Before Cristiano Ronaldo there was Luis Figo. One of the standout talents to emerge from Portugal, Figo was a player of flair, grace and leadership.
He is regarded as one of the best wingers of his generation, a career laden with success and today he celebrates his 43rd birthday. During his time with Sporting Lisbon he tasted Portuguese Cup success but a move to Barcelona would be his making.
He won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997 and followed it up with successive La Liga titles. He was revered in Barcelona until his bitter world-record move to rivals Real Madrid in 2000, betraying Barca fans.
He won the Ballon d’Or award before two more La Liga titles followed with Champions League triumph. He finished his career at Inter winning four Serie A titles. He won a record 127 caps for Portugal and most recently ran for the FIFA presidency.
1947: Rod Marsh, a colourful former Australian wicketkeeper, nicknamed ‘Iron Gloves’ after a poor Test debut (68).
1968: Carlos Baerga, a former second baseman who spent most of his career with the Cleveland Indians (47).
1976: Mario Melchiot, a retired Dutch defender who played for Chelsea and Ajax among others (39).
1981: Guy Martin, an English motorcycle racer who is known for competing in the Isle of Man TT (34).
