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MILLIONS of football fans will be crossing their fingers this week, hoping their national sides can find glory at the World Cup.
But the players themselves are notoriously superstitious.
Here JAMES MOORE rounds up some of the wacky habits of stars hoping to give themselves a spot of luck…
IF England skipper Harry Kane, 24, scores against Tunisia next Monday, expect him to start growing a beard!
He refused to shave in 2014 until he stopped hitting the back of the net, during a purple streak in front of goal. He said: “The beard will not come off until I stop scoring.”
Portugal ace Cristiano Ronaldo, 33, always makes sure he places his right foot on to the pitch first.
England and Man Utd defender Phil Jones,
26, reveals: “I don’t like stepping on white lines on the pitch.”
Team-mate Kyle Walker, 28, always kisses his bracelet before a game.
Three Lions talisman Jamie Vardy, 31, once revealed that he ritually had a glass of port on the evening before games and a fish supper afterwards. A friend said: “He regards his fish supper as a major factor in his success.” Former England striker Jermain Defoe, 35, says: “I have to get a short haircut before a game. I only ever seem to get injured when I have longer hair.”
When taking a free-kick or penalty, Argentina’s
30, always puts the ball down with both hands and takes the same number of steps back before striking. Germany’s Mesut Ozil,
29, inset, dons his right boot first, and ties his laces repeatedly in knots. He says: “For the game many tie their laces in the normal way. I make only knots.”
His countryman, striker
Mario Gómez, 32, always uses the urinal situated furthest to the left in the washroom. Uruguayan ace
Luis Suarez, 31, below, ritually kisses a tattoo of his children’s names on his wrist. Welsh wonder Gareth Bale, 28, took to cutting holes in his socks, believing it avoided compression on his calf muscles. Spain’s Jordi Alba, 29, always brushes his teeth one or two minutes before leaving the dressing room for a game. Midfielder Cesc Fabregas, 31, kisses a ring his wife gave him four times – his lucky number. Former England captain David Beckham, 43, had to make sure everything in his fridge was arranged perfectly before leaving for a game. Defender John Terry, 37, always sat in the same spot on the team bus and wore the same shinpads for 10 seasons. TV presenter and ex-England striker Gary Lineker, 57, would never shoot at goal during warm-ups in case he used up his “goal quota” and would change his shirt at half time during a game if he hadn’t scored.
Paul Gascoigne, 51, had to have his towel folded a particular way.
And England’s World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore always made sure that he was the last person in the team to put on his shorts before kick-off.