An 11 of Players With Most Red Cards in Football History

Sergio Ramos is an all-time great. The Spanish defender has achieved so much in his football career and has established himself as one of the greatest defenders in the history of the beautiful game. But, while he is an outstanding football player, he does have some evident flaws.

Inarguably his biggest imperfection is his temper. Ramos has a very short fuse and has lost his head on the pitch numerous times during his career. That means he has picked up a plethora of red cards since making his professional debut for Sevilla all the way back in 2004. But how many red cards has he been given? And who else is among the dirtiest footballers in the history of the sport?

Using data from Transfermarkt and a YouTube video from Football Info, we’ve decided to compile an XI of players who have picked up the most red cards in football history. The 11 players have an eye-watering 249 red cards between them! And there’s one footballer who is far and away the dirtiest player ever, picking up 17 more red cards than Ramos! View the XI below…

Goalkeeper – Jens Lehmann

7 red cards

To be sent off SEVEN times in your career as a goalkeeper is actually quite impressive. Lehmann’s most famous red card occurred in the 2006 Champions League final between Arsenal and Barcelona. The German goalkeeper became the first player to be sent off in European football’s showpiece event after he brought down Samuel Eto’o outside the Arsenal box in just the 18th minute.

The Gunners went on to take the lead, but they could not hold on as they fell to an agonising 2-1 defeat. In 2020, Lehmann bitterly reflected on that red card on the Arsenal ‘In Lockdown’ podcast. The German admitted that time has not dulled the taste of guilt. “You regret it more and more,” he sighed.

Right-Back – Sergio Ramos

29 red cards

Sergio Ramos’ latest red card came for Sevilla against Real Sociedad in November 2023. Before that, it was October 2022, which may show glimpses of him calming down as he grows older and wiser. His most recent sending-off was the 29th red card he has picked up during his illustrious football career, the most of any footballer since 2000 and making him the ‘vice-captain’ of this naughty side. Incredibly, Ramos has never received a red card while plying his trade for Spain, despite making a record 180 appearances for La Roja.

Having mounted a stunning career laced with trophies, big moments and last-gasp goals in the Champions League, the Spaniard, now in the latter stages of his playing days, has never been too far away from trouble – and his outstanding tally of red cards attests to just that. An all-time great of the sport tarnished by his disciplinary record. Oh, Sergio.

Centre-Back – Alexis Ruano Delgado

22 red cards

Alexis Ruano Delgado, more simply known as ‘Alexis’, spent the majority of his career in Spain playing for the likes of Malaga, Getafe, Valencia, Sevilla and Alaves – but started his career strongly by winning the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with his country in 2004. He also had short spells in Turkey with Besiktas and in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli – but wherever he travelled, trouble ensued.

He retired from football in 2020 after a spell with Racing Santander, having cemented himself as one of the dirtiest footballers in the history of the sport. Sent off a grand total of 22 times during his 18-year career, his most memorable dismissal of the lot came after he sent a left jab in the direction of 89-cap Croatia international Mario Mandzukic as he was left writhing on the turf. Alexis received a four-match suspension.

Centre-Back – Pablo Alfaro

27 red cards

When Ramos was breaking through into the first team at Sevilla, Pablo Alfaro was also at the club and coming towards the end of his career – so it’s safe to say we know who Ramos learnt his dark arts from. The two actually ended up playing 28 times together in defence for the club and, between them, have more than 50 red cards. Imagine being a striker and coming up against those two!

Spanish centre-back Alfaro, who had his longest spell at a single club with Sevilla for a five-year period between 2000 and 2005, had the second most red cards in La Liga history with 18 dismissals. Being able to watch him scythe down his opposition and produce a tackle that would cause you to wince, you’d be damned to learn that the former manager of Real Murcia has a major in medicine.

Left-Back – Paolo Montero

21 red cards

Pablo Montero had that Uruguayan fighting spirit – although perhaps a bit too much – with 21 red cards in his career. The feisty defender spent 13 years of his career in Serie A: four with Atalanta and nine with Juventus. He broke the record for the most red cards in Serie A history, having been sent off 15 times in 267 Italian top-flight games.

That means, on average, he was shown a red card once every 18 games. No doubt a talented defender in his pomp for the aforementioned duo, Montero was frequently (and fearfully) lauded for his high-tempo aggression throughout his career. Manchester United icon, Ryan Giggs, once described him, alongside his Juventus teammate Ciro Ferrara, as “the toughest defenders I have ever played against”.

Central Midfield – Gerardo Bedoya

46 red cards

Our captain. Gerardo Bedoya holds the record for being sent off a crazy 46 times! The Colombian spent most of his days playing in South America, earning 49 caps for his country. In the Bogota derby between Independiente Santa Fe and Millonarios in 2012, he was sent off for an elbow and subsequent kick to the head aimed at Millonarios player Jhonny Ramirez, earning him a suspension for the 15 matches that followed.

Affectionally nicknamed ‘The Beast’ for his outrageous tackling and assaults on the opposition, Bedoya is certainly well within his rights to have a position in this XI – one that will not be dislodged any time soon, if ever. Following his retirement, Bedoya went into coaching. In his first position as assistant manager with Santa Fe in 2016, he was dismissed from the dugout after 21 minutes. Old habits die hard.

Central Midfield – Cyril Rool

27 red cards

Cyril Rool played his entire career in France with Bastia, Lens, Bordeaux, Nice and Marseille, totting up 366 appearances before drawing the curtains on his playing days. According to Sky Sports, the tough-tackling midfielder held the record for most red cards in Europe’s top five leagues with 19, before he was surpassed by Ramos. As well as his incredible red card tally, he also picked up 187 yellow cards in Ligue 1, which – to this day – remains a record.

The most successful stint of his career came with Lens as he picked up the first – and only – piece of silverware as he won the 1998/99 Coupe de la Ligue. Rool may well have been a brilliant footballer, but with a disciplinary record as hefty as his, it’ll be his tough-tackling habits and tendency to see red (quite literally) that will remain as his notable moments in the sport.

Central Midfield – Edgar Davids

25 red cards

The Pitbull. One of the greatest and most technical midfielders of his generation, Davids started his career at Ajax, where he won three league titles and the Champions League in 1995. He went on to play for the likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur before hanging up his boots in 2014 following a player/manager spell with Barnet.

While he was an incredible player, Davids also had a knack for being shown a red card. He was given his marching orders 25 times, including in his final game as a professional footballer for Barnet. The 74-cap Dutchman will be best remembered, not only for his trademark glasses, but as someone who was no stranger to a lunging tackle and, often, a subsequent early shower.

Right Wing – Ricardo Quaresma

14 red cards

For a tricky, skilful winger, Ricardo Quaresma picked up a surprising number of red cards during his career. The Portuguese winger, who played for the likes of Sporting CP, Porto, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea, received his marching orders 14 times during his career. His most undisciplined spell came at Turkish side Besiktas, where he was sent off on nine occasions. Touted to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo, Quaresma may not have the same goal catalogue as the Real Madrid legend, but his highlight reel of red cards certainly surpasses his compatriot’s – not like that is something necessarily to be proud of.

Left Wing – Zlatan Ibrahimovic

15 red cards

For someone who comes across as calmness personified, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is guilty of petulance and has picked up a few stupid red cards for lashing out. The legendary footballer picked up three dismissals while at Paris Saint-Germain and was sent off four times across two spells with AC Milan. Remember when he hospitalised Materazzi in an act of revenge during the 2010 Milan derby?

Incredibly, he only got a yellow card on that occasion, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming renowned for his hot-headed antics on the pitch. The Swedish striker was sent off 15 times in his career with four of those coming on the back of some sort of misconduct. That’s the thing – Ibrahimovic was rarely caught lunging into two-footed tackles, he was often the victim of a moment of madness.

Striker – Francesco Totti

16 red cards

Having played his entire career at boyhood club Roma, Francesco Totti really did wear his heart on his sleeve. When things weren’t going the way of the side from Italy’s capital, Totti often took it to heart and picked up 16 red cards during his incredible career.

Arguably his wildest red card came in 2010 when he booted Mario Balotelli from behind in a match between Roma and Inter Milan. He received a four-game Coppa Italia ban and later revealed he considered retirement following the cynical red card. Totti was not entirely apologetic when he reminisced about the red card in 2018.