Didier Drogba

Indisputably one of the greatest players of all time, fans of retired Ivorian footballer Didier Drogba will carry a burning torch for decades to come. The striker currently holds two-dozen records, including most goals scored by a non-English player and most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League at Chelsea, the most goals scored by a player for the Ivory Coast, the most goals by an African player in the UEFA Champions League, and the most goals by an African player in the Premier League.

These are mere drops in the water, however, compared to his individual honours. Drogba has been named African Footballer of the Year twice, ranked as a FIFA Player of the Year four times, received the Premier League Golden Boot twice, and was named as one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in 2010. This is a legacy that was built within twenty years, beginning at Le Mans in 1998 and culminating at the player’s 2018 retirement from Phoenix Rising.

Unstoppable on and off the field, the United Nations Development Program took notice of Drogba when in 2006, after helping his national team qualify for the World Cup, he played a key role in bringing a ceasefire to a civil war that had been raging in his region for five years. Coupled with his charity work, this spurred a move to appoint him a Goodwill Ambassador. Drogba is a familiar face at the UNDP annual charity football match and has created a foundation to bring health and education in his country. Drogba was recently named a FIFA 20 Icon for the upcoming installment of the video game series and has plans to run for president of the Ivorian Football Federation.