- 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.
- 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, …
- Franz Beckenbauer
Franz Anton Beckenbauer (born September 11, 1945) is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed "der Kaiser" ("the emperor") because of his elegant style, his leadership qualities, his first name "Franz" (reminiscent of the Austrian emperors), and his dominance on the football pitch. He is generally regarded as the greatest German footballer of all time and also as one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game.
- Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German football player. He is the current captain of the German national team, and plays club football for Chelsea F.C. in the English FA Premier League.
- Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew "Clint" Dempsey a.k.a "deuce" (born March 9, 1983 in Nacogdoches, Texas) is an American soccer player who plays midfield and forward for Fulham of the Premier League and the United States national team.
- Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, (born 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira), better known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a professional Portuguese footballer. He plays for the English Club Manchester United F.C. and Portugal.
- Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian football striker who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. Shevchenko began his career in the youth team at Dynamo Kyiv and soon played in the first team. He won five consecutive domestic league titles from 1994–99. Shevchenko played for A.C. Milan from 1999–2006, scoring 127 goals in 208 appearances and becoming the club's second-highest all-time goal scorer. He joined Chelsea in 2006.
- Michel Platini
History: Michel Platini (June 21, 1955, Joeuf, Departement Meurthe-et-Moselle) is a former French football player, widely regarded as one of the most elegant midfielders of his generation. ...
- Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker. He currently plays for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, as well as the German national football team. He was the top scorer and thus the Golden Boot winner of the 2006 World Cup hosted by his country Germany, with 5 goals. Klose also scored 5 goals in his debut World Cup, the 2002 World Cup hosted jointly by the Korea Republic and Japan, giving him a total of 10 goals in World Cup finals.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski (born as on June 4, 1985 in Gliwice, Silesia, Poland, nicknamed "(Prinz) Poldi", is a German footballer of Polish origin. He plays as a striker for Bayern Munich and for the German national football team.
- Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982 in Ontario, California), is an American professional soccer player, who is the co-all-time leading scorer for the U.S. National Team (along with Eric Wynalda). He also serves as captain of the Los Angeles Galaxy.
- Grzegorz Lato
Grzegorz Lato (born April 8, 1950 in Malbork, Poland) is a former Polish football striker, the all-time cap leader for the Polish national team and the leading scorer at the 1974 World Cup. Lato's playing career coincided with the golden era of Polish football, which began with Olympic gold in Munich in 1972 and ended a decade later with third place at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, a repeat of the Poles' impressive finish in 1974 in Germany.
- Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona (born October 30, 1960) is an Argentine former football superstar. He played in four World Cups and received a FIFA award: "FIFA Internet Player of the Century", after being voted in an international fan poll organized by FIFA in 2000 to choose the best football player of all time. Maradona won various trophies with Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli over the course of his career.
- Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE (born September 20, 1971 in Helsingborg, Skåne) is a Swedish footballer. Larsson is best known for seven successful years with Scottish club Celtic. He subsequently had a two-year spell at Barcelona of Spain, where he won the Champions League. Having left Barcelona in the summer of 2006, he returned to his home town club of Helsingborgs IF. He later joined Manchester United on a short term loan in January 2007, …
- Lionel Andres Messi
Lionel Messi (full name Lionel Andres Messi ) was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. He is an Argentine international footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona in the Primera Division, and for the Argentine national team. Biography and Career : He started playing football when he was just five years old at a club which was coached by his father. After three years he moved to...
- Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell (born September 22,1978 in Smithfield, Sydney), is an Australian football (soccer) player who currently plays for Liverpool F.C. in the English Premier League. An exceptional dribbler on the wing also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder and as a second striker, he is often regarded within the media as "Australia's finest football export", despite his career being blighted with injury.
- Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez, popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi and Hugol, is a Mexican former football striker who played for four European clubs, including Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid. As a member Mexico national team he participated in three World Cups. Sánchez played twelve seasons in the Spanish "Primera División" and is the second highest goalscorer in the history of that league.
- Xabi Alonso
Xabier Alonso Olano, commonly known as Xabi Alonso (born 25 November 1981 in Tolosa, Basque Country Spain, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Liverpool F.C.. He wears the number 14 shirt at Liverpool and is a central midfielder, often playing as a deep-lying playmaker. Alonso has gained the reputation as being one of the best passers of the ball in the world. He also has a reputation for scoring spectacular long range goals, …
- Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born 27 September 1976 in Rome) is an Italian football player. He plays for A.S. Roma in Serie A and for the Italian national team, with whom he won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Francesco Totti's position is that of a striker or an attacking midfielder, though he is best known for playing as the trequartista (or second striker), a compromise between the two positions where the player acts as a link between midfield and attack.
- 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.
- 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, …
- Carlos Manuel
Carlos Manuel Correia dos Santos (born Moita, 15 January 1958), commonly known just by Carlos Manuel (pron.) was a Portuguese football player and is a current football manager. He was one of the best Portuguese offensive midfielders of the 1980s, being a key figure both for SL Benfica and the Portuguese national team, participating in the Euro 1984 and the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals.
- 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.
- Luca Toni
Luca Toni, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI (born May 26, 1977 in Pavullo nel Frignano, Modena) is an Italian football striker who plays for FC Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. Something of a late bloomer who played for almost ten clubs before finally settling, Toni was also a part of the Italian winning team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
- 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.
- Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis (born November 25, 1976 in Conyers, Georgia) is a soccer forward/midfielder who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer after making his name with the MetroStars.
- 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, …
- Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a rare breed in modern day football. There may be many fast attacking midfielders nowadays, but very few are as capable as Robben is of dribbling the ball with such class inside the box and changing the pace of the game in such a way that thwarts any defenders attempts to steal the ball. He has a phenomenal knack for scoring and is an excellent shot, which also make deadly from outside the box.
- Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinius van Nistelrooy (originally spelled "Van Nistelrooij") (born July 1, 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer who plays in the position of centre forward for Real Madrid and the the Dutch national team. He has previously starred for Manchester United, where he holds the record for being the club's top scorer in European competition.
- Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born August 19, 1973 in Lecce) is an Italian football defender, who currently plays for Serie A club Internazionale, sometimes known as Inter Milan. He was a part of the Italian team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he was headbutted by Zinedine Zidane, after having provoked him. Materazzi is tall and uses his physique to play as a tough and hard working defender.
- Klaus Fischer
Klaus Fischer (born 27 December 1949 in Kreuzstraßl near Lindberg (Bayerischer Wald) in Regen (district), Germany) is a former German football player and coach.
- 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, …
- Rui Costa
Rui Manuel César Costa, <small>OIH</small>, usually referred to simply as Rui Costa (pron.) (born March 29, 1972 in Lisbon), is a legendaryPortuguese football player. He is an attacking midfielder for Portuguese club SL Benfica and is also capable of playing as a deep-seated defensive midfielder. He is considered to be the best Portuguese playmaker of all times - for that, he is commonly known as the "maestro", or "The number 10", …
- Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller (born November 3, 1945 in Nördlingen) is a former West German football player and Germany's most prolific goalscorer of all time. With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was by far the most successful striker of his day. Only Josef Bican, Romário and Pelé are higher on the all-time goalscorer ranking.
- Park Ji-Sung
Park Ji-Sung (born February 25, 1981 in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do) is a South Korean football player who currently plays for Manchester United, and is widely regarded as the best Asian footballer currently playing in Europe. Park is extremely popular among South Koreans and fans of PSV Eindhoven for being pivotal in helping take South Korea to the Semi-Finals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, PSV Eindhoven to the Semi-Finals in the UEFA Champions League, …
- Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE (born 30 May, 1980, Whiston, Merseyside) is an English football player. He is the captain of Liverpool, where he wears the number 8 shirt. He is the England vice captain, for which he usually wears the number 4. An inspirational and versatile midfielder known for his long-range shots and trademark defence-splitting passes, he is usually employed in the commanding "box-to-box" midfield role, …
- Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta (born 1 February, 1969), nicknamed "Batigol", is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at ACF Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the eighth top scorer of all time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches between 1991 and 2003. On the international level, he is the all-time highest scorer for Argentina's national team, with 56 goals in 78 national team matches, …