1. Diego Maradona
Probably the greatest dribble football has ever seen, Maradona guided a very average Argentina to 1986 world cup glory and scored two of the best goals in history of football in the process. Maradona’s name is often mentioned in the same breath as Pele when we talk about greatest soccer players of all times. Maradona unlike Pele played most of his club career in Europe with FC Barcelona and Italian outfit Napoli.
When he transfered to Barcelona it was at the time a world record transfer fee but his time in Barcelona was short lived full of controversies and underachievement as he only manage to win a “copa del rey” trophy with Barcelona. He transferred to Napoli who were by no means title contenders at the time with the likes of Juventus, AC Milan, Roma and Inter Milan dominating Italian football.
But his time with Napoli turned out to be success as he guided them to Italian Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 plus couple of other trophies like Coppa Italia in 1987 and UEFA Cup (now known as Europa League) in 1989. Napoli fans loved him and he turned up Napoli week and week out with something special. Towards the end of his career he got into more controversies with drugs abuse, overweight which left a bad taste in mouth.
But on the basis of his peak years and his sheer ability to dribble with the ball, he has to be up there as one of the greatest footballers to have every played the game.
Diego Armando Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Maradona led club teams to championships in Argentina, Italy and Spain, and famously starred for the Argentinean team that won the 1986 World Cup. However, the soccer legend's career was marred by a pair of high-profile suspensions for drug use, and he has often battled health problems in retirement.
Childhood
Diego Armando Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in Villa Fiorito, a province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The fifth of eight children raised by Diego Sr. and Doña Tota, Maradona grew up in a poor but close-knit household. He received his first soccer ball as a gift at age 3 and quickly became devoted to the game.
At 10, Maradona joined Los Cebollitas, a youth team of Argentinos Juniors, one of the biggest clubs in Argentina. Showing his prodigious ability at an early age, Maradona led Los Cebollitas to an incredible 136-game unbeaten streak. He made his professional debut for the senior team shortly before his 16th birthday.
Professional Career
A short but fearless midfielder renowned for his ability to create scoring chances for himself and others, Maradona led club teams to championships in Argentina, Italy and Spain.
The pinnacle of his career came as a member of the Argentinean national team that won the 1986 World Cup. His performance there included two memorable goals in a quarter-final victory over England: The first was scored illegally with his left hand, which Maradona later claimed was the work of "the hand of God"; the second required no supernatural help, other than an otherworldly ability to dribble past an onslaught of defenders to find the back of the net. Altogether, Maradona played in four World Cups, and scored an impressive 34 goals in 91 international appearances for Argentina.
When he transfered to Barcelona it was at the time a world record transfer fee but his time in Barcelona was short lived full of controversies and underachievement as he only manage to win a “copa del rey” trophy with Barcelona. He transferred to Napoli who were by no means title contenders at the time with the likes of Juventus, AC Milan, Roma and Inter Milan dominating Italian football.
But his time with Napoli turned out to be success as he guided them to Italian Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 plus couple of other trophies like Coppa Italia in 1987 and UEFA Cup (now known as Europa League) in 1989. Napoli fans loved him and he turned up Napoli week and week out with something special. Towards the end of his career he got into more controversies with drugs abuse, overweight which left a bad taste in mouth.
But on the basis of his peak years and his sheer ability to dribble with the ball, he has to be up there as one of the greatest footballers to have every played the game.
Diego Armando Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Maradona led club teams to championships in Argentina, Italy and Spain, and famously starred for the Argentinean team that won the 1986 World Cup. However, the soccer legend's career was marred by a pair of high-profile suspensions for drug use, and he has often battled health problems in retirement.
Childhood
Diego Armando Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in Villa Fiorito, a province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The fifth of eight children raised by Diego Sr. and Doña Tota, Maradona grew up in a poor but close-knit household. He received his first soccer ball as a gift at age 3 and quickly became devoted to the game.
At 10, Maradona joined Los Cebollitas, a youth team of Argentinos Juniors, one of the biggest clubs in Argentina. Showing his prodigious ability at an early age, Maradona led Los Cebollitas to an incredible 136-game unbeaten streak. He made his professional debut for the senior team shortly before his 16th birthday.
Professional Career
A short but fearless midfielder renowned for his ability to create scoring chances for himself and others, Maradona led club teams to championships in Argentina, Italy and Spain.
The pinnacle of his career came as a member of the Argentinean national team that won the 1986 World Cup. His performance there included two memorable goals in a quarter-final victory over England: The first was scored illegally with his left hand, which Maradona later claimed was the work of "the hand of God"; the second required no supernatural help, other than an otherworldly ability to dribble past an onslaught of defenders to find the back of the net. Altogether, Maradona played in four World Cups, and scored an impressive 34 goals in 91 international appearances for Argentina.
Despite his unquestioned brilliance on the pitch, the emotional Maradona became equally well known as a highly controversial figure. He became addicted to cocaine while playing in Spain in the 1980s and received a 15-month suspension after testing positive for the substance in 1991. Maradona endured another high-profile suspension three years later, this time for testing positive for ephedrine during the World Cup.
Maradona spent the twilight of his playing career in his home country, his physical skills diminished by mounting injuries and years of hard living. He announced his retirement on the eve of his birthday in 1997.
Post-Playing Career
The problems that plagued Maradona later in his playing career continued after his retirement. He was hospitalized for heart problems in 2000 and 2004, the second time requiring the use of a respirator to breathe properly. The following year he underwent gastric-bypass surgery to help stem his obesity.
An internet poll conducted by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association named Maradona the top player of the 20th century, but even that event was marked by controversy. Maradona chafed when a special panel was created to ensure that Pelé would be jointly honored, and then refused to share the stage with the Brazilian legend.
In 2008, Maradona was hired to coach the Argentinean national team. Although the Argentines boasted a talented squad headlined by Lionel Messi, perhaps the best player in the world, they were bounced from the 2010 World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing by Germany in the quarter-finals, and Maradona's contract was not renewed.
Despite the public disappointments, Maradona remains beloved in Argentina as a native son who rose from humble beginnings to reach the apex of stardom on an international stage.
Junior World Cup Championship
Maradona became a national sports star playing for Argentina's Boca Juniors at the age of 16. He was the youngest player ever to join the national team. In 1979, Maradona was named South American Player of the Year after he led Argentina to the Junior World Cup. His name made international headlines again in 1982 when he was sold to Barcelona, in the Spanish League, for the then unheard of $7.7 million. He was only 21 years old.
Though the Spanish found Maradona's ego abrasive, they forgave him when Barcelona won Spain's championship. In 1984, he was sold to Naples, in the Italian League, for a record $12 million. Fans in Naples called him "San Diego." While his name became well known after his World Cup win for Argentina, Maradona soon proved his value to Naples as well. In 1987, he helped the previously 12th-placed Naples team to win the Italian League crown. The team won again in 1990. These were the first two league titles to be won by the Naples team since it was founded in 1926. He also led Naples to victory in the European Soccer Union Cup competition in 1989.
Off the field, Maradona's behavior spiced up the headlines. Throughout June 1989, there were rumors that he would be sold to Marseille in the French League for over $15 million. While Maradona denied the rumors to the press, soccer fans in Naples reacted negatively. He responded by calling them cretins. In August, Maradona failed to attend training camp, claiming that the Neapolitan Mafia was threatening him and his family. He was fined for missing nearly a month of training. In October, an argument with a referee during the Rome-Naples match cost him $7,000.
In 1989, Maradona married Claudia Villafane, his childhood sweetheart and the mother of his two daughters. The wedding was a major event, costing around $3 million. There were 1,200 guests in attendance at the Buenos Aires nuptials. An 80-piece tango orchestra entertained the crowd. The bride and groom rode in a Rolls-Royce Phantom III, rumored to have been owned by Nazi Joseph Goebbels. Ninety-nine gold rings were hidden in the wedding cake.
The Unraveling of a Hero
In June 1990, Maradona represented Argentina in World Cup competition. He played badly in the semi-finals, missing penalty kicks he should not have missed. Despite Maradona's poor performance, Argentina was still able to claim a victory, winning 3-2 over Yugoslavia.
The following year, Maradona's personal life began to affect his game. He gained weight and argued with officials. In 1991, he was banned from soccer following a March 17th test showed traces of cocaine. Maradona voluntarily started a drug treatment program after his suspension. When faced with a $35,000 fee for the service, he balked. On July 8, 1992, he was quoted in the Dallas Morning News:"They're ripping me off just because I'm Maradona."
In 1992, the San Diego Sockers of the indoor Major Soccer League courted Maradona. However, he was not allowed to play unless the Sockers purchased his contract (valid through 1993) from Naples. A further obstacle was that Maradona had announced that he would be retiring from soccer. The talks never came to fruition.
Maradona's 15-month suspension for drug possession ended on July 1, 1992. He had decided not to return to Naples to honor the last year of his contract. He emerged from the ordeal 20 pounds overweight, with charges of cocaine possession in Argentina and a paternity suit in Italy. An Italian court ruled that Maradona had to support Cristina Sinagra and her then six-year-old son, Diego Armando.
Maradona was released from his contract with Naples by the International Soccer Federation. "He is a player who has finished his suspension," a Federation director told the press. "He's rehabilitated to play professional soccer. We don't have anything against him. On the contrary, we're very happy" ( Dallas Morning News, July 1992).
Maradona tried to rebound in 1992, signing a deal with Seville in the Spanish League. The association was short-lived due to disagreements between Maradona and the club's management, which included manager Carlos Bilardo, who had led the Argentines to the World Cup championships of 1986 and 1990. Maradona was expelled from Seville on June 29, 1993 and returned to Argentina. There, he joined an underdog team called Newell's Old Boys from Rosario for one year. His salary was $25,000 a month. On the night of his first game with the team, he stepped onto the field holding the hands of his daughters, Dalma and Giannina. Maradona had chosen to play with the team because he was impressed with its coach, Jorge Solari. Richard Williams quoted Maradona's reasoning for joining the team in The Age on October 11, 1993. "I knew him before, of course, but this time we really got talking," Maradona explained. "He filled my head with football. We talked for two hours. About players, and tactics. That convinced me."
In 1994, it became apparent that Maradona had not given up his self-destructive habits. On February 2nd of that year, he fired a pellet gun at reporters camped outside his home in Buenos Aires. Five days later, Maradona and six members of his entourage allegedly assaulted a photographer. He was being tried in absentia on Italian drug charges. Despite this distraction, Maradona participated in his fourth World Cup competition. Coach, Alfio Basile was forced by public demand—as well as by request by President Carlos Menem—to bring Maradona back to help Argentina in the World Cup playoffs.
Maradona's team overcame the Australians in a two-game playoff to reach the World Cup finals. He gave Cuban president Fidel Castro the jersey he wore in the second match. Maradona made his 1994 World Cup debut against Greece in mid-June. By the end of June, he was suspended when a random drug test revealed that Maradona had used five types of ephedrine, a banned stimulant. The Argentine team had to complete the World Cup series without their star player, who denied having used the drug to enhance his game. As more facts became known, blame was directed toward Maradona's doctor, Daniel Cerrini. The 26-year-old doctor had prescribed medications for relief of allergy and nasal congestion, including a nasal spray that contained ephedrine. Cerrini, who had been dismissed from Maradona's entourage previously, was suspected of having prescribed the drug intentionally. On July 3, 1994, a Buenos Aires doctor, Nestor Lentini told the Sunday Telegraph (London), "the forbidden substance was provided by a dietician and physiculturist. Diego took that medicine without knowing what was in it. He is no longer on drugs."
During the 15-month suspension which followed, Maradona tried his hand at coaching. He was not successful. First at Deportivo Mandiyu, where he lasted two months, and later at the Racing Club, he proved that he was better at throwing parties and brawling. By April 1995, his attempts at coaching were finished. In June 1995, the Boca Juniors offered him a two-and-a-half year contract.
Return to the Boca Juniors
Maradona attempted to make a comeback in October 1995, playing with Argentina's Boca Juniors against South Korea in the Olympic Stadium in Seoul. Being older and slower, Maradona was easily out-performed by his team-mates, taking only one shot on goal. Still, he retained his usual swagger with the press. "Personally I was satisfied with my game," he told Kate Battersby at the Sunday Telegraph (London). "But we didn't play well as a team. My heart was full when I heard the national anthem. And the crowd was good to me. Until these things die, I will keep playing football. I have made a lot of comebacks but I'm very happy with this one. It is good to play for Boca again."
Maradona had been persuaded to make his comeback by KBS television, in order to promote South Korea's bid for the 2002 World Cup games. The television station offered him $1.75 million for televised interviews and public appearances. Maradona embarrassed the South Koreans, however, by showing up late for scheduled appearances or missing them altogether. He missed his plane and arrived late to a welcoming ceremony and news conference. Maradona did not show up for a promised coaching session at an amusement park, leaving nearly 1,000 children and parents waiting for over two hours. He failed to make an expected appearance at a Hyundai auto manufacturing plant.
The week following his South Korean trip, Maradona and the Boca Juniors scored a 1-0 victory against Colon de Santa Fe in Buenos Aires. He was chosen by lottery to undergo another drug test following the game. Maradona tested positive for cocaine, and was suspended a third time.
A Short-lived Comeback
Maradona returned to the field with the Boca Juniors in July 1997. Boca played Racing Club in front of a near capacity crowd. A calf-muscle strain had the 36-year-old Maradona leaving the field twice during the game. While a rigorous training program had left him in top physical shape, there were serious doubts about his overall health. One doctor speculated that Maradona had sustained permanent brain damage from cocaine abuse.
On October 29, 1997, Maradona announced his retirement from the balcony of his home in Buenos Aires. He claimed that powerful people were trying to frame him for drug use in order to make him leave the game. He was quitting to protect himself and his family. Argentine sports journalist Pablo Llonto told the international press that Maradona would have been left alone to play out his career had he not been so outspoken. Indeed, he remained outspoken to the last, listing the names of the people he held responsible for encouraging the early end of his career.
Maradona made headlines in January 2000, when his cocaine addiction had caused heart problems. Police Chief Maximo Costa Rocha of the province of Maldonado confirmed reports that cocaine had been found in the former soccer champion's bloodstream, indicating excessive consumption. The 39-year-old Maradona was transferred from Uruguay to Cuba on January 18 for treatment, including drug rehabilitation.
2. Franz Beckenbauer
Bechenbauer is one of the most gracefull footballers of all times, he was not only immensely talented but he revolutionized the game. Usually played as a centre back but it was his ability on the ball as he brought ball out of defense into attacks (known as libero) which made him success. He had hugely successfull career with both his national team (Germnay) and club team (Bayern Munich).
He started his career with SC Munchen youth teams (city rivals of Bayern Munich) but he joined Bayern in 1958 and rest as they say is history. He became a force in Bayern team and Bayern become a force in world football. They won three back to back european titles 1974 to 1976. It was his time with Bayern when he innovated a new position called “Sweeper” playing behind the two central defenders and act as another line of defense while also had to licence to move the ball out of defense in counter attacks. Some of his goals were pure class as he started the move in his own half and finished it in the other.
His international career was nothing but a success, reaching world cup 1966 final and winning the world cup in 1974 beating netherlands in the final with their “total football” brand. He also win European championship with Germany in 1972. He was not only a great player but a visionary who would go on to have massive success as a coach with Bayern and Germany as well. Towards the end of his career he played in MLS for New York Cosmos and helped popularize the game in the states. His last two seasons were in Germany with Hamburg winning another German league title.
He was born on September 11, 1945, in Munich, West Germany, Franz Beckenbauer revolutionized soccer as its first attacking sweeper. He led Bayern Munich to multiple club titles and played with Pelé on the New York Cosmos, but is best remembered for winning the World Cup as a player and manager. Beckenbauer helped organize the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and serves as honorary president of Bayern Munich.
Early Years
Athlete Franz Anton Beckenbauer was born on September 11, 1945, in Munich, West Germany. Like many children growing up in the war-torn country, he was inspired by West Germany's triumph in the 1954 World Cup. He joined the SC 1906 München youth team that year, and in 1959 he began his long relationship with FC Bayern Munich as a member of the club's junior squad.
Professional Career
Beckenbauer made his debut for the senior club in June 1964, and as the star of a core that also featured burgeoning talents Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier, he led Bayern Munich to a level of unprecedented success. Playing the role of sweeper, Beckenbauer was expected to focus on defense; however, he revolutionized the position by leaving the backfield to help run the offense, becoming the game's first true attacking sweeper, or "libero."
With Beckenbauer leading the way, Bayern Munich won league championships in 1969, 1972, 1973 and 1974, and claimed the UEFA European Cup in each season from 1974-'76. "Der Kaiser," as the graceful but commanding playmaker came to be known, earned individual honors as the German Footballer of the Year in 1966, 1968, 1974 and 1976, and as the European Footballer of the Year in 1972 and 1976.
In addition to his club and individual success, Beckenbauer was a force on the international stage. Just 21 years old during the 1966 World Cup in England, Beckenbauer helped his countrymen reach the final against the host team and its legendary midfielder, Bobby Charlton, before they came apart in extra time following a controversial English goal.
The West Germans lost to Italy in the semifinals of the 1970 World Cup after Beckenbauer struggled to play with a dislocated shoulder, but there was no stopping them in the 1974 Cup before their home fans. Matched in the finals against a Dutch unit that featured the gifted Johan Cruyff and its well-oiled "total football" technique, Beckenbauer and his teammates pulled off an upset with a 2-1 victory.
After the 1977 season, Beckenbauer joined Brazilian superstar Pelé and Italian striker Giorgio Chinaglia on the New York Cosmos, and helped them win three North American Soccer League titles in the next four years. Beckenbauer returned to Germany to play for Hamburg for two years, then spent one more season with the Cosmos before retiring.
Manager and Ambassador
Despite having no managerial experience, Beckenbauer was tapped to replace Jupp Derwall as head of the West German national team in July 1984. Amazingly, he guided a squad with modest expectations to the 1986 World Cup final, which ended with a narrow 3-2 loss to Argentina.
Four years later, Beckenbauer again led West Germany through an impressive World Cup run. This time, they outlasted Argentina in the final, making Beckenbauer just the second person to win the World Cup as a player and manager.
Der Kaiser spent one year at the helm of Olympique Marseilles before serving a pair of stints as manager of Bayern Munich. After leading the club to a 1996 UEFA Cup victory, he became its president for two years. Beckenbauer then took over as vice president of the German Football Association, and with Germany selected to host the 2006 World Cup, he served as chairman of its organizing committee and the public face of the world-renowned sporting event.
Franz Beckenbauer won the ‘European Player of the Year Award’ in 1972 and won it again four years later. In 2013, World Soccer magazine included Franz Beckenbauer in the ‘Greatest XI of All Time’.
Franz Beckenbauer’s biggest achievement as a footballer was that of the captain of the West German side that won the 1974 World Cup on home soil. However, his biggest achievement in life has to be that of managing the unified German national team in their triumphant 1990 World Cup campaign.Beckenbauer was named Honorary President of Bayern Munich in November 2009. An icon in his home country, he is admired as one of the greatest all-around players in soccer history.
Franz Beckenbauer got married to Brigitte in the year 1966 but the marriage ended 24 years later. They had two sons - Michael and Stephen. Stephen became a footballer but died after suffering from an illness.
In 1990 Beckenbauer got married to Sybille but this marriage too ended after 14 years. They had a son named Thomas.
In 2006, Franz Beckenbauer got married to Heidi Burmester. They have two children - Francessca and Noel.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
Just like Lionel Messi, Ronaldo might go up a few places in the greatest players of all times list by the time he hang up his boots. Currently 30 year old and still going strong at the top of his powers. Ronaldo is one fit athlete who started his career in Portugese team Sporting Lisbon playing as forward who had pace and wide range of skills to bamboozle defenders. Manchester United saw the talent and signed him up at first opportunity. Ronaldo graced the premier league in 2003 and showcased his talent with outrageous fast step overs and other skill (often frustrating his team mates). But with in a couple of years he was matured and putting up top notch performances for United.
He was part of a very successful era in United history where they won three back to back premier league titles and won 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea and won Fifa best player of the year award (Ballon Dor). In 2009 he moved to Real Madrid for a record-breaking fee $100 million. In Real Madrid his career really took off and he scored goals for fun.
He was born on February 5, 1985, Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a Portuguese soccer player with Manchester United. By 2003 — when he was just 16 years old — Manchester paid £12 million (over $14 million U.S. dollars) to sign him, a record fee for a player of his age. In the 2004 FA Cup final, Ronaldo scored Manchester's first three goals and helped them capture the championship. In 2008, he set a franchise record for goals scored. In 2009, Real Madrid paid a record $131 million for his services.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Salary and Net Worth
According to Forbes, Cristiano Ronaldo took home $93 million in 2017, $58 million of which was salary and bonus paid by Real Madrid. Ronaldo’s earnings made him the highest-paid soccer player for the fourth year in a row and the highest-paid professional athlete of 2017. According to Celebrity Net Worth, as of 2017 Ronaldo’s net worth is an estimated $400 million.
Ronaldo’s Girlfriend and Kids
Cristiano Ronaldo is dating the Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez; the couple was first seen together publicly around November 2016. In June 2017, the couple welcomed twins, a boy and a girl, via a surrogate. In November 2017 Rodriguez added to their family with the birth of another girl. Ronaldo’s first child, Cristiano Jr., was born to a former girlfriend in June 2010.
Statue
In March 2017, self-taught sculptor Emanuel Santos unveiled a bronze bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at the airport in Ronaldo’s hometown of Madeira, Portugal. The statue was ridiculed for its apparent lack of likeness to the soccer player, but Santos defended his work. “I asked [Ronaldo] what he thought of the result and he said he liked it,” said Santos. “He only asked for some wrinkles that give him a certain expression to his face when he laughs to be changed. He said it made him look older and asked for it to be thinned out a bit to make it smoother and more jovial.”
When and Where Was Ronaldo Born?
Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, a small island off the western coast of the country.
Contract with Manchester United
In 2001, when Cristiano Ronaldo was just 16 years old, Manchester United paid more than £12 million to sign him — a record fee for a player of his age. Ronaldo had turned heads with a mesmerizing performance with Portugal against Manchester, wowing even his opponents with his footwork and deft skill. He made such an impression that a number of United players asked their manager to try and sign the young player, which the team soon did.
Ronaldo did not disappoint the soccer world. He showed his promise early on in the 2004 FA Cup final, scoring the team's first three goals and helping them capture the championship. In 2007, Ronaldo signed a five-year, £31 million contract. A year later, Ronaldo again justified his high salary when he put together one of the club's finest seasons in history, setting a franchise record for goals scored (42), and earning himself the FIFA World Player of the Year honor for 2008. In all, Ronaldo helped steer Manchester United to three premier league titles.
Real Madrid
In 2009, the Spanish soccer club Real Madrid agreed to pay Manchester United a record $131 million for the chance to sign Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s commitment to Manchester United had come under constant question, and speculation swirled that he wanted to play elsewhere, so nobody was all that surprised to see Ronaldo leave.
"I know that they are going to demand a lot of me to be successful at the club and I know that I'm going to have much more pressure than at Manchester United because I was there for many years," Ronaldo told reporters. "But it means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer."
Ronaldo went on to compile an impressive list of individual honors and team trophies. In January 2017, Ronaldo won FIFA's 2016 best player of the year for the fourth time, beating out FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi. Ronaldo’s 2016 wins included the European Championship, Champions League, and Club World Cup, plus individual awards from UEFA and France Football magazine, according to USA Today. In his acceptance speech, Ronaldo said: "2016 was the best year of my career."
Portugal National Team
On July 10, 2016, Ronaldo added an emotional victory to his collection. As his national team's captain, Ronaldo led Portugal to the European Championship final against France. Although he was sidelined after suffering a knee injury 25 minutes into the match, Portugal went on to win the championship title 1-0, their first international trophy. Ronaldo's teammates said that he motivated them as team captain from the sidelines. "He gave us a lot of confidence and he said, 'Listen people, I'm sure we will win this Euro so stay together and fight for it,’” full-back Cedric Soares said after Portugal’s victory.
"This is one of the happiest moments in my career,” Ronaldo commented. ”I’ve always said I wanted to win a trophy with the national team and make history. And I did it. Thank God, things went well for us."
Family
Ronaldo is the youngest of four children born to Maria Dolores dos Santos and Jose Dinis Aveiro. He was named after Ronald Reagan, one of his father's favorite actors.
Ronaldo grew up in a largely working class neighborhood in a small tin-roofed home that overlooked the ocean. Ronaldo was introduced to the game of soccer through his dad, who worked as an equipment manager at a boy's club. His early life was shaped by hardship, as his father often drank too much. To help keep the children fed and maintain some financial stability, Ronaldo's mother worked as a cook and cleaning person.
In 2005, when Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United, his father died from alcohol-related kidney problems; in 2007, his mother struggled with breast cancer. The former was especially hard for Ronaldo since he and his dad had been close. The young athlete had often pushed for his father to enter rehab and address his drinking. His father, however, never accepted the offer.
Early Life
By the time he was 10 years old, Ronaldo was already recognized as a phenomenon — a kid who ate, slept and drank soccer. "All he wanted to do as a boy was play football," his godfather, Fernao Sousa, recalled for British reporters, adding, "He loved the game so much he'd miss meals or escape out of his bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his homework."
By his early teens, Ronaldo's talent and legend had grown considerably. After a stint with Nacional da liha da Madeira, he signed with Sporting Portugal in 2001.
Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon D’Or (later known as the FIFA World Player of the Year Award) in 2008, when he was a Manchester United player.
In 2013, he won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award and won it again the following year.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for being the highest scorer in the history of Real Madrid with 338 goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest ever goal scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 89 career goals till date.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in relationships with celebrities like Gemma Atkinson and Alice Goodwin, both models in England.
Ronaldo’s son was born on 17 June 2010 and was named Cristiano. Ronaldo has not revealed the identity of his son’s mother.
Ronaldo was in a romantic relationship with Russian super model Irina Shayk for five years from 2010 to 2015.
4. Lionel Messi
Most football fans now consider Messi the greatest footballer to have ever played and more fans might join claim by the time Messi hangs up his boots. because still at the age of 28 he has several years left in him at the top of his game which is evident as after a lackluster 2014 he has turned up again in 2015 and currently have 53 goals to his name this season. Lionel Messi joined Barcelona at the age of just 13, first team debut at 17 and never looks back since than. He had a direct impact on all the success Barcelona had over the last decade and Barcelona are the most successfull team in europe having won the european cup three times since Messi has been a regular fixture in the team.
Lionel Messi goals stats stand at 452 goals in 575 competitive matches, he is Barcelona’s all time leading goal scorer with 407 goals to his name he is also all time leading goalscorer of Spanish league having scored 283 goals. Messi just recently overtook Ronaldo as the top goal scorer in Champions League history with 77 strikes to his name. Goals are just one side of his impact on the team, when he is not scoring he is making and assisting goals with pinpoint though balls and lobs for his team mates.
His international career with Argentina hit its peak in 2014 World Cup when he single handedly guided Argentina to World cup 2014 final but failed to win the trophy as Germany beat Argentina by 1-0 in extra time. But Messi ended up with Golden Ball (the best player in the tournament). Messi has also won 4 ballon dor awards, Messi has won 4 champions league top scorer awards, 4 times La Liga top scorer, three times European golden boot.
Luis Lionel Andres (“Leo”) Messi (b. June 24, 1987) is an Argentinian soccer player who plays forward for the FC Barcelona club and the Argentine national team. At the age of 13, Messi moved from Argentina to Spain after FC Barcelona agreed to pay for his medical treatments. There he became a star and led his club to championships. In 2012, he set a record for most goals in a calendar year, and in 2016, he was named Europe's Ballon d'Or winner for the fifth time.
Lionel Messi’s Net Worth
As of 2017 Lionel Messi is worth an estimated $80 million, taking into account his salary plus bonuses and endorsements, according to Forbes.com. That makes Messi the second highest-paid soccer player and the third highest-paid athlete in the world, after fellow soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo and basketball star LeBron James. Almost universally regarded as the best soccer player in the game, Messi has become the commercial face of soccer with endorsements from Adidas, Pepsi, EA Sports and Turkish Airways, among other companies.
Lionel Messi is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 72 kilograms (159 pounds). With his short stature, speed and relentless attacking style, Messi has drawn comparisons to another famous Argentinian footballer: Diego Maradona.
Wife and Wedding
On June 30, 2017, Lionel Messi married Antonella Roccuzzo, his longtime girlfriend and the cousin of his best friend and fellow soccer player Lucas Scaglia. Messi met Roccuzzo in their hometown of Rosario when he was five years old. Their marriage, a civil ceremony dubbed by Argentina's Clarín newspaper as the “wedding of the century,” was held at a luxury hotel in Rosario, with a number of fellow star soccer players and Colombian pop star Shakira on the 260-person guest list.
Messi’s Sons
Messi became a father in November 2012 when Roccuzzo gave birth to a son, Thiago. In September 2015, the couple’s second son, Mateo, was born.
Early Life
As a young boy, Lionel Messi tagged along when his two older brothers played soccer with their friends, unintimidated by the bigger boys. At the age of eight, he was recruited to join the youth system of Newell's Old Boys, a Rosario-based club.
Recognizably smaller than most of the kids in his age group, Messi was eventually diagnosed by doctors as suffering from a hormone deficiency that restricted his growth. Messi's parents, Jorge and Ceclia, decided on a regimen of nightly growth-hormone injections for their son, though it soon proved impossible to pay several hundred dollars per month for the medication. So, at the age of 13, when Messi was offered the chance to train at soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, and have his medical bills covered by the team, Messi's family picked up and moved across the Atlantic to make a new home in Spain. Although he was often homesick in his new country, Messi moved quickly through the junior system ranks.
Barcelona Soccer Player
By the age of 16, Messi made his first appearance for the FC Barcelona. He put himself in the record books on May 1, 2005, as the youngest player to ever score a goal for the franchise. That same year, he led Argentina to the title in the under-20 World Cup, scoring on a pair of penalty kicks to propel the team over Nigeria.
Messi steered Barcelona to a wealth of success, most notably in 2009, when the left-footer's team captured the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup titles. That same year, after two consecutive runner-up finishes, he took home his first FIFA "World Player of the Year" honor/Ballon d'Or award.
Even the great Maradona gushed about his fellow countryman. "I see him as very similar to me," the retired player told the BBC. "He's a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different than any other player in the world."
Amazingly, the soccer wizard continued to improve, discovering new ways to elude defenders while leading Barcelona to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup championships in 2010 and 2011, as well as the '11 Champions League title.
Messi embarked on an all-out assault on the record books in 2012. He became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match in early March, and a few weeks later he surpassed Cesar Rodriguez's club-record 232 goals to become Barcelona's all-time leading scorer. By the end of 2012, Messi had accumulated an astounding 91 goals in club and international play, eclipsing the 85 netted in a single calendar year by Gerd Muller in 1972. Fittingly, he broke another record when he was named the FIFA Ballon d'Or winner for the fourth time in January 2013.
The soccer great came back to earth somewhat that year due to the persistence of hamstring injuries, but he regained his record-breaking form by becoming the all-time leading scorer in La Liga and Champions League play in late 2014. After helping Barcelona achieve a historic second treble in 2015, he was honored with his fifth FIFA Ballon d'Or trophy.
Argentina National Team Controversy
For all his success with Barcelona, Messi has come under fire for his inability to help Argentina's national team win a major title. He did lead "La Albiceleste" to the final of the 2014 World Cup, and was named player of the tournament, although his team lost to Germany. In 2016, following Argentina's second consecutive loss to Chile in the final of the Copa America tournament, Messi announced he was ending his run with the national team.
Tax Fraud Scandal
In July 2016, Messi suffered a blow off the soccer field when a Barcelona court found him and his father guilty of three counts of tax fraud. During a four-day trial, Messi and his father denied breaking the law and claimed they were unaware of any tax illegalities that were committed. However, they were both sentenced to 21 months in prison. Under Spanish law, first offenses under two years are suspended so they will not go to jail, but Messi will pay a fine of 2 million euros and his father is required to pay 1.5 million euros.
Charity and UNICEF
Although he is famously quiet and private off the field, Messi has found ways to help others in need. In 2007, he formed the Leo Messi Foundation to provide opportunities for disadvantaged youths. In early 2010, UNICEF named him a goodwill ambassador, with a focus on fighting for children's rights across the globe.
Messi’s excellence at the field has been lauded by the world over through the numerous awards, honors and achievements that he has been bestowed with. Messi has won the prestigious Ballon d'Or five times. He has won it in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
Messi has on a number of occasions won awards in the young player of the year category. Some of them are World Soccer Young Player of the Year, FIFPro World Young Player of the Year and Copa America Young Player of the Tournament.
Messi has in his kitty 20 Player of the Year awards including FIFA World Player of the Year (1), World Soccer Player of the Year (3), Goal.com Player of the Year (2), UEFA Best Player in Europe Award (1), UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1), FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament (1), La Liga Player of the Year (3), La Liga Foreign Player of the Year (3) and La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year (5).
For his knack of netting the ball to the goal, Messi has been awarded as the top goalscorer on numerous occasions. Some of them include IFFHS World's best Top Division Goal Scorer, IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer, UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer, FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Goalscorer and Copa del Rey Top Goalscorer.
Messi was honoured with the European Golden Shoe thrice in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He won the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball twice in 2009 and 2011. He was tagged as the European Golden Boy in the year 2005.
He was part of the Argentine football national team that won the gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Personal Life & Legacy
Messi has had quite a couple of romantic associations before he got steady with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo. He was first linked with Macarena Lemos, a female from his hometown Rosario, whom Messi was introduced to by the former’s father while he was recovering from his injury before the 2006 World Cup. He is even said to have shared a love bond with Argentine glamour model Luciana Salazar.
Messi was first seen with his wife Roccuzzo at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. A fellow native of Rosario, Roccuzzo gave birth to their first child, Thiago on November 2, 2012 and second child Mateo, on September 11, 2015.
After several years of being in a relationship with Roccuzzo, he married her on 30 June 2017. Their wedding was held at a luxury hotel named Hotel City Center in Rosario.
Lionel Messi’s Net Worth
As of 2017 Lionel Messi is worth an estimated $80 million, taking into account his salary plus bonuses and endorsements, according to Forbes.com. That makes Messi the second highest-paid soccer player and the third highest-paid athlete in the world, after fellow soccer great Cristiano Ronaldo and basketball star LeBron James. Almost universally regarded as the best soccer player in the game, Messi has become the commercial face of soccer with endorsements from Adidas, Pepsi, EA Sports and Turkish Airways, among other companies.
Lionel Messi is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 72 kilograms (159 pounds). With his short stature, speed and relentless attacking style, Messi has drawn comparisons to another famous Argentinian footballer: Diego Maradona.
Wife and Wedding
On June 30, 2017, Lionel Messi married Antonella Roccuzzo, his longtime girlfriend and the cousin of his best friend and fellow soccer player Lucas Scaglia. Messi met Roccuzzo in their hometown of Rosario when he was five years old. Their marriage, a civil ceremony dubbed by Argentina's Clarín newspaper as the “wedding of the century,” was held at a luxury hotel in Rosario, with a number of fellow star soccer players and Colombian pop star Shakira on the 260-person guest list.
Messi’s Sons
Messi became a father in November 2012 when Roccuzzo gave birth to a son, Thiago. In September 2015, the couple’s second son, Mateo, was born.
Early Life
As a young boy, Lionel Messi tagged along when his two older brothers played soccer with their friends, unintimidated by the bigger boys. At the age of eight, he was recruited to join the youth system of Newell's Old Boys, a Rosario-based club.
Recognizably smaller than most of the kids in his age group, Messi was eventually diagnosed by doctors as suffering from a hormone deficiency that restricted his growth. Messi's parents, Jorge and Ceclia, decided on a regimen of nightly growth-hormone injections for their son, though it soon proved impossible to pay several hundred dollars per month for the medication. So, at the age of 13, when Messi was offered the chance to train at soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, and have his medical bills covered by the team, Messi's family picked up and moved across the Atlantic to make a new home in Spain. Although he was often homesick in his new country, Messi moved quickly through the junior system ranks.
Barcelona Soccer Player
By the age of 16, Messi made his first appearance for the FC Barcelona. He put himself in the record books on May 1, 2005, as the youngest player to ever score a goal for the franchise. That same year, he led Argentina to the title in the under-20 World Cup, scoring on a pair of penalty kicks to propel the team over Nigeria.
Messi steered Barcelona to a wealth of success, most notably in 2009, when the left-footer's team captured the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup titles. That same year, after two consecutive runner-up finishes, he took home his first FIFA "World Player of the Year" honor/Ballon d'Or award.
Even the great Maradona gushed about his fellow countryman. "I see him as very similar to me," the retired player told the BBC. "He's a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different than any other player in the world."
Amazingly, the soccer wizard continued to improve, discovering new ways to elude defenders while leading Barcelona to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup championships in 2010 and 2011, as well as the '11 Champions League title.
Messi embarked on an all-out assault on the record books in 2012. He became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match in early March, and a few weeks later he surpassed Cesar Rodriguez's club-record 232 goals to become Barcelona's all-time leading scorer. By the end of 2012, Messi had accumulated an astounding 91 goals in club and international play, eclipsing the 85 netted in a single calendar year by Gerd Muller in 1972. Fittingly, he broke another record when he was named the FIFA Ballon d'Or winner for the fourth time in January 2013.
The soccer great came back to earth somewhat that year due to the persistence of hamstring injuries, but he regained his record-breaking form by becoming the all-time leading scorer in La Liga and Champions League play in late 2014. After helping Barcelona achieve a historic second treble in 2015, he was honored with his fifth FIFA Ballon d'Or trophy.
Argentina National Team Controversy
For all his success with Barcelona, Messi has come under fire for his inability to help Argentina's national team win a major title. He did lead "La Albiceleste" to the final of the 2014 World Cup, and was named player of the tournament, although his team lost to Germany. In 2016, following Argentina's second consecutive loss to Chile in the final of the Copa America tournament, Messi announced he was ending his run with the national team.
Tax Fraud Scandal
In July 2016, Messi suffered a blow off the soccer field when a Barcelona court found him and his father guilty of three counts of tax fraud. During a four-day trial, Messi and his father denied breaking the law and claimed they were unaware of any tax illegalities that were committed. However, they were both sentenced to 21 months in prison. Under Spanish law, first offenses under two years are suspended so they will not go to jail, but Messi will pay a fine of 2 million euros and his father is required to pay 1.5 million euros.
Charity and UNICEF
Although he is famously quiet and private off the field, Messi has found ways to help others in need. In 2007, he formed the Leo Messi Foundation to provide opportunities for disadvantaged youths. In early 2010, UNICEF named him a goodwill ambassador, with a focus on fighting for children's rights across the globe.
Messi’s excellence at the field has been lauded by the world over through the numerous awards, honors and achievements that he has been bestowed with. Messi has won the prestigious Ballon d'Or five times. He has won it in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.
Messi has on a number of occasions won awards in the young player of the year category. Some of them are World Soccer Young Player of the Year, FIFPro World Young Player of the Year and Copa America Young Player of the Tournament.
Messi has in his kitty 20 Player of the Year awards including FIFA World Player of the Year (1), World Soccer Player of the Year (3), Goal.com Player of the Year (2), UEFA Best Player in Europe Award (1), UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1), FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament (1), La Liga Player of the Year (3), La Liga Foreign Player of the Year (3) and La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year (5).
For his knack of netting the ball to the goal, Messi has been awarded as the top goalscorer on numerous occasions. Some of them include IFFHS World's best Top Division Goal Scorer, IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer, UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer, FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Goalscorer and Copa del Rey Top Goalscorer.
Messi was honoured with the European Golden Shoe thrice in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He won the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball twice in 2009 and 2011. He was tagged as the European Golden Boy in the year 2005.
He was part of the Argentine football national team that won the gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Personal Life & Legacy
Messi has had quite a couple of romantic associations before he got steady with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo. He was first linked with Macarena Lemos, a female from his hometown Rosario, whom Messi was introduced to by the former’s father while he was recovering from his injury before the 2006 World Cup. He is even said to have shared a love bond with Argentine glamour model Luciana Salazar.
Messi was first seen with his wife Roccuzzo at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. A fellow native of Rosario, Roccuzzo gave birth to their first child, Thiago on November 2, 2012 and second child Mateo, on September 11, 2015.
After several years of being in a relationship with Roccuzzo, he married her on 30 June 2017. Their wedding was held at a luxury hotel named Hotel City Center in Rosario.
5. PELE
Three time world cup winner with Brazil back in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and a true icon of the game, Pele is widely considered as the greatest footballer of last century and FIFA also recognized that with awarded him the best footballer of 20th century. His international career was upright success but his club success is debatable because he spent most of his career playing for native Santos and a few years in American league which was and still not considered a very competitive league.
Although Pele won everything there was to be won with Santos, scored most number of goals (apparently the most by any footballer in history). According to unofficial statistics Pele has scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. He scored more than 100 goals in a year three times for santos in 1959, 1961 and 1965. Only downer in his career has been the fact that he never played in Europe when european football was alot more competitive than anywhere else in the world. But still his international success with native Brazil and unprecedented ability to score important goals consistantly truly made him the greatest football player of all times.
Although Pele won everything there was to be won with Santos, scored most number of goals (apparently the most by any footballer in history). According to unofficial statistics Pele has scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 games. He scored more than 100 goals in a year three times for santos in 1959, 1961 and 1965. Only downer in his career has been the fact that he never played in Europe when european football was alot more competitive than anywhere else in the world. But still his international success with native Brazil and unprecedented ability to score important goals consistantly truly made him the greatest football player of all times.
Childhood
Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Três Corações, Brazil, the first child of João Ramos and Dona Celeste. Named after Thomas Edison and nicknamed "Dico," Pelé moved with his family to the city of Bauru as a young boy.
João Ramos, better known as "Dondinho," struggled to earn a living as a soccer player, and Pelé grew up in poverty. Still, he developed a rudimentary talent for soccer by kicking a rolled-up sock stuffed with rags around the streets of Bauru. The origin of the "Pelé" nickname is unclear, though he recalled despising it when his friends first referred to him that way.
As an adolescent, Pelé joined a youth squad coached by Waldemar de Brito, a former member of the Brazilian national soccer team. De Brito eventually convinced Pelé's family to let the budding phenom leave home and try out for the Santos professional soccer club when he was 15.
Soccer's National Treasure
Pelé signed with Santos and immediately started practicing with the team's regulars. He scored the first professional goal of his career before he turned 16, led the league in goals in his first full season and was recruited to play for the Brazilian national team.
The world was officially introduced to Pelé in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. Displaying remarkable speed, athleticism and field vision, the 17-year-old erupted to score three goals in a 5-2 semifinal win over France, then netted two more in the finals, a 5-2 win over the host country.
The young superstar received hefty offers to play for European clubs, and Brazilian President Jânio Quadros eventually had Pelé declared a national treasure, making it legally difficult for him to play in another country. Regardless, Santos club ownership ensured its star attraction was well paid by scheduling lucrative exhibition matches with teams around the world.
More World Cup Titles
Pelé aggravated a groin injury two games into the 1962 World Cup in Chile, sitting out the final rounds while Brazil went on to claim its second straight title. Four years later, in England, a series of brutal attacks by opposing defenders again forced him to the sidelines with leg injuries, and Brazil was bounced from the World Cup after one round.
Despite the disappointment on the world stage, the legend of Pelé continued to grow. In the late 1960s, the two factions in the Nigerian Civil War reportedly agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play in an exhibition game in Lagos.
The 1970 World Cup in Mexico marked a triumphant return to glory for Pelé and Brazil. Headlining a formidable squad, Pelé scored four goals in the tournament, including one in the final to give Brazil a 4-1 victory over Italy.
Pelé announced his retirement from soccer in 1974, but he was lured back to the field the following year to play for the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League, and temporarily helped make the NASL a big attraction. He played his final game in an exhibition between New York and Santos in October 1977, competing for both sides, and retired with a total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 games.
The Legend Lives On
Retirement did little to diminish the public profile of Pelé, who remained a popular pitchman and active in many professional arenas.
In 1978, Pelé was awarded the International Peace Award for his work with UNICEF. He has also served as Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport and a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment.
Pelé was named FIFA's "Co-Player of the Century" in 1999, along with Argentine Diego Maradona. To many, his accomplishments on the soccer field will never be equaled, and virtually all great athletes in the sport are measured against the Brazilian who once made the world stop to watch his transcendent play.
For his impressive line-up of victories and the extraordinary role in catapulting the status of the sport to newer heights, he received numerous prestigious honors and decorations including Brazil's Gold Medal, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Lifetime Achievement Award from BBC.
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) voted him as the Football Player of the Century in 1999. Additionally, he was elected as the ‘Athlete of the Century’ by the International Olympic Committee and Reuters News Agency
In 2010, he was appointed as the Honorary President of New York Cosmos. In 2012, he was awarded honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh for ‘significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes, as well as his sporting achievements’.
His first marriage was with Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966. The couple was blessed with two daughters. They divorced in 1982.
From 1981 until 1986, he was romantically involved with Xuxa, whom, he aided to become a model. Xuxa was only 17-year-old when they started to date.
In 1994, he married psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas. She gave birth to twins, Joshua and Celeste. The couple has separated.
Trivia
This star player of Brazil football team and Santos club in his early days could not afford a proper football and usually played with a sock stuffed with newspaper, tied with a string or a grapefruit.
He became the youngest ever soccer player to score a World Cup goal, when he scored a goal against Wales in 1958 World Cup. He was 17 years and 239 days old at that time.
This soccer superstar also hold the record of becoming the youngest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup
He is also the youngest football player to play in a World Cup final match.
Retirement did little to diminish the public profile of Pelé, who remained a popular pitchman and active in many professional arenas.
In 1978, Pelé was awarded the International Peace Award for his work with UNICEF. He has also served as Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport and a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment.
Pelé was named FIFA's "Co-Player of the Century" in 1999, along with Argentine Diego Maradona. To many, his accomplishments on the soccer field will never be equaled, and virtually all great athletes in the sport are measured against the Brazilian who once made the world stop to watch his transcendent play.
For his impressive line-up of victories and the extraordinary role in catapulting the status of the sport to newer heights, he received numerous prestigious honors and decorations including Brazil's Gold Medal, Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Lifetime Achievement Award from BBC.
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) voted him as the Football Player of the Century in 1999. Additionally, he was elected as the ‘Athlete of the Century’ by the International Olympic Committee and Reuters News Agency
In 2010, he was appointed as the Honorary President of New York Cosmos. In 2012, he was awarded honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh for ‘significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes, as well as his sporting achievements’.
His first marriage was with Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi in 1966. The couple was blessed with two daughters. They divorced in 1982.
From 1981 until 1986, he was romantically involved with Xuxa, whom, he aided to become a model. Xuxa was only 17-year-old when they started to date.
In 1994, he married psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas. She gave birth to twins, Joshua and Celeste. The couple has separated.
Trivia
This star player of Brazil football team and Santos club in his early days could not afford a proper football and usually played with a sock stuffed with newspaper, tied with a string or a grapefruit.
He became the youngest ever soccer player to score a World Cup goal, when he scored a goal against Wales in 1958 World Cup. He was 17 years and 239 days old at that time.
This soccer superstar also hold the record of becoming the youngest player to score a hat-trick in World Cup
He is also the youngest football player to play in a World Cup final match.
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