5 Players Who Are Captains For Both Club And Country
For a player to become a captain in any club, it means he or she has all the qualities of being a leader both on and off pitch.
The two greatest players in the current football history Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are a perfect example of leaders on the pitch which earned them the trust of being given the armband for both club and national teams. In this article, Mideyah Digital’s focus is on highlighting 5 players who hold the captaincy for both their clubs and country, showcasing their leadership roles in the world of football.
1. CRISTIANO RONALDO
The Portuguese legendary forward is regarded as one of the best players in the world and also considered as one of the greatest players of all time. Ronaldo will remain in the history of football for his prowess on the pitch and his ability to score numerous goals across all competitions and in all clubs he has played. Ronaldo was named the captain of Portugal in 2008 a year before moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009. He was pivotal when he helped Portugal win the 2016 Euros after defeating France in the Finals. After his bitter exit from Manchester United on his second stint at the club, he moved to Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr in January 2023, and he was immediately confirmed the captain at the club replacing Abdullah Madu.
2. LIONEL MESSI
The Argentine maestro is one of a kind and a rare breed of a player. Messi is regarded as one of the greatest players in the world not just in Argentina. The 8-Ballon D’Or winner was named Argentina’s captain permanently in 2011 by former coach Alejandro Sabella, having led the side for the first time in the 2010 Group B game against Greece under legendary midfielder Diego Maradona who passed away in 2020 aged 60. Messi led Argentina into World Cup triumph during the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar. The Barcelona legend was named Inter Miami captain immediately after he joined the Major Soccer League club from Paris Saint Germain in July 2023.
3. Virgil Van Dijk
The Netherlands defender who has been flying since he joined Liverpool in January 2018 from Southampton for a record fee of €84.65m for a defender. He was named the Reds captain last year 2023 after the departure of England international Jordan Henderson who was the club’s captain and has led the club to the first Carabao Cup Final as club captain. Van Dijk also led Netherlands national team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar the management of former Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal.
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4. Martin Odegaard
The Norwegian international joined Arsenal on loan in January 2021 from Real Madrid before impressing at Emirates Stadium when they decided to make his move permanent for a reported fee of €35.00m. Since then, he turned to be a key player for the Mikel Arteta’s squad where he was named Arsenal’s captain at the start of the 2022/23 season replacing Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who had fallen out with manager Mikel Arteta leading to his frequent benching. Odegaard also captains Norway receiving the armband in 2021.
5. SON HEUNG-MIN
The South-Korean international has emerged to be the best player from the Asian continent for the past one decade now. Son Heung-Min was named Tottenham’s captain in the summer of 2023 after the departure of all time club’s top scorer Harry Kane who made his move to Germany giants Bayern Munich. He also captains the South Korea’s national team; he led them to the semi-final of the 2023 Asian Cup where they were knocked out by Jordan.
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