Football
Players, coaches, and the game around them.
Awards & achievements
People in Football
107 profiles
AthleteLionel Messi
Leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title.
AthletePelé
Winning three football World Cups with Brazil.
AthleteDiego Maradona
Captaining Argentina to the 1986 World Cup with extraordinary skill.
AthleteRonaldo Nazário
Scoring eight goals as Brazil won the 2002 World Cup.
AthleteCristiano Ronaldo
Scoring prolifically for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Portugal.
AthleteZinedine Zidane
Helping France win the 1998 World Cup and coaching Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles.
AthleteKarim Benzema
Winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or after spearheading Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph.
AthleteRonaldinho
Bringing dazzling skill to Brazil and Barcelona, with a World Cup and a Ballon d’Or.
AthleteJohan Cruyff
Shaping Total Football as a player and transforming Barcelona as a coach.
AthleteFranz Beckenbauer
Winning the World Cup as both a captain and a coach, and redefining the attacking sweeper.
AthleteAlfredo Di Stéfano
Leading Real Madrid’s five consecutive European Cup victories.
AthleteMichel Platini
Leading France to the 1984 European Championship with nine goals in five matches.
AthleteMarco van Basten
Scoring the celebrated Euro 1988 final volley and winning three Ballons d’Or.
AthleteGeorge Weah
Becoming the first African Ballon d’Or winner, then serving as president of Liberia.
AthleteRivaldo
Combining spectacular goals for Barcelona with a central role in Brazil’s 2002 World Cup win.
AthleteLuís Figo
Winning the Ballon d’Or and starring on the wing for Barcelona, Real Madrid and Portugal.
AthleteKaká
Driving Milan’s 2007 Champions League victory and winning the Ballon d’Or.
AthleteAndriy Shevchenko
Winning the Ballon d’Or with Milan and leading Ukraine at its first World Cup.
AthletePavel Nedvěd
Winning the 2003 Ballon d’Or as Juventus’s tireless midfield creator.
AthleteLuka Modrić
Leading Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final and winning six Champions Leagues with Real Madrid.
AthleteAda Hegerberg
Becoming the first Women’s Ballon d’Or winner and a leading Champions League goalscorer.
AthleteAitana Bonmatí
Winning the World Cup with Spain and three consecutive Women’s Ballons d’Or.
AthleteAlexia Putellas
Winning consecutive Women’s Ballons d’Or and helping Barcelona reach the top of European football.
AthleteLev Yashin
Becoming the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or.
AthleteWayne Rooney
Becoming Manchester United’s record goalscorer through a blend of scoring, passing and relentless work.
AthleteGareth Bale
Winning five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid and leading Wales to a European Championship semi-final.
AthleteZlatan Ibrahimović
Combining spectacular finishing with league-winning careers across several European countries.
AthleteDidier Drogba
Delivering Chelsea’s first Champions League trophy with a late equaliser and the winning shootout penalty.
AthleteDavid Beckham
Turning precise crossing and free kicks into a football career with global reach.
AthleteKevin Keegan
Winning two Ballons d’Or after helping Liverpool become European champions.
AthleteKarl-Heinz Rummenigge
Winning consecutive Ballons d’Or and leading Bayern Munich’s attack.
AthleteRuud Gullit
Captaining the Netherlands to Euro 1988 and starring in Milan’s European-winning team.
AthleteMatthias Sammer
Winning Euro 1996 as an attacking sweeper and receiving the Ballon d’Or.
AthleteFabio Cannavaro
Captaining Italy to the 2006 World Cup and winning the Ballon d’Or as a defender.
AthleteMichael Owen
Winning the 2001 Ballon d’Or after breaking through as a teenage England striker.
AthleteIgor Belanov
Winning the 1986 Ballon d’Or after European success with Dynamo Kyiv.
AthleteOleg Blokhin
Becoming a Dynamo Kyiv scoring great and winning the 1975 Ballon d’Or.
AthleteDenis Law
Becoming Manchester United’s “King” and winning the 1964 Ballon d’Or.
AthleteRaymond Kopa
Winning three European Cups with Real Madrid and the 1958 Ballon d’Or.
AthleteGianni Rivera
Directing Milan’s midfield and becoming the first Italian-born Ballon d’Or winner.
AthleteGerd Müller
Scoring the winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final and transforming Bayern Munich’s fortunes.
AthleteEusébio
Leading Portugal’s 1966 World Cup run and becoming Benfica’s most celebrated goalscorer.
AthleteStanley Matthews
Becoming the first Ballon d’Or winner and playing top-flight football into his fifties.
AthleteNeymar
Combining inventive dribbling and scoring for Brazil, Santos and Barcelona.
AthleteKylian Mbappé
Winning the 2018 World Cup and scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 final.
AthleteMarta
Winning six FIFA world-player awards and scoring seventeen Women’s World Cup goals.
AthleteMohamed Salah
Becoming a prolific Liverpool forward and a leading figure in Egyptian football.
AthleteSam Kerr
Leading Australia’s attack and becoming a major international women’s football scorer.
AthleteSadio Mané
Winning major club titles and helping Senegal claim its first Africa Cup of Nations.
AthleteSon Heung-min
Becoming a leading South Korean footballer and a Premier League Golden Boot winner.
AthleteSamuel Eto'o
Winning major European club titles and leading Cameroon’s attack.
AthleteMia Hamm
Helping make the United States a leading force in women’s football.
AthleteLuis Suárez
Becoming a prolific striker for Uruguay and major European clubs.
AthleteRoberto Carlos
Combining explosive attacking runs with powerful left-footed shooting.
AthleteCafu
Captaining Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title.
AthleteXavi
Dictating midfield for Barcelona and Spain through an era of World Cup, European Championship and Champions League victories.
AthleteAndrés Iniesta
Scoring Spain’s winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final and shaping Barcelona’s great midfield.
AthleteGianluigi Buffon
Keeping goal for Italy’s 2006 World Cup winners and Juventus across two decades.
AthletePaolo Maldini
Spending his entire playing career at AC Milan and winning five European Cups.
AthleteFranco Baresi
Captaining AC Milan’s great defence through three European Cup victories.
AthleteThierry Henry
Becoming Arsenal’s record goalscorer and leading the attack of its unbeaten 2003–04 league team.
AthleteDennis Bergkamp
Bringing exceptional control and inventive finishing to Ajax, the Netherlands and Arsenal.
AthleteGabriel Batistuta
Scoring prolifically for Argentina and becoming Fiorentina’s enduring centre-forward icon.
AthleteGheorghe Hagi
Leading Romania’s 1994 World Cup run with visionary passing and spectacular left-footed goals.
AthleteHristo Stoichkov
Winning the Ballon d’Or after powering Bulgaria to the 1994 World Cup semi-finals.
AthleteBirgit Prinz
Winning two World Cups with Germany and three consecutive FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year awards.
AthleteAbby Wambach
Scoring 184 international goals and winning a World Cup and two Olympic gold medals with the United States.
AthleteChristine Sinclair
Scoring 190 international goals and captaining Canada to Olympic football gold.
AthleteMichelle Akers
Scoring ten goals at the first Women’s World Cup and helping the United States win again in 1999.
AthleteHomare Sawa
Captaining Japan to the 2011 Women’s World Cup while winning its Golden Ball and Golden Boot.
AthleteFormiga
Playing in seven Women’s World Cups and seven Olympic football tournaments.
AthleteRomário
Leading Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title with five goals and the tournament’s Golden Ball.
AthleteMegan Rapinoe
Winning two Women’s World Cups and the 2019 Ballon d’Or.
AthleteRoberto Baggio
Winning the Ballon d’Or and inspiring Italy’s run to the 1994 World Cup final.
AthleteAlex Morgan
Winning two football World Cups with the United States and becoming a leading voice for equal pay.
AthleteHege Riise
Winning the World Cup, European Championship and Olympic football gold with Norway.
AthleteGarrincha
The dazzling winger who helped Brazil win the 1958 and 1962 World Cups.
AthleteCarli Lloyd
Scoring decisive World Cup and Olympic goals for the United States.
AthleteGeorge Best
Winning the Ballon d’Or and helping Manchester United become European champions in 1968.
AthleteKristine Lilly
Playing 354 international matches for the United States and winning two Women’s World Cups.
AthleteRoger Milla
Helping Cameroon reach Africa’s first men’s World Cup quarter-final.
AthleteNadine Angerer
Keeping a clean sheet throughout Germany’s winning 2007 World Cup campaign.
AthleteCarlos Valderrama
Orchestrating Colombia’s midfield across three World Cups.
AthleteDavor Šuker
Winning the Golden Boot at the 1998 World Cup.
AthleteJosef Masopust
Leading Czechoslovakia to the 1962 World Cup final.
AthleteBrian Laudrup
Helping Denmark win Euro 1992 and starring for Rangers.
AthleteEmre Belözoğlu
Playing in Turkey’s 2002 World Cup team and Galatasaray’s UEFA Cup-winning side.
AthleteZbigniew Boniek
Helping Poland finish third at the 1982 World Cup and winning European trophies with Juventus.
AthleteRuud van Nistelrooy
Scoring prolifically for PSV, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
AthleteMichael Laudrup
Creating chances for Barcelona’s Dream Team and Denmark.
AthleteTeófilo Cubillas
Scoring ten World Cup goals for Peru.
AthleteUwe Seeler
Leading Hamburger SV and playing in four World Cups for West Germany.
AthleteEnzo Francescoli
Winning three Copa América titles with Uruguay and the Copa Libertadores with River Plate.
AthleteRui Costa
Playmaking for Benfica, Fiorentina, AC Milan and Portugal.
AthleteFerenc Puskás
Leading Hungary’s Mighty Magyars and scoring for Real Madrid.
AthleteCarlos Alberto Torres
Captaining Brazil to the 1970 World Cup.
AthleteEmilio Butragueño
Leading Real Madrid’s Quinta del Buitre generation.
AthleteZico
Creative midfield play for Flamengo and Brazil.
AthletePeter Schmeichel
Goalkeeping for Denmark’s European champions and Manchester United’s treble winners.
AthleteGiacinto Facchetti
Attacking full-back play for Inter Milan and Italy.
AthleteLéo Júnior
Flamengo success and Brazil’s 1980s World Cup teams.
AthleteClarence Seedorf
Winning the Champions League with Ajax, Real Madrid and Milan.
AthleteLothar Matthäus
Captaining West Germany to the 1990 World Cup.
AthleteJay-Jay Okocha
Creative dribbling and playmaking for Nigeria and European clubs.
AthleteElías Figueroa
Chile’s commanding defender across three World Cups
AthleteJan Ceulemans
Captaining Belgium to the 1986 World Cup semi-finals
AthleteJean-Marie Pfaff
Goalkeeping for Belgium, Beveren and Bayern Munich.