The Most Famous
SOCCER PLAYERS from New Caledonia
This page contains a list of the greatest Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 21,273 Soccer Players, 5 of which were born in New Caledonia. This makes New Caledonia the birth place of the 113th most number of Soccer Players behind Martinique, and Malaysia.
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the 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.
1. Christian Karembeu (b. 1970)
With an HPI of 56.44, Christian Karembeu is the most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 47 different languages on wikipedia.
Christian Lali Kake Karembeu (born 3 December 1970) is a New Caledonian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder representing France. He is currently the sporting director for Olympiacos. Karembeu represented Nantes, Sampdoria, Real Madrid, Middlesbrough, Olympiacos, Servette, and Bastia. He found much success on the national stage as well representing France, having been born in the overseas territory New Caledonia, and was a vital part of the squad that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup on home soil and featured in one match in France's victorious UEFA Euro 2000 campaign.
2. Antoine Kombouaré (b. 1963)
With an HPI of 47.20, Antoine Kombouaré is the 2nd most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Antoine Krilone Kombouaré (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃twan kɔ̃bwaʁe]; born 16 November 1963) is a French professional football manager and former player who currently works as the head coach of Ligue 1 club Nantes.
3. Jacques Zimako (1951 - 2021)
With an HPI of 42.15, Jacques Zimako is the 3rd most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Jacques Zimako (28 December 1951 – 8 December 2021) was a New Caledonian professional footballer who played as a forward.
4. Frédéric Piquionne (b. 1978)
With an HPI of 35.59, Frédéric Piquionne is the 4th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Frédéric Michel Piquionne (born 8 December 1978) is a Martiniquais former professional footballer who played as a forward. Piquionne's former clubs are Golden Star of Martinique, Nîmes, Rennes, Saint-Étienne, Monaco, Lyon, Portsmouth, West Ham United, Doncaster Rovers, Portland Timbers and Mumbai City. At international level, Piquionne played for the Martinique national team. He represented them in the run up to the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup and was named in the 2012 Caribbean Cup squad. He also played once for France in a friendly against Austria in 2007.
5. Bertrand Kaï (b. 1983)
With an HPI of 27.71, Bertrand Kaï is the 5th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Bertrand Patrice Charles Kaï (born 6 June 1983) is a New Caledonian international footballer who plays as a forward for Hienghène Sport and the New Caledonia national team. He is one of only two New Caledonians to be named Oceania Footballer of the Year.
6. Georges Gope-Fenepej (b. 1988)
With an HPI of 26.77, Georges Gope-Fenepej is the 6th most famous Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Georges Gope-Fenepej (born 23 October 1988) is a New Caledonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Championnat National 2 club Saint-Pryvé Saint-Hilaire. He is the brother of fellow footballer John Gope-Fenepej.
People
Pantheon has 6 people classified as soccer players born between 1951 and 1988. Of these 6, 5 (83.33%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living soccer players include Christian Karembeu, Antoine Kombouaré, and Frédéric Piquionne. The most famous deceased soccer players include Jacques Zimako. As of April 2024, 1 new soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Bertrand Kaï.
Living Soccer Players
Go to all Rankings
Christian Karembeu
1970 - Present
HPI: 56.44
Antoine Kombouaré
1963 - Present
HPI: 47.20
Frédéric Piquionne
1978 - Present
HPI: 35.59
Bertrand Kaï
1983 - Present
HPI: 27.71
Georges Gope-Fenepej
1988 - Present
HPI: 26.77
