100 Fun Facts About Famous Footballers

Which Brazilian striker had a convulsive fit hours before the 1998 World Cup final, then scored twice in the 2002 final?

Ronaldo Nazário still won the 1998 Golden Ball as player of the tournament, and in 2002 he also took the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer.

Which Manchester United forward was banned for eight months after a kung-fu kick at a Crystal Palace fan in 1995?

Eric Cantona aimed the kick at supporter Matthew Simmons, who had run down eleven rows of stairs to abuse him; a two-week jail sentence was cut to 120 hours of community service on appeal.

Which England star wore 23 at Real Madrid because captain Raúl already had the number 7?

David Beckham chose 23 because it was the number of his sporting hero, basketball star Michael Jordan.

Which Dutch forward's feint against Sweden's Jan Olsson at the 1974 World Cup became a move named after him?

Johan Cruyff feigned a pass, dragged the ball behind his standing leg and turned 180 degrees in the 22nd minute; from 1970 he also wore the then-unusual number 14.

Which 16-year-old Everton forward ended Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run with a last-minute winner in October 2002?

Wayne Rooney struck five days before his 17th birthday, becoming the Premier League's youngest ever scorer at the time.

Which Uruguayan striker was banned from all football for four months for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup?

Luis Suárez also got a nine-match international ban, but on appeal CAS let him train with his new club Barcelona and play friendlies.

Which England captain of 1966 was accused of stealing a bracelet from a jeweller in Bogotá before the 1970 World Cup?

Bobby Moore, England captain from 1963 at the age of 22, was accused by a young shop assistant of taking the bracelet from a hotel shop without paying, while England were in Colombia for a warm-up match.

Which Spain midfielder scored the 116th-minute winner in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands?

Andrés Iniesta lifted his shirt to reveal the message 'Dani Jarque, always with us', a tribute to the Espanyol captain and close friend who had died in 2009.

Which Northern Irish winger won the 1968 Ballon d'Or, the year his Manchester United side beat Benfica at Wembley?

George Best quipped that he spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars and 'just squandered' the rest; he won 37 caps for Northern Ireland.

Which Manchester United forward survived the 1958 Munich air disaster and won the 1966 World Cup with England?

Bobby Charlton won the Ballon d'Or in that same year, 1966, and was cautioned only twice in his entire career.

Which England midfielder cried after a 1990 World Cup semi-final booking that would have ruled him out of the final?

Paul Gascoigne was booked for a foul on Thomas Berthold, his second caution of the tournament, and the tears made him hugely popular with the British public.

Which England striker, never booked in his entire career, won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup with six goals?

Gary Lineker never received a yellow or red card and also never won a top-flight league title, despite finishing second in the 1986 Ballon d'Or.

Which Chelsea striker scored an 88th-minute equaliser and the winning penalty in the 2012 Champions League final?

Didier Drogba's equaliser against Bayern Munich capped a season in which he also became the first player to score in four FA Cup finals, netting against Liverpool in the 2012 final.

Whose last-minute goal against QPR in May 2012 won Manchester City their first league title since 1968?

Sergio Agüero had earlier become the youngest player in Argentina's top flight at 15 years and 35 days, breaking a record held by his future father-in-law.

Which Italian, the 1993 Ballon d'Or winner, missed the decisive penalty in the 1994 World Cup final shootout?

Roberto Baggio, nicknamed Il Divin Codino for his ponytail, had been Italy's star performer at the tournament and was also the 1993 FIFA World Player of the Year.

Which Barcelona forward was applauded by Real Madrid's own fans after scoring twice at the Bernabéu in November 2005?

Ronaldinho won the 2005 Ballon d'Or and back-to-back FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2004 and 2005.

Which Brazilian forward's 2017 move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain set a world transfer record of €222 million?

Neymar's release clause was exactly €222 million, and his representatives paid it in full to free him from Barcelona.

Which France striker's double handball set up the goal that knocked Ireland out of 2010 World Cup qualifying?

Thierry Henry used his hand twice to control the ball in extra time before crossing for William Gallas to score, and FIFA refused the Irish FA's request for a replay.

Which Liverpool captain headed the first goal of the comeback from 3–0 down in the 2005 Champions League final?

Steven Gerrard's header from a John Arne Riise cross began a six-minute burst that levelled the match at 3–3, in what became known as the Miracle of Istanbul.

Which Portuguese winger had a pig's head thrown at him by Barcelona fans in 2002, two years after joining Real Madrid?

Luís Figo's 2000 switch had set a world record fee of €62 million and launched Real Madrid's Galáctico era of a global star signed every year.

Which striker, the 1995 Ballon d'Or winner, was elected president of Liberia in 2017?

George Weah, the first former professional footballer from Africa to become a head of state, was sworn in on 22 January 2018 after beating vice president Joseph Boakai.

Which Cameroonian scored four goals at the 1990 World Cup aged 38, celebrating with a dance at the corner flag?

Roger Milla came out of international retirement after a personal phone call from Cameroon's president Paul Biya, and at 42 he scored against Russia in 1994 to become the World Cup's oldest scorer.

Which West German sweeper lifted the World Cup as captain in 1974 and then won it again as manager in 1990?

Franz Beckenbauer, nicknamed der Kaiser, is one of only three men to win the World Cup as both player and manager, alongside Mário Zagallo and Didier Deschamps.

Which Swedish striker scored all four in a 4–2 win over England in 2012, finishing with a 35-yard bicycle kick?

Zlatan Ibrahimović's overhead kick took FIFA's goal-of-the-year award, and the match was the first ever played at Stockholm's Friends Arena.

Which Colombian goalkeeper cleared a Jamie Redknapp cross with a 'scorpion kick' against England at Wembley in 1995?

René Higuita got the idea after watching a child attempt a similar kick while he was filming an advertisement, and he also scored from free kicks and penalties.

Which Dutch striker volleyed home from an almost impossible angle against the Soviet Union in the Euro 1988 final?

Marco van Basten took the Euro 1988 Golden Boot with five goals, including a hat-trick against England, and went on to win three Ballons d'Or.

Which one-club defender captained AC Milan to Champions League wins in 2003 and 2007 across a 25-season career?

Paolo Maldini retired at 41 in 2009, and Milan retired his number 3 shirt, which his father Cesare had also worn.

Which Soviet goalkeeper, dressed head to toe in black, won the 1963 Ballon d'Or?

Lev Yashin won it in 1963, and his all-black kit, in truth a very dark blue, earned him the nickname the Black Spider.

Which Mozambique-born Benfica striker was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup with nine goals as Portugal finished third?

Eusébio, nicknamed the Black Panther, won the 1965 Ballon d'Or and grew up playing barefoot in Lourenço Marques, now Maputo.

Which Hungarian scored four goals for Real Madrid in the 1960 European Cup final, a 7–3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt?

Ferenc Puskás won three European Cups and ten national championships, five in Hungary and five in Spain, and took the Pichichi as La Liga's top scorer four times.

Which West German striker scored the winner in the 1974 World Cup final and never played for his country again?

Gerd Müller's international career ended with that 7 July 1974 win in his home stadium in Munich, leaving him 68 goals from 62 games.

Which French midfielder won three consecutive Ballons d'Or, from 1983 to 1985, while playing for Juventus?

Michel Platini topped the Serie A scoring charts in each of those three seasons, and his nine goals at Euro 1984 remain the record for a single European Championship.

Which German captained West Germany to the 1990 World Cup and became the first FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991?

Lothar Matthäus also won the 1990 Ballon d'Or, and he lifted the last World Cup before German reunification.

Which Italian striker, fresh from a two-year betting ban, won the Golden Boot at the 1982 World Cup with six goals?

Paolo Rossi's hat-trick beat Brazil 3–2, and by the end of 1982 he held the Golden Boot, the Golden Ball, the World Cup and the Ballon d'Or, a sweep no other player has matched.

Which Brazilian right-back was the first player to appear in three consecutive World Cup finals, in 1994, 1998 and 2002?

Cafu lifted the trophy as captain in 2002, in the third of four World Cups he played between 1994 and 2006.

Which Manchester United captain was sent home from the 2002 World Cup after a row with Ireland manager Mick McCarthy?

Roy Keane's complaints about the squad's training facilities in Saipan ended with the FAI calling up Colin Healy to replace him.

Which Brazilian was the first footballer of either gender to score at five World Cups and five straight Olympics?

Marta has been named FIFA World Player of the Year six times and won Olympic silver with Brazil in 2004, 2008 and 2024.

Which Brazilian winger scored in every game of the 1970 World Cup, netting his seventh in the final against Italy?

Jairzinho earned the nickname 'Furacão da Copa', the World Cup Hurricane, and played at three consecutive World Cups from 1966 to 1974.

Which winger, born with his right leg six centimetres shorter than his left, led Brazil to the 1962 World Cup?

Garrincha became the first player to win the Golden Ball, the Golden Boot and the World Cup at the same tournament, stepping up after injury sidelined Brazil's biggest star.

Which Brazil captain at the 1982 World Cup was a qualified doctor who co-founded the Corinthians Democracy movement?

Sócrates earned his medical degree at the University of São Paulo and practised medicine in Ribeirão Preto after he retired as a player.

Which forward represented Argentina, Colombia and Spain and played in all five of Real Madrid's first European Cup wins?

Alfredo Di Stéfano, the 'Saeta Rubia' or Blond Arrow, had joined Colombia's Millonarios during a 1949 players' strike in Argentina before Madrid signed him.

Which Flamengo legend joined Japan's Sumitomo Metals in 1991 and later managed Japan at the 2006 World Cup?

Zico's Sumitomo side became the Kashima Antlers for the J.League's 1993 launch, and he scored a hat-trick in the club's first league match, a 5–0 win over Nagoya Grampus.

Which Mexican striker celebrated every goal with a somersault and won five Pichichi awards as La Liga's top scorer?

Hugo Sánchez's somersault honoured his sister, a gymnast at the Montreal Olympics, and he finished with 562 career goals for club and country.

Which Iranian striker became the first man to score 100 international goals, with four against Laos in 2004?

Ali Daei finished his international career with 109 goals, since revised to 108, a men's record that stood until September 2021.

Which Argentine striker became the first player to score hat-tricks at two different World Cups, in 1994 and 1998?

Gabriel Batistuta also scored in each of the first 11 matches of Fiorentina's 1994–95 Serie A season, breaking a 32-year-old record.

Which German striker, mocked as a diver on joining Tottenham in 1994, celebrated his debut goal by diving to the ground?

Jürgen Klinsmann's winning header came against Sheffield Wednesday, and the self-deprecating celebration won over the fans immediately.

Which Cameroonian won back-to-back Champions League titles with different clubs, Barcelona in 2009 and Inter in 2010?

Samuel Eto'o scored the opening goal in the 2009 final against Manchester United and became the first player to win two continental trebles in a row.

Which Argentina striker, the squad's only foreign-based player, won the Golden Boot at the 1978 World Cup on home soil?

Mario Kempes scored twice in the final and also collected the Golden Ball, the South American Footballer of the Year award and the Onze d'Or in 1978.

Who scored 60 league goals for Everton in 1927–28, still the most in a single English top-flight season?

Dixie Dean hit his 60 in just 39 of Everton's 42 games as they won the title, and no one has matched the mark since.

Which Brazilian left-back scored a bending 40-yard free kick against France to open the 1997 Tournoi de France?

Roberto Carlos was runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year that year, and he later won the 2002 World Cup after losing the 1998 final.

Which Argentine's first Barcelona contract was written on a paper napkin when he was 13 years old?

Lionel Messi got his promise from Barcelona director Carles Rexach, who had no other paper at hand and needed to prove the club was serious about the boy.

Which Brazilian forward, a world champion at 17 in Sweden, is the only player to win three World Cups?

Pelé won in 1958, 1962 and 1970. As a 17-year-old at his first tournament he scored a second-half hat-trick in the semi-final against France.

Which Argentine scored with his hand and then dribbled past five England players four minutes later in 1986?

Diego Maradona scored both of Argentina's goals in a 2–1 World Cup quarter-final win in Mexico City. The second was voted Goal of the Century in a 2002 FIFA poll.

Which French captain won the Golden Ball at the 2006 World Cup despite being sent off in the final?

Zinedine Zidane was dismissed in the 110th minute for headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi in the chest. Italy then won the penalty shoot-out 5–3.

Which French forward scored a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina and still lost?

Kylian Mbappé levelled the match at 3–3 with an extra-time penalty, his third goal of the night, but France were beaten in the shoot-out.

Which Norwegian striker scored nine goals in one match against Honduras at the 2019 Under-20 World Cup?

Erling Haaland hit all nine in a 12–0 win in Lublin, Poland. That one match was enough to win him the tournament's Golden Boot.

Which forward's last-minute penalty against Congo sent Egypt to the 2018 World Cup, their first since 1990?

Mohamed Salah scored both goals in the 2–1 win and finished as Egypt's top scorer in qualifying with five.

Which Dutch forward's fear of flying kept him out of many of Arsenal's European away matches?

Dennis Bergkamp sometimes travelled overland by car or train instead, which earned him the nickname the Non-Flying Dutchman.

Which West Ham striker scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany at Wembley?

Geoff Hurst was the first player to score three in a World Cup final, and no man matched the feat for another 56 years.

Which Brazilian playmaker fractured his spine in a swimming-pool accident at 18 and won the 2007 Ballon d'Or?

Kaká made a full recovery from the career-threatening injury and won the Champions League with AC Milan in 2007, beating Liverpool 2–1 in the final.

Which Croatian midfielder, a child refugee who lived in a Zadar hotel, won the 2018 World Cup Golden Ball?

Luka Modrić spent seven years living in a hotel after his family fled the war. In 2018 he also won the Ballon d'Or.

Which England captain, loaned out to four clubs as a youngster, won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup?

Harry Kane scored six goals in Russia. Before breaking through at Tottenham he had loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Leicester City and Norwich City.

Which Italian goalkeeper cost Juventus a world-record fee for a keeper in 2001 and won the 2006 World Cup?

Gianluigi Buffon cost €52.9 million from Parma and won Serie A titles in each of his first two seasons in Turin.

Which Frenchman captained the 1998 World Cup winners and then managed France to the title in 2018?

Didier Deschamps became only the third man to win the World Cup as both a player and a manager. He also captained France to victory at Euro 2000.

Which German substitute scored the only goal of the 2014 World Cup final in the 113th minute?

Mario Götze controlled a cross on his chest and volleyed it in, becoming the first substitute to score a World Cup-winning goal.

Which striker joined hometown club Newcastle United for a then world-record £15 million in 1996?

Alan Shearer won a third straight Premier League Golden Boot in his first season there and finished his career with 260 goals in the competition.

Which American won both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot at the 2019 Women's World Cup in France?

Megan Rapinoe scored six goals at the tournament and went on to win the Ballon d'Or Féminin later that year.

Which striker, signed from non-league Fleetwood Town, scored in 11 consecutive Premier League matches in 2015?

Jamie Vardy cost Leicester City a non-league record £1 million in 2012, and his scoring run helped the underdogs win the 2015–16 title.

Which England midfielder's shot crossed the line against Germany at the 2010 World Cup but was not given?

Frank Lampard's first-half shot bounced down off the crossbar and clearly over the line, yet play went on and England lost 4–1. Goal-line technology was approved two years later.

Which Spanish goalkeeper twice denied Arjen Robben when clean through in the 2010 World Cup final?

Iker Casillas made both stops with the score at 0–0 and won the tournament's Golden Glove, two years after captaining Spain to the Euro 2008 title.

Which Bayern Munich substitute scored five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg in 2015?

Robert Lewandowski came on with Bayern trailing 1–0 and scored all five in 8 minutes and 59 seconds, ending Wolfsburg's 14-match unbeaten run.

Which Real Madrid striker won the 2022 Ballon d'Or after hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea?

Karim Benzema scored his three against Paris Saint-Germain inside 17 minutes, and became the fifth French player to win the award.

Which South Korean forward shared the 2021–22 Premier League Golden Boot, the first Asian player to win it?

Son Heung-min scored 23 league goals for Tottenham that season and sealed his share of the award with two on the final day at Norwich City.

Which Real Madrid defender's 93rd-minute header forced extra time in the 2014 Champions League final?

Sergio Ramos made it 1–1 against Atlético Madrid, and Real went on to win 4–1 in extra time for their tenth European Cup, La Décima.

Which Italian centre-back captained the 2006 World Cup winners and won that year's Ballon d'Or?

Fabio Cannavaro was only the third defender ever to win the award, and he was also named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2006.

Which Italian forward spent his entire club career at Roma, taking the captain's armband aged 22?

Francesco Totti scored 307 goals for Roma, 250 of them in Serie A, and won one league title with the club.

Which 18-year-old England striker ran from the halfway line to score against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup?

Michael Owen had only made his England debut earlier that year, and the solo goal made him a star. Three years later he won the Ballon d'Or.

Which goalkeeper captained Manchester United to victory in the 1999 Champions League final?

Peter Schmeichel wore the armband because the regular captain was suspended, and the win completed the treble. He had won Euro 1992 with Denmark.

Which German became the first goalkeeper to win the World Cup Golden Ball, despite losing the 2002 final?

Oliver Kahn kept five clean sheets on the way to the final, where a rare mistake of his led to Brazil's opening goal.

Which Brazilian won the Golden Ball at the 1994 World Cup and was later elected to his country's Senate?

Romário won his Senate seat for Rio de Janeiro in 2014 with almost 4.7 million votes, four years after he was first elected to Congress as a federal deputy.

Which Brazilian was fined at the 2002 World Cup for clutching his face after a ball hit his thigh?

Rivaldo was waiting at the corner flag when a Turkish defender kicked the ball at him. FIFA fined him 11,670 Swiss francs after a video review.

Which Brazilian celebrated a goal at the 1994 World Cup by rocking an imaginary baby for his newborn son?

Bebeto's wife had given birth two days before the quarter-final against the Netherlands. The boy, Mattheus, grew up to be a professional footballer too.

Which Czechoslovak won the Euro 1976 final against West Germany with a softly chipped shoot-out penalty?

Antonín Panenka waited for the goalkeeper to dive, then gently lifted the ball into the middle of the net. The technique has carried his name ever since.

Which American scored from around the halfway line in the 2015 Women's World Cup final against Japan?

Carli Lloyd's long-range strike completed a hat-trick inside the first 16 minutes of a 5–2 win.

Which Chelsea goalkeeper wore a rugby-style headguard for the rest of his career after a 2006 skull fracture?

Petr Čech needed surgery after an opponent's knee struck his head, and returned three months later in the padded cap that became his trademark.

Which Dutch captain scored with a flying header in a 5–1 win over champions Spain at the 2014 World Cup?

Robin van Persie scored twice that day in Salvador, and the flying header was later nominated for FIFA's award for the most beautiful goal of the year.

Which Frenchman won back-to-back Premier League titles with Leicester City in 2016 and Chelsea in 2017?

N'Golo Kanté joined Chelsea for £32 million after Leicester's surprise title. Only three years earlier he had signed for Caen in France's second tier.

Which French striker scored 13 goals in six matches at the 1958 World Cup, four of them against West Germany?

Just Fontaine's total is the most anyone has scored at a single World Cup. A recurring leg injury forced him to retire at 28.

Which Italian forward, a World Cup winner in 1934 and 1938, gives his name to Milan's San Siro stadium?

Giuseppe Meazza played for both of the clubs that share the ground, Inter Milan and AC Milan, and captained Italy to the 1938 title.

Which Danish playmaker won five straight La Liga titles, four with Barcelona and then one with Real Madrid?

Michael Laudrup's move ended Barcelona's run of four straight titles, and he then helped Real Madrid beat his old club 5–0.

Which Ballon d'Or winner of 1980 and 1981 captained West Germany in two losing World Cup finals?

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge led the runners-up of 1982 and 1986, then spent almost two decades as chairman of Bayern Munich's executive board.

Which England forward joined Hamburg in 1977 and was twice named European Footballer of the Year there?

Kevin Keegan won the award in 1978 and 1979, helped Hamburg to the Bundesliga title and reached the 1980 European Cup final with them.

Which Czech midfielder led Juventus to the 2003 Champions League final but missed it through suspension?

Pavel Nedvěd picked up one booking too many in the semi-final against Real Madrid and sat out the final, yet still won that year's Ballon d'Or.

Which Nigerian captained the 1996 Olympic gold medallists and had surgery for a heart defect later that year?

Nwankwo Kanu scored two late goals to beat Brazil 4–3 in the semi-final. Inter Milan's president then paid for the operation that saved his career.

Which Romanian played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona before winning the UEFA Cup with Galatasaray?

Gheorghe Hagi won four Turkish league titles with Galatasaray, then founded his own club and academy, Viitorul Constanța, in 2009.

Which Japan captain won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot as her team lifted the 2011 Women's World Cup?

Homare Sawa scored five goals at the tournament and was then named FIFA Women's World Player of the Year for 2011.

Which free-kick-taking goalkeeper scored a hat-trick of penalties for Argentine club Vélez Sarsfield in 1999?

José Luis Chilavert of Paraguay was the first goalkeeper known to score three in one match, and he once scored with a free kick from behind the halfway line.

Which Barcelona forward shared the 1994 World Cup Golden Boot as Bulgaria reached the semi-finals?

Hristo Stoichkov scored six goals at the tournament in the United States and was awarded the Ballon d'Or later that year.

Which French defender scored both of France's goals in the 1998 World Cup semi-final, his only two international goals?

Lilian Thuram was at fault for Croatia's opening goal, then struck twice to win the match 2–1. He never scored for his country before or after.

Which Englishman played top-flight football past his 50th birthday and was knighted while still a player?

Stanley Matthews played his last top-flight match five days after turning 50, nine years after he won the very first Ballon d'Or.