Capricorn Football Players

A football addict from beginning, Pep Guardiola went on to become a key player with the Barcelona and the Spanish National team. He played a crucial role in winning major titles like the La Liga and an Olympic gold medal. After retiring as a player, he became a coach and is widely regarded as one of the world's best coaches. 

One of the best Belgian footballers of all time, Eden Hazard is also regarded as one of the best players of the current generation. Thanks to his ability to retain possession among other footballing skills, Hazard is often compared with players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

French former footballer Lilian Thuram, who is now a renowned author, with books on racism such as White Thinking to his credit. His 142 appearances for the French national team made him the most capped player of his country, while he was part of the 1998 FIFA World Cup-winning squad.

Considered a late bloomer in the world of soccer, Jamie Vardy became the oldest player to win the Premier League Golden Boot award when he scored the maximum number of goals during the 2019–20 Premier League season. Apart from his goal-scoring abilities, Jamie is also known for his direct approach and relentless running.

Legendary Croatian former footballer Davor Šuker has also headed the Croatian Football Federation as its president. His illustrious career saw him spend successful stints at both Real Madrid and Arsenal. He was also part of the 1998 FIFA World Cup third place-winning Croatian squad and remains Croatia’s all-time top goal-scorer.

Before being an actor, Vinnie Jones had a brilliant career as a footballer and had even led the Welsh national football team and excelled as a midfielder. He was later mostly seen playing criminals on screen. Fans adore him for his roles in X-Men: The Last Stand, Elementary, and Arrow.

Hugo Lloris is a French football player and the current captain of the France national team as well as the popular club Tottenham Hotspur. One of the most popular goalkeepers of his generation, Lloris has won the prestigious Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year award on three occasions. Hugo Lloris also helped his team win the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

German midfielder Toni Kroos has won two La Ligas and three UEFA Champions Leagues with his current team Real Madrid. He has previously helped Bayern Munich win three Bundesliga titles and one FIFA Cup World Cup. He also led Germany to a FIFA World Cup win in 2014.

Jan Oblak is a Slovenian football player best known for his role as the goalkeeper and captain for the Slovenia national team. He also plays for the popular Spanish club Atlético Madrid. A tall, athletic, and strong goalkeeper, Jan Oblak is renowned for his agility, quick reflexes, and speed. He is often counted among the best goalkeepers in the world. 

Marcos Alonso Mendoza is a Spanish football player who plays for the Chelsea Football Club of Premier League. Alonso was part of the Chelsea Football Club when they won the 25th season of the Premier League and the 48th season of UEFA Europa League. Over the years, Alonso has also been an important member of the Spain national team.

Inspired by Brazilian footballer Ronaldo, Takumi Minamino decided to make football his career and joined Cerezo Osaka at age 12. The Japanese football star now plays both for the Japanese national team and Liverpool. He has also had a successful stint at the Austrian club Salzburg.

Leroy Sané is a German professional football player who played a prominent role in helping Manchester City win the EFL Cup and the Premier League for which he was named PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2017–18 season. Also an important member of the German national team, Sané can also represent France as he also holds French citizenship.

A youth product of Real Madrid, Denis Cheryshev is a Russian footballer; currently signed with Valencia CF. Making his senior debut in 2009, he has since been playing as a left winger in different competitions. Also a regular on the Russian national team, he helped his team reach the quarter finals by scoring four goals in 2018 World Cup.

Nicklas Bendtner is a Danish football player. A tall and physically strong player, Nicklas Bendtner possesses a powerful header, which he often uses to good effect. Throughout the course of his career, he has played for popular teams like Arsenal Football Club and Juventus Football Club. He also represented his national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Tony Pulis is a Welsh former football player who played for teams like Bristol Rovers, AFC Bournemouth, and Newport County in a career that spanned 17 years. Pulis is better known for his career as a football manager, for which he was made an inductee to the LMA Hall of Fame.

Known for his 20-year stint as a footballer and his successful tenures with teams such as Arsenal and Juventus, Stephan Lichtsteiner has, post-retirement, begun training as a watchmaker with the Swiss timepiece manufacturer Maurice de Mauriac. His powerful runs on the field earned him the nickname Forrest Gump.

José Fonte is a Portuguese football player who plays as a defender for the Portugal national team. He was part of the national team that won the UEFA European Football Championship title in 2016 as well as the UEFA Nations League in 2019. José Fonte also represented his nation at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.  

Known as the Iranian Messi, Sardar Azmoun is one of the most popular Iranian footballers. While he spent his youth career playing for influential Iranian clubs such as Sepahan, he began his senior career with Russian clubs such as Rubin Kazan and later also represented the German club Bayer Leverkusen.

Belgian footballer Axel Witsel plays as a midfielder for the Spanish club Atlético Madrid. Starting his senior career with Standard Liège, he later had successful stints with teams such as the Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg and the German club Borussia Dortmund. He also played in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.

Raphaël Guerreiro is a Portuguese football player who plays for the Portugal national team. He was part of the team that won the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. Raphaël Guerreiro also represented his national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship.

Norwegian footballer Joshua King is best known as a forward for Watford. A child prodigy, he began his youth career with Romsås IL at age 6. He has also represented teams such as Manchester United and the Blackburn Rovers. He won the prestigious Gullballen award in 2017.