Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi born 24 June 1987 in Rosario is an Argentine Footaller of Italian descent who plays for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona and the Argentine national team. Messi is considered to be one of the best football players of his generation, having received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to football legend Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".

Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by FC Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boy's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004-05 season, he broke the La Liga record for the youngest footballer to play a league game, and also the youngest to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and UEFA Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in 2006–07: he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Grasico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Perhaps his most successful season was the 2008-09 season, in which Messi scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble winning campaign.

Messi was the top scorer with six goals, including two in the final game of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Champonship. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006 he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa America tournament the following year. In Beijing in 2008 he won his first senior international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.

Kaka

Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká, is a Brazilian football midfielder who plays for Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. He is widely considered as one of the best footballers of his generation, often drawing comparisons in style and ability to other great footballers as Michel Platini, Socrates, Zico, and Pele. His footballing style is unique as he has the technique of a Brazilian and the physical qualities of a European. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of 8 when he began playing for a local club called "Alphaville". By then he also played Tennis, and it was not until he moved on to Sao PaoloFC, and signed his first professional contract at the age of fifteen that it came by that he had chosen football. He was the recipient of both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the year awards in 2007. Besides his contributions on the pitch Kaká is also famous for his humanitarian works, and work against poverty. In 2004, By the time of his appointment he became the youngest Ambassador of UNICEF food program. Having coming back from an almost paralyzing accident in 2001 at the age of eighteen, Kaká attributes his recovery to God.
Kaká began his career with grassroots club Sao Paulo at the age of eight. He signed a contract at 15 and led the São Paulo youth squad to Copa de Juvenil glory. Kaká made his senior side debut in January 2001 and scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, in addition to leading São Paulo to its first and only Toreneio Rio-Sao Paulo championship where he scored two goals in two minutes in his first team debut as a substitute against Botafogo in the final which Sao Paolo won with 2–1. He scored 10 goals in 22 matches the following season, and by this time his performance was soon attracting attention from European clubs. Kaká made a total of 58 appearances for São Paulo, scoring 23 times.
The steady European interest in Kaká culminated in his signing with Italian club Milan in 2003 for a fee of €8.5 million, described in retrospect as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi. Within a month, he cracked the starting lineup, and his Serie A debut was in a 2–0 win over Ancona. He scored 10 goals in 30 appearances that season, as Milan won the Scuddeto and the Uefa Super Cup. Kaká also finished his first season with an average mark of 7.69 per game, ahead of Golden ball winner , Pavel Nedved, with 7.30. In comparison to other great playmakers of world football recorded considerably lower ratings during their debut seasons, such as Diego Maradona (6.93), Falcao (6.79), Zico (6.74) and Michel Platini (6.48).
On 3 June 2009, Football Italia reported that newly-elected Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had offered Milan a ₤68.5 million deal for Kaká, two days after the player had left for international duty with Brazil. Milan vice president Adriano Galliani did not deny the reports, and confirmed that he and Kaká's father, Bosco Leite, had traveled to Mexico to meet with La Volpe. "We had lunch and spoke about Kaká. I don't deny it. Negotiations exist, but a deal has yet to be done." On 4 June, Galliani told Gazzeta dello Sport that financial reasons were his motive for the talks with La Volpe. "We cannot allow [AC Milan] to lose €70m [...] The reasons behind Kaká's departure would be economic." On 8 June, A.C. Milan and Real Madrid confirmed Kaká has moved to the Bernabeu on a six-year deal.

Hristo Stoichkov

Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov alternatively spelt Stoitchkov (born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a football manager and former striker who was a member of the Bulgaria national team that finished fourth at the 1994 Fifa World Cup. Apart from his footballing talent, he was notable for his on-pitch temper. He was honoured as European Footballer of the Year in 1994. He was named by Pele as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballer at a FIFA Awards Ceremony in 2004.

Stoichkov played as a left winger who was known for his explosive acceleration and speed dribbling, and for taking unpredictable shots on goal. He was also notable at taking free kicks and penalties as well as being among the best crossers in the world at his prime. He gained much popularity because of his aggressive temper on the pitch. He could often be seen arguing with the referee, or with his opponents. In 2006, he was sued by a former American Univercity college student whose leg he broke in a violent tackle during a scrimmage against D.C. United in 2003. The case was settled out of court in 2007 for undisclosed financial terms. The student's coach called Stoichkov's challenge "criminal". Ray Hudson, who coached DC United for whom Stoichkov played at the time, called it a "rash tackle". Following an investigation by MLS, Stoichkov was suspended two games and fined $2,000.

Club

• Cska Sofiq
  
  • Bulgarian League: 1987, 1989, 1990
  • Bulgarian Cup: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989
  • Bulgarian Supercup: 1989
• FC Barcelona
  • Spanish League: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998
  • Spanish Super Cup: 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996
  • European Cup (now called: Uefa Champions League): 1992
  • European Super Cup: 1992, 1997
  • Copa del Rey: 1997
  • Uefa Cup Winners Cup: 1997
• All-Nassr
  • Assian Cup Winners Cup: 1998
• Chicago Fire
  • U.S. Open Cup: 2000

Individual

• Bulgarian League Top Scorer: 1989, 1990
• European Golden Boot: 1989
• UEFA Cup Winners Cup Top Scorrer: 1989
• European Footballer of the Year: 1994
  
• FIFA World Cup 1994 Golden Shoe - Top scorer
• Golden Foot "All Time" legends award: 2007
• FIFA 100
  

In November 2003, to celebrate UEFA's Jubilee, he was selected as the Golden Player of Bulgaria by the Bulgarian Football Union as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.

Dimitar Berbatov

Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov born 30 January 1981 in Blagoevgrad is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United in the Premier League and the Bulgarian national team. He has won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year award five times, equalling the number of wins by Hristo Stoichkov.

Berbatov's father, Ivan, was a professional footballer with local outfit Pirin Blagoevgrad, and his mother, Margarita, was a professional handball player. As a youngster, Berbatov supported Milan and modelled himself on Marco van Basten until Euro '96 in England, when the then fifteen year old discovered a new role model in Alan Shearer, formerly of Newcastle United, even sleeping in a Newcastle shirt. His mother later spoke of Dimitar's dream of playing for Newcastle one day. Berbatov learned the English language by watching the "Godfather" films. Outside of football, he lists his hobbies as drawing and basketball.Berbatov is a sponsor of children's charities in his native Bulgaria, supporting five care homes. He also has plans to open a football academy in his hometown.

Berbatov's career began at the Pirin Blagoevgrad club, and continued until he was spotted by legendary scout and coach Dimitar Penev.
A run of nine goals in 11 games in 2000–01 was enough to persuade Bayer Leverkusen to sign Berbatov in January 2001. Berbatov had a slow start to his Leverkusen career with just 16 goals in his first 67 appearances for the club. He did however play a crucial role in the Champions League during his first season with the club scoring a memorable solo effort against Lyon with an excellent piece of skill, as well as a goal against Liverpool in the quarter finals. He also played a part in the final against Real Madrid coming on as a substitute for Thomas Brdaric after 38 minutes.
Speculation surrounded a potential move in 2004 for the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year, but it was May 2006, when Berbatov finally joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of €16m, making him the most expensive Bulgarian player in history. After being granted a work permit, the transfer was completed, and Berbatov joined Tottenham on 1 July 2006. He scored two goals in two minutes in his first match, as a Tottenham player against Birmingham City in a pre-season friendly match.
After much speculation, Berbatov completed a move to Manchester United on 1 September 2008 for a fee of around £30.75 million, with Fraizer Campbell joining Tottenham on a season-long loan as part of the deal. This came despite Tottenham accepting a bid for Berbatov from Manchester City on the same day. Berbatov's contract to United is for four years, and he wears the number 9 shirt previously worn by Louis Saha. Berbatov later insisted he never even considered a move to Manchester City.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro,born 5 February 1985 is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and serves as captain of the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo currently holds the distinction of being the most expensive player in football history after having transferred to Real Madrid in a deal worth £80 million ($132m). His contract with Real Madrid is also expected to make him the highest-paid player in the world.

Ronaldo began his career as a youth player at CD Nacional and his successes with the team led to a move to Sporting Clube de Portugal two seasons afterwards. Ronaldo's precocious talent caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and he signed the 18-year-old for £12.24 million in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup, and reached the UEFA Euro 2004 final with Portugal, in which tournament he scored his first international goal.

In 2008, Ronaldo won his first UEFA Champions League title, and was named player of the tournament. He was named the FIFPro World Player of the Year and the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to becoming Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or winner in 40 years.

Three-time Ballon d'Or winner Johan Cruyff said in an interview on 2 April 2008, "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."