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Thierry Henry signing with the New York Red Bulls is not yet official but his team, Barcelona, has reportedly allowed him to negotiate out of his contract. With Henry’s pending decision, theBVX decided to break down some other notable black athletes in the field of soccer.

1. Pele

FIFA player of the century and one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential people in 1999, Pele is a three-time world cup champion and soccer legend who scored an unmatched 1,281 goals in his career. The Brazilian native, known for his exuberant spirit and goal celebrations, was so loved around the world that both sides in a Nigerian civil war called a 48-hour cease-fire in 1967 so that Pele could play an exhibition match in the capital of Lagos.

2. Jose Andrade

Playing from 1901-1957, this Uruguayan was a two-time Olympic gold-medalist and one of the first black players to receive recognition in the world of soccer. Andrade won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 with Uruguay and was nicknamed The Black Marvel and The Black Pearl — Pele was later nicknamed this also.

3. Freddy Adu

Hailed as the second-coming of soccer great Pele at the age of 14, this Ghana native turned American citizen became one of the youngest players to sign a professional contract after he was selected by D.C. United in the 2004 MLS Super-Draft. At age 17, he became the youngest scorer in MLS history. Adu is also a two-time MLS All-Star in 2004 and 2006.

4. Ronaldinho

A Brazilian national player and A.C. Milan club player, Ronaldinho is considered one of the most talented and decorated players of his time. He’s also a two-time World Cup winner with Brazil in 1997 and 2005, FIFA World Cup All-Star in 1991 and 2002 and FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball and Top Scorer.

5. Eddie Pope

The 1997 MLS Defender of the year and Olympian, Pope gained his notoriety by scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to give D.C. United its inaugural MLS Cup title. The retired footballer is also founder of the Eddie Pope foundation based in North Carolina and Washington, DC which aids in introducing more African-American children to the game of soccer locally.

Bonus: DaMarcus Beasley

Beasley is an Indiana native who is a two-time World Cup veteran and sits tied for 6th place in all-time points on the men’s national team with 49 goals. At the time, March 1999, he was the youngest player to sign a MLS contract at 16 years old. He is joined in the MLS ranks by his brother Jamar Beasley.