Marcel Desailly

Born in Accra, Ghana, and naturalized French as a child, Marcel Desailly was one of the most complete defenders of his generation, combining physical strength with excellent ball-playing ability. He formed a legendary defensive partnership with Laurent Blanc in the French national team that won the World Cup in 1998. At club level, he was a key player in the European triumphs of Olympique de Marseille in 1993 and AC Milan in 1994, becoming one of the few players to win the Champions League with two different clubs in consecutive years. He ended his career at Chelsea, where he was captain for several years.