who just wanted to do all he could to help the Reds attain more glory. But, among those to disagree with the observation was legendary former captain, Graeme Souness.
“Salah is the most selfish player I have ever witnessed,” the three-time Champions League winning Scot said on William Hill’s Three Up Front podcast. “Even prior to that game, whenever Klopp takes him off, he is never happy about it. That is what you want from your players, if you take them off on two goals, they should want to stay on to score a third. When Sadio Mane was there they’d fall out all the time.”
While Salah’s refined his game over the past few seasons to look at bringing others into play more often, his goalscoring peak came about through cutting inside and shooting at every opportunity, regardless of whether team-mates were providing better options.
7 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Sweden
“Am I selfish? I have to be, there are many kings, but there is only one god and that’s me.” This quote from Zlatan Ibrahimovic perfectly encapsulates the sort of player he was before hanging up his boots in 2023. The only reason he’s not further up this list is because you could argue that he was more arrogant than he was self-serving and Zlatan generally did his bit when it came to bringing other players into the game high up the pitch.
Nevertheless, there was certainly still a sense that the 1.95m towering talisman forgot there was no ‘I’ in ‘team’. During his fleeting time at Manchester United, he took 119 shots in just 33 Premier League games, missing 18 big chances and scoring just 17 goals. An average of four goal attempts per game tells a lot about his mindset.
6 Daniel Sturridge
England
Daniel Sturridge, though brilliant for Liverpool before his poor injury record caught up with him, had a frustrating habit of going it alone when he had other options, only to be dispossessed or fire an ambitious shot straight into the side netting. Certainly, his partnership with Suarez in the 2013/14 season was one of the best the Premier League has ever seen, but, at times, it felt like they were against each other.
This self-centeredness could well have been the difference between the Anfield outfit and a first league title in 20-odd years. Nonetheless, at least the Englishman backed up his selfish acts with goals by the bucket-load. In 160 games for the Reds, he managed to get himself on the scoresheet 68 times, with injuries eventually catching up to him once Jurgen Klopp began his reign in 2015.
5 Joey Barton
England
Twitter personality and occasional footballer Joey Barton is known for his outspoken opinions that make him one of the most controversial footballers ever, but he rarely reflects on his own selfish behavior. His complete lack of control over his temper has consistently impacted his teammates and the clubs that placed their trust in him. Beyond the numerous suspensions for violent conduct, he has faced lengthy absences from the game due to a prison sentence and an arrest for injuring a teammate by stubbing a cigar in his eye.
On the dramatic final day of the 2011-12 season, the red card Barton received for instigating a brawl at Eastlands could have relegated Queens Park Rangers if results had not fallen in their favour. At the time, the much-maligned midfielder likely wasn’t considering the consequences of his actions, as he stubbornly fought his way to a 12-match ban.
4 Arjen Robben
The Netherlands
Watch any Bayern Munich game from the past, and you will see Arjen Robben constantly cut on to his left foot and take an audacious shot at goal from range, rather than passing to a teammate in a better position. The retired Dutch winger is a player so selfish that he once said that it was a quality.
It’s a good job he had other great players around him to keep him in line, otherwise the Dutchman might never have scaled the heights that he did, having won eight Bundesliga titles and a sole Champions League. Luckily, too, it seemed most players didn’t do their homework on him, otherwise they’d have realised his performances were a lot like clockwork, and thus very predictable as a result.
3 Nani
Portugal
Nani’s selfishness very much tarnished his career. During his six years at Old Trafford, the Portuguese winger often played with an air of self-importance, as if convinced he was the central figure on the pitch. He frequently opted for speculative, wasteful shots, ignoring the desperate calls of better-positioned teammates.
His fiery demeanor only added to the drama, with petulant displays when fouled, throwing arms in frustration or glaring at officials, painting a picture of a player whose passion time and again clouded his judgment, as his image depicted a baby throwing toys out of their pram. And while he was, at times, very good, scoring 128 goals and providing 145 assists across a 616-appearance club career, he let himself down massively with his thirst for the dramatic.
2 Neymar
Brazil
“Selfish brat or misunderstood genius?” is the title of one of the articles when you search Neymar on Google. But whether people think he was brilliant or too self-absorbed to reach the very top of his game, both could be vindicated across his career. During his time at Barcelona, the Brazilian was one of the best forwards in world football.
But others will argue that the former Santos wonderkid let himself down and never truly reached the Ballon d’Or winning status so many of his adoring fans expected him to, largely down to his huge contractual demands and eagerness to show off with his South American flair rather than help for the greater good of the teams he played at. In Catalonia, he had Suarez and Messi to thank for his Champions League triumph, but when he was asked to be the main man at PSG, he failed to achieve the same feat and seemed far more concerned with inner-club politics.
1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal
From the 60 free-kicks Cristiano Ronaldo has taken at major international tournaments, he has only found the back of the net once (you heard that right, once!). But that never seems to stop him from taking the next five or so that follow, taking a deep breath beforehand to give commentators extra time for their anticipatory lines. Bruno Fernandes’ face is a picture whenever he has to watch his compatriot sky yet another attempt well over the bar.
And, as great as the former Manchester United and Real Madrid icon was and still is, nobody can deny just how selfish he has been at times. Some of this self-indulgent nature is the reason he’s known as one of the greatest footballers of all time, though, so he’s another case of a player who could get away with it.
