Photo : Jmex60, CC BY-SA 3.0
Roger Milla
The footballer who made the whole world dance
Born in 1952
Who are they?
A striker born in YaoundĂ© in 1952. After playing for LĂ©opards de Douala and Tonnerre YaoundĂ©, he spent most of his club career in France, with Monaco, Bastia, Saint-Ătienne and Montpellier.
What made them famous
The 1990 World Cup in Italy remains the high point: at 38, coming off the bench, he scored four goals and celebrated each one with a dance at the corner flag. Cameroon reached the quarter-finals, the best performance by an African side in the tournament.
Key facts
- His corner-flag dance became one of the most imitated celebrations in football.
- In 1994 he scored against Russia aged 42 years and 39 days, and remains the oldest goalscorer in World Cup history.
- African Footballer of the Year in 1976 and 1990, and African Cup of Nations winner in 1984 and 1988.
- Named Cameroonian player of the century by the IFFHS and included in the FIFA 100 in 2004.