The surprising before and after of soccer stars

David Beckham was born in May 1975 and by the age of 20, he was already Manchester United's biggest star. Beckham also became a fashion icon but, at that point, no one really knew what was waiting for him in the future. Not everyone looks good with this haircut, after all...

David Beckham retired from the sport in 2013 and is now a successful, multi-tattooed businessman and still considered one of the most attractive men in the world. He also claims that, physically, he could still play at the highest level if necessary.

Born in October 1985, Wayne Rooney's journey from player to manager has been an astounding one. From a player who always seemed like he wanted to fight (or party!), he has become a veteran coach with a calm appearance. Remember that Wayne Rooney was born in 1985 - that is, 10 years after David Beckham. And yet, the years have been harder on Wayne.

Here we see Rooney when he was just 23 years old, with his cheeky Chappy face and all the world ahead of him. In the photo, taken in 2008, he is holding the Man of the Match award after the FIFA Club World Cup final match between LDU Quito and Manchester United in Japan.

Born in January 1967, the former French player has turned into a captivating 'Silver Fox'. Since his retirement from him, back in 2002, David Ginola has worked as a sports commentator but has also made a career as an actor in film and television. Let's not forget his stint on 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here'.

Despite his baby face, David Ginola was 28 years old in this 1995 photo and a true magnet for brands. Throughout his career he was the image of companies such as L'Oréal, Carte Noire and Renault.

Born in May 1967 and retired in 2005, his post-football stage was full of some messy personal complications. Although, now he is better than in previous periods of his life. As a player, he certainly looked very different.

This photo of 20-year-old Paul Gascoigne, back in 1987, marvelously captures what the player was: an entertainer who captivated spectators and had fun on the pitch. Of course, sometimes the fun could get out of hand.

Ronaldo Nazario, born in September 1976, is perhaps the best striker in history, with the permission of the other Ronaldo (Cristiano). After his withdrawal from the game, he learned that his weight problems came from hypothyroidism. Now, he is president of Valladolid (in the Spanish League) and the largest shareholder of the Brazilian Cruzeiro.

Ronaldo, at the age of 20, already dominated world soccer. The photo is from 1996, before knees and hypothyroidism limited a striker who could have gone even further. He was a real spectacle on the field and his ability to score a goal had never been seen before on a pitch.

Born in July 1984, Wesley Sneijder's career while, of course, fabulous, could have amounted to so much more. He is now involved in commentary work, and despite his beard, the years have been kind to this brilliant midfielder.

He was 21 years old; he smiled when he played - and he made his fans smile. He played alongside stars like Arjen Robben and Robbie Van Persie. In fact, everything indicated that they could have been an unstoppable national team, but Del Bosque's Spain made sure that he could never fulfill his real dream.

Robben may have always looked older than he really is. Born in January 1984, he had receding hair in his 20’s. The player shaved it off, giving us the image we all recognize now.

The photo, from 2003, shows when a very young 19-year-old Robben was scoring goals for PSV Eindhoven. He had the appearance of a player from another era, but he was ahead of his time in quality and technique.

Eric Cantona has always been one of those stars with a confident - almost arrogant - appearance. Yet, he has a huge heart, as he has shown over the years: requesting more social funding, adequate immigration policies and even hosting Syrian refugees in his own home.

It's hard to decide if this photo was taken on a football field or in a police lineup. Eric Cantona was 25 years old: an invincible character on the field. He had two missions: score goals and command respect. He generally acquired both in every game.

Born in March 1975, the Dutch striker was an exceptional goalscorer and now wants to gain the same respect as a coach. It must be said, he is hard to recognize (he was always lean and fast!) but his face has hardly changed since he retired in 2010.

The photo is from 2000 when Makaay was 25 years old and part of the elite that dazzled Europe. His goals were raining into the back of the net. Although he wore a shirt two sizes too big, that did not prevent him from being one of the best scorers in the world.

Born in June 1972, it's fair to say that now, Zinedine Zidane looks better than ever. He is always impeccably shaved, elegantly dressed, with a smile on his face, and, undoubtedly, always smooth. He could very possibly be the next French coach.

It is hard to recognize this 22-year-old Zizou, back in 1994. At that time, he was still playing with Girondins de Bordeaux where he clearly was a cut above the rest. And with that, we mean a cut in multiple ways: the player still had lush hair, although he would soon end up shaving systematically.

Born in July 1968, he is more Milan than the Milan shield itself. Now he works as director of Sport Strategy and Development for Associazione Calcio Milan.

It can be said that Paolo Maldini was one of the most desired players in the world in the 90s. Millions adored him and not just for his talent on the field. The photo is from 1996 when the Milan defender was 28 years old.

Davor Suker, born in January 1968, is practically the same, except his hair is a little greyer. He is now president of the Croatian Football Federation.

At the age of 24, back in 1992, Davor Suker scored goals in Seville, where he was an acclaimed and beloved idol. Everything changed when he traded Sevilla for Real Madrid, but the Croatian continued his fabulous scoring streak.

The problem with Luis Figo, born in November 1972, is that he never seems to age. Figo keeps his hair always combed and is still very fit. Plus, in the opinion of many, he is still very attractive.

He was 27 years old in this photo from 1999, he was still playing for FC Barcelona and it's hard to believe that more than 20 years have passed between the previous photo and this one. The philosopher's stone exists; and Luis Figo has it in his pocket.

Born in July 1973, Christian Vieri was a nomadic goalscorer, boasting a prolific career in terms of both goals and teams (he went through 12 teams in Italy, Spain and France). Vieri retired in 2008.

Rough-looking, gangly and clueless, Vieri was an old-school striker. Stop the ball, control the ball, and make the goalkeeper pick the ball out of the back of the net - simple. In this photo, taken in 1996, the striker was just 23 years old but had an imposing physique that gave him a great advantage on the pitch.

Cannavaro, born in September 1983, retired as a player in 2011. Two things can plainly be said about Cannavaro: he was a spectacular central defender and he is very handsome. He now has a shaved head that suits him, but remember that boy-band-90s bob?

This photo from 1997 was a photoshoot for Nike, when the player was playing for the glorious Parma. It is clear the sportswear firm knew the potential of the Italian defender's appeal. Obviously, Cannavaro knew it too. And he still knows it.

Born in February 1964, Bebeto is almost exactly the same as when he played the sport. He retired in 2003 and, yes, it is true that he has white hair but little else has changed. He is physically well-preserved and continues to raise his thumb as every active footballer does when asked for a photo.

With A Coruña in the background, back in 1994, it is hard to believe that this almost beardless Bebeto was already 30 years old. A small, imaginative, and elegant forward, he left a permanent memory in La Liga.

Born in September 1971, it's hard to recognize the legendary Swedish striker without his characteristic dreadlocks. Yet, in his last moments as a footballer, he had already chosen to cut them off. It was a fresh image in 90s football.

The photo is from the year 2000. Henrik Larsson, with the face of a teenager, had already turned 29 and was a living Celtic legend. Together with Edgar Davis, he had the most legendary dreadlocks in football history.

Born in 1966, Romario is in the top 10 best forwards in history. Believe it or not, he has a better physique today than in his time as a player.

The footballer Romário exploited his youth to the fullest. He liked to party and did not always take care of himself as much as he should, despite being the third top scorer in history. In this photo, he was facing his last season at PSV Eindhoven, back in 1993.

Born in November 1973 and retired in 2004, the photo reveals a very different Martín Palermo than when he was a footballer.

In defense of the Argentine goalscorer, this look was a hit in the 90s but, seen in hindsight, who would even think of shaving their head and dyeing their long, rat-like bangs blonde? He was like that almost his entire career.

Born in March 1984, El Niño was a legend at Athletico Madrid, but a step up to the Premier League meant getting rid of the young man physique and bulking up.

He was a young talent to watch and, at the age of 19, he was already a benchmark for the Spanish National Team and Atlético de Madrid. Torres had no problem innovating his hair, which he dyed and cut into multiple styles.

Born in 1984, Bastian Schweinsteiger could still be ready to play tomorrow if asked. Despite the injuries, he always took great care of his physique and, having been retired since 2019, it is clear that he continues to do so.

At 18 years old, he was already part of the Bayern Munich squad. You could tell his age not from his football but from his adolescent features. To say that he has improved over the years is an understatement.

Born in July 1964, Klinsmann is one of those people who gives us these good vibes. He did it on the field and he does it now. He has been retired since 2003, but working as a coach at various clubs.

The photo shows Jürgen Klinsmann at 25 in the year 1989. He decided to pose with an interesting look in front of the camera, recently signed by Inter Milan.