Happy Birthday to you! - WORLD FOOTBALL
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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.
17. Charles Aranguiz (27) represented Chile at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, where he made four appearances and scored one goal as La Roja reached the knockout stages. One year later, the tireless midfielder was instrumental in his team’s memorable Copa America triumph, playing in every match and notching two goals. After rising to prominence at Colo Colo, where he claimed a Chilean League title, Aranguiz embarked on spells with Argentinian outfit Quilmes and with Universidad de Chile, where he landed three league championships, a national cup and a Copa Sudamericana. The 2012 Chilean Footballer of the Year subsequently won two Rio Grande do Sul State Championships with Internacional, prior to signing for Bayer Leverkusen in August 2015.
18. Martina Muller (36) triumphed at two FIFA Women’s World Cup™ tournaments with Germany, in 2003 and 2007, and took part in the 2011 edition without gaining any playing time. The prolific striker also competed at the 2000 and 2004 Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments, earning a bronze medal at the latter event, and enjoyed success at the 2001 and 2009 UEFA European Women's Championships. At club level, Muller has pulled on the jerseys of FSV Frankfurt, SC 07 Bad Neuenahr and Wolfsburg, with whom she has captured two Frauen-Bundesliga crowns, two German Cups and two UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
19. Rivaldo (44) is a living legend of Brazilian football, having participated in France 1998, where he reached the Final, and Korea/Japan 2002, where he lifted the illustrious trophy. All in all, the creative midfielder played in 14 World Cup matches, scoring eight times. In addition, he helped Brazil to prevail at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 1999 Copa America, and to secure a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The Pernambuco native made his name at Palmeiras, where he clinched a Brazilian League title and two Sao Paolo State Championships. A stint at Deportivo La Coruna was followed by a successful five-year stay at Barcelona, where he added two La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Ballon d’Or to his CV. In 2002, the dead-ball specialist moved to AC Milan, where he amassed an Italian Cup, a UEFA Champions League crown and a UEFA Super Cup. He then won a Campeonato Mineiro with Cruzeiro, prior to packing his bags for Greece, where he starred for Olympiacos, picking up three Greek League titles and two Greek Cups, and AEK Athens. Three seasons with Uzbek side Bunyodkor saw the skilful Brazilian bag three national championships and two national cups. Rivaldo finished top scorer in three competitions during his career: the Copa America, the Champions League and the Uzbek League.
20. Joaquin del Olmo (47) donned the colours of Mexico at the 1994 World Cup, the 1995 Copa America and the 1995 Confederations Cup, where he and his team-mates finished third, and at two CONCACAF Gold Cups, from which El Tri emerged victorious on both occasions. Save for one season at Vitesse Arnhem, the defensive midfielder spent his entire career in Mexican football, most notably with Pumas, where he scooped two league titles. Del Olmo also turned out for Tampico, Veracruz, Club America, Necaxa and Tigres. Once his playing days came to an end, the former international moved into coaching.
21. Tobias Linderoth (37) appeared for Sweden at Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006, where he was a key member of the sides that were eliminated in the Round of 16 both times, and at EURO 2004, where the Swedes reached the quarter-final. The indefatigable midfield man began his career in his homeland with Elfsborg and Stabaek, before trying his luck abroad with Everton and FC Copenhagen, where he won two Danish Championships. Linderoth later enjoyed a productive swansong with Galatasaray, netting a Turkish Super Lig title and a Turkish Super Cup.
22. Adrian Ilie (42) took part in France 1998, where he scored the winning goal for Romania against Colombia in the group stage, and in the European Championships of 1996 and 2000. The vibrant winger inspired Steaua Bucharest to three Romanian League titles and a Romanian Cup, and then claimed a Turkish League winner’s medal with Galatasaray and a Liga title and Copa del Rey with Valencia, with whom he also reached two successive Champions League finals. The one-time Romanian Footballer of the Year later performed for Alaves, Besiktas and FC Zurich.
23. Lee Youngpyo (39) competed for Korea Republic at three World Cups: in 2002, where he reached the semi-finals, in 2006 and in 2010. The pacey left-back also participated in the 2000 Olympic Football Tournament, in the 2001 Confederations Cup, in three Gold Cups, and in three AFC Asian Cups, finishing third in 2000 and 2011. After turning professional with Anyang Cheetahs (now FC Seoul), where he won a K League title and a Korean Super Cup, he packed his bags for Europe, where he showcased his skills at PSV Eindhoven, Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund, lifting numerous national trophies with those three prestigious clubs. Youngpyo subsequently landed two Saudi League titles and two Crown Prince Cups with Saudi Arabian heavyweights Al Hilal. In 2012, he committed himself to Vancouver Whitecaps, where he saw out the remainder of his career.