which football players birthday is in august: famous names

Several famous football players were born in August, including Thierry Henry, Robert Lewandowski, Alan Shearer, and Javier Zanetti. Their birthdays fall on August 17, 21, 13, and 10, respectively.

This list focuses on association football, also called soccer in the United States. It gives you a useful date-by-date roundup of well-known men’s and women’s players, with their birth years and a little context about their careers. You’ll also find tips for checking a player’s birthday and a quick explanation of how this answer differs if you mean American football.

which football players birthday is in august

Notable football players born in August include Thierry Henry, Robert Lewandowski, Alan Shearer, Javier Zanetti, Robin van Persie, Jay-Jay Okocha, and Nwankwo Kanu. Other celebrated names include Pavel Nedvěd, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Women’s football is represented by England forward Lauren Hemp.

Here, “football” means association football, the international game played with a round ball. The dates below are birthdays, not the dates when players signed contracts, made debuts, or won trophies. Birth years help distinguish players who share a name or birthday.

Use the table as a quick reference, then read the short profiles for context. The list is not exhaustive: thousands of professional and amateur players have August birthdays, and no single list can cover them all.

Famous footballers born in August

The “known for” column points to prominent teams or national sides from each player’s career; it is not a complete record of every club. For a reliable birthday greeting or quiz answer, use the full date and year rather than relying on a name alone.

Players born in the first half of August

August 1: Nwankwo Kanu and Bastian Schweinsteiger

Nwankwo Kanu was born on August 1, 1976. The Nigerian forward became known internationally through his club career in Europe and his role with Nigeria’s national team. His honors include Olympic gold with Nigeria at the 1996 Summer Olympics, a memorable achievement for the country’s football program.

Bastian Schweinsteiger was born on August 1, 1984. The German midfielder spent much of his club career at Bayern Munich and played for Germany’s senior national team. He was part of the German side that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The shared date makes August 1 an especially easy birthday to remember for fans of both African and European football.

August 6 and 7: Robin van Persie and Lauren Hemp

Robin van Persie was born on August 6, 1983, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The forward played for clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United, and represented the Netherlands at major international tournaments. His career is often remembered for his striking and finishing, but his movement and ability to create chances also helped shape his role in attacking teams.

Lauren Hemp was born on August 7, 2000. The England international is a forward who has played for Manchester City and featured for England’s senior women’s team. Including Hemp matters because football birthday lists can too easily focus only on men’s competitions. She is one of the younger players on this list, and her career gives readers a current women’s football name to associate with an early-August birthday.

August 10: Javier Zanetti

Javier Zanetti was born on August 10, 1973, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He played as a defender and midfielder, represented Argentina internationally, and is strongly associated with Inter Milan. Zanetti’s long career at the club made him a familiar figure to generations of supporters. His birthday is a good one to remember if you follow Italian club football or Argentina’s national team.

August 12 and 13: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Alan Shearer

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was born on August 12, 1983. The Dutch striker played for clubs including Ajax and Schalke and represented the Netherlands internationally. He was known primarily as a center forward, the attacking player positioned closest to the opposition goal. That role makes his name a useful addition to a list for fans comparing prolific European strikers.

Alan Shearer was born on August 13, 1970, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He played for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, and Newcastle United, as well as England’s national team. Shearer won the Premier League with Blackburn and remains one of the competition’s most famous scorers. His birthday links August 13 with an important figure in English football history.

August 14: Jay-Jay Okocha

Jay-Jay Okocha was born on August 14, 1973, in Enugu, Nigeria. The attacking midfielder represented Nigeria and played for clubs across several countries, including Bolton Wanderers in England. Supporters often recall his close control and flair on the ball. Those qualities made him an eye-catching player, while his international career helped raise his profile beyond club football.

Players born in the second half of August

August 17: Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry was born on August 17, 1977, in Les Ulis, France. The forward won the FIFA World Cup with France in 1998 and became closely associated with Arsenal, where he established himself as one of the club’s defining players. He also played for Barcelona and other clubs during his career.

Henry is often described as a striker, but his game was not limited to finishing chances. He could attack from wide positions, carry the ball at speed, and create opportunities for teammates. That mix of skills helps explain why he remains a familiar name to football fans well beyond the clubs and national teams he represented.

August 21: Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski was born on August 21, 1988, in Warsaw, Poland. The Poland international has played for major European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona. He is known as a center forward and has scored at a high level in both domestic leagues and international competitions.

Lewandowski’s birthday is one of the easiest dates in the list to connect with a current-era star. If you are looking up birthdays for a football calendar, fan post, or trivia game, include the year as well as the day and month. That avoids confusion with other players who may share August 21.

August 30: Pavel Nedvěd

Pavel Nedvěd was born on August 30, 1972, in Cheb, then part of Czechoslovakia. The midfielder represented the Czech Republic and is particularly associated with Juventus and Lazio. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2003, an individual award recognizing a leading player in world football.

Nedvěd’s entry rounds out the month with a notable player from Central European football. His career included both club and international success, making August 30 a meaningful date for followers of Czech football and Italian league history.

August birthdays at a glance by date

If you only need a quick lookup, use this condensed date list. It is arranged by day of the month, so you can find a player without scanning the longer profiles.

• August 1: Nwankwo Kanu (1976); Bastian Schweinsteiger (1984).
• August 6: Robin van Persie (1983).
• August 7: Lauren Hemp (2000).
• August 10: Javier Zanetti (1973).
• August 12: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (1983).
• August 13: Alan Shearer (1970).
• August 14: Jay-Jay Okocha (1973).
• August 17: Thierry Henry (1977).
• August 21: Robert Lewandowski (1988).
• August 30: Pavel Nedvěd (1972).

This is a selection of internationally recognized players, not a complete register of every footballer born during the month. The list also does not rank players by ability or fame; it simply gives a handy set of dates and examples.

How to check a footballer’s birthday accurately

Player birthdays can be repeated incorrectly across fan pages and social media posts. The risk is greater when a player has a common name, uses different spellings in different languages, or is associated with several clubs. Follow these steps when accuracy matters:

1. Search the player’s full name. Add a national team or club to distinguish the person from namesakes.
2. Look for a full date, including the year. A day and month alone may not identify the right player.
3. Compare more than one reputable record. A national association, club profile, established sports reference, or major competition profile is more useful than an unsourced social post.
4. Check spelling and accents. Names such as Pavel Nedvěd may appear without accents in some databases, even when they refer to the same player.
5. Keep the scope clear. A date for a men’s or women’s senior player is not necessarily a date for a different player with the same surname.

A practical detail many birthday lists miss is that a player’s nationality and birthplace are not always the same. A player may be born in one country, represent another, or have a different national-team affiliation from the club league most fans associate with them. Use the birthday as the identifying fact and treat nationality, birthplace, and club career as separate details.

Does “football” mean soccer or American football here?

This article uses “football” to mean association football, commonly called soccer in the United States and Canada. That is the usual interpretation for a worldwide list featuring players such as Henry, Lewandowski, and Shearer. American football players also have August birthdays, but they belong to a different sport and would require a separate list.

If you meant the NFL or another American football league, specify that in your search. For example, search for “NFL players born in August” and check the player’s official team biography or a trusted league record. This avoids mixing athletes from two sports that share a name in some countries.

Common questions about August football birthdays

Who is the most famous footballer born in August?

There is no objective single answer, because “most famous” depends on generation, country, and what a fan follows. Thierry Henry, Robert Lewandowski, and Alan Shearer are strong examples of internationally recognized August-born players. Each is associated with major club achievements and a prominent national-team career.

Are any current football stars born in August?

Yes. Robert Lewandowski and Lauren Hemp are two well-known players born in August who have played at the highest level in recent years. The broader list also includes established stars from earlier eras, such as Henry and Shearer.

Which footballer shares an August birthday with another famous player?

August 1 is shared by Nwankwo Kanu and Bastian Schweinsteiger in this selection. Both were born on August 1, though in different years and in different countries. A shared birthday does not mean players had similar careers or played for the same teams.

Is this a complete list of footballers born in August?

No. It highlights notable names rather than every professional player. Many other footballers, including current and former players from different countries and levels, were also born in August.

Notable August-born footballers include Nwankwo Kanu, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, and Robert Lewandowski, alongside stars such as Lauren Hemp and Javier Zanetti. The dates span different generations and both men’s and women’s football.

For a birthday message, quiz, or player profile, check the full date and year against a reliable player or club record. The phrase which football players birthday is in august usually refers to soccer, so specify NFL or American football if that is the sport you mean.