Berlin, June 15 :

For millions of TV viewers, there is more to admire than mere dribbling and back-heel passes, namely, legs shaped as though sculpted, seductive smiles and disarming gazes.

Latinos, Scandinavians, Central Europeans, Asians, Africans — the tournament is a showcase of sexy men for every taste. In some of the participating teams, all of the players are good-looking. In others, the charisma of certain players outshines that of their teammates.

Political tensions notwi-thstanding, the team whose players have caused the greatest stir with their looks is Iran. The tall, strong players of Ivory Coast have also sent many a heart aflutter.

Media outlets have published rankings of the handsomest players. Numero uno on the list by the German newspaper Die Welt is Paraguay’s Roque Santa Cruz, followed by Spain’s Raul and Portugal’s Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport picked Alessandro Nesta, ahead of England’s David Beckham and Figo. “Nesta is a Mediterranean beauty,” it wrote.

The Argentines have their charms too. Most striking about them are their luxuriant hair, especially that of their captain, Jaun Pablo Sorin, whom some journalists have compared to British film star Daniel Day-Lewis in the movie “The Last of the Mohicans”.