The Most Famous
SOCCER PLAYERS from French Guiana
This page contains a list of the greatest Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 21,273 Soccer Players, 8 of which were born in French Guiana. This makes French Guiana the birth place of the 102nd most number of Soccer Players behind El Salvador, and Faroe Islands.
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Soccer Players.
1. Florent Malouda (b. 1980)
With an HPI of 55.16, Florent Malouda is the most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 57 different languages on wikipedia.
Florent Johan Malouda (born 13 June 1980) is a French football coach and former professional player who played as a left winger. Born in French Guiana, he represented both France and French Guiana at international level. Malouda he spent most of his career at Lyon and Chelsea, winning four consecutive Ligue 1 titles with the former and the UEFA Champions League in 2012 with the latter, among other honours. A France international from 2004 to 2012, Malouda represented Les Bleus on 80 occasions, including in two FIFA World Cups and two European Championships. He was part of the French team which reached the 2006 World Cup final. In 2017, he played for his home region French Guiana.
2. Raoul Diagne (1910 - 2002)
With an HPI of 48.71, Raoul Diagne is the 2nd most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Raoul Diagne (10 November 1910 – 4 November 2002) was a French footballer who played as a defender professionally in France and for the France national team. He worked as a coach after his playing career. Born in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in French Guiana, Diagne, son of politician Blaise Diagne, was raised in Paris. The young Diagne was a brilliant student, but his passion for football was much stronger than that for studying, despite pressure from his father. Initially cut by French professional football team Stade Français, Raoul Diagne signed at the age of 16 with Racing Club de Paris. A tall, elegant, and versatile defender who was excellent in the air, Diagne was the first black player to be selected for the France national team. He earned 18 caps with the national team. The French press nicknamed Diagne the "Black Spider", given his impressive height (1.87 m) and limb reach. Playing in Paris, Diagne was close to the star Josephine Baker, who affectionately called him "my little brother." He was a prominent figure in the "black Paris" of the time, alongside boxer Panama Al Brown. Diagne could play any position on the field, goalkeeper included. Despite his imposing size and his primary role as a defender, his preferred position was as a right wing. It was as a very offensive-minded right back defender that he made his career on the France team. In fact, it was not uncommon to see Raoul exchange his position with the actual right winger in order to seek a result at the end of the game. At the end of the 1940s, after finishing his playing career in Toulouse (until 1942), Annecy (1942–1945) and Nice (1945–1947), he obtained his coaching diplomas and practiced in Belgium, Algeria, and Normandy. Of Senegalese descent, in the early 1960s Diagne became the first coach of the Senegal national team. Raoul Diagne died on 4 November 2002 in Créteil, a southeastern suburb of the Paris metropolitan area. The "Black Spider" was 92 years old and France football mourned the loss of a star and pioneer.
3. Mike Maignan (b. 1995)
With an HPI of 46.86, Mike Maignan is the 3rd most famous Soccer Player. Her biography has been translated into 39 different languages.
Mike Peterson Maignan (born 3 July 1995) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club AC Milan and the France national team. Considered as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he is known for his reflexes, distribution and leadership qualities. Maignan came through the youth teams at Paris Saint-Germain, where he often served as an unused substitute. In 2015 he joined Lille for €1 million, and became their first-choice in 2017. He was voted Ligue 1's goalkeeper of the year in 2018–19, and won the league title in 2020–21. He then moved to AC Milan for €15 million, winning Serie A in his first season and making the Team of the Season. After earning 37 caps for France at youth level, Maignan made his senior international debut in 2020. He was selected in the French squad for UEFA Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
4. Claude Dambury (b. 1971)
With an HPI of 40.77, Claude Dambury is the 4th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 41 different languages.
Claude Dambury (born 30 July 1971) is a French Guianan former professional footballer who played as a defender. At international level, he made two appearances for the French Guiana national team.
5. Jean-Clair Todibo (b. 1999)
With an HPI of 37.88, Jean-Clair Todibo is the 5th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.
Jean-Clair Dimitri Roger Todibo (born 30 December 1999) is a French professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club West Ham United, on loan from Ligue 1 club Nice, and the France national team.
6. Jean-Claude Darcheville (b. 1975)
With an HPI of 35.38, Jean-Claude Darcheville is the 6th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Jean-Claude Jacques Ducan Darcheville (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ klod dykɑ̃ daʁʃ(ə)vil]; born 25 July 1975) is a French Guianan former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for various clubs in France, England, Scotland, and Greece. He represented French Guiana at the 2012 Caribbean Cup.
7. Cyrille Regis (1958 - 2018)
With an HPI of 32.89, Cyrille Regis is the 7th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Cyrille Regis (9 February 1958 – 14 January 2018) was a professional footballer who played as a forward. His professional playing career spanned 19 years, where he made 614 league appearances and scored 158 league goals, most prolifically at West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City. Born in French Guiana, Regis also won five caps with the England national team.
8. Odsonne Édouard (b. 1998)
With an HPI of 29.45, Odsonne Édouard is the 8th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.
Odsonne Édouard (born 16 January 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Leicester City, on loan from Crystal Palace. Having progressed through the youth ranks of AF Bobigny, Édouard signed with Paris Saint-Germain in July 2011 before being loaned to fellow Ligue 1 side Toulouse for the 2016–17 season. The following season, he was loaned to Celtic, where he won the domestic treble, before joining them on a permanent move for a club record fee. He has also represented France at various youth levels and was a key player for the country at the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, where he won both the Golden Player and Golden Boot awards.
9. Florian Jozefzoon (b. 1991)
With an HPI of 27.95, Florian Jozefzoon is the 9th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Florian Marc Jozefzoon (born 9 February 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger. Born in French Guiana, he represents the Suriname national team. He is a product of the Ajax Youth Academy and won ten caps for the Netherlands at youth level. He has also won the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven in 2014–15 and 2015–16.
10. Ludovic Baal (b. 1986)
With an HPI of 27.87, Ludovic Baal is the 10th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Ludovic Baal (born 24 May 1986) is a French Guianan professional footballer who plays as a left-back for the French Guiana team.
People
Pantheon has 10 people classified as soccer players born between 1910 and 1999. Of these 10, 8 (80.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living soccer players include Florent Malouda, Mike Maignan, and Claude Dambury. The most famous deceased soccer players include Raoul Diagne, and Cyrille Regis. As of April 2024, 2 new soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Jean-Claude Darcheville, and Ludovic Baal.
Living Soccer Players
Go to all Rankings
Florent Malouda
1980 - Present
HPI: 55.16
Mike Maignan
1995 - Present
HPI: 46.86
Claude Dambury
1971 - Present
HPI: 40.77
Jean-Clair Todibo
1999 - Present
HPI: 37.88
Jean-Claude Darcheville
1975 - Present
HPI: 35.38
Odsonne Édouard
1998 - Present
HPI: 29.45
Florian Jozefzoon
1991 - Present
HPI: 27.95
Ludovic Baal
1986 - Present
HPI: 27.87
