Some players defend trophies. Others collect them—just red ones.
These are footballers who made red cards into a career milestone, rather than a rare consequence. From Colombia’s notorious Beast to European league enforcers, here’s who made referees reach for their notebooks most often.
Top 10 Players With Most Red Cards Worldwide
| Rank | Player | Nation | Red Cards | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gerardo Bedoya | Colombia | 46 | "Known as ‘The Beast’—referees dread his elbow." |
| 2 | Cyril Rool | France | 25–27 | "Rool means ‘Rule of Red’: 187 yellows and counting." |
| 3 | Sergio Ramos | Spain | 27–30 | "Modern leadership: decode with caution. Ramos only one short of Bedoya." |
| 4 | Alexis Ruano Delgado | Spain | 22 | "Hot-headed journeyman—more reds than club changes." |
| 5 | Felipe Melo | Brazil | 22–24 | "Midfield Mafioso—discipline optional." |
| 6 | Rafael Márquez | Mexico | 21–22 | "Elegant defender? Only until the second yellow." |
| 7 | Paolo Montero | Uruguay | 21 | "Serie A’s ultimate hardman—tackles built like tanks." |
| 8 | Roy McDonough | England | 13 | "League legend with a red card phase in every season." |
| 9 | Vinnie Jones | England | 12 | "Acting career started after enough red cards to qualify." |
| 10 | Matteo Contini | Italy | 20 | "Quiet type till he wasn’t—Italian flop turned red flag." |