In soccer, players usually become unforgettable in one of two ways.
The first—and certainly the preferred method—is by being great at the sport. Think Lionel Messi dancing through defences, Cristiano Ronaldo scoring goals for fun, or Zlatan Ibrahimović defying physics with a scissor kick.
The second, and far less flattering way, to go down in history, is by being bad.
Whether making huge defensive errors, constantly missing open goals, or falling spectacularly short of expectations after a big-money transfer—any of these can make a player a legend for all the wrong reasons.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled our definitive ranking of the 15 worst soccer players of all time. These are the names that stand out not for brilliance, but for blunders, busts, and baffling performances that fans won’t soon forget.
