Top 10 Iconic Players in Masks: Ranking the Most Memorable Masked Footballers

10. Emilson Cribari

Lazio

In August 2007, during a Champions League match between Lazio and Dinamo Bucharest, Edmilson Cribari experienced a significant setback. In just the 23rd minute, the Brazilian defender had to leave the pitch, and it was later revealed that he had fractured his jaw, cheekbone, and orbital floor.

Following surgery, Cribari was determined to rejoin his team for the return match just 12 days later. He donned a protective mask for the occasion, which he later customized with Lazio's colors and an eagle, and then with Brazil's colors for the Rio carnival. For these reasons, the Laziale Curva Nord honored him as the club's bravest player.

9. Giampaolo Pazzini

Fiorentina

It's almost painful to imagine a collision with a full-speed goalkeeper aimed straight at your face, but that’s exactly what happened to Giampaolo Pazzini. In 2009, during a match between his Sampdoria side and Lazio, the Italian striker suffered a massive collision with Lazio's Uruguayan goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera.

The impact resulted in a broken nose and a subsequent trip to the operating table. A week later, when Pazzini returned to the pitch, he wore a unique mask. On the left side, his number "10" was prominently displayed, and on the right, above his eye, his nickname "Pazzo" was inscribed. He wore this mask for his first goal post-injury, and afterward, he referred to it as a sort of lucky charm.

8. Memphis Depay

PSV Eindhoven

Some may have forgotten, but it was at PSV Eindhoven that Memphis Depay first caught the attention of Europe’s top clubs. In 2014, the Dutchman had to wear a protective mask after taking an elbow to the face from a Vitesse player.

This unique, custom-made mask was designed to stay in place despite contact or sweat. An elastic band at the top of his head provided extra support. This early setback didn’t hinder Depay from embarking on a career that many players could only dream of.

7. Michael Ballack

Bayer Leverkusen

In 2011, just a few months before retiring, Michael Ballack was playing for Bayer Leverkusen, a club he had previously played for between 1999 and 2002, before deciding to return for one final stint before heading to Major League Soccer.

In November, during a Bundesliga match against Freiburg, the 35-year-old midfielder suffered a broken nose. Despite the injury, he returned to the pitch the following week, sporting a charcoal-black mask that matched his shirt colors. With this new, villainous look, Ballack patrolled the midfield, reminiscent of his old, menacing self.

6. Victor Osimhen

Napoli

The images of Victor Osimhen celebrating his goals by removing his protective mask were among the most memorable of the 2022/23 season. The Nigerian center-forward was a key figure in Napoli's Serie A triumph, scoring 26 league goals.

Part of his success can be traced back to a 2021 collision with Milan Skriniar of Inter Milan during an aerial duel. The incident left Osimhen with multiple fractures (eye socket and left cheekbone), requiring a major operation and metal screws in his jaw. Despite this, he made a remarkable return to the pitch, playing under the protection of a custom-made mask.

5. Robert Lewandowski

Bayern Munich

It was a Klassiker that left its mark on Robert Lewandowski's face. When the Poland international faced his former club Borussia Dortmund in 2015 for one of the Bundesliga's most memorable matches of the season, the encounter took an unexpected turn.

A clash with his old team resulted in Lewandowski suffering a fractured nose and jaw. This injury required him to wear a protective mask, but it didn’t stop him from continuing to terrorize opposing defenses with his prolific goal-scoring. The memory of that game is literally engraved on his face, but it didn't slow him down on the pitch.

4. John Terry

Chelsea

An exemplary captain. In 2007, during the West London derby between Chelsea and Fulham, John Terry suffered a violent blow from Fulham's Clint Dempsey. This would be bad news for any player, especially since it happened in the third minute of the game.

However, for the Blues legend and one of the greatest center-backs in Premier League history, it was a different story. Terry gritted his teeth and played until halftime before receiving medical attention. The result was a cheekbone fracture, leading to him wearing a transparent protective mask that made the English defender look even more like a fierce warrior.

3. Paul Gascoigne

Lazio

Paul Gascoigne's mask in 1993 seemed straight out of a science fiction or crime thriller. It resulted from a violent elbow by Dutch captain Jan Wouters during a qualifying match for the 1994 World Cup, the first to be held in the United States. Gazza's fractured cheekbone necessitated the protective gear.

The Lazio midfielder sported a distinctive beige mask for both club and country for the remainder of the season, covering his entire left cheek. He became a true cinematic antagonist from the 1990s.

2. Paolo Maldini

AC Milan

The injury, now famously known as the "derby fracture," occurred in 2003 during a Milan derby between AC Milan and Inter Milan. Paolo Maldini, the elegant and legendary center-back widely regarded as one of the greatest in football history, fractured his nasal septum in an aerial duel with Inter's Bobo Vieri.

This setback sidelined him from Italian football for several weeks, but he made a determined comeback in the second leg of a Champions League quarter-final against Ajax Amsterdam. Cameras at the event captured images of the Rossoneri player wearing a rather unsightly transparent mask.

1. Petr Cech

Chelsea

He is arguably the most iconic player to have worn protective gear. The first and most memorable instance is the protective helmet he donned in 2006 after sustaining a severe knee blow to the skull, which resulted in a fracture deemed potentially fatal by medical professionals. This incident occurred during a clash with Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt.

Five years later, while playing against Blackburn Rovers, the former Stade Rennais goalkeeper suffered another misfortune, breaking his nose in the process. This injury required him to wear not just one, but two protective masks.