As the nights grow longer and the air becomes chillier, the spooky season returns, drawing the world of football into the haunting spirit of Halloween.
This year, numerous soccer stars have embraced the festive atmosphere, flooding social media with pictures of players and their families going all out to celebrate the occasion.
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Erling Haaland, striker for Manchester City, made headlines with the debut of his YouTube channel last week, showcasing a day in the life of a Premier League footballer, and his subsequent post took on a more Halloween-themed flair.
In the video, Haaland undergoes a professional make-up transformation, becoming a striking rendition of The Joker as portrayed by Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (though a version standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 200 lbs). He then ventured out to surprise locals while running errands.
The first person he met at a petrol station recognized him immediately, asking, “Are you the Man City guy?” Meanwhile, another shopper exclaimed, “Is that Haaland? That’s actually wild!”
With an impressive 24 goals in 15 matches for both club and country this season, Haaland is set to return to his role of terrifying defenders as City takes on AFC Bournemouth this Sunday.
With busy schedules ahead, a few teams kicked off their Halloween festivities early this year; several Real Madrid players held a Halloween party just two days before October 31.
Following their victory over Barcelona in the Clásico, several members of the Brazilian squad gathered in a delightful array of spooky costumes.
Vinícius Júnior‘s girlfriend, Virginia Fonseca, went as Cruella de Vil, while he donned a manic clown costume, diverging from the “101 Dalmatians” theme.
Endrick and his wife, Gabriely Miranda, went all out with matching Chucky doll costumes, complete with a collection of blood-soaked accessories.
Éder Militão and his family embraced the Addams Family theme, producing a short tribute video complete with the iconic theme music and finger snaps.
The theme of Rodrygo‘s outfit was somewhat ambiguous, featuring a leopard-print suit paired with a blood-splattered shirt.
NAPOLI
Serie A champions Napoli also marked Halloween celebrations on Wednesday, following their 1-0 win against Lecce, sporting their limited-edition Halloween jersey featuring a glow-in-the-dark crest!
The Partenopei kept the eerie atmosphere alive by gathering in Naples on Wednesday night. Scott McTominay and his partner Cam Reading were on theme, with McTominay showcasing impressive half-flesh/half-skull face paint (though, given his new nickname in Naples, dressing as The Terminator might have been a better choice).
McTominay even took the opportunity to poke fun at Rasmus Højlund‘s lack of commitment to his costume.
The 22-year-old striker, currently on loan from Manchester United, showed up in a casual sweater vest, chinos, and black loafers with white socks. McTominay couldn’t help but mock his choice of sock color.
The Addams Family theme continued, with Leonardo Spinazzola stepping up as Gomez and teammate Matteo Politano taking on the role of Pugsley.
In other costume news, Alex Meret showed up as Hagrid, while Mathías Olivera dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, among other diverse costumes inspired by Harry Potter, Batman, and “Breaking Bad.”