In our regular Sunday feature, FIFA.com presents you with some of the biggest names in football who will be celebrating their birthdays over the coming week.
21. Gerard Janvion(63) helped France to finish fourth at the 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain™, where he played in six matches. The Martinique-born defender had previously competed at Argentina 1978. After making his name at Saint-Etienne, with whom he racked up four French League titles and three French Cups, and lost the 1976 European Cup final to Bayern Munich, Janvion starred for Paris Saint-Germain and Beziers.
22. Saviour Godwin(20) played a key role in Nigeria’s 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup triumph in the United Arab Emirates, making six appearances. The diminutive striker also represented his country at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, where he played four times and scored two goals against Korea DPR. In the wake of that tournament, Godwin was signed up by Belgian outfit Oostende.
23. Alberto Acosta(50) lifted the inaugural FIFA Confederations Cup with Argentina in 1992, playing in two matches and scoring against Côte d'Ivoire. The prolific attacker later took part in two Copa America tournaments, making three appearances at the 1995 event. He started out at Union Santa Fe, prior to joining San Lorenzo, where he held aloft the Copa Sudamericana. The clinical South American subsequently pulled on the jerseys of Toulouse, Boca Juniors, Universidad Catolica, where he won a Chilean League title, a Copa Chile and a Chilean Footballer of the Year award, Yokohama Marinos and Sporting Lisbon, with whom he claimed a Primeira Liga crown and Portuguese Super Cup. During his career, Acosta topped the scoring charts in Chile, Argentina, and in the Copa Libertadores.
24. Jose Bosingwa(34) donned the colours of Portugal at the 2004 Men’s Olympic Tournament and UEFA EURO 2008, having previously finished third at the 2004 UEFA European U-21 Championship. The energetic right-back came through the ranks at Boavista, but rose to wider prominence at Porto, where he secured four Portuguese League titles, a Portuguese Cup, three Portuguese Super Cups and a UEFA Champions League crown. A move to Chelsea saw the defender add a Premier League title, three FA Cups, an FA Community Shield and another Champions League title to his CV. Bosingwa then spent a season with Queens Park Rangers, before putting pen to paper with Trabzonspor in 2013.
25. Ricardo Rodriguez(24) has established himself as one of Switzerland’s key players, playing four times for La Nati at Brazil 2014 and at EURO 2016. In 2012, the tireless left-back participated in the Olympic Games in London. As a younger man, Rodriguez was part of the Swiss side that triumphed at the 2009 U-17 World Cup in Nigeria, scoring three goals in six matches. Rodriguez began his club career at FC Zurich, where his displays earned him a transfer to Wolfsburg, with whom he brandished both the German Cup and German Super Cup in 2015.
26. Cristian Mora(37) was Ecuador’s last line of defence at the 2002 World Cup, where he and his team-mates reached the knockout stages, and at the 2007 Copa America. The commanding goalkeeper spent the majority of his career in his homeland, turning out for a number of high-profile clubs, including LDU Quito, with whom he landed two Ecuadorian League titles.
27. Paulo Silas(51) played for Brazil at Mexico 1986 and Italy 1990, and emerged victorious from the 1989 Copa America and the 1985 U-20 World Cup, where he was awarded the adidas Golden Ball. The midfielder appeared for several clubs in South America, including Sao Paolo, where he scooped a Brazilian League title and two Sao Paulo State Championships, Internacional, where he bagged a Brazilian Cup and a Rio Grande do Sul State Championship, Atletico Paranaense, with whom he won the Campeonato Paranaense, and San Lorenzo, where he clinched an Argentinian League crown. The Campinas native also starred for Cesena and Sampdoria in Italy, Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, and Kyoto Purple Sanga in Japan. After moving into coaching, Silas steered Gremio to a Rio Grande do Sul State Championship, Al-Arabi to a Sheikh Jassem Cup, and Al-Gharafa to an Emir of Qatar Cup. He also took up the reins of Flamengo, America Mineiro, Portuguesa, Ceara and Avai, among other clubs.