Page 96 - Soccer360 Issue 106

birthday wishes
Ian Waterhouse
Virgil van Dijk (July 8)
Liverpool / The Netherlands
Virgil van Dijk is widely considered one of the greatest defenders of his generation. His strength, leadership, and aerial dominance make him a nightmare for attackers. Van Dijk transformed Liverpool’s defense, leading them to back-to-back Champions League finals, including a triumphant victory in 2019. Individually, he swept the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season awards in his first full season at Anfield. His trophy haul doesn’t stop there – he also lifted the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup, and played a pivotal role in ending Liverpool’s 30-year Premier League title drought in 2020. Capping off his remarkable year, van Dijk became the only defender ever to win the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award, and even finished runner-up for both the Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player awards in 2019.
Vinicius Jr. (July 12)
Real Madrid / Brazil
Vinicius Jr. is a dynamic threat all across the front line. He is primarily a left winger, but his versatility allows him to wreak havoc anywhere in attack. His dazzling footwork and bag of tricks make him a nightmare to mark, as he can change direction in a flash and leave defenders in his wake. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League final to clinch Madrid their record 14th UEFA Champions League title.
Harry Kane (July 28)
Bayern Munich / England
A lethal finisher with a keen eye for a pass,
Harry Kane is widely recognized as one of the world’s elite and a generational talent at striker. He reigns supreme as Tottenham Hotspur’s and England’s all-time top scorer, and sits second
in the Premier League’s all-time scoring charts. Kane boasts a staggering tally of over 400
goals across club and country. After a prolific debut season at Bayern Munich, he claimed the Bundesliga’s top scorer award, solidifying his reputation as a world-class goalscoring machine.
Meghan Klingenberg (August 2)
Portland Thorn / USA
Meghan Klingenberg is the bedrock of the Portland Timbers defense. Her trophy cabinet boasts a FIFA Women’s World Cup title, earned with the US national team. Klingenberg’s experience stretches across leagues, having played in the WPS, Sweden’s Damallsvenskan, and the NWSL with the Houston Dash before landing at Portland.
Thierry Henry (August 17)
Monaco/ Arsenal/ Barcelona/ New York Red Bulls/ France
Widely considered one of the greatest strikers ever, and a legend in the Premier League, Thierry Henry is enshrined as Arsenal’s greatest player. Accolades rain down on his legacy: runner-up
for both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, a record-breaking three
FWA Footballer of the Year titles, two PFA Players’ Player of the Year awards, and consistent inclusions in prestigious teams like the PFA Team of the Year and UEFA Team of the Year.
Robert Lewandowski (August 21)
Barcelona/ Poland
Robert Lewandowski boasts more than 600 goals for club and country. After winning
two Bundesliga titles at Borussia Dortmund
and winning the treble at Bayern Munich, Lewandowski joined Barcelona in 2022. The striker won the Pichichi Trophy in his debut season for the Blaugrana and spearheaded them to La Liga and Supercopa de Espana glory. With 82 international goals, Lewandowski is the all- time top scorer for Poland and the fourth overall men’s international goalscorer in Europe, only behind Romelu Lukaku (83), Ferenc Puskás (84) and Cristiano Ronaldo (128).
THE LIONS SHARE
Lionel Messi’s annualized pay from his MLS contract with Inter Miami exceeds $20.4 million, higher than the payrolls of all but four teams: Toronto ($31.4 million), Chicago Fire ($25.1 million), Nashville ($21.4 million), and Miami itself ($41.7 million). His base salary is $10.4 million, with additional compensation bringing the total to $20,446,667, excluding extra agreements or performance bonuses. Forbes estimates Messi’s endorsement earnings at $70 million annually.
GAME WARS
Video game manufacturer EA Sports, who produce the popular EA FC series, and formerly the FIFA games, are set to lose
the licensing rights to Serie A side Inter
for the 2025 edition. The ’25 edition of the game, which is expected to be released in late September of 2024, will reportedly no longer feature the Inter brand, including the team’s name, crest and kit. The EA FC have hinted that Inter will be branded as ‘Milano Calcio’ for the ‘25 version, and that they
will also feature a slightly modified version of the club’s crest. Back in 2022, Inter signed an exclusive agreement with rival video game manufacturer Konami, who produce the eFootball games, and formerly produced Pro Evolution Soccer. EA FC is already lacking the licensing rights for four high-profile Serie A sides, namely Napoli, Roma, Lazio and Atalanta, due to their agreements elsewhere. Juventus had also appeared on EA games as ‘Piemonte Calcio’ due to an agreement with Konami, but they have since returned to their officially recognised club name.
LIGUE 1 HONOURS
A NEW POSITION ?
The Saudi Pro League plans high-profile summer transfers, targeting Premier League stars like Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Alisson. After spending nearly £750m on overseas players last summer, the league aims to boost its profile and competitiveness by attracting private sponsors. Salah and Alisson are top targets, with the league increasing its foreign player quota to ten. This effort is part of Saudi Arabia’s strategy to elevate its domestic league into the world’s top ten, supported by investments from entities like Aramco.
Italy international Gianluigi
Donnarumma has been named
Best Goalkeeper in Ligue 1 for
his performances at Paris Saint-
Germain. He won three editions 9 of the Ligue 1 title and two French
Super Cups. This is his second victory as goalkeeper of the year in France after winning the award in 2022. As for the other awards, the best French player abroad was named Antoine Griezmann at Atletico Madrid. Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan had been among the nominees, but the Scudetto winners Marcus Thuram or Benjamin Pavard of Inter did not make the cut
Manchester United have lost nine times in the 23/24 season
at Old Trafford in all competitions - they have never lost more at home in a single campaign
in their history (also 9 in 1920-21, 1930-31, 1933-34, 1962-63, and 1973-74).
94 SOCCER360 SUMMER 2024
90TH MINUTE