Happy Birthday to you!
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.
22. Sergio Romero (28) was Argentina’s last line of defence at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, where La Albiceleste reached the final for the first time since 1990. He played in all seven of his team’s matches, conceding just four goals and emerging as the hero of the semi-final shoot-out victory over the Netherlands. The athletic goalkeeper also starred for his country at South Africa 2010 and at the 2011 Copa America, as well as at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2008 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament, both of which were won by Argentina. A product of Racing Club’s youth academy, Romero represented the senior side for one season before joining Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar, where he captured the Eredivisie title and Johan Cruyff Shield. In 2011, he signed for Sampdoria and has since – following a twelve-month loan at Monaco – established himself as the Genoa side’s No1.
23. Joe-Max Moore (44) took part in three World Cups with the United States, in 1994, 1998 and 2002. In 1999, the diminutive forward helped the Stars and Stripes to finish third at the FIFA Confederations Cup, having previously appeared at the Olympic Football Tournament at Barcelona 1992. Moore pulled on the jerseys of Saarbrucken, Nuremberg, Everton, Emelec and New England Revolution during his club career.
24. Denis Law (75) is a living legend of Scottish football, having played at the 1974 World Cup and having earned the European Footballer of the Year award in 1964. The prolific goal machine started out at Huddersfield Town, before moving on to Manchester City and Torino. In the summer of 1962, the Aberdeen native returned to English football, beginning a productive 11-year spell with Manchester United during which he would claim two Charity Shields, an FA Cup, two English League titles and a European Cup, finishing top scorer of the last-named competition.
25. Jenny Bindon (42) played for New Zealand at the 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ tournaments, as well as at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. The USA-born keeper turned out for Three Kings United, Glenfield Rovers and Bay Olympic during her domestic career.
26. Griedge Mbock Bathy (20) was a key member of the French side that lifted the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2012, at the culmination of which she was awarded the adidas Golden Ball. The solid defender subsequently helped her team-mates to secure a third-place finish at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where this time she finished second in the voting for the Golden Ball. Mbock Bathy has turned out for Guingamp since 2010.
27. Kakha Kaladze (37) was a tremendous ambassador for Georgian football throughout his playing days. After turning professional with Dinamo Tbilisi, with whom he bagged five Georgian League titles and four Georgian Cups, the five-time Georgian Footballer of the Year moved to Dynamo Kiev, where he added three Ukrainian League crowns and three Ukrainian Cups to his CV. In 2001, the talented defender was transferred to AC Milan, where he collected more silverware in the shape of a Serie A title, an Italian Cup, an Italian Super Cup, two UEFA Champions League trophies, two UEFA Super Cups and the FIFA Club World Cup.
28. Christian Poulsen (35) participated in Korea/Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010 with Denmark, as well as in the UEFA EURO in 2004 and 2012. The defensive midfielder rose to prominence with Copenhagen, where he gained a Danish League winners’ medal, prior to putting pen to paper with Schalke, where he hoisted the German League Cup. A successful two-year stint at Sevilla, during which he held aloft the Copa del Rey, Super Copa de Espana, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup, was followed by spells at Juventus, Liverpool, Evian and Ajax, where he landed two Eredivisie titles and a Johan Cruyff Shield. In September 2014, Poulsen returned to Copenhagen.