46 famous football players whose name starts with S, from Sergio Ramos, Gerrard and Sócrates to Salah, Shearer and Shevchenko, with clubs and honours.
The most famous football player whose first name starts with S is Sergio Ramos, who won the World Cup with Spain and four Champions Leagues with Real Madrid. Steven Gerrard and Sócrates complete the top three.
Below you will find ten detailed profiles, then two tables: one for players whose first name starts with S and one for surnames such as Salah, Shearer and Shevchenko. A short table by position helps with quizzes and word games.
Most Famous Football Players Whose Name Starts With S:
- Sergio Ramos
- Steven Gerrard
- Sócrates
- Samuel Eto’o
- Sergio Agüero
- Stanley Matthews
- Son Heung-min
- Sergio Busquets
- Sadio Mané
- Sepp Maier
#1 Sergio Ramos
- 🎂 Birthday: 30 March 1986
- 🌎 Nationality: Spain
- ⚽ Position: Centre-back
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Sevilla, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain
- 🏆 Best known for: 2010 World Cup, Euro 2008 and 2012, four Champions Leagues
Ramos won the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships of 2008 and 2012 with Spain and is the country’s most capped player.
At Real Madrid he won four Champions Leagues. His header deep into stoppage time of the 2014 final against Atlético Madrid forced extra time and set up the club’s tenth European title.
#2 Steven Gerrard
- 🎂 Birthday: 30 May 1980
- 🌎 Nationality: England
- ⚽ Position: Midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Liverpool, LA Galaxy
- 🏆 Best known for: 2005 Champions League, Liverpool captain
Gerrard captained Liverpool to the 2005 Champions League in Istanbul, where his header started the comeback from 3-0 down against AC Milan. A year later his late equaliser in the FA Cup final against West Ham forced the penalty shoot-out that Liverpool won.
He won 114 caps for England and captained his country. The Premier League title escaped him, but as a coach he led Rangers to the Scottish title in 2021 without a league defeat.
#3 Sócrates
- 🎂 Birthday: 19 February 1954
- 🌎 Nationality: Brazil
- ⚽ Position: Midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Botafogo-SP, Corinthians, Fiorentina, Flamengo, Santos
- 🏆 Best known for: Captain of Brazil at the 1982 World Cup
Sócrates captained the celebrated Brazil side of the 1982 World Cup and played at the 1986 tournament as well. He was known for his vision and his backheel passes.
A qualified doctor, he led the Corinthians Democracy movement in the early 1980s, in which players voted on club decisions. He died on 4 December 2011.
#4 Samuel Eto’o
- 🎂 Birthday: 10 March 1981
- 🌎 Nationality: Cameroon
- ⚽ Position: Striker
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter, Anzhi Makhachkala, Chelsea, Everton
- 🏆 Best known for: Trebles with Barcelona and Inter, two Africa Cups of Nations
Eto’o won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2006 and 2009, scoring in both finals, then joined Inter and won a second treble in a row in 2010.
With Cameroon he won Olympic gold in 2000 and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002, and he is the country’s record goalscorer. He was named African Footballer of the Year four times.
#5 Sergio Agüero
- 🎂 Birthday: 2 June 1988
- 🌎 Nationality: Argentina
- ⚽ Position: Striker
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Independiente, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona
- 🏆 Best known for: Manchester City’s record goalscorer, five Premier League titles
Agüero’s goal in stoppage time against Queens Park Rangers in May 2012 won Manchester City their first league title in 44 years. He became the club’s all-time top scorer and won five Premier League titles.
Earlier he won the Europa League with Atlético Madrid. He won Olympic gold in 2008 and the 2021 Copa América with Argentina before a heart condition ended his career that year.
#6 Stanley Matthews
- 🎂 Birthday: 1 February 1915
- 🌎 Nationality: England
- ⚽ Position: Right winger
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Stoke City, Blackpool
- 🏆 Best known for: First Ballon d’Or winner in 1956, 1953 FA Cup
Matthews inspired Blackpool’s comeback from 3-1 down to win the 1953 FA Cup final against Bolton, a match remembered as the Matthews Final. In 1956 he became the first winner of the Ballon d’Or.
He was knighted while still a player and played his last First Division match for Stoke City after his 50th birthday. He died in 2000.
#7 Son Heung-min
- 🎂 Birthday: 8 July 1992
- 🌎 Nationality: South Korea
- ⚽ Position: Forward
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Hamburg, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham Hotspur, Los Angeles FC
- 🏆 Best known for: Premier League Golden Boot 2021/22, 2025 Europa League
Son shared the Premier League Golden Boot in 2021/22 and won the FIFA Puskás Award for his solo run and goal against Burnley in December 2019.
He captained Tottenham to the 2025 Europa League, the club’s first trophy since 2008, and captained South Korea at the 2022 World Cup.
#8 Sergio Busquets
- 🎂 Birthday: 16 July 1988
- 🌎 Nationality: Spain
- ⚽ Position: Defensive midfielder
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Barcelona, Inter Miami
- 🏆 Best known for: 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, three Champions Leagues
Busquets broke into the Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola in 2008 and anchored the midfield that won the Champions League in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
He won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 with Spain. In 2023 he left Barcelona for Inter Miami, where he was reunited with Lionel Messi.
#9 Sadio Mané
- 🎂 Birthday: 10 April 1992
- 🌎 Nationality: Senegal
- ⚽ Position: Forward
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Metz, Red Bull Salzburg, Southampton, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Al Nassr
- 🏆 Best known for: 2019 Champions League, 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
Mané scored the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history for Southampton, three goals in under three minutes against Aston Villa in 2015. At Liverpool he won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
He scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final, giving Senegal its first continental title.
#10 Sepp Maier
- 🎂 Birthday: 28 February 1944
- 🌎 Nationality: Germany
- ⚽ Position: Goalkeeper
- 🏟️ Main clubs: Bayern Munich
- 🏆 Best known for: 1974 World Cup, Euro 72, three European Cups
Maier spent his whole career at Bayern Munich and won the European Cup three times in a row from 1974 to 1976.
With West Germany he won Euro 72 and the 1974 World Cup on home soil. A car accident ended his career in 1979, and he later coached Germany’s goalkeepers.
More Football Players Whose First Name Starts With S
These players also have a first name or nickname that starts with S, from European Cup winners to players active today.
| Player | Country | Position | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandro Mazzola | Italy | Forward | Two European Cups with Inter |
| Sol Campbell | England | Centre-back | Arsenal Invincibles |
| Steve McManaman | England | Winger | Liverpool, two Champions Leagues with Real Madrid |
| Sami Hyypiä | Finland | Centre-back | 2005 Champions League with Liverpool |
| Stefan Effenberg | Germany | Midfielder | Bayern Munich captain, 2001 Champions League |
| Siniša Mihajlović | Serbia | Defender | Free kick specialist at Lazio |
| Samir Nasri | France | Midfielder | Arsenal and Manchester City |
| Shay Given | Republic of Ireland | Goalkeeper | Newcastle United |
| Shinji Kagawa | Japan | Attacking midfielder | Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United |
| Simon Kjær | Denmark | Centre-back | AC Milan, Denmark captain |
| Stephan El Shaarawy | Italy | Forward | AC Milan and Roma |
| Steve Mandanda | France | Goalkeeper | Marseille, 2018 World Cup squad |
| Serge Gnabry | Germany | Winger | Bayern Munich, 2020 Champions League |
| Saúl Ñíguez | Spain | Midfielder | Atlético Madrid |
| Sergej Milinković-Savić | Serbia | Midfielder | Lazio and Al-Hilal |
| Stefan de Vrij | Netherlands | Centre-back | Lazio and Inter |
| Scott McTominay | Scotland | Midfielder | Manchester United and Napoli |
| Sandro Tonali | Italy | Midfielder | AC Milan and Newcastle United |
Football Players Whose Last Name Starts With S
Many of the best-known S names in football are surnames. Use these if your quiz or game allows the last name.
| Player | Country | Position | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Forward | Liverpool, several Premier League Golden Boots |
| Andriy Shevchenko | Ukraine | Striker | AC Milan, Ballon d’Or 2004 |
| Alan Shearer | England | Striker | Premier League record goalscorer |
| Luis Suárez | Uruguay | Striker | Liverpool and Barcelona |
| Hristo Stoichkov | Bulgaria | Forward | Barcelona, Ballon d’Or 1994 |
| Matthias Sammer | Germany | Sweeper | Euro 96, Ballon d’Or 1996 |
| Davor Šuker | Croatia | Striker | Golden Boot at the 1998 World Cup |
| Bastian Schweinsteiger | Germany | Midfielder | 2014 World Cup, Bayern Munich |
| Clarence Seedorf | Netherlands | Midfielder | Champions League with Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan |
| Gaetano Scirea | Italy | Sweeper | 1982 World Cup, Juventus |
| Hugo Sánchez | Mexico | Striker | Real Madrid, five times La Liga top scorer |
| Diego Simeone | Argentina | Midfielder | Atlético Madrid, Lazio and Inter |
| David Silva | Spain | Attacking midfielder | Valencia and Manchester City, 2010 World Cup |
| Ole Gunnar Solskjær | Norway | Striker | Winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final |
| Kasper Schmeichel | Denmark | Goalkeeper | 2016 Premier League title with Leicester |
| Bukayo Saka | England | Winger | Arsenal academy graduate |
| William Saliba | France | Centre-back | Arsenal |
| Leroy Sané | Germany | Winger | Manchester City and Bayern Munich |
S Players by Position
Need one S name per position? Here is a first name and a surname for each line of the team.
| Position | First name with S | Last name with S |
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Sepp Maier | Kasper Schmeichel |
| Defender | Sergio Ramos | Gaetano Scirea |
| Midfielder | Steven Gerrard | Bastian Schweinsteiger |
| Forward | Samuel Eto’o | Mohamed Salah |
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 S?
Sergio Ramos by first name. He won the 2010 World Cup, two European Championships and four Champions Leagues. By surname, Mohamed Salah is the best-known S player today.
Which Premier League players have names starting with S?
Steven Gerrard, Sergio Agüero, Son Heung-min, Sadio Mané, Sol Campbell and Samir Nasri. Surnames include Mohamed Salah, Alan Shearer, Luis Suárez, David Silva and Bukayo Saka.
Is there a famous goalkeeper whose name starts with S?
Sepp Maier is the most famous. He won the 1974 World Cup and three European Cups with Bayern Munich. Shay Given and Kasper Schmeichel are other options.
Which World Cup winners have a name starting with S?
Sepp Maier (1974), Sergio Ramos and Sergio Busquets (2010), and Steve Mandanda as a squad member in 2018. Surnames include Gaetano Scirea (1982), David Silva (2010), Bastian Schweinsteiger (2014) and Unai Simón (2026).
Has a player whose name starts with S won the Ballon d’Or?
Yes. Stanley Matthews won the first Ballon d’Or in 1956. By surname, Hristo Stoichkov (1994), Matthias Sammer (1996) and Andriy Shevchenko (2004) also won it.
Which African football players start with S?
Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon and Sadio Mané of Senegal by first name, and Mohamed Salah of Egypt by surname.
Which current players have a name starting with S?
Active players include Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Scott McTominay, Sandro Tonali, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané.
What is a good football player with S for a quiz or word game?
Sergio Ramos or Sócrates work well for a first name, and Salah or Shearer for a surname. Son is a very short option when space is tight.
