Football’s six greatest acting performances as 2021 Oscar winners announced

04/26/2021

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Some of the finest actors on the planet came together for the prestigious annual Oscar awards ceremony on Sunday night – but these football stars could give them a run for their money.

Whether it’s diving, feigning an injury or a combination of the two, several players have showcased their own remarkable acting skills while plying their trade on the pitch over the years.

Daily Star Sport have picked out six of the greatest theatrical performances in football, which includes some familiar Premier League faces as well as a La Liga star.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Kaluuya and co take note…

David Luiz vs Man Utd

As Chelsea tried to see out the final few minutes of a 1-0 win at Old Trafford in 2013, Luiz took the ball to the corner and shielded it from Brazil team-mate Rafael, who lost his cool and kicked out.

Luiz fell to the ground clutching his leg and Rafael was brandished a red card, before the Blues defender let out a cheeky laugh at United fans while still on the floor.

Chico Flores vs West Ham

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce was so amused by Flores exaggerating contact from Carlton Cole in 2013 that he literally laughed in the Swansea defender’s face.

Flores threw himself to the ground by the touchline while holding his face, only to find Big Sam poking fun at him as he slowly returned to his feet in a clip which quickly went viral.

Luis Suarez vs Norwich

The former Liverpool striker produced a top s***house moment in their 2014 clash with Norwich, collapsing to the floor in what seemed like clear pain despite Leroy Fer not appearing to make much contact with him.

Nevertheless, Suarez made what surely remains the quickest recovery of all time when Liverpool retrieved possession and embarked on an attack, returning to his feet instantly and sprinting towards the penalty box. Amazing.

Steven Taylor vs Aston Villa

You can only admire the sheer desperation of this Oscar-worthy performance from the ex-Newcastle defender, whose arm prevented Villa’s Darius Vassell from converting into an empty net back in 2005.

Knowing he’d just earned himself a glaringly-obvious red card, Taylor dramatically threw himself backwards as if he’d just been taken out by a sniper. Unfortunately, his attempt to distract the referee failed to pay off and he was still given his marching orders.

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Sergio Busquets vs Inter Milan

Without a doubt the greatest villain in the list, Busquets sparked major controversy during Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan in 2010 when a flailing arm from Thiago Motta sent him tumbling to the ground.

Motta was sent off for what seemed a soft foul, before cameras picked up the Barca midfielder peeking through his fingers while rolling around on the floor.

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Morten Gamst Pedersen vs Arsenal

Quite how Blackburn’s Pedersen thought he could win a penalty at the Emirates in 2009 by literally diving under the challenge of no one remains a mystery to this day.

The Norwegian raced past Bacary Sagna and collected a loose ball in the box before flinging himself to the turf, and any possibility of it simply being a trip was ruled out when he began calling for a penalty. Unsurprisingly, the referee didn’t buy it.

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