Happy Birthday: Romario, Cook, Gasol

Sport360 staff 12:44 29/01/2017
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  • Before he became a politician, the Brazilian was a prolific footballer who is considered one of the greatest forwards to ever step foot on a pitch.

    Romario was a hero for his country on the international level, leading Brazil to glory in the 1994 World Cup, in which he received the FIFA Golden Ball as player of the tournament.

    That same year, he was also named the FIFA World Player of the Year for his achievements.

    His 55 goals in 70 appearances for Brazil place him as the nation’s third-highest goalscorer, behind only fellow legends Pele and Ronaldo.

    Romario’s success was significant at club level too, with Romario winning three Eredivisie titles in his five seasons with PSV Eindhoven, with whom he scored 165 goals in 167 matches. After retiring, Romario went into politics in 2010.

    Other sport stars born on this day

    1984: Natalie du Toit, South African swimmer. The third amputee ever to qualify for the Olympics Games (33).

    1985: Marc Gasol, Spanish NBA player who is a three-time All-Star and 2013 Defensive Player of the Year (32).

    1987: Jose Abreu, Cuban first baseman for the MLB’s Chicago White Sox and 2014 AL Rookie of the Year (30).

    1993: Connor Cook, American QB for Oakland Raiders, first NFL player to make his first start in the playoffs (24).

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