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Ballack was Germany’s captain before he pulled out of the World Cup due to injury
3. Michael Ballack
The former German skipper was in stellar form for his country before the 2010 World Cup, scoring 4 goals in the qualifiers but never got a chance to shine in South Africa due to injury. Ballack, who was at Chelsea back then, picked up an ankle injury after being on the receiving end of a tackle by Portsmouth’s Kevin-Prince Boateng in the final of the 2010 FA Cup which Chelsea eventually won.
The 34-year-old, who scored 42 times for his country, was nearing his 100th international cap when the injury occurred. Ballack still traveled with the team to South Africa to provide moral support. The midfielder was forced to retire from international football a year later after sustaining a number of minor injuries and never got to become a centurion for his country.
