Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Diego Maradona
fullname	Diego Armando Maradona
birth date	October 30, 1960
birth place	Lanús, Buenos Aires, Argentina
height
position	Attacking MidfielderSecond Striker
successer	Lionel Messi
youthyears1	–1969
youthyears2	1970–1974
youthyears3	1975
youthclubs1	Estrella Roja
youthclubs2	Los Cebollitas
youthclubs3	Argentinos Juniors
years1	1976–1981
years2	1981–1982
years3	1982–1984
years4	1984–1991
years5	1992–1993
years6	1993–1994
years7	1995–1997
clubs1	Argentinos Juniors
clubs2	Boca Juniors
clubs3	Barcelona
clubs4	Napoli
clubs5	Sevilla
clubs6	Newell's Old Boys
clubs7	Boca Juniors
caps1	167
goals1	115
caps2	40
goals2	28
caps3	36
goals3	22
caps4	188
goals4	81
caps5	26
goals5	5
caps6	5
goals6	0
caps7	30
goals7	7
totalcaps	492
totalgoals	258
nationalyears1	1977–1994
nationalteam1	Argentina
nationalcaps1	91
nationalgoals1	34
manageryears1	1994
manageryears2	1995
manageryears3	2008–2010
manageryears4	2011–
managerclubs1	Mandiyú de Corrientes
managerclubs2	Racing Club
managerclubs3	Argentina
managerclubs4	Al Wasl FC }}

Diego Armando Maradona (; born 30 October 1960) is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting world-record contract fees. In his international career, playing for Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals.

He played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, including the 1986 tournament, where he captained Argentina and led them to their victory over West Germany in the final, winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player. In that same tournament's quarterfinal round, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history, though for two different reasons. The first goal was via an unpenalized handball known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a dribble through six England players, voted "The Goal of the Century".

Maradona is considered one of the sport's most controversial and newsworthy figures. He was suspended from football for 15 months in 1991 after failing a drug test, for cocaine, in Italy, and he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the USA after testing positive for ephedrine. After retiring from playing on his 37th birthday in 1997, he gained weight, suffered ill health and the effects of cocaine use. In 2005, a stomach stapling operation helped control his weight gain, and he overcame his cocaine addiction. His outspoken manners have sometimes put him at odds with journalists and sport executives. Although he had little managerial experience, he became head coach of the Argentina national team in November 2008, and held the job for eighteen months, until his contract expired after the 2010 World Cup.

Early years

Maradona was born in Lanús, but raised in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires, to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (''el Turco'') and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players.

At age 10, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club ''Estrella Roja''. He became a staple of ''Los Cebollitas'' (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games.

Club career

Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors

On 20 October 1976, Maradona made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors, ten days before his sixteenth birthday. He played there between 1976 and 1981, before his £1m transfer to Boca Juniors. Joining the squad midway through the 1981 season, Maradona played through 1982, and secured his first league winners' medal. Whilst playing for Argentinos Juniors, English club Sheffield United put in a bid of £180,000 for his services but the bid was rejected.

FC Barcelona

After the 1982 World Cup, in June, Maradona was transferred to Barcelona in Spain for a then world record £5m. In 1983, under coach César Luis Menotti, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey (Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid, and the Spanish Super Cup, beating Athletic de Bilbao. However, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona. First a bout with hepatitis, then a broken ankle caused by an ill-timed tackle by Athletic's Andoni Goikoetxea jeopardized his career, but Maradona's physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to soon be back on the pitch. At Barcelona, Maradona got into frequent disputes with the team's directors, especially club president Josep Lluís Núñez, culminating with a demand to be transferred out of Camp Nou in 1984. He was transferred to Napoli in Italy's Serie A for another record fee, £6.9m.

Napoli

At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career. He quickly became an adored star among the club's fans, and in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history. Led by Maradona, Napoli won their only Serie A Italian Championships in 1986/87 and 1989/1990, placing second in the league twice, in 1987/88 and 1988/89. Other honors during the Maradona era at Napoli included the Coppa Italia in 1987, (second place in the Coppa Italia in 1989), the UEFA Cup in 1989 and the Italian Supercup in 1990. Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A in 1987/88.

During his time in Italy, Maradona's personal problems increased. His cocaine use continued, and he received US $70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, ostensibly because of 'stress'. He faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son; and he was also the object of some suspicion over an alleged friendship with the Camorra.

Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys and Boca Juniors

After serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. Despite interest from Real Madrid of Spain and Olympique Marseille of France, he signed for Seville of Spain, where he stayed for one year.

In 1993 he played for Newell's Old Boys and in 1995 he returned to Boca Juniors for two years.

Maradona also appeared for Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly match against Internazionale, shortly before the 1986 world cup. The match was Osvaldo Ardiles' testimonial, who insisted his friend Maradona played, which Tottenham won 2–1. He played alongside Glenn Hoddle, who gave up his number ten shirt for the Argentine. Maradona would go on to dribble past Hoddle during his "goal of the century" against England in the world cup that year.

International career

Along with his time at Napoli, international football is where Maradona found his fame. Playing for the ''Albicelestes'' of the Argentina national football team, he participated in four consecutive FIFA World Cup tournaments, leading Argentina to victory in 1986 and to second place in 1990.

He made his full international debut at age 16, against Hungary on 27 February 1977. At age 18, he played the World Youth Championship for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining in their 3–1 final win over the Soviet Union. On 2 June 1979, Maradona scored his first senior international goal in a 3–1 win against Scotland at Hampden Park. He is the only player to win the Golden Ball at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA World Cup, in 1979 and 1986.

1982 World Cup

Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982. In the first round, Argentina, the defending champions, lost to Belgium. Although the team convincingly beat Hungary and El Salvador to progress to the second round, they were defeated in the second round by Brazil and by eventual winners Italy. Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary, but was sent off with 5 minutes remaining in the game against Brazil for serious foul play.

1986 World Cup

Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, winning the final in Mexico against West Germany. Throughout the 1986 World Cup Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the tournament. He played every minute of every Argentina game, scored 5 goals and made 5 assists. After scoring two goals in the 2–1 quarter-final win against England his legend was cemented.

This match was played with the background of the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom and emotions were still lingering in the air throughout the entire match. Replays showed that the first goal was scored by striking the ball with his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." It became known as the "Hand of God". Ultimately, on 22 August 2005 Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he had hit the ball with his hand purposely, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. The goal stood, much to the wrath of the English players. Maradona's second goal was later voted by FIFA as the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup. He received the ball in his own half, swivelled around, and with 11 touches ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past five English outfield players (Peter Beardsley, Steve Hodge, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher, and Terry Fenwick) and goalkeeper Peter Shilton. This goal was voted "Goal of the Century" in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA. Right after the goal occurred, it left the television commentator "sobbing in joy", and apologizing for his outburst.

Maradona followed this with two more goals in the semi-final against Belgium, including another virtuoso dribbling display for the second goal. In the final, the opposing West German side attempted to contain him by double-marking, but he nevertheless found the space to give the final pass to Jorge Burruchaga for the winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3–2 in front of 115,000 spectators at the Azteca Stadium and Maradona lifted the World Cup trophy, ensuring that he would be remembered as one of the greatest names in football history. In a tribute to him, the Azteca Stadium authorities built a statue of him scoring the "goal of the century" and placed it at the entrance of the stadium.

1990 World Cup

Maradona captained Argentina again in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. An ankle injury affected his overall performance, and he was much less dominant than four years earlier. Argentina was almost eliminated in the first round, only qualifying in third position from their group. In the round of 16 match against Brazil, Claudio Caniggia scored the only goal after being set up by Maradona.

In the quarter final, Argentina faced Yugoslavia, the match ending 0–0 after 120 minutes, and Argentina advancing on penalty kicks, despite Maradona missing one of the penalties in the shootout with a weak shot at the centre of the goal. The semifinal against the host nation Italy was also resolved on penalties after a 1–1 draw; this time, Maradona was successful with his effort, daringly placing the ball at exactly the same spot as his missed penalty in the previous round. In the final, Argentina lost 1–0 to West Germany, the only goal being a penalty by Andreas Brehme in the 85th minute after a controversial foul on Rudi Völler.

1994 World Cup

At the 1994 FIFA World Cup Maradona played in only two games, scoring one goal against Greece, before being sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine doping. In his autobiography, Maradona argued that the test result was due to his personal trainer giving him the power drink Rip Fuel. His claim was that the U.S. version, unlike the Argentine one, contained the chemical and that, having run out of his Argentine dosage, his trainer unwittingly bought the U.S. formula. FIFA expelled him from USA '94 and Argentina were subsequently eliminated in the second round. Maradona has also separately claimed that he had an agreement with FIFA, on which the organization reneged, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play. According to Maradona, this was so that the World Cup would not lose prestige because of his absence. This allegation has never been proven.

Playing style

Maradona had a compact physique and could withstand physical pressure well. His strong legs and low center of gravity gave him an advantage in short sprints. His physical strengths were illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup. Maradona was a strategist and a team player, as well as highly technical with the ball. He could manage himself effectively in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second 1986 goal against England), or give an assist to a free teammate. Being short, but strong, he could hold the ball long enough with a defender on his back to wait for a teammate making a run or to find a gap for a quick shot.

One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling full-speed on the right wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering accurate passes to his teammates. Another trademark was the ''Rabona,'' a reverse-cross pass shot behind the leg that holds all the weight. This maneuver led to several assists, such as the powerful cross for Ramón Díaz's header in the 1980 friendly against Switzerland. He was also a dangerous free kick taker.

Maradona was dominantly left-footed, often using his left foot even when the ball was positioned more suitably for a right-footed connection. His first goal against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup semi-final is a worthy indicator of such; he had run into the inside right channel to receive a pass but let the ball travel across to his left foot, requiring more technical ability. During his run past several England players in the previous round for the "Goal of the Century", he did not use his right foot once, despite spending the whole movement on the right-hand side of the pitch. In the 1990 World Cup second round tie against Brazil, he did use his right foot to set up the winning goal for Caniggia due to two Brazilian markers forcing him into a position that made use of his left foot less practical.

Retirement and honours

Hounded for years by the press, Maradona once fired a compressed-air rifle at reporters who he claimed were invading his privacy. This quote from former teammate Jorge Valdano summarizes the feelings of many:

In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography ''Yo Soy El Diego'' ("I am ''The Diego''"), which became an instant bestseller in his home country. Two years later, Maradona donated the Cuban royalties of his book to "the Cuban people and Fidel."

FIFA conducted a fan poll on the Internet in 2000, to elect the FIFA Player of the Century. Maradona finished top of the poll with 53.6% of the vote. Subsequently, however, and contrary to the original announcement of how the award would be decided, FIFA appointed a "Football Family" committee of football experts that voted to award Pelé the title. Maradona protested at the change in procedure, and declared he would not attend the ceremony if Pelé replaced him. Eventually, two awards were made, one to each of the pair. Maradona accepted his prize, but left the ceremony without waiting to see Pelé receive his accolade. It should be mentioned that Pelé and numerous FIFA officials criticised the poll for a number of methodological shortcomings, most notably, for the 'recency effect'. In a separate survey conducted by the IFFHS, Maradona placed 5th best player of the century, behind fellow countryman Alfredo Di Stefano.

In 2001, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) asked FIFA for authorization to retire the jersey number 10 for Maradona. FIFA did not grant the request, even though Argentine officials have maintained that FIFA hinted that it would.

Maradona has won other fan polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a World Cup; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.

Argentinos Juniors named its stadium after Maradona on 26 December 2003.

On 22 June 2005, it was announced that Maradona would return to Boca Juniors as a sports vice president in charge of managing the First Division roster (after a disappointing 2004–05 season, which coincided with Boca's centenary). His contract began 1 August 2005, and one of his first recommendations proved to be very effective: he was the one who decided to hire Alfio Basile as the new coach. With Maradona fostering a close relationship with the players, Boca went on to win the 2005 Apertura title, the 2006 Clausura title, the 2005 Copa Sudamericana and the 2005 Recopa Sudamericana.

On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10 ("The Night of the no. 10"). His main guest on opening night was Pelé; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. However, the show also included a cartoon villain with a clear physical resemblance to Pelé. In subsequent evenings, he led the ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Zidane, Ronaldo and Hernán Crespo, but also included interviews with other notable personalities such as Fidel Castro and Mike Tyson.

On 26 August 2006, it was announced that Maradona was quitting his position in the club Boca Juniors because of disagreements with the AFA, who selected Basile to be the new coach of the Argentina national football team.

The award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica made a documentary about Maradona's life, entitled ''Maradona''.

In May 2006, Maradona agreed to take part in UK's Soccer Aid (a program to raise money for Unicef). In September 2006, Maradona, in his famous blue and white number 10, was the captain for Argentina in a three-day World Cup of Indoor Football tournament in Spain.

Also in 2006, Diego Maradona was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador of IIMSAM the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition.

On 22 March 2010, Maradona was chosen number 1 in The Greatest 10 World Cup players of all time by ''The Times'', a London based newspaper.

Managerial career

Club management

He attempted to work as a coach alongside former Argentinos Juniors midfield team mate Carlos Fren. The pair led Mandiyú of Corrientes (1994) and Racing Club (1995), but with little success.

International management

After the resignation of Argentina national football team coach Alfio Basile in 2008, Diego Maradona immediately proposed his candidacy for the vacant role. According to several press sources, his major challengers included Diego Simeone, Carlos Bianchi, Miguel Ángel Russo and Sergio Batista.

On 29 October 2008, AFA chairman Julio Grondona confirmed that Maradona would be the head coach of the national side from December 2008. On 19 November 2008, Diego Maradona managed Argentina for the first time when Argentina played against Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow which Argentina won 1–0.

After winning his first three matches in charge of the national team, he oversaw a 6–1 defeat to Bolivia, equalling the team's worst ever margin of defeat. With two matches remaining in the qualification tournament for the 2010 World Cup, Argentina was in fifth place and faced the possibility of failing to qualify, but victory in the last two matches secured qualification for the finals.

After Argentina's qualification, Maradona used abusive language at the live post-game press conference, telling members of the media to "suck it and keep on sucking it". FIFA responded with a two month ban on all footballing activity, which expired on 15 January 2010, and a CHF 25,000 fine, with a warning as to his future conduct. The friendly match scheduled to take place at home to the on 15 December, during the period of the ban, was cancelled. The only match Argentina played during Maradona's ban was a friendly away to , which Argentina lost 4–2.

At the World Cup finals in June 2010, Argentina started by winning 1–0 against Nigeria, and then defeated South Korea by 4–1, with a hat-trick from Gonzalo Higuain. In the final match of the group stage Argentina won 2–0 against Greece to win their the group and advance to a second round meeting with Mexico. After defeating Mexico 3–1, Argentina was in turn routed by Germany, 4–0 in the quarter finals to go out of the competition. Argentina was ranked 5th in the tournament. After the defeat to Germany Maradona admitted that he was considering his future as Argentina coach, "I may leave tomorrow," he said. On 15 July 2010, the Argentine Football Association said that he would be offered a new 4 year deal that would keep him in charge through to the summer of 2014 when Brazil stages the World Cup, however on 27 July the AFA announced that its board had unanimously decided not to renew his contract. Afterwards on 29 July 2010, Maradona claimed that AFA president Julio Grondona and director of national teams Carlos Bilardo had "lied to" and "betrayed" and effectively sacked him from the role. Saying "they wanted me to continue, but seven of my staff should not go on, if he told me that, it meant he did not want me to keep working".

Personal life

Family

His parents are Diego Maradona Snr and Dalma Salvadore Franco. His father is of Native American extraction. His maternal great-grandfather Mateo Kariolić was born in Korčula, Dalmatia, today's Croatia (possibly then in the Austrian Empire), and emigrated to Argentina, where Maradona's grandmother Salvadora was born. Salvadora named her daughter Dalma after the Croatian region, after whom Maradona named his eldest daughter.

Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on 7 November 1989 in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (born on 2 April 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (born on 16 May 1989), by whom he became a grandfather in 2009. In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.

Maradona and Villafañe divorced in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. They traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005 and were seen together on many other occasions, including the Argentina matches during 2006 FIFA World Cup.

During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra (born in Naples on 20 September 1986). The Italian courts had already so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity. Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Italy where Maradona was playing.

After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer, and Dalma is seeking an acting career; she has expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.

His younger daughter, Giannina, is now engaged to Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero, with whom she has a son, Benjamin, born in Madrid on 19 February 2009. His son Diego Sinagra is a footballer in Italy

Drug abuse and health issues

From the mid-1980s until 2004 Diego Maradona was addicted to cocaine. He allegedly began using the drug in Barcelona in 1983. By the time he was playing for Napoli he had a regular addiction, which began to interfere with his ability to play football.

Over the years following his retirement his health seriously deteriorated. On 4 January 2000, while vacationing in Punta del Este, Uruguay, Maradona had to be rushed to the emergency room of a local clinic. In a press conference, doctors stated that it was detected heart muscle damage due to "an underlying health issue". It was later known that traces of cocaine were found in his blood and Maradona had to explain the circumstances to the police. After this he left Argentina and went to Cuba in order to follow a drug rehab plan.

On 18 April 2004, doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major myocardial infarction following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the clinic. He was taken off the respirator on 23 April and remained in intensive care for several days before being discharged on 29 April. He tried to return to Cuba, where he had spent most of his time in the years leading up to the heart attack, but his family opposed, having filed a judicial petition to exercise his legal guardianship.

Maradona had a tendency to put on weight, and suffered increasingly from obesity from the end of his playing career until undergoing gastric bypass surgery in a clinic in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia on 6 March 2005. His surgeon said that Maradona would follow a liquid diet for three months in order to return back his normal weight. When Maradona resumed public appearances shortly thereafter, he displayed a notably thinner figure.

On 29 March 2007, Maradona was readmitted to a hospital in Buenos Aires. He was treated for hepatitis and effects of alcohol abuse, and was released on 11 April, but re-admitted two days later. In the following days there were constant rumors about his health, including three false claims of his death within a month. After transfer to a psychiatric clinic specialising in alcohol-related problems, he was discharged on 7 May.

On 8 May 2007, Maradona appeared on Argentine television and stated that he had quit drinking and had not used drugs in two and a half years.

Political views

Only in recent years, Maradona has shown sympathy to left-wing ideologies. Before that he had been vocal in his support of neoliberal Argentina President Carlos Menem, and especially of his Harvard University-educated economist Domingo Cavallo. He became friends with Cuban leader Fidel Castro while receiving treatment on the island. He also has a portrait of Fidel Castro tattooed on his left leg and one of Fidel's second in command, fellow Argentine Che Guevara on his right arm. In his autobiography 'El Diego' he dedicated the book to several people and groups of people including Fidel Castro, he wrote "To Fidel Castro and, through him, all the Cuban people".

Maradona is also a supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. In 2005 he visited Venezuela with the specific aim of meeting Chávez, who received him in Miraflores. After this meeting Maradona claimed that he had come with the aim of meeting a "great man" ("un grande" in Spanish) but he had met instead a gigantic man ("un gigante" in Spanish, meaning he was more than great).

"I believe in Chávez, I am Chavista. Everything Fidel does, everything Chávez does, for me is the best."

He has declared his opposition to what he identifies as imperialism, notably during the 2005 Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina. There he protested George W. Bush's presence in Argentina, wearing a T-shirt labeled "STOP BUSH" (with the "s" in "Bush" being a swastika) and referring to Bush as "human garbage".

In August 2007, Maradona went further, making an appearance on Chávez's weekly television show and saying: "I hate everything that comes from the United States. I hate it with all my strength."

In December 2007, Maradona presented a signed shirt with a message of support to the people of Iran: it is to be displayed in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' museum.

Financial problems

In March 2009 Italian officials announced that Maradona still owed the Italian government 37 million euros in taxes; 23.5 million euros of which was accrued interest on his original debt. They reported that thus far, Maradona has paid only 42,000 euros, two luxury watches and a set of earrings.

In popular culture

The American newspaper ''The Houston Chronicle'' wrote about Maradona:

In Argentina, Maradona is considerer a symbol, a “Sport hero”. He is idolized, receiving the name of “God”. About this idolatry that exists in Argentina over Maradona, his former teammate Jorge Valdano said: "At the time that Maradona retired from active football, left traumatized Argentina. Maradona was more than just a great footballer. It was a special compensation factor for a country that in a few years lived several military dictatorships and social frustrations of all kinds". Valdano added that "Maradona offered to the Argentines way out of their collective frustration, and that's why people love him. There is a divine figure."

Ever since 1986, it is common for Argentines abroad to hear Maradona's name as a token of recognition, even in remote places. The Tartan Army sing a version of the Hokey Cokey in honour of the Hand of God goal against England. In Argentina, Maradona is often talked about in terms reserved for legends. In the Argentine film ''El Hijo de la Novia'' ("Son of the Bride"), somebody who impersonates a Catholic priest says to a bar patron: "they idolized him and then crucified him". When a friend scolds him for taking the prank too far, the fake priest retorts: "But I was talking about Maradona". He's the subject of the film ''El Camino de San Diego'', though he himself only appears in archive footage.

Maradona was included in many cameos in the Argentine comic book El Cazador de Aventuras. After the closing of it, the authors started a new short-lived comic book titled "El Die", using Maradona as the main character.

In Rosario, Argentina, locals organized the parody religion of the "''Church of Maradona''". The organization reformulates many elements from Christian tradition, such as Christmas or prayers, reflecting instead details from Maradona. It had 200 founding members, tens of thousands more have become members via the church's official web site.

Many Argentine artists performed songs in tribute to Diego, like: "Maradó" by El Potro Rodrigo, "Maradona" by Andrés Calamaro, "Para siempre Diego" (Diego forever) by Los Ratones Paranoicos, "Para verte gambetear" (For seeing you dribble) by La Guardia Hereje, "Francotirador" (Sniper) by Attaque 77, "Dale Diez" (C'mon Diez) by Julio Lacarra, "Maradona blues" by Charly García, "Santa Maradona" (Saint Maradona) by Mano Negra, "Si yo fuera Maradona" (If I Were Maradona) by Manu Chao, among others.

And many films, like: ''Maradona, La Mano de Dios'' (Maradona, the Hand of God), ''El Camino de San Diego'' (Saint Diego's Road), ''Amando a Maradona'' (Loving Maradona), ''Maradona by Kusturica'', etc.

A television commercial for Brazilian soft drink Guaraná Antarctica portrayed Maradona as a member of the Brazilian national football team, including wearing the yellow jersey and singing the Brazilian national anthem with Brazilian caps Kaká and Ronaldo. Later on in the commercial he wakes up realizing it was a nightmare after having drunk too much of the Brazilian soft drink. This generated some controversy in the Argentine media after its release (although the commercial was not supposed to air on the Argentine market, fans could see it via internet). Maradona replied that he has no problem in wearing the Brazilian national squad jersey, but that he would refuse to wear the shirt of River Plate, Boca Juniors' traditional rival.

Career statistics

Club

His overall average of goals scored per match in domestic club competitions is 0.526.

International

Started in 21 consecutive matches for Argentina in four World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)

Appeared 16 times as captain of the national team, a World Cup-record.

Scored 8 goals and made 8 assists in 21 World Cup appearances, including 5 goals and 5 assists in 1986

Tied for second-highest goal-scorer from Argentina in World Cup finals (equaled Guillermo Stábile's mark in 1994; surpassed by Gabriel Batistuta in 1998)

Statistics

Player

rowspan="5" 49 35 27 45Boca Juniors rowspan="2" 16 rowspan="7" 29 29 28 26 28 18Sevilla FCNewell's Old Boys rowspan="3" 1 5

Club	Season	League	League	Cup	Continental	Other	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
1976 Argentine Primera División	1976	Argentinos Juniors||rowspan="6"|Primera División||	11	2	–		–		–		11	2
1977 Argentine Primera División	1977	|	19	–		–		–		49	19
1978 Argentine Primera División	1978	|	25	–		–		–		35	25
1979 Argentine Primera División	1979	|	26	–		–		–		27	26
1980 Argentine Primera División	1980	|	43	–		–		–		45	43
1981 Argentine Primera División	1981	|	40	28	–		–		–		40	28
1982–83 La Liga	1982–83	Barcelona||	La Liga	20	11	5	3	4	5	6	4	35	23
1983–84 La Liga	1983–84	|		11	4	1	3	3	–		23	15
1984–85 Serie A	1984–85	Napoli||	Serie A	30	14	6	3	–		–		36	17
1985–86 Serie A	1985–86	|		11	2	2	–		–		31	13
1986–87 Serie A	1986–87	|		10	10	7	2	0	–		41	17
1987–88 Serie A	1987–88	|		15	9	6	2	0	–		39	21
1988–89 Serie A	1988–89	|		9	12	7	12	3	–		50	19
1989–90 Serie A	1989–90	|		16	3	2	5	0	–		36	18
1990–91 Serie A	1990–91	|		6	3	2	4	2	1	0	26	10
1992–93 La Liga	1992–93	Sevilla||	La Liga	26	5	3	3	–		–		29	8
1993–94 Argentine Primera División	1993–94	|rowspan="4"|Primera División||	5	0	–		–		–		5	0
1995–96 Argentine Primera División	1995–96	Boca Juniors||	24	5	–		–		–		24	5
1996–97 Argentine Primera División	1996–97	|	0	–		1	0	–		2	0
1997–98 Argentine Primera División	1997–98	|	2	–		–		–		5	2	242	150	–		1	0	–		242	151	62	27	12	7	7	8	6	4	87	46	188	81	45	29	25	5	1	0	259	115	492	258	57	36	33	13	7	4	589	311				*Other - League Cup (Spain) & Super Cup (Italy)

!Total

1977	3
1978	1
1979	8
1980	10
1981	2
1982	10
1983	0
1984	0
1985	10
1986	10
1987	6
1988	3
1989	7
1990	10
1991	0
1992	0
1993	4
1994	7
|	91	34

Manager

1 2 14 0

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
!G!!W!!L!!D!!Win %
align=left	Mandiyú de Corrientes				12	|	6	5
align=left	Racing Club				11	|	6	3
align=left	Argentina				19	|	5	0
align=left	Al Wasl FC				0	|	0	0

Honours

Club

Boca Juniors

Primera División: 1981

Barcelona

Copa del Rey: 1983

Copa de la Liga: 1983

Supercopa de España: 1983

Napoli

Serie A: 1987, 1990

Coppa Italia: 1987

UEFA Cup: 1989

Supercoppa Italiana: 1990

Country

Argentina

*FIFA World Youth Championship: 1979

*FIFA World Cup:

**Winner: 1986

**Runner-up: 1990

*Artemio Franchi Trophy: 1993

*75th anniversary FIFA Cup: 1979

Individual

Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1979

Argentine league Top Scorer: 1979, 1980, 1981

Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986

South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas):1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992

Italian Guerin d'Oro: 1985

Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year: 1986

Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup: 1986

L'Équipe Champion of Champions – 1986

United Press International Athlete of the Year Award: 1986

Best Footballer in the World Onze d'Or: 1986, 1987

World Player of the Year (World Soccer Magazine): 1986

Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer): 1987–88

Golden Ball for services to football (France Football): 1996

Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century: 1999

Marca Leyenda: 1999

Argentine Senate ''"Domingo Faustino Sarmiento"'' recognition for lifetime achievement:

"FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal): 2002

FIFA Player of the Century

See also

New Maradona

References

External links

ESPN Profile

Complete List of International Appearances and Goals

Video: Maradona's "Goal of the Century"

Gary Lineker interviews Diego – BBC News 30 April 2006

Diego admires Del Piero and Lavezzi

Maradona Wants a Soccer Project to Return to Calcutta

50 Facts About the Argentine Legend

Images

Maradona: The Highs, the Lows – slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Photos: Diego Maradona's Quest for the World Cup – slideshow by ''TIME'' magazine

Diego Maradona's Greatest 2010 World Cup Moments – slideshow by ''The Huffington Post''

Preben Elkjær |after= Hristo Stoichkov |years=1990}} Hugo Porta |years=1986 |after= Gabriela Sabatini}} Paolo Rossi|after= Ruud Gullit|years=1982–1987}} }}

Category:1982 FIFA World Cup players Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players Category:1990 FIFA World Cup players Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players Category:1979 Copa América players Category:1987 Copa América players Category:1989 Copa América players Category:Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Italy Category:Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Argentina international footballers Category:Argentina national football team managers Category:Argentine football managers Category:Argentine footballers Category:Argentine sportspeople in doping cases Category:Argentinos Juniors footballers Category:Association football midfielders Category:Boca Juniors footballers Category:Doping cases in association football Category:Expatriate footballers in Italy Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain Category:Expatriate football managers in the United Arab Emirates Category:FC Barcelona footballers Category:FIFA 100 Category:FIFA World Cup-winning captains Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup managers Category:Al Wasl FC football managers Category:La Liga footballers Category:Native American sportspeople Category:Newell's Old Boys footballers Category:People from Lomas de Zamora Category:Racing Club managers Category:S.S.C. Napoli players Category:Serie A footballers Category:Serie A topscorers Category:Sevilla FC footballers Category:Textil Mandiyú managers Category:Television talk show hosts Category:World Soccer Magazine World Player of the Year winners Category:Primera División Argentina players Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:Argentine expatriate footballers Category:South American Footballer of the Year winners

af:Diego Maradona am:ዲየጎ ማራዶና ar:دييغو مارادونا az:Dieqo Armando Maradona bn:দিয়েগো মারাদোনা be:Дыега Арманда Марадона be-x-old:Дыега Арманда Марадона bs:Diego Maradona bg:Диего Марадона ca:Diego Armando Maradona cv:Марадона Диего cs:Diego Maradona cy:Diego Armando Maradona da:Diego Maradona de:Diego Maradona et:Diego Maradona el:Ντιέγκο Μαραντόνα es:Diego Armando Maradona eo:Diego Armando Maradona eu:Diego Armando Maradona fa:دیگو آرماندو مارادونا fr:Diego Maradona ga:Diego Maradona gd:Diego Armando Maradona gl:Diego Armando Maradona ko:디에고 마라도나 hy:Դիեգո Մարադոնա hi:डिएगो माराडोना hr:Diego Maradona io:Diego Armando Maradona id:Diego Maradona it:Diego Armando Maradona he:דייגו מראדונה jv:Diego Armando Maradona kn:ಡಿಯೇಗೋ ಮೆರಡೋನ ka:დიეგო მარადონა kk:Диего Армандо Марадона sw:Diego Maradona ku:Armando Diego Maradona la:Didacus Hermannus Maradona lv:Djego Maradona lt:Diego Maradona hu:Diego Maradona mk:Диего Марадона ml:ഡിയേഗോ മറഡോണ mr:दिएगो मारादोना ms:Diego Maradona nl:Diego Maradona ne:डिएगो म्याराडोना ja:ディエゴ・マラドーナ nap:Diego Armando Maradona no:Diego Maradona oc:Diego Maradona pl:Diego Maradona pt:Diego Maradona ro:Diego Maradona qu:Diego Armando Maradona ru:Марадона, Диего Армандо sq:Diego Maradona scn:Diegu Armandu Maradona simple:Diego Maradona sk:Diego Maradona sl:Diego Armando Maradona ckb:مارادۆنا sr:Дијего Армандо Марадона fi:Diego Maradona sv:Diego Maradona ta:டீகோ மரடோனா th:เดียโก มาราโดนา tr:Diego Maradona uk:Дієго Марадона ur:ڈیاگو میراڈونا vi:Diego Maradona vls:Diego Maradona yo:Diego Maradona zh-yue:馬勒當拿 bat-smg:Diego Maradona zh:迭戈·马拉多纳

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
playername	Diego Forlán
fullname	Diego Forlán Corazo
dateofbirth	May 19, 1979
cityofbirth	Montevideo
countryofbirth	Uruguay
height
currentclub	Internazionale
clubnumber	9
position	Striker
youthyears1	|youthclubs1 Peñarol
youthyears2	|youthclubs2 Danubio
youthyears3	|youthclubs3 Independiente
years1	1997–2001 |clubs1 Independiente |caps1 80 |goals1 37
years2	2001–2004 |clubs2 Manchester United |caps2 63 |goals2 10
years3	2004–2007 |clubs3 Villarreal |caps3 106 |goals3 54
years4	2007–2011 |clubs4 Atlético Madrid |caps4 134 |goals4 74
years5	2011– |clubs5 Internazionale |caps5 0 |goals5 0
nationalyears1	2002– |nationalteam1 Uruguay |nationalcaps1 82 |nationalgoals1 31
pcupdate	19:50, 24 Jul 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	19:50, 24 Jul 2011 (UTC) }}

Diego Forlán Corazo (; born 19 May 1979) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.

Forlán was born into a family of footballers, his father Pablo having played for São Paulo (1970–1975) and Uruguay in the 1966 and 1974 World Cups and his grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazo, for Independiente in Argentina. Forlán joined Independiente after rising through their youth team, and after a successful four-year spell, he signed for Manchester United. Forlán's disappointing two-year stint in the Premier League saw him fail to achieve the form he held at Independiente, and he moved on to La Liga side Villarreal.

In his first season in Spanish football, Forlán scored 25 league goals and won the Pichichi Trophy. After two more successful seasons with Villarreal, Forlán joined Atlético Madrid, where he once again became the league's top scorer, and became the first player to win the Pichichi Trophy twice since Ronaldo achieved this feat in 2003–04.

Forlán also has a successful international career, having scored 31 times for his country. He scored once at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, and five times at the 2010 World Cup, in which he scored twice against the host nation South Africa, once against Ghana in the quarter-finals, once against the Netherlands in the semi-finals and once against Germany in the third place play-off. Despite scoring five goals, Forlan was beaten to the Golden Boot by Thomas Müller of Germany, as he also had 3 assists. David Villa of Spain won the Silver Boot. Wesley Sneijder of Holland won the Bronze Boot. Forlán was however recognized with the Golden Ball award, given to the best player at the tournament.

Club career

Early career

Born in Montevideo, Forlán, son of former player and Uruguayan international Pablo Forlán, was a promising tennis player in his youth. But he decided to follow the family tradition and concentrate on football when his sister Alejandra was involved in a car accident, which killed her boyfriend and left her in intensive care for five months and handicapped thereafter. In 1995, when he was 16, Forlán was brought to France by manager László Bölöni, and spent several months on trial at AS Nancy. However, the club opted against signing him, and Forlán returned to South America. He played for several South American clubs, including Argentine side Independiente, where he made his name in football as a goalscorer. His goalscoring feats attracted the attention of European sides, and in January 2002 he signed for Manchester United in the English Premier League for a fee of £6.9 million.

Manchester United

While Forlán's spell at Old Trafford was disappointing, he did enjoy the occasional purple patch of scoring. He had a knack for scoring important goals, such as the late equaliser at home to Aston Villa and the remarkable volleyed winner in the last minutes of the home game against Chelsea during United's Premier League-winning season of 2002–03. He became a fan favourite when he scored two goals against Liverpool in a 2–1 victory at Anfield. During this period, Forlán became known for removing his shirt and baring his torso in celebration of his goals. The first such example of this resulted in quite an amusing incident: Forlán whipped his shirt off in excitement after scoring an 85th minute winner against Southampton in November 2002 but struggled to get it back on in time before play restarted, resulting in the spectacle of Forlán briefly running around the Old Trafford pitch bare-chested with his shirt still in his hand, before recovering the ball for his team. The referee soon stopped play and ordered Forlán off the pitch to get dressed.

Forlán's 17 goals in 95 appearances (goal every 5.5 games) for United did not compare favourably to his former teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy's 150 goals in 210 games (goal every 1.4 games), and it was widely thought Forlán would not start the 2004–05 season in the United team colours. That was proved true when he signed for Villarreal CF in August 2004, the same month Wayne Rooney joined United.

Villarreal

Forlán was strongly linked with a move to Spanish clubs Levante UD and Athletic Bilbao (the latter as he is of Basque descent), but on 21 August 2004 he signed with Villarreal CF. At Villarreal, he became the La Liga 2004–05 season Pichichi Trophy winner with 25 goals in 38 appearances (goal every 1.5 games) and helped Villarreal to their first ever UEFA Champions League spot. He also jointly won the European Golden Boot award with Thierry Henry. His form dipped in the 2005–06 season as Villarreal underwent several changes, but in 2006–07, he hit form again, ending the season with 19 goals in 36 appearances (goal every 1.9 games).

Atlético Madrid

2007–08 season

Forlán was linked with a transfer jointly with Juan Román Riquelme to Atlético Madrid in exchange for Luis Perea plus cash in June 2007. On 30 June 2007, following the departure of their captain Fernando Torres to Liverpool, Atlético Madrid confirmed that they had agreed to a fee of around €21 million. He returned to England in February 2008 to take part in Atlético's UEFA Cup clash against Bolton Wanderers (the club against whom he made his Manchester United debut), but the side lost out 1–0 on aggregate. In May 2008, Forlán helped Atlético qualify for the Champions League for the first time in over a decade, scoring the winning goal against Deportivo La Coruña. He ended his first season in Madrid with 23 goals, and formed a potent partnership with Argentinian striker Sergio Agüero.

2008–09 season

On 9 May 2009, Forlán scored twice against Espanyol to help Atlético clinch Champions League qualification for a second successive year. Los Rojiblancos were trailing 2–0 at half-time and had seen Luis Perea sent off, but came back to win 3–2 thanks to a goal of the season contender from Forlán, as well as a last minute winner. He also scored crucial goals in wins over Barcelona, Villarreal and Valencia. On 23 May 2009, Forlán scored a hat-trick against Athletic Bilbao, which helped him win the La Liga Pichichi Trophy award, as well as the European Golden Boot for a second time. He ended the 2008–09 season with a very impressive 32 goals in 33 matches (essentially a goal per game).

2009–10 season

Forlán started the 2009–10 season slowly, and struggled for form as Atlético made their worst start to a league season since their relegation in 2000. On 24 October 2009, Forlán scored a penalty and missed another as Atlético were held to a 1–1 draw at home against Mallorca, who had played the majority of the second half with just nine players on the field. The disappointing result and performance led to protests from Atlético supporters, as well as criticism for Forlán, who was subsequently left out of the squad for the next game. Atlético started to improve after the arrival new manager Quique Sánchez Flores, and once again, Forlán flourished in the second half of the season, as Atlético reached the finals of both the Europa League and Copa del Rey. On 14 February 2010, Forlán scored the first goal as Atlético beat Barcelona 2–1 at the Vicente Calderón, inflicting the eventual Champions only league defeat of the season. On 22 April 2010, Forlán scored the only goal of the game in Atlético's Europa League semi-final first leg at home to Liverpool. A week later, Liverpool took the tie to extra time before taking a 2–1 aggregate lead. Forlán then scored again to make it 2–2 on aggregate, giving Atlético the away goal they needed to reach the final, in which they played against Fulham at Volksparkstadion on 12 May. Forlán scored twice against Fulham in the final, in a 2–1 win and was awarded man of the match. He ended the season with a total of 28 goals, including six in Atlético's successful Europa League campaign.

2010–11 season

The 2010–11 season began with another trophy for Forlán and Atlético, winning the UEFA Super Cup, beating Internazionale 2–0 in Monaco on 27 August 2010. Again Forlán started the season slowly, and despite finding the net three times in the opening two league games, he then went 12 matches in all competitions without a goal before finally scoring a double in a 3–0 win against Osasuna on 13 November. He speculated Beşiktaş, Real Madrid and American club Seattle Sounders attempted to sign him in the January transfer window.

Internazionale

On 29 August 2011 it was confirmed that Diego Forlán had joined Internazionale following the departure of Samuel Eto'o.

International career

Forlán made his debut for Uruguay on 27 March 2002, scoring his first goal in a 2–3 friendly defeat against Saudi Arabia. During the 2002 World Cup, he scored a volley on 11 June 2002 in the group stage 3–3 draw against Senegal. Despite coming from three goals down to draw the game, Uruguay were eliminated from the tournament along with France in Group A. He also scored against Brazil in the 35th minute of the 2007 Copa América semi-final. However, he missed his shot during the subsequent penalty shoot-out, which Brazil ultimately won 5–4. Since the 2007 Copa America, Forlán has become a regular for Uruguay, often in the starting XI. On 17 June 2008, he scored a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifying game against Peru.

Diego Forlán and Youri Djorkaeff were, respectively, members of the Uruguay and France squads that met in the 2002 World Cup. Their fathers, Pablo and Jean, featured in the match between Uruguay and France at the 1966 World Cup.

Forlán is currently Uruguay's all-time most capped player with 82 caps, and equal with Héctor Scarone, who has been the country's top scorer with 31 international goals since 1930.

2002 FIFA World Cup

2004 Copa América

Forlan played 6 games and scored 1 goal.

2007 Copa América

Forlan played 6 games and scored 3 goals.

2010 FIFA World Cup

On 16 June 2010, during Uruguay's second group game in the 2010 World Cup against South Africa, Forlán opened the scoring with a long range effort. Later in the game, Forlán scored from the penalty spot for his second and also had a hand in Uruguay's third, in a 3–0 win over the host nation. On 2 July 2010, Forlán scored a free kick against Ghana to equalise in the quarter-final. The game ended 1–1 and Uruguay advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Ghana 4–2 in the penalty shootout. On 6 July 2010, Forlán scored another long range goal, this time with his left foot to equalise against the Netherlands in the semi-final. Despite a half-time score of 1–1, Uruguay eventually lost 3–2 as the Dutch advanced to the final. Forlán became the first player since Lothar Matthäus in 1990 to score three goals from outside the penalty area in one tournament. On 10 July 2010, Forlán scored for the final time in the tournament as he netted a well-executed volley from the edge of the area to give Uruguay the lead. This goal, from a pass by Arévalo Ríos, was selected by FIFA as the Goal of the Tournament. Forlán then hit the crossbar with the final kick of the game from a free-kick as they lost to Germany 3–2 in the third place play-off. Forlán was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He was also picked for the team of the tournament, and was one of the top scorers at the World Cup with 5 goals.

2011 Copa América

On 24 July 2011, Forlán scored twice after Luis Suarez's opening goal helping Uruguay win their 15th Copa America title after beating Paraguay 3–0 in the final. Forlan's father and grandfather were also South American champions with Uruguay over a period spanning the 95 years of the world's oldest active tournament.

International goals and caps

Uruguay's goal tally first.

International appearances and goals
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result !! Competition !! Goal
	27 March	Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam				1 (1)
	17 April
	16 May	Wulihe Stadium, Shenyang
	21 May
	11 June	Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon				1 (2)
	28 March					1 (3)
	8 June	Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul
	20 August					1 (4)
	7 September	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo				1 (5)
	10 September	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción
	15 November	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	19 November	Pinheirão, Curitiba				2 (7)
	18 February	Independence Park (Jamaica)
	31 March	[[Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	1 June	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo				1 (8)
	6 June	Estadio Metropolitano, Barranquilla
	7 July	Estadio Elías Aguirre, Chiclayo			2004 Copa América
	10 July	Estadio Elías Aguirre, Chiclayo			2004 Copa América	1 (9)
	13 July				2004 Copa América
	18 July	Estadio Jorge Basadre, Tacna			2004 Copa América
	21 July				2004 Copa América
	24 July	Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega, Cusco			2004 Copa América
	9 October
	27 March
	30 March	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo				1 (10)
	4 June	Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo				1 (11)
	7 June
	17 August	El Molinón, Gijón
	4 September	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	8 October	Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito
	12 October	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	12 November	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	1 March	Anfield, Liverpool
	16 August	Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria
	15 November	Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi
	2 June	Stadium Australia, Sydney				1 (12)
	26 June				2007 Copa América
	30 June				2007 Copa América
	3 July				2007 Copa América
	7 July				2007 Copa América	2 (14)
	10 July	Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo			2007 Copa América	1 (15)
	14 July				2007 Copa América
	13 October	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo				1 (16)
	17 October	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción
	6 February	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	28 May	Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo
	14 June	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	17 June	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo				3 (19)
	6 September	Estadio El Campín, Bogotá
	10 September	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	19 November	Stade de France, Paris
	28 March	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo				1 (20)
	1 April
	6 June	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	10 June					1 (21)
	9 September	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	10 October	Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito				1 (22)
	13 October	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	14 November
	18 November	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	3 March	AFG Arena, St. Gallen				1 (23)
	26 May	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo				1 (24)
	11 June	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	16 June	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria				2 (26)
	22 June	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
	26 June	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
	2 July	Soccer City, Johannesburg				1 (27)
	6 July	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town				1 (28)
	10 July	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth				1 (29)
	12 October	Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, Wuhan
	17 November
	25 March	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn
	29 March	Aviva Stadium, Dublin
	29 May	Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim
	8 June	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
	23 June	Estadio Atilio Paiva Olivera, Rivera
	4 July
	8 July
	12 July	Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata
	16 July	Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López
	19 July	[[Estadio Ciudad de La Plata, La Plata
	24 July					2 (31)

Career statistics

Club

0 7 18 12 0 6 4 0 25 10 19 16 32 18 8

Club	Season	League	Cup	League Cup	Continental	Other	Total
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="5"	Independiente		2	|	–		–		0	0	–		2	0
1999–2000 Argentine Primera División	1999–2000	24	|	–		–		0	0	–		24	7
2000–01 Argentine Primera División	2000–01	36	|	–		–		6	2	–		42	20
2000–01 Argentine Primera División	2001–02	18	|	–		–		5	1	–		23	13
!Total	–!!colspan="2"
rowspan="5"	Manchester United		13	|	0	0	0	0	5	0	–		18	0
2002–03 FA Premier League	2002–03	25	|	2	0	5	2	13	1	–		45	9
2003–04 FA Premier League	2003–04	24	|	2	1	1	1	4	2	1	0	32	8
2004–05 FA Premier League	2004–05	1	|	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	3	0
!Total	!63!!10!!4!!1!!6!!3!!23!!3!!2!!0!!98!!17
rowspan="4"	Villarreal		38	|	1	0	–		0	0	–		39	25
2005–06 La Liga	2005–06	32	|	2	0	–		13	3	–		47	13
2006–07 La Liga	2006–07	36	|	4	1	–		2	1	–		44	21
!Total	!106!!54!!8!!1!!colspan="2"
rowspan="5"	Atlético Madrid		36	|	6	1	–		11	6	–		53	23
2008–09 La Liga	2008–09	33	|	3	1	–		9	2	–		45	35
2009–10 La Liga	2009–10	33	|	6	3	–		17	7	–		56	28
2010–11 La Liga	2010–11	32	|	3	1	–		6	1	1	0	42	10
!Total	–!!43!!16!!1!!0!!195!!96
Career total	!383!!175!!28!!8!!6!!3!!92!!26!!3!!0!!512!!212

''Statistics accurate as of match played 12 May 2011''

International

|- |2002||5||2 |- |2003||7||5 |- |2004||11||2 |- |2005||9||2 |- |2006||3||0 |- |2007||9||5 |- |2008||7||3 |- |2009||9||3 |- |2010||11||7 |- |2011||11||2 |- !Total||82||31 |} ''Statistics accurate as of match played 24 July 2011''

Awards and honours

Club

;Manchester United

Premier League (1): 2002–03

FA Cup (1): 2003–04

FA Community Shield (1): 2003

;Villarreal

UEFA Intertoto Cup (1): 2004

;Atlético Madrid

UEFA Europa League (1): 2009–10

UEFA Super Cup (1): 2010

National team

;Uruguay:

2004 Copa América: Third Place

2007 Copa América: Fourth Place

2010 World Cup: Fourth Place

2011 Copa América: Winner

Individual

EFE Trophy (1): 2004–05

European Golden Shoe (2): 2004–05*, 2008–09

Pichichi Trophy (2): 2004–05, 2008–09

2010 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team

2010 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball

(* Jointly shared with Thierry Henry)

Personal life

A founding member of Fundación Alejandra Forlán, headed by his sister, Forlán is outspoken on the perils of dangerous driving. Back in 1991, Alejandra suffered a car accident where she lost her boyfriend and became paralyzed as a result. Diego Maradona met Forlan's father during that time, since he was a footballer in the 1970s, and helped him raise funds for his daughter’s treatment. She became an integral part of his inspiration to play football, and the whole family has gathered round to make sure the foundation is given as high a profile as his in Uruguay.

In 2009, Forlán appeared in a music video for Coti starring alongside Maxi Rodríguez. On July 2010, Forlán had his match-winning antics at the FIFA World Cup 2010 immortalised in the style of the famous Japanese series Captain Tsubasa. The celebratory song was made by the faceless band The Golden Vuvuzelas with music from the Super Robot anime series Mazinger Z.

Forlán announced on 9 March 2011 on his official Twitter page that he and Argentinian model/actress Zaira Nara were engaged to be married. However, in June 2011, Forlan and Nara announced they were breaking their engagement. However no reason was released for the breakup.

References

Internazionale Milano move - http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/949710/atletico-madrid-striker-diego-forlan-on-verge-of-inter-milan-move?cc=5901

External links

Atlético Madrid profile

BDFutbol profile

Transfermarkt profile

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:People from Montevideo Category:Uruguayan people of Spanish descent Category:Uruguayan people of Basque descent Category:Spanish people of Uruguayan descent Category:Naturalised citizens of Spain Category:Uruguayan footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:Primera División Argentina players Category:Club Atlético Independiente footballers Category:Premier League players Category:La Liga footballers Category:Serie A footballers Category:Manchester United F.C. players Category:Villarreal CF footballers Category:Atlético Madrid footballers Category:F.C. Internazionale Milano players Category:Pichichi Trophy winners Category:Uruguay international footballers Category:2004 Copa América players Category:2007 Copa América players Category:2011 Copa América players Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:Uruguayan expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Argentina Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain

af:Diego Forlán ar:دييغو فورلان bn:দিয়েগো ফরলান bg:Диего Форлан ca:Diego Martín Forlán Corazo cs:Diego Forlán cy:Diego Forlán da:Diego Forlán de:Diego Forlán et:Diego Forlán el:Ντιέγκο Φορλάν es:Diego Forlán eu:Diego Forlán fa:دیگو فورلان fr:Diego Forlán gl:Diego Forlán ko:디에고 포를란 hy:Դիեգո Ֆորլան hr:Diego Forlán id:Diego Forlán it:Diego Forlán he:דייגו פורלאן la:Didacus Forlán lv:Djego Forlans lt:Diego Forlán hu:Diego Forlán mr:दियेगो फोर्लान mn:Диего Форлан nl:Diego Forlán ja:ディエゴ・フォルラン no:Diego Forlán nn:Diego Forlán pl:Diego Forlán pt:Diego Forlán ro:Diego Forlán qu:Diego Forlán ru:Форлан, Диего simple:Diego Forlán sk:Diego Forlán sl:Diego Forlán sr:Дијего Форлан fi:Diego Forlán sv:Diego Forlán th:เดียโก ฟอร์ลัน tr:Diego Forlán uk:Дієго Форлан vi:Diego Forlán zh:迪亞高·科蘭

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Colin Morgan
birth date	January 01, 1986
birth place	Armagh, Northern Ireland
occupation	Actor
years active	2007–present
website	}}

Colin Morgan (born 1 January 1986) is an actor from Armagh, Northern Ireland, best known for playing the title character in the BBC TV series ''Merlin''. Morgan went to Integrated College Dungannon and, during his third year, won the 'Denis Rooney Associates' Cup awarded to the best overall student of that academic year. After gaining a National Diploma in Performing Arts (Acting) and studying at Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education in 2004, he went on to graduate from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2007. In November 2010 The Belfast Metropolitan College honoured Morgan with an Award of Distinction for his contribution to the arts.

Career

On stage in 2007, Morgan debuted as Vernon Little in the title role of the Young Vic's adaptation of DBC Pierre's ''Vernon God Little and as Esteban in the Old Vic stage adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar's ''Todo sobre mi madre'' (All About My Mother). In 2008, he appeared as Jimmy Rosario in the Young Vic production of Thomas Babe's ''A Prayer For My Daughter''. In 2011, he played Carlos in the Royal Court Theatre production of Columbian dramaturg Pedro Miguel Rozo's play ''Our Private Life''.

In film, Morgan appears as Calum in ''Island'', a film adaptation of Jane Rogers' novel ''Island'', and as Cathal in the Irish comedy-drama film ''Parked''.

Morgan featured in two minor TV roles: John Leary in sketches on ''The Catherine Tate Show'' (2007) and Jethro Cane in the ''Doctor Who'' episode "Midnight" (2008). He plays the title role in BBC TV series ''Merlin'', in production since 2008. He and co-star Bradley James travelled on an exploration of Arthurian legends for BBC Wales, ''The Real Merlin & Arthur'', in 2009.

He has appeared in one BBC Radio play, ''Cry Babies'' by Kim Newman, on BBC Radio 4 (March 2009).

Selected credits

Film and television

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Format	Notes
2007	''The Catherine Tate Show''	John Leary	TV series	Minor role
2008	''Doctor Who''	Jethro Cane	TV series
2008–present			TV series	Title/main role
2009	''The Real Merlin and Arthur''	Self	TV one-off	Accompanied by Bradley James
2010	''Parked''	Cathal	Film
2011	''Island''	Calum	Feature film

Theatre

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Theatre
2007		Vernon	Young Vic Theatre, London
2007		Esteban	Old Vic, London
2008		Jimmy	Young Vic Theatre, London
2011	''Our Private Life''	Carlos	Royal Court Theatre, London

Radio

! Year	! Title	! Role
2009	''Cry Babies''	Roger

Awards

! Year !! Award !! Category !! Role !! Result
	Variety Club Showbiz Awards	Outstanding Newcomer	rowspan="3"
		Outstanding Actor (Drama)
	Monte Carlo TV Festival awards	Outstanding Actor (Drama)

References

External links

Colin Morgan at United Agents

Category:1986 births Category:Alumni of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama Category:Living people Category:Northern Ireland stage actors Category:People educated at Integrated College Dungannon Category:People from Armagh (city) Category:Television actors from Northern Ireland

bg:Колин Морган da:Colin Morgan de:Colin Morgan es:Colin Morgan fr:Colin Morgan id:Colin Morgan it:Colin Morgan hu:Colin Morgan ms:Colin Morgan ja:コリン・モーガン pl:Colin Morgan pt:Colin Morgan ru:Морган, Колин sv:Colin Morgan tr:Colin Morgan uk:Колін Морган zh:柯林·摩根

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
Name	Diego Torres
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Diego Antonio Caccia Torres
Born	March 09, 1971
Website	http://www.diegotorres.com/
Origin	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Genre	Pop, latin, rhumba, flamenco
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, actor
Years active	1988–2003 (acting)1992–present (singing)
Label	RCA (1993-1996)Sony Music Ariola (1996-2008)Universal Music Latin (2010-present)
associated acts	}}

Diego Antonio Caccia Torres (born March 9, 1971), is an Argentine Grammy Award-nominated pop singer and composer.

Biography

Diego Torres was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of Argentine singer Lolita Torres. In 1991, Torres' music career began with a band called ''"La Marca."'' Later, he began his first steps on TV starring in the successful TV series ''"La Banda del Golden Rocket"'' which stayed on air for three years. He loved soccer.

In 1992, he launched his first album, ''"Diego Torres,"'' produced by Cachorro López. This album was rewarded 3 times platinum. Two years later, and a little distant from TV, he launched his second album called ''"Tratar de estar mejor"'' which received 5 platinum albums in Argentina and gold and platinum albums in other Latin American countries. This album launched Torres to the international scene.

In 1996, the Italian producer Celso Valli produced Torres' third album, ''"Luna Nueva"'', and months later Diego started touring with his band all across Latin America, United States, and Spain. The album went on sale, soon becoming gold and quickly being rewarded with the platinum in Argentina.

In 1999, he recorded his fourth album called ''"Tal Cual Es"'', produced by Cachorro López. This album showed Diego's talent and creativity to compose and mix different Latin sounds, such as flamenco guitars as well as various other tropical sounds.

His next album was named ''"Un Mundo Diferente"'' which was recorded in the second half of 2001 in Buenos Aires and Miami. This album presents a variety of styles and merges with several Latin rhythm styles in most songs, such as in his most successful song so far, "Color Esperanza", which stayed at the top of the Argentine Singles/Airplay Chart for twelve consecutive weeks. The album received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003.

In 2004 brought a new challenge to Diego: the possibility of recording an MTV Unplugged, which would be aired in the MTV networks of Brazil, Latin America, Spain and United States. The reconversion of the acoustical in some of his hits along with the presentation of his new themes are part of this show, which is also produced on CD and DVD.

In 2006 he released his sixth studio album ''"Andando"'', proceeded by the lead single "Abriendo Caminos" featuring Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra. In 2005 he received the Platinum Konex Award as best Argentine male pop/ballad singer, shared with Sandro de América.

In 2010 he released his seventh studio album ''"Distinto"'' featuring his first the number-one ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Song single "Guapa".

Filmography

TV

1989: ''Nosotros y los Otros''

1990: ''El Gordo y el Flaco''

1992: ''La Banda del Golden Rocket''

1996: ''Luna Nueva ''

Theater

1990: ''Pajaros in the Nait''

1991: ''El Zorro''

1992: ''La Banda del Gordo Roque''

Discography

Studio albums

1992: ''Diego Torres''

1994: ''Tratar de Estar Mejor''

1996: ''Luna Nueva''

1999: ''Tal Cual Es''

2001: ''Un Mundo Diferente''

2006: ''Andando''

2010: ''Distinto''

Live albums

2004: ''MTV Unplugged''

Compilation albums

2008: ''Un Cachito de Mí: Grandes Éxitos''

2008: ''Todos Éxitos''

Other albums

1991: ''Compañías Indias'' (with his former group La Marca)

See also

List of singer-songwriters

References

External links

Official Site

Diego Torres fan page

Diego Torres - Interview to Diagonal (Spanish)

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Argentine male singers Category:People from Buenos Aires Category:Argentine pop singers Category:Argentine people of Italian descent

de:Diego Torres es:Diego Torres fr:Diego Torres ko:디에고 토레스 it:Diego Torres pl:Diego Torres pt:Diego Torres ru:Торрес, Диего tr:Diego Torres

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Katy Perry
background	solo_singer
birth name	Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson
alias	Katy Hudson
birth date	October 25, 1984
birth place	Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
genre	Pop, rock, gospel
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress
instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
years active	2001–present
label	Red Hill, Island, Columbia, Capitol
website	}}

Katy Perry (born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson; October 25, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents. Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a career in music. As Katy Hudson, she released a self-titled gospel album in 2001, which was unsuccessful. She later recorded an album with production team The Matrix and completed the majority of a solo album from 2004–05, the later of which was never released. Perry is the first female artist to get five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in one year.

After signing with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry and released her first Internet single "Ur So Gay" that November, which garnered public attention but failed to chart. She rose to fame with the release of her second single "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008, which went on to top international charts. Perry's first mainstream studio album ''One of the Boys'' followed later that year and subsequently became the 33rd-best selling album worldwide of 2008. It was accredited platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, while "I Kissed a Girl" and her second single "Hot n Cold" both received multi-platinum certifications.

Her second studio album ''Teenage Dream'' was released in August 2010 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album included the Billboard chart-toppers "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", and "E.T." and most recently "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". The album produced five Hot 100 toppers, making ''Teenage Dream'' only the second album—after Michael Jackson's ''Bad''—to do so. With "E.T." at number one on the chart of May 12, 2011, Perry became the first artist in history to spend 52 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

Perry was a guest judge on the seventh series of British television show ''The X Factor'', has released a fragrance called "Purr", and voices Smurfette in the 2011 film ''The Smurfs''. Perry had a long relationship with Travie McCoy; she married Russell Brand on October 23, 2010.

Early life and career

1984–2006: Early life and career beginnings

Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in Santa Barbara, California to Keith, a West Coast scenester in the 1960s, and Mary Hudson (née Perry), an evangelist who grew up in Southern California and had "a tempestuous first marriage in Zimbabwe". Perry has German, Portuguese, Irish, and English ancestry. She is the second child of two pastors. She has an older sister and younger brother. Perry's mother's aunt and uncle were screenwriter Eleanor Perry and director Frank Perry.

Perry was incorporated into her parents' ministry and sang in their church between the ages of nine and seventeen. She grew up listening to gospel music, was not allowed to listen to what her mother called "secular music", and attended Christian schools and camps. As a child, Perry learned how to dance in a recreation building in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug. She took her GED after her freshman year at Dos Pueblos High School and decided to leave school in the pursuit of a career in music. Perry initially started singing "because [she] was at that point in [her] childhood where [she] was copycatting [her] sister and everything she [would do]." Her sister practiced with cassette tapes, while Perry took the tapes herself when her sister was not around. She rehearsed the songs and performed them in front of her parents, who suggested she take vocal coaching. She grabbed the opportunity and began taking lessons at the age of nine and continued until she was sixteen. She later enrolled in at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and studied Italian opera for a short period of time.

At the age of 15, Perry's singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills. In Nashville, Perry started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans on how to craft songs and play guitar. Perry signed to the Christian music label Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15. Performing as Katy Hudson, she released the self-titled Gospel-rock album in 2001. The album was unsuccessful, however, after the label ceased operations at the end of 2001. She later changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to film actress Kate Hudson.

At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles, where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for record label Island. Growing up listening to mostly gospel music, Perry had few references when she began recording songs. Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. That night, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on VH1 and saw producer Glen Ballard talking about Alanis Morissette; Ballard produced Morissette's ''Jagged Little Pill'', which had had a "huge influence" on Perry. She expressed interest in working with Ballard to her initial collaborator, who arranged a meeting for her with Ballard in Los Angeles. Perry presented one her songs to Ballard, and received a call back a day later. Ballard then helped Perry develop her songwriting over the next few years. The album was due for release in 2005, but ''Billboard'' reported it also went nowhere. Perry was dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group. Some of Perry and Ballard's collaborations included "Box", "Diamonds" and "Long Shot", were posted on her official MySpace page. "Simple", one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants''.

Perry signed to Columbia Records in 2004. However, the label was not amenable with her vision, not putting her in the "driver's seat". Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair Perry with the record production team The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Although the album was later shelved, she caught the attention of the music press: Her burgeoning music career led to her being named "The Next Big Thing" in October 2004 by ''Blender'' magazine. With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her off the label. While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent A&R; company called Taxi Music. In 2006, Perry was featured in the tail-end of the video to P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now". She made a cameo appearance in Carbon Leaf's video, "Learn to Fly". She also appeared in other videos like Timbaland's "If We Ever Meet Again" and more. There were other videos she was included in too.

2007–09: ''One of the Boys'' and ''MTV Unplugged''

While in the process of being dropped by Columbia in 2006, the company's publicity executive Angelica Cob-Baehler enthusiastically recommended Perry to Virgin Records chairman Jason Flom. At the time Flom was leading a complete revival in fortunes at the label and looking to crown recent achievements by breaking a global pop act. Despite mixed reactions from fellow Virgin executives, Flom became convinced that Perry could be that breakthrough star, and at the start of 2007 extended discussions with Columbia resulted in Katy Perry signing to the newly created Capitol Music Group, a merger between Virgin and Capitol. As part of the deal, the label secured the masters to the unfinished album, recorded while at Columbia, that would go on form a significant part of her official mainstream debut album, ''One of the Boys''. The Columbia recordings were seen by Flom as being "very strong but lacking an undeniable smash or two that would work both at U.S. pop radio and internationally" and so one of the executive's first actions after completing the signing was to set up a collaboration between Perry and the writer-producer Dr. Luke. The results were the songs "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold". Establishing her image was one of the immediate concerns of her management. A campaign was started in November 2007 with the release of the video to "Ur So Gay", aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital EP led by "Ur So Gay" was later released to create online buzz and press story. This was a successful move that resulted in bringing Perry to the attention of Madonna, who mentioned her on KISS FM and KRQ's ''JohnJay & Rich'' morning show in Arizona. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the ABC Family television series, ''Wildfire'', on the episode "Life's Too Short".

She went on the next step of promoting the album, undertaking a two-month tour of radio stations. The album's official lead single, "I Kissed a Girl", was released on May 6, 2008. Perry's A&R;, Chris Anokute, told HitQuarters the song and its controversial theme met with strong resistance at the label, "People said, 'This is never going to get played on the radio. How do we sell this? How’s this going to be played in the bible belt?'" Anokute said that they needed the support of one of the label's radio promoters to convince people to believe in the record otherwise Perry would have likely been dropped again. Capitol's SVP of Promotions Dennis Reese saw the vision and helped push the single on national radio. The first station to pick it up and take a chance was The River in Nashville. After playing it for three days they were innundated with enthusiastic calls. With the song climbing atop the charts, Perry embarked on the annual Warped Tour music festival, which her management used to "establish her as a credible performer and make sure she wasn't seen as just a one-hit wonder." The single was a commercial success, peaking at number one for seven weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It has since become a major worldwide hit, topping charts in 30 countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. On June 12, 2008, Perry appeared as herself on the daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', posing for the cover to the June 2008 issue of the fictional magazine ''Restless Style''. Perry also performed backing vocals on the song, "Another Night in the Hills" from Gavin Rossdale's 2008 solo album ''Wanderlust''.

''One of the Boys'' was released on June 17, 2008 to mixed critical reviews. The album has reached number nine on the ''Billboard'' 200, and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Perry released her second single, "Hot n Cold", which became her second top three single in dozens of countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, as well as topping the charts in Germany, Canada, and Denmark. After Perry wrapped up her appearance at the Warped Tour, she went on tours in Europe. She later launched her first headlining tour, the Hello Katy Tour, in January 2009. "I Kissed a Girl" earned Perry a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Perry was nominated in five categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female Video, but lost to Britney Spears. She won Best New Act at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, which she co-hosted, and Best International Female Artist at the 2009 BRIT Awards. On February 9, 2009, both "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold" were certified three-time platinum by Recording Industry Association of America for individual digital sales of over three million. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Perry in its 2010 version as the "Best Start on the US Digital Chart by a Female Artist," for having her first two singles sell over two million digital copies.

The Matrix's self-titled debut album, which features Perry, was later released via the team's label, Let's Hear It, during Perry's solo tour. When the release date was scheduled, "I Kissed a Girl" had been charting well. Matrix member Lauren Christy spoke to Perry about the decision, but she wanted to hold the release until the fourth single of ''One of the Boys'' had been dispatched. Despite their communication, ''The Matrix'' was released on January 27, 2009, via iTunes Store. thumb|left|upright|Perry performing in June 2009 In December 2008, Perry apologized to British singer Lily Allen for remarks in which she called herself a "skinnier version" of her, saying she meant it as a joke. Allen retaliated and told a British radio station that she "happen[ed] to know for a fact that she [Perry] was an American version" of her because their record company needed "to find something controversial and 'kooky'" like her.

On May 16, 2009, Perry performed at the opening ceremony of the annual Life Ball in Vienna, Austria. In June 2009, lawyers acting for Katy Perry opposed the recent trademark of Australian fashion designer Katie Perry who uses her own name to market loungewear. Some media outlets reported this as a lawsuit, which Katy Perry has denied on her blog. Katie Perry the designer reports on her blog that at a hearing with IP Australia on July 10, 2009, the singer's lawyers withdrew their opposition to the trademark. During the summer of 2009 Perry filmed a cameo appearance for ''Get Him to the Greek''; her scene, in which she kisses her future fiancé Russell Brand was cut, and does not appear in the final film. Discussing the issue with MTV, Perry hypothesized there may have been some fear that seeing the two make out would have taken viewers out of the experience. In 2009, Perry was featured on two singles: a remix of Colorado-based band 3OH!3's song "Starstrukk" in August (the idea for the collaboration came after Perry's tour that featured 3OH!3 as the supporting act). The song was released over iTunes on September 8, 2009; and "If We Ever Meet Again", the fourth single off Timbaland's album ''Shock Value II'' in December. In October 2009, ''MTV Unplugged'' revealed that Perry was one of the artists to perform for them, and that she would be releasing a live album of the performance, including two new tracks, "Brick by Brick" and Fountains of Wayne cover "Hackensack". The album was released on November 17, and includes both a CD and a DVD.

2010–present: ''Teenage Dream'' and Film debut

Perry appeared as a guest judge alongside Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh during the Dublin audition stage of the seventh series of the British television show ''The X Factor'' on June 28, 2010 (later televised on August 28). She was one of the many celebrities chosen to fulfil the role of judge whilst Dannii Minogue was on maternity leave. She later returned to the show on October 17 to perform "Firework". Perry's second mainstream studio album was titled ''Teenage Dream'' and was released in August 2010. The first single from the album was titled "California Gurls". The single peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was the fastest rising single from a Capitol Records artist since Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" in 1967. The cover art for ''Teenage Dream'' is a painting by Will Cotton in which depicts Perry lying naked on clouds of cotton candy; resembling the shots of Perry in the video for "California Gurls". The booklet of the physical edition of the album, in keeping with the theme of cotton candy, has a cotton candy scent. The album's second single "Teenage Dream" was released in July 2010. "Firework" is the album's third single.

Perry appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. She was nominated for two awards, including the Best Female Video and Best Pop Video for "California Gurls", and presented the award of "Best Male Video" with Nicki Minaj to Eminem. On September 14, she returned to her old high school, Dos Pueblos High School, where she performed a short set for the school's students. Perry performed "Hot n Cold" with Elmo from ''Sesame Street'', which was originally to appear on the forty-first-season premiere of the educational children's program on September 27, 2010. However, four days before the scheduled airing, Sesame Workshop announced, "In light of the feedback we've received on the Katy Perry music video ... we have decided we will not air the segment on the television broadcast of ''Sesame Street'', which is aimed at preschoolers. Katy Perry fans will still be able to view the video on YouTube." The main reason was that parents complained about what appeared to be a great amount of cleavage shown by her dress. Perry shot the video for ''Firework'' in Budapest in September 2010. An open casting call drew an unprecedented 38,000 applicants. She proceeded to perform at a concert in Budapest on October 1, her first concert in Central and Eastern Europe. Perry released a perfume named "Purr" in November. It comes in a cat-shaped bottle, and is available through Nordstrom stores. ''Teenage Dream'' led Perry to nominations four awards at the 2011 Grammy Awards: Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Teenage Dream", and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "California Gurls". Following the Grammys, Perry released "E.T." as the fourth single from the album. The single was a remixed version featuring Kanye West. The music video for "E.T." was directed by Floria Sigismondi and features Shaun Ross as the main love interest. In June 2011, Perry released the fifth single, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". A remixed version featuring American rapper Missy Elliot was released in early August. The single has topped U.S. download and radio charts. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 on August 17, 2011, making Perry the first female artist ever to have five #1 singles from one album. Katy Perry appeared at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2011. She was nominated for ten awards, received the most nominations of the ceremony and was the only singer in history to have four different music videos shown on various categories, eventually winning three of those, including Video of the Year for "Firework", Best Collaboration and Best Special Effects for "E.T.".

On September 17, 2011, Perry hits the 69th consecutive weeks in the Top 10.

On September 23 she attended the opening day of the 2011 Rock in Rio festival, which was extended to October 2. During the show, produced one of the most striking scenes of the event, when he called to the scene ''Júlio César de Salvo'', a fan who was an anonymous until then. The man, who became known as "''Júlio de Sorocaba''", became an instant celebrity when he was "harassed" by the singer with a kiss, getting the opportunity to give back also one another. The fact made ​​headlines in most Brazilian television news programs, including the Fantástico and the Jornal Nacional, including therefore becoming a trend topic, not just in Twitter, but at Internet in general.

Artistry

Musical style and themes

Perry has a contralto vocal range. Perry's first album is of the gospel music genre. She related that her perspective in music was "a bit enclosed and very strict", and everything she did was church-related. Her second album, ''One of the Boys'', is described as "secular" and "rock," and reflects a departure from her religious musical roots. Her next album ''Teenage Dream'' featured more pop songs in the vein of ''Boys''. Among Perry's musical influences are Alanis Morissette, pop rockers Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Shirley Manson, and Freddie Mercury, the late frontman of the British band Queen. In her tribute to Mercury on what would have been his 65th birthday, Perry stated; "Without you I wouldn't be making music or doing what I do because your lyrics inspired me as a 15 year old girl." She was especially inspired by the Queen song, "Killer Queen" to pursue a career in pop music after her first album. She also described Morissette's album, ''Jagged Little Pill'' as having influenced her music profoundly; even going on to work with Morissette's collaborator on the album, Glen Ballard because of that.

Perry is artistically involved in her projects, especially in the writing process. Since she could play guitar, she would start writing songs at home and present it to her producers. Perry is mostly inspired by specific moments of her life. She said it is easy for her to write songs about heartbreak. Most of the themes in ''One of the Boys'' deal with heartbreak, teen adventure, and "puking into toilets". Perry's mother reportedly told British tabloid ''Daily Mail'' that she dislikes her daughter's music, calling it "shameful and disgusting". Perry said her mother was misquoted and told MTV that it was false information. Her songs "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl" have received negative reactions from both religious and gay sectors. The songs have been respectively labeled as being homophobic and promoting homosexuality, as well as "lez ploitational". MTV mentioned criticism suggesting that Perry is using "bi-curiosity" as a way to sell records. Perry responded to the controversy surrounding "Ur So Gay": "It's not a negative connotation. It's not, 'you're so gay,' like, 'you're so lame,' but the fact of the matter is that this boy should've been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever ... It wasn't stereotyping anyone in particular, I was talking about ex-boyfriends."

Public image

Perry is known for her unconventional style of dress. It is often humorous, bright in color, and reminiscent of different decades, and she frequently used fruit-shaped accessories, mainly watermelon, as part of her outfits. Since the Teenage Dream era, Perry has included more glamorous and food-related outfits in her wardrobe. Having learned dancing at an early age, she fantasized about having her own style. Perry's transformation into an artist began with fashion, inspired by American film actress Dominique Swain's portrayal in 1997 film adaptation of the novel ''Lolita''. She defines her fashion style as "a bit of a concoction of different things". Johnny Wujek, Perry's stylist, described her style, upon meeting her for the first time, as "very colorful and vintage". Her fashion has caught the attention of designers. In June 2008, a publicity photo that showed Perry posing with a switchblade was criticized. The picture was defended as only an effort to give Perry a "sexy, harder edge". The criticism leveled at her was mocked by Perry who subsequently posed with a spoon instead. She has appeared in FHM Magazine's 100 Sexiest Women poll twice, ranking at No.23 in 2009 and No.37 in 2010.

She was ranked 7th in ''Rolling Stone'''s global Queen of Pop poll in July 2011.

Personal life

Perry has been generally associated with three men: Matt Thiessen, Travie McCoy, and Russell Brand. She dated Relient K frontman Matt Thiessen for a few years. Thiessen has worked on Teenage Dream. Perry dated Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy, whom she met in a recording studio in New York. They broke up in December 2008.

Perry first met British comedian Russell Brand in the summer of 2009 when Perry filmed a cameo appearance for Brand's film ''Get Him to the Greek''. Perry and Brand began dating after meeting again in September 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Brand, as host, remarked, "Katy Perry didn't win an award and she's staying at the same hotel as me, so she's gonna need a shoulder to cry on. So in a way, I'm the real winner tonight." The couple became engaged in December 2009 while vacationing in India. Perry stated that she plans to take dual British citizenship. "One of the first things I'll do is apply for dual citizenship. I'm not too sure if I have to take a test as I've not had time to look into it. But England is like my second home". Perry and Brand married on October 23, 2010 in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India, where Brand had proposed.

In an interview with ''Rolling Stone'' she said, "I am sensitive to Russell taking the Lord's name in vain and to Lady Gaga putting a rosary in her mouth. I think when you put sex and spirituality in the same bottle and shake it up, bad things happen."

Discography

''Katy Hudson'' (2001)

''One of the Boys'' (2008)

''Teenage Dream'' (2010)

Tours

Warped Tour 2008 (2008)

Hello Katy Tour (2009)

California Dreams Tour (2011)

Filmography

Television

!Year	!Title	!Role	Notes
	''''	Herself	Episode 8914
	Herself
	''American Idol''	Guest judge
	Guest judge
''Sesame Street''	Herself	Online special (deleted from televised episode due to viewer controversy)
''The Simpsons''	Herself	1 episode, "The Fight Before Christmas"
2011	''How I Met Your Mother''	Honey	1 episode, "Oh Honey"
2011	''America's Got Talent''	Guest Judge	July 27 (Season 6, Qtr Finals 3 results)

Films

!Year	!Title	!Role	class="unsortable"	Notes
	''Get Him to the Greek''	Herself	Deleted sceneUncredited
''Out in the Desert''	Herself	Post-production
	2011		Smurfette	Voice

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official website

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from California Category:American bloggers Category:American Christians Category:American contraltos Category:American dance musicians Category:American female guitarists Category:American female pop singers Category:American film actors Category:American musicians of German descent Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Portuguese descent Category:American pop rock singers Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Brit Award winners Category:Capitol Records artists Category:English-language singers Category:Female rock singers Category:Musicians from California Category:People from Santa Barbara, California Category:Singers from California Category:The X Factor judges

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