FUNNY OLD GAME

With the World Cup right around the corner, there are always a few players adopting wacky hairstyles or practicing crazy goal celebrations to get themselves noticed by a global audience.

Then there are those players who just don't need to try - their looks give them celebrity status courtesy of their famous lookalikes.

We all know about England striker Wayne Rooney's likeness for Shrek, but how about these we found on Betfair.com...?

Franck Ribéry
Let's be frank (...groan!) France's Bayern Munich star Franck Ribéry is no oil painting - so when you put him up alongside his fictional bell-tolling countryman Quasimodo, "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame", the likeness is frightening:

Franck Ribéry hears Bayern Manager Pep Guardiola's new game-plan:

Carlos Tevez
Another big international star not famed for his beautiful looks is Argentina and Juventus's star striker, Carlos Tevez.

Carlos gives us so many lookalikes it's hard to choose. It could be Neanderthal Man or the Incredible Hulk - but let's face it, Ugly Betty has to be the best doppelganger…

Ugly Betty unhappy with her new look:

Chris Smalling
One of the men shown below is wealthy, a big name on the international scene, with a beautiful partner and has millions of people eagerly expecting his next move. The other is U.S. President Barack Obama.

Man United and England centre-back ponders United's current on-field problems:

Mesut Özil
Did Germany and Arsenal's attacking midfielder Mesut Özil once star as spooky little girl killer Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang's classic thriller "M" or was that the late great horror actor Peter Lorre?

Mesut Özil gees himself up before a big game:

Leighton Baines
Two Great British sportsmen both sporting Union Jacks a-plenty courtesy of their love for The Jam and dodgy Mod hair-dos are Everton-England right-back Leighton Baines and pedal-pushing Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Both men are said to look upon Paul Weller as the Second Coming and to have "Town Called Malice" playing in a continuous loop on their i-pods.

An apprehensive Sir Bradley spots a rocker in the distance:

James Milner
Q: What's the difference between Man City & England midfielder James Milner - and Lee Evans?

A: One has perfect comedic timing, the other tells jokes for a living.

Zany and lovable comedian Lee Evans at a charity event: