Didier Drogba Career Achievements
Didier Drogba’s career achievements will educate us on what the star has been able to accomplish across his years of playing professional soccer. Didier Yves Drogba Tébily as he was named was born on 11 March 1978 (age 45) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and he is 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) tall.
However, Didier Drogba a retired professional footballer from Ivory Coast represented his nation on every stage.
Drogba’s Journey
He played for various clubs throughout his career, including Chelsea, Olympique de Marseille, and Galatasaray before retiring at Montreal Impact.
Furthermore, he is known for his impressive performances in big games and his record of scoring 10 goals in 10 finals.
To add to his unique abilities, he is the all-time top scorer for the Ivory Coast national team with 65 goals from 105 appearances.
Drogba is active in social issues in Africa and has played a vital role in the peace process in his home country.
Ivorian legend was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program and is the Vice President of the international organization Peace and Sport.
Unique Qualities
Didier Drogba is known for his physical strength, speed, ability in the air, powerful and accurate strikes, and ball retention.
To begin with, he began his professional career as a right-back, but due to his ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal, he often played as a center-forward throughout his professional career.
However, he is often described as “the definition of ‘target man'” because of his playing style.
Drogba’s Performance
Drogba is renowned for his performance in big games, with a goalscoring record at club level of 10 goals in 10 finals, winning 10 trophies.
He is also a team player, providing 71 assists to his teammates throughout his entire career at Chelsea until May 2012.
Drogba’s style of taking free kicks is about beating the goalkeeper with speed and depth, and he is known for adopting the “knuckleball” technique developed by Juninho Pernambuco.
His trademark goal celebration saw him slide on his knees accompanied by an arm pump and salute to fans, which also appears in EA Sports’ FIFA video game.
Drogba is considered one of the greatest African players ever and is often ranked among the three greatest African strikers, alongside George Weah and Samuel Eto’o.
His playing style is diverse and robust, making him one of the toughest strikers’ numerous defenders have had to face, including Gerard Piqué, Carles Puyol, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidić, and Laurent Koscielny.
Family Life
Didier Drogba confirmed his divorce from Lalla Diakité, a Malian woman he met in Paris, in a statement posted on Instagram.
The couple had three children together and had been together for 20 years. Drogba stated that the separation was a mutual agreement between the two, and they remain very close.
The couple’s main priorities have been to protect their children and their family’s private life.
Career Achievement:
Individual Achievement
Didier Drogba has won numerous awards throughout his career, including:
The Alan Hardaker Trophy in 2007 and the Barclays Spirit of the Game Award in 2015
Drogba was the BBC African Footballer of the Year in 2009 and won the BBC Goal of the Month in October 2009.
Drogba was Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year in 2007 and Chelsea Player of the Year in 2010.
He was part of the ESM Team of the Year 2006–07 season.
Drogba was awarded the FA Community Shield Man of the Match in 2005 and the FA Cup Final Man of the Match in 2010
He was also included in the FIFPro World XI in 2007 and won the FWA Tribute Award in 2015.
He also won the Globe Soccer Awards Off the Pitch Award in 2022
Drogba’s Honors
Drogba won the GQ Sportsman of the Year in 2012 and Golden Foot in 2013.
He was awarded Ligue 1 Goal of the Year in the 2003–04 season and Ligue 1 Player of the Month in January 2004, and May 2004.
Drogba was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2003–04 and included in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year in 2003–04
Drogba was included in the MLS All-Star in 2016 and was named the MLS Player of the Month in September 2015 and October 2015.
He was Montreal Impact’s Top Scorer in 2015. Drogba won the Onze d’Or in 2004 and the Onze de Bronze in 2007.
Drogba won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2006–07, 2009–10, and the Premier League Most Assists in the 2005–06 seasons.
Drogba was honored Premier League Hall of Fame in 2005–06 and included in the PFA Team of the Year in 2006–07 Premier League, 2009–10 Premier League.
He was Time Top 100 in 2010 and the Turkish Footballer of the Year in 2013
He was awarded the UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match in 2012
Drogba won the UEFA Cup Top Scorer in 2003–04 and he was awarded the UEFA President’s Award in 2020.
He was also included in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2007.
He was honored with the UNFP Trophy of Honor in 2019
He was the West African Footballer of the Year in 2010
These awards reflect the incredible talent, dedication, and hard work of this football legend.
Individual Records
Chelsea
The following are the records Didier Drogba holds before retiring from professional football at Chelsea just like his African counterpart Michael Essien achieved:
Drogba won Most goals scored by a non-English player with 164 goals.
Drogba has the record for Most goals scored in Cup Finals with 9 goals.
Most goals scored in European club competitions with 36 goals.
Most Premier League hat-tricks 3 hat-tricks (shared-record).
Most Premier League goals in a season with 29 goals in 2009–10.
Most Premier League Golden Boot wins 2 (2006–07 and 2009–10).
Most Premier League away goals scored in a season with 15 goals in 2009–10.
The most goals in all competitions in a season by a foreign player was 37 goals in the 2009–10 season.
The first player to score a Champions League hat-trick.
The oldest player to score in the Champions League is 36 years, 8 months, 14 days.
Others:
The most goals and assists combined for with another player in the Premier League 36 Frank Lampard.
One of seven players to score an opening weekend Premier League hat-trick.
One of six players to score a hat-trick in consecutive Premier League games.
The only player to score in and win both English domestic cup finals in the same season.
The only player to score in three League Cup finals.
The only player to score in four FA Cup finals.
Most goals scored at the New Wembley Stadium 8 goals.
The most goals scored in UEFA club competitions by an African player is 50 goals.
The most goals scored in the Champions League by an African player is 44 goals.
Oldest African goal scorer in the Champions League 36 years and 259 days old.
Most appearances in the Champions League by an African player in 94 matches.
The most goals scored by an English team in the Champions League were 36 goals with Chelsea.
One of eleven players to score hat-tricks for multiple clubs in the Champions League.
International Achievement
Didier Drogba was runner-up in the African Cup of Nations in the years 2006 and 2012.
Drogba is the Ivorian national team’s all-time top scorer with 65 goals.
Drogba was Ivory Coast Player of the Year in 2006, 2007, and 2012.
Drogba was included in the Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament in 2006, 2008, and 2012.
Drogba was the Africa Cup of Nations Top Scorer in 2012.
Drogba was the African Footballer of the Year in 2006, and 2009.
Drogba was included in the CAF Team of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2012.
Drogba was named to the IFFHS All-time Africa Men’s Dream Team in 2021.
Club Achievement
Marseille:
Didier Drogba was UEFA Cup runner-up in 2003-04 season
Chelsea:
Didier Drogba won Four Premier League titles in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2009-10, and 2014-15 seasons.
Didier Drogba won Four FA Cup titles in 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2011-12 seasons.
Didier Drogba won Three Football League Cup titles in 2004-05, 2006-07, and 2014-15; and runner-up in 2007-08 seasons.
Didier Drogba won Two FA Community Shield titles in the 2005 and 2009 seasons.
Didier Drogba won the UEFA Champions League title in 2011-12 season.
Galatasaray:
Didier Drogba won the Süper Lig title in 2012-13 season.
Drogba won the Turkish Cup title in the 2013-14 season.
Didier Drogba won the Turkish Super Cup title in the 2013 season.
Phoenix Rising:
Didier Drogba won the Western Conference (USL) title in the 2018 season.
