Everybody has different ways to unwind after long days at the office, and sports stars are no different. Even with all the money in the world, footballers have a lot of time in between fixtures and training and often need hobbies that will help them pass the time. Spursforlife.com has already found some of the ways Tottenham Hotspur players spend their downtime, but there are a growing number of stars that are taking up gaming.
But, which globally recognizable football players are spending their spare time preparing for games while playing console titles?
1. Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil is regarded as one of the most talented attacking midfielders to have played the game in Europe. His career started in the Bundesliga with spells at Schalke and Werder Bremen before he joined Real Madrid in 2010. During his three-year stay with the club, he won the La Liga title, before joining Premier League giants Arsenal for a huge fee.
He was pivotal in ending the Gunners’ nine-year trophy draught as the club won the FA Cup on three occasions during his stay. However, fans fell out of love with the player towards the end of his stay as he often missed matches due to back issues. Reports seemed to indicate that this was due to the amount of time he was spending playing Fortnite. He also plays the game on Twitch and owns an eSports team.
2. Kevin De Bruyne
Few players are more highly regarded in the world of football than Kevin De Bruyne. After a short spell with Chelsea, he moved to Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. After impressing during his one season with the club, Manchester City signed the central midfielder for a £54 million fee. He has enjoyed a hugely successful period of his career with the Premier League side, as he has won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and the League Cup on five occasions. De Bruyne was also an important part of the City team in 2017-18 that became the first in Premier League history to reach 100 points.
He also set the record for most assists in a single league campaign in 2019-20 and has received the PFA Players’ Player of the Year on two occasions. However, his love for gaming is clear for all to see, as he is a massive fan of Twitch. So much so that he teamed up with Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli for a game as part of Stream Aid.
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most charismatic players to have ever played football, and his performances on the pitch have always been able to support what he has said off it. During his career, he has been named in the UEFA Team of the Year on four occasions and has represented some of the biggest clubs in the world. Ibrahimovic has enjoyed success wherever he has gone and has enjoyed spells at Inter Milan, AC Milan, Barcelona, PSG, and Manchester United.
However, Twitch users have regularly seen the Swede enjoying his downtime, as he is commonly seen on his brother’s gaming account. Over the past couple of years, fans have seen Ibrahimovic play games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty, and World of Warcraft.
