The hard player: Mathieu Valbuena
Born on 28 September 1984 in Bruges, a suburb of Bordeaux, Mathieu Valbuena – nicknamed ‘Petit Vélo’ (Little Bike) – began his career at FC Libourne before settling in at Marseille. Between 2006 and 2014, he made over 300 official appearances for the club, won the French league title in 2010, and lifted the Coupe de la Ligue three times: in 2010, 2011 and 2012. As Ligue 1’s top assist provider in 2013, his impact on Marseille’s game went far beyond his goal tally.
After leaving Marseille, he moved to Lyon (76 appearances, 12 goals), then Fenerbahçe (71 appearances, 12 goals), before heading to Olympiakós in 2019. There he clinched three consecutive Greek league titles in 2020, 2021 and 2022, also finishing as the Greek league’s top assist maker in 2020. With the French national team, he earned 52 caps and scored 8 goals, featuring at the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup.
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PlayThe medium player: Robert Pires
Born on 29 October 1973 in Reims, Robert Pirès started his career in Reims before joining FC Metz in 1992, spending six seasons there and winning the Coupe de la Ligue in 1996. That same year, he picked up the UNFP Trophy for best young player in Ligue 1. After the 1998 World Cup, he became the key creative force at Olympique de Marseille, reaching the UEFA Cup final in 1999.
It was at Arsenal that he truly hit his peak: two English league titles in 2002 and 2004, two domestic cups in 2003 and 2005, the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 2002, and a Champions League final appearance in 2006. He then moved to Villarreal, racking up 129 appearances and 18 goals before finishing his career in 2016. With France, he won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and the Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003, but missed the 2002 World Cup through injury and was left out of the 2006 squad.
The easy player: Thierry Henry
Born on 17 August 1977 in Les Ulis, Thierry Henry began his training in the Paris region before joining the INF Clairefontaine academy and then AS Monaco, where he made his professional debut in 1994. French champion in 1997 with Monaco, he tried his luck at Juventus, but the Italian chapter lasted only six months. He then moved to Arsenal, where he spent eight seasons becoming the club’s all-time top scorer, winning two league titles, three FA Cups, and reaching the Champions League final in 2006. He finished second in the Ballon d’Or in 2003 and third in 2006, and a bronze statue was unveiled outside the Emirates Stadium in 2011.
After joining FC Barcelona in 2007, he was part of the historic sextuple-winning squad in 2009. He then crossed the Atlantic to join the New York Red Bulls, where he was the star attraction for four seasons before retiring in December 2014. With the French national team, he is the only outfield player to have featured in four World Cups, winning the competition in 1998, the European Championship in 2000, and the Confederations Cup in 2003. He held the French goalscoring record with 51 international goals from 2007 to 2022.