GOLDEN GENERATION

'Golden Generation' is a term first coined by the Portuguese sports media to refer to a group of exceptionally gifted teenage Portuguese soccer players. This group of players, spearheaded by "Golden Boy" Luís Figo, won several Football World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991. The term 'Golden Generation' is often used to describe an exceptionally gifted group of players who achieve a level of international success beyond what their team had previously achieved. Below is a list of teams who have been referred by their countries media or by the soccer press as golden generation style teams.

Contents

The Golden Generation

The Next Golden Generation

Australia national football (soccer) team

Bulgaria National Football Team

Croatian National Football Team

English National Football Team

Romanian National Football Team

Turkey National Football Team

Other uses

The Golden Generation

Many of these players made up the youth national teams of Portugal, these teams were the step-up to the senior team. As a result Portugal reached the semi finals of 2000 UEFA European Football Championship and were runners-up four years later. They were also 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists after a dominating run.

★ Luís Figo

★ Rui Costa

★ Fernando Couto

★ Vítor Baía

★ Jorge Costa

★ Dimas

★ João Vieira Pinto

★ Domingos

★ Paulo Sousa

★ Sérgio Conceição

★ Abel Xavier

★ Ricardo Sá Pinto

★ Pauleta

The Next Golden Generation

The Portuguese team, now making fourth place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup has earned another group of "Golden Boys". The younger footballers now make up the Portuguese team and are considered the next level of the "Golden Generation".[1] The most prominent of the younger players of the new team include:

★ Cristiano Ronaldo

★ Simão Sabrosa

★ Miguel

★ Deco

★ Ricardo Carvalho

★ Joao Moutinho

★ Ricardo Quaresma

★ Manuel Fernandes

★ Nani

Australia national football (soccer) team

After failing to qualify for numerous qualify for world cups the socceroos finally qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The socceroos assembled what many considder the most talented group of australian soccer players ever assembled making it the second round of the world cup.[2] [3] [4]

★ Tim Cahill

★ Mark Viduka

★ Harry Kewell

★ John Aloisi

★ Mark Schwarzer

★ Mark Bresciano

★ Brett Emerton

★ Lucas Neill

Bulgaria National Football Team

In the 1990s, The Bulgarian National Football Team achieved international success, at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the semi finals defeating such football powerhouses like Germany and Argentina. Where before they had not even won a game.

★ Hristo Stoichkov

★ Yordan Letchkov

★ Nasko Sirakov

★ Emil Kostadinov

★ Daniel Borimirov

★ Krassimir Balakov

★ Trifon Ivanov

★ Tsanko Tsvetanov

★ Borislav Mikhailov

★ Petar Mihtarski

★ Petar Hubchev

★ Zlatko Yankov

★ Emil Kremenliev

★ Bontcho Guentchev

★ Plamen Nikolov

★ Ivaylo Yordanov

★ Ilian Kiriakov

Croatian National Football Team

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the Croatian National Football Team achieved international success, reaching the quarter-finals of 1996 UEFA European Football Championship and the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[5][6] Like their Portuguese counterparts many of their golden generation players, they also won a Football World Youth Championship. The likes of Davor Suker, Alen Boksic, Robert Prosinečki and Zvonimir Boban were part of the former Yugoslavia's win in the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championships.

★ Aljoša Asanović

★ Slaven Bilić

★ Zvonimir Boban

★ Alen Bokšić

★ Robert Jarni

★ Dražen Ladić

★ Robert Prosinečki

★ Zvonimir Soldo

★ Mario Stanić

★ Igor Štimac

★ Davor Šuker

★ Goran Vlaović

★ Igor Tudor

★ Dario Šimić

English National Football Team

Early in the reign of Sven-Göran Eriksson, Adam Crozier chief executive of the Football Association and some members of the British media touted players such as Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard as the nucleus of a potential Golden Generation team.[7]However, this group of players failed to live up to expectations during Sven's tenure, resulting in the term falling out of common use.[8] [9] [10]
[11][12]

★ Michael Owen

★ Steven Gerrard

★ Frank Lampard

★ David Beckham

★ Rio Ferdinand

★ Paul Scholes

★ Wayne Rooney

★ John Terry

★ Ashley Cole

★ Joe Cole

Romanian National Football Team

In the 1990s, The Romanian National Football Team achieved international prestige, peaking at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter finals.

★ Ilie Dumitrescu

★ Gheorghe Hagi

★ Adrian Ilie

★ Viorel Moldovan

★ Adrian Mutu

★ Dan Petrescu

★ Gheorghe Popescu

★ Florin Răducioiu

Turkey National Football Team

In the mid 1990s to early 21st Century, the Turkish National Football Team achieved international success, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2000 UEFA European Football Championship and the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[13]

★ Hakan Şükür

★ Rüştü Reçber

★ Hasan Şaş

★ Emre Belözoğlu

★ Tugay Kerimoğlu

★ Ümit Davala

★ İlhan Mansız

Other uses

Sometimes this description is used for participants of World War II or when referring to a country's importance in history. [14]