In the world of soccer, there are several powerhouse teams that dominate. In this article, I will discuss one of those franchises and its coach. I'm talking about Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. While he may not be well-known here in the
United States, this man is a legend in England and throughout most of Europe. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was born on December 31st in 1941 so he was a New Year's Eve baby. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland so as you can imaginesoccer had an influence in his early childhood. At the age of 16 he made his debut as a striker with Queen's Park but was unable to make this work and keep a steady job at the same time. The next year he would sign with Dunfermline and become a professional soccer player. Playing for Dunfermline in the Scottish League he made a quick impact on the sport. Many younger fans may not know that current Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson led the Scottish League in scoring during the 1965-1966 season. The young striker scored 45 goals in just 51 games which is pretty impressive to say the least. A career with Rangers was in the future and a record deal was reached in the transfer. Over the next several years there would be controversial issues where he was blamed for a losing goal and his wife being Catholic. In 1974 current Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson finished his playing career with Ayr United. While he may be known as the manager for Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson got his coaching start in 1974 with East Stirlingshire. Even though he was only there for a year he left his mark as a tough man that demanded results. The next year he would take over St. Mirren and over the next four years the team would go from a struggling program to a championship caliber team.

lance armstrong

Cyclist. Born September 18, 1971, in Plano, Texas. Raised by his mother Linda in the the suburbs of Dallas, Armstrong was athletic from an early age. He began running and swimming at 10 years old and took up competitive cycling and triathlons (which combine a 1,000 meter swim, 15-mile bike ride, and three-mile run) at 13. At 16, Armstrong became a professional triathlete — he was the national sprint-course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990.
Soon, Armstrong chose to focus on cycling, his strongest event as well as his favorite. During his senior year in high school, the U.S. Olympic development team invited him to train with them in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He left high school temporarily to do so, but later took private classes and received his high school diploma in 1989. The following summer, he qualified for the 1990 junior world team and placed 11th in the World Championship Road Race, with the best time of any American since 1976. That same year, he became the U.S. national amateur champion and beat out many professional cyclists to win two major races, the First Union Grand Prix and the Thrift Drug Classic.
In 1991, Armstrong competed in his first Tour DuPont, a long and difficult 12-stage race, covering 1,085 miles over 11 days. Though he finished in the middle of the pack, his performance announced a promising newcomer to the world of international cycling. He went on to win another stage race, the Settimana Bergamasca race, in Italy later that summer.
After finishing second in the U.S. Olympic time trials in 1992, Armstrong was favored to win the road race in Barcelona, Spain. With a surprisingly sluggish performance, however, he came in only 14th. Undeterred, Armstrong turned professional immediately after the Olympics, joining the Motorola cycling team for a respectable yearly salary. Though he came in dead last in his first professional event, the day-long San Sebastian Classic in Spain, he rebounded in two weeks and finished second in a World Cup race in Zurich, Switzerland.
Armstrong had a strong year in 1993, winning cycling's "Triple Crown" — the Thrift Drug Classic, the Kmart West Virginia Classic, and the CoreStates Race (the U.S. Professional Championship). That same year, he came in second at the Tour DuPont. He started off well in his first-ever Tour de France, a 21-stage race that is widely considered cycling's most prestigious event. Though he won the eighth stage of the race, he later fell to 62nd place and eventually pulled out.
In August 1993, the 21-year-old Armstrong won his most important race yet: the World Road Race Championship in Oslo, Norway, a one-day event covering 161 miles. As the leader of the Motorola team, he overcame difficult conditions — pouring rain made the roads slick and caused him to crash twice during the race — to become the youngest person and only the second American ever to win that contest.
The following year, he was again the runner-up at the Tour DuPont. Frustrated by his near miss, he trained with a vengeance for the next year's event, which he won, finishing two minutes ahead of his closest rival, Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia, who had defeated him in 1994. He repeated at the Tour DuPont in 1996, setting several event records, including largest margin of victory (three minutes, 15 seconds) and fastest average speed in a time trial (32.9 miles per hour).

tiger woods

Born: 30 December 1975
Birthplace: Cypress, California
Best Known As: The dominating pro golfer who has won 14 major tournaments
Tiger Woods is the winner of 14 of golf's major championships and is the sport's biggest superstar since Jack Nicklaus. Before he became a grown-up celeb, Woods was a kiddie phenomenon: his father Earl allegedly introduced Tiger to golf at age 9 months, and at age 2 the youngster made a now-famous appearance putting with Bob Hope on The Mike Douglas Show. Woods won three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles (1994-96), and in 1996 turned pro with a $40 million contract from Nike and a fame usually reserved for movie stars. Woods made good on the hype, winning 46 PGA tournaments in his first ten seasons on the tour. He won the 1997 Masters in his first attempt as a pro and later won the PGA Championship (1999), the British Open (2000) and the U.S. Open (2000) to become one of the few golfers to win all four major tournaments during their careers. In April of 2001 Woods won the Masters again, becoming the first golfer in the modern era to hold all four major tournament titles at once (2000 U.S Open, British Open and PGA Championship, and 2001 Masters). In 1999-2000 Woods won six consecutive tournaments, making him the first man to do so since Ben Hogan in 1948. Cementing his reputation as Nicklaus's heir, Woods won the British Open in 2005, the year of Nicklaus's final appearance at the competition. Although 2005 and 2006 were tough on Woods -- his father died 3 May 2006 -- he won the British Open again in 2006, and the PGA Championship in both 2006 and 2007.
Woods has won all the major tournaments at least twice: The Masters in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005, the PGA Championship in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007, the British Open in 2000, 2005 and 2006, and the U.S. Open in 2000, 2002 and 2008... Woods's father served in Vietnam and nicknamed his son "Tiger" after a South Vietnamese army officer... Woods wed Elin Nordegren on 5 October 2004 in Barbados; she's a Swede and the former nanny to golfer Jesper Parnevik... Woods and his wife have a daughter, Sam Alexis Woods (born on 18 June 2007), and a son, Charlie Axel (born on 8 February 2009). Woods told reporters that "Sam" was a nickname his father sometimes called him as child... By winning The Masters in both 2001 and 2002, Woods joined Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only men to win in consecutive years... Woods once toldOprah Winfrey that as a child he had decided he was "Cablinasian" -- a mixture of Caucasian, black, American Indian and Asian. His mother Kutilda is from Thailand, his father is an American of multiple ethnic backgrounds.

muhmmad ali

Born: 17 January 1942
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky
Best Known As: Heavyweight boxing champ called "The Greatest"
Name at birth: Cassius Marcellus Clay
Charismatic, outspoken and nicknamed "The Greatest," heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali was the dominant heavyweight fighter of the 1960s and 1970s. A fighter of exceptional speed, cunning and flair, Ali won the world heavyweight title on three separate occasions over a span of 15 years. He was born Cassius Clay, and under that name he won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. After claiming his first title by defeating Sonny Liston in 1964, Clay joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Citing his Islamic faith, Ali refused to serve in the U.S. military during the war in Vietnam; his title was revoked and he was sentenced to five years in prison for draft evasion. (The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the conviction in 1971.) He had a long-running rivalry with fellow heavyweight Joe Frazier, whom he fought three times: Ali lost the first match in 1971, but won rematches in 1974 and 1975. Ali also defeated George Foreman in the famous 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" held in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali retired from boxing in 1981, but in the decades since has remained one of the world's best-known athletes.
In retirement Ali has suffered from Parkinson's Disease, a motor-skills illness which has slowed his movement and left him mostly unable to speak in public... In 1996 he was selected to light the ceremonial flame at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, bringing him again into the public eye... Ali was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990... He won his three titles by defeating Sonny Liston (1964), George Foreman (1974) and Leon Spinks (1978)... Ali's managers sometimes refer to him as GOAT -- the Greatest Of All Time... Sprinter Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics, the same games at which Ali won his boxing gold.

mohmmad javed miandad khan

Mohammad Javed Miandad Khan (born June 12, 1957), popularly called Javed Miandad, was born in Karachi, Pakistan. He had a long career as an international cricketer for Pakistan between 1975 and 1996, and coached for Pakistan in the 2003-2004 season before stepping down to Bob Woolmer. He made his Test debut against New Zealand at Lahore on October 9, 1976 and one-day international debut against West Indies at Birmingham in Cricket World Cup 1975.
He was named as one of the cricketers of the year in 1982 by Wisden. He is known for both his onfield and off field skirmishes, going by the nickname “The Street Fighter,” because of his fighting talent on and off the ground. His finest moment came during the Australasia Cup of 1986, in Sharjah. To defeat India, Miandad had to hit a six, and nothing less, to defeat India in the final. He did just that, off Chetan Sharma, to lead his country to victory.
Miandad is the only cricketer to appear in four World Cup competitions; the first four.

Sachin Rames Tendulkar

DOB: 24th April, 1973Category: SportsCountry: IndiaProfile: view profilePraises: view praises on sachinSachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the most famous cricketer ever was born on April 24, 1973 in Mumbai. He had his schoolin at Sharadashram Vidyamandir School in Mumbai. He started playing cricket at a very young age. He played his first international match at the age of 16, which was a record at that time. Sachin's debut match was against Pakistan in a test match on 1989. His one-day international (ODI) debut was on December 18 against Pakistan. His maiden ODI century came on September 9, 1994 against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo, just six years after his debut. Starting there, he has so far scored a record 38 ODI centuries. Sachin now holds the record for having taken most one-day runs (13500+) and centuries (38). He belongs to the group of rare sportsmen and his records might never be broken. Sachin Tendulkar has also captained India for few years. Tedulkar had his love marriage with Anjali Mehta, a Gujarati doctor. They have two children Sarah (daughter) and Arjun (son). Family: Father - Ramesh Tendulkar, Mother - , Wife - Anjali Mehta, Daughter - Sarah, Son - Arjun, Brothers - Nitin & Ajit Tendulkar, Sister - Savita.

michael schumacher

Born: 3 January 1969
Birthplace: Hürth, Germany
Best Known As: Formula 1 racer with dozens of Grand Prix victories
Michael Schumacher was the undisputed king of Formula One auto racing throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. As a teenager, Schumacher raced karts, becoming the German and European Karting champion in 1987. By 1991 he was racing Formula 1 cars, winning his first Grand Prix a year later. Racing for Benetton, Schumacher won his first World Champion title in 1994. After four years with Benetton, he began driving for Ferrari, and in 2000 brought them their first world title in 21 years. His 2004 year is now legendary: he won 13 races in 18 tries, and claimed an unprecedented seventh overall championship. Schumacher remained a dominant force in the sport of Formula 1 racing through 2006, when he retired at the end of the season.
Shumacher married his wife, Corinna, in 1995. They have a daughter Gina Maria (b. February 1997) and a son Mick (b. March 1999)... His brother Ralf Schumacher is also a Formula One driver... Michael Schumacher's final race was the Brazilian Grand Prix on 22 October 2006.

diego maradona

Born: 30 October 1960
Birthplace: Villa Fiorito, Argentina
Best Known As: The hero of Argentina's 1986 World Cup win
Diego Maradona is the Babe Ruth of Argentinian soccer, a stocky, charming and hard-partying star who dominated his country's favorite sport. Maradona is best remembered for helping Argentina win the 1986 World Cup with two goals in a quarterfinal match against England; on the first he punched the ball in with his hand, a sneaky maneuver that went unseen by the referee. (Maradona wryly credited the goal to "a little bit of Maradona's head, a little bit of the hand of God.") Maradona was a goal-scoring midfielder for Argentina in four World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994) and played professionally for more than two decades. Among his many pro clubs were FC Barcelona (1982-84) and SSC Napoli (1984-91). His career included plenty of controversy: he was suspended for 15 months in 1991 after testing postiive for cocaine, suspended again in 1994 after failing another drug test, and ran up an unpaid income tax bill in Italy that eventually exceeded 30 million Euros. Photos of Maradona looking bloated and decidedly unathletic were commonplace in the 1990s, and he survived a heart attack in 2004, but he never quite lost the public's affection. In 2005 he began hosting his own television show in Argentina titled La Noche del Diez, or "The Night of the Number Ten."
Villa Fiorito, Maradona's hometown, is a slum on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Some sources list his birthplace as Lanus, but the biography on his official site names Villa Fiorito... Maradona had his stomach stapled in a weight-loss operation in 2005... Lionel Messi, an Argetine soccer star of the 21st century, has often been compared with the young Maradona.

michael jordan

Considered basketball's greatest-ever player
Nicknames: His Airness, Air Jordan
Cut from his Wilmington NC basketball team as a sophomore; eventually made the team and led it to state championship
Won Sporting News' College Player of the Year (1983, 1984) and 1984'sNaismith and Wooden awards
League leader in scoring, with 10 titles (1986-1993, 1996-1998)
On 2 Olympic Gold-Medal teams (1984, 1992)
In 1994 retired to play minor-league baseball
Bulls retired his #23 jersey when he left the game
Returned to basketball in 1995 and in 1996 became one of two (along with Willis Reed) to win MVP for regular season, All-Star Game and Finals, all in one year
Hosted Saturday Night Live (1991) and starred in Space Jam opposite Bugs Bunny and friends
Finished his career with 32,292 points, third place in scoring, and a career average 30.12 ppg, the best in NBA history
Always wore his University of N. Carolina shorts under his Bulls uniform for good luck
Worked with United Negro College Fund, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Special Olympics and America's Promise
Selected to NBA's 50 All-Time Best Players (1996)
1988: playing against Utah Jazz, 6' 6" (198 cm) Jordan dunked over 6' 1" (185.4 cm), 175 lb. (80 k) John Stockton. A heckler razzed, "Why don't you dunk on somebody your own size?" In his next play, Jordan dunked again, this time on 6' 11" (210 cm), 285-lb. (129 k) center Melvin Turpin. He turned to the fan and asked, "Was he big enough?"

michael phelps

Born in maryland on June 30, 1985, Michael Phelps started swimming when he was seven years old. At the age of 15, he placed fifth in the 200-meter butterfly at the 2000 Olympics, where he was the youngest male to compete in the games since 1932. At the 2001 Spring Nationals in the United States, Phelps became the youngest man ever to break a world record in swimming, at the age of 15 years and 9 months. Phelps also became the first swimmer in history to break five individual world records at one meet, at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona. At the age of 18, in 2003, Phelps won the Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. He has been World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008; and has been American Swimmer of the Year for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Phelps won eight gold medals, breaking the record of seven golds in one Olympics set by Mark Spitz in 1972. He holds a total of 16 Olympic medals of which two are bronze and the rest gold.

ronaldinho

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil) is a footballer more commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho due to his being from the Rio Grande do Sul state of Brazil.
n 2001 Ronaldinho left Grêmio to play European football. Despite bids from much larger clubs, he opted to play for PSG. During his time at PSG, the manager, Luis Fernandez, claimed that Ronaldinho was too focussed on the Parisian nightlife rather than on his football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil would always drag on and never end at the scheduled times.After the World Cup, having shown his worth on the international scene, there was no shortage on the interest from bigger clubs, and in 2003, Ronaldinho made it known he wanted to leave PSG after they failed to qualify for any European competitions. That set off a bidding war among the top clubs for his services.Barcelona yearsRonaldinho with DecoOn July 19, FC Barcelona snapped him up for £18 million. Originally, Barcelona chairman Joan Laporta had promised to bring David Beckham to the club, but following his transfer to Real Madrid, Barcelona entered the running for Ronaldinho and beat Manchester United to his signature. It was thought that a failure on the part of the English and French clubs to agree a fee was the reason for Manchester United's deal falling through. Ronaldinho is said to have signed with Barcelona instead of Manchester United because of his friendship with former Nike executive in Brazil and Barcelona's then vice-president in charge of sports, Sandro Rosell. Ronaldinho's signing for Barcelona meant he followed in the footsteps of a number of illustrious fellow countrymen who had enjoyed successful careers with the club, including Evaristo, Romario, Ronaldoand Rivaldo.Ronaldinho justified the purchase, returning from injury in the first half of the campaign to lead Barcelona to a second-place finish in La Liga during the 2003/04 season. Together with Samuel Eto'o, Deco, Lionel Messi, Ludovic Giuly and Henrik Larsson, he comprises part of an awesome strike force which reaped the 2004/05 La Liga title for FC Barcelona. On December 20, 2004, Ronaldinho was named FIFA World Player of the Year ahead of Arsenal's Thierry Henry and AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko, with Barcelona having rejected a £60 million bid for him by Chelsea, according to Sandro Rosell.In June 2005, Rosell resigned from the Barcelona administration following a bust-up with Joan Laporta, and it was feared that it would spell the eventual exit of Ronaldinho as well. His contract running to 2008, Ronaldinho was offered a contract until 2014, netting him £85 million, which he rejected until he on September 1, 2005 signed a two-year extension of his original contract until 2010, with a minimum fee release clause, allowing him to leave should a club make an offer to Barcelona of £85 million for him.On November 19, 2005, he scored two amazing solo goals to help FC Barcelona to a 3–0 win over arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. After he scored his second goal of the night, his team's third, a large part of the Madrid faithful gave him a standing ovation, a rare feat which had not occurred since Diego Maradona was playing for Barcelona.In 2005 Ronaldinho was named as both the European Footballer of the Year and the best striker in the UEFA Champions League tournament of 2004/05. Ronaldinho is the third Brazilian to win the European Footballer of the Year Award. On December 19, 2005, he was again named FIFA World Player of the Year with 956 points, more than three times the 306 points of Chelsea's Frank Lampard, who finished second in the poll, and the 190 points of Barça teammate Samuel Eto'o, third. He was chosen for the UEFA team of 2005 for the third time running in January 2006. He received more votes than any other player in that team. Over 1.5 million people participated in that vote.On March 7 2006, in the 2nd leg of the Champions League first knockout round at Nou Camp, Ronaldinho avenged Barcelona's defeat to Chelsea in the same competition the previous year, gliding past the Chelsea defence to score. Although the game ended 1-1, Barcelona progressed to the Champions League Quarter Final. And in the semifinal first leg at AC Milan on 18 April 2006, Ronaldinho once again proved his expertise with a superb pass for the goal scored by Ludovic Giuly, which brought Barcelona a 1-0 victory. The second leg game ended in a goaless draw despite a 70th minute scare from Andriy Shevchenko's disallowed goal. That result pushed Barcelona to an exciting-looking final with Thierry Henry's Arsenal F.C. Gunners, who had not conceded a goal in ten Champions League matches.On May 3rd 2006, Barcelona were crowned 2005/2006 La Liga champions after they beat Celta Vigo 1-0.
On May 17th 2006 Barcelona has won the Champions League defeating Arsenal for 2-1.

gianluigi buffon

Gianluigi Buffon (born January 28, 1978 in Carrara) is an Italian footballplayer. He is a goalkeeper for Juventus and the Italian national team, and is generally regarded as one of the finest keepers in the world.
Buffon started his career with Parma in 1995. In 2003, he won the Most Valuable Player and Best Goalkeeper awards at the UEFA European Football Awards. Buffon currently the current world record fee paid for a goalkeeper after his July 2001 move from Parma to Juventus for 36 million pounds. He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March2004.


After backing up Gianluca Pagliuca at the {{Wc1998}} and missing {{Ec22000}} with an injury, Buffon started for Italy at the {{Wc2002}} and {{Ec22004}}. He was a member of the Italian Olympic Team at the 1996 Olympic Games.


In 2004/2005 Buffon helped Juventus to their third Serie A title in four seasons. His stunning saves in the crucial match against AC Milan weeks earlier virtually won the title for the Old Lady.

Paolo Maldini (born June 26, 1968 in Milan) is an Italian football player. Maldini is adefender and predominantly plays the position of left back, although he sometimes plays at centre back. Throughout his long career, he has remained with A.C.Milan. One of the great defenders of all time, he was arguably the best defenderof his time at the peak of his career, and remains well known for influential captaincy, ice-cool temperament and flawless defending. He is still playing at the very high level, which is confirmed by inclusion to FIFPro World XI in 2005, nomination to the UEFA Champions League 2004-2005 most valuable defendertitle, and second place in GoldMaldini is Italy's most capped player. However, he never managed to win a trophy at the international level despite playing in the 1994 World Cup final and the 2000 European Championship Final. He retired from the national team after2002 World Cup finishing his successful career with 126 caps and 7 goals. Maldini also played in the 1990 and 1998 World Cups, Euro 88, and Euro 96.en Foot nomination in 2005.Maldini recently broke Dino Zoff's Serie A appearance record, making his 571st appearance against Treviso F.B.C.. He also recently played his 800th game in all competitions for Milan.

david beckham

Signed with LA Galaxy in 2007
Captain of England's team in the 2006 World Cup games
At age 12, won a Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills award, including a trip to Nou Camp stadium, Barcelona
Among his many tattoos, are the names of his sons, his wife Victoria's name in Hindi, a guardian angel, cherubs and Michelangelo's image of heaven, with rays coming from a sun and clouds floating behind
Married to former Spice Girl Victoria Adams
He and his wife are students of Kabbalah; both have tattoos with the phrase from Song of Songs, "I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me..."
Won 1997's PFA Young Player of the Year
Wears a new pair of football boots every game he plays at an estimated cost of £300 ($565) a pair
An experiment at Manchester United showed that he ran an average 8.8 miles per game – more than any other player on the team
After playing with Manchester United from 1994-2003, signed three-year £25 million ($47 million) contract with Real Madrid (2003)
His goal for Manchester United over the head of the Wimbledon goalkeeper from the halfway line was selected Premier League Goal of the Decade in 2003

Born: 22 September 1976
Birthplace: Bento Ribeiro, Brazil
Best Known As: FIFA Player of the Year 1996-97
Name at birth: Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima
A brilliant and fluid forward, Ronaldo became one of international soccer's great stars of the 1990s and Brazil's biggest soccer hero since Pele. At age 17 he was a member of Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning squad, though he did not play. The same year he joined the Dutch professional team PSV Eindhoven. His professional contract was purchased by Barcelona in 1996; the next year he moved again to Italy's F.C. Internazionale Milano, remaining until 2002 when he transferred to Real Madrid. He was named FIFA's World Footballer of the Year in 1996 and 1997, becoming both the youngest player to win the award and the only player to win the award in consecutive years. He also starred in the 1998 World Cup, scoring four goals in leading Brazil to the Cup finals, but he was criticized for their 3-0 loss to France in the championship game. Slowed by injuries in the 21st century, Ronaldo nonetheless made a triumphant return by leading Brazil to the World Cup championship in 2002. He won the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer (with eight goals) and scored both goals in Brazil's 2-0 final game win over Germany. Despite accusations that he had become overweight and less than energetic, Ronaldo scored three goals in the 2006 World Cup, giving him a total of 15 in World Cup play -- a new record. He transferred from Real Madrid to A.C. Milan in January of 2007; he was injured in early 2008 and his contract was not renewed later that year.
Ronaldo wears jersey number 9... He should not be confused with Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer star. It's a Brazilian soccer tradition for stars to be known by their first name alone... Ronaldo was named for Dr. Ronaldo Valente, who attended his birth... Ronaldo's 1994 World Cup jersey read "Ronaldinho" to distinguish him from an older teammate with the same name; by the 2002 World Cup he had become the undisputed Ronaldo and was joined by a younger teammate who was called, in turn, Ronaldinho... World Cup 2006 was won by Italy; Brazil crashed out in the quarterfinals... Ronaldo became engaged to model Daniella Cicarelli in July of 2004, but they later broke off the engagement. Ronaldo previously was married to Brazilian soccer player Milene Domingues from 1999-2003, with whom he has a son, Ronald (b. 2000).

Full name is Edson Arantes Do Nascimento; childhood nickname was "Dico."
Began playing soccer in a Brazilian minor league team, aged 16
Scored 2 goals in championship World Cup game, helping Brazil beat Sweden (1958); he was 17, the youngest to play in World Cup finals.
Brazil declared him a national treasure to keep him from being transferred to a team out of the country
Scored Brazil's 100th World Cup goal with his head (1970)
Ranks #1 in career goals: 1,280 in 1,360 games
Holds world record for hat tricks (92) and number of goals scored in international play (97)
Dubbed soccer "the beautiful game"
Played two seasons with New York Cosmos
His final game was an exhibition match between NY Cosmos and his former Brazilian team Santos; he played first half with the NY team, second half with the Brazilian team (1977).
Composed entire soundtrack for the film, Pelé
Inducted into National Soccer Hall of Fame (1993)
Named IOC Athlete of the Century (1999)
From 1956-1974, scored 1,220 goals – like hitting an average of 70 home runs a season for 15 years
Scored an average of one goal per international game – like hitting a home run in every World Series game for 15 years
In 1967, both sides in Nigerian civil war declared a 48-hour ceasefire, so Pelé could play an exhibition match in Lagos

football

Nicknamed "Zizou"
Born in Marseilles, France, of Algerian parents
Scored his first goal professionally in 1991; the president of the Cannes football club gifted him with a car.
In his first international game (playing for France against the Czech Republic) in 1994, he scored two goals in 17 minutes
Won Golden Ball — European MVP award for leading France to victory in 1998 World Cup
FIFA Player of the Year in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006
Became football's most expensive player in 2001, when Real Madrid acquired him for £46 million (roughly $66 million)
Christian Dior's first male model
After being sidelined several times with injuries, he announced he would retire after 2006 World Cup games in Germany
Captained the French team in World Cup 2006 games; they lost to Italy
Headbutted opponent Marco Materazzi after a brief altercation in the 100th minute of the World Cup Final game. Zidane was red-carded, banished from the field.
Still won 2006 FIFA Golden Ball
Is featured as a LEGO minifigure, included in some of the soccer playsets

Born: 3 June 1986
Birthplace: Manacor, Mallorca, Spain
Best Known As: The winner of four straight French Opens (2005-08)
Name at birth: Rafael Nadal-Parera
Rafael Nadal was 19 years and two days old when he won the 2005 French Open in his very first appearance at the event. A left-hander with a booming forehand, Nadal had been known as a clay-court specialist since playing his first pro tournaments in 2001. His aggressive style, flowing hair and muscular build have made him a consistent favorite with female fans as well. He won his first singles title in 2004, and had a breakout season in 2005, winning at Monte Carlo, Rome, Barcelona and Stuttgart as well as at Roland Garros. He won the French Open again in 2006, 2007 and 2008, defeating Roger Federer in the final each time. In 2008 he broke through at Wimbledon, beating Federer to win the men's singles title there. No longer just a master of clay, he beat Federer at the hard-court Australian Open in 2009, confirming his #1 ranking in the world.
Though his full name is Rafael Nadal-Parera, he is generally known simply as Rafael Nadal... According to the ATP Tour site, his name is pronounced "ra-FAY-el nay-DAHL." The ATP also says he is nicknamed "Rafa"... Nadal beat Mariano Puerta in the 2005 French Open finals; he beat Federer in the semifinals that year... Mallorca is one of the Balearic Islands, which stand in the Mediterranean Ocean off the coast of Spain.

tennis

Federer, Roger, 1981–, Swiss tennis player, b. Basel. He was an outstanding junior player, ranking number one in 1998, the year he turned pro. Federer won his first Association of Tennis Professionals tournament in 2001 at Milan, and scored his first major victory in 2003 at Wimbledon. Ranked number one in Feb., 2004, he won three of the four Grand Slam titles (Australian and U.S. opens and Wimbledon), 11 singles titles, and 74 of his 80 matches that year. He has since won Wimbledon (2005–7) and the U.S. (2005–8) and Australian (2006–7) opens several times, and by Aug., 2008, when he slipped out of first, had been ranked number one for 237 consecutive weeks, a record. Playing with a combination of intelligence, strength, and finesse, he has a powerful forehand, a mighty single-handed backhand, and an explosive serve.

tennis

Born: 12 August 1971
Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Best Known As: "Pistol Pete," the 14-time Grand Slam winner
One of the all-time great tennis players, Pete Sampras spent 286 consecutive weeks in the 1990s as the no. 1 ranked player in the world. Nicknamed "Pistol Pete" because of his fast and true serve, Sampras turned professional in 1988. In 1990, when he was 19 years old, he beat Andre Agassi to become the youngest man ever to win the U.S. Open, and for six consecutive years, from 1993 through 1998, he ended the season as the top-ranked player in the world. During his career he won a total of 64 singles titles, with 14 Grand Slam titles. Sampras won Wimbledon seven times, the U.S. Open five times and the Australian Open twice; he never won the French Open. Sampras dominated men's tennis in the last half of the 1990s, and had a long rivalry with Agassi (who he beat in 2002 for his final U.S. Open title), but his low-key demeanor and sportsmanlike behavior kept him from becoming a major celebrity beyond the court. He retired in 2003. His 14 Grand Slam singles titles were a record until July of 2009, when Roger Federer won at Wimbledon to collect his 15th Grand Slam title.
Sampras's older sister, Stella Sampras Webster, became the head coach of women's tennis at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997.

Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969) is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as the greatest leg spin bowler in the history of the game.[1] While his career statistics suggest that, despite his aggregate performances, phenomenal popularity and notoriety, he was perhaps less effective and destructive than the interbellum Australian leg-spinners Bill O'Reilly and Clarrie Grimmett, his durability and impact on the modern game assure his place alongside them in cricket's pantheon. Indeed, in 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet.
Warne played his first Test match in 1992, and his 708 wickets was the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test cricket, until it was broken by Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan on 3 December 2007. He took over 1000 international wickets (in Tests and One-Day Internationals)—he was the second bowler to reach this milestone after Muttiah Muralitharan.[2] A useful lower-order batsman, Warne also scored over 3000 Test runs, and he holds the record for most Test runs without a century. His career was plagued by scandals off the field; these included a ban from cricket for testing positive for a prohibited substance, and charges of bringing the game into disrepute through accepting money from bookmakers and marital infidelities.
As well as Australia, he also played Australian domestic cricket for his home state of Victoria, and English domestic cricket for Hampshire. He was captain of Hampshire for three seasons, from 2005 to 2007.
He retired from international cricket in January 2007, at the end of Australia's 5-0 Ashes series victory over England. Three other players integral to the Australian team of recent years, Glenn McGrath, Damien Martyn and Justin Langer, also retired from Tests at the same time which led some, prompting the Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, to declare it the "end of an era".[3]
Following his retirement from international cricket, Warne played a full season at Hampshire in 2007. He had been scheduled to appear in the 2008 English cricket season, but in late March 2008 he announced his retirement from playing first-class cricket in order to be able to spend more time pursuing interests outside of cricket.[4] In March 2008, Warne signed to play in the Indian Premier League for the Jaipur team, Rajasthan Royals in the first edition of the tournament, where he played the roles of both captain and coach. He led his team to victory against the Chennai Super Kings in a cliffhanger of a final match on 1 June 2008.

Muttiah Muralitharan (born 17 April 1972 in Kandy, Sri Lanka), often referred to as Murali, is a Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002. Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in both Test cricket and in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He took the wicket of Gautham Gambhir on 5 February 2009 in Colombo, to surpass Wasim Akram's ODI record of 502 wickets. Muralitharan became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when overtook the previous record-holder Shane Warne on 3 December 2007 in longer version of the game. Muralitharan had previously held the record when he surpassed Courtney Walsh's 519 wickets in 2004. But he suffered a shoulder injury later that year and was then overtaken by Warne. Averaging over six wickets per Test, Muralitharan is one of the most successful bowlers in the game and the greatest player for Sri Lanka. He plays domestic cricket for the Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club, and county cricket for Lancashire as an overseas player. Muralitharan's career has been beset with controversy; his bowling action called into question on a number of occasions by umpires and sections of the cricket community. After biomechanical analysis in non-match conditions, Muralitharan's action was cleared by the International Cricket Council, first in 1996 and again in 1999. The legality of his doosra was first called into question in 2004. This delivery was found to exceed the ICC elbow extension limit by nine degrees, five degrees being the limit for spinners at that time. Based on official studies into bowling actions, the International Cricket Council revised the elbow flexion limits applying to all bowlers in 2005. Muralitharan's doosra falls within the revised limits. In Februaury 2009, after becoming cricket�s highest wicket-taker in both forms of the game Muttiah Muralitharan hinted that he may retire at the conclusion of the 2011 World Cup. He stated \"I think I am fit in my body and mind, I am enjoying my cricket and want to play more. But after the next World Cup, I will have nothing left to achieve in the game. The World Cup should mark the end of my career

Wasim akram born June 3, 1966 in Lahore, Punjab) Wasim made his Test debut for Pakistani cricket team against New Zealand in early 1985 and in only his second Test he made his presence felt with a ten-wicket haul. Like a few other Pakistani cricketers of his time, he was identified at club level and bypassed first-class domestic competition, entering international cricket directly.
In his Test career, Wasim took 414 wickets in 104 matches, a Pakistani record, at an average of 23.62, and scored 2,898 runs, at an average of 22.64.[12]
In One Day Internationals, Wasim took 502 wickets in 356 appearances, at an average of 23.52, and scored 3,717 runs, at an average of 16.52.[2]
Wasim was the first bowler in international cricket to take more than 400 wickets in both forms of the game, and only Muttiah Muralitharan has since achieved this.[12][2]
Wasim also held the record for the most wickets in Cricket World Cups — a total of 55 in 38 matches. Australia's Glenn McGrath broke the record during the 2007 World Cup, ending with a final tally of 71 from 39 matches.[13] On passing Wasim's record, McGrath said, "Wasim Akram, to me, is one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Left-armer, swung it both ways with the new ball and he was so dangerous with the old ball. To go past him is something I will always remember. Probably the other side of the coin is that if you play long enough, you're going to break records here and there."[14]
Uniquely, Wasim took four hat-tricks in international cricket, two each in Tests and ODIs. He is one of only three bowlers to have taken two Test hat-tricks (the others being Hugh Trumble and Jimmy Matthews), and also one of only three bowlers to have taken two ODI hat-tricks (the others being fellow Pakistani Saqlain Mushtaq and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka)Wasim has also achieved the highest score by a number eight batsman in Test cricket — 257 not out from 363 balls against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura. The innings contained 12 sixes which is also a world record for Test cricket.[19][20]

He dazzled the world with his amazing talent, he gave cricket another name, heis and always will be remembered by cricket fans worldwide. Imran khan, anunbelievably talented all rounder is the Legend of cricket and has reached thetop like no one else.
This cricketer was born no differently than any other person. He was born inLahore, Pakistan into a family of six. He entered the world on November 25,1952, the only boy and seventh member of his family. His parents gave him thename Imran Khan Niazi and truly loved him since he is the only boy in theirfamily.
Imran was part of a well-educated family. His parents believed that theirchildren should get the best of education, and become something. Imran's parentshave believed this and followed through with it, and that is why Imran's sistersare so successful today. His older sister Robina is an alumnus of the LSE andhas a senior position in the United Nations in New York; his other sister Aleemahas a master's degree in business administration and runs a successful business;Uzma is a highly qualified surgeon is working in a Lahore hospital; while hisother sister Rani is a University graduate who coordinates charity work. When itwas time for Imran to go attend a college, he went to the prestigious publicschool in Lahore, the Aitchison College. There he was by far the best player onhis team, being a very fine batsmen. He was still though quite far from becomingthe best in the world. As Imran grew older, his interests went from being abatsmen to being a fast bowler. When sixteen, Imran made his debut for Lahore. Imran's cousins Javed Burki, andMajid Khan were a great part of cricket therefore when he made his test debutpeople thought that he made it because his family was on the Pakistan's CricketTeam. (Nepotism) Later, Imran had to put cricket to the side and focus more on his studies.Undoubtedly he was back again at the age of eighteen. He played admirably whichresulted in him moving to England as he was chosen to play for a private schoolthere. As the year 1971 approached, he made his test debut while visiting England.During this tour, he was fined many times by the management because he waslooked upon by his peers as being a very snobby and wild player. Also on thistour, Imran did not play as well. Because of his "not so good" bowling, Pakistanwas costed to settle for a draw. This was the only test match on the tour. When Imran was twenty-one, he was admitted in the Oxford University. For threeyears he studied economics and politics. In 1974 Pakistan toured England andtherefore he was selected because of his form for Oxford University and hisexperience with speaking English. He had not succeeded to make a big markbecause all three of his tests were drawn. In 1976 Imran returned to Pakistan after being away for four years. During the1976-77 season, Imran got a place in the Pakistan cricket team. He had impressedthe team with his fantastic bowling. Later he moved to play with Sussex. Thebiggest reason for Imran to do this was because of his love affairs with thenightlife of London. He was quite angry at Worcester (a team he played forbefore he played for Sussex), because of the racism he found there. During thetime he had been playing for other teams, Imran had become quite a big star.Everyone was able to see that this guy had talent and played very well. At thispoint, not only was he playing well, but had basically become a superstar. Imran continued to play for Sussex, because he enjoyed it there. At this pointhe had become the "father" of the reverse swing. His most famous partner wasSarfaraz Nawaz, in which the partners could make a lot of runs. Soon after, under the orders of the top official, Imran came back to Pakistanto play test cricket for the series against India. During this match, Imran hittwo sixes and a four with only seven balls remaining. Because of Imran's hugesuccess, one could easily say that Imran was one of the most adored cricketerthrough the land at this point. During the early 80's Imran was not only at his cricketing peak, but had quitea few relations with women. He had a relationship with Susannah Costantine,ex-model Marie Helving, and artist Emma Sargeant. Some of his relations endedsimply because of difference in culture and because of the busy and travellinglife of Imran. He brought some of his relationships back home to Pakistan inwhich he was frowned upon because he was an individual of Muslim faith. When Imran was thirty, he became the captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Helead them to a victory against England in their second test match. During the years of his captaincy, Imran had broken his shin. Even though thiswas so, Imran continued to bowl, whether there was pain or not. Because of hisinjury, Imran was able to put bowling to the side and concentrate more on hisbatting. Imran improved his batting greatly which led him to his first centuryin a one day match. In 1987, Imran decided to retire from cricket. Javed Miandad took his place.Because Pakistan's best captain was gone; the team was in somewhat of crisis.President Zia put a lot of pressure on Imran, therefore he was back as a captainin 1988. In 1992, the world cup final was Imran's exit from cricket. He led Pakistan to agreat victory over India. Pakistan had won the World Cup. It was time for Imranto retire, which brought a lot of grief to Pakistan. He ended his career with anoutstanding score of 3807 runs and 362 wickets in only test matches. During hiscareer, Imran had turned the Pakistan cricket stars into the stars they aretoday. The day that Imran retired was a very big day. So big that the Presidentof that time, Zia personally tried to stop him from retiring. Imran said that hewanted to retire at the highest point of his popularity so that people would beable to remember him forever.4 He wanted his name to be in all hearts and berecognized for all his accomplishments. Imran had officially ended his career asa cricketer and is truly remembered by all.
When Imran won the world cup, he had raised twenty five million dollars tobuild a cancer hospital in memory of his mother. About ten years ago whenImran's mother had cancer; Imran was desperately looking for some place to takeher, but none of the hospital's in Pakistan had the right facilities to treather. When Imran took her to an outside country, it was too late; she had losther battle against cancer. Eversnice then, Imran has wanted to build a cancerhospital. Today he has a wonderful hospital standing in Lahore, Pakistan. It isnamed after his mother Shawkat Khanam. Imran does not charge anything topatients who cannot afford the treatment.
In 1995, Imran decided to settle down and marry. He married Jemima Goldsmith whois the daughter of a millionaire. She was Jewish and converted to Islam bychoice just before the two got married. Their wedding took place in Paris. Whenthey came back to London, they threw a party which was more for the public. On November 18th 1996, Imran and Jemima were the proud parent's of a baby boy.The named him Suleiman Isa. On April 10th, 1999 Jemima gave birth to yet anotherbaby boy. They have named him Kassim. Today, Imran has entered the world of politics and has set up his own party. Hecontinues to fundraise for his hospital. He does this by taking tours withpopular stars. Some stars donate their money to Imran's hospital. Jemima designsclothes and sells them overseas. The profit goes to the Shawkat Khanam MemorialHospital. Also the restaurant in London, Salt and Pepper gives its profits tothe hospital.

brian lara

2 May 1969, Cantaro, Santa Cruz, Trinidad, West Indies
Birth NameBrian Charles Lara
Trivia
Broke the test world record of 365 against England in Antigua 1994.
Reclaimed the world record that Matthew Hayden broke by scoring 400 not out against England in Antigua 2004
First ever person to score 400 in a test match.
Scored a record 501 not out in English County cricket a record which still stands today.
Former captain of the West Indies.
Scored his 30th test match century against Pakistan at Kingston 2005.
In November 2005 he become test cricket's leading run scorer of all time, when passing the 11,174 total of former Australian captain Allan Border. Lara scored 226 in that innings verses the Australians.
Gave up as captain of the West Indies in March 2005.