Top five footballers who switched to other sports

It’s natural for people to be good at multiple sports but building a career and becoming a professional athlete takes an eternity. Thinking about excelling at another sport after going pro is something most people would consider insane. Well, some footballers aren’t on the same page. They decided to switch sports after dedicating their life to mastering the art of football. 

While most footballers dedicate their lives to winning everything football has to offer, a few jump into a new sport. Most of them made the switch after hanging up their boots, but the rare ones sailed in two boats by pursuing two careers simultaneously. 

The football world has seen some athletes transition from football after an incredible career. Below, we will list down some players who tried to ink their names in the history books of other sports. These footballers either wanted to test their skills at a new sport or just wanted to try their hand at a new game after retirement. 

5. Ivan Perisic – Beach Volleyball

The Croatian footballer Ivan Perisic has made 138 appearances for the nation. He is the second most capped player in the country, only behind Luka Modric. Perisic has played for multiple top European sides. He has found the net on 141 occasions and provided 122 assists in the 615 games he played. 

In the summer of 2017, Ivan decided to test his agility and hand-eye coordination rather than taking a deserved rest. He gave his feet a break and swapped football for beach volleyball. The then Milan star paired with Niksa Dell’Orco and donned the Croatian colors at the Porec Major Event. 

However, things didn’t go as planned, and the Dell’Orco-Perisic pair lost the game in straight sets. It got worse as the duo lost their second game, too. Perisic later revealed that he doesn’t regret the loss. He added that he has been playing beach volleyball since he was ten and practised with his friends every summer. He dreamed of playing with the best beach volleyball players in the world. He felt amazing despite the loss. 

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4. Gareth Bale – Golf

Gareth Bale lives in the heart of every Real Madrid fan who witnessed the havoc BBC wrecked. His incredible goal against FC Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey final had the fans on their feet. The Winger has played 111 games for his country and has scored 40 times. Gareth Bale led his side to the FIFA World Cup after 64 years. He is the nation’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer.

Bale began his career at Southampton and moved to the Tottenham Hotspurs in 2007. The Spanish giants, Real Madrid, signed him for a whopping £85.1 million. He provided 132 assists and scored 185 goals in 554 games in top leagues, including La Liga and Premier League. 

The 35-year-old footballer hung his boots after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In his rough patch at Real Madrid squad, multiple memes were made about Bale and his love for golf. So, he devoted himself to golf following his retirement. Bale participated in multiple tournaments, such as AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and BMW PGA Pro-Am. He paired with American golfer Joseph Bramlett in the former and finished 16th. Gareth Bale has no plans to become a professional.

3. Paulo Maldini – Tennis

Maldini makes it to every conversation about the greatest defenders that graced the game of football. He was a one-club man and stood like a wall for Seria A side AC Milan for his whole career. The Italian centre-back played 647 games in 25 seasons for Milan and scored 29 goals. He had the record for most Seria A appearances until Buffon surpassed him in 2020. 

Paulo Maldini won 7 Seria A titles, 5 Champions League titles and one FIFA Club World Cup, among others. He played 126 games for his country and scored 7 goals. He was an integral part of the team that finished third in 1990 and made it to the finals of the FIFA World Cup in 1994. 

After winning multiple titles, Maldini switched to tennis. He joined hands with Stefano Landonio at the Aspira tournament. The duo was thrashed 6-1, 6-1 in just 41 minutes by Tomasz Bednarek and David Pel. The legendary defender just wanted to enjoy and experience the moment, but he harmed a muscle at the first point. Maldini admitted that they could have done better but had no problems with the result. 

2. Rio Ferdinand – Boxing

Legendary Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand played in the Premier League throughout his career. After playing 127 games for West Ham United, he played a combined total of 54 games for AFC Bournemouth and Leeds United. 

Ferdinand joined Manchester United in 2002 for a transfer fee of £30 million. He made 312 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 7 times. The English centre-back played 81 games for United and found the net thrice. His solid defending helped his side win multiple domestic and European championships. 

Rio Ferdinand took up an incredible challenge after bidding farewell to football. The English international wanted to become a professional boxer. He initiated a Defender to Contender project to earn a professional boxing license. But, despite his efforts, he could never enter a professional ring as his request for a boxing license was rejected by the British Boxing Board of Control. 

Also Read: Ranking the Top 15 Italian Footballers | All Time

1. Diego Forlan – Tennis 

Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan is one of the best goal-scorers in football history. He played for the top Premier League, Seria A and La Liga sides. Forlan won the Pichichi and Golden Boot twice. He played 525 games at club level and scored 222 times. 

Forlan was the first player to earn 100 caps for Uruguay. Although his team couldn’t find much success at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Forlan won the goal of the tournament and the Golden Ball. He was the tournament’s top joint scorer with five goals. 

The 45-year-old retired from football in 2019 and took up Tennis. The former centre forward made his professional tennis debut on 13 November in a doubles tennis match at the Montevideo Challenger teaming up with Argentine tennis player Federico Coria at the ATP doubles event in Uruguay.

Forlan looked decent in his debut, though ended up losing against the Bolivian duo Federico Zeballos and Boris Arias with a margin (6-1, 6-2). Nonetheless, there is still plenty of room for improvement as it’s just the start of his Tennis endeavours.