Players who have won the most prestigious football (soccer) tournament in the world, the FIFA World Cup.

For players who have won multiple times, see list of players who have won multiple FIFA World Cups.

For the World Cup-winning squad of each tournament, see the following:

1930: Uruguay

1934: Italy

1938: Italy

1950: Uruguay

1954: West Germany

1958: Brazil

1962: Brazil

1966: England

1970: Brazil

1974: West Germany

1978: Argentina

1982: Italy

1986: Argentina

1990: West Germany

1994: Brazil

1998: France

2002: Brazil

2006: Italy

2010: Spain

Players Winning players

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Fullname	Zinedine Yazid Zidane
Dateofbirth	June 23, 1972
Club	Real Madrid
Cityofbirth	Marseille
Countryofbirth	France
Height
Staff role	scout
Position	Playmaker
Youthyears1	1982–1983
Youthyears2	1983–1986
Youthyears3	1986–1988
Youthclubs1	US Saint-Henri
Youthclubs2	SO Septèmes-les-Vallons
Youthclubs3	Cannes
Years1	1988–1992
Years2	1992–1996
Years3	1996–2001
Years4	2001–2006
Clubs1	Cannes
Clubs2	Bordeaux
Clubs3	Juventus
Clubs4	Real Madrid
Caps1	61
Goals1	6
Caps2	139
Goals2	28
Caps3	151
Goals3	24
Caps4	155
Goals4	37
Totalcaps	506
Totalgoals	95
Nationalyears1	1991–1994
Nationalteam1	France U-21
Nationalcaps1	18
Nationalgoals1	3
Nationalyears2	1994–2006
Nationalteam2	France
Nationalcaps2	108
Nationalgoals2	31

Zinedine Yazid Zidane () (born 23 June 1972) is a retired French World Cup-winning footballer/soccer player. Zidane played for club teams in France, Italy and Spain, and was the captain of the French national team. He is widely considered as one of the greatest players in the history of football. He was the iconic figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. After a brief international retirement, he returned to the national team in 2005 and captained France to the 2006 World Cup Final where he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's most outstanding player.

At club level Zidane won the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, two Serie A league championships with Juventus, and an Intercontinental Cup, and a UEFA Super Cup each with both aforementioned sides. He is alongside Brazilian striker Ronaldo, the only three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner; he also won the Ballon d'Or in 1998. He retired from professional football after the 2006 World Cup.

Early life and club career

Zidane's parents emigrated to Paris in 1968 from the village of Aguemone in the Kabylie region of Algeria. They moved to Marseille a few years later, where Zidane was born.

Zidane joined a local club in the La Castellane district of Marseille. At the age of 14, he participated in the first-year junior selection for the league championship, where he caught the attention of AS Cannes scout Jean Varraud. He went to Cannes for a six-week stay, but ended up remaining at the club for four years to play at the professional level. Zidane played his first Ligue 1 match at seventeen, and scored his first goal on 8 February 1991, for which he received a car as a gift from the team president. His first season with Cannes culminated in a UEFA Cup berth.

Zidane was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup and finishing runner-up in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup in four years with the club. He played a set of midfield combinations with Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, which would become the trademark of both Bordeaux and the 1998 French national team. In 1995, Blackburn Rovers coach Ray Harford had expressed interest in signing both Zidane and Dugarry, to which team owner Jack Walker reportedly replied, "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"

In 1996, Zidane moved to UEFA Champions League winners Juventus for a fee of £3.2 million and won the 1996–97 Serie A and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup, but lost the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final 3–1 to Borussia Dortmund. The following season, Zidane netted 7 goals in 32 matches in the league to help Juventus win the 1997–98 Serie A and thus retain the Scudetto. In Europe, Juventus made their third consecutive UEFA Champions League Final appearance, but lost 1–0 to Real Madrid which would be his next destination. Juventus finished second in the 2000–01 Serie A, but were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League after Zidane was banned for headbutting Hamburger SV player Jochen Kientz. Zidane however was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year for the second time.

In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a then world record fee of 150 billion Italian lire (about €75 million) and signed a four-year contract. He scored a famous match-winning goal, a volley hit with his weaker foot, in Madrid's 2–1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final completing his personal quadruple. The next season, Zidane helped Real Madrid to win the 2002–03 La Liga and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time. In 2004, fans voted him as the best European footballer of the previous 50 years in UEFA's fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll.

While Zidane's final season of club football ended trophyless, he enjoyed success on a personal note recording the maiden hat-trick of his career, scoring thrice against Sevilla FC in a 4-2 win in January 2006. He ended the season for Real Madrid as their second highest goal scorer and assists provider behind teammates Ronaldo and Beckham respectively, with 9 goals and 10 assists in 28 games. On 7 May 2006, Zidane, who had announced his plans to retire after the 2006 World Cup, played his last home match and scored in a 3–3 draw with Villarreal CF. The squad wore commemorative shirts with ZIDANE 2001–2006 below the club logo.

International career

Both France and Algeria consider Zidane a citizen, but he was ineligible to play for the Algerian national team. There was a rumour that coach Abdelhamid Kermali denied Zidane a position for the Algerian squad because he felt the young midfielder was not fast enough. However, Zidane dismissed the rumor in a 2005 interview, saying that he would have been ineligible to play for Algeria because he had already played for France.

He earned his first cap with France as a substitute in a friendly against the Czech Republic on 17 August 1994, which ended in a 2–2 draw after Zidane scored twice to help France erase a 2–0 deficit. After Éric Cantona was handed a year-long suspension in January 1995 for assaulting a fan, Zidane took over the playmaker position. France were eliminated in the Euro 96 semi-finals in a penalty shootout by the Czech Republic after the match ended 0–0 in extra time.

The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the first World Cup that Zidane participated in. It was held in his home country France. The French team won all three games in the group stage but Zidane was sent off in the second match against Saudi Arabia for a stamp on Fuad Anwar, becoming the first French player to receive a red card in a World Cup finals. Without their suspended playmaker France proceeded to win 1–0 in the last sixteen game against Paraguay and, on his return to the side, defeated Italy 4–3 on penalties after a goalless draw in the quarter finals. France then defeated Croatia 2–1 in the semi final. Zidane played a major role in the team's accomplishment, though he had yet to score a goal at the World Cup.

Zidane and France went on to play against defending champions and favourites Brazil at the Stade de France in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final. France dominated Brazil from the kick-off, with Zidane scoring two identical goals, both headers from corner kicks taken by Emmanuel Petit and Youri Djorkaeff. Courtesy of Zidane's brace, France went into the break 2–0 up at half-time with one hand already on the World Cup trophy. Emmanuel Petit added a third goal deep in stoppage time to seal the 3–0 win and France's first ever World Cup. Zidane became an instant national hero and his image was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe.

Two years later France won Euro 2000, becoming the first team to hold both the World Cup and the European Championship since West Germany in 1974. Zidane finished with two goals, a memorable free kick against Spain in the quarter final and the golden goal in the semi final against Portugal, and was named player of the tournament by UEFA.

As reigning world and European champions, France entered the 2002 World Cup as favourites but a thigh injury prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches and without their talisman the French team failed to score in either match. He was rushed back prematurely for the third game despite not being fully fit, but could not prevent France from being ignominiously eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal; the worst performance by a defending champion in the history of the competition.

France again performed below expectations at Euro 2004 were knocked out by eventual champions Greece in the quarter finals. Zidane, however, had one of the most notable games of his career in the opening match against England, scoring two goals in stoppage time (a free kick and a penalty, respectively) to turn what would have been a 1–0 defeat into a 2–1 victory for the French. After France's elimination Zidane announced his retirement from international football.

With the mass retirement of veteran key players such as Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly, Claude Makélélé and Lilian Thuram, France struggled to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. At the urging of coach Raymond Domenech, Zidane came out of retirement and was immediately reinstated as team captain. Zidane, along with Thuram and Makélélé, made his competitive return for France in a 3–0 win over the Faroe Islands on 3 September 2005. The trio managed to turn back the clock to France's winning days of the late 1990s and early 2000s as a rejuvenated France went on to win their qualifying group. On 27 May 2006, Zidane earned his hundredth cap for France in a 1–0 friendly win over Mexico, in what would also be his last match at the Stade de France. Zidane became France's fourth player to reach 100 caps, after Desailly, Thuram and Didier Deschamps.

Zidane had a slow start to the 2006 World Cup and, after being suspended for the final match of the group stage, returned to set up a goal for Patrick Vieira and score one himself in the second round match against Spain. In the quarter final France held Brazil to just one shot on goal in the rematch of the 1998 final. Zidane assisted Thierry Henry's deciding goal and he was named Man of the Match by FIFA. France faced Portugal in the semi final and, as in Brussels six years earlier, Zidane's penalty kick decided the contest and sent France to another major final.

Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final in Berlin, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition. Having already announced he was to retire after the expiration of his Real Madrid contract at the end of the 2005–06 season, the world of football already knew Zidane's second World Cup final was to be the last match of his career. Seven minutes into the match Zidane put France ahead with a penalty kick and became only the fourth player in World Cup history to score in two different finals, along with Pelé, Paul Breitner, and Vavá, in addition to being tied for first place with Vavá, Pelé and Geoff Hurst with three World Cup final goals apiece. He almost scored a second goal during the first period of extra time but his header was saved by Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Zidane was then sent off in the 110th minute of the game after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest, so he did not participate in the penalty shootout which Italy won 5–3 courtesy of David Trezeguet's shot rattling the crossbar. Neither Fabien Barthez nor Gianluigi Buffon made a single save in the penalty shootout. In 2010, Zidane said that he "would rather die" than apologize to Materazzi for the headbutt in the final, but also admitted that he “could never have lived with himself” had he been allowed to remain on the pitch and help France win the match.

Following his red card in the final, Zidane retired from professional football, and confirmed that he would not go back on his decision. He was sentenced by FIFA to a three game suspension for his red card, but since he had retired from professional football, performed three days of community service instead.

Post-retirement

Since his retirement, Zidane regularly plays for the Real Madrid Veterans team. He has also made several futsal appearances.

In an interview in June 2008, Zidane stated that he wanted to return to football, but that he had no imminent plans to do so.

On 1 June 2009, Zidane was announced as the Advisor to the President after Florentino Perez was named President of Real Madrid for the second time. He along with Jorge Valdano, General Director, and Miguel Pardeza, Sporting Director, were to be the key decision makers on the sporting side of the club.

After France's dismal campaign in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Zidane said that he did not plan to move into coaching anytime soon.

Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid committee announced in September 2010 that Zidane had been appointed as an ambassador for Qatar's attempt to host the 2022 World Cup. After FIFA announced on 2 December 2010 that Qatar had won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Zidane stated that he was "very pleased" with the outcome.

In November 2010, Zidane was appointed as a special adviser to Real Madrid's first team in response to an appeal made by Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for the former Real midfielder to work more closely with the team. In his new role, Zidane is expected to participate in Champions League events and functions. He is also to travel with the first team on a regular basis and participate in pre-match gatherings, training sessions and meetings with the head coach.

Charity activities

On 24 February 2007, before a crowd of 10,000 fans at a match in northern Thailand for the Keuydaroon children's AIDS charity, Zidane scored the first goal and set up the second for a Malaysian teammate as the match ended 2-2. The event raised ฿260,000 ($7,750). This money paid for the building of two schools and 16 three-bedroom houses.

On 19 November 2008, Zidane took part in the fifth annual Match Against Poverty in Málaga, Spain, which also ended in a 2-2 draw; he went scoreless but set up his team’s second goal. He and former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo, who collaborated in conceiving the yearly event to benefit the United Nations Development Programme, regularly captain their respective teams consisting of active footballers, other professional athletes and celebrities. Zidane, a U.N. goodwill ambassador since 2001, stated before the game that “everyone can do something to make the world a better place.”

In June and July 2009, Zidane toured across Canada with stops in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Although billed as Zidane and "Friends", the likes of which included Fabien Barthez and Samuel Eto'o, the exhibition matches featured local players. Tournament organisers cited lack of sponsorship and support from the Canadian Soccer Association for the disorganized rosters. Some proceeds were given to Unicef.

On June 6, 2010, Zidane took part in the bi-annual charity event Soccer Aid. He played for the Rest Of The World Team, managed by Liverpool and Celtic hero Kenny Dalglish against England alongside former Real Madrid teammate Luis Figo, and Celtic legend Henrik Larsson. He played against former players such as Teddy Sheringham, David Seaman and Alan Shearer, as well as celebrities such as Robbie Williams. He played well, and his skill and control were still apparent to the fans in the stadium. He passed well and dribbled around the English team, and nutmegged English celebrity midfielder Damian Lewis. The Match took place at Old Trafford in Manchester and was won by The Rest of the World for the first time, by penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Awards, tributes and appointments

In 2004, Forbes magazine named him the 42nd-highest paid athlete in the world, with earnings of US$15.8 million a year. In November 2006, Zidane toured Bangladesh as the guest of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. He also visited the Algerian birthplace of his parents, and met personally with Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who gave him an official reception.

Filmmakers Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon filmed a documentary , which follows Zidane during an entire match, filmed with 17 cameras. The documentary was part of the 2009 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

Many experts have testified to Zidane's skills and impact as an all-time great, such as Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira who has labelled Zidane "a monster" for his performance and playing skills. French footballer Michel Platini states Zidane is one of the most skillful players the game has ever known: "Technically, I think he is the king of what's fundamental in the game - control and passing. I don't think anyone can match him when it comes to controlling or receiving the ball."

German coach Franz Beckenbauer stated: "Zidane is one of the greatest players in history, a truly magnificent player." Pelé, a World Cup winner three times with Brazil, hailed Zidane after seeing Brazil losing to France: "Zidane was the magician in the game." Italy manager Marcello Lippi, who has also coached Zidane, opined "I think Zidane is the greatest talent we've known in football these last 20 years, yet he never played the prima donna. I am honoured to have been his manager." Similarly, David Beckham has described Zidane as "the greatest of all time FC Barcelona star Xavi said in a 2010 interview that Zidane was the best player of the '90s and early 2000´s. Brazilian superstar Roberto Carlos said in a 2010 interview with french newspaper L´equipe, that Zidane is the best player he has ever seen, and that Zidane is the best player of his generation.

Sponsorships

Zidane has had endorsements with many companies, including: Adidas, Lego, France Telecom, Orange, Audi, Volvic and Christian Dior. These sponsorship deals earned him €8.6 million on top of his €6.4 million Real Madrid salary in his final season, making him the sixth-highest paid footballer. As of May 2010, he is appearing in ads for Louis Vuitton, alongside fellow legends Pelé and Diego Maradona.

Personal life

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Zidane met his wife, Véronique Fernandéz, while playing for Cannes in the 1988-89 season. They have four sons: Enzo (b. 24-03-1995), Luca (b. 13-05-1998), Theo (b. 18-05-2002), and Elyaz (b. 26-12-2006). Enzo, Luca and Theo are all members of the Real Madrid Academy. Enzo (Midfielder) is in Cadete A, Luca (Goalkeeper) is in Infantil B and Theo (Striker) is in Benjamin B.

Career Statistics

Club Statistics

|- |1988-89||rowspan="4"|Cannes||rowspan="4"|Division 1||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0 |- |1989-90||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||0||0 |- |1990-91||28||1||3||0||colspan="2"|-||31||1 |- |1991-92||31||5||3||0||4||0||38||5 |- |1992-93||rowspan="4"|Girondins Bordeaux||rowspan="4"|Division 1||35||10||4||1||colspan="2"|-||39||11 |- |1993-94||34||6||3||0||6||2||43||8 |- |1994-95||37||6||4||1||4||1||45||8 |- |1995-96||33||6||1||0||15||9||49||15 |- |1996-97||rowspan="5"|Juventus||rowspan="5"|Serie A||29||5||2||0||10||2||41||7 |- |1997-98||32||7||5||1||11||3||48||11 |- |1998-99||25||2||5||0||10||0||40||2 |- |1999-00||32||4||3||1||6||0||41||5 |- |2000-01||33||6||2||0||4||0||39||6 |- |2001-02||rowspan="5"|Real Madrid||rowspan="5"|La Liga||31||7||9||2||9||3||49||12 |- |2002-03||33||9||1||0||14||3||48||12 |- |2003-04||33||6||7||1||10||3||50||10 |- |2004-05||29||6||1||0||10||0||40||6 |- |2005-06||29||9||5||0||4||0||38||9 200||34||18||2||29||12||247||48 151||24||17||2||41||5||209||31 155||37||23||3||47||9||225||49 506||95||58||7||117||26||681||128 |}

National Team statistics

}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! National Team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals !! Assists |- |rowspan=13 valign="center"|France |1994||2||2||0 |- |1995||6||2||3 |- |1996||12||2||4 |- |1997||8||1||0 |- |1998||15||5||3 |- |1999||6||1||1 |- |2000||13||4||4 |- |2001||8||2||0 |- |2002||9||1||2 |- |2003||7||3||3 |- |2004||7||4||1 |- |2005||5||2||1 |- |2006||10||3||1 |- ! colspan=2|Total||108||31||23 |}

Honours

Club

Girondins Bordeaux

*UEFA Intertoto Cup:

**Winner: 1995

*UEFA Cup:

**Runner-up: 1995-96

* Juventus

*Serie A:

**Winner: 1996-97, 1997-98

**Runner-up: 1999-00, 2000-01

*Supercoppa Italiana:

**Winner: 1997

**Runner-up: 1998

*UEFA Champions League:

**Runner-up: 1996-97, 1997-98

*UEFA Super Cup:

**Winner: 1996

*Intercontinental Cup:

**Winner: 1996

*UEFA Intertoto Cup:

**Winner: 1999

* Real Madrid

*La Liga:

**Winner: 2002-03

**Runner-up: 2004-05, 2005-06

*Supercopa de España:

**Winner: 2001, 2003

*Copa del Rey:

**Runner-up: 2001-02, 2003-04

*UEFA Champions League:

**Winner: 2001-02

*UEFA Super Cup:

**Winner: 2002

*Intercontinental Cup:

**Winner: 2002

Country

France

*FIFA World Cup:

**Winner: 1998

**Runner-up: 2006

*UEFA European Football Championship:

**Winner: 2000

Individual

Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year - 1994

Ligue 1 Player of the Year - 1996

Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year - 1997, 2001

UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year - 1998

FIFA World Cup Final Man of the Match - 1998

World Soccer Awards Player of the Year - 1998

Ballon D'or - 1998

L'Équipe Champion of Champions - 1998

French Player of the Year - 1998, 2002

Onze d'Or - 1998, 2000, 2001

FIFA World Player of the Year - 1998, 2000, 2003

FIFA World Cup All-Star Team - 1998, 2006

ESM Season XI: 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002–03, 2003-04

World Soccer 100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century - 1999

UEFA Euro Player of the Tournament - 2000

UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament - 2000, 2004

Serie A Footballer of the Year - 2001

UEFA Team of the Year - 2001, 2002, 2003

UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match - 2002

Best Foreign Player in La Liga - 2002

UEFA Club Footballer of the Year - 2002

FIFA World Cup Dream Team - 2002

FIFA 100 Greatest Living Footballers - 2004

UEFA Best European Player of the Past 50 Years - 2004

FIFPro World XI All-Star Team - 2005, 2006

FIFA World Cup Golden Ball - 2006

UNFP Honorary Award - 2007

Order

Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1998, promoted to Officier (Officer) in 2009

See also

Notes and references

External links

/ Official website

European Champions Cup/UEFA Champions League Winning Squads

}}

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:AS Cannes players Category:European Footballer of the Year winners Category:FC Girondins de Bordeaux players Category:FIFA 100 Category:FIFA Century Club Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players Category:FIFA World Player of the Year winners Category:Association football midfielders Category:France international footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Italy Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain Category:French expatriate footballers Category:French people of Algerian descent Category:Internet memes Category:Juventus F.C. players Category:Kabyle people Category:La Liga footballers Category:Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Category:Ligue 1 players Category:People from Marseille Category:Real Madrid C.F. players Category:Serie A footballers Category:UEFA Euro 1996 players Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning players Category:World Soccer Magazine World Player of the Year winners

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Playername	Lionel Messi
Fullname	Lionel Andrés Messi
Dateofbirth	June 24, 1987
Cityofbirth	Rosario
Countryofbirth	Argentina
Height
Position	Forward
Currentclub	Barcelona
Clubnumber	10
Youthyears1	1995–2000
Youthyears2	2000–2004
Youthclubs1	Newell's Old Boys
Youthclubs2	Barcelona
Years1	2004–2005
Clubs1	Barcelona B
Caps1	22
Goals1	6
Years2	2004–
Clubs2	Barcelona
Caps2	159
Goals2	106
Nationalyears1	2005
Nationalyears2	2008
Nationalyears3	2005–
Nationalteam1	Argentina U20
Nationalteam2	Argentina U23
Nationalteam3	Argentina
Nationalcaps1	7
Nationalgoals1	6
Nationalcaps2	5
Nationalgoals2	2
Nationalcaps3	53
Nationalgoals3	15
Medaltemplates	}}

| pcupdate = 8 January 2011 | ntupdate = 17 November 2010 }}

Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team as a forward or winger. He also holds Spanish citizenship, which makes him eligible as a EU player. Considered one of the best football players of his generation and frequently cited as the world's best contemporary player, Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and won both by the age of 22. He also won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or at the age of 23. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".

Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 2006–07 season; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Perhaps his most successful season was the 2008–09 season, in which Messi scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign. In the following 2009–10 campaign, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona.

Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, including two in the final game. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.

Early life

Messi was born on 24 June 1987 at the Hospital Italiano Garibaldi in Rosario, Santa Fe, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi (born 1958), a factory worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner. His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883. He has two older brothers named Rodrigo and Matías as well as a sister named María Sol. At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. Primera División club River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for treatment for his condition as it cost $900 a month. He has two cousins also involved in football; Maxi and Emanuel Biancucchi.

Club career

Barcelona

Messi made his official debut for the first-team on 16 November 2003 aged 16 years and 145 days, in a friendly match against F.C. Porto. Less than a year later, Frank Rijkaard let him make his league debut against Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga. This record broken by Barca team mate Bojan Krkić in September 2007. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, ten months and seven days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona until it was again broken by Bojan Krkić in 2007, scoring from a Messi assist. Messi said about his ex-coach Frank Rijkaard: "I'll never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen or seventeen."

2005–06 season

{{ quote box | width = 30% | align = right | quote = The Maradona and Pele polemics will end. | source = Diego Maradona, on the consequences if Messi won the 2010 World Cup }}

On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract; this time it was improved to pay him as a first team member and extended until June 2014. and was finally able to make his debut in the season's Spanish First Division. Messi's first home outing in the Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese. Fans at Barcelona's stadium, the Camp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon his substitution, as his composure on the ball and passing combinations with Ronaldinho had paid dividends for Barcelona.

Messi netted six goals in 17 league appearances, and scored one Champions League goal in six. His season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006, however, when he suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea. Rijkaard's Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.

2006–07 season

in 2007]] In the 2006–07 season, Messi established himself as a regular first team player, scoring 14 times in 26 matches. On 12 November, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal, ruling him out for three months. Messi recuperated from his injury in Argentina, and his return to action came against Racing Santander on 11 February, where he came on as a second-half substitute. On 11 March, El Clásico saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3–3 draw, equalising three times, with the final equaliser coming in injury time. In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994–95 season) to score a hat-trick in El Clásico. Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. Towards the end of the season he began finding the net more often; 11 of his 14 league goals for the season came from the last 13 games. Messi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by nearly replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season. On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century. The world's sports press drew comparisons with Maradona, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona". He ran about the same distance, , beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before. Against Espanyol Messi also scored a goal which was remarkably similar to Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal against England in the World Cup quarter-finals. Messi launched himself at the ball and connected with his hand to guide the ball past the goalkeeper Carlos Kameni. Despite protests by Espanyol players and replays showing it was clear handball, the goal stood. He scored two goals against Sevilla on 22 September and then on 26 September, Messi scored another two goals in a 4–1 victory over Real Zaragoza. On 27 February, Messi played in his 100th official match for Barcelona against Valencia.

Messi was nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward. A poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca had him as the best player in the world with 77 percent of the vote. Columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport stated that the Ballon d'Or should be given to Messi, a view supported by Franz Beckenbauer. Football personalities such as Francesco Totti have declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.

Messi was sidelined for six weeks following an injury on 4 March when he suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered this type of injury.

2008–09 season

Upon Ronaldinho's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey. On 1 October 2008, during a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes, after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry, to turn a 1–0 deficit to a 2–1 victory for Barcelona. The next league game was versus Atlético Madrid, a match billed as a friendly battle between Messi and his good friend Sergio Agüero. Messi scored a goal from a free kick and assisted another as Barça went on to win the match 6–1. Messi netted another impressive brace against Sevilla scoring a volley from and then dribbling round the goalkeeper and scoring from a tight angle for the other. On 13 December 2008, during the first Clásico of the season, Messi scored the second goal in Barcelona's 2–0 win over Real Madrid. He was also named second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards with 678 points. Messi scored another important double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second half substitute to help Barcelona defeat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. The second of the two strikes was Barcelona's 5000th league goal. In the 28th round of La Liga, Messi scored his 30th goal of the season in all competitions, helping his team to a 6–0 victory over Málaga in the process. On 8 April 2009, he scored twice against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition. On 18 April, Messi notched his 20th league goal of the season in a 1–0 win at Getafe, allowing Barcelona to maintain their six-point advantage at the top of the league table over Real Madrid.

As Barcelona's season was drawing to a close, Messi scored twice (his 35th and 36th goals in all competitions) to cap a 6–2 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in what was Real's heaviest defeat since 1930. After scoring each goal, he ran towards the fans and the cameras lifting up his Barcelona jersey and showing another T-shirt that read Síndrome X Fràgil, Catalan for Fragile X Syndrome, to show his support for children who suffer from the affliction. Messi was involved in the build-up to Andrés Iniesta's injury time goal against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final to send Barcelona through to face Manchester United in the final. He won his first Copa del Rey on 13 May, scoring one goal and assisting another two, in a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao. He helped his team win the double by winning La Liga. On 27 May he helped Barcelona win the Champions League by scoring a second goal in the 70th minute giving Barcelona a two goal lead; he also became the top scorer in the Champions League, the youngest in the tournament's history, with nine goals. Messi also won the UEFA Club Forward of the Year: and the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year rounding off a spectacular year in Europe. This victory meant Barcelona had won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League in the one season, and was the first time a Spanish club had ever won the treble.

2009–10 season

{{ quote box | width = 40% | align = left | quote = "Once he's on the run, Messi is unstoppable. He's the only player who can change direction at such a pace."

"He is the best player in the world by some distance. He's (like) a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make."

| source = Arsène Wenger after Barcelona won 4–1 against Arsenal. }} at Camp Nou]] After winning the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola asserted that Messi was probably the best player he had ever seen. On 18 September, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, running until 2016 and with a buy-out clause of €250 million included, making Messi, along with Zlatan Ibrahimović, the highest paid players in La Liga, with earnings of around €9.5 million yearly. Four days later, on 22 September, Messi scored two goals and assisted another in Barça's 4–1 win over Racing Santander in La Liga. He scored his first European goal of the season on 29 September in a 2–0 win over Dynamo Kyiv, and then took his goal tally to six goals in seven games in La Liga with a strike during a 6–1 routing of Real Zaragoza at Camp Nou.

Messi was named winner of the 2009 Ballon d'Or on 1 December 2009, beating runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo by largest ever margin of 473 to 233. Afterwards, France Football magazine quoted Messi as saying: "I dedicate it to my family. They were always present when I needed them and sometimes felt even stronger emotions than me."

.]] On 19 December, Messi scored the winner in the final of the 2009 Club World Cup against Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi, giving the club their sixth title of the year. Two days later, he was given the FIFA World Player of the Year award; beating Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Kaká and Andrés Iniesta to the award. This was the first time he had won the award, and he became the first Argentinean to ever receive this honour. On 10 January 2010, Messi scored his first hat-trick in 2010 and his first hat-trick of the season against Tenerife in the 0–5 victory, and on 17 January he scored his 100th goal for the club in the 4–0 victory over Sevilla.

Messi then started an impressive run scoring 11 goals in five games. First he scored on the 84th minute against Málaga for a 2–1 win, then he scored two goals against Almería in a 2–2 tie. He continued his spree with an impressive week where he scored eight goals; he started by scoring a hat-trick against Valencia in a 3–0 home win, then he scored two goals against Stuttgart, in a 4–0 win that secured Barcelona's qualification to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and finally he scored another hat-trick against Zaragoza in a 4–2 away win, becoming the first Barcelona player to score back-to-back hat-tricks in La Liga. He played his 200th official match for Barcelona against Osasuna on 24 March 2010.

On 6 April 2010, for the first time in Messi's career he scored four goals in a single match, netting the lot in a 4–1 home win over Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg. This also saw him overtake Rivaldo as Barcelona's all time greatest scorer in the competition. On 10 April, Messi scored his 40th goal of the season when he netted the first goal in a 2–0 away win against title-rivals Real Madrid in El Clásico. On 1 May, Messi played his 50th game of the season and scored two goals on a 4–1 away win against Villarreal. Just three days later, on 4 May, Messi scored two goals in another 4–1 win at home against Tenerife. Messi scored his 32nd goal of the La Liga season on 8 May, during an away win against Sevilla, and in the final match against Valladolid, he scored two goals in the second half to tie Ronaldo's club record of 34 goals in a single league season, set in 1996–97, and to finish four goals behind the all-time record held by Telmo Zarra. He was named La Liga player of the year for the second year in a row on 3 June 2010.

2010–11 season

On 21 August 2010, Messi scored a hat-trick in his first start of the season in a 4–0 victory over Sevilla in the Supercopa de España, helping Barcelona secure their first trophy of the season after a 1–3 first leg loss. He also began his league season with a goal, scoring after just three minutes against Racing Santander on 29 August 2010. He then continued his excellent form into the UEFA Champions League group stage match against Panathinaikos where he scored two goals, assisted another two and also hit the goal-frame on 2 separate occasions. He also missed a penalty, though. Barcelona won the match 5–1.

On 19 September 2010, Messi suffered an ankle injury due to an ill-advised tackle by Atlético Madrid defender Tomáš Ujfaluši in the 92nd minute of their Round 3 match at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. At first sight it was feared that Messi suffered a broken ankle that could have kept the star player away from the pitch for a minimum of six months but MRI performed the next day in Barcelona showed he suffered a sprain in the internal and external ligaments of his right ankle. Team-mate David Villa stated "the tackle on Messi was brutal" after watching the video of the play and also added that he believed the Atlético defender "didn't go into the tackle to hurt". The incident caused widespread media attention and brought up the debate of equality in protecting all players in the game.

When he recovered he scored in a 1–1 tie against Mallorca. He then scored another brace on the UEFA Champions League against København and helped the team to a 2–0 home win. He continued his impressive scoring run with braces against Zaragoza and Sevilla. After a prolific October, he started November scoring on an away 1–1 tie against København and an away 3–1 win against Getafe where he also assisted team-mates David Villa and Pedro Rodríguez. In the next fixture against Villareal, he scored an amazing goal combining with Pedro, which gave Barcelona a 2–1 lead. He scored another goal and Barcelona won 3–1. This was the 7th consecutive match in which Messi scored, breaking his own previous record of 6. He also achieved the feat of scoring 50 goals in the calender year of 2010 with the 1st goal, while with the second goal, he achieved the same feat again, this time considering the goals he scored wearing a Barcelona shirt in the year 2010. Against Almería he scored his second hat-trick of the season in an impressive 8–0 away win, the second goal was his 100th La Liga goal. He scored on his ninth game in a row (10th including a friendly against Brazil) on a 3–0 away win against Panathinaikos.

His goalscoring run ended on 29 November at El Clásico but Barcelona still managed to win 5–0 with Messi assisting Villa twice. The next match day he scored a brace and gave an assist against Osasuna. He followed with another brace against Real Sociedad. In El Derbi, a match Barcelona won 1-5, he assisted teammates Pedro and Villa to score one goal each. His first goal in 2011 came against Deportivo La Coruña with a free kick on a 4-0 away win, where he once again assisted both Pedro and Villa.

He won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, beating his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta. Messi had been nominated for the awards for the fourth consecutive year. Only two days after he won the award he scored his first hat-trick of the year and third of the season against Real Betis.

International career

In June 2004, he debuted for Argentina, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay. In 2005 he was part of a team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. There, he won the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe, scoring in the last four of Argentina's matches and netting a total of six for the tournament.

He made his full international debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary at the age of 18. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off on the 65th minute because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had headbutted defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt. The decision was contentious and Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated. Messi returned to the team on 3 September in Argentina's 1–0 World Cup qualifier away defeat to Paraguay. Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-debut. The first one was a bit short." He then started his first game for Argentina against Peru; after the match Pekerman described Messi as "a jewel".

On 28 March 2009, in a World Cup Qualifier against Venezuela, Messi wore the number 10 jersey for the first time with Argentina. This match was the first official match for Diego Maradona as the Argentina manager. Argentina won the match 4–0 with Messi opening the scoring.

On 17 November 2010, Messi scored a last-minute goal against South American rivals Brazil after an individual effort to help his team to a 1–0 win in the friendly match, which was held in Doha. This was the first time that he had scored against Brazil at senior level.

2006 World Cup

The injury that kept Messi from playing for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season jeopardised his presence in the 2006 World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on 15 May 2006. He also played in the final match before the World Cup against the Argentine U-20 team for 15 minutes and a friendly match against Angola from the 64th minute. He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the substitute's bench. In the next match against Serbia and Montenegro, Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. Messi started in Argentina's following 0–0 draw against the Netherlands. In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was ruled offside with Argentina needing a late goal in extra time to proceed. Coach José Pekerman left Messi on the bench during the quarter-final match against Germany, which they lost 4–2 on a penalty shootout.

2007 Copa América

Messi played his first game in the 2007 Copa América on 29 June 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4–1 in the first game. In this game, he showed his capabilities as a playmaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later.

His second game was against Colombia, in which he won a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1–1. He also played a part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3–1. The final score of the game was 4–2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.

In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with the score at 0–0. In the 79th minute, he assisted a goal for Javier Mascherano. In the quarter-finals, as Argentina faced Peru, Messi scored the second goal of the game, from a Riquelme pass in a 4–0 win. During the semi-final match against Mexico, Messi scored a lob over Oswaldo Sánchez to see Argentina through to the final with a 3–0 win. Argentina went on to lose 3–0 to Brazil in the final.

2008 Summer Olympics

Having barred Messi from playing for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics, Barcelona agreed to release him after he held talks with newly appointed coach Josep Guardiola. He joined the Argentina squad and scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over Ivory Coast. He also featured in Argentina's match against rivals Brazil, in which Argentina took a 3–0 victory, thus advancing to the final. In the gold medal match, Messi again assisted Di María for the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Nigeria.

2010 World Cup

Messi played the entire game on Argentina's opening match 1–0 victory against Nigeria. He had several opportunities to score but was repeatedly denied by Vincent Enyeama. Messi started in Argentina's following 4–1 win against Korea Republic; he participated in all of the goals of his team and helped Gonzalo Higuaín score a hat-trick. On the third and last group stage match Messi captained during Argentina's 2–0 win over Greece, again being the centrepoint of Argentina's play and was voted man of the match.

At the Round of 16 he assisted Carlos Tévez for the first goal in a 3–1 win against Mexico. The referee awarded that goal even though it was a clear offside. The World Cup ended for Argentina with a 4–0 loss against Germany.

Outside football

Personal life

Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos, also from his hometown of Rosario. He is said to have been introduced to her by the girl's father when he returned to Rosario to recover from his injury a few days before the start of the 2006 World Cup. He has in the past also been linked to the Argentine glamour model Luciana Salazar. He was seen with the girl, Antonella Roccuzzo, at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. Roccuzzo is a fellow native of Rosario.

Charity

In 2007 Messi established the Leo Messi Foundation, a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children. In an fansite interview, Messi said: “Being a bit famous now gives me the opportunity to help people who really need it, especially children."

In response to Messi’s own childhood medical difficulties, the Leo Messi Foundation supports Argentine children diagnosed with medical conditions by offering treatment in Spain and covering the transport, hospital and recuperation costs. Messi’s foundation is supported by his own fundraising activity with additional assistance from Herbalife.

On 11 March 2010 Messi was announced as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Messi’s UNICEF ambassador activities are aimed at supporting children’s rights. Messi is supported in this by FC Barcelona, who also have a strong association with UNICEF.

Media

He is featured on the front cover of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 and is also involved in promotional campaigns for the game. Messi, along with Fernando Torres, is the face of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, and was also involved in the motion capturing and the trailer. Messi is sponsored by the German sportswear company Adidas and features in their television advertisements. In June 2010, Messi also signed a 3 year deal with Herbalife which further supports the Leo Messi Foundation.

Career statistics

As of 8 January 2011

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center" |- !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=3|Cup !colspan=3|Europe !colspan=3|Club World Cup !colspan=3|Total |- !Apps !Goals !Assists !Apps !Goals !Assists !Apps !Goals !Assists !Apps !Goals !Assists !Apps !Goals !Assists |- | rowspan=7|Barcelona |2004–05 |7||1||0||1||0||0||1||0||0||colspan="3"|—||9||1||0 |- |2005–06 |17||6||3||2||1||0||6||1||1||colspan="3"|—||25||8||4 |- |2006–07 |26||14||2||4||2||1||6||1||0||0||0||0||36||17||3 |- |2007–08 |28||10||12||3||0||0||9||6||1||colspan="3"|—||40||16||13 |- |2008–09 |31||23||11||8||6||2||12||9||5||colspan="3"|—||51||38||18 |- |2009–10 |35||34||10||4||3||0||12||8||1||2||2||0||53||47||11 |- |2010–11 |15||18||12||6||7||2||6||6||1||colspan="3"|—||27||31||15 |- ! colspan=2 | Career totals !159!!106!!50!!28!!19!!5!!52!!31!!9!!2!!2!!0!!241!!158!!64 |}

International

|2005||5||0 |- |2006||7||2 |- |2007||13||6 |- |2008||8||2 |- |2009||10||3 |- |2010||10||2 |- !Total||53||15 |}

International goals

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: left;" |- ! Goal ! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition |- | 1 || 1 March 2006 || St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland || align=left| || 2–3 || Loss || Friendly |- | 2 || 16 June 2006 || WM-Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Germany || align=left| || 6–0 || Win || 2006 World Cup |- | 3 || 5 June 2007 || Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain || align=left| || 4–3 || Win || Friendly |- | 4 || 5 June 2007 || Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain || align=left| Algeria || 4–3 || Win || Friendly |- | 5 || 8 July 2007 || Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela || align=left| || 4–0 || Win || 2007 Copa América |- | 6 || 11 July 2007 || Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela || align=left| || 3–0 || Win || 2007 Copa América |- | 7 || 16 October 2007 || José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela || align=left| || 2–0 || Win || 2010 World Cup qualification |- | 8 || 20 November 2007 || Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia || align=left| || 1–2 || Loss || 2010 World Cup qualification |- | 9 || 4 June 2008 || Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States || align=left| Mexico || 4–1 || Win || Friendly |- | 10 || 11 October 2008 || Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina || align=left| || 2–1 || Win || 2010 World Cup qualification |- | 11 || 11 February 2009 || Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France || align=left| || 2–0 || Win || Friendly |- | 12 || 28 March 2009 || Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina || align=left| Venezuela || 4–0 || Win || 2010 World Cup qualification |- | 13 || 14 November 2009 || Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid, Spain || align=left| || 1–2 || Loss || Friendly |- | 14 || 7 September 2010 || Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina || align=left| Spain || 4–1 || Win || Friendly |- | 15 || 17 November 2010 || Khalifa International Stadium, Doha , Qatar || align=left| || 1–0 || Win || Friendly |}

Awards and honours

Club

;Barcelona

*

Argentina

Individual

Notes

References

External links

Lionel Messi biography at FC Barcelona

Lionel Messi statistics at FIFA

Profile at ESPN

Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:People from Rosario Category:Argentine footballers Category:Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:La Liga footballers Category:FC Barcelona Atlètic footballers Category:FC Barcelona footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2007 Copa América players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:Argentina international footballers Category:Argentine expatriate footballers Category:Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic footballers of Argentina Category:Olympic gold medalists for Argentina Category:Argentine people of Italian descent Category:Naturalised citizens of Spain Category:Pichichi Trophy winners Category:UNICEF people

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Caption	Özil playing for Real Madrid
Fullname	Mesut Özil
Dateofbirth	October 15, 1988
Cityofbirth	Gelsenkirchen
Countryofbirth	West Germany
Height
Position	Attacking midfielder
Currentclub	Real Madrid
Clubnumber	23
Youthyears1	1995–1998
Youthclubs1	Westfalia 04 Gelsenkirchen
Youthyears2	1998–1999
Youthclubs2	Teutonia Schalke-Nord
Youthyears3	1999–2000
Youthclubs3	Falke Gelsenkirchen
Youthyears4	2000–2005
Youthclubs4	Rot-Weiss Essen
Youthyears5	2005–2006
Youthclubs5	Schalke 04
Years1	2006–2008
Clubs1	Schalke 04
Caps1	30
Goals1	0
Years2	2008–2010
Clubs2	Werder Bremen
Caps2	71
Goals2	13
Years3	2010–
Clubs3	Real Madrid
Caps3	18
Goals3	5
Nationalyears1	2006–2007
Nationalteam1	Germany U19
Nationalcaps1	11
Nationalgoals1	4
Nationalyears2	2007–2009
Nationalteam2	Germany U21
Nationalcaps2	16
Nationalgoals2	5
Nationalyears3	2009–
Nationalteam3	Germany
Nationalcaps3	21
Nationalgoals3	3
Club-update	9 January 2011
Nationalteam-update	12 October 2010

Mesut Özil (; born 15 October 1988) is a footballer who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and for the German national team. Özil has been a youth national team member since 2006, when he debuted for first professional league season and a member of the German national team since 2009. He gained international attention during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was nominated for the Golden Ball Award which is awarded to the tournament's best player. Following his breakout performance at the World Cup, he was transferred to Real Madrid in August 2010.

His nicknames include “der neue Diego” – the new Diego – in reference to the Brazilian playmaker whose role he inherited at Werder Bremen, "German Messi" and "German Zidane" although he is happier with, comfortable with and flattered by the latter.

Club career

Gelsenkirchen and Rot-Weiss Essen

Özil began his youth career playing for various clubs in Gelsenkirchen and then played five years for Rot-Weiss Essen.

Schalke 04

In 2005, he moved to the youth department of FC Schalke 04. He was a midfielder and wore 11 as his squad number, after starting as play-maker and central attacking midfielder in the place of the suspended Lincoln in Ligapokal matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich for Schalke. On making the first team there, he was described as 'the next big thing', but he eventually fell out with club management and moved on to Werder Bremen in January 2008.

Werder Bremen

On 31 January 2008, he moved to Werder Bremen for a reported fee of , signing a contract with the German club until 30 June 2011. Fresh off his fallout at Schalke 04 he stepped into the shoes of Brazilian playmaker Diego to fire the northern club to the 2009 DFB-Pokal with the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin. He also excelled in Europe where he led Werder Bremen to the final of the last ever UEFA Cup, losing out to Shakhtar Donetsk. Although Bremen failed to get going in their 2008–09 Bundesliga season, eventually finishing in a disappointing 10th, Özil managed to make a significant impact in most games and came away with a respectable three goals and 15 assists that highlighted his attacking credentials. The transfer fee is believed to be in the region of €15 million. He made his debut on 22 August in a friendly match against Hércules, which Real Madrid won 3–1.

He then made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for Ángel di María in the 62nd minute against Mallorca, which Real Madrid drew 0–0. Özil made his season debut in Champions League on 15 September. He got his first assist with Real Madrid in the 74th minute against Ajax after he crossed in the ball, resulting in a Higuaín goal. Özil's performances for Real Madrid have been praised by media, fans and players.

He walked off the pitch as a second half substitute to standing ovations in his first two games as a starter at the Santiago Bernabéu. His first goal came in a league match against Deportivo La Coruña on 3 October 2010, in a 6–1 victory. Özil's first Champions League goal with Real came in the 14th minute against Milan on 19 October 2010. On 22 December he made his debut in Copa del Rey, scoring once in a 8–0 victory over Levante.

International career

In September 2006, Özil was called up for the Germany U-17 team. Özil has been a member of the German U-21 team since 2007. On 29 June 2009, Özil was selected the man of the match in a 4–0 win over England during the U-21 European Championship final. On 27 June 2010, he played in Germany's win over England in the last 16 match, setting up the fourth goal with a cross to Thomas Müller as Germany triumphed 4–1. During the quarter-final match against Argentina he assisted the second goal for Miroslav Klose with a low cross to make it 4-0 to the Germans. Germany went on to win the match 4–0. FIFA announced him as one of the ten nominations for the Golden Ball.

International goals

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:85%" |- ! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition |- | 1 || 5 September 2009 || BayArena, Leverkusen, Germany || || 2–0 || 2–0 || Friendly |- | 2 || 23 June 2010 || Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa || || 1–0 || 1–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup |- | 3 || 8 October 2010 || Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany || || 2–0 || 3–0 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |- | colspan="12"|Correct as of 8 October 2010 |}

Career statistics

Last update: 14 January 2011.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%; text-align: center;" |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="3"|Cup !colspan="3"|Continental !colspan="3"|Total |- !Apps !Goals !Assists !Apps !Goals !Assists !Apps !Goals !Assists !Apps !Goals !Assists |- |rowspan="2" valign="center"|Schalke 04 |2006–07 |19||0||1||1||0||0||1||0||0||21||0||1 |- |2007–08 |11||0||4||1||1||0||4||0||0||16||1||4 |- ! colspan="2" | Total !30!!0!!5!!2!!1!!0!!5!!0!!0!!37!!1!!5 |- |rowspan="4" valign="center"|Werder Bremen |2007–08 |12||1||1||0||0||0||2||0||0||14||1||1 |- |2008–09 |28||3||12||5||2||1||14||0||7||47||5||20 |- |2009–10 |31||9||12||5||0||2||8||0||7||44||9||21 |- |2010–11 |colspan="3"|—||1||0||1||colspan="3"|—||1||0||1 |- ! colspan="2" | Total !71!!13!!25!!11!!2!!4!!24!!0!!14!!106!!15!!43 |- |rowspan="1" valign="center"|Real Madrid |2010–11 |18||5||7||2||2||1||5||1||3||25||8||11 |- ! colspan="2" | Total !18!!5!!7!!2!!2!!1!!5!!1!!3!!25!!8!!11 |- ! colspan="2" | Career totals !119!!18!!37!!15!!5!!5!!34!!1!!17!!168!!24!!59 |}

Honours

Club

;Werder Bremen

DFB-Pokal: 2009

UEFA Cup: 2008-09 Runner up

Country

;Germany

FIFA World Cup: Third place - Bronze medal (2010)

UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009

Individual

FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010 Nominee

FIFPro 2010 Nominee

2010 FIFA World Cup Adidas Golden Ball Nominee

2010 FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Nominee

2010 FIFA World Cup Most assists

Style of play

Germany Under-21 manager Horst Hrubesch once said,"We in Germany are prone to rave about foreign players. We praise Wayne Rooney to the heavens, likewise (Cristiano) Ronaldo or Messi. But we have our own Messi. Our Messi is Ozil." His comparisons to Lionel Messi is spurred on due to the fact he is left footed just like Messi. Özil brings finesse and improvisation to the midfield and his magical left-foot can open any door, though he can be inconsistent at times. He has superb ball control, like Messi, and has great vision which at its best can devastate any defense. He also boasts a powerful shot from distance, as evident during his match against Ghana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. who, in reference to his game, concludes, "My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part." His ancestors are from Devrek, Zonguldak in Northern Turkey.

He recites Qur'an verses before all his matches to help him focus. Talking to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel, Özil said, "I always do that before I go out (on the pitch). I pray and my team-mates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period."

In 2010, Özil received the Bambi award for being a prime example of successful integration into German society.

References

External links

Official website Official profile at Realmadrid.com Profile at Kicker.de Career stats at Fussballdaten.de Profile at Transfermarkt.de

The Polite Boy with the Faux-Hawk

Profile at PlayerHistory.com

ESPN Profile

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:People from Gelsenkirchen Category:German footballers Category:German Muslims Category:German people of Turkish descent Category:Germany international footballers Category:Rot-Weiss Essen players Category:FC Schalke 04 players Category:SV Werder Bremen players Category:Real Madrid C.F. players Category:Fußball-Bundesliga players Category:Germany under-21 international footballers Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:La Liga footballers

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Playername	Mario Kempes
Fullname	Mario Alberto Kempes
Dateofbirth	July 15, 1954
Countryofbirth	Argentina
Height
Position	Striker
Youthclubs1	Instituto
Years1	1970–1973
Years2	1974–1976
Years3	1977–1981
Years4	1981–1982
Years5	1982–1984
Years6	1984–1986
Years7	1986–1987
Years8	1987–1990
Years9	1990–1992
Years10	1995
Years11	1996
Clubs1	Instituto
Clubs2	Rosario Central
Clubs3	Valencia
Clubs4	River Plate
Clubs5	Valencia
Clubs6	Hércules
Clubs7	First Vienna
Clubs8	St. Pölten
Clubs9	Kremser SC
Clubs10	Fernandez Vial
Clubs11	Pelita Jaya
Caps1	13
Goals1	11
Caps2	107
Goals2	85
Caps3	142
Goals3	95
Caps4	29
Goals4	15
Caps5	42
Goals5	21
Caps6	38
Goals6	10
Caps7	20
Goals7	7
Caps8	64
Goals8	24
Caps9	39
Goals9	7
Caps10	11
Goals10	5
Totalcaps	505
Totalgoals	280
Nationalyears1	1973–1982
Nationalteam1	Argentina
Nationalcaps1	43
Nationalgoals1	20
Manageryears1	1996
Manageryears2	1996
Manageryears3	1997–1998
Manageryears4	1999
Manageryears5	2000
Manageryears6	2000–2001
Managerclubs1	Pelita Jaya
Managerclubs2	Lushnja
Managerclubs3	Mineros de Guayana
Managerclubs4	The Strongest
Managerclubs5	Blooming
Managerclubs6	Independiente Petrolero

Mario Alberto Kempes (born 15 July 1954 in Bell Ville, Córdoba) is a retired Argentine footballer. His father, Mario, also a footballer, inspired him to play from a young age. At the age of 7, he began playing with a junior team and at 14, he joined La Cuarta de Talleres. He is most notable for playing for Valencia and being the focal point of Argentina's 1978 World Cup win.

Club career

Kempes was nicknamed El toro and El Matador. During his first stint with Valencia, he won two consecutive Pichichis, scoring 24 and 28 goals in 1976–77 and 1977–78. His career started at local club Instituto before quickly moving on to Rosario Central, where he scored 85 goals in 105 matches and established himself as a notorious goalscorer, which prompted a move to Valencia, where he would go on to win the Copa del Rey, the European Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. Famous as a hard-working forward, he used to strike from outside the penalty area with his surging runs goalwards and was not the traditional center-forward operating solely inside the box. Many defenders found difficulties handling his attacking style.

Before the 1978 World Cup, Kempes was the only foreign based player on the list of coach César Luis Menotti's national team in Argentina, he was at the time playing for Spanish giants Valencia while the other squad members all played in Argentina. The coach described him when announcing the squad he had selected for the 1978 tournament, "He's strong, he's got skill, he creates spaces and he shoots hard. He's a player who can make a difference, and he can play in a centre-forward position".

Kempes had been the top scorer in La Liga in each of the past two seasons and was determined to show on home soil that he could deliver against the best on the sport's greatest stage as well. However, in 1974, at the age of 20, he failed to get on the score-sheet in West Germany and after the first round group stage in 1978, his name was still missing among goal scorers in the tournament.

International career

During his club career he won 43 caps for Argentina and scored 20 times. He represented his country in three World Cups in 1974, 1978 and 1982, winning the competition in 1978. He was the leading goalscorer in the 1978 tournament, scoring six goals, including two in the final itself. He has also scored some very important goals for Argentina in his career.

In 1978 he was named South American Football Player of the Year ("El Mundo", Caracas, Venezuela). He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

Managerial career

Kempes made his full time coaching debut in Albania. His brief spell with Lushnja was groundbreaking, as he became the first foreign coach who signed a foreign player for the first time in Albanian soccer history. His career in Albania came to a quick end in 1997. The following year, he landed a job with Venezuelan side Mineros de Guayana. In 1999, Kempes moved to Bolivia and managed The Strongest, before taking charge of Blooming in 2000. Previously, he worked as assistant coach for Uruguayan manager Héctor Núñez in Valencia, and as a player-manager of Indonesian League champions Pelita Jaya. He announced his retirement from football management at the age of 41 in 1996.

Commentary career

He currently works as a football analyst and commentator in Spanish for ESPN Deportes (ESPN's Spanish version).

Career statistics

|- |1973||Instituto||Primera División||13||11|||||||||||||||| |- |1974||rowspan="3"|Central||rowspan="3"|Primera División||36||29|||||||||||||||| |- |1975||49||35|||||||||||||||| |- |1976||22||21|||||||||||||||| |- |1976–77||rowspan="5"|Valencia||rowspan="5"|La Liga||34||24|||||||||||||||| |- |1977–78||34||28|||||||||||||||| |- |1978–79||30||12|||||||||||||||| |- |1979–80||32||22|||||||||||||||| |- |1980–81||12||9|||||||||||||||| |- |1981||rowspan="2"|River Plate||rowspan="2"|Primera División||29||15|||||||||||||||| |- |1982||0||0|||||||||||||||| |- |1982–83||rowspan="2"|Valencia||rowspan="2"|La Liga||27||13|||||||||||||||| |- |1983–84||15||8|||||||||||||||| |- |1984–85||rowspan="2"|Hércules||rowspan="2"|La Liga||17||1|||||||||||||||| |- |1985–86||21||9|||||||||||||||| |- |1986–87||First Vienna||Bundesliga||20||7|||||||||||||||| |- |1987–88||rowspan="3"|Sankt Pölten||First League||0||0|||||||||||||||| |- |1988–89||rowspan="2"|Bundesliga||29||9|||||||||||||||| |- |1989–90||35||15|||||||||||||||| |- |1990–91||rowspan="2"|Kremser||rowspan="2"|Bundesliga||21||5|||||||||||||||| |- |1991–92||18||2|||||||||||||||| |- |1995||Fernández Vial||Primera B||11||5|||||||||||||||| |- |1995–96||Pelita Jaya||Liga Indonesia|||||||||||||||||||| 149||111|||||||||||||||| 222||126|||||||||||||||| 123||38|||||||||||||||| 11||5|||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||| 505||280||||||||||||||||

|- |1973|||| |- |1974||10||4 |- |1975||5||3 |- |1976||9||7 |- |1977||0||0 |- |1978||7||6 |- |1979||0||0 |- |1980||0||0 |- |1981||3||0 |- |1982||9||0 |- !Total|||| |}

Honours

;Valencia

;River Plate

;Argentina

;Individual

once d'or: 1978

References

External links

Mario Kempes profile, detailed club and national team statistics and honours

Argentine Glory Kempes the catalyst for Argentine glory

Classic Players Mario Kempes

Observer Sport biography

Futbol Factory profile (Archived)

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:People from Córdoba Province (Argentina) Category:Argentine footballers Category:Instituto footballers Category:River Plate footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:Rosario Central footballers Category:Arturo Fernández Vial footballers Category:FIFA 100 Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players Category:1974 FIFA World Cup players Category:1978 FIFA World Cup players Category:1982 FIFA World Cup players Category:1975 Copa América players Category:Argentina international footballers Category:La Liga footballers Category:Valencia CF footballers Category:Hércules CF footballers Category:Argentine expatriate footballers Category:Argentine football managers Category:The Strongest managers Category:Club Blooming managers Category:Pichichi Trophy winners Category:Primera División Argentina players Category:Expatriate footballers in Chile Category:Argentine expatriates in Chile Category:Argentine expatriates in Austria Category:Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Expatriate footballers in Indonesia Category:South American Footballer of the Year winners

Coordinates	12°58′0″N77°34′0″N
Playername	Garrincha
Fullname	Manuel Francisco dos Santos
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Nickname	Garrincha, Mané Garrincha
Dateofbirth	October 28, 1933
Cityofbirth	Pau Grande (RJ)
Countryofbirth	Brazil
Dateofdeath	January 20, 1983
Cityofdeath	Rio de Janeiro
Countryofdeath	Brazil
Position	Forward
Youthyears	1948–1952
Youthclubs	Pau Grande
Years	1953–1965 1966 1967 1968 1968–1969 1972
Clubs	Botafogo Corinthians Portuguesa Carioca Atlético Junior Flamengo Olaria
Caps(goals)	581 (232) 10 (2) 0 (0) 1 (0) 15 (4) 10 (1)
Nationalyears	1955–1966
Nationalteam	Brazil
Nationalcaps(goals)	50 (12)

Manuel Francisco dos Santos (October 28, 1933 – January 20, 1983), known by the nickname "Garrincha" (, "little bird"), was a Brazilian football right winger and forward who helped the Brazil national team win the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. He played the majority of his professional career for Brazilian club Botafogo.

The word garrincha itself means wren. Garrincha was also known as Mané (short for Manuel) by his friends. The combined "Mané Garrincha" is common among fans in Brazil. Due to his immense popularity in Brazil, he was also called Alegria do Povo (Joy of the People) and Anjo de Pernas Tortas (Angel with Bent Legs). he is regarded as the best dribbler in football history. He had several birth defects: his spine was deformed, his right leg bent inwards and his left leg six centimeters shorter and curved outwards, none of which impeded his ability to play football at the top level.

Garrincha was known amongst footballing scouts but did not arrive in professional football until his late teens; he had no interest in a professional career despite his immense talent.

Club career

He was already married and a parent when he signed for Botafogo in 1953. Team officials were ecstatic to learn that he was over 18 and able to be treated as a professional. In his first training session, he demonstrated his extraordinary skills by dribbling the ball through the legs of Nilton Santos, a Brazilian international defender and defensive midfielder with 16 international caps, who then requested himself for Garrincha to be hired. He played in a 5-0 win for Botafogo's reserves and then scored a hat trick on his first-team début against Bonsucesso on 19 July 1953.

Garrincha continued to play brilliantly, but Brazil had other talented players in his position, notably Julinho and together with a new European style of play centered on team work, he was not named in the squad for the 1954 World Cup. He helped Botafogo win the Campeonato Carioca in 1957 by scoring 20 goals in 26 games finishing second in the league scoring charts and this convinced the national team selectors to name him to the 1958 World Cup squad. After the 1962 World Cup, Garrincha returned to Rio and carried Botafogo to victory in the 1962 Campeonato Carioca final against Flamengo.

Garrincha's professional career as a footballer lasted until 1972, when he played for Olaria, but he played occasional exhibition matches until 1982.

Garrincha was subject to numerous transfer attempts by rich European clubs like Juventus of Turin, Italy whom tried to sign him in 1954. Real Madrid of Spain tried to sign him in 1959 after some stunning performances by him on a tour of Europe. Internazionale, AC Milan and Juventus of Italy considered jointly signing him in 1963 (he would have to spend a season with each); a deal that would have been unique in football.

International career

Garrincha played 50 international matches for Brazil between 1955 and 1966, and was a starter for the national team in the 1958, 1962 and 1966 World Cups. Brazil only lost one match with him on the pitch, against Hungary at the 1966 World Cup. Pelé did not play the game against Hungary, and thus Brazil never lost when Garrincha and he were on the same lineup.

His first cap was against Chile in Rio de Janeiro in 1955. He played two matches at the Copa America of 1957 and four in the 1959 edition.

1958 World Cup

One month before the 1958 World Cup finals started, Garrincha scored one of his most famous goals, in Italy versus Fiorentina when he beat 4 defenders and the goalkeeper, and then when faced with an open goal, rather than scoring, he waited for another defender to get back and dribbled past him before scoring. Despite his stunning performance his coaches were upset at what they considered an irresponsible move and this likely led to Garrincha not being picked for Brazil's first two matches of the 1958 tournament. However he did start their third match against the USSR; this match marked the debut of both Garrincha and Pelé. The Soviets were one of the favourites for the tournament, and the Brazilians had been nervous about playing them.

1958-1962

Garrincha put on weight after the World Cup, partly because of his drinking, so he was dropped from the national team for a friendly match in Rio against England on 13 May 1959. Later that month, he went on tour with Botafogo in Sweden and got a local girl pregnant. When he returned to Brazil, he drove home to Pau Grande and ran over his father, Amaro. He drove off without stopping, with an angry mob chasing him, and when they caught up with him they found him "drunk, almost catatonic, and with no grasp of what he had done." In August, his wife, Nair, gave birth to their fifth child, and his mistress Iraci announced her first pregnancy. His father died of liver cancer on October 10 having been dependent on alcohol for years.

1962 World Cup

Garrincha was the most outstanding player of the 1962 FIFA World Cup. When Pelé suffered an injury after the second match and was sidelined for the rest of the tournament, Garrincha played a leading role in Brazil's triumph, excelling particularly against England and Chile, scoring 4 goals in those two matches.

After one win and one draw, Brazil faced Spain, without Pelé. The South Americans were losing 0-1 in the second half. Amarildo, Pelé's substitute for the remainder of the tournament, scored the equalizer. Five minutes before the end, Garrincha took the ball on the right flank, dribbled past a defender and paused. Then he dribbled past the same man and another defender, and sent a cross to Amarildo, who scored again to win the match.

In the quarter-finals against England, Garrincha opened the score with a header off a corner kick. England equalized before half time. In the second half, Vavá scored Brazil's second goal off a rebound of a shot by Garrincha; minutes later, Garrincha received a ball outside the penalty area, paused, and sent a curved shot – known as the "banana" shot – into the bottom of the net. Brazil won 3-1 and advanced to the semi-finals. The British football press said he "was Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney and a snake charmer all rolled into one."

During the quarter final, a stray dog ran on to the pitch and evaded all of the players' efforts to catch it until England striker Jimmy Greaves got down on all fours to beckon the animal. Though successful in catching the dog, it managed to urinate all over Greaves' England shirt. Greaves claimed that Garrincha thought the incident was so amusing that he took the dog home as a pet. Ruy Castro's book expands upon this, by clarifying that the dog was captured by an official, and raffled off to the Brazilian squad, a raffle which Garrincha won. The dog was named "Bi".

He scored two more goals in the semi-final against the hosts, Chile, as Brazil went on to win 4-2. His first goal was a 20-yard left-foot shot; the second one, a header. A subsequent headline in the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio read: "What planet is Garrincha from?" but that did not prevent Brazil from winning 3-1 and him from getting voted player of the tournament. Garrincha started the match, and while in the first half, at a point when Brazil had the ball in attack, the referee stopped the match so Garrincha could leave the pitch and receive the crowd's respects. Garrincha then did a lap around the pitch before disappearing through the stadium's tunnel.

Final years and death

The success Garrincha enjoyed on the football pitch had great contrast with his personal life. He drank heavily throughout his adult life, and was involved in several serious road accidents, notably a crash into a lorry in April 1969 which killed his mother-in-law. He was married twice, first to Nair Marques in 1952 (they separated in 1965), a factory worker from Pau Grande with whom he had eight daughters, and second to Elza Soares, a samba singer whom he married in an unofficial ceremony in March 1966; as Soares had also married before, the Brazilian press were sour on the marriage. and he is known to have fathered at least 14 children, a suspected 36.

After a series of financial and marital problems, Garrincha died of cirrhosis of the liver

A multi-use stadium in Brasilia, Estádio Mané Garrincha, is named after him. His career was presented in the 1962 film , and in 2003, another movie, called Garrincha - Estrela Solitária ("Lonely Star"), based on Ruy Castro's book, depicted his life on and off the field.

Playing characteristics

Known for his remarkable ball control, imagination, dribbling skills and ability to create something from nothing, Garrincha also possessed a ferocious shot with either foot and was a gifted dead ball specialist known for free kicks and corners taken with the outside of his foot. However, it was his astonishing dribbling skills he was most famous for, a skill he retained throughout his career. Examples of his shooting ability are his goals in World Cups against England in 1962 and Bulgaria in 1966. He was also able to turn on himself at top speed and explode at unusual angles, which he used to great effect. The numerous attacks and goal opportunities he generated through individual plays would often end up in an accurate pass to a teammate in a position to score. This occurred in the first two of Brazil's goals in the 1958 World Cup final and the second goal against Spain in the 1962 tournament. He was also an excellent header of the ball despite his relatively short stature. He is one of a few players to have scored direct from a corner, a feat he managed to do 4 times in his career.

He was voted into the FIFA Team of the 20th century by 250 of the world's most respected football writers and journalists as one of the three best forwards of the 20th century.

He is often credited for having been the inspiration for the bull fighting chants of "ole" to be used at football grounds initially during a game in Argentina where he constantly teased and went past his markers to constant ole's from the crowd.

National team statistics

|- |1955||1||0 |- |1956||0||0 |- |1957||6||0 |- |1958||5||0 |- |1959||4||0 |- |1960||5||2 |- |1961||4||1 |- |1962||12||6 |- |1963||0||0 |- |1964||0||0 |- |1965||6||0 |- |1966||7||3 |- !Total||50||12 |}

Honours

Brazil

World Cup Champion: 1958, 1962

O'Higgins Cup winner: 1955, 1959, 1961

Oswaldo Cruz Cup: 1960

Botafogo

Intercontinental Championship Clubs: 1963

Brazilian Champion Club (Roberto Gomes Pedrosa Tournament): 1962, 1964

Rio State Championship: 1957, 1961, 1962

Individual

World Cup top scorer-FIFA: 1962 (tied)

World Cup Player of the Tournament-FIFA: 1962

World Player of the Year-FIFA: 1962

Best player of the Carioca championship: 1961

Best player of the Carioca championship: 1962

Player of Rio-São Paulo Tournament: 1962

Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame

FIFA team of the 20th century inductee.

FIFA world cup team of all time inductee.

Bibliography

Original in Portuguese: Estrela Solitária (Lonely Star), 1995

References

External links

Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame

Detail of international appearances and goals by RSSSF

Profile at the International Football Hall of Fame

Biography on ABC Sport

BBC biography

Biography at The Hindu Online

Profile at Botafogo's official web site

Tribute page including biography and photos

Video clips of football oddities. Inspired by Garrincha and the 1962 canine pitch invasion.

FIFA magazine article (1997)

Category:1933 births Category:1983 deaths Category:Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas players Category:Brazilian footballers Category:Brazilian people of Black African descent Category:Clube de Regatas do Flamengo players Category:Atlético Junior footballers Category:1958 FIFA World Cup players Category:1962 FIFA World Cup players Category:1966 FIFA World Cup players Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players Category:Association football forwards Category:Association football wingers Category:Sport Club Corinthians Paulista players Category:Expatriate footballers in Colombia Category:Brazil international footballers Category:Deaths from cirrhosis