C
Clarity News Hub

Who is the dirtiest player in soccer history?

Author

Rachel Ellis

Published Jan 10, 2026

Gerardo Bedoya is officially the dirtiest player in football history. The Colombian, who was capped 49 times by his country, boasts a disciplinary record that makes Roy Keane look like an absolute saint. Incredibly, he was sent off 46 times in a 20-year career in South America.

Who is the dirtiest footballer in the world?

Gerardo Bedoya: The story of the world's 'dirtiest' footballer

  • "When he appears on TV, the presenter will usually have a red card in his pocket or shin pads on because that's Bedoya's reputation more than anything."
  • Bedoya, 44, is, after all, the player with the most red cards in football history.

Who is the dirtiest player in Premier League?

10 dirtiest Premier League players from 2020/21 season as Fernandinho tops the list. The Premier League's 10 dirtiest players from the 2020/21 season have been revealed – and Manchester City legend Fernandinho is the worst offender.

Is Pepe the dirtiest player?

Notorious Portuguese hot-head Pepe will be remembered as one of the dirtiest footballers of ALL TIME after his latest loss of control saw him brawl with Roma in a pre-season friendly.

Does Messi play dirty?

He is the epitome of a forward whose primary goals are tormenting opposition defences and making an impact for his team to win. Usually, it has been Messi who is tackled and infringed by defenders on top of other forms of dirty play. In these seven rare moments, Messi was also caught up in the dark side of football.

16 related questions found

Was Lee Bowyer a dirty player?

Lee Bowyer has shown consistently throughout his career he is a dirty player, having taken the record for most English Premier League yellow cards in 2010. He has been found to have taken illegal substances, accused of rape and punched his own teammate on the pitch resulting in a red card.

Who is the most fouled player?

Neymar has been named as the most fouled player in the world with 1040 fouls against him. Lionel Messi (939) and Andrea Belotti (747) complete the top 3.

Who is the dirtiest player in English football?

But the player who has accrued those red cards in the fewest games, and therefore has the unwanted tag of being the dirtiest player in England, is Gillingham's Daniel Phillips. The midfielder, on loan from Premier League side Watford, has made just 15 appearances in League One but has been sent off twice in that time.

Is Pele the best soccer player?

If you still wonder who is the greatest soccer player of all time, Brazilian legend Pele is considered by many to be the greatest footballer in history. No player has won more World Cups than him, and that alone is enough to justify the Brazilian's inclusion on this list.

Who has most red cards in football?

#1 Sergio Ramos (26 times)

Sergio Ramos and red cards have always gone hand in hand. The Spanish defender has been a stellar player throughout his football career and continues to be a massive player on the pitch.

Are footballers allowed to swear?

Profanity is already a punishable offence under Law 12 of the International Football Association Board's (IFAB) Laws of the Game, if a player 'is guilty of using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures'.

Who gets fouled the most in soccer?

Neymar is the most fouled player in the Europe's top leagues, according to a survey by BeSoccer Pro. The company, which specialises in football statistics, reveals that the Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil international has been fouled 1040 times since 2016.

Who has been fouled the most in football history?

But it is Neymar who claims the top spot over his Argentine teammate, with the Brazilian amassing a whopping 201 more fouls than the Barcelona legend over the last six years.

Was Steven Gerrard a dirty player?

22. Steven Gerrard. A combination of poorly-timed tackles and a reputation as one of football's more infamous divers gets Gerrard a spot on the list.

Was Paul Scholes a dirty player?

Paul Scholes

And nobody at United would call him a dirty player. Nevertheless, especially these days, when he goes in to tackle 76,000 fans hold their breath.

Was Graham Souness tough?

Souness, who is one of the toughest tacklers in British football history, once crunched Steaua Bucharest's Iosif Rotariu while playing for Rangers in the 1988 European Cup quarter-finals.

Who invented soccer?

That would mean the origins of the sport of soccer was invented by the Han Dynasty during the imperial dynasty of China over 2,200 years ago. Historians have claimed that the sport was played even before then as far back as 5,000 years ago. But based on historical evidence, it is the Han Dynasty.

Is Ronaldo better than Messi?

With over 1500 goals between them, Messi and Ronaldo are undoubtedly two of the best finishers the footballing world has ever seen. However, while Ronaldo has scored more, statistics suggest Messi is better at shooting.