1.
Name: Yoann Gourcuff
Team: France (World Cup); Bordeaux (professional)
D.O.B.: July 11, 1986
Position: Midfielder
Conquests: The rumor mill—all the way up to Page Six, which doesn't often concern itself with footballers of the non-gridiron variety—paired him with runway model Marie Steiss (a.k.a. Marie de Villepin, daughter of France's former prime minister). But Gourcuff worshipers can rest easy—a French gossip site later claimed a shared agent, not a romance, was the reason for their tête-à-tête.
Designer of Choice: Marc Jacobs. Gourcuff took in Louis Vuitton's Spring 2010 menswear show with the designer.
Endorses: Nothing. Gourcuff is said to have turned down a half-million-euro fragrance endorsement deal.
2.
Name: Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg (WC Hottie Emeritus)
Team: Sweden (emeritus); Seattle Sounders (professional)
D.O.B.: April 16, 1977
Position: Midfielder
Conquests: Though the press has linked him to famous women like Natalie Imbruglia, Ljungberg has kept his dating life fairly quiet, which, coupled with his taste for hair dye and flashing fashions, led to widespread rumormongering that he plays for the other team. (Oh, come on. Next they'll be saying James Bond's gay.) ("I am not gay," Ljungberg told one journo, "but gay men can be very fashionable, so maybe it's a compliment.")
Designer of Choice: Though he apparently has a taste for Cavalli, it's Calvin Klein to whom allegiance is due: The label cast Ljungberg in an underwear campaign in 2003, one of its most successful ever. (Purists, please note: The crawling panther tattoo on his hip is a fabrication: It's actually a painted-on, smaller version of two larger panthers he has inked on his back.) Given his achievements on and off the field, we couldn't in good conscience exclude Freddie from a list of soccer's hottest—even though he's not playing in the Cup and retired from the European game in 2008.
3.
Name: Jesús Dátolo
Team: Argentina (World Cup); Olympiacos (professional)
D.O.B.: May 19, 1984
Position: Midfielder
Conquests: The men of Argentina—more or less. Dátolo caused a stir when he appeared in his underwear in a spread in Argentina's gay magazine Romeo, about which his team president was none too happy. Dátolo's remained mum on the subject of his own sexuality.
4.
Name: Harry Kewell
Team: Australia (World Cup); Galatasaray (professional)
D.O.B.: September 22, 1978
Position: Midfielder
Conquests: Kewell has been married to his English soap actress wife, Sheree Murphy (a vet of Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, and the requisite I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!), since 2003. She's done her part to keep her husband in line with strategic revelations about the stretch marks on his rear end.
Designer of Choice: Australia's Politix brand, for whom he occasionally strips down to his skivvies. (They must've Photoshopped those stretch marks.)
5.
Name: Glen Johnson
Team: England (World Cup); Liverpool (professional)
D.O.B.: 8/23/84
Position: Right back
Conquests: The press. Johnson is often hailed by the papers as one of the best right backs in England, and in the game overall—this despite the fact that many fans feel his defensive skills aren't quite up to snuff.
6.
Name: Gerard Piqué
Team: Spain (World Cup); Barcelona (professional)
D.O.B.: February 2, 1987
Position: Center back
Conquests: English tabloids reported that Piqué was dating Miss Universe U.K. 2008 (Lisa Lazarus), but the guy himself told a Spanish magazine last year that his current girlfriend was his first; the WAG-watching blogosphere has identified her as a petite blonde named Nuria.
Endorses: Príncipe Double Choc cookies. ("50% crema de chocolate!")
7.
Names: Antonio Di Natale, Federico Marchetti, Domenico Criscito, Vincenzo Iaquinta, and Claudio Marchisio
Team: Italy (World Cup); various (professional)
D.O.B.: Various
Positions: Various
Conquests: Among them, innumerable—though Marchetti claimed recently that if Italy won the World Cup, he'd marry his girlfriend, Rachaele (bookmakers currently rate his country's chances as no better than 14-1).
Designer of Choice: Dolce & Gabbana, which has at one point or another featured nearly every member of the Italian national team in ad campaigns.
8.
Name: Kaká
Team: Brazil (World Cup); Real Madrid (professional)
D.O.B.: April 22, 1982
Position: Midfielder
Conquests: Please. A devout evangelical Christian, Kaká married his childhood girlfriend, Caroline Celico, in 2005. Both were reported to be virgins at the altar.
Designer of Choice: Giorgio Armani—yes, him again. Kaká has modeled for Armani Jeans.
Endorses: Ronaldo better watch his back. Kaká's landed advertising gigs for Sony, Adidas, and two different sodas—first Brazil's Guaraná and now Pepsi. Man on!
9.
Name: Didier Drogba
Team: Côte d'Ivoire (World Cup); Chelsea (professional)
D.O.B.: March 11, 1978
Position: Striker
Conquests: His home country. Drogba, who's twice been named African Footballer of the Year (in 2006 and 2009), is a sensation in Côte d'Ivoire, where an interview with him can drive up a local newspaper's circulation by 87 percent. He's even inspired the neologism Drogbacité ("Drogba-ness") for all things related to himself, including a popular dance move modeled on Drogba's own post-scoring jig. The man seems to like the idea: He now records rap albums under the name Drogbacité.
Endorses: Pepsi, Samsung, Nike, Didier Drogba
10.
Name: David James
Team: England (World Cup); Portsmouth (professional)
D.O.B.: August 1, 1970
Position: Goalkeeper
Conquests: The guy was nicknamed Calamity James early in his career, not only for a few well-publicized on-pitch flubs but also for his complicated lifestyle. Married young to Tanya James, who had the couple's first child when the goalkeeper was 19, he eventually left her for Amanda Salmon, a school crush with whom he reunited through a find-your-classmates Web site. (The divorce proceedings were ugly and included the public accusation that he'd shirked their kids' school fees but found funds for Salmon's breast implants.) Salmon and James are still together (albeit unmarried), though a few of the less reputable tabs were reporting a recent assignation with Hollyoaks actress Claire Cooper.
Designer of Choice: Giorgio Armani kick-started the modern age of footballer fashion when he brought on James as a runway and campaign face in 1995. The gorgeous goalie also modeled for H&M in 2005.
11.
Name: Benny Feilhaber
Team: U.S.A. (World Cup); AGF Aarhus (professional)
D.O.B.: January 19, 1985
Position: Midfielder
Conquests: Tends to fly below the tabloid radar.
Designer of Choice: Prefers to go without, it seems. Also appears to have a soft spot for the Top 40 sounds of American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
12.
Name: Fernando Torres
Team: Spain (World Cup); Liverpool (professional)
D.O.B.: March 20, 1984
Position: Striker
Conquests: Torres married long-term girlfriend Olalla Domínguez Liste in 2009. An incurable romantic, he has the numerals VII-VII-MMI tattooed on his leg—for July 7, 2001, the date of their first kiss.
Endorsements: No business too small! A series of low-budget, infomercial-style ads had Torres endorsing a dog-training school, a tennis academy, and a hair salon—until it was revealed that these are all somehow part of a viral campaign for a Spanish bank. We're not sure which is better.
13.
Name: Cristiano Ronaldo
Team: Portugal (World Cup); Real Madrid (professional)
D.O.B.: February 5, 1985
Position: Forward
Conquests: Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer in the world, which, coupled with his good looks, has made him a pretty hot commodity among aspiring WAGs (wives and girlfriends, duh). He's been linked to everyone from Kim Kardashian to Paris Hilton to Irina Shayk, and named Portugal's second sexiest sportsman. (Second? But we digress.) Ronaldo, though, apparently has eyes for stars and civilians alike—even if the latter occasionally sell their stories to the tabs. One alleged lover (who rated him a 9.5 out of 10 for off-the-field abilities) told the press, "If his c*** was a pizza, it would be a large-size pizza."
Designer of Choice: Giorgio Armani, thanks to whom the Portuguese player's near-unbelievable musculature can be seen on billboards worldwide. (He replaced fellow footy hottie David Beckham as the face—and body—of Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans.)
Endorsements: In addition to Armani, Ronaldo fronts Pepe Jeans, Nike, Castrol, and Coke.
xoxo fashion geek
