2. 'Woody Woodpecker'
Was nicknamed 'Woody Woodpecker' by his
Mönchengladbach teammates, as they found
similarities in the head movement of the German and
the funny cartoon character.
3.
4.
5. 10. Marco Reus
• Marco Reus (born 31 May 1989) is a German
professional footballer who plays as an attacking
midfielder,winger or striker for
German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany
national team. Reus is known for his versatility, speed and
technique.
• There was widespread fear that Germany’s World Cup hopes
had been destroyed before the tournament began when Reus
was ruled out through injury. That fear was understandable
after the attacking midfielder scored 23 goals and produced 17
assists for Dortmund last season.
6. "El Cañón de Galés
(Spanish for "The Cannon of Wales")
7.
8.
9. 9.Gareth Bale
• Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh footballer who
plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Wales
national team.
• Did not have an easy time when he first moved to the Bernabeu
for a world record transfer fee. Yet he has since responded
superbly, and his searing pace and eye for the goal saw him
score in both the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals last
season.
10. "Magic Dwarf"
Although he is right-footed, he is able to play on both sides of the
pitch. He often cuts from the flank to the inside of the pitch to
either shoot or pass. He is renowned for his pace, dribbling and
precise tackling abilities as well as his small stature, giving
him the nickname the "Magic Dwarf".
11.
12.
13. 8. Philipp Lahm
• Philipp Lahm (born 11 November 1983) is a German
professional footballer who plays as a full back or defensive
midfielder for Bayern Munich and formerly for the German
national team.
• Philip Lahm has been the most complete full-back in the world
for a long enough time. But the 2014 FIFA world cup has seen
and confirmed hi as one of the best soccer players in the world.
His switch to dictating deep-lying midfielder was crucial to Pep
Guardiola installing his possession style. Guardiola’s anointing
of Lahm as “the most intelligent player” he’s ever coached is
high praise indeed. Again Joachim Low could afford to employ a
similar proactive style with Germany. And obviously, Lahm
achieved the crowning moment of his career by captaining
Germany to victory in the 2014 World Cup back in Brazil.
17. 7. Ángel Di María
• Ángel Fabián Di María Hernández (born 14 February 1988) is an
Argentine professional footballer who plays for English
club Manchester United and the Argentina national team. He
can play as either a winger or attacking midfielder.
• Probably it’s time to say, Angel di Maria has got a flying start to
his Manchester United career. Again he got the decent most
end to his Real Madrid career (man of the match in the
Champions League final). Even the world cup 2014 was a good
count for one of the best soccer players in Argentina this
generation. Though the genuine technical man was not good
enough for the Bernabeu’s marketing, he already looks like
being Old Trafford’s next great number seven player. Most
definitely he is one of the best midfielders of his generation,
who can provide plenty of goals and assists at tremendous good
rate.
21. 6. Neymar
• Neymar da Silva Santos Junior born (5 February 1992) known as
Neymar or Neymar Jr.is a professional footballer who plays for
spanish football club FC Barcelona and is the captain Brazil
national team.He plays as a forward or winger.
• At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Neymar scored four goals before
he suffered a fractured vertebra in his spine in the quarter-
finals and missed the rest of the tournament. He received
the Bronze Boot as the tournament's third top goalscorer, and
was named in the World Cup All Star XI.
22. "Ibracadabra"
The word is a combination of the magic spell Abracadabra
and Ibrahimovic .It obviously means that zlatan is
magical with the way he plays especially his skill on the
ball, the tricks and flicks which quite often come off
which is what makes them magical.
23.
24.
25. 5. Zlatan Ibrahimović
• Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish
professional footballer who plays as a striker for French
club Paris Saint-Germain and the Swedish national team for
which he is captain.
• The future world football fans are definitely going to ask about
this one amazing footballer. Their eyes wide with astonishment
will surely look for this one’s performance in YouTube or other
sources. Yes, social media will reflect Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s clip
reel of gob smacking goals. But the most surprising fact is –
age appears not to be withering him at all. Had the most prolific
season of his career last term, scoring an extraordinary 41
goals for PSG. Sadly his unique talent was absent from the
World Cup after the Swede lost a shootout with Ronaldo in a
memorable qualifying playoff.
29. 4. Arjen Robben
• Arjen Robben ( born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch
professional footballer who plays for
German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Netherlands
national team. He is a forward who usually plays as a left or
right sided winger.
• Fans thought, Robben’s individualistic style would see him cast
aside by Pep Guardiola. But, he has been an essential player
capable of providing the cutting edge to accompany Bayern
Munich’s endless possession sometimes. The number 4th best
soccer player in the world was exceptional and pivotal in
helping the Netherlands to a third place finish at the World Cup
2014, Brazil.
35. "When Manuel was at Schalke, I often
thought it was madness the way he
interpreted the goalkeeper's role.“
- Oliver Kahn
36. 3. Manuel Neuer
• Manuel Peter Neuer (born 27 March 1986) is a
German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bayern
Munich and the German national team.
• There may have been some who doubted Neuer’s place as the
world’s best goalkeeper before the World Cup. Not after. Not
only does he have the stature, poise and reflexes to control his
line and area, but he also has the footballing ability to almost
effectively give his sides an extra outfield player. He didn’t just
help Germany win the World Cup and Bayern the domestic
double, his daring antics as last line for club and country he
helped redefine the entire concept of modern goalkeeping in
soccer world.
• His crucial defensive interventions outside his own area and
skillful anticipation prompt his national team coach Joachim
Löw to describe him as the ‘perfect player’.
40. Admit it guys at least once in your life
you have attempted to copy
Ronaldo’s famous kicking
technique.
Ring a bell ?
(P.s I have attempted
countless times)
41. "Ronaldo can do whatever he wants as a
footballer. There are some things he does with
the ball that make me touch my head and
wonder how he did it."
- Luis Figo
42. 2. Cristiano Ronaldo
• Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born 5 February 1985),
known as Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese
professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid
C.F and the Portugal national team. He is a forward and serves
as captain for Portugal.
• Rightly ended Messi’s domination to win his second Ballon d’Or
earlier this year after consistently starring for club and
emphatically firing his country to the World Cup. Ronaldo has
scored a frankly ridiculous 61 goals in 59 appearances and
rather than declining. Surprisingly at the age of 29, he appears
to still be getting better.
47. "Don't write about him, don't try
to describe him. Just watch him."
- Pep Guardiola
48. 1. Lionel Messi
• Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi Cuccittini ( born 24 June 1987) is an
Argentine professional footballer who plays for Spanish club FC
Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He is a forward and
serves as captain for Argentina.
• At the conclusion of the World Cup final, Messi was awarded
the Golden Ball, as the tournament's best player, ahead
of Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben, and was named in
the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team. Messi created the most
chances, made the most successful dribbling runs, made the
most deliveries into the box, and produced the most through
balls of any other player throughout the World Cup.