Messi, Klinsman, Kluivert & Co – the curious case of players adopting famous names in football

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Entire starting XI revealed 

©TM/IMAGO

Beckham builds the play from the back with a long pass. The ball reaches Ballack on the right wing via Stoichkov and Breitner, whose cross is met by Klinsmann in the middle, leaving him with a simple finish. This was how one of the more curious articles in Transfermarkt’s history began in March 2020—an exploration of players who were either named after footballing legends by their parents, happened to share a name with them and became successful, or deliberately adopted the names of their idols as stage names. Five years later, some of those players have since retired, while many others have been added to the Transfermarkt database.

Take Rayane Messi, for example. He was not named after the Argentinian world star but is already making a name for himself in France at just 17 years old. The winger made his professional debut for Strasbourg in the Coupe de France in mid-January, scoring twice in a dramatic 7–5 penalty shootout victory against fifth-division side Thaon. Four weeks earlier, Transfermarkt had highlighted Messi—considered one of the most promising talents of the 2007 generation—in its Talent Calendar.

The Venezuelan Breitner (35), whose full name also includes Wolfgang Overath, and the Cape Verdean Ballack (37) have since ended their careers. Meanwhile, Beckham, mentioned in the first paragraph, continues to play in Egypt but is listed on the squad list for first-division club Cleopatra under his birth name, Ahmed Ramadan (27). Still active—and once again part of our fictional starting eleven—are the Colombian striker and Klinsmann fan Klinsman Calderón (26, Jaguares), the clubless Brazilian goalkeeper Dasaev (31), named after Soviet goalkeeping legend Rinat Dasaev, and the Egyptian, not-so-blonde angel Karim Nedved (27, Al Ahly), named after Pavel Nedved.

Also making the list is his compatriot Mahmoud Trezeguet (30, Al-Rayyan). The forward, alongside the Brazilian 1994 World Cup winner Müller (a striker like Gerd Müller), is perhaps the most successful footballer with a famous namesake. Striker Stoichkov—born Juan Diego Molina Martínez—adopted his stage name in honour of Barcelona legend Hristo Stoichkov. In January, he transferred from Alavés to Granada for €2.5 million and has already found the net for the second-tier club.

A new addition to the list is right-back Kluiverth Aguilar, who was featured in our Talent Calendar back in 2020. At the time, the then-17-year-old Peruvian had already secured a €2.5m move to Manchester City. “My father and grandfather admired Patrick Kluivert a lot,” he explained in an interview with Transfermarkt. Although Aguilar never played for the English giants, he remains within the City Football Group as a regular at Belgian second-division club Lommel SK.

Central defender Kanavaro Burere (18, Malut United U20) and Saviola Mourinho Simons (18) from AZ Alkmaar’s youth team form the backline alongside Kluiverth. The left-back not only bears the first names of two football icons, Javier Saviola and José Mourinho, but is also the cousin of RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons. Brazilian midfielder Yago Del Piero (31), who plays in Italy, and Colombian winger Beckham Castro (21) then complets the team.

From Henry to Kluivert & Shevchenko: Footballing “namesakes” in Brazil, Indonesia & beyond

The phenomenon of footballers sharing names with legendary players extends far beyond those already mentioned. Brazil, in particular, is a hotspot for such cases, given the country’s long tradition of stage names. Among them are Mattheus (30, Al-Nasr), Pablo Maldini (24, Colo Colo FR), Drogba (17, Marcílio U20), Mbappé da Shopee (18, Cruzeiro U20), Roberto Baggio (29, Serra Branca), Thierry Henry (17, São Paulo U17), Gullithi (31, EC Próspera), Eto’o (32, Tupi FC Crisiumal), Thuram (34, Igdir FK) and Cristiano Ronaldo (17, Cuiabá EC U20). Meanwhile, Matheus Totti (29) and Rodrigo Beckham (48) have already retired.

Portugal also has its fair share of such names, including Rooney (28, GD Resende), Totti (21, GD Guiense), and even Schürrle (23, currently without a club). Meanwhile, Nakata (37) has hung up his boots, though likely not on a Japanese nail. Other examples can be found in former Portuguese colonies such as Mozambique, home to Saviola (39, retired), and Hagi from Angola, where Neymar (20, CD Lunda Sul) and Zinedine Zidane Moisés Catraio (26, Kabuscorp SC do Palanca) ply their trade. Even in East Timor, one of Portugal’s most famous footballers has a namesake: Luís Figo (19, Ponta Leste).

Famous Football Names in Indonesia: “A Name is a Prayer”

Why are so many players with famous football names active in Indonesia? Danial Futaki, content manager for Transfermarkt in the Asian island nation, explains: “There are several reasons, but one thing I can say for sure is that these are not stage names—they are real names given at birth. From my personal experience—and I’m sure many Indonesians can relate—we all know at least one person named after a famous footballer. I have friends named ‘Del Piero,’ ‘Totti,’ and even ‘Bierhoff’!” He laughs, adding; “Unfortunately, they didn’t become footballers.”

He elaborates: “I believe fathers are usually responsible for naming their children this way. Indonesia is a football-mad country—truly! Most of these names are given by fathers who grew up idolising certain players. It could be a game that changed their lives, a special moment while watching football, or simply admiration for a player. I’d say these names tend to come from the era when the player was at their peak. Another reason is that in Indonesia, we strongly believe in the saying ‘a name is a prayer.’ Many still hold this belief today. A name is sacred and remains unchanged until it is engraved on a tombstone. So, parents ‘pray’ for their children to become famous, talented, or simply successful in life. Don’t be surprised if we start seeing names like Mbappé, Bellingham, or even Haaland in the future!”

A deeper dive into the Transfermarkt database reveals even more players bearing famous footballing names. Examples include Zidane Yañez (17, NYCFC), Crespo Kamara (32, Gislaveds IS), Gabriel Nistelrooy (24, Johor Darul Ta’zim II), Dalglish (33, Sarawak FA), Thierry Henry (21, ASD Chieri Calcio), Djorkaeff Reasco (26, unattached), Neeskens Kebano (32, Al-Jazira Abu Dhabi), Kaiser (28, Sabadell), and Cruyff Grixti (31, Ghaxaq FC). A particularly curious coincidence occurred in Frankfurt when Niko Kovac (19, now Lecce U20) played in Eintracht Frankfurt’s youth team—while his namesake was the head coach of the senior squad.