5 Football Stars Who Don’t Like Football

FIFA estimates that a
staggering 265 million people play football worldwide.

The sport also boasts a
fan base of over 3.5 billion people, making it the most popular on the planet.

For fans, football provides an
escape from the everyday monotony of growing old.

Contrary, that’s not the case
for several footballers who prefer to take a nap or watch a movie rather than
watching football.

Here we have rounded up five
players who have admitted they don’t like watching football.

1. Gareth Bale.

Bale has made no secret of his preference for golf
over football.

The Welsh wizard told ESPN previously: “I don’t really watch much football. I’d rather
watch the golf to be honest.”

Wales, Golf, Madrid, in that order.

This was the message on a flag that
Bale controversially held up following Wale’s
sealing their spot at Euro 2020.

The light-hearted stunt did little to improve
Bale’s relationship with Real fans, with the Welshman not a popular figure in
Madrid.

2. Carlos Tevez.

Another high-profile player who prefers golf over football is Carlos
Tevez.

The Argentine striker revealed in October 2018 that he only likes
playing football, not watching it.

“If Barcelona and Real Madrid are playing
each other, but there is a golf tournament on another channel, I’ll choose to
watch the golf instead,” he explained in an interview.

It’s safe to say you won’t find Tevez on punditry duty once he retires
from football.

3. Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The German is currently considered
one of the finest goalkeepers in the world. But even he isn’t bothered about
watching the sport that earns him millions of Euros a year, to the point where
he can’t even name the players he’s facing.

“People laugh when I tell them I
have no idea about football,” he told El Pais in 2020. “I don’t watch a lot of
football, except when there are good games or when I’m particularly interested
in one because I have a relationship or a friend. Sometimes they ask me for a
player’s name and I have no idea.

4. Ronaldinho.

Before Lionel Messi and before Cristiano
Ronaldo, came Ronaldinho. A man who cared not for the numbers of the game. The
Brazilian played to entertain and entertain he did.

Ronaldinho absolutely loves
football – but only to play, rather than watch.

“I don’t like to watch
football, I like to play it, I can’t stand in front of the television
for 90 minutes, I only watch the highlights,” he was quoted as saying
by The Sun in
January 2018.

5. Benjamin White.

The £50 million Arsenal’s summer-signing from Brighton, who is beginning to find his form under Arteta, has
previously admitted he did not watch games as a kid – he just loved playing –
and he prefers to spend his time doing other things.

In his interview with Sky, White said: “I watch myself for
analytical reasons. I watch England, maybe, but I’m always busy doing
something. I wouldn’t just sit down and watch a game.