41 famous football players whose name starts with L, from Lionel Messi, Lev Yashin and Luka Modrić to Lampard and Lewandowski, with clubs and honours.
The most famous football player whose name starts with L is Lionel Messi, the 2022 World Cup winner and record eight-time Ballon d’Or holder. Lev Yashin and Luís Figo complete the top three.
Below you will find ten detailed profiles, then two tables: one for players whose first name starts with L and one for surnames such as Lewandowski, Lampard and Lahm. A short table by position helps with quizzes and word games.
Most Famous Football Players Whose Name Starts With L:
- Lionel Messi
- Lev Yashin
- Luís Figo
- Lothar Matthäus
- Luka Modrić
- Luis Suárez
- Lamine Yamal
- Lilian Thuram
- Laurent Blanc
- Lautaro Martínez
#1 Lionel Messi
- 🎂 Birthday: 24 June 1987
- 🌎 Nationality: Argentina
- ⚽ Position: Forward
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami
- 🏆 Best known for: 2022 World Cup, eight Ballon d’Or awards, four Champions League titles
Messi came through Barcelona’s academy and became the club’s all-time top scorer, winning four Champions League titles and ten La Liga titles. In 2012 he scored 91 goals in a calendar year.
With Argentina he won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024 and the World Cup in 2022, when he was named player of the tournament. He has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times and scored 21 World Cup goals, reaching the 2026 final with Argentina.
#2 Lev Yashin
- 🎂 Birthday: 22 October 1929
- 🌎 Nationality: Soviet Union
- ⚽ Position: Goalkeeper
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Dynamo Moscow
- 🏆 Best known for: Only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or (1963)
Yashin spent his whole career at Dynamo Moscow and won Olympic gold in 1956 and the first European Championship in 1960 with the Soviet Union.
Known as the Black Spider for his all-black kit, he won the Ballon d’Or in 1963, still the only goalkeeper to do so. The award for the world’s best goalkeeper at the Ballon d’Or ceremony is named after him.
#3 Luís Figo
- 🎂 Birthday: 4 November 1972
- 🌎 Nationality: Portugal
- ⚽ Position: Winger
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter
- 🏆 Best known for: Ballon d’Or 2000, 2002 Champions League
Figo was the leader of Portugal’s golden generation and starred for Barcelona in the late 1990s. His move to rivals Real Madrid in 2000 set a world record fee and made him a hate figure at the Camp Nou.
He won the Ballon d’Or in 2000 and the Champions League with Madrid in 2002. He captained Portugal to the Euro 2004 final and finished his career with several Serie A titles at Inter.
#4 Lothar Matthäus
- 🎂 Birthday: 21 March 1961
- 🌎 Nationality: Germany
- ⚽ Position: Midfielder, sweeper
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Inter, MetroStars
- 🏆 Best known for: 1990 World Cup winning captain, Ballon d’Or 1990
Matthäus captained West Germany to the 1990 World Cup title in Italy and won the Ballon d’Or the same year. In 1991 he became the first winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
He played at five World Cups between 1982 and 1998 and won 150 caps for Germany. At club level he won the UEFA Cup with Inter and Bayern and a long list of Bundesliga titles.
#5 Luka Modrić
- 🎂 Birthday: 9 September 1985
- 🌎 Nationality: Croatia
- ⚽ Position: Midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, AC Milan
- 🏆 Best known for: Ballon d’Or 2018, six Champions League titles
Modrić joined Real Madrid from Tottenham in 2012 and won six Champions League titles there, controlling games from midfield well into his late thirties.
He led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final, won the Golden Ball and then the Ballon d’Or, ending ten years of wins for Messi and Ronaldo. He is Croatia’s most capped player and moved to AC Milan in 2025.
#6 Luis Suárez
- 🎂 Birthday: 24 January 1987
- 🌎 Nationality: Uruguay
- ⚽ Position: Striker
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Nacional, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Inter Miami
- 🏆 Best known for: Uruguay’s record goalscorer, 2015 Champions League
Suárez scored freely at Ajax and Liverpool, where he scored 31 Premier League goals in 2013/14. He then formed a famous front three with Messi and Neymar at Barcelona and won the 2015 Champions League.
He won the Copa América with Uruguay in 2011 and is the country’s all-time top scorer. After Barcelona he won La Liga with Atlético Madrid in 2021.
#7 Lamine Yamal
- 🎂 Birthday: 13 July 2007
- 🌎 Nationality: Spain
- ⚽ Position: Winger
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Barcelona
- 🏆 Best known for: 2026 World Cup and Euro 2024 winner, youngest goalscorer in European Championship history
Yamal broke into Barcelona’s first team at 15. At Euro 2024 he scored a long-range goal against France in the semi-final at 16 and won the tournament with Spain a day after turning 17.
He was named young player of Euro 2024 and helped Barcelona win La Liga and the Copa del Rey in 2025. In July 2026, aged 19, he won the World Cup with Spain in the United States.
#8 Lilian Thuram
- 🎂 Birthday: 1 January 1972
- 🌎 Nationality: France
- ⚽ Position: Defender
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Monaco, Parma, Juventus, Barcelona
- 🏆 Best known for: 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, 142 caps for France
Thuram scored both of France’s goals in the 1998 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, his only goals for his country, and won the final against Brazil a few days later.
He added Euro 2000 and won 142 caps, a France record until Hugo Lloris passed him in 2022. At club level he won the UEFA Cup with Parma in 1999 and starred in defence for Juventus.
#9 Laurent Blanc
- 🎂 Birthday: 19 November 1965
- 🌎 Nationality: France
- ⚽ Position: Centre-back
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Montpellier, Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Inter, Manchester United
- 🏆 Best known for: 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, first golden goal in World Cup history
Blanc scored the first golden goal in World Cup history against Paraguay in 1998, but a red card in the semi-final meant he missed the final. He won Euro 2000 two years later.
He won the Premier League with Manchester United in 2003 and later coached Bordeaux, France and Paris Saint-Germain.
#10 Lautaro Martínez
- 🎂 Birthday: 22 August 1997
- 🌎 Nationality: Argentina
- ⚽ Position: Striker
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Racing Club, Inter
- 🏆 Best known for: 2022 World Cup, Copa América 2021 and 2024
Lautaro joined Inter from Racing Club in 2018 and won Serie A titles in 2021 and 2024, the second as club captain.
With Argentina he won the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles. At the 2024 Copa América he was top scorer and scored the winning goal in extra time of the final against Colombia.
More Football Players Whose First Name Starts With L
These players also have a first name or nickname that starts with L, from World Cup winners of the 1990s to players active today.
| Player | Country | Position | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo | Brazil | Midfielder, left-back | 1994 World Cup winner, AC Milan |
| Lúcio | Brazil | Centre-back | 2002 World Cup and 2010 Champions League with Inter |
| Luca Toni | Italy | Striker | 2006 World Cup winner, Fiorentina and Bayern Munich |
| Leonardo Bonucci | Italy | Centre-back | Scored in the Euro 2020 final |
| Lucas Moura | Brazil | Winger | Hat-trick for Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League semi-final |
| Leroy Sané | Germany | Winger | Manchester City and Bayern Munich |
| Luke Shaw | England | Left-back | Scored in the Euro 2020 final |
| Leon Goretzka | Germany | Midfielder | 2020 Champions League with Bayern |
| Lorenzo Insigne | Italy | Forward | Napoli captain, Euro 2020 winner |
| Lucas Hernández | France | Left-back | 2018 World Cup winner |
| Leandro Paredes | Argentina | Midfielder | 2022 World Cup winner |
| Lucas Paquetá | Brazil | Midfielder | West Ham, 2023 Conference League |
| Ledley King | England | Centre-back | Tottenham captain |
| Liam Brady | Ireland | Midfielder | Arsenal and Juventus |
| Lee Dixon | England | Right-back | Part of the famous Arsenal back four |
| Ludovic Giuly | France | Winger | Monaco and Barcelona, 2006 Champions League |
Football Players Whose Last Name Starts With L
Many of the best-known L names in football are surnames. Use these if your quiz or game allows the last name.
| Player | Country | Position | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Lewandowski | Poland | Striker | Record 41 Bundesliga goals in one season |
| Frank Lampard | England | Midfielder | Chelsea’s all-time top scorer |
| Philipp Lahm | Germany | Full-back | 2014 World Cup winning captain |
| Michael Laudrup | Denmark | Attacking midfielder | Barcelona Dream Team, Real Madrid |
| Brian Laudrup | Denmark | Winger | Euro 92 winner, Rangers |
| Gary Lineker | England | Striker | Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup |
| Denis Law | Scotland | Forward | Ballon d’Or 1964, Manchester United |
| Henrik Larsson | Sweden | Striker | Celtic legend, 2006 Champions League with Barcelona |
| Bixente Lizarazu | France | Left-back | 1998 World Cup and 2001 Champions League |
| Hugo Lloris | France | Goalkeeper | 2018 World Cup winning captain |
| Jens Lehmann | Germany | Goalkeeper | Arsenal’s unbeaten 2003/04 season |
| Matt Le Tissier | England | Attacking midfielder | Southampton, famous penalty record |
| Grzegorz Lato | Poland | Winger | Top scorer at the 1974 World Cup |
| Romelu Lukaku | Belgium | Striker | Belgium’s record goalscorer |
| Rafael Leão | Portugal | Winger | Serie A 2022 with AC Milan |
L Players by Position
Need one L name per position? Here is a first name and a surname for each line of the team.
| Position | First name with L | Last name with L |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Lev Yashin | Hugo Lloris |
| Defender | Lilian Thuram | Philipp Lahm |
| Midfielder | Luka Modrić | Frank Lampard |
| Forward | Lionel Messi | Robert Lewandowski |
Football Players From A to Z
Looking for another letter? A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
FAQ
Who is the most famous football player whose name starts with L?
Lionel Messi. He won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, four Champions League titles with Barcelona and the Ballon d’Or a record eight times.
Which Premier League players have names starting with L?
Luis Suárez, Luka Modrić, Lucas Moura, Leroy Sané, Luke Shaw and Ledley King by first name. Surnames include Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Jens Lehmann and Romelu Lukaku.
Is there a famous goalkeeper whose name starts with L?
Lev Yashin is the most famous goalkeeper of all time and the only one to win the Ballon d’Or. By surname, Hugo Lloris captained France to the 2018 World Cup.
Which World Cup winners have a name starting with L?
Lothar Matthäus (1990), Leonardo (1994), Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc and Bixente Lizarazu (1998), Lúcio (2002), Luca Toni (2006), Philipp Lahm (2014), Hugo Lloris and Lucas Hernández (2018), Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Leandro Paredes and Lisandro Martínez (2022), and Lamine Yamal (Spain 2026). By surname, Aymeric Laporte and Marcos Llorente (2026).
Has a player whose name starts with L won the Ballon d’Or?
Yes, several. Lev Yashin won it in 1963, Denis Law in 1964, Lothar Matthäus in 1990, Luís Figo in 2000, Luka Modrić in 2018 and Lionel Messi eight times.
Which Argentine football players start with L?
Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martínez, Leandro Paredes and Lisandro Martínez, all four World Cup winners in 2022.
Which current players have a name starting with L?
Active players include Lamine Yamal, Lautaro Martínez, Leroy Sané, Lucas Paquetá, Robert Lewandowski and Rafael Leão.
What is a good football player with L for a quiz or word game?
Lionel Messi is the safest answer for a first name and Lampard or Lineker for a surname. Short names such as Lúcio and Law are useful when space is tight.
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