Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, he played for Brazil in 98 matches, scoring 62 goals. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year three times. He retired in 2011 and has since established himself as a successful businessperson.
Ruud Gullit is a Dutch former football player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of football, Gullit was known for his versatility as he could play as an attacking midfielder, forward, or midfielder. During the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship, he led his national team to its first title.
Thiago Silva is a Brazilian professional footballer. He plays as a center-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the Brazil national team. He is counted among the best central defenders of his generation. He began playing football as a teenager and had a brilliant youth career. He made his international debut in 2008 and has appeared in seven major tournaments.
Carlos Valderrama is a Colombian retired football player whose distinctive hairstyle and technical skills made him popular. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Colombian football players of all time, Valderrama was included in Pelé's FIFA 100 list in 2004. Carlos Valderrama played a prominent role during the 1990s, which is considered the golden era of Colombian football.
Born in Ghana, Marcel Desailly first gained attention after moving to the Olympique de Marseille and winning the UEFA Champions League. He then gained fame with AC Milan and Chelsea, and was part of the 1998 World Cup-winning French squad. A BBC Sport pundit post-retirement, he also represents UNICEF.
Starting his career with the club Tennis Borussia Berlin, German footballer Jérôme Boateng later had a decade-long association with Bayern Munich, winning the Bundesliga 9 times and the UEFA Champions League twice with Bayern. The talented center-back was also part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup-winning German squad.
Thomas Müller, who is a prominent member of the Germany national football team, is a versatile footballer; he can play at various positions, such as centre forward, left wing, and right wing. He played key roles in Germany's performance in the 2010 World Cup, Euro Cup 2012, 2014 World Cup, and 2018 World Cup.
Jack Grealish is an English professional footballer. At present, he is affiliated with Premier League club Manchester City and the England national team. He plays as a winger or attacking midfielder. He joined the Highgate United Youth Club as a boy and started playing professionally as a teenager. He is known for his ability to run and dribble past defenders.
Italian former football star Fabio Cannavaro was part of his country’s 2006 World Cup-winning team and now coaches the Chinese football club Guangzhou. He has won awards such as the Ballon d'Or and was the only defender to earn the FIFA World Player of the Year tag.
Gareth Southgate is an English football manager. A former player, he used to play as a defender and midfielder for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, and Crystal Palace. He retired in 2006, after more than 500 league appearances and began his stint as a football manager. He has been managing the England national team since 2016.
David Ospina is a Colombian football player who plays for the Colombia national football team. Ospina made his national debut in 2007 and is currently the most capped player of Colombia. Apart from representing his country in important tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and Copa Américas, David Ospina has also played for popular clubs like Arsenal and Atlético Nacional.
Henrik Larsson is a Swedish former football player who played as a striker for the Sweden national team from 1993 to 2009. He helped his national team win the bronze medal at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Henrik Larsson also played for popular clubs like Celtic, Barcelona, and Feyenoord. He is a member of the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
Portuguese football central-midfielder João Moutinho, ComM, presently plays for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Portugal national team. His illustrious career so far has seen him achieve several feats including winning Primeira Liga with FC Porto three times in a row; Ligue 1 with Monaco; and 2016 UEFA European Championship and 2019 UEFA Nations League with his national team
Alex Song is a Cameroonian football player who has played for popular teams like Arsenal and Barcelona. He has also represented his national team in important tournaments like the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. Alex Song’s performance in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations made him the only player from Cameroon to be named in the Team of the Tournament.
René Higuita is a Colombian retired football player best known for exhibiting a scorpion kick while saving a goal in a friendly against England on 6 September 1995. His high-risk playing style and distinctive hairstyle made him immensely popular around the world. René Higuita is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in South American history.
Belgian football winger and wing-back Yannick Ferreira Carrasco plays for the Belgium national team and Atlético Madrid. His achievements so far include winning Ligue 2 (2012–13) with Monaco; and La Liga (2020–21) and UEFA Europa League (2017–18) with Atlético Madrid. He played for Belgium national team during UEFA European Championship (2016, 2020) and 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Cédric Soares is a Portuguese football player who plays as a defender for the Portugal national team. He was part of the team that won the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship and also represented Portugal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Apart from his national team, Cédric Soares is also currently a part of the Arsenal Football Club.
Carlos Bacca is a Colombian football player who represented the Colombia national football team from 2010 to 2018. He was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the Copa América Centenario in 2016. He also represented the team at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. Carlos Bacca is renowned for his pace, aggression, strength, and concentration.
After a short-lived playing career, which ended with a knee injury, German former footballer Thomas Tuchel joined a business administration course and also worked as a waiter in a bar. However, his love for football made him take up coaching, and he ended up managing teams such as Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
Brazilian-born-Portuguese retired professional footballer Deco, who mainly played as an attacking or central midfielder, is counted among the best players of his time. During his illustrious playing career, he achieved several feats including winning UEFA Champions League with and receiving UEFA Best Midfielder Award from two clubs, Porto and Barcelona. Following his football career, Deco started the D20 Sports agency.