They delighted and shocked us while we sat glued to our TV screens, watching them play some of the best football the world has ever seen.
Last year's Fifa World Cup in Germany took everyone by storm.
The players and the games were the talk of the town all over Germany.
Even nights out to paint the town red were sacrificed for the excitement of watching the games. But all that is now over, Italy won the title and life on the pitch is now back to normal.
Sure, there have been scandals since - but let us not dwell on that for now. Suffice to say that the players are back in shape and getting into the flow and more importantly into the game.
Some of the world's biggest stars were in Dubai for the Mohammad Bin Rashid International Football Championship. It is the winter break in Europe, but the footballers were eager to sharpen their skills further in Dubai.
The top clubs - Benfica, Lazio and Bayern Munich - were in town. Their players were guarded about speaking to the media, but a few shared their thoughts on living in the limelight, fame and how it feels to be in Dubai.
Sound bytes
A handful of fans had gathered at the Al Ahli stadium last Monday evening to watch the two semifinal games between Marseilles-Lazio and Benfica-Bayern Munich.
Benfica won the tournament but what matters most is that the players left lasting sound bytes.
Stephen Ayodele Makinwa, Lazio's Nigerian striker, is the only one in the team who can speak English. The 23-year-old powerful and talented striker used to play for Palermo and transferred to Lazio in the summer of 2006.
Makinwa played for his country in the 2006 African Cup of Nations and is popular for his somersaults on the pitch after scoring a goal.
He could not hide his excitement about being in Dubai.
"This is my first time in Dubai. It's completely new for me, and I am so happy to be here," Makinwa said.
"The tall buildings are so amazing, and I find the city beautiful and nice."
When asked about his first impressions on arriving Makinwa said: "I was shocked. I have never seen anything like it in my life.
"Nigeria also has high-rise buildings, but not like this."
Choosing to talk about his desert safari trip, instead of football, he said, "That was absolutely the best part of being here so far. It was pretty crazy when the car almost flipped over, but I had fun."
Makinwa's last words on Dubai? "Cool. Really cool."
Like Makinwa, Bastian Schweinstieger was equally eager to communicate.
The 22-year-old midfielder, one of Germany's biggest stars in the World Cup, was friendly and all smiles, even though his team had lost.
Asked why he wasn't seen in the game Schweinsteiger said, "I didn't play because of this," he said, pulling up the leg of his pants and showing off his heel, which sported a huge blister. When it was pointed out that he could cover it with a plaster and keep playing, he smiled and replied, "But then I wouldn't be able to play my very best. Let's see," he said, "maybe next time."
Thankfully, the conversation shifted from his blister to his feelings about being in Dubai. "I've been in this city three times now, and I really like it here. Dubai is so nice."
Two more players hovered around the stadium: Benfica's striker Nuno Gomes and the team captain, Sabrosa Simao. They were biding their time while waiting for their teammates to join them. Talking to them was Al Jazira's Dutch trainer Jan Versleijn. He had known the duo from the days when he was with Benfica.
As they joked about each other's respective ages and the lack of a proper view from their room at the Shangri-La Hotel, they also shared a few personal thoughts about Dubai.
Football star
"It's nice here," said the 30-year-old Gomes.
"But I haven't seen anything yet. I want to go to the beach for a swim, but it's looks too far away."
He didn't seem convinced when told that it was not really that far.
"Well, luckily we have tomorrow afternoon off, so we can go and see something."
A few photographers came over and when Gomes was asked if he had plans to move to the UAE he said that it was a possibility. "But it depends on the conditions. Not just the money." Simao then interjected saying: "I like Dubai, but Portugal is so wonderful.
"It would be tough to leave our home country."
But as the conversation started to be dominated by football, the players decided to clamp up. This was not the time, nor the place.
The photographers slowly eased away from taking pictures and Gomes opened up about the life of a football star.
Being one of Portugal's top goalscorers, and identified as a bright star for the future, Gomes is a national hero.
"This type of life is our choice," he confessed.
"Sometimes it's difficult being bombarded with questions from people, who want to know everything about me.
"But it's ok. It's the life that I chose - to take the good with the bad.
"I wouldn't want to change it," he said.
