• Mesut Ozil has left many football fans talking on social media after photos showing his staggering body transformation went viral
• His dedication towards bulking up has impressed many, including Cristiano Ronaldo who took to social media to laud him for the intense work
• Fernando Torres, Rio Ferdinand and Antonio Valencia are just a few footballers who got better in shape after quitting the beautiful game

Footballers who bulked up after retirement are many, but the focus is currently on former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil. The 35-year-old, who retired in 2023, has left many fans talking on social media after photos showing his staggering body transformation went viral.

Ozil shared the photos first on Instagram before they spread on other social media pages such as Facebook and X, formerly Twitter. His dedication towards bulking up has impressed many, including Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo who took to social media to laud him for the intense work. As Ozil is getting the spotlight, we have decided to bring you five other famous footballers who bulked up after retirement.

1. Fernando Torres

We start the list of footballers who bulked up after retirement with former Liverpool and Chelsea forward Fernando Torres, whose transformation left many amazed after his photos were first shared on the internet.

During his playing days, Torres had a lean physique which he used to his advantage on the pitch as it enabled him to run very fast. But the former Spain international opted to focus on gym after retirement and he now looks almost unrecognizable. Fernando Torres, who is now 40, is the manager of Atletico Madrid Juvenil A.

2. Rio Ferdinand 

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand was a menace to many strikers during his days. He was strong, had pace and could read the game well as well as do the dirty work just to stop an opponent from getting into a scoring position.

After ending his football career in the summer of 2015, Ferdinand decided to focus on building muscles and has really gained. He is one of the footballers who bulked up after retirement and strikers in the Premier League would be worried at the prospect of facing him.

Ferdinand wanted to pursue a career in boxing but had to give up after his application was rejected by the British Boxing Board of Control in 2018. The legendary defender now works as a pundit and presenter.

3. Ze Roberto 

Former Brazilian footballer Ze Roberto was a whippet during his playing days but has gained a lot since retiring in November 2017. Roberto is currently 49 but still looks like a young weightlifter. The ex-Bayern Munich star is out there proving to the world that age is just a number while giving his national team teammate Hulk a run for his money as Brazil’s king of calisthenics.

Ze Roberto retired from professional football in 2017 at the age of 43 while playing for Palmeiras and left many talking in 2022 after saying that he could still get a number in Manchester City’ squad. He is best remembered for his time with Bayern Munich but he also played for Bayer Leverkusen and Spanish giants Real Madrid.

4. Antonio Valencia 

Antonio Valencia is another Premier League star who happens to be one of the footballers who bulked up after retirement. The Ecuadorian former footballer is best known for his time with Manchester United, the club he spent a decade playing for and won numerous titles, including two Premier League titles and UEFA Europa League.

Valencia retired from football at the end of the 2020-21 season and has since bulked up. He is currently 38 years old.

5. Stuart Tomlinson

Stuart Tomlinson is a man of many talents. Apart from playing football, Tomlinson has also been a professional wrestler and model. He started his football career at Crewe Alexandra and then had spells at Barrow, Port Vale and Burton Albion before retiring.

Tomlinson then went and signed with popular wrestling promotion WWE and began training to be a professional wrestler. The Briton lifted weights and bulked up while training to be a wrestler. He briefly returned to football in 2017 and played for Altrincham before retiring again. Tomlinson played as a goalkeeper.