- Gilberto Silva
Gilberto Aparecido da Silva, commonly known as Gilberto Silva, is a Brazilian football (soccer) player. He has played most of his club football for the English club Arsenal, as a defensive midfielder. Gilberto was raised in a poor family and as a child he balanced playing football with various labour jobs. He began his football career in 1997 with América Mineiro, where good form earned him a move to Atlético Mineiro in 2000.
- Alfio Basile
Alfio Rubén Basile, known as Coco, is an Argentine football (soccer) coach and former player. In September 2006, he became coach of the Argentina national football team, replacing José Pekerman.
- Juan Román Riquelme
Juan Román Riquelme (born June 24, 1978 in San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentine professional football attacking midfielder. Riquelme was part of the Argentina national football team that participated in the 2007 Copa América.
- Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa (born July 21, 1955) is a football coach and former defender, born in Rosario,. He played as a defender in Newell's Old Boys First Division Team, but soon retired, and developed his career as coach in that team. He led Newell's to several wins in the early 1990s. In 1992 he moved to Mexico where he had spells in charge of CF Atlas and Club América. In 1997 he returned to Argentina to manage Vélez Sársfield.
- Dante López
Dante Rafael López Farina is a football player from Paraguay who plays as a striker. His good form with lowly club F.C. Crotone has earned him a call up for Paraguay for the 2007 Copa America. His form has also attracted interest of a few larger Italian clubs, including Napoli, of whom he is expected to sign for after the Copa America.
- Alejandro Cichero
Alejandro Cichero (born April 20, 1977, in Caracas) is a Venezuelan football player. Cichero plays as a defender for Bulgarian club PFC Litex Lovech. His performances for the club has earned him caps for the Venezuela national football team. His brother Gabriel is also a defender and play in other bulgarian club FC Vihren Sandanski. On 30th June he scored against Peru in the Copa America in an important win.
- Francisco Maturana
Francisco Maturana, also known as "Pacho" (born February 2, 1949 in Quibdó) is a Colombian ex-football player and later a successful football manager. A dentist by profession, he was an active player from 1970 to 1982. He was a defender in clubs like Atlético Nacional, Atlético Bucaramanga and Deportes Tolima, winning the Colombian football championship in 1973 and 1976. He played several times for Colombia national football team, …
- Mario Yepes
Mario Alberto Yepes Díaz is a Colombian football player, currently playing as a central defender for Paris Saint-Germain. When Mario Yepes started his career with Cortulua, he was playing as a forward before Cortulua's coach converted him to a libero (sweeper). He really started his career in the club of the city where he was born when he was transferred to Deportivo Cali from Cortulua in 1998. He won two Colombian championships with Deportivo Cali.
- Luis Hernández
Luis Arturo Hernández Carreón is a retired Mexican football striker, the second highest goalscorer of all-time for the Mexican national football team, and their highest goalscorer in World Cups. Known for his long dyed blond hair, number 15 jersey and nickname of "El Matador," Hernández gained notability during the Copa América 1997, where he scored six goals and became the tournament's leading goal scorer.
- Luis Hernández
Luis Arturo Hernández Carreón is a retired Mexican football striker, the second highest goalscorer of all-time for the Mexican national football team, and their highest goalscorer in World Cups. Known for his long dyed blond hair, number 15 jersey and nickname of "El Matador," Hernández gained notability during the Copa América 1997, where he scored six goals and became the tournament's leading goal scorer.
- Neicer Reasco
Neicer Reasco Yano is an Ecuadorian footballer. He is a full back or midfielder who played for LDU Quito in Ecuador until 2006, winning four league titles with them. After he competed for the Ecuador national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, he joined São Paulo FC in Brazil. He is known as a great attacker, as well as a defender. He is the only non-Brazilian in his club of Sao Paulo. He was named as part of Ecuador's squad for the 2007 Copa America
- Oscar Ruggeri
Oscar Alfredo Ruggeri is a former football player. Nicknamed "El Cabezón" ("The Big-Headed One"), Ruggeri is one of the most successful defenders ever to come out of Argentina. Ruggeri started his career at Boca Juniors, playing with Diego Maradona, with whom he won a league title in 1981. In 1985 he moved to rivals River Plate, where he won the Libertadores Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and another league title in 1986.
- Giovanny Espinoza
Giovanny Espinoza (born April 12 1977 in Charguacayo) is a footballer from Ecuador. He plays as a defender for Dutch football club Vitesse. He currently is the second highest capped player for his country behind Ivan Hurtado with 95 caps. He made his international debut in 1996 just a week after his 19th birthday in a World Cup qualification match where Ecuador beat Peru 4-1. Espinoza is a strong and experienced centre back noted for his strength and determination.
- Gustavo López
Gustavo Adrián López is an Argentine football (soccer) player, currently unattached. He has spent eight years in Spain, and has dual Spanish citizenship. He was born in Valentín Alsina, Avellaneda, and began his footballing career with Independiente in 1991. He stayed with the club for five seasons, though only achieved honours in his last year with the team. He transferred to Spanish team Real Zaragoza in 1995, where he was a regular in the first-team.
- Marcelo Zalayeta
Marcelo Danubio Zalayeta is an Uruguayan football player who currently plays, as a striker, with Serie A side Juventus and for the Uruguayan national team. Marcelo started his career with Danubio and then moving to Peñarol in Uruguay, where he made a name for himself. He moved to Juve in 1997 but considered a promising young player at the time, he was not given much of a chance to prove himself. He spent a season on loan with Empoli, …
- Jorge Guagua
Jorge Daniel Guagua is an Ecuadorian international defender who plays club football for Colón de Santa Fe of the Primera Division in Argentina. Central defender Guagua had a promising start to his career and his quick, technical abilities meant he was included in Ecuador’s squad for the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. In the same year, he made his debut for Ecuador’s senior side and he was named in his country’s squad for the Copa America.
- Diego Cagna
Diego Sebastián Cagna is a retired Argentine professional football midfielder, he currently works as the manager of Argentine 2nd division side Club Atlético Tigre. His first professional first division match was in December 1988, with Argentinos Juniors. He transferred to Independiente at the beginning of 1992, where he played for 4 years. Cagna played then with Boca Juniors from the Apertura 1996 until the end of 1999 when, …
- Flávio Conceição
Flávio da Conceição is a Brazilian footballer who is currently without a club. Flávio has had a successful career for club and country. He has represented Brazil in the Copa América winning sides. Flávio began his career with Rio Branco EC in 1992. He then joined Palmeiras a year later and racked up over 100 appearances in 3 years. This caught the attention of Deportivo La Coruña who paid €6.3m for him after the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
- Mauricio Molina
Mauricio Alejandro Molina Uribe, nicknamed "Mao", is a Colombian footballer that plays as a midfielder, born April 30, 1980 in Medellín. Molina started his career in Colombian side Envigado at the age of 16. He soon made his way up to the first team and was transferred to Independiente Santa Fé.
- Marcelo Bordon
Marcelo José Bordon is a Brazilian football defender. Since 2004 he has played for German football club FC Schalke 04, having joined the club for a 2.6 million euro transfer fee from VfB Stuttgart. There, he formed a formidable central defence alongside Mladen Krstajic, and has been a first team regular ever since, boasting a formidable aerial ability and a capacity for leadership that earned him the role as team captain for the 2006/2007 season.
- Paulo Nunes
Paulo Nunes is a Brazilian football player. Nunes played on two "Copa Libertadores de América" championship teams: In 1995 with Grêmio, and in 1999 with Palmeiras. He also played for Flamengo and Corinthians, as well as for Benfica in Portugal. His 1997 Brazil national team also won the Copa América. In 1996 he was the top scorer in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
- Andrés Orozco
Andrés Felipe Orozco is a Colombian football defender, who currently plays for CA Monarcas Morelia of the Primera División de México. Orozco began his professional career with Deportes Quindío in 1999, later that year he moved to Deportivo Independiente Medellín. In 2001 he was part of the Colombia squad that won the Copa América. Between 2003 and 2004 Orozco played for Racing Club in the Primera Division Argentina.
- Darío Franco
Darío Javier Franco Gatti (born January 17, 1969 in Cruz Azul, Córdoba, Argentina) is a naturalized Mexican football manager and a former Argentine international football (soccer) player. Franco made his football debut in his native country briefly playing with Newell's Old Boys, and later with Spain's Real Zaragoza. He arrived in Mexico in 1995 and enrolled with Atlas. After three years with the club, he then transferred to Monarcas where he obtained huge success, …
- José de Jesús Corona
José de Jesús Corona Rodriguez is a Mexican international football goalkeeper who currently plays for UAG Tecos in the Primera División de México. Corona started his career in CF Atlas in 2002, being an important and vital goalkeeper for Atlas. Playing 47 games from 2002 to 2004, he was transferred to UAG Tecos in 2004. Corona has been capped by the Mexico national football team, …
- José Nasazzi
José Nasazzi was the Uruguayan footballer who captained his country when they won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. Nasazzi is regarded by many as Uruguay's greatest ever football player. He was known as 'El Gran Mariscal' (The Great Marshal) and had already won the gold medal at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games, as well as the Copa América in 1923, 1924 and 1926, by the time of the first World Cup.
- José Manuel Moreno
José Manuel Moreno, nicknamed "El Charro", was an Argentine football forward who played for several clubs in Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia, and is the only footballer ever to have won first division league titles in four different countries. Moreno was part of the River Plate team known as "La Máquina" ("the machine") which dominated Argentine football in the 1940s, …
- Guillermo Stábile
Guillermo Stábile born in Parque Patricios, Buenos Aires was a Argentine footballer and coach. Stábile is remembered as a prominent figure in football history and one of the first goalscoring heroes. Stábile played for several club during his career; one in South America, three in Europe. He was, however most notable for being the top scorer in the Football World Cup. His coaching career was also a success, leading Argentina to six Copa América titles.
- Héctor Scarone
Héctor Pedro Scarone was a Uruguayan footballer, the all-time leading scorer for the Uruguayan national team. Although Scarone's international career ended in 1930, the 31 goals (in 51 matches) he scored for his country still stand as of 2005 as the national record. He won the South American Championship four times: in 1917, 1923, 1924, and South American Championship 1926, and the Olympic gold medal twice: in 1924 and 1928.
- Víctor Púa
Víctor Haroldo Púa Sosa better known as Víctor Púa is a retired Uruguayan football player and currently a football manager. He coached the Uruguay U-20 national team, finishing runner-up in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was appointed to coach the Uruguay national team in the 1999 Copa América, earning second place honors. In 2001 he was chosen to replace Daniel Passarella, …
- Ever Hugo Almeida
Ever Hugo Almeida ; naturalised Paraguayan in 1975, is a former football goalkeeper legend. He made his professional debut in 1967 at the age of 19 playing for CA Cerro of Montevideo. After a few years in the Uruguayan football league he was transferred to Club Guaraní of Paraguay. Shortly afterwards, in 1973, he received an offer from Olimpia de Asuncion. From that point on, Almeida played with Olimpia for nearly two decades, …
- Moisés Villarroel
Moisés Fermín Villarroel Ayala is a Chilean football midfielder. He currently plays for Colo-Colo, where he was part of the 2006 apertura championship team. Villarroel's internation debut came in a match against Venezuela, which Chile won 6-0 on April 29, 1997. He has capped 34 times and scored 1 goal for the Chilean national team between 1997 and 2005, including four games at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
- Arthur Friedenreich
Art(h)ur Friedenreich was a Brazilian football player. Nicknamed "The Tiger", he was one of the first black players in the previously white world of Brazilian football, and was arguably the sport's first black superstar. He was of mixed descent; his father Oscar Friedenreich emigrated from Germany to Brazil, and his mother Mathilde was an Afro-Brazilian. After playing with a succession of São Paulo club sides from 1910 onwards, …
- Dino Sani
Dino Sani is a Brazilian former football player and coach. He started his career at local club São Paulo FC, and played in the Argentine First Division for Boca Juniors in 1961 and then in Italy for "Serie A" club AC Milan, with whom he won one "scudetto" in the 1961-62 season and the 1962-63 European Cup. As a member of the Brazil national team, …
- Diego Latorre
Diego Fernando Latorre is a former Argentine football (soccer) striker. Latorre was one of the first Argentine players to be labelled as the "New Maradona". He made his professional debut for Boca Juniors on October 18, 1987 against Platense scoring his first goal at the same match. He won the 1991 Argentine league with Boca Juniors. His good performance took him to play with the Argentina national football team scoring his first goal in a Friendly match against Brazil.
- Héctor Castro
Héctor Castro was a Uruguayan football player and coach. When he was 13, he accidentally amputated his right forearm while using an electric saw, which gave origin to his nickname, "El manco". He was born in Montevideo. With the Uruguay national football team,Castro's goal won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930. In addition, the team won the gold medal at the 1928 Olympic Games, as well as the Copa América in 1926 and 1935.
- Franco Costanzo
Franco Costanzo (born September 5, 1980 in Río Cuarto in the Córdoba Province of Argentina) is an Argentinian football goalkeeper, who currently plays for FC Basel. Early in his career Costanzo was once considered an excellent prospect; however, due to a few lengthy injuries, he has never managed to fufil his potential. However Costanzo is still a highly respected player if not a World-class one.
- Carlos Aguilera
Carlos Alberto Aguilera Nova is a retired Uruguayan soccer player. He began his career playing for River Plate Montevideo, from 1980 to 1982. From 1983 to 1985 he played in Club Nacional de Football, then passed to Independiente Medellín (1985), returned to Nacional (1986), Racing Club of Argentina (1986), again in Nacional (1987), and Tecos of Mexico (1987/88). In 1988 he went to Europe to play for Genoa C.F.C. (1989/92), and then A.C. Torino (1992/94).
- Julio César Baldivieso
Julio César Rico Baldivieso is a Bolivian football (soccer) player who played for the Bolivian national team in the 1994 World Cup and several Copa Américas.
- Omar Sívori
Enrique Omar Sívori was an Italo-Argentine football forward and manager. He is most famous for his time with the successful Juventus side during the late 1950s and early 60s. At club level he also played for River Plate and Napoli. On the international level, he first appeared for the Argentine national team, winning the Copa América. Later in his career, he played for the Italian national team and took part in some of the 1962 World Cup.
- Leonel Álvarez
Leonel de Jesús Álvarez is a Colombian football defensive midfielder, one of the best in the country's history. Álvarez began his career with Independiente Medellín in 1983. He has also played for Veracruz (Mexico), América de Cali, Atlético Nacional, Real Valladolid (Spain), and Deportes Quindio. He won the Colombian championship with América de Cali in 1992. Álvarez signed with Major League Soccer before the league's inaugural 1996 season, …