International Football's Top 20 Centurions

When Wayne Rooney leads England on to the Wembley pitch to face Slovenia on Saturday, he will become just the ninth of his countrymen to play a 100th international match.

Say what you will about the Manchester United attacker's value to the Three Lions over the course of an 11-year (and counting) career. The fact remains that the 29-year-old is set to join an exclusive club of internationals, and before all is said and done, he could well end up as England's most-capped player in history.

Other nations, too, have their centurions, and in the following slideshow we'll look at 20 who have left, or continue to leave, their mark on the international game.

Interestingly, the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona don't appear on this list, having retired with 92 and 91 caps, respectively.

Let's get to it.

20. Landon Donovan, United States

Landon Donovan was the face of North American football to a generation of fans. He helped the United States to four CONCACAF Gold Cups and was a runner-up at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa.

At the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, he scored a memorable goal against archrivals Mexico in the round of 16.

Caps: 157

Goals: 57

Titles: 4 Gold Cups

19. Rafael Marquez, Mexico

Rafael Marquez began his international career for El Tri in 1997 as an 18-year-old and is still going strong. In each of his four World Cup tournaments, he has helped take Mexico to the knockout stages, and he will retire as one of the greatest defenders ever produced by the CONCACAF region.

Caps: 124

Goals: 15

Titles: 2 Gold Cups; 1 Confederations Cup

18. Yasuhito Endo, Japan

Yasuhito Endo is Asian football royalty. Having played his entire career in Japan, he has nevertheless impressed on the international stage, and at the World Cup in 2010 he scored a free-kick goal against Denmark as the Blue Samurai progressed to the round of 16.

Caps: 146

Goals: 13

Titles: 2 Asian Cups

17. Miroslav Klose, Germany

Miroslav Klose retired from international football following the 2014 World Cup—a tournament from which he picked up a winner's medal.

His pair of goals in Brazil also gave him 16 World Cup tallies and established a new, all-time record. Ronaldo had held the previous mark, and Klose's 16th, perhaps appropriately, came against Brazil.

Caps: 137

Goals: 71

Titles: 1 World Cup

16. Luis Figo, Portugal

For 15 years, Luis Figo was Portugal's most important player. A member of his country's "Golden Generation" that won the 1991 U-20 World Cup, he took his side to the Euro 2004 final and semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup.

Caps: 127

Goals: 32

Titles: 0

15. Michael Laudrup, Denmark

Since retiring from both club and international football in 1998, Michael Laudrup has embarked on a managerial career that has so far delivered a league title, among other trophies, while at Brondby in his native Denmark as well as the 2013 League Cup during his time with Swansea.

The former midfielder is widely regarded as one of the most talented playmakers of his generation.

Caps: 104

Goals: 37

Titles: 1 Confederations Cup

14. Javier Zanetti, Argentina

Three years before his retirement from football in 2014, Javier Zanetti called time on a sparkling international career that had already seen him become Argentina's most-capped player in history.

A player of considerable versatility, he was adept at both the right-hand side of defence and in the centre of midfield, and over the course of his time with the Albiceleste, he played 22 Copa America matches.

Caps: 145

Goals: 5

Titles: 1 Olympic Gold Medal

13. Paolo Maldini, Italy

Paolo Maldini never won a piece of international silverware, but the classy defender was twice named to a World Cup all-star team (in 1990 and 1994) and earned three UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament selections (in 1988, 1996 and 2000).

But if he lacked success with Italy, his tenure with AC Milan, in which he won 14 major honours, more than made up for it.

Caps: 126

Goals: 7

Titles: 0

12. Iker Casillas, Spain

A seasoned under-age international by the time he took his senior bow for Spain as a 19-year-old in 2000, Iker Casillas has since enjoyed considerable success with La Roja.

At Euro 2008, he helped his national side put a reputation of choking at major tournaments behind them, and he earned his second European Championship winner's medal in 2012. Two years prior he had backstopped Spain to World Cup glory.

Caps: 158

Titles: 1 World Cup; 2 European Championships

11. Gianluigi Buffon, Italy

Incredibly, Gianluigi Buffon could well have one more World Cup finals left in him. The Juventus goalkeeper will be 37 in January, but his play—especially for Italy—continues to win him plaudits, and he remains very much first choice for new manager Antonio Conte.

Caps: 145

Titles: 1 World Cup

10. Philipp Lahm, Germany

After captaining Germany to World Cup glory in Brazil, Philipp Lahm announced his retirement from international football. He did so as his country's fourth most-capped player in history.

But at just 31 years of age, it wouldn't be all that surprising if the right-back-turned-midfielder someday reversed his decision—perhaps in time for the Euro 2016 finals.

Caps: 113

Goals: 5

Titles: 1 World Cup

9. Bobby Moore, England

At the 1966 World Cup, England captain Bobby Moore combined with Jack Charlton to form an imposing tandem at the heart of the Three Lions' defence.

England defeated West Germany in that year's final, and the victory remains the country's only major honour. According to the Daily Mail, Pele once referred to Moore as the greatest defender he ever played against.

Caps: 108

Goals: 2

Titles: 1 World Cup

8. Roberto Carlos, Brazil

One of the greatest full-backs of his generation, Roberto Carlos struck fear into the hearts of defenders through his pace and fierce left foot. A centre-piece of the Brazil team that won the 2002 World Cup, he also picked up winners' medals from a pair of Copa America tournaments.

Caps: 125

Goals:11

Titles: 1 World Cup; 1 Confederations Cup; 2 Copa America tournaments

7. Andrea Pirlo, Italy

Like a fine wine, Andrea Pirlo has aged gracefully for both club and country. At 35-years of age, the midfielder still turns out for Italy, and it's likely he will move ahead of Paolo Maldini and into third place on the Azzurri's all-time appearance list before he retires.

Caps: 113

Goals: 13

Titles: 1 World Cup

6. Xavi Hernandez, Spain

No player was as closely associated with Spain's recent dominance, and its tiki-taka style of play, as Barcelona midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez. T

he metronome in the centre of the park, his previous value to La Roja was underlined at the 2014 World Cup, when the 34-year-old simply couldn't affect the game the way he once did. He retired from international duty after Spain went out at the group stage.

Caps: 113

Goals: 12

Titles: 1 World Cup; 2 European Championships

5. Cafu, Brazil

Cafu is Brazil's most-capped international by far. Between 1990 and 2006, he played 142 times for his country, and his 15 victories in World Cup tournaments remain a record. The former right-back is also the only player to have played in three World Cup final matches (1994, 1998 and 2002).

Caps: 142

Goals: 5

Titles: 2 World Cups; 1 Confederations Cup; 2 Copa America tournaments

4. Lothar Matthaus, Germany

The only German to be named FIFA World Player of the Year, Lothar Matthaus retired with a record number of international appearances in 2000. By then he had represented his country for two decades and won well near everything at every level of the game.

Caps: 150

Goals: 23

Titles: 1 World Cup; 1 European Championship

3. Bobby Charlton, England

Ashley Cole, Bobby Moore, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham are the only outfield players to have won more England caps than Bobby Charlton.

A Manchester United legend, the attacker survived the Munich Air Disaster and helped the Three Lions to win the 1966 World Cup. He scored both goals in England's 2-1 win over Portugal in the semi-finals and remains his country's all-time top goalscorer.

Caps: 106

Goals: 49

Titles: 1 World Cup

2. Franz Beckenbauer, Germany

One of the greatest players in football history, Franz Beckenbauer enjoyed considerable success with West Germany during an international career that lasted 12 years.

But perhaps his best football at international level was played during the 1966 World Cup, in which he scored four goals before his country came up just short against England in the final.

Caps: 103

Goals: 14

Titles: 1 World Cup; 1 European Championship

1. Zinedine Zidane, France

Has there ever been as artistic a footballer as Zinedine Zidane? Over the course of a 12-year international career, the playmaker took part in two World Cup finals, winning once, and in 2006 in Germany was presented with the Golden Ball as the competition's best player.

His career ended in ignominy, however, as he was sent off during that year's final for head-butting Marco Materazzi.

Caps: 108

Goals: 31

Titles: 1 World Cup; 1 European Championship