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.
4. Marc Degryse(51)represented Belgium at two FIFA World Cup™ tournaments in a row, at Italy 1990, where he played in four matches up to and including Les Diables Rouges’ Round-of-16 defeat by England, and scored one goal against Korea Republic, and at USA 1994, where he made three appearances and notched a winner versus Morocco in the group stage. After starting out at Club Brugge, where he won a Belgian League title, a Belgian Cup and two Belgian Super Cups, the free-scoring forward moved to Anderlecht, where he added four more league crowns, a Belgian Cup, two Belgian Super Cups, and the 1991 Belgian Footballer of the Year award to his CV, and reached the final of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, a match the Brussels side lost to Sampdoria. Degryse then had spells at Sheffield Wednesday, PSV Eindhoven, with whom he bagged an Eredivisie title and two Dutch Super Cups, Gent, and Germinal Beerschot.
5. Joseba Etxeberria(39) took part in all of Spain’s encounters at the 1998 World Cup in France, but could not prevent his team from exiting at the group stage. The incisive winger also starred at the UEFA European Championships of 2000 and 2004. He rose to prominence at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Qatar 1995, at the culmination of which he was awarded the adidas Golden Boot for scoring seven times in six matches. At club level, Etxeberria began his career with Real Sociedad, prior to signing for Athletic Bilbao, where he remained for 15 seasons until his retirement in 2010.
6. Igor Stimac(49) helped Croatia claim third place at France 1998, where he made seven appearances. The imposing centre-back had previously showcased his defensive skills at EURO 1996, the Croatians’ first-ever appearance at the continental tournament. He made his name at the 1987 U-20 World Cup in Chile, a trophy he lifted in the colours of Yugoslavia. During three separate spells with Hajduk Split, the Croatian defender amassed two national championships and six national cups. He also pulled on the jerseys of Dinamo Vinkovci, Cadiz, Derby County and West Ham United. As a coach, Stimac took the reins of Hajduk Split, steering them to a Croatian League title, Cibalia, NK Zagreb, the Croatian national team, Zadar and Sepahan (Iran).
7. Briana Scurry(45) was the last line of defence for United States at four consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup™ contests, finishing third in 1995, 2003 and 2007, and lifting the prestigious trophy in 1999. In addition, the athletic goalkeeper emerged victorious from two Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments, at Atlanta 1996 and Athens 2004. Scurry was also included in the US squad for Sydney 2000, where she earned a silver medal but remained on the bench throughout the competition.
8. Carlos Bacca(30) competed for Colombia at Brazil 2014 and at the 2015 and 2016 Copa America tournaments. In this year’s continental affair, the powerful attacker scored two goals, including a winner against USA that enabled Los Cafeteros to finish third. Following a successful initial stint with Barranquilla-based Atletico Junior, where he secured two Colombian League titles, he packed his bags for Europe, where he turned out for Club Brugge and then Sevilla, with whom he captured two successive UEFA Europa League titles. In July 2015, he put pen to paper with AC Milan.
9. Luka Modric(31) has gradually developed into one of the most creative midfielders in Europe, a status he has used to inspire Croatia at the 2006 and 2014 World Cups, as well as at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 European Championships. After coming through the ranks at Dinamo Zagreb, where he landed three Croatian League titles, two Croatian Cups and a Croatian Super Cup, the Zadar native joined Tottenham Hotspur and then Real Madrid, where he clinched a Spanish Cup, a Spanish Super Cup, two UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup. Modric has been named Croatian Footballer of the Year on four occasions.
10. Luc Millecamps(65) participated in Spain 1982 and EURO 1980 with Belgium, losing to West Germany in the final of the latter tournament. The defender played for just one club during his career, KSV Waregem, with whom he won a second division championship and Belgian Cup, and reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, where he and his team-mates lost to Cologne.