http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/All-Time-Great-Soccer-Players_Summary.html en-us http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21638.html Thu, 28 Dec 2006 08:26:35 CST
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo was born on November 4, 1972 in Lisbon, Portugal. He is a Portuguese international footballer, who plays as a midfielder and winger, currently for Inter Milan. All around the world, he is considered one of Portugal's greatest players.

Figo was declared the 2000 European Footballer of the Year, the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year, and was named amongst the FIFA 100. Figo is recognized for his exceptional trickery and dribbling skills on either wing (though he predominantly plays on the right). Figo is one of the few soccer players to have played for both the Spanish rival clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Known as the leader of Portugal's 'golden generation', Figo won a FIFA World Youth Championship in 1991, the same year he made his senior debut against Luxembourg in a friendly match, when he was only 18 years old. He has performed at a high level since, showing his elegant style of play in Euro 96, Euro 2000, and the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup. Even though he announced his retirement from international football following the UEFA EURO 2004 and having won 117 caps and scored 31 goals, in June 2005 he changed his mind and returned for 2006 World Cup. Again he declared he would retire from international football after the 2006 World Cup and made a cameo appearance in Portugal's last game of the tournament, the third-place play-off, in which he set up Portugal's only goal for Nuno Gomes. http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21637.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:08:39 CST
Hernán Jorge Crespo was born on July 5, 1975 in Florida, Argentina. He is an Argentine international football player currently playing in the Italian Serie A for Internazionale, having signed from English Premier League champions Chelsea on a 2 year loan deal on 7 August 2006, although Chelsea have an option to recall him after one season. He is recognized for his powerful aerial ability. He is also renowned for being one of the most effective goal poachers in the game, due to his anticipatory off-the-ball movement. Crespo has scored four World Cup goals; against Sweden in 2002 and against Côte d'Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro and Mexico in 2006.

Hernán Crespo was several times compared to Gabriel Batistuta. Former Argentine coach José Pekerman still sees Crespo as the leader for the strike force and his form and fitness are all important for Argentine Team. Crespo was included in the FIFA 100 list comprising the best footballers in the world at present. Hernán Crespo, along with Argentine team mate Juan Sebastián Verón, is one of the world's most expensive players of all time (currently the most expensive being Zinedine Zidane). Ever since he joined Parma in 1996 from River Plate, he has never been sold for less than £16,000,000 and currently has a combined transfer fee of £68,000,000 - over half of which was down to one move, from Parma to Lazio for £37,000,000. http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21636.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:08:25 CST
Zinedine Yazid Zidane was on born 23 June, 1972. Zidane, popularly nicknamed Zizou, is a former French football player of Kabyle ethnicity who has starred for both the French national team and four European club teams, most recently as one of the stars of Real Madrid. In the 1998 World Cup final, Zidane was able to capture international attention with two headed goals in the final match against Brazil, allowing for his country's first ever FIFA World Cup title (and in home soil). He made precious contributions to his teams' victories in the Euro 2000, the UEFA Champions League, and domestic championships in Italy and Spain.

Zinedine Zidane was elected FIFA World Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, and 2003) and was granted the award for European Footballer of the Year in 1998. Zidane holds the world-record fee of € 66 million for his transfer to Real Madrid in 2001, record that remains unequalled to the date. In 2004, he topped the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll on Best European football player of the past 50 years, and was included in the FIFA 100, Pelé's list of the 125 greatest living footballers. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, and therefore was given the Golden Ball. Zidane retired from football after his participation on the 2006 World Cup Final on 9 July 2006.
http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21635.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:08:11 CST
Patrick Kluivert is a Dutch football striker who was born in 1976 in Amsterdam, Holland. His football career began in his native Amsterdam with a local club named Schellingwoude. Then he moved to the Ajax youth academy with which he mad his debut in the senior team of Ajax in 1994, being just 18 years old. He scored his first goal that season in the Dutch Supercup. He helped Ajax to won the Champions League Cup in the season 1994-1995. Then he moved to AC Milan in 1997.

He played for Milan one season (1997-1998) and scored 6 goals in 27 appearances. In Spain, he played for Barcelona during 6 very successful years, in part, thanks to their partnership with Rivaldo. While playing for Barcelona, he participated in 182 and scored 90. With his next club, Newcastle United, he scored 6 goals in 25 matches in 2004-2005. Then, he moved to Valencia; however, he had to go through an injury that affected his performance and number of appearances. He is currently signed by the English club Philips Sport Vereniging.

Kluivert is one of the greatest football players ever although his career has not been as successful as it would have been. In spite of this, he is still the leading scorer for the Dutch national team with 40 goals. With Ajax, he won the Dutch Supercup (1994, 1995), the Dutch Championships (1994/95, 1995/96), UEFA Champions League Winner (1994/95), European Super Cup (1995), Intercontinental Cup (1995). Playing for BArcelona he won Spanish First Division Champion in the season 1998/99. http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21632.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:06:40 CST
Raúl Díaz Arce is a Salvadoran football player from San Miguel born in 1970. With 39 goals in 55 matches, he is the all-time leading scorer of his national team: El Salvador. He began his football career in El Salvador, playing for Dragon in the Salvadoran second division during three years (1988-1991). He, then, moved to the first division with C.D. Luis Angel Firpo. During the five years within 1991-1996, he scored 150 goals, 25 of which were scored in the season 1995-96.

In 1996, his story in the United States' Major League Soccer (MSL) began. He scored 23 goals with the professional soccer club D.C. United in his first season with the club. He achieved the second position in the league and the fifth in MLS history. During his second season with United, he scored 15 goals and helped the club win the second MLS Cup in two consecutive seasons. He was considered one of the most important and prolific strikers and scorers of the league and was traded to other clubs in the United States: New England Revolution (1998), San Jose Clash (1999),Tampa Bay Mutiny (1999-2000), D.C. United (again in 2000), Colorado Rapids (2001), and Charleston Battery (2002-2003).

His season with Charleston Battery was not as successful as he expected so he left the club the following year. He played 1319 minutes and scored 6 goals. His last team was a Puerto Rican club called Puerto Rico Islanders. He helped that team gain a level of respectability by scoring 7 goals in 1233 minutes and two goals in his first match with them. Currently, he is the coach of the United States U-17 squad. http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21628.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:06:26 CST
Gheorghe Hagi is one of the most outstanding Romanian soccer players of the past 50 years, as he was granted this honor during the celebration of UEFA’s Jubilee. He was selected with the title of Golden Player of Romania. Hagi was born in Sacele, February 5, 1965. Nowadays, he is not currently active but he dedicates his life experience in the soccer field as a coach. http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21626.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:05:56 CST
Jimmy Greaves is not his full name, but is the way in which his fans and also the rest of the people mostly known this really famed soccer player.  His complete name is James Peter Greaves and was born on February 20, 1940 in East Ham, England.  East Ham is a district particularly located in London.  He is usually nicknamed Greavsie by his fans and the rest of the people who know him.  The position in which he is experienced the most is as a striker.

Once Jimmy Greaves started his career as a professional soccer player, he has played in different professional clubs.  In 1957, Jimmy Greaves began playing in the Chelsea, and stayed there for four years.  Thus, in 1961, he stopped playing there and moved to the AC Milan.  With this club, he played from 1961 to 1962.  In addition, Jimmy Greveas played in the Tottenham Hotspur for nine years and up to 1970.  After that, he moved to the West Ham United, where he played from 1970 to 1971.

Also, Jimmy Greaves was a fundamental player in the England national team, where he played for eight years and with which he scored 44 goals.  Nevertheless, in the mid 70s, Greaves had one of the worst moments of his life since he found himself immersed in alcoholism.  Thus, in 1978, the player quitted drinking and got to have a good and popular place as a TV presenter and football authority.  Admired for having almost 50 years of marriage and being a happy grandfather, Jimmy Greaves will always be in the minds of those people who know about good professional English soccer. http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21608.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:04:38 CST
Raúl… is definitely one of the most said names when talking about Spanish soccer players, in spite of the fact that his full name is Raúl González Blanco.  He also has one main nickname, which was given by his fans: El Niño Raúl, meaning The Child Raúl in Spanish.  Raúl González Blanco was born on June 27th, 1977 in the beautiful Madrid, Spain.  He relies on a height of 1.80 meters approximately.  These days, Raúl González is used to play in two main positions: Centre Forward and Striker.

As many of the famous professional soccer players, Raúl started his professional career small.  When he was thirteen years old, his father supported his immersion in the Atlético Madrid, where he played for about two years: from 1990 to 1992.  However, before he turned 15, the president of the youth club (Atlético Madrid) decided to dissolve the youth division so that the club could save some money.

Later on, he joined another youth club: The Real Madrid, where he played for other tow years, from 1992 to 1994.  However, in that same year, Raúl stopped playing in youth clubs and started a professional career in the Real Madrid, where he, number 7, plays today.  In addition, the incredible amount of honors Raúl González has been given cannot simply be listed.  Nonetheless, among them, he has been four times in the Spanish League, three times in the Spanish Super Cup, three times in the UEFA Champions Legue, twice in the Intercontinental Cup, twice named the Top Scorer of the Spanish League, once in the European SuperCup, once called FIFA World Player of the Year (also given a bronze award), and once called the European Footballer of the Year (Silver award). http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21604.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:03:30 CST
Paulo Cesar Wanchope Watson is the name of one of the best soccer players in Costa Rica.  He was born in the province of Heredia on July 31st, 1976.  He is 1.82 meters high and is popularly known as The Cobra or “Chope” in his country.  The position in which he is used to play is striker.  At the very beginning of his career, he played in the Club Sport Herediano.

Paulo César Wanchope played in the Club Sport Herediano from 1994 to 1996.  Later on, he went to play to the Derby County and there, he played for three years, until 1999.  In 1999 and 2000, he played in the West Ham United, in the Málaga CF from 2004 to 2005, the Al-Gharrafa in 2005, once again in the CS Herediano in 2006, and also in 2006, he started playing in the Argentinean club Rosario Central.  In addition, Paulo César Wanchope is a key player in the Costa Rican national team since 1996.

Furthermore, the goal against Numancia scored by Paulo César Wanchope was, in 2005, named the best of the 2004-2005 Spanish First Division.  This player was also a fundamental figure in the soccer match between his country Costa Rica and Germany, in which Paulo César Wanchope scored two goals.  This was a very important step in his career due to the fact that this match corresponded to the opening game of the 2006 World Cup against the home team: Germany. http://www.bigsportsfanatics.com/articles/Soccer_21602.html Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:03:15 CST
Eusébio, or Eusébio da Silva Ferreira,is a one of the most remarkable Portuguese football players and an icon. He was born in 1942 in Maputo, Mozambique. Nicknamed, Black Pantherand Black Pearl, Eusébio began his football career in Portugal when he was just 19 years old in the football club Sport Lisboa e Benfica. He called the attention of this club with his participation in a local club of Maputo: Sporting Club of Lourenço Marques. In 1916, he made his debut with the Portuguese national team, that was also the year in which he joined Benfica.

A year later, in 1962, he won the UEFA Champions League after scoring two goals out of five that give Benfica the triumph against Real Madrid 5-3. In 1966, he won the recognition of being the top goal scorer in the 1966 World Cup in England scoring nine goals that season. Previously, he had been given other individual recognition in 1965; he was the European Footballer of the Year. In 1968, he was given one of the most important recognitions for a football player: the Golden Boot Award since he was the Europe's leading scorer.

Eusébio is not only one of the best players of his era, but also one of the great football players ever. The features that made him that successful were his quick dribble, speed, and his accurate right-footed strike. Playing in the Portuguese First Division, he was the top scorer for 7 times in 9 years (1964-1973). With Benefica, he scored 727 goals in 715 matches. With his national team, he scored 41 goals in 64 matches from 1961-1973.