The hard player: Marc-Vivien Foé
Born on May 1, 1975 in Yaoundé, Marc-Vivien Foé was a defensive midfielder who built his career mainly in France and England. A cornerstone at RC Lens with 103 appearances and 15 goals, he then crossed the Channel to West Ham United (48 apps, 2 goals) before being loaned to Manchester City, where he scored 9 goals in 38 games. At Lyon, he made 67 appearances and scored 4 goals. He obtained French citizenship in December 1998, but continued to represent Cameroon.
Capped 64 times for the Indomitable Lions, Marc-Vivien Foé collapsed on the pitch on June 26, 2003 during a Confederations Cup match against Colombia in Lyon. He died following cardiac arrest. He was 28 years old.
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PlayThe medium player: Michael Owen
Born on December 14, 1979 in Chester, Michael Owen started his professional career at Liverpool FC, where he twice finished as the Premier League’s top scorer, in 1998 and 1999. Nicknamed Wonder Boy for his precocious talent, he averaged better than a goal every two games over seven seasons at Anfield, scoring 158 goals in 297 appearances. In 2001, he swept up five trophies: the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Community Shield, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. At the end of that year, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or.
After Liverpool, his career became bumpier. A season at Real Madrid failed to ignite, and he returned to England at Newcastle United – then the club’s record signing – bagging 30 goals in 79 games. Persistent injuries plagued his time at Manchester United (52 apps, 17 goals) and Stoke City, where he retired in 2012. For England, he scored 40 goals and featured at three World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006) and two European Championships (2000, 2004).
The easy player: Neymar Jr
Born on February 5, 1992 in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior grew up at Santos FC, making 230 appearances and scoring 138 goals, including winning the Copa Libertadores with his hometown club. In 2013, he joined FC Barcelona, where he formed a legendary attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, netting 105 goals in 186 matches. Those performances earned him third place in the Ballon d’Or in both 2015 and 2017.
In 2017, his move to Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million made him the most expensive player in football history. At PSG, he scored 118 goals in 173 appearances and reached the Champions League final in 2020, though his time in France was also defined by recurring injuries and controversy. Captain of the Seleção since 2014, he is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, surpassing Pelé’s record of 77.