Rivaldo

Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (born 19 April 1972), known as Rivaldo, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. He played mainly as an attacking midfielder but also as a second striker. Often considered one of the best players of his generation, Rivaldo is also regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Labelled a "bandy-legged genius" by The Guardian (due to being bowlegged), although he was predominantly left footed he was capable of playing on either flank, and was on occasion deployed as a wide midfielder or as a winger.

Rivaldo spent five years with Spanish club Barcelona, where he formed a successful partnership with Patrick Kluivert, and won the 1998 and 1999 Spanish La Liga championship and the 1998 Copa del Rey. With 130 goals for Barcelona, he is one of the club's highest goalscorers. His three goals against Valencia in June 2001 which qualified Barcelona for the Champions League, the last goal of which was a last minute 20-yard bicycle kick winner, is often ranked the greatest hat-trick ever.

From 1993 and 2003, Rivaldo played 74 matches and scored 35 goals for Brazil. He helped Brazil reach the final of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and won the 1999 Copa América where he was named player of the tournament. Rivaldo starred in an attacking trio with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in the 2002 FIFA World Cup winning team. Scoring in five of Brazil's seven games at the tournament (including a feint that set up Ronaldo for the second goal in the final), Rivaldo was named in …