This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Casillas and the second or maternal family name is Fernández.

Iker Casillas Fernández (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈiker kaˈsiʎas ferˈnandeθ]; born 20 May 1981) is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for and captains both La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. In 2008 he was the captain of the Spanish team that won their first European Championship in 44 years, the Spanish team that went on to win Spain's first World Cup (a tournament in which he won the Golden Glove aka Yashin Award) and the 2012 European Championship.

Considered to be one of the finest goalkeepers of his generation,^[3][4][5] Casillas was nominated for the European Footballer of the Year award in 2008, ranking fourth overall.^[6] At the end of 2012 he was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year for the sixth consecutive time. As of 2011 Casillas is one of a very select group of players who have won all major club and national championship titles. In 2010, he was awarded with the Sports Prince of Asturias Award. On 19 October 2010, Casillas became the most capped goalkeeper of all time in the UEFA Champions League and in November 2011, he became the most capped player of all time for the Spanish national team

Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club FC Barcelona and theArgentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team. By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010, and then again in2011 & 2012. He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At the age of 24, Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions. At age 25, Messi became the youngest player to score 200 La Liga goals.

Widely recognised as the best player in the world and rated by some commentators, coaches and players as the greatest footballer of all time,^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]} Messi is the first football player in history to win four FIFA/Ballons d'Or, all of which he won consecutively, as well as the first to win three European Golden Shoe awards. Messi has won six La Ligas, twoCopas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.

Messi is the first and only player to top-score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns, and also holds the record for the most hat-tricks (4) scored in the history of the competition. In March 2012, Messi made Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match. He also matched José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single Champions League season. Messi set the European record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals. In the same season, he set the current goalscoring record in a single La Liga season, scoring 50 goals. Also in that season, Messi became the first player ever to have scored and assisted in six different official competitions in one season. On 16 February 2013, Messi scored his 300th Barcelona goal. On 30 March 2013, Messi scored in his 19th consecutive La Liga game, becoming the first footballer in history to net in consecutive matches against every team in a professional football league. Messi extended his record scoring streak to 21 consecutive league matches.

Messi helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing as both the best player and the top scorer (with 6 goals). In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in theFIFA World Cup, and won a runners-up medal at the Copa América in 2007, in which he was elected young player of the tournament. In 2008, he won his first international honour, an Olympic Gold Medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team. SportsPro has rated him as the second-most marketable athlete in the world. His playing style and stature have drawn comparisons to compatriot Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".^[12]

Radamel Falcao García Zárate (Spanish pronunciation: [raðaˈmel falˈkao]; 10 February 1986), commonly known simply as Radamel Falcao or Falcao García in South America,^[1][2][3]is a Colombian football striker, who plays for AS Monaco in the French Ligue 1 and represents the Colombia national football team. He is sometimes nicknamed as El Tigre (Spanish forThe Tiger) and King of the Europa League.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Falcao is considered by many experts to be the 'deadliest' striker in the world and among the best ever,^{[9][10][11][12][13][14]} having surpassed Jürgen Klinsmann's record of 15 goals (17) in a single annual club football European competition UEFA Champions League/UEFA Europa League campaign. He also played a key role in guiding F.C. Porto to a second Europa League title, as well as finishing undefeated in the 2010–11 Primeira Liga season. In July 2011, Falcao was regarded as the fifth best player in Europe during the 2010–11 season through balloting by 53 sportswriters of the UEFA member associations. Falcao had also received the Portuguese Golden Ball award in 2011, becoming the first Colombian to do so.^[15] Falcao had won both the GQ Spain award for sportsman of the year and the Globe Best Footballer in 2012.^[16] In 2012, Falcao was listed 6th in The 100 best footballers in the world by The Guardian.^[17] Falcao was listed into the FIFA XI for 2012.

In just his first three seasons in European football, Falcao scored over 100 goals.^[18] Falcao had played a key role in Atlético Madrid's 12 match winning streak in a single Europa League season, making it the first team to do so.^[19] He also became the top goal scorer in both tournaments.^[20] Falcao had another historical achievement winning his first UEFA Super Cup in2012, becoming the first player in history to score a hat trick in the contest since its reform in 1998.^[21] Falcao's most noticeable trait aside from his ability to play well with both feet and a strong header despite his size would be his impressive goal-by-minute ratio that even exceeds world top players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.^[22][23] On 9 December 2012, Falcao became one of the few players in La Liga history to score five goals in one game after accomplishing this in a 6–0 home victory against Deportivo de La Coruña.^[24][25] In the 2013 Copa del Rey Final, Falcao played a crucial part in Atlético Madrid's victory over Real Madrid, ending the 14 year unbeaten streak which Real Madrid had held in matches against Atlético prior to the final.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro,^[2] OIH (born 5 February 1985),^[3] commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and who serves as captain of the Portuguese national team. He became the most expensive footballer in history upon his 2009 move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth £80 million (€94 million/$131.6 million), a record that would later be reportedly broken by Gareth Bale, who joined Real Madrid in 2013 for £85 million (€100 million).^[4] Ronaldo's contract with Real Madrid, under the terms of which he is paid €21 million per year (after taxes), makes him the highest-paid footballer in the world,^[5] and his buyout clause is valued at €1 billion as per his contract.^[6]

Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal. Ronaldo caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who signed him for £12.24 million (€15 million) in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup.

Ronaldo was the first player playing in England to win all four main PFA and FWA awards, doing so in 2007. In 2008, Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or.^[7] He placed second in the Ballon d'Or in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012. He was awarded the European Golden Shoe in both 2008 and 2011. In 2008, he won three of the four main PFA and FWA trophies and was named the FIFPro Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, Onze d'Or, and the FIFA World Player of the Year.^[8][9][10] In 2007 and 2008, Ronaldo was named FWA Footballer of the Year. Ronaldo was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Puskás Award for the Goal of the Year in 2009.

Ronaldo is regarded to be one of the finest footballers in today's game and as one of the greatest of all time.^{[11][12][13][14][15]} Ronaldo is the first top European league player to reach 40 goals in a single season in two consecutive years, fastest Real Madrid player to reach one hundred league goals, and the first player ever to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.^[16] He also holds records for most goals scored in a season for Real Madrid and most goals scored per minute in La Liga for a Real Madrid player. In January 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 300th club goal.^[17][18]

Ronaldo is a Portuguese international and made his debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He has been capped over 100 times and is his country's second-highest goalscorer of all time. With Portugal he has participated in five major tournaments; UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He scored his first international goal in the opening game of the Euro 2004 against Greece, in addition to helping Portugal reach the final. He took over the captaincy of the side in July 2008 and went on to captain Portugal to the semi-finals at the Euro 2012 and finished the competition as the joint best scorer.

He wore the number 7 shirt at United, which was previously worn by Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. After spending his first year at Madrid wearing the number 9 shirt, he began wearing the number 7 again following the departure of the legendary Raúl.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (Funchal, 5 de febrero de 1985), mejor conocido como Cristiano Ronaldo (AFI: kɾiʃˈtiɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu), es un futbolista portugués que juega como extremo en el Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, de la Primera División de España.

Identificado en los medios de comunicación con el numerónimo CR7,^{n 1} es considerado como uno de los mejores futbolistas del mundo,^4 ,5 ,6 e incluso el mejor y más completo,^{7 8 9 1011 12 13} así como también uno de los deportistas más mediáticos de la actualidad.¹⁴ Es el quinto máximo goleador en la historia del Real Madrid C. F. —tras haber superado sucesivamente a grandes jugadores como Amancio Amaro,¹⁵ Emilio Butragueño,¹⁶ Pirri¹⁷ Paco Gento¹⁸ o Hugo Sánchez,¹⁹ éste último durante la temporada 2013-14— consiguiéndolo en apenas cinco temporadas en el club.¹⁸

A lo largo de su carrera profesional Cristiano ha conseguido batir diversos récords. Entre ellos destacan el de ser el madridista que menos partidos necesitó (92) para alcanzar los cien goles en el campeonato de Liga,²⁰ ser el primer futbolista en la historia de la Liga que consiguió marcarle a todos los equipos a los que se enfrentó en una temporada,²¹ o ser hasta el momento el único futbolista de la historia capaz de marcar en seis «Clásicos» consecutivos.²² Es también el único futbolista que ha conseguido marcar en seis visitas consecutivas alCamp Nou, estadio de máxima rivalidad para «los blancos»,²³ además de ser el portugués que más goles ha marcado en Champions League (máxima competición a nivel de clubes en Europa) con un total de 51²⁴ tras superar a su compatriota Eusébio.²⁵

Su consagración como futbolista de elite se dio en su etapa en el Manchester United Football Club, donde tras conquistar tres Premier League, dos Copas de la liga, una Copa, unaCommunity Shield, una Liga de Campeones y una Copa Mundial de Clubes, fue galardonado con el Balón de Oro,²⁶ el FIFA World Player,²⁷ y la Bota de Oro,²⁸ trofeos que le acreditaban como mejor futbolista del mundo en el año 2008.

Tras protagonizar el traspaso más caro en la historia del fútbol,²⁹ recaló en el Real Madrid Club de Fútbol, donde mejoró como futbolista llegando a sus más altos registros en juego y goles. En el club español fue el primer jugador en superar la histórica cifra de 38 goles en una temporada de Liga, situando la nueva marca en 41 goles,³⁰ registro que le sirvió para ganar su segunda Bota de Oro.³¹ Conquistó de madridista una Copa del Rey,³² una Liga,^{n 2 33} y una Supercopa de España completando así la triple corona española.

Debutó con la selección portuguesa el 20 de agosto de 2003 en un amistoso ante Kazajistán, sustituyendo a su gran ídolo, Luís Figo,³⁴ y desde entonces ha disputado tres Eurocopas y dos Mundiales en donde sus máximos logros fueron en las Eurocopas de Portugal 2004 y Polonia y Ucrania 2012, en las que fue subcampeón y semifinalista respectivamente,^35 36 y un cuarto lugar en el Mundial de Alemania 2006.

Radamel Falcao García Zárate, ODB⁸ (Santa Marta, Magdalena, 10 de febrero de 1986), conocido simplemente como Falcao, es un futbolista colombiano que debutó profesionalmente en Lanceros Boyacá de Colombia.^7 5 Juega como delantero en el AS Mónaco de la Ligue 1 de Francia y en la selección nacional de Colombia.

Hijo del ex-futbolista Radamel García, quien se desempeñó como recio defensa en las décadas de los años 70 y 80, quien además jugó en algunos equipos como Unión Magdalena,Santa Fe y Bucaramanga.⁹

Falcao es el jugador que más goles ha anotado en una sola temporada de un torneo europeo. Tal récord lo logró con el FC Porto en la Liga Europea de la UEFA durante la temporada2010-2011.^10 11 12 En julio de 2011 fue considerado el quinto mejor futbolista en Europa (solo por detrás de Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi Hernández y Andrés Iniesta) mediante una votación realizada por 53 periodistas deportivos de las federaciones que hacen parte de la UEFA.^{13 14 15 16}

En 2012 fue incluido, por segunda vez consecutiva, entre los mejores diez jugadores de la temporada en Europa. En esta ocasión, fue valorado como el octavo mejor jugador en Europa —empatado en puntos con el portero checo Petr Čech—. Tal decisión fue tomada con base en una votación en la que, de igual forma que en 2011, se tuvieron en cuenta a 53 periodistas representantes de las federaciones miembro de la UEFA.^{17 18 19 20} En el mismo año, fue considerado el tercer mejor jugador del mundo de la temporada 2011-12, según la revista francesa Onze Mondial, mediante el premio Onze d'Bronze.^21 22 En el mismo año, fue considerado el mejor futbolista del mundo por Globe Soccer Awards.²³

En enero de 2013, fue incluido en el FIFA/FIFPro World XI 2012, mediante una votación en la que participaron más de 50.000 jugadores profesionales de la FIFPro.^24 25 Fue elegido quinto mejor jugador del mundo en 2012, según la votación del FIFA Balón de Oro 2012 en la que participaron capitanes, entrenadores y periodistas de todas las federaciones que pertenecen a la FIFA.²⁶