The current line-up of star players in the FIFA World Cup 2026 has stunning tattoos and body art which are talked about as much as their moves on the soccer field. From heavily tattooed bodies to symbolic designs, they remain a highlight and are copied by their fans to show their love and support for their icons.
The themes include family, faith, identity, and ambition. HT City decodes the body art of some of FIFA 2026’s biggest names.
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
The Argentine captain’s most recognisable tattoo pieces include a portrait of his mother Celia, Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns, a matching crown tattoo with wife Antonela and tributes to his sons (names and birthdates of Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro), among several other pieces across his body.
Messi’s right arm features a rose window inspired by Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Família. He also sports rosary beads outlining his hometown of Rosario, while the eyes inked on his arm belong to wife Antonela.
Theme: Family
Neymar Jr (Brazil)
One of football’s most heavily tattooed stars has over 40 tattoos. Neymar’s collection features faith-based messages, family tributes and football imagery. Some of his most recognisable tattoos include his son Davi Lucca’s name, the phrase Tudo Passa (Everything passes), a pair of praying hands, crowns and several Bible-inspired designs.
Theme: Faith
Memphis Depay (Netherlands)
The Dutch forward is best known for the giant lion tattoo covering most of his back. He also has a sprawling Dream Chaser tattoo across his chest, alongside several designs inspired by his Ghanaian heritage and spiritual beliefs.
Theme: Identity
Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
The Brazilian forward has immortalised four sporting icons on his body, Michael Jordan, Pelé, Kobe Bryant and Muhammad Ali, as reminders of the greatness he aspires to achieve. His left shoulder has a tattoo of the face of Jesus Christ on it. He also has rose, eye, lion, boy with No 10 jersey tattoos.
Theme: Tribute
Lucas Hernández (France)
An eagle, clockwork designs, scripts and geometric patterns dominate the French defender’s body art, giving it a sleek, graphic aesthetic. He also has stylized designs on his arms and hands. His brother James Hernández also has tattoos but not heavily inked like Lucas.
Theme: Symbolism
James Rodríguez (Colombia)
The midfielder has ink celebrating his 2014 World Cup Golden Boot, alongside portraits of Jesus Christ, a winged diamond and a banner, and the names of his ex-wife, mother, and sister. He also has ink dedicated to his children, commonly seen kissing his Salomé and Samuel tattoos.
Theme: Milestones
Nicolás Otamendi (Argentina)
Perhaps the boldest tribute on this list, the defender has a giant tattoo of Lionel Messi lifting the 2022 World Cup trophy, alongside several photorealistic TV characters across his back.
The defender has extensive body art, most notably a large abdominal tattoo of Lionel Messi lifting the 2022 World Cup alongside three trophies and the date of the final. His back has photorealistic portraits of characters from popular TV series – Breaking Bad (Walter White), Peaky Blinders (Thomas Shelby), Vikings (Ragnar Lothbrok), Prison Break (Michael Scofield), The Walking Dead (Rick Grimes), and Game of Thrones (the Night King).
Theme: Tribute
David Raum (Germany)
He has an extensive collection of tattoos on his hands and legs with quirky quotations and one-liners. The Swiss cross depicting his memorable, game-changing assist against Switzerland in the European Championship group stage while the football tattoo featuring the word “chrome” on his leg.
Theme: Milestones
Tattoo-free players:
Find below a list of some iconic figures who preferred to stay away from the ink.
