- Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann (born November 10 1969 in Essen) is a German football goalkeeper who currently plays for Arsenal and for the German national team. He was voted Best European Goalkeeper twice in his career, and he has been been selected for three World Cup squads.
- David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE (pronounced) (born 2 May 1975) is an English professional football (soccer) midfielder who plays for Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy. He is also currently a member of the England national team. He was twice chosen runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year, and as recently as 2004 was the world's highest-paid footballer. He was Google's most searched of all sports topics in both 2003 and 2004.
- Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born January 28, 1978) is an Italian FIFA World Cup-winning goalkeeper. He is currently the first choice goalkeeper for Juventus F.C. and the Italian national team. He was transferred to Juventus from childhood club Parma F.C. in 2001, for what was the largest transfer figure ever for a goalkeeper at £32 million. He is widely considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
- Alessandro Del del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born November 9, 1974 in Conegliano) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer. He is the captain of Juventus and a member of the Italian national team. He is regarded as one of the best Italian footballers of his generation. Usually, Del Piero plays as a supporting-striker and occasionally between the midfield and the strikers (in the hole), known in Italy as the "Trequartista" position.
- Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf (born April 1, 1976 in Paramaribo, Suriname) is a Dutch-Surinamese football midfielder, who currently plays for AC Milan in Serie A. He was the first, and to date, the only person to have won the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs: Ajax (1995), Real Madrid (1998), and AC Milan (2003, 2007); he has also played for the clubs Sampdoria and Internazionale, and is a member of the Netherlands national team.
- Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE (born 13 August 1970 in Gosforth, Tyne and Wear) is an English former professional footballer who played for the English national team and three English Premiership clubs: Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. During his career he enjoyed successes at both club and international level and also in his personal life, becoming one of the most prolific strikers of all time. In total he scored 422 goals for club and country, …
- Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane, popularly nicknamed Zizou, is a French former football midfielder who played for four European clubs, including Juventus FC and Real Madrid. As a member and later captain of the French national team he participated in two World Cup finals - including winning the tournament in 1998 - and in three European Championships, winning that tournament in 2000. Having gained fame in Europe as a playmaker for Juventus, …
- Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977 in (Les Ulis, Essonne) Paris, France) is a French football player. Renowned for his pace, he plays as a striker for the France national team and FC Barcelona. Henry grew up in the tough neighbourhood of Les Ulis, Essonne, where as a youngster he played for an array of local sides and showed great promise as a goal scorer. AS Monaco spotted him in 1990, and signed him up instantly.
- Michael Owen
Michael James Owen (born December 14, 1979, in Chester, Cheshire) is an English football player currently with Newcastle United. He has also played for Liverpool (1996–2004) and Real Madrid (2004-05). He plays as a striker and has enjoyed a hugely successful and high-profile career at both club and international level and was the European Footballer of the Year in 2001. Owen is currently England's 4th highest scorer of all time, with 37 goals in 82 games for his country, …
- Brian McBride
Brian McBride is a football striker who has appeared in three World Cups for the United States national team and is currently playing for the club Fulham of the English Premier League. Before joining Fulham, McBride had previously played in England for Everton in 2002 and Preston North End in 2000. Before that, McBride played for VfL Wolfsburg of the German 2 Bundesliga and the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, for whom he was a fan favorite.
- Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (born May 10, 1969 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch professional footballer. At club level he played for Ajax Amsterdam, Internazionale, Arsenal and also represented the Netherlands at international level. Bergkamp played most of his best games as a support striker, where his tactical awareness and deft passes made him a great exponent of the game from the 'hole'.
- Oliver Kahn
Oliver Kahn is a German football goalkeeper. He played for the German national team (from 1995 to 2006) and still plays for Bayern München (since 1994).
- Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born November 7, 1978 in Peckham, London) is an English footballer of mixed St Lucian and Anglo-Irish descent. He plays at centre-back for Manchester United in the FA Premier League and at the international level for the England national football team. He has achieved more than 50 caps for the English national team, and has been selected for three FIFA World Cup squads.
- Patrick Vieira
Patrick Donalé Vieira is a French football midfielder who currently plays for Internazionale Milano. He came to prominence during his time at Arsenal between 1996 and 2005, where he won three FA Premier League titles and four FA Cups, and eventually became club captain. He spent a single season at Juventus before joining Inter in 2006, after Juventus were relegated due to their part in a match-fixing scandal.
- Fabien Barthez
Fabien Alain Barthez (born 28 June 1971 in Lavelanet) is a French football player who plays the position of goalkeeper.One of the best goalkeepers to play the sport, he played with the French national team, he won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 World Cup. He shares the record for most World Cup final clean sheets with Peter Shilton, with 10. Professionally, …
- Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus is a legendary Germany former football player and now manager. In 1990 he was named European Footballer of the Year and World Soccer Player of the Year after captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup. One year later, he was also named the first ever FIFA World Player of the Year. He has played in five World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) more than any other outfield player, …
- Eddie Pope
George Edward ("Eddie") Pope (December 24, 1973) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and spent 11 years as a defender for the United States national team. Born in Greensboro, he attended Southwest Guilford High School. Pope had a very successful career playing for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1994, he was a first team All-American, and also earned All-ACC and All-South Region honors.
- Christian Wörns
Christian Wörns is a professional German footballer, currently playing for Borussia Dortmund.
- Paolo Maldini
History: Paolo Maldini (born June 26, 1968, Milan) is a legendary Italian football player. He is the son of Cesare Maldini . Paolo Maldini plays as a defender and, despite being naturally right-footed, predominantly plays the position of left back, although he sometimes plays at centre back. Throughout his long career, he has remained a one club man with A.C. Milan.
- Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna (born July 20, 1973 in Livingston, New Jersey) is an American soccer player. He was the captain of the U.S. national team before retiring from international soccer immediately following the USA's exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Reyna currently plays for Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer, where he is team captain.
- Hidetoshi Nakata
Hidetoshi Nakata, is a Japanese former football player. He was one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation. Nakata began his professional career in 1995 and won the Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998, the Scudetto with A.S. Roma in 2001, played for Japan in three FIFA World Cup tournaments(1998, 2002 and 2006) and played in the Olympics twice (1996 and 2000).
- Edwin van Der van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar (born October 29, 1970 in Voorhout, Netherlands) is a professional Dutch footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is captain of the Dutch national team and plays club football for Manchester United in the English Premier League. He was a member of the 2006/2007 PFA Team of the Year.
- Hernán Crespo
Hernán Jorge Crespo is an Argentine international football player currently playing in the Italian Serie A for Internazionale, having signed from English Premier League champions Chelsea on a 2 year loan deal on 7 August 2006. He is famed for his powerful aerial ability, which allows him to score goals from considerable distances. He is also renowned for being one of the most effective goal poachers in the game, due to his anticipatory off-the-ball movement.
- Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro was born in Naples on the 13th of September 1973. Heâs the second of three children (the firstborn Renata and Paolo are his sister and brother). Fabio Cannavaro grew up playing for Napoli, then moved onto Parma
- Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars (born March 29, 1973 in Emst) is a former Dutch football player. He was best known as a right-footed left-winger, although he had that rare ability to be able to use both his feet with equal precision and power. Known for his great speed and blitzes into enemy territory, Overmars' nicknames included "the Roadrunner" or simply "meep-meep." In all, Overmars played 86 games for the Dutch national team, scoring 17 goals.
- David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE (born 19 September 1963 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire) is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal and most recently with Manchester City. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury. He was awarded the MBE in 1997 for services to the sport.
- Gharib Amzine
Gharib Amzine is a Moroccan football player, who played for FC Mulhouse and Racing Strasbourg, both in France. He now plays for Troyes AC, which is a club in the top division in France, French Division 1. He usually is a midfielder. He plays for the Morocco national football team and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
- Jay-Jay Okocha
Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha (born August 14, 1973 in Enugu) is a Nigerian football midfielder who currently plays in the Qatar league for Qatar SC, a move that was completed in July 2006.
- Nélson de Jesus Silva
Nélson de Jesus Silva, best known as Dida, is a Brazilian goalkeeper. He currently plays for Italian Serie A club A.C. Milan, with whom he is a two-time winner of the UEFA Champions League.
- Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup (born June 15, 1964) is a Danish former professional football player and manager. He is now manager of Spanish club Getafe CF. His most prominent run of football came with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he won four straight "La Liga" championships, as well as the 1992 European Cup. He most famously moved to arch rivals Real Madrid in 1994, with whom he won his fifth "La Liga" title in a row.
- Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov alternatively spelt Stoitchkov (born February 8, 1966, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria) is a football manager and former striker who was a member of the Bulgaria national team that finished fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Apart from his footballing talent, he was notable for his on-pitch temper. He was honoured as European Footballer of the Year in 1994.
- Noureddine Naybet
Noureddine Naybet is a retired Moroccan international football player and captain. His position was central defender. Naybet has earned 115 caps with the Moroccan national team and scored 2 goals. In August 1999 Naybet agreed a move to Treble winning Manchester United. However Naybet failed a medical and United subsequently signed Mikael Silvestre He was signed by Tottenham Hotspur on August 13th - and made his English Premiership debut 24 hours later.
- Christian Karembeu
Christian Karembeu (born December 3, 1970 in Lifou, New Caledonia) is a former French international football (soccer) player. He announced his retirement on October 13 2005, although he added that he would "be having a kickabout from time to time". He last played midfield for Bastia in the French Ligue 1. They obtained him on loan from Swiss side Servette, until they lost their relegation battle. Prior to joining Servette, Karembeu played for Nantes (1990-95), …
- Preki
Predrag Radosavljević, known simply as Preki, is a Serbian-American soccer player. He is currently the head coach at C.D. Chivas USA. Preki's career with league football clubs began in 1983 with Red Star Belgrade, with whom he spent 2 years, winning one championship. Preki moved to the United States in 1985 to play indoor soccer in the original MISL, first with the Tacoma Stars then with the St. Louis Storm.
- Ali Boumnijel
Ali Boumnijel is a Tunisian football goalkeeper. The Tunisian international began his career in FC Gueugnon in France, however without playing any games. His first game as a professional footballer came on October 20, 1991 for AS Nancy in a 1:3 loss to AJ Auxerre. Afterwards he returned to his previous team, where he played five seasons, until changing to SC Bastia. He played for Bastia for six years, and then one season at FC Rouen.
- Shaun Bartlett
Shaun Bartlett is a South African football (soccer) striker. Bartlett began his career with his hometown Cape Town Spurs and then moved to Major League Soccer and the Colorado Rapids in the league's inaugural season in 1996. In 1997, he was traded to the MetroStars halfway through the season. Bartlett left MLS, without leaving much of a mark, first on loan to FC Zurich and then transferring there for good in 1998. He went on loan to Charlton Athletic in 2000, …
- Joe-Max Moore
Joe-Max Moore (born February 23, 1971) is an American soccer forward who played for the United States national team in three World Cups. He played professionally for clubs in Germany, England, and finished his career with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.
- Mohamed Al-Deayea
Mohamed Al-Deayea is a Saudi Arabian football (soccer) goalkeeper. He played in four World Cups for the Saudi Arabia national team, and as of early 2007, he is the world record holder for most international appearances by a male footballer, with 181 caps for Saudi Arabia. He is the current captain of local club Al-Hilal.
- Krassimir Balakov
Krassimir Balakov (born March 29, 1966 in Veliko Tarnovo) is a former Bulgarian footballer and a key member of the Bulgarian national team that finished fourth in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. After Hristo Stoichkov, he is considered the greatest Bulgarian footballer of his generation.
- Pierre Njanka
Pierre Njanka Beaka (born March 15, 1975) is a Cameroonian football player who, as of 2006 was playing for Club Africain in Tunisia. Njanka played for Cameroon at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, as well as the 2004 African Nations Cup. He has been capped over 50 times for his country. Njanka has been with Sedan since 2003, having previously played with RC Strasbourg.