Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Amazon Prime Day
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
Premier League Companion Copilot
Artificial Intelligence The Premier League Companion is a new AI-powered tool for soccer fans, but it's useless - at least for now
Three players look out over Arrakis. One is sat on a bike
PC Gaming The 17 best multiplayer PC games in 2025
Sage Sportable smart rugby ball hands-on
Pro I went hands-on with the world’s smartest rugby ball, but did it make me a better player?
MUNICH, GERMANY - JUNE 04: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal ctb during the UEFA Nations League 2025 semifinal match between Germany and Portugal at Munich Football Arena on June 04, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Markus Gilliar - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Entertainment Spain vs Portugal live stream: How to watch today’s Nations League Final 2025 from anywhere and for FREE, team news
Cole Palmer with the ball at his feet for Chelsea FC.
Entertainment How to watch Real Betis vs Chelsea: Live stream the 2025 Conference League final for FREE
Forza Horizon 5 featuring sports cars and a plane
Gaming Best racing games 2025
Promotional art for Marvel Rivals.
Gaming The 17 best free games to play in 2025
  1. Gaming
  2. Consoles & PC

8 real-life footballers in Rocket League: which one are you?

News
By Kane Fulton published 22 July 2015

Boost it like Beckham

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Introduction

Introduction

Rocket League has had us hooked to our PS4s and PCs since its release earlier this month. Simple to learn but difficult to master, it's been praised for successfully bringing the drama and nail-biting tension of real-life football to a new and original setting.

Sure, it features exploding vehicles belching out toxic fumes, rainbows and bubbles, played in huge anti-gravity arenas from the future - but you get our drift.

Interestingly, Rocket League's online players have begun to adopt the styles of their real-life footballing heroes. We've identified eight masters of the beautiful game whose trademark tactics have become recognisable in the arena - and why you want them on your team.

  • The PC games you can't afford to miss
Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
1. The Beckham

1. The Beckham

Possessing pinpoint accuracy and a fearsome long-ranged shot, the Beckham is often seen lingering behind the halfway line with one eye trained on the opposing team's goalkeeper.

Capable of executing a well-timed rocket boost to send the ball flying over every player on the pitch into the back of the goal, the Beckham is often relied upon to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in the dying embers of the game.

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
2. The Lineker

2. The Lineker

The opposing team's Lineker is easy to spot: they'll be the one hanging around your goalmouth from the first whistle. An opportunist who lies in wait for spilled saves or irregular bounces, the Lineker rarely boosts or tracks back to defend, preferring to lie in wait for a tap-in from close range.

Clinical in front of goal, this type of player can be prone to the occasional mid-game oil spillage.

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
3. The Jones

3. The Jones

Rocket League is a contact sport just like football, and roughing up the opposition can reap rewards for your team. Taking on the role of the ex-Wimbledon hardman, the Jones can be seen bullying opponent vehicles from the first whistle and isn't afraid to destroy them with a well-timed boost from behind.

If an entire Crazy Gang turns up on match day, you're better off using the walls and driving at pace if you want to leave the arena with your spoiler intact.

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
4. The Messi

4. The Messi

The antithesis of the Jones, the Messi can weave through defences while making the ball look like it's stuck to their tyres with magnets.

Proficient at making small, precise and accurate directional changes, the Messi's low centre of gravity, fearsome speed and insane technical ability mean you'll need to time your rams and rocket boosts perfectly to stand any chance of clearing the ball.

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
5. The Ronaldo

5. The Ronaldo

Prolific in front of goal with a tendency to leave opponents tangled in knots, the Ronaldo enjoys nothing more than showboating to goad opponents into rage quitting before the match is up.

Handbreak turns at speed, dummy rocket boosts and 180-degree backflips are all part of the Ronaldo's repertoire. While not much of a team player, they'll guarantee your team goals.

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
6. The Neuer

6. The Neuer

Just like the German national team's cool-headed goalkeeper, the Neuer is both reliable in the goalmouth and able to start flowing attacking moves from the back.

They aren't afraid of tracking all the way back to their own goal line to block shots - even in 1 vs 1 duels - before expertly distributing the ball to a team player. Calm and calculated, the defensively minded Neuer is only found in players ranked Semi-Pro or above.

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
7. The Bale

7. The Bale

Deadly on the wings, the Bale rarely goes a minute without a full tank of boost at their disposal. While their preoccupation with driving over orange boost pads makes them seem innocuous at first, the Bale can hurtle from one end of the arena to the other to slot home a loose ball in the blink of an eye.

A big game player, the Bale enjoys nothing more than helping their team reach double figures.

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
8. The Bendtner

8. The Bendtner

Lord Bentdner is recognisable by their distinctive crown. Oozing confidence, this type of player will piledrive forward recklessly at every opportunity in an optimistic bid to rocket boost any loose ball home. Most of the time they'll miss.

The Bentdner can also be found irritating team mates by chasing loose balls into corners and throwing away possession by driving into the ball too quickly. Ranked Rookie, the Lord is often spotted chancing it with players ranked Semi-Pro and above.

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
Kane Fulton
Kane Fulton
Social Links Navigation
Kane has been fascinated by the endless possibilities of computers since first getting his hands on an Amiga 500+ back in 1991. These days he mostly lives in realm of VR, where he's working his way into the world Paddleball rankings in Rec Room.
Read more
Premier League Companion Copilot
The Premier League Companion is a new AI-powered tool for soccer fans, but it's useless - at least for now
Three players look out over Arrakis. One is sat on a bike
The 17 best multiplayer PC games in 2025
Sage Sportable smart rugby ball hands-on
I went hands-on with the world’s smartest rugby ball, but did it make me a better player?
MUNICH, GERMANY - JUNE 04: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal ctb during the UEFA Nations League 2025 semifinal match between Germany and Portugal at Munich Football Arena on June 04, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Markus Gilliar - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Spain vs Portugal live stream: How to watch today’s Nations League Final 2025 from anywhere and for FREE, team news
Cole Palmer with the ball at his feet for Chelsea FC.
How to watch Real Betis vs Chelsea: Live stream the 2025 Conference League final for FREE
Forza Horizon 5 featuring sports cars and a plane
Best racing games 2025
Latest in Consoles & PC
A PlayStation 5 Pro console with colorful streams of light emanating from its base.
The PS5 lead architect says the PS5 Pro will get an advanced graphics update in 2026 that will deliver better performance
Shadow Labyrinth
Shadow Labyrinth will run at 4K 60fps on Nintendo Switch 2 thanks to a free upgrade
Nintendo Switch 2 overheating
Nintendo Switch 2 owners, beware – some owners are reporting worrisome overheating problems
A screenshot from the game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sold me on the PS5 Pro, but I'm still not sure I'd recommend the premium console to everyone just yet
Donkey Kong Bananza on Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo reveals that Donkey Kong Bananza is developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team – then confirms grass is still green
The Nintendo Switch 2 on a red background
Nintendo is raising the prices of some of its products in Canada, but oddly not the Switch 2 – and what could this mean for other regions?
Latest in News
Key art for The Elder Scrolls Online.
An unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer has been canceled by Xbox after seven years of work
Two Google Pixel 6a phones on a table
The Pixel 6a will get a mandatory update that will ‘reduce battery capacity’ soon – and other Pixel phones could be next
HPE Juniper Networks acquisition deal
HPE and Juniper confirm merger deal
Phil Spencer at a stage show
Phil Spencer somehow thinks that Xbox has 'never looked stronger' as multiple games are canceled
A graphics card with a row of fans with a cyanotic purple backlight in a futuristic design
Nobody wants 8GB GPUs from Nvidia and AMD – and this retailer just made that clear
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 on a table
More Samsung Galaxy tri-fold specs have just leaked – but it could be a while before you can buy it
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    3 new Max movies to stream with over 94% on Rotten Tomatoes in July 2025
  2. 2
    Security breach reveals Catwatchful spyware is snooping on thousands of phones - here's how to stay safe
  3. 3
    Nobody wants 8GB GPUs from Nvidia and AMD – and this retailer just made that clear
  4. 4
    Netflix just added my favorite sci-fi thriller series in July – here’s why you should make it your next binge watch
  5. 5
    An unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer has been canceled by Xbox after seven years of work

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...