They mostly use their feet, but footballers’ craniums also get a workout during the course of a match. Here’s a selection of some of the best noggin-on-ball action from the World Cup in Brazil.
France’s Mamadou Sakho heads the ball during the group E World Cup soccer match between France and Honduras at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Sunday, June 15, 2014. (AP Photo/David Vincent.
2. Victor Bernardez
Honduras’ Victor Bernardez leaps over France’s Karim Benzema to head the ball during the group E World Cup soccer match between France and Honduras at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil, Sunday, June 15, 2014. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
3. Diego Godin
Uruguay’s Diego Godin wins a header during the group D World Cup soccer match between Uruguay and Costa Rica at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, Saturday, June 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
4. Gary Medel
Chile’s Gary Medel wins a header during the group B World Cup soccer match between Chile and Australia in the Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Brazil, Friday, June 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
5. Maya Yoshida
Japan’s Maya Yoshida, left, and Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure go for a header during the group C World Cup soccer match between Ivory Coast and Japan at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, Saturday, June 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
6. Amirhossein Sadeghi
Iran’s Amirhossein Sadeghi heads the ball in front of Nigeria’s Emmanuel Emenike during the group F World Cup soccer match between Iran and Nigeria at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, Monday, June 16, 2014. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
7. Cristian Rodriguez
Uruguay’s Cristian Rodriguez heads the ball over Costa Rica’s Cristian Gamboa (16) during the group D World Cup soccer match between Uruguay and Costa Rica at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, Saturday, June 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
8. Aurelien Chedjou
Cameroon’s Aurelien Chedjou heads the ball with Mexico’s Oribe Peralta, right, during the second half of the group A World Cup soccer match between Mexico and Cameroon in the Arena das Dunas in Natal, Brazil, Friday, June 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
9. Maya Yoshida
Japan’s Maya Yoshida heads the ball during the group C World Cup soccer match between Ivory Coast and Japan at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, Saturday, June 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
10. Bryan Ruiz
Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz (10) heads the ball over Uruguay’s Martin Caceres (22) during the group D World Cup soccer match between Uruguay and Costa Rica at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, Saturday, June 14, 2014. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
11. Joel Matip
Cameroon’s Joel Matip, left, and Croatia’s Ivan Perisic go for a header during the group A World Cup soccer match between Cameroon and Croatia at the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, Wednesday, June 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
12. Thomas Mueller
Germany’s Thomas Mueller rises above Ghana’s Christian Atsu to win a header during the group G World Cup soccer match between Germany and Ghana at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, Saturday, June 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
13. Sergio Ramos
Spain’s Sergio Ramos, top left, and Australia’s Adam Taggart battle for a header during the group B World Cup soccer match between Australia and Spain at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, Monday, June 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
14. Granit Xhaka
Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka wins a header during the group E World Cup soccer match between Honduras and Switzerland at the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, Wednesday, June 25, 2014. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
15. Benedikt Hoewedes
Germany’s Benedikt Hoewedes and United States’ Jermaine Jones go for a header during the group G World Cup soccer match between the USA and Germany at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, Thursday, June 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
