Fabio Cannavaro

Clubs: SSC Napoli, Parma FC, FC Internazionale Milano, Juventus, Real Madrid CF, Juventus, Al-Ahli Club

UEFA honours
UEFA European Championship: runner-up 2000, Team of the Tournament 2000
UEFA Cup: winner 1999
UEFA European Under-21 Championship: winner 1994, 1996
UEFA.com users' Team of the Year: 2006

• Born in Naples, Cannavaro was a ball boy at the Stadio San Paolo during Napoli's glory years of the late 1980s before graduating through the club's youth academy and making his Serie A debut in March 1993.

• Left for Parma in 1995 and became a staunch favourite for his new club, performing with unerring consistency over the next seven seasons, during which he appeared regularly in European competition, won the UEFA Cup − against Olympique de Marseille in the final − and two Italian Cups and became a regular for Italy.

• Blooded by the Azzurri in 1997 after twice becoming European U21 champion, he starred at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 but was suspended for Italy's defeat by Korea Republic at the 2002 World Cup and also for the final group game against Bulgaria at UEFA EURO 2004.

• Reached his career pinnacle at the 2006 World Cup as he brilliantly captained his country to victory in Germany, earning his 100th cap in the final versus France.

• Claimed theFIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Ordouble at the end of 2006, by which time he had left Juventus for Madrid, where he won the Liga title in each of his two seasons.

• Returned to Juventus after missing UEFA EURO 2008 through an injury sustained on the eve of the tournament.

• Captained Italy at the 2010 World Cup but announced his international retirement after the team's shock first-round exit, having represented his country a record 136 times; also left Italy that summer to conclude his career in Dubai.

• Announced his retirement in July 2011 − five years to the day since lifting the World Cup − due to a persistent knee injury, but will continue working for Al-Ahli as a technical adviser. "I find working for this club exciting," he said. "I wanted to play on for another season, but it wouldn't have been fair."

• Cannavaro received a commemorative cap and medal from UEFA to mark his century of international appearances on 11 October 2011, before Italy's 3-0 win against Northern Ireland in UEFA European Championship qualifying.

• "I'm very proud to have reached this milestone with Italy, the most successful team in the World Cup after Brazil," he said. "I'm only starting to realise now that I'm retired what I achieved at international level. Now I hope that my friend [Gianluca] Zambrotta will join us in the club. He is still 34 and needs just two more caps − I was 33 when I won the Ballon d'Or after all."