Michael Owen

Soccer Player

Michael Owen made England's 1998 World Cup squad at age 18, becoming the youngest national team member in 100 years. His mad goal-scoring dash through the Argentina defense was England's proudest moment in that year's Cup. (England later lost the game after Owen's fellow star David Beckham was red-carded out of the match.) Owen quickly became an international star, renowned for his speed and killer instinct around the goal. Owen was named European Footballer of the Year in 2001, and in 2002 he rejoined Beckham on the English national team which defeated Argentina before being knocked out by Brazil. He played professionally for Liverpool for several years before signing a contract in 2004 to play for the Spanish professional team Real Madrid. The next year he jumped to the British club Newcastle United.

Extra credit: Owen played in the 2006 World Cup but was lost to a knee injury during a 2-2 tie with Sweden in the tournament's opening round... Owen has lived nearly all his life in Hawarden, Wales, but was born over the border in Chester, England; as a result he plays for England in international competition... Owen married his longtime girlfriend, Louise Bonsall, in June of 2005. Owen and Bonsall first met in primary school; their daughter Gemma Rose was born on 1 May 2003, and a son, James Michael, was born on 6 February 2006.

Other football (soccer) stars include Ronaldo, Pele and Eusebio.