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.
3. Winston Reid(28) helped New Zealand return to the FIFA World Cup™ at South Africa 2010, where he and his team-mates were eliminated at the group stage despite not losing a single match. The influential defender played in all three of the Kiwis’ matches, scoring a late equaliser against Slovakia. Reid turned professional with Danish outfit Midtjylland, prior to signing for West Ham, his current club.
4. Heidi Stoere(53) participated in the first two FIFA Women’s World Cup™ tournaments with Norway: at China 1991, where she reached the Final, and Sweden 1995, where she lifted the prestigious trophy. In addition, the Sarpsborg native made a total of 19 appearances at four UEFA Women’s Championships, scoring two goals as the Norwegians emerged victorious twice and lost in the final twice. Stoere competed at the inaugural Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Atlanta in 1996, where she earned a bronze medal.
5. Hernan Crespo(41) is regarded as one of Argentina’s greatest attackers of modern times, having taken part in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups, during which he scored a total of four goals in eight matches. In 1996, the wily forward contributed to his country’s silver medal-winning performance at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament, finding the net six times and finishing joint top scorer of the event. Over a decade later, he was part of the Albiceleste side that reached the final of the 2007 Copa America. At club level, he started out at River Plate, where he won two Argentinian League titles and topped the national scoring charts, before racking up a Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana and UEFA Cup with Parma. A move to Lazio saw Crespo add another Supercoppa Italiana to his CV. Following a subsequent spell at Inter Milan, the clinical striker put pen to paper with Chelsea, where he captured an English Premier League title and an FA Community Shield. The Blues then loaned him out to AC Milan, where he hoisted the Supercoppa Italiana again. Upon returning to Inter, the South American front man claimed three Serie A titles and two more Supercoppa Italianas, and brought his career to a close with less eventful stints at Genoa and Parma. After moving into coaching, he took charge of Parma’s youth team and Serie B outfit Modena.
6. Fininho(44) represented Brazil at four successive FIFA Futsal World Cups, holding aloft the illustrious piece of silverware in 1992 and 1996, and finishing second and third in 2000 and 2004 respectively. His impressive record at the competition reads 20 goals in 27 matches.
7. Jakob Poulsen(33) took part in South Africa 2010 with Denmark, where he made two appearances but could not prevent his side from exiting at the group stage. The midfielder also played in the same number of matches at UEFA EURO 2012. During his club career, Poulsen has pulled on the jerseys of Esbjerg, Heerenveen, Aarhus, Midtjylland and Monaco.
8. Renata Costa(30) appeared at three consecutive Women’s World Cups, in 2003, 2007, when she and her compatriots gained runners-up medals, and 2011. The powerful defender also took part in three FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cups (in 2002, 2004 and 2006), finishing third on one occasion, and in three Olympic Games (in 2004, 2008 and 2012), where she secured two silver medals.
9. Yordan Letchkov(49) was a member of the golden generation of Bulgarian footballers that surprised the world by finishing fourth at USA 1994, which equated to the best performance in the country’s history. The talented midfield man played in all seven of his team’s encounters at the tournament, scoring two goals, including one in Bulgaria’s historic quarter-final victory over Germany. He later showcased his skills at EURO 1996, in what was the first time the Lions had appeared at the continental championship in almost three decades. Letchkov defended the colours of Sliven, where he lifted the Bulgarian Cup, CSKA Sofia, where he won the Bulgarian League title, Hamburg, Marseille and Besiktas, with whom he brandished the Turkish Cup.