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.
22. Cha Bumkun (63) represented Korea Republic at the FIFA World Cup Mexico 1986™ and the 1972 AFC Asian Cup, where he and his team-mates reached the final. In addition, the impressive forward was part of the side that shared the honours at the Asian Games in 1978. After starting out at Darmstadt, he moved to Eintracht Frankfurt, with whom he lifted the German Cup and the UEFA Cup, and then Bayer Leverkusen, where he captured the UEFA Cup for a second time. Post-retirement, the astute Asian took charge of Korea Republic at the 1998 World Cup in France, and of Ulsan, Shenzhen Ping’an and Suwon Bluewings, steering the last-named club to two K League titles, a Korean Cup, two Korean League Cups and a Korean Super Cup.
23. Ricardinho (40) took part in Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006 with Brazil, lifting the trophy at the former tournament. In 2003, the deep-lying playmaker participated in the FIFA Confederations Cup. He experienced a nomadic club career, but enjoyed his greatest moments with Corinthians, amassing two Brazilian League titles, a Brazilian Cup, two Sao Paolo State Championships and the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup with O Timão. He also starred for Santos, where he won a league title, and for Parana, where he emerged victorious from the Campeonato Paranaense on three occasions. Outside Brazil, meanwhile, he wore the colours of Bordeaux, Middlesbrough, Al-Rayyan and Besiktas, where he held aloft the Turkish Cup.
24. DaMarcus Beasley (34) competed for USA at the last four World Cups, playing in a total of 11 matches, including a quarter-final clash with Germany at Korea/Japan 2002. The attack-minded American also took part in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he was awarded the adidas Silver Ball, the 2001 FIFA U-20 World Cup, two Confederations Cups (reaching the final in 2009), and six CONCACAF Gold Cups, lifting the continental trophy four times and losing in the final once. At club level, he rose to prominence at Chicago Fire, where he claimed an MLS Supporters Shield and two US Open Cups, and attracted the interest of PSV Eindhoven. Beasley enjoyed great success in the Netherlands, adding two Eredivisie titles and a Dutch Cup to his CV, prior to embarking on a season-long loan with Manchester City. The winger-turned-defender later pulled on the jerseys of Rangers, with whom he secured two Scottish League crowns, a Scottish Cup and a Scottish League Cup, Hannover, Puebla and Houston Dynamo.
25. Luc Nilis (49) appeared for Belgium at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, scoring once in six matches, and at UEFA EURO 2000. The clinical striker began his career at Winterslag, but made his name at Anderlecht, where he bagged four Belgian League titles and three Belgian Cups. A move to PSV Eindhoven followed, as did further silverware in the shape of two Dutch League crowns, a Dutch Cup, a Dutch Super Cup and the 1995 Dutch Footballer of the Year award. The two-time Eredivisie leading goalscorer also played briefly for Aston Villa. Nilis subsequently worked as an assistant coach for PSV Eindhoven, and then for Turkish outfits Kasimpasa and Genclerbirligi.
26. Luca Toni (39) will likely have a bitter-sweet feeling as he celebrates his birthday this year, having decided to hang up his boots at the end of the current season. On the international stage, the robust front man lifted the 2006 World Cup with Italy, making six appearances and scoring two goals against Ukraine, and played at EURO 2008 and the 2009 Confederations Cup. He turned professional at Modena, and then turned out for a number of Italian teams including Vicenza, Brescia and Palermo, with whom he picked up a Serie B winners’ medal and topped the second-tier scoring charts. After joining Fiorentina, the Emilia-Romagna native finished top scorer in Serie A and earned a high-profile transfer to Bayern Munich, where he would clinch a Bundesliga title, a German Cup and a German League Cup. He later starred for Roma, Genoa, Juventus, Emirati outfit Al Nasr and Fiorentina (again), before seeing out the remainder of his career with Hellas Verona, where he once again emerged as leading scorer in Serie A during season 2014/15.
27. Jiri Stajner (40) helped the Czech Republic to qualify for Germany 2006, where he made three group-stage appearances but could not prevent his country from suffering an early exit. The attacking midfielder showcased his skills for a number of Czech clubs, including Slavia Prague, and for German side Hannover, his current employers.
28. Ji Dongwon (25) finished third at the 2012 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament and at the 2011 Asian Cup with Korea Republic, scoring four goals in six matches at the latter competition. At Brazil 2014, the pacey winger took part in two group-phase encounters. After making his name with Jeonnam Dragons, he packed his bags for Sunderland, who loaned him out to Augsburg. The South Korean signed a permanent deal with the German club in December 2014.