Hockey icon Gordie Howe (1928-), who held the previous record for most career points with 1,850, was surpassed by Wayne Gretzky, affectionately referred to as "The Great One," who also became the first player to win the Hart Trophy eight years in a row. Gretzky’s Personal Life The 26th of January 1961 saw the birth of Wayne Douglas Gretzky in Ontario, Canada, to parents Walter Gretzky and Phyllis Leone. His father was a "Bell Telephone Canada" employee. The five kids in the family were all hockey players when they were little. Wayne first held a hockey stick at his grandfather's house when he was two. He played with the teenagers in his neighborhood when he was six. He occasionally performed as well as players who were more than twice his age, according to his coach Dick Martin. Wayne excelled when he played with boys much older than him in his first junior season. He soon developed a gaming obsession and insisted on playing against the team's more experienced players. Wayne accomplished a remarkable record for a young lad his age when he scored 378 goals in his first junior season. As he entered his teenage years, his popularity began to spread beyond the region, and the Wayne wave began to sweep across Canada. His family moved him to Toronto when he was 14 years old so he could develop his skills and have access to better facilities. Wayne was selected third in the midget draught for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) in 1977. He made it to the major leagues because of his outstanding performance at the "World Junior Championship" in 1978.                                His Career At 17, Gretzky began playing hockey professionally for the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association (WHA). A year later, the WHA folded, but Wayne followed the Edmonton Oilers when they switched to the National Hockey League (NHL).  He won the NHL MVP award in his first season and went on to win it each of the following eight seasons. In terms of scoring, he was tied for first. Wayne didn't look back after that and helped the Oilers win four Stanley Cups. Wayne Gretzky holds many records. His main ones are listed below: Two hundred fifteen points are the most in a season. Ninety-two goals are the most in a season. One hundred sixty-three assists total within a season. The most playoff points are 47. He is the first player to have a season with more than 200 points. He repeated it four times. He recorded 894 goals, 1,963 assists, and 2,857 points in his NHL career. Wayne was not the classic excellent hockey player at 6 feet tall and 180 pounds. He was also thought to be a little slow. He wasn't widely regarded as being in any way a decent NHL player. But no athlete in the world played hockey like Wayne, who had an uncanny aptitude for it. It appeared as though he had eyes in the back of his head because of his ability to predict where players would be and make passes and adjustments accordingly.

Jim Thorpe was an American athlete widely regarded as the best in the world during the early 20th century. He played football and baseball professionally and earned Olympic gold. Thorpe’s Personal Life The specifics of his birthdate or location of birth have not been independently verified, and his childhood experiences are frequently questioned. His parents have a mixture of ancestries. His mother was Charlotte Vieux, and his father was a farmer named Hiram Thorpe. He was brought up following Indian traditions. Before being transferred to the Haskell Institute, an Indian residential school in Kansas, he attended the Sac and Fox Indian Agency School. After a fight with his father, he left home and fell into depression because his mother had died when he was still a child. He returned to his father when he was 16 and started his studies at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Due to his extraordinary physical prowess, he distinguished himself among his classmates during his school years. Glenn "Pop" Warner, a great football coach, recognized his talent and gave him coaching. Jim had yet another sorrow when his father passed away, leaving him an orphan.                                 His Career Thorpe obtained a contract with the New York Giants to play professional baseball and later wed Iva Miller, his college sweetheart. With the Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Braves throughout a six-year major league career, Thorpe batted just.252, though he produced a respectable.327 average in his final season. At the beginning of professional football, Thorpe had a far greater influence. He agreed to play for the Canton Bulldogs in 1915 for $250 per game, and he made his money back by bringing in sizable crowds and helping the team to league titles in 1916, '17, and '19.  The Bulldogs were one of the 14 teams that comprised the American Professional Football Association in 1920, which would later become the National Football League. Thorpe presided over the league for one season. Thorpe coached and participated in games for the Oorang Indians, an all-Native American team, from 1922 to 1923. The team's games included members performing "war dances" and other rituals to excite spectators. Walter Lingo, the proprietor of the Oorang Dog Kennels in LaRue, Ohio, sponsored the squad. Through 1928, Thorpe participated in NFL games with the Cleveland Indians, Rock Island Independents, New York Giants, and Chicago Cardinals. Thorpe was chosen as a founding member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963, and in 1982, as a co-winner of the 1912 track events, his name was added back to the Olympic record books. He was chosen as the best athlete of the previous century in a poll sponsored by ABC Sports in 2000. He placed third in a poll by the Associated Press, demonstrating his continued prominence in American culture.

Wilt Chamberlain, a 7' 1" center who dominated professional basketball for more than 14 seasons starting in 1959, was one of the most outstanding individual athletes to ever thrive in a sport. Chamberlain, sometimes known as "Wilt the Stilt," is remembered for a legendary performance in 1962 in which he set a record by scoring 100 points in a single game, which no other player has come close to tying. Chamberlain’s Personal Life Wilt was born Wilton Norman Chamberlain on August 21, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. His parents were homemakers, William Chamberlain and Olivia Ruth Johnson. He never liked basketball as a kid and was more of a track and field athlete. But when he got older, he found that he liked basketball because it was a prominent sport in Philadelphia. He played basketball at "Overbrook High School," where he was a student. He was already taller, over 6 feet at that point. Thus he had an advantage over other players when he played basketball. His collegiate basketball career began in 1957. The next year, he guided the "Jayhawks" to the "NCAA" championship game. He left college in 1958 to pursue a career in basketball. However, he was prohibited from doing so because he needed to finish college to be eligible to play in the "NBA." He was paid $50,000 to play for the "Harlem Globetrotters," who signed him.                                 His Career To play basketball for the University of Kansas, Chamberlain relocated to Kansas in 1955. He scored 30 points on average there. He received two All-American honors. After his junior year, he decided to go pro, but due to NBA rules, he could not play in the league. Instead, he spent a year as a member of the Harlem Globetrotters. The Philadelphia Warriors selected him in the 1959 draught. In 1965, he was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers; in 1968, he was transferred to the Los Angeles Lakers. Throughout his 14-year career, he dominated basketball and set numerous records. On March 2, 1962, he scored 100 points against the New York Knicks in one of his best games.  Never once in his entire career did he foul out. The expansion of the lane, the introduction of offensive goaltending, and modifications to the rules controlling inbounding the ball and shooting free throws were all brought about by his dominance of the game. In 1973, Chamberlain gave up playing basketball. He ventured into a variety of endeavors, such as coaching basketball, investing in stocks and real estate, playing professional volleyball, competing in marathons, writing his memoirs, opening a nightclub in Harlem, appearing in numerous commercials, and portraying a villainous warrior and Arnold Schwarzenegger's opposite in the movie Conan the Destroyer (1984). On October 12, 1999, he passed away from congestive heart failure in his Bel Air, California, home.

To sum up, there aren't many ways to sum up, someone who has won the World Cup twice, been named FIFA World Player of the Year three times, and scored the most goals in World Cup finals history. But "Il Fenomeno" was the closest thing that global football could come up with for Ronaldo Luis Nazário De Lima, better known by his stage name Ronaldo. He was incredible and will live on as a legend of the sport. Ronaldo’s Personal Life Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Luis Nazário Lima is better known by his stage name, Ronaldo. On September 18, 1976, he was born in Itagui, Brazil. In his early years of school, Ronaldo discovered his love of football. At 12, he quit school to focus on his soccer career. He became a member of the Ramos Indoor Soccer Club. In 1993, he made his professional football debut with Cruzeiro after joining the Sao Crustovao Football Club as a young youngster. His debut game was against Caldense Club. He went on to score five goals against Bahia, which propelled him to prominence.                                 His Career He began his career at Cruzeiro, where he made 14 appearances and scored 12 goals. He was a member of the Brazilian team that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup, but he didn't participate in the game. Ronaldo moved to Holland to play for PSV after the World Cup, where he scored 30 goals in just his first season. In 1997, "O Fenômeno" moved to Barcelona, where he made 37 appearances and scored 34 goals. While at Barcelona, Ronaldo displayed incredible skill by dribbling past opponents as if they weren't there and scoring goals at will. An epileptic seizure prevented Ronaldo from helping Brazil win the 1998 World Cup despite having four goals previously throughout the tournament. Ronaldo joined Inter after leaving Barcelona and stayed there until 2002 when he scored 49 goals. Ronaldo scored two goals in the World Cup final against Germany in 2002 to help his team win the tournament and exact revenge for the final they had lost four years earlier. Ronaldo moved to Madrid in 2002, where he helped the club win the 2003 Spanish Championship. In 127 games with Madrid, he totaled 83 goals.  Ronaldo set the record for most goals scored at a World Cup when he scored his 15th goal at the 2006 edition. Brazil fell to France 1-0 in that tournament's quarterfinal round. After a brief stint with AC Milan, his career concluded at Corinthians, where he won the Brazilian Cup. Ronaldo played his final farewell game with Brazil on June 7, 2011, for 15 minutes before leaving the field for a standing ovation. In 1996, 1997, and 2002, Ronaldo won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times. He had tremendous ball control, weaving through defenders at a breakneck pace and scoring anytime he pleased. He continues to be among the best attackers ever.

One of the most contentious issues in professional sports still exists 25 years after Pete Rose accepted a lifetime suspension for betting on baseball. Rose’s Personal Life On April 14, 1941, Peter Edward Rose was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was raised in the adjacent Anderson Ferry, Ohio, as one of Harry and LaVerne Rose's four children. Early on, Rose was encouraged to participate in athletics by his father, who had formerly been a semi-professional football player. One rumor is that Harry Rose once went downtown to buy shoes for his daughter but returned with a set of boxing gloves for Pete. Rose played baseball with neighborhood pals for most of his childhood and eventually joined the community Little League team. He participated in baseball and football at Cincinnati's Western Hills High School, where he excelled most in the latter event. He was initially given the Geneva Red Legs, a Reds farm team in upstate New York, as part of his deal with the Reds.                                 His Career Buddy Bloebaum, who worked as a scout for the Reds, made the large club aware of the young athlete. After he graduated from high school in 1960, they decided to sign him. He participated in games with the Macon Peaches in 1962, the Tampa Tarpons in 1961, and the Geneva (New York) Redlegs in 1960. He started playing second base in the field and swinging the bat well at each stop. He accepted the Reds' invitation to spring training in 1963, made the club, and made his MLB debut on Opening Day. Rose had a 0 for 11 career debut. It didn't portend bad things to come. Even casual admirers know what Rose did in the following two decades. Rose received Rookie of the Year honors in his rookie season, batting.273 with 101 runs scored. Between 1963 and 1978, he was a member of the Reds teams that won the World Series in 1975 and 1976. From 1979 to 1983, he was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, where he won a World Series in 1980. He completed his career at Cincinnati between 1984 and 1986 as a player-manager. Three times led the league in batting average (1968, 1969, 1973) Seven times led the league in hits (1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1981) A participant on 17 all-star teams 1973 national league MVP award winner Set records for your career in terms of hits (4,256), singles (3,215), games (3,562), at-bats (14,053), and plate appearances (14,053). (15,890) Despite his outstanding performance on the field, Rose is not eligible for employment by MLB or induction into the Hall of Fame since a baseball inquiry revealed that Rose had wagered on baseball, including 52 games involving his club. According to the article, he may wager up to $10,000 daily.

Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr., the sole child of Cora and Ferdinand Alcindor, was born in New York City and became the great athlete known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. As he was known, the young Lew Alcindor was a passionate sportsman. He developed swiftly, and during his time in school, he was the tallest student there. Abdul-Jabbar’s Personal Life Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., the ancestor of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was born in New York City on April 16, 1947. Alcindor was always the tallest child in his class. He was the only child of New York City policeman Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr. and his wife, Cora. When he turned nine, Lew Alcindor, as he was known, was an astounding 5'8". By the time he entered eighth grade, he had gained another full foot and was capable of slam dunks. He got into the sport at a young age. Few could match Alcindor's high school career at Power Memorial Academy. He led his team to an incredible 71 straight victories and three straight city championships while setting New York City school records in scoring and rebounds. The team of Alcindor was awarded "The #1 High School Team of the Century" by the National Sports Writers in 2000.                                 His Career The most prolific scorer in the history of the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, won six of the sport's most illustrious championships, including five during 20 years while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. His resume includes some of the most amazing accomplishments in league history.  Kareem won the NBA MVP award six times and the NBA Finals MVP award twice, in addition to being a part of six NBA championship teams. He is also a member of the 35th and 50th NBA Anniversary All-Time Teams, a two-time scoring champion, and a 19-time All-Star. And if that weren't enough, Kareem also has the honor of holding seven All-Star and eight playoff records. Another player has never matched Kareem Abdul-accomplishments Jabbar's success. In 1996, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was ranked among the top 50 NBA players of all time. According to Julius Erving, Pat Riley, and Isiah Thomas, he is the best basketball player to play the game. According to ESPN, he is the second-best player in NBA history, the best player in college basketball history, and the best center of all time (only next to Michael Jordan). He received the Double Helix Medal in 2011 in recognition of his efforts to raise awareness about cancer research. The New York Institute of Technology also gave him an honorary degree. In 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chose him to represent the United States as a worldwide cultural ambassador. President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Working for the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar has stayed within the sport he loves since he retired. He even worked as a coach for a year on the White Mountain Apache tribe in Arizona; he wrote about this experience in the book A Season on the Reservation, published in 2000.

Famous African American athlete Reggie White. He was well-known for his impressive performance in 15 seasons of National Football League play during his professional football career. He played collegiate football for the University of Tennessee. He received two awards for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The greatest defensive end to ever play the position is Reggie White. We will acknowledge his greatness in this retrospective of his career. White’s Personal Life Tennessee's Chattanooga is where White was born. He attended Howard School of Academics and Technology during his senior year of high school when he was given the opportunity to play for the Tennessee Volunteers. White earned All-American accolades during his senior year at Howard High School, compiling 140 tackles and ten sacks. White, one of the state's best recruits, chose Tennessee University as his school.  He participated in professional football for both USFL and NFL teams. He was a Christian as well. He had two children, Jeremy and Jecolia, with the former Sara Copeland, with whom he was married. White was a defensive line rotational player as a rookie. He had a bigger impact in his second season, making 95 tackles and eight sacks, which was a team-high. The 1981 Garden State Bowl saw the Tennessee Volunteers defeat Wisconsin 28-21 to conclude their campaign. White's junior season, hampered by a persistent ankle injury, saw him record 47 tackles and seven sacks. Despite the loss (28-22), White was outstanding in the Peach Bowl with eight tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble.                                 His Career the mark for the most career sacks, a game, or a season still belongs to Reggie White. He recorded 124 more sacks during his eight seasons with the Eagles than games played (121). With 68.5 sacks later, White became the Packers' all-time leader. He held the title of Minister of Defense and was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner, as well as a 13-time Pro Bowler and 10-time first-team All-Pro. White was chosen for the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, and the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 1996, White won the Super Bowl for the first time. On February 4, 2006, he was given a posthumous induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As the team's captain and defensive guru, Reggie White was regarded. He is regarded as having a strong commitment to the sport. To Sports Illustrated, he said: "You are instructed to hit the ground on a double team in high school and college. You're expected to do it here. Every play, I am double-teamed, so I am used to it. Sacks are fantastic because they help you get selected for the Pro Bowl. However, I've always believed that a great defensive lineman must be equally adept at playing the run and the pass. The "guys of the game" take great satisfaction in being complete players."

The contribution Robinson made to Major League Baseball will always be cherished. Every major league team observes Jackie Robinson Day on April 15 each year to commemorate the day he broke the color barrier in baseball by becoming the first African-American player to play in either the American or National leagues in the 20th century. Robinson’s Personal Life On January 31, 1919, Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia. The youngest of five kids, he was young. Soon after Jackie was born, his father abandoned the family, and Jackie never saw him again. He was reared by his mother, Millie, and his three brothers and one sister. After Jackie was born, the family relocated to Pasadena, California, around a year later. Jackie watched his elder siblings succeed in sports there as he grew up. At the 1936 Olympics, his brother Mack, a track standout, took home a silver medal in the 200-meter dash. Jackie attended UCLA for college, where he excelled in basketball, football, baseball, and track. He was the first UCLA athlete to receive varsity letters in all four sports. In the long jump, he was the NCAA champion as well. Robinson played professional football after graduating from college, but World War II's outbreak quickly ended his career. He was enlisted in the military. Jackie met renowned boxing champion Joe Lewis, at basic training, and they grew close. Robinson attended officer training school with the assistance of Joe. Jackie was deployed to Fort Hood, Texas, to join the 761st Tank Battalion after completing his officer training. Because they were not permitted to serve alongside white soldiers, this battalion was exclusively made up of African-American soldiers.                                 His Career Early in 1945, the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League signed Jackie Robinson, who had a successful season, hitting.387. Branch Rickey, an executive for the Brooklyn Dodgers, was scouting the Negro Leagues at the time to find players who had not only the talent but also the temperament to handle the pressures of integrating Major League Baseball. In August 1945, Rickey interviewed several baseball players before selecting Robinson to join the Royals, a Dodgers feeder team in Montreal. His 1947 Dodgers debut attracted much attention, but not all favorable. Robinson soon established himself as a player, although opponents' teams and supporters objected to his skin tone. Robinson would go on to hit.311 throughout a 10-year career, despite being signed by the Dodgers at the comparatively advanced age of 28. In 1949, when he led the National League in batting with a.342 average, most stolen bases (37), and a career-high 124 RBI, he earned the First and Most Valuable Player Award for the first time ever given to a player of color. From 1949 to 1954, Robinson was an All-Star each year. In 1955, he guided Brooklyn to a World Series victory over the New York Yankees. Robinson worked as a sportscaster and a business executive at Chock full o'Nuts and was involved in the NAACP and other civil rights organizations after leaving the Dodgers.

This day in 1936 marked the birth of Jim Brown. He was a Black football player, actor, and civil rights activist (at the time of writing). Brown’s Personal Life Georgia's St. Simon's Island is where Jim Brown was born in 1936. Swinton Brown, his father, was a professional boxer, while his mother was a housewife. James Nathaniel Brown is Jim Brown's real name. Many difficulties marked his early years. Brown's father abandoned them when the infant was barely two weeks old. Brown and his mother were going through a difficult period. Theresa decided to become a maid at this point to make a livelihood. She left Brown in his great-grandmother's care to ensure he was secure. When his mother was more at ease eight years later, she brought Jim Brown to live with her in Manhasset, New York. She was a maid here, employed in this location. Brown eventually enrolled at Manhasset High School. He had good luck as he flourished throughout his football career. In his senior year, he received acclaim for his performance. He had a 14.9-yard per-carry average as a running back. He only needed this to get to Syracuse University.                                His Career The Cleveland Browns took Brown in the sixth round of the 1957 National Football League draught. When it came to adjusting to the new competition, Brown didn't waste any time, leading the league with 942 rushing yards and winning Rookie of the Year accolades. For the following seven seasons, Brown set the bar for all running backs in the NFL. Brown bulldozed his way past the opposition at a period when defenses were designed to halt the ground game, recording incredible season totals of 1,527 yards in 1958, 1,329 yards in 1959, 1,257 yards in 1960, 1,408 yards in 1961, 1,863 yards in 1963, 1,446 yards in 1964, and 1,544 yards in 1965. In 1962, Brown's lone "down" year, he only carried for 996 yards. He failed to lead the league in yards only once during his remarkable but limited football career. Brown led Cleveland to the 1964 NFL championship, which the team won by a score of 27-0 over Baltimore. Brown rushed for 114 yards throughout the contest. However, Brown recognized a life for himself outside of football and shocked the sports world by announcing his retirement before the 1966 season. In 1971, he was admitted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brown, who was only 30 years old when he retired from football, intended to use his post-football life to concentrate on a film career. Some questioned whether Brown would be able to maintain his promise to give up football for good, but he did it and was featured in more than 30 movies, including The Dirty Dozen (1967) and 100 Rifles (1969). In his later roles, he played a football coach in the films Any Given Sunday (1999) and Mars Attacks! (1996).

Serena Williams, who is regarded as the greatest female tennis player of all time and possibly the greatest athlete of all time, has transformed women's tennis since the 1990s. Williams, who holds 23 Grand Slam titles, developed on the open courts in Compton, California, breaking records and dominating the sport. Williams’s Personal Life Richard Williams and Oracene Price welcomed Serena Williams into the world on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. The youngest of five sisters, she was also the youngest. She had one full sister, Venus Williams, and three half-sisters, Yetunde, Lynda, and Isha Price, on her mother's side. Williams, a gifted youngster, and her sister Venus Williams began playing tennis at four. They soon enrolled in Rick Macci's tennis academy, where he helped them hone their natural talent and skills. She had a 46-3 record on the United States Tennis Association Junior Tour by 1991 and was ranked number one in the 10-and-under age group. The household shifted to Florida. Her father dissuaded the girls from playing tennis, fearing that the rigorous schedule would cause them to tire too rapidly.                                 Her Career Serena quickly moved up to the top 100 after beginning the Women's Tennis Association rating below 300th place. Serena began creating her legacy in 1998 by taking home the mixed doubles crowns at Wimbledon and the US Open. She had already risen to No. 20 in the WTA Ranking at the year's conclusion. Serena defied expectations by winning her first Grand Slam in the 1999 US Open, defying expectations that Venus would be the first sister to claim a Grand Slam singles victory. Serena rose to the fourth position in the global rankings as a result of becoming the second African-American woman to win a Grand Slam. A few months after winning Wimbledon, Venus and Serena Williams joined again to capture the women's doubles gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. By winning the Australian Open at the beginning of 2001, Serena and Venus became the fifth double pair to win every Grand Slam trophy. Later that year, the sisters squared off in the US Open final, with Venus coming out on top. The French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open were all victories for Serena in 2002, and she defeated Venus in each of those finals to reclaim the top spot in the global rankings. Serena had a year hampered by injuries in 2006 after winning her second Australian Open in 2005. She then fell out of the top 10 in the WTA rankings. But in 2007, the tennis pro stunned everyone by defeating Maria Sharapova and capturing her third Australian Open women's singles title. Serena finished the year in seventh place after returning to the top 10. Serena had another great return in 2012 and wasn't on the tennis court for long before she was back to full power. Williams won a gold medal in the singles competition at the 2012 London Olympics to become the second woman, after Steffi Graf, to complete a career Golden Slam. She had just won both the singles and doubles match at Wimbledon. Serena later won her 15th Grand Slam singles championship at the US Open, but she needed to be more content.

One of the most well-known French football players of all time, Zinedine Zidane, is widely recognized as a master of the game's principles and tactics.  He is renowned for his superior ball handling and control abilities, magic ball touch, laser-focused vision, and outstanding leadership qualities. Players during his years in soccer would only be able to match how he handled and received the ball. Zidane’s Personal Life Smaal and Malika gave birth to Zinedine Zidane on June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France. His older siblings are number four. His family lived in the La Castellane neighborhood of northern Marseille and was of Algerian Kabyle Berber heritage. His mother was a housewife, while his father worked as a warehouseman. The Zidane family was a respected family who led a relatively comfortable life in contrast to other residents of the area who were unemployed and engaged in high crime. At the infant age of five, young Zidane was exposed to football. He participated in the game at Place Tartane, the complex's central square, with the kids from the neighborhood. Zidane was influenced early in his career by Olympique Marseille players he looked up to, including Blaz Sliskovic, Enzo Francescoli, and Jean-Pierre Papin.                                 His Career At 17, Zidane made his professional debut for Cannes and scored a goal. In the years that followed, the attacking midfielder gained notoriety for his superb all-around play after moving to Bordeaux in 1992. Zidane was prone to the occasional rage, but when he had the ball in his hands, he was the picture of composure, appearing to know when to get past the defense, find a teammate with a precise pass, or rip a shot at the goal. In 1996, Zidane moved to Juventus F.C. in Italy's illustrious Series A-League. Zidane demonstrated he was up to the task by leading Juventus to an Italian Super Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, and two Series A titles over the following two seasons. The move brought a dramatic increase in exposure and expectations. When France hosted the 1998 World Cup, Zidane was at the top of his game. He led Les Bleus' ascent through the competition with his elegant passing and dribbling. He then scored twice as France defeated Brazil in the final, 3-0, to become a hero for his country. The French team's run to international success culminated with a 2-1 victory over Italy for the European Championship two years later, and Zidane was once more the driving force behind it. Zidane joined the Spanish club Real Madrid in 2001 for a then-record-breaking transfer fee of around $66 million. The investment quickly paid off as the French newcomer assisted Real Madrid in capturing La Liga and the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy in his debut season. After saying he would retire after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, it seemed Zidane's career was headed for a fairytale conclusion when France defeated Italy in the championship game. Instead, it ended when he rammed his head into opponent Marco Materazzi's chest in response to the Italian player's remarks to him during extra time.