Shecky’s

They don’t call the World Cup “The Beautiful Game” for nothing. Aside from watching true skill and sportsmanship at work, we’ve been impressed by the mere physical beauty (er, downright godliness) of most of the players. We’ve picked our top five faves—resist the urge to drool as you scroll down. Haven’t caught the Cup yet? Fret not. You can catch the action (and the handsomeness) till July 11!

LANDON DONOVAN

Age: 28

Team: USA

Club: Los Angeles Galaxy

Why He’s Sexy: Of all the guys on the U.S. national team, Donovan is the all-time leader in scoring and assists, plus he’s the only person to win the Honda Player of the Year award…SIX times. Even better? He’s recently divorced (a.k.a. SINGLE!). AND he scored yesterday’s (6/23) game-winning goal? This must be love.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Age: 25

Team: Portugal

Club: Real Madrid

Why He’s Sexy: Aside from his unbeatable abs, lightning speed on the field and impressive ball control, Ronaldo has us swooning with his signature bad-boy appeal. Dating Hollywood party girls, like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, and crashing his red Ferrari has made him a tabloid favorite. Oh, and he was the youngest FIFA World Cup Player of the Year (he won at age 20!).

SALOMON KALOU

Age: 25

Team: Ivory Coast

Club: Chelsea

Why He’s Sexy: He comes from a big fam (five brothers and eight sisters) and his brother, Gervinho Kalou, is a World Cup hottie, too. Salomon’s speedy pace and the confidence he uses to take players on (he’s a forward) are a huge plus.

YOANN GOURCUFF

Age: 23 (his birthday is July 11—last day of the World Cup!)

Team: France

Club: Bourdeaux

Why He’s Sexy: He’s got soccer in his blood—dad Christian Gourcuff is the current manager of Ligue 1 club FC Lorient, plus his playing style has been compared to French legend Zinedine Zidane. In December 2009 he was named French Player of the Year.

PLUS…up and coming World Cup (2014 hopeful, but we still love him!) PATO (ALEXANDRE RODRIGUES DA SILVA)

Age: 20

Team: Brazil (last-minute rejection !)

Club: A.C. Milan

Why He’s Sexy: Okay…so he’s only 20 but he’s been playing soccer since he was three, so he’s got to be a little bit mature. Did we mention he’s already been in the Olympics (Summer 2008) and he beat Pelé’s record for scoring a goal within seconds of his international debut? Even if this cutie-pie is purely eye-candy, it’s just Duck-y with us.

-Cait Rohan

GIRL TALK TIME: Which World Cup hottie is your favorite? If we left yours off the list (hey, it was HARD to choose!), tell us which footie fella you’ve fallen for. What team are you rooting for? What has been your favorite game so far?