9 world-class players who stand out in 2024 for tucking their shirt in
Players from Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid are among the world-class players who stand out in 2024 for tucking their shirts in.
Before the incels start with us — we’re not having an argument about what constitutes a world-class player. We’re just not doing it.
Now that’s cleared up — tucked-in shirts, a rare sight in the year 2024 A.D. Too rare if you ask us. We think there might be a tucked-in renaissance on the horizon, and we’ll tell you for why.
Tucking your shirt in used to be something players were obligated to do according to FIFA’s code of conduct and, technically, it still is, it’s just not enforced anymore.
Often, the modern-day tucker is a no-nonsense, meat and potatoes player who would sooner die than attempt a step-over. That’s all changing, as you’re about to find out, and we’re quite excited about it.
Rodri
Let’s be honest, Rodri is the modern-day poster boy for the shirt tuck. He’s widely agreed to be the best in the world at his position, and he oozes tuck.
Unfortunately, opposition fans tend to dislike him on account of him being a bit of a sh*thouse, but Rodri is a high-profiler tucker, and is undeniably good at football.
Can’t imagine him untucked, actually. Reckon there might be an in-shorts velcro situation going on to keep everything secured.
Cesar Azpilicueta
Dave tucks his pyjamas into his knickers — absolutely no doubt about it. When he was born, the doctors didn’t chop his umbilical cord, they just tucked it neatly into his belly button.
Dave’s got a poster of WWE legend Booker T on his bedroom wall, and he’s drawn a big speech bubble on it, within which is written, in capital letters, CAN YOU DIG IT, TUCKA?!
That’s hung neatly next to a framed picture of Samuel L. Jackson emblazoned with the words BAD MUTHATUCKA.
Kieran Tierney
We’re huge fans of the Tierney Tuck. It just suits him.
A full-back who loves to defend, loves an overlap, and loves whipping a cross into the box. Tierney knows who he is and he’s comfortable with that — exactly the sort of baller who should be tucking his shirt into his shorts.
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Joao Moutinho
Moutinho is a little bit of a tucked-in wildcard. The Portuguese is a central midfielder—that scans—but he’s not just a workhorse. Moutinho is technically gifted and possesses greater creativity than your standard shirt tucker.
Actually, if you imagine Moutinho with his shirt untucked, he instantly becomes a little bit more maverick and less tactically disciplined on the football pitch of your mind. There’s something in that — get the psychologists on it.
Hector Bellerin
The Spaniard with the London accent is one of football’s most stylish men. The tucked-in shirt is almost certainly an extension of his interest in fashion and pioneering football couture.
He’s got a sort of Victorian look going on, with the tucked-in shirt, the moustache, the centre-parted hair.
He’s pulling it off, somehow. If we did that, we’d look like we were having an episode. Fair play to the boy from Barcelona.
Alexis Sanchez
Now we’re talking. An out-and-out attacker and advocate of the tuck.
Sanchez is skillful and occasionally audacious, BUT, having said that, he does possess certain characteristics of the tuckman.
Sanchez is tenacious, hard-working, and aggressive — all classic attributes associated with the modern-day tuckista. Still, we have a lot of time for a goalscorer who embraces tradition.
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Jesus Navas
We were about to start writing about Navas’s footballing attire, then we remembered those eyes. Those glacial eyes could stab you in the brain and stop you in your tracks.
Not sure if we’re frightened or in love. Suppose they’re not mutually exclusive things, are they? Love and fear?
Anyway, he tucks his shirt in.
Adama Traore
We all know why Fulham’s Spanish megatron tucks his shirt in. Firstly, it shows off his muscular frame. The man has more muscle mass than should be realistically achievable for a footballer.
The only reason whales can get so large is that they live in water and so the water pressure, especially at lower depths, keeps their body together, which puts less strain on their skeletons.
Traore does not live underwater, so god only knows who he maintains all that muscle.
The second reason he tucks is that his body is covered in baby oil, and the shirt tuck just makes things a little less messy. Keeps the oil in, you see?
Endrick
That’s right. You heard. Endrick, Real Madrid’s incoming Brazilian Ronaldo regen tucks his damn shirt in, and he will be the leader and torchbearer for a new generation of smart ballers.
Noy only does Endrick tuck the shirt, he pops the collar when provided with one. Touch of the Cantonas about him.
The Brazilian could not be more different from the more orthodox tuckers like Rodri and Cesar Azpilicueta — this is a huge development for the Team Tucked-in, and it makes us glad to be alive.