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Nicknamed The Golden Boy, Diego Maradona is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. Thanks to his popularity and controversial personal life, which includes drug abuse issues and addiction to cocaine, Diego Maradona became a world-renowned counterculture icon. He was also an iconic figure in popular culture.
Regarded as one of the best football players of the current era, Wayne Rooney is the record goal-scorer for the Manchester United FC and England national team. Originally a boxer, Wayne continues to pursue boxing as a recreational activity. Wayne has been controversy's favorite child for many years now; from allegations of infidelity to legal issues, he has faced them all!
Marcus Rashford is a prominent football player for the Manchester United Football Club and England national team. He became the youngest British footballer to score in his debut match for England. He uses his popularity to fight against issues like child food poverty and homelessness in the United Kingdom. He is often praised for his political activism.
Argentine professional footballer Paulo Dybala currently plays for football club Juventus and the Argentina national team. He plays as a forward and is known for his creative style of play, pace, talent, and technique. Revered for his playing skills, he is considered one of the world's most valuable players. He loves tattoos and has many on his body.
Alessandro Del Piero is an Italian former football player. Renowned for his creativity, he is often counted among the best players of his generation. He is also widely regarded as one of Italy's greatest players of all time. A prolific goal-scorer, Del Piero scored 346 goals during his playing career, making him the second-highest Italian goal-scorer of all time.
Ian Wright is an English former football player. Renowned for his speed, Wright played for popular clubs like Arsenal and helped his national team qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After retiring from the sport, Wright went on to become a TV and radio personality; he currently contributes as a commentator for ITV Sport and BBC Sport.
Samuel Umtiti is a French football player who currently plays for the France national team and Barcelona. Over the years, Umtiti has helped Barcelona win two La Liga titles and three Copa del Rey. He was part of the 2018 team that won the World Cup; Umtiti scored the only goal to help France beat Belgium in the semi-final match.
Kurt Zouma is a French football player who currently plays for the France national team as well as the West Ham United of Premier League. Zouma, who made his professional debut at the age of 16, was named in the ten most promising young players list by The Observer. Kurt Zouma has won prestigious titles, including two Premier League titles.
Known as an energetic midfielder, German footballer İlkay Gündoğan began his youth career with teams such as Schalke 04. He has had a successful stint with Borussia Dortmund, winning a Bundesliga with them, and now plays for Manchester City, with which he has won 4 Premier Leagues and 4 EFL Cups.
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch retired footballer who played as a midfielder. He retired as a player in 1982 and started focusing on his career as a manager. Hiddink achieved immense success as a manager as he guided many clubs and countries to achieve various titles. In 2005 and 2006, Guus Hiddink was honored with the prestigious Rinus Michels Award.
Dutch footballer Georginio Wijnaldum plays as a midfielder for the Italian club Roma and the French club Paris Saint-Germain. Starting his youth career with Feyenoord, as the youngest-ever player of the club, he later had successful stints with Liverpool and PSV and was the 2014 FIFA World Cup third-place-winning Dutch squad.
Retired Belgian footballer Thomas Vermaelen was a prominent defender and had successful stints with clubs such as Ajax, Arsenal, and Barcelona. He won 4 La Liga titles, among other championships, with Barcelona. An Olympian, he was also part of the Belgian squads that played in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.
Ajax CEO and retired Dutch footballer Edwin van der Sar began his senior career with Ajax, winning countless titles with them, such as the Eredivisie and the UEFA Champion’s League. The talented goalkeeper later had successful stints with Juventus, Fulham, and Manchester United. He has also been a 2-time Best European Goalkeeper.
Nani is a Portuguese football player who represented the national team from 2006 to 2017. He played an important role in Portugal's victory at the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship. Nani was also an important player for Manchester United, winning the Premier League four times and the UEFA Champions League in 2008.
South African former footballer Benni McCarthy had played for a number of European clubs, such as Ajax Amsterdam, before moving on to the South African club Orlando Pirates. He also represented Bafana Bafana, the South African national team, in the 1998 World Cup and African Cup of Nations.
Best known as a central midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain and the Italian national team, Marco Verratti was part of his country’s 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. He began his career with Pescara and worked his way up with hard work. He was knighted by the Italian government.
Retired Serbian footballer Aleksandar Kolarov is known as a talented defender and has played as both a left-back and a center-back. He had an illustrious career with clubs such as Manchester United and Inter Milan and won 2 Premier League titles with the former. He was named the 2011 Serbian Player of the Year.
Stephan El Shaarawy is an Italian football player who was regarded as a potentially world-class player and one of the most promising youngsters at the beginning of his career. El Shaarawy represents his national team as well as the Serie A club Roma. Renowned for his pace and agility, El Shaarawy's playing style has often drawn comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Dusan Tadic is a Serbian football player who captains the Serbia national team as well as the popular Dutch club Ajax. He played an influential role in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifications and helped his team qualify for the final tournament. In 2019, he was named Serbian Player of the Year.
Lucien Favre is one of the best-known football managers from Switzerland. A favorite of various French and Swiss clubs, he is known for bringing the best out of players such as Marco Reus and Marc-Andre ter Stegen. He also played a role in making Hertha and Borussia Mönchengladbach major European teams.
Nélson Semedo 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 Nations League in 2019. Best known for his speed and dribbling skills, Nélson Semedo helped Benfica win the Primeira Liga in 2016 and 2017. He is currently playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
