In sport

Sport

A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...

, a golden generation is an exceptionally gifted group of players of similar age, whose achievements reach or are expected to reach a level of success beyond that which their team had previously achieved. Below is a list of teams who have been referred to by the media as golden generations.

Origins

It was first coined by the Portuguese sports media to refer to a group of exceptionally gifted teenage Portuguese footballers. This group of players, spearheaded by "Golden Boy" Luís Figo

Luís Figo

Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...

, won several Football World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991. This group were close to retirement in the early part of the 21st century, leading the European sports media to spotlight the Golden Generation's chances of winning a senior trophy at tournaments like Euro 2000, World Cup 2002 and Euro 2004, which Portugal hosted.

Since then, it has been used by media in many different countries, with usage spreading to other areas, for example, in rugby

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

.

Argentina national basketball team 2000-on going

By winning the gold medal

Gold medal

A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...

 in the Americas Championship 2001, silver medal

Silver medal

A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....

 in 2002 FIBA World Championship

2002 FIBA World Championship

The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:...

, the gold medal in Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics took place at the Helliniko Olympic Indoor Arena in Athens, Greece for the preliminary rounds, with the latter stages being held in the Olympic Indoor Hall at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex....

, gold medal in FIBA Diamond Ball

FIBA Diamond Ball

The FIBA Diamond Ball is an official international basketball tournament organized by FIBA, held every Olympic year prior to the Olympics. The first tournament was held in 2000 for men's teams only; starting in 2004, tournaments have been held for both men and women.The competing teams are the host...

 2008, bronze medal

Bronze medal

A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...

 in Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Basketball contests at the 2008 Olympic Games were held from August 9, 2008 to August 24, 2008. Competitions were held at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China...

, and gold medal in 2011 FIBA Americas Championship played in the city of Mar del Plata

Mar del Plata

Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...

, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

. Resulting in Argentina reached the first position in the FIBA Men's Ranking

FIBA World Rankings

The International Basketball Federation calculates the world rankings of all of its basketball teams.-Calculation:...

 at the end of the 2008 Olympic Games..


Carlos Delfino

Carlos Delfino

Carlos Francisco Delfino is an Argentine professional basketball player. He also has Italian citizenship. Delfino plays at the small forward and shooting guard positions. He stands tall and weighs . He is also noted for his defensive skills...

Gabriel Fernández

Gabriel Fernández (basketball)

Gabriel Fernández is an Argentine basketball player, and member of the national team. He was a member of the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal squad...

Emanuel Ginóbili

Manu Ginobili

Emanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...

Leonardo Gutiérrez
Wálter Herrmann

Wálter Herrmann

Walter Herrmann Heinrich is an Argentine professional basketball player. He is listed at 6'9" and 225 lbs. He was a key member of the Argentinian national basketball team that won the gold medal during the 2004 Olympic Basketball Tournament...

Alejandro Montecchia

Alejandro Montecchia

Alejandro Montecchia is an Argentine professional basketball point guard. He is also a regular on his country's national team, with which he won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.- External links :**...

Andrés Nocioni

Andrés Nocioni

Andrés Marcelo Nocioni is an Argentine professional basketball player. He is under contract with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, but is playing for Peñarol de Mar del Plata during the NBA lockout. A regular member of the Argentine national team, Nocioni was part of the team that won a gold medal at...

Fabricio Oberto

Fabricio Oberto

Fabricio Raúl Jesús Oberto is an Argentine professional basketball player. At and , he plays as a center. With Liga Nacional de Básquet in his native Argentina, Oberto began playing professionally in 1993 and later played overseas with teams in Spain and Greece...

Pepe Sánchez

Juan Ignacio Sánchez

Juan Ignacio Sánchez Brown, also known as Pepe Sánchez , is an Argentine professional basketball player. He is a point guard. He was part of Argentina's 2004 Olympic gold medal team. Pepe Sánchez was the first Argentine to play in the NBA...

Luis Scola

Luis Scola

Luis Alberto Scola Balvoa is an Argentine professional basketball player. The power forward-center for the Argentine national team is currently signed with the NBA's Houston Rockets. He formerly was a Euroleague star with the ACB's Saski Baskonia...

Hugo Sconochini

Hugo Sconochini

Hugo Ariel Sconochini is an Argentine professional basketball shooting guard and small forward....

Rubén Wolkowyski

Portugal

Many of these players made up the youth national teams of Portugal that won consecutive FIFA Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991, these teams were the step-up to the senior team. As a result Portugal reached the semi-finals of 2000 UEFA European Football Championship

2000 UEFA European Football Championship

The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....

 and were runners-up four years later. They were also 2006 FIFA World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup

The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

 semi-finalists after a dominating run, though only Luís Figo and Nuno Gomes

Nuno Gomes

Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro , commonly known as Nuno Gomes, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for S.C. Braga as a striker.He was given the nickname Gomes during childhood after F.C...

 were picked in the squad for the final tournament.
Some critics contend that many of the players underachieved at international level.

• Paulo Alves
  Paulo Alves
  Paulo Lourenço Martins Alves is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a centre forward, and a current coach.-Football career:Born in Vila Real, Alves moved from local club to F.C...
  
  
• Vítor Baía
  Vítor Baía
  Vítor Manuel Martins Baía, OIH , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a goalkeeper.His career was intimately connected with F.C...
  
  
• Pedro Barbosa
  Pedro Barbosa
  Pedro Alexandre dos Santos Barbosa is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder....
  
  
• Nuno Capucho
• Sérgio Conceição
  Sérgio Conceição
  Sérgio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceição is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mostly as a right winger.Known for his speed and strength, combined with his good dribbling and crossing skills, and fairly accurate shooting. During his extensive career, he played for ten different teams, in five...
  
  
• Jorge Costa
  Jorge Costa
  Jorge Paulo Costa Almeida , known as Costa, is a retired Portuguese professional footballer who played as a central defender, and a current manager....
  
  
• Rui Costa
  Rui Costa
  Rui Manuel César Costa, OIH is a former Portuguese football player and current Director of Football for Sport Lisboa e Benfica. An attacking midfielder also capable of playing as a deep-seated defensive midfielder, he most recently played for Portuguese club Benfica...
  
  
• Fernando Couto
  Fernando Couto
  Fernando Manuel Silva Couto, OIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a central defender.During a 21-year professional career, he played in a number of top teams in Portugal, Spain and Italy , appearing in nearly 600 official games and winning the national league title of each country,...
  
  
• Luís Figo
  Luís Figo
  Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo, OIH, is a Portuguese former international footballer. He played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Internazionale, during a career which spanned over a period of 20 years. He retired from football on 31 May 2009...
  
  
• Nuno Gomes
  Nuno Gomes
  Nuno Miguel Soares Pereira Ribeiro , commonly known as Nuno Gomes, is a Portuguese footballer who plays for S.C. Braga as a striker.He was given the nickname Gomes during childhood after F.C...
  
  
• Emílio Peixe
  Emílio Peixe
  Emílio Manuel Delgado Peixe is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder.A member of the dubbed Golden Generation who hailed from the Portugal youth teams, Peixe was one of the few to have represented all three major clubs in the country, namely Sporting.-Football...
  
  
• João Pinto
  João Vieira Pinto
  João Manuel Vieira Pinto is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mostly as a forward.Blessed with formidable skills and scoring ability, he made his name mostly at a domestic level and as a key figure in the Portuguese national team's "Golden Generation", collecting 138 caps and scoring 35...
  
  
• Ricardo Sá Pinto
  Ricardo Sá Pinto
  Ricardo Manuel Andrade e Silva Sá Pinto is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a forward.He was known for his fighting spirit, best displayed in his Sporting stints - he was dubbed by the club's fans "Ricardo Lion Heart"...
  
  
• Carlos Secretário
  Carlos Secretário
  Carlos Alberto de Oliveira Secretário is a retired Portuguese footballer who played mainly as a right defender....
  
  
• Paulo Sousa
  Paulo Sousa
  Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current manager.He was a member of the “Portuguese Golden Generation”...
  
  
• Abel Xavier
  Abel Xavier
  Faisal Xavier is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a full back. He last played for Los Angeles Galaxy and also made 20 appearances for the Portuguese national team.-Career:...
  
  

England

Early in the reign of Sven-Göran Eriksson

Sven-Göran Eriksson

Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....

, Adam Crozier

Adam Crozier

Adam Crozier is a Scottish businessman, and the current chief executive officer of media company ITV plc, operator of the television channel ITV in England and Wales...

, the chief executive of the Football Association

The Football Association

The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...

 and some members of the British media touted players such as David Beckham, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard as the nucleus of a potential Golden Generation team. This group of players as many England teams failed to live up to expectations during Eriksson's tenure, resulting in the term falling out of common use. Although many of them have achieved success with their respective clubs, the team failed to qualify for Euro 2008 - only the second time they failed to qualify for a major tournament in over twenty years (of the last twelve major tournaments).

• David Beckham
  David Beckham
  David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
  
  
• Nicky Butt
  Nicky Butt
  Nicholas "Nicky" Butt is an English footballer. He began his career with Manchester United and spent 12 years in their first-team before moving to Newcastle United in 2004. He spent one season on loan to Birmingham City in 2005–06...
  
  
• Jamie Carragher
  Jamie Carragher
  James Lee Duncan "Jamie" Carragher is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool...
  
  
• Ashley Cole
  Ashley Cole
  Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....
  
  
• Joe Cole
  Joe Cole
  Joseph John "Joe" Cole is an English footballer who plays for Lille, on loan from Liverpool, and the England national football team as midfielder. He started his career with where he played more than 100 games during five years, until he left for Chelsea in 2003...
  
  
• Kieron Dyer
  Kieron Dyer
  Kieron Courtney Dyer is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers. Born in Ipswich, he is an attacking midfielder who played youth football for his home club before going on to make nearly 100 league appearances for the club's first team...
  
  
• Rio Ferdinand
  Rio Ferdinand
  Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
  
  
• Steven Gerrard
  Steven Gerrard
  Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
  
  
• Owen Hargreaves
  Owen Hargreaves
  Owen Lee Hargreaves is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Premier League club Manchester City and the English national football team....
  
  
• Emile Heskey
  Emile Heskey
  Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Born in Leicester, Heskey started his career with hometown club Leicester City after progressing through their youth system, making his first team debut in 1995...
  
  
• Frank Lampard
  Frank Lampard
  Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
  
  
• Gary Neville
  Gary Neville
  Gary Alexander Neville is a former English footballer. He is England's most capped right-back and was Manchester United's club captain for five years....
  
  
• Phil Neville
• Michael Owen
  Michael Owen
  Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
  
  
• Paul Scholes
  Paul Scholes
  Paul Scholes is a retired English footballer, a one-club man who played his entire professional career for Manchester United.Born in Salford, but later moving to Langley, Scholes excelled in both cricket and football in school. He first trained with Manchester United at the age of 14 after being...
  
  
• John Terry
  John Terry
  John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
  
  

France

In late 1998 the French national football team began a period of international dominance defeating Brazil

Brazil national football team

The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...

 3–0 to win the 1998 FIFA World Cup

1998 FIFA World Cup

The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

, becoming the first French team to win the World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

. Two years later, David Trezeguet

David Trézéguet

David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011....

's golden goal in extra time gave France a 2–1 win over Italy

Italy national football team

The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

 to give France the 2000 European Championship, becaming the only team in history to win the FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

 followed by the UEFA European Championship. France were subsequently ranked No. 1 in the FIFA World Rankings

FIFA World Rankings

The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...

 and ranked No. 1 in the World Football Elo Ratings

World Football Elo Ratings

The World Football Elo Ratings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football. The method used to rank teams is based upon the Elo rating system method but modified to take various football-specific variables into account...

 for two years. The team also secured the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup

2001 FIFA Confederations Cup

-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...

. Despite this impressive recent record the French team flopped at the 2002 FIFA World Cup

2002 FIFA World Cup

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

, crashing out in the group stages without scoring a goal and taking only one point from their three games. Two years later they were successful at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup

2003 FIFA Confederations Cup

The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...

. They also reached the World Cup final in Berlin at the 2006 FIFA World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup

The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...

, where they lost to Italy.

• Nicolas Anelka
  Nicolas Anelka
  Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
  
  
• Fabien Barthez
  Fabien Barthez
  Fabien Alain Barthez is a former French footballer goalkeeper who won honours with Manchester United and the French national team, with whom he won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 World Cup. He shares the record for the most World Cup finals clean sheets...
  
  
• Laurent Blanc
  Laurent Blanc
  Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
  
  
• Vincent Candela
• Marcel Desailly
  Marcel Desailly
  Marcel Desailly is a retired Ghanaian born French footballer and star of the France national football team squad, with whom he won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
  
  
• Didier Deschamps
  Didier Deschamps
  Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
  
  
• Vikash Dhorasoo
• Youri Djorkaeff
  Youri Djorkaeff
  Youri Raffi Djorkaeff is a former French international footballer who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. With the French national team, Djorkaeff won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000...
  
  
• Christophe Dugarry
• William Gallas
  William Gallas
  William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
  
  
• Ludovic Giuly
  Ludovic Giuly
  Ludovic Giuly is a French footballer who plays for Monaco as an attacking midfielder and winger. He represented France at international level, gaining 17 caps over a five-year period, and was a member of their 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup winning squad.-Early career:After starting his career with...
  
  
• Thierry Henry
  Thierry Henry
  Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
  
  
• Christian Karembeu
  Christian Karembeu
  Christian Karembeu is a retired French international footballer and current scout for Arsenal Football Club...
  
  
• Frank Leboeuf
  Frank Leboeuf
  Franck Alain James Leboeuf or Lebœuf is a former French international footballer who played as a defender...
  
  
• Bixente Lizarazu
  Bixente Lizarazu
  Bixente Lizarazu is a former football left defender who played most notably for Girondins de Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.-Football career:...
  
  
• Claude Makélélé
  Claude Makélélé
  Claude Makélelé Sinda is a retired football player who used to play as a defensive midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Prior to joining Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé played for Nantes, Olympique de Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea...
  
  
• Johan Micoud
  Johan Micoud
  Johan Micoud is a retired French footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder.Left-footed, he was considered a skilled midfielder and a dead-ball expert; during a 16-year professional career, he played professionally, other than in his country, in Italy and Germany.Micoud gained nearly...
  
  
• Emmanuel Petit
  Emmanuel Petit
  Emmanuel "Manu" Laurent Petit is a retired French footballer, who played his club football for Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea...
  
  
• Robert Pirès
  Robert Pirès
  Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04...
  
  
• Willy Sagnol
• Mikaël Silvestre
  Mikael Silvestre
  Mikaël Samy Silvestre is a French international footballer. He plays as defender and is currently signed with Werder Bremen of the Bundesliga. He has also played for the French national team...
  
  
• Lilian Thuram
  Lilian Thuram
  Lilian Thuram is a retired professional football defender and is the most capped player in the history of the France national team, and one of the twenty most capped players of all time.He played at the top flight in France, Italy and Spain for over 15 seasons, including ten in the Serie A with both...
  
  
• David Trezeguet
  David Trézéguet
  David Sergio Trezeguet is a World Cup winning French international footballer who currently is a free agent after being released by Baniyas SC on 21 Nov 2011....
  
  
• Patrick Vieira
  Patrick Vieira
  Patrick Vieira is a retired French footballer of Senegalese descent who is the Football Development Executive at Manchester City....
  
  
• Sylvain Wiltord
  Sylvain Wiltord
  Sylvain Claude Wiltord is a French footballer who currently plays for FC Nantes. With the French national team, Wiltord has won Euro 2000 and reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup....
  
  
• Zinedine Zidane
  Zinedine Zidane
  Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
  
  

Belgium

• Dedryck Boyata
  Dedryck Boyata
  Anga Dedryck Boyata , is a Belgian footballer of Congolese descent who plays for Bolton Wanderers, on loan from Manchester City, as a centre back or right back.-Early Career:...
  
  
• Nacer Chadli
  Nacer Chadli
  Nacer Chadli is a Belgian professional footballer of Moroccan ancestry who plays as a winger for Dutch club FC Twente.-AGOVV Apeldoorn:Chadli played his youth football at Standard Liège and MVV Maastricht....
  
  
• Thibaut Courtois
  Thibaut Courtois
  Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois is a Belgian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Chelsea and is currently on loan to Atlético Madrid and the Belgium national team.-Early career:...
  
  
• Kevin De Bruyne
  Kevin De Bruyne
  Kevin De Bruyne is a Belgian footballer who plays as for Racing Genk as an Attacking midfielder or a Winger.-Genk:Born in Drongen, De Bruyne began his career with Gent in 2003. Two years later, he joined Genk. He made his first team debut for Genk in a 3–0 defeat at Charleroi on 9 May 2009...
  
  
• Steven Defour
  Steven Defour
  Steven Arnold Defour is a Belgian footballer who plays as a midfielder for FC Porto.-Racing Genk:Defour had been with KV Mechelen since 2002....
  
  
• Moussa Dembélé
  Moussa Dembélé
  Moussa Sidi Yaya Dembélé is a Belgian footballer who currently plays as an Attacking Midfielder for Fulham in the English Premier League. He has a Malian father and a Belgian mother.-Early career:...
  
  
• Marouane Fellaini
  Marouane Fellaini
  Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui is a Belgian footballer who plays for Everton and the Belgium national football team. Fellaini is of Moroccan descent.-Early career:...
  
  
• Eden Hazard
  Eden Hazard
  Eden Hazard is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1 and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking...
  
  
• Vincent Kompany
  Vincent Kompany
  Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany is a Belgian footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Belgium national team. He is capable of playing at both centre back and defensive midfielder. Kompany is of partial Congolese ancestry...
  
  
• Romelu Lukaku
  Romelu Lukaku
  Romelu Benjamin Lukaku is a Belgian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Chelsea and the Belgium national team....
  
  
• Dries Mertens
  Dries Mertens
  Dries Mertens is a Belgian footballer currently playing for Dutch Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven.- Early career :...
  
  
• Simon Mignolet
  Simon Mignolet
  Simon Mignolet is a Belgian football goalkeeper, who currently plays for Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League, and the Belgian national team.-Sint-Truiden:...
  
  
• Kevin Mirallas
  Kevin Mirallas
  Kevin Antonio Mirallas is a Belgian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos, having previously played for Lille and Saint-Étienne. He has been capped by Belgium at international level.-Early years:...
  
  
• Marvin Ogunjimi
  Marvin Ogunjimi
  Marvin Ogunjimi is a Belgian football forward of Nigerian descent, who currently plays for RCD Mallorca and the Belgian national team.-Club career:...
  
  
• Thomas Vermaelen
• Jelle Vossen
  Jelle Vossen
  Jelle Vossen is a Belgian footballer who play as a striker for Belgian Pro League club Genk and the Belgian national team....
  
  
• Axel Witsel
  Axel Witsel
  Axel Thomas Witsel is a Belgian football player who plays for Benfica. His natural position is attacking midfielder, but he came into the first team as a right-winger...
  
  

Ajax Amsterdam

In mid 1990's the AFC Ajax brought through a Generation of players who helped them win the 1995 UEFA Champions League Final

1995 UEFA Champions League Final

The 1995 UEFA Champions League Final was the 40th edition and took place in Vienna between AFC Ajax and A.C. Milan. It was Milan's third European Cup final in three years and they were aiming to tie Real Madrid's record of having won the European Cup six times...

 which included:

• Edgar Davids
  Edgar Davids
  Edgar Steven Davids is a retired Dutch footballer and current member of the supervisory board of Ajax. After beginning his career with the Amsterdam club, he subsequently played in Italy for Milan and Juventus before a loan spell with Barcelona. He went on to play for Internazionale and Tottenham...
  
  
• Frank de Boer
  Frank de Boer
  Franciscus "Frank" de Boer is a Dutch former professional footballer, and the younger twin brother of Ronald de Boer. Since 6 December 2010 he is the Manager of AFC Ajax.-Club career:...
  
  
• Ronald de Boer
  Ronald de Boer
  Ronaldus "Ronald" de Boer is a former Dutch football midfielder who has played for the Dutch national team as well as a host of professional clubs in Europe. He is the older twin brother of Frank de Boer.-Club career:...
  
  
• Fred Grim
  Fred Grim
  Johann Georg Friedrich "Fred" Grim is a retired Dutch football goalkeeper who represented Ajax Amsterdam. From 1986 to 1994 he played for Cambuur Leeuwarden....
  
  
• Patrick Kluivert
  Patrick Kluivert
  Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a former Dutch footballer, currently head coach of the youth side of FC Twente. He played as a striker for AFC Ajax, A.C. Milan, FC Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia CF, PSV Eindhoven, and Lille OSC. Kluivert played for the Dutch national team from 1994 to 2004. He...
  
  
• Marc Overmars
  Marc Overmars
  Marc Overmars is a retired Dutch footballer. He is best known as a right-footed left winger, although he is able to use both his feet with equal precision and power...
  
  
• Michael Reiziger
  Michael Reiziger
  Michael John Reiziger is a retired Dutch footballer who played mainly as a right defender.After making a name for himself at Ajax, with whom he won one Champions League, he went on to represent three teams in three different countries, namely appearing for FC Barcelona, for which he played in...
  
  
• Clarence Seedorf
  Clarence Seedorf
  Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...
  
  
• Edwin van der Sar
  Edwin van der Sar
  Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...
  
  

Many of whom followed their coach at Ajax Louis van Gaal

Louis van Gaal

Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...

 at FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

.

Ireland national rugby union team

From 2001, Ireland's team has been chosen from a solid base of players, led by Brian O'Driscoll

Brian O'Driscoll

Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...

 whose debut in 1999 has been linked to a transformation in the team's fortunes. Under-21 Triple Crown victories in 1996 and 1998 and an under-19 World Cup win in 1998 occurred with many members of those teams going on to become the golden generation of the noughties. The senior team had only once in the 1990s won two Five Nations Championship games in one year (1995). However, the team of the 2000s were close runners-up in the expanded Six Nations Championship

Six Nations Championship

The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....

 several times, and were disappointingly knocked out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup

2007 Rugby World Cup

The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...

, failing to advance from the pool stage. Four Triple Crowns during the 2000s equaled the amount Ireland had won in the previous one hundred years. A two-win Six Nations campaign in 2008 was the exception, leading to the departure of manager Eddie O'Sullivan

Eddie O'Sullivan

Eddie O'Sullivan is an Irish rugby union coach and a former footballer. He is a former head coach of the United States national rugby union team and of the Ireland national rugby union team....

.

Their crowning moment came under Declan Kidney

Declan Kidney

Declan Kidney is an Irish rugby union coach.-Early life:Kidney played rugby for UCC and later for Dolphin RFC....

 in 2009 when they won the Grand Slam and Six Nations Championship

2009 Six Nations Championship

The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...

. They remained unbeaten throughout 2009, beating World

2007 Rugby World Cup

The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...

 and Tri Nations

2009 Tri Nations Series

The 2009 Tri Nations Series was the fourteenth annual Tri Nations rugby union series between the national rugby union teams of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, respectively nicknamed the All Blacks, Wallabies, and Springboks...

 champions South Africa

South Africa national rugby union team

The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...

 in their final match of the year. The Sunday Independent

Sunday Independent

The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...

proclaimed the noughties as "the greatest decade in the history of Irish rugby. In the space of 10 years we have progressed from penury to riches". Most of this group of players have also led their respective Irish club/provincial sides to unprecedented success, with Munster winning the Celtic League in 2003 and 2009 and the European Cup in 2006 and 2008; and Leinster winning the Celtic League in 2002 and 2008 and the European Cup in 2009 and 2011.

• Brian O'Driscoll
  Brian O'Driscoll
  Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
  
  
• Paul O'Connell
  Paul O'Connell
  Paul O'Connell is an Irish rugby union player who plays lock for Munster and Ireland. He also captained the British and Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa.-Early life:...
  
  
• Ronan O'Gara
  Ronan O'Gara
  Ronan John Ross O'Gara is an Irish rugby union player, playing at fly-half for both Munster and Ireland. He is the all time highest point scorer for both Munster and Ireland. In addition to his prolific point-scoring, he has captained Munster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions...
  
  
• Gordon D'Arcy
  Gordon D'Arcy
  Gordon William D'Arcy is an Irish rugby player, more specifically an inside centre. He is registered to Lansdowne RFC and plays for provincial and RaboDirect Pro12 side Leinster.-Career:...
  
  
• Girvan Dempsey
  Girvan Dempsey
  Girvan Dempsey is a retired rugby union footballer who played at full back for Leinster and Ireland.- Rugby career :...
  
  
• Donncha O'Callaghan
  Donncha O'Callaghan
  Donncha O'Callaghan is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays as a lock for Munster and Ireland.- Early career :He began his rugby education in Highfield Rugby Club, on the Model Farm Road in Cork. During the 1997/98 season he won a Schools Senior Cup with the Christian Brothers College, Cork,...
  
  
• Malcolm O'Kelly
  Malcolm O'Kelly
  Malcolm O'Kelly is a retired Irish rugby union player who played as a lock for Ireland and Leinster....
  
  
• Geordan Murphy
  Geordan Murphy
  Geordan Edward Andrew Murphy is an Irish rugby union rugby player and plays fullback or wing for the English club Leicester Tigers and Ireland....
  
  
• Peter Stringer
  Peter Stringer
  Peter Alexander Stringer is an Irish rugby union player who plays at scrum half for Munster and Ireland. He is one of the most recognisable players in world rugby as Stringer stands only 1.7m tall and weighs in at just over 70 kg .-Career:In February 2000, he made his debut for Ireland...
  
  
• Shane Horgan
  Shane Horgan
  Shane Patrick Horgan born 18 July 1978 in Bellewstown, County Meath is a rugby union player who plays wing or centre for Leinster and Ireland. He is tall. While he was young he played for Boyne RFC. He also played Gaelic football at Minor level with Meath.Horgan joined Lansdowne on leaving...
  
  
• John Hayes
  John Hayes
  John Hayes may refer to:In academia:* John Hayes , British art historian and museum director, expert on GainsboroughIn entertainment:* John Hayes , American director of low-budget films...
  
  
• Eric Miller
  Eric Miller
  Eric Miller may refer to:* Eric Miller , American DJ* Eric Miller , Irish rugby player* Eric Miller , English businessman, Chairman of Peachey Properties...
  
  
• Leo Cullen
  Leo Cullen
  Leo Cullen may refer to:*Leo Cullen *Leo Cullen...
  
  
• Denis Hickie
  Denis Hickie
  Denis Anthony Hickie born 13 February 1976 in Dublin, Ireland is a retired professional rugby union footballer employed by the Irish Rugby Football Union. He played his club rugby for Leinster. His primary position was on the wing. He is also known as Disco Denis as a result of his quick feet...
  
  
• Simon Easterby
  Simon Easterby
  Simon Easterby is an English-born Irish rugby union footballer. He plays for Scarlets, for whom he is a player-coach, and is a recently retired Ireland international. His regular position is at blindside flanker, but he is equally adept on the openside.-Early life:Easterby's father is English and...
  
  
• Paddy Wallace
  Paddy Wallace
  Paddy Wallace is an Irish rugby union footballer from Belfast where he attended Rockport School and Campbell College. He plays for Ulster. He was a member of the Ireland U19 side that lifted the U19 World Cup in 1998...