Michel Platini, a French soccer legend, was born in 1955 in Joeuf, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France, to Italian immigrant parents. He began his amateur youth career at AS Joeuf from 1966 to 1972.
Platini's professional career spanned four clubs: Nancy from 1972 to 1979, Saint-Etienne from 1979 to 1982, Juventus Turin from 1982 to 1987, and AS Joeuf again during his amateur youth years.
At Nancy, he achieved several notable milestones, including finishing first in the Group B of the second division in 1975 and winning the French Cup in 1978. With Saint-Etienne, he won the French Championship in 1981 and was a two-time finalist in the French Cup.
At Juventus Turin, Platini won one Italian Cup, two Italian Championships, and four international titles, including one lost finale. He was also a three-time top scorer of the Italian Championship.
On the international stage, Platini played 72 matches for the French national team, captaining the team 50 times and scoring 41 goals. He was a key player in France's European Championship victory in 1984, where he was also the top scorer with nine goals.
Platini received three European Golden Balls (Footballer of the Year) from 1983 to 1985. He retired from professional soccer in 1987 to focus on his business empire.
After France failed to qualify for the 1990 World Cup, Platini became the team manager in 1988, a position he held until 1992. Under his coaching, France achieved 16 victories, eight draws, and only five defeats, qualifying for the 1992 European Nations Championship.
Platini later served as the co-president of the Organization Committee of the 1998 World Cup in France and became the Special Advisor to FIFA President Joseph Blatter. He also held the position of vice-president of the French Federation since January 2001.
