The World Cup comes around every four years and the perennial question remains.
Which footballer will be the eye candy of the tournament?
Forget the football. Over the next few weeks, many will have eyes glued to their screens to find out who is the hottest of them all.
In the sweltering heat of Qatar, these good-looking athletes will add an extra sizzle to proceedings as they strut their stuff out on the field.
Sit back, relax and feel free to peruse this curated collection of hunky footballers who'll be competing at the world's biggest sporting event.
Olivier Giroud
Old is gold for 36-year-old Olivier Giroud.
The veteran forward has been capturing hearts since his days playing in England's top league with Arsenal and Chelsea.
These days, he's firing in goals for Italian giants AC Milan.
And with France's star striker, Karim Benzema, ruled out of this year's World Cup, fans would be glad to know that they'll be seeing plenty of Giroud throughout the tournament.
John Stones
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Across the English Channel, footy fans can get excited about a young and vibrant England team looking to win the country's first World Cup in 56 years.
Among the 26 players representing England in Qatar is 28-year-old John Stones.
He stands at a commanding height of 1.88m and the tatted centre-back will be keen on impressing in the heart of England's defence.
Takuma Asano
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Over the years, a host of top Japanese footballers have managed to pull off wild hair colours. Just think Hidetoshi Nakata and Keisuke Honda.
It's time to add Takuma Asano to that list.
With his bleach-blonde hair, the 28-year-old is hard to miss on a football pitch. Even if you have issues with his hair colour, Asano's smile should be enough to get you weak in the knees.
And he's a decent footballer too, just ask the Germans.
Alvaro Morata
Is there more that needs to be said?
With a body like that, nobody is going to notice the almost fluorescent green shorts he has on.
Coming off the bench, Morata scored in Spain's opening match demolition of Costa Rica.
For his next goal, maybe he can celebrate with his top off? Just a fun suggestion.
Amir Abedzadeh
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Iran's 29-year-old goalkeeper is another handsome bloke to keep an eye on.
He's been playing in Spain for second-division club SD Ponferradina since July 2021.
But unfortunately, fans may not be able to catch him in action at all during this World Cup.
In Iran's first game against England on Nov 21, first-choice goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand suffered a head injury and needed to be substituted.
Abedzadeh was not called upon to be his replacement.
For fans who have the hots for Abedzadeh, it's back to scrolling on Instagram.
Song Bum-keun
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Undeniably, when one thinks of South Korean football, the name (and often, face) that pops up is Son Heung-min.
He's the superstar of the team but let's not miss out on some other cuties in the South Korean squad as well.
Take Song Bum-keun, for example. You wouldn't think twice if someone mentioned that he's a South Korean actor or musician.
The 25-year-old goalkeeper may not be a household name as of yet but with his boyish looks, there's every chance he will be by the end of the tournament.
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amierul@asiaone.com
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