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.
24. Luis Suarez (29) helped Liverpool sustain an exciting English Premier League challenge in the 2013/14 campaign, but he could not prevent the Reds’ run from petering out towards the end of the season, despite finishing top of the English and European scoring charts and earning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award. The explosive striker spent four seasons at Anfield, where he lifted the English League Cup, before signing for Barcelona, where he has lifted the Spanish La Liga title, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. At the 2015 Club World Cup in Japan, he won the adidas Golden Ball and finished as the competition's top scorer. He originally rose to prominence in his homeland with Nacional, where he clinched the Uruguayan Championship and attracted the interest of Dutch outfit Groningen, who secured his signature in 2006. The clinical forward then moved to Ajax, where he claimed the Dutch Eredivisie title, Dutch Cup, Dutch Footballer of the Year award and an Eredivisie Golden Boot. Suarez has also shone on the international scene, propelling Uruguay to the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and starring in their Brazil 2014 campaign.
25. Xavi (36) is now approaching the end of a career that will go down as one of the game's greatest. After coming through the ranks at Barcelona, the highly efficient midfielder established his place in the Catalan side’s starting XI and went on to become a club legend, bagging eight La Liga titles, three Spanish Cups, six Spanish Super Cups, four UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups over a 17-year period. In 2015, he bid farewell to Camp Nou, deciding to see out the remainder of his playing days with Qatari side Al-Sadd. The influential Spaniard appeared at four FIFA World Cups with Spain, emerging victorious at South Africa 2010. He also played at the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup, not to mention capturing the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championship titles.
26. Pia Wunderlich (41) competed at three FIFA Women’s World Cups with Germany. In 1995, Wunderlich was part of the German side that finished second, but she lifted the trophy in 2003. The midfielder also participated in the 1996 and 2004 Women’s Olympic Football Tournaments, winning a bronze medal at the latter competition, and landed four consecutive UEFA European Women's Championships. At club level, Wunderlich has enjoyed great success with FFC Frankfurt, clinching six Frauen-Bundesliga titles, seven German Cups, three German Indoor Soccer Cups and three UEFA Women’s Champions League titles.
27. Ruben Amorim (31) took part in the last two FIFA World Cups with Portugal, having previously appeared at the UEFA European U-21 Championship. The versatile midfielder turned professional at Belenenses, before sealing three Portuguese League titles, a Portuguese Cup, five Portuguese League Cups and the Portuguese Super Cup with Benfica. A loan spell with Braga followed, where he again claimed the Portuguese League Cup. At the start of this season, Amorim signed for Qatari club Al-Wakrah.
28. Aya Miyama (31) represented Japan at the last four FIFA Women’s World Cups, prevailing at Germany 2011 and reaching the Final of Canada 2015, where she was awarded the adidas Bronze Ball. The dynamic midfielder also played at the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012, winning a silver medal at the latter edition, as well as competing at three AFC Women’s Asian Cups, triumphing in 2014 and finishing third in 2008 and 2010. That same year, the three-time AFC Women’s Player of the Year obtained a gold medal at the Asian Games. She started out at NTV Beleza and Okayama Yunogo, prior to showcasing her skills at American outfits Los Angeles Sol, Saint Louis Athletica, and Atlanta Beat. She then returned to current side Okayama Yunogo in September 2010. Miyama recently finished third in the voting for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award, which was won by Carli Lloyd of USA.
29. Kim Dongjin (34) defended the colours of Korea Republic at Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010, as well as at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, where he and his team-mates finished third. The solid left-back also competed at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. He began his career at FC Seoul, where he scooped a Korean League title, Korean Cup and Korean League Cup, but rose to wider prominence at Zenit St. Petersburg, with whom he picked up the Russian Championship, Russian Super Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. The Korean defender later turned out for Ulsan Hyundai (Korea Republic), Hangzhou Greentown (China) and Muangthong United (Thailand).
30. Lucas Biglia (30) made seven appearances for Argentina at Brazil 2014, including La Albiceleste’s defeat by Germany in the Final. The following year, the defensive midfielder was part of the team that lost in the Copa America final against Chile. In the early stages of his career, he lifted the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and claimed third place at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Cup. After starting off at Argentinos Juniors and Independiente, Biglia departed for Anderlecht, where he gained four Belgian League titles, a Belgian Cup and four Belgian Super Cups. In 2013, he put pen to paper with Lazio; he was later appointed captain of the Rome-based club.