2024’s Sexiest Premier League players, according to science!

Key Findings: 

• Issa Diop ranks as the sexiest Premier League footballer, with a golden ratio score of 90.91/100
• Arsenal pair Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard rank inside the top 10 with golden ratio scores of 89.44/100 and 86.03/100 respectively.
• Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City all fail to register a player within the top 10.

2024’s Sexiest Premier League players, according to science!
The question of who the most attractive footballer is, always sparks debate amongst the public, but what if there was a scientific way to settle the debate once and for all?

Experts at Live Football Tickets utilised the golden ratio (a mathematical symmetry which influences perceived attractiveness) and applied it to the highest value players from each Premier League club. Results conclude that Fulham star and French international, Issa Diop is the most attractive player in the Premier League.

Find full 100 player dataset – here

In first place is Fulham’s Issa Diop with an impressive golden ratio score of 90.91/100. The French defender has retained his crown from last year’s study, with no Premier League players capable of scoring higher than him.

In second place is AFC Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, who trails closely behind Diop with a golden ratio score of 90.24/100. The Argentinian defender, who is a regular feature in the cherries matchday squad also retains his position of second place from last year.

Pushing his way into this year’s top 3 positions, is Arsenal winger, Gabriel Martinelli with a modest golden ratio score of 89.44/100.

Following behind the top 3 spots is Danish defender Joachim Andersen (4th) and Brazilian midfielder, Gustavo Hamer (5th) who score 87.03/100 and 86.89/100 respectively.

Sheffield United’s second inclusion in the top 10 is English Centre-Forward, Cameron Archer with a golden ratio score of 86.57/100. Closely following him behind, representing Everton is Ukrainian Left-Back, Vitaliy Mykolenko with a score of 86.11/100.

Arsenal boasts their second ranking player inside the top 10 with Martin Ødegaard, who’s golden ratio score is 86.03/100.

Nottingham Forest star, Morgan Gibbs-White makes the cut, placing in ninth with a respectable golden ratio score of 85.67/100. The second of only two English players within the top 10.

Completing the top 10 is Serbian left-back Milos Kerkez. The AFC Bournemouth defender sits comfortably in tenth place with a golden ratio score of 85.43/100.

Methodology:

1.  Live Football Tickets performed a multivariate study to identify the sexiest footballer. The research utilises an anthropometric analysis using computer vision algorithms to compute the geometric golden ratio proximity for each footballer.
2. Firstly, a seed list of the top 5 highest valued players (as of January 2024) in each Premier League team was obtained. Images required for the computation of the geometric golden ratio proximity for each footballer were then collected.
3.  The inherent face variability from a multitude of confounding factors including varying expressions, illuminations and poses increase entropy within our model. The relative impact of such factors is controlled and mitigated through strict photo selection criteria. These criteria include photos with good lighting on both sides of the face, taken from the front with a regular smile or neutral facial expression.
4. A computer vision algorithm was then used to identify facial landmarks of prominent facial features. Subsequently, ratios between the computed landmarks were then used to approximate the geometric golden ratio of each image.
5.  This value was then converted to a %, where a value closer to 100% indicates their face matches the golden ratio more closely.
6. Note that the resulting value isn’t a perfect evaluation, due to the previously mentioned entropy within the model.
7.  Data correct as of 09/01/2024, but subject to change.

Feature image by Tembela Bohle on pexels