Marco van Basten

Born 31 October 1964, Marco van Basten broke through at Ajax with close control and a gift for headers and volleys that seemed to defy physics. He won three Eredivisie titles and a Cup Winners' Cup before moving to AC Milan, where he collected four Serie A titles and two European Cups. In 1988 he carried the Netherlands to Euro victory, finishing with five goals and the Golden Boot; the final against the Soviet Union produced his arcing volley from an impossible angle, a strike still taught in highlight reels. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992, the same year he claimed his thi…