Football fans can’t wait for Paul the Octopus to sizzle at the World Cup in Russia. No, we are not talking about the marine creature which grabbed headlines by predicting the outcome of football matches. We are referring to Paul Pogba, the French midfielder whose lanky legs spread like tentacles all over the field.
Pogba earned the nickname when he was a Juventus player. The Octopus, however, has tough competition when it comes to nicknames. Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez has always looked up to the legendary Carlos Valderrama. No wonder he is called ‘El Neuvo Pibe’ (The New Kid) in the Latin American country, after Valderrama who was nicknamed ‘El Pibe’ (The Kid).
Mexico striker Javier Hernandez is affectionately called ‘Chicharito’ (Little Pea), after his father Javier “Chicharo” Gutierrez, a former national player.
Russia is sure to witness some firepower. Uruguayan superstar Luis Suarez is called ‘The Gun Fighter’ for a reason. The Barcelona player uses more than his feet at times. He has a notorious “hand ball” to his credit from the quarterfinal against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup.
Christiano Ronaldo is aptly called “The Commander” when he leads the Portuguese squad to Russia. English central midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is nicknamed “Ox”. However, he would give the World Cup a miss after being injured in Liverpool's UEFA Champions League semifinal against AS Roma.
Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta has grabbed his nickname. His teammates in Chelsea were trumped by his difficult Spanish surname when he inadvertently replied to someone who was calling out for the team bus driver Dave. Azpilicueta is Dave now.
The Russia World Cup is going to be the clash of the Messis. Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri is known as the “Swiss Messi”, while Iran’s Sardar Azmoun is hailed the “Iranian Messi”. Azmoun is no stranger to the Russian crowd. He plays for Rubin Kazan.
The original Messi’s Argentinean teammate Sergio Agüero is called “Kun” (Queen) because his fans think he resembles the main character in the namesake cartoon series. He is the nephew of Diego Maradona.
Then there are the curious names. Nobody had to invent a nickname for Eden Hazard. The attacking midfielder could be a real hazard for Belgium’s opponents.