:''This is a dynamic list. By nature, it may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.'' Association football is a worldwide team sport more commonly known as football or soccer. The sport was first codified in 1863 in England, although games that involved the kicking of a ball were evident considerably earlier. A considerable number of mostly unique terms has grown to describe aspects of the game and its culture. These terms are listed and defined in this article; links to other defined terms are in small capitals to distinguish them from wikilinks to other articles.

The evolution of the sport has been mirrored by changes in this terminology. For instance, the role of an inside forward in variants of a 2–3–5 formation has many parallels to the role of an attacking midfielder, but is nonetheless distinct. Similarly, the role of a 2–3–5 centre half is analogous to that of a holding midfielder in a 4–1–3–2.

In many cases, multiple terms exist for the same concept. One reason for this is the evolution of language over time. The sport itself, originally known as association football, is now more widely known by the shortened term ''football'', or ''soccer'', an abbreviation of the word ''association''. Other duplicate terms can be attributed to the long-standing differences between the varieties of English. In Europe, where British English is prevalent, the achievement of not conceding a goal for an entire match is known as a clean sheet. In North America, where American and Canadian English dominate, the same achievement is referred to as a shutout.

Occasionally the actions of an individual have made their way into common football parlance. Two notable examples are Diego Maradona's goals in Argentina's 1986 World Cup quarter-final win against England. After the match, Maradona described his first goal—a handball that the referee missed—as having been scored "a little bit by the hand of God, another bit by the head of Maradona". His second goal was subsequently voted in a 2002 FIFA poll as the Goal of the century. Both phrases are now widely understood to refer to the goals in that match.

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0–9

12th man : An expression used to describe fans present at a football match, especially when the fans are in such large numbers or make such noise as to provide increased motivation for the team. The metaphor is based on the fact that a team numbers 11 active players. 2–3–5 : A common 19th- and early 20th-century formation consisting of two defensive players (previously known as full backs), three midfield players (half-backs), and five forward players. Also known as the ''pyramid formation''. Variations include the 2–3–2–3 (the ''Metodo'' or ''WW formation''), where the inside forwards take up deeper positions.

39th game : See game 39.

4–4–2 : a common modern formation used with four defenders, four midfielders, and two attacking players. There are many variants of this formation, such as the 4–4–2 diamond, where the four midfielders are assembled in a diamond shape without wide midfielders, and the 4–1–3–2, where one midfielder is expected to adopt a defensive position, allowing the other three to concentrate on attacking. 4–5–1 : a common modern formation used with four defenders, five midfielders and one striker. By pushing the wingers forward, this formation can be adapted into a 4–3–3; teams frequently play 4–3–3 when they have the ball, and revert to 4–5–1 when they lose possession. Variants include the 4–4–1–1, where a striker drops deep or an attacking midfielder pushes forward to play in a supporting role to the main striker, and the 4–2–3–1, where two holding midfielders are used. 6+5 rule : a proposal adopted by FIFA in 2008. Designed to counter the effects of the Bosman ruling, which had greatly increased the number of foreign players fielded by European clubs, the rule required each club to field at least six players who are eligible to play for the national team of the country of the club. The rule has been challenged on legal grounds and its future remains uncertain.

A

Academy : an element of a club where young players are contracted under the youth system and trained to an acceptable standard, with the option to progress within the game.

Added time : see Stoppage time.

Advantage : a decision made by the referee during a game, by which a player is fouled, but play is allowed to continue, enabling the team that suffered the foul to retain possession of the ball, and thus to be in a more advantageous position than they would have been had the referee stopped the game. AFC : an initialism for either (1) the ''Asian Football Confederation'', the governing body of the sport in Asia, or (2) "association football club", used by teams such as Sunderland. Aggregate : The added score of two matches between the same clubs in a knockout competition. Anti-football : A dismissive term used to describe a particularly robust and defensive style of play. Apertura and Clausura : a league format employed by several football leagues in Latin America, in which the traditional August–May season is divided into two separate league tournaments, each with its own champion. ''Apertura'' and ''Clausura'' are Spanish for "opening" and "closing". Armband : worn by a team's captain, to signify their role. Black armbands are occasionally worn by an entire team in commemoration of a death or tragic event. Assist : a pass that leads to a goal being scored. Assistant referee : one of a number of officials who assist the referee in controlling a match.

Attacker : see Striker.

Away : see Home and away.

Away goals rule : a tie-break applied in some competitions with two-legged matches. In cases where the scores finish level on aggregate, the team that has scored more goals away from home is deemed the winner.

B

Back-pass rule : a rule introduced into the Laws of the Game in 1992 to help speed up play, specifying that goalkeepers are not allowed to pick up the ball if it was intentionally kicked back to them by a teammate. Backheel : a pass between team-mates in which one player uses their heel to propel the ball backwards to another player. Sometimes spelt ''back heel''. Ball : a spherical object normally kicked around by football players. Balls used in official matches are standardised for size, weight, and material, and manufactured to the specifications set in the Laws of the Game. Ball boy : one of several children, male or female, stationed around the edge of the pitch, whose job is to help retrieve for players balls that go out of play. Ballon d'Or : (also known as the European Footballer of the Year Award) one of the most prestigious awards in European football. Barras Bravas : the name used to describe organised supporter/hooligan groups in Latin America, similar to the European term Ultras. Beach soccer : (also known as beach football or beasal) a variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand. Behind closed doors : matches in which spectators are not allowed in the stadium—a form of sanction for clubs whose supporters have behaved inappropriately. Matches can also be played to hasten a player's fitness. Bench : the area on the edge of the pitch where a team's substitutes and coaches sit, usually consisting an actual covered bench or a row of seats. More formally known as the ''substitutes' bench''. Also sometimes called a ''dugout''. Bend : a skill attribute in which players strike the ball in a manner that applies spin, resulting in the flight of the ball curving, or bending, in mid-air. Players who are especially adept at achieving this will often be their team's designated free kick taker, as they are able to bend the ball around walls while taking shots at goal. The phrase ''"bend it like Beckham''" stems from English player David Beckham's ability in this regard. Bicycle kick : a physical move made by a player with their back to the goal. The player throws their body into the air, makes a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other, and attempts to play the ball backwards over their own head, all before returning to the ground. Also known as an ''overhead kick''. Booking : the act of noting the offender in a cautionable offence, which results in either a yellow card, or in the case of a "second booking", a red card. Boot boy : an apprentice who, among other menial tasks, is usually expected to clean the boots of professional players. Bosman ruling : a ruling by the European Court of Justice related to player transfers that allows professional football players in the European Union to move freely to another club at the end of their term of contract with their present team. Handed down in 1995, it also banned restrictions of foreign EU members within the national leagues. Named after Jean-Marc Bosman, the plaintiff in that court case.

Box : see Penalty area.

Break : an attacking manoeuvre in which a several members of a defending team gain possession of the ball and suddenly counter-attack into their opponent's half of the pitch, overwhelming their opponents' defence in greater numbers, usually as a result of the opposing defenders' being out of position after having supported their attackers. Bung : a secret and unauthorised payment used as a financial incentive to help a transfer go through. Byline : the markings on the shortest side of the pitch, which run from the posts to the corners. Also known as the ''End line''.

C

CAF : an initialism for the ''Confederation of African Football'', the governing body of the sport in Africa. Cap : a metaphorical term for the appearance of a player for a national team, originating from the presentation of a cap to a player who made an international appearance. Captain : the player chosen to lead a team, and in a match to participate in the coin toss before the start of play. Also known as a ''skipper''. Caretaker manager : a person chosen to perform managerial duties when no permanent manager is installed. Catenaccio : a tactical system that puts an emphasis on defence. In Italian, ''catenaccio'' means "door-bolt", implying a highly organised and effective backline defence to prevent goals.

Caution : see yellow card.

Centre circle : the 10-yard radius circle around the centre spot. Centre spot : the mark in the centre of the pitch from which play is started at the beginning of each half, and restarted following the scoring of a goal.

Challenge : see tackle.

Channel : abstract areas broadly defined as strips of the playing pitch between the opposing goal line and towards the widest parts of the field in its middle section. Wide-playing strikers are said to operate "in the channels". Champions League : an annual confederation-wide tournament involving the champions and other successful teams from that confederation's domestic leagues. The term can refer to the tournaments held in the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, OFC or UEFA. See also Copa Libertadores. Chance : a situation where an attacker (striker) is through on goal and should score. Also known as an ''opportunity''. Chip : a shot hit with the intention of the ball going over the goalkeeper and into the goal.

Clausura : see Apertura and Clausura

Clean sheet : when a goalkeeper concedes not a single goal during a match. Clearance : when a player kicks the ball strongly away from the goal they are defending, usually to put a large distance between the ball and their goal. Club : A collective name for a football team, and the organisation that runs it. See also List of association football clubs. CONCACAF : an acronym for the ''Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football'', the governing body of the sport in North and Central America and the Caribbean; pronounced "kon-ka-kaff". CONMEBOL : an acronym for ''Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol'' (Spanish) or ''Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol'' (Portuguese) (CSF), the governing body of the sport in South America; pronounced "kon-me-bol". Corner flag : flags are placed in each of the four corners of the pitch to designate the boundaries of the playing area. Corner kick : a kick taken from within a one-yard radius of the corner flag; a method of restarting play when a player puts the ball behind their own goal line without a goal being scored. Corridor of uncertainty : a cross or pass which is delivered into the area in front of the goalkeeper and behind the last line of defence. Cross : the delivery of the ball into the penalty area by the attacking team, usually from the area between the penalty box and the touchline. Crossbar : the horizontal bar across the top of the goal. Cruyff turn : a move named after Dutchman Johan Cruyff designed to lose an opponent. Cuauhtemiña : a skill move attributed to Mexican player Cuauhtémoc Blanco, which he performed notably at the 1998 World Cup. When two or more players attempt to tackle him, he traps the ball between his feet and jumps through them, releasing the ball in the air and landing with it under control. Cup competition : a knockout competition in which teams compete for a trophy, the winners of each game eliminating the losers from the competition. A cup final sees the two remaining teams play a match, which can be two-legged, for the trophy. Cup tie : a match in a cup competition. Cup-tied : where a player is ineligible to play in a cup competition because they have played for a different team earlier in the same competition. Curva : curved stands behind the goals in a football stadium, usually home to fanatical fans, or "ultras". Custodian : a loose term used to describe a goalkeeper.

D

D : the semi-circular arc at the edge of the penalty area, used to indicate the portion of the 10-yard distance around the penalty spot that lies outside the penalty area. Referred to in the Laws of the Game as "the penalty arc". Dead ball situation : any of a number of instances when the game is restarted with the ball stationary, e.g. a free kick. Debut : the first appearance of a newly acquired or promoted player in a particular team, league or tournament. Defender : one of the four main positions in football. Defenders are positioned in front of the goalkeeper and have the principal role of keeping the opposition away from their goal. Derby : a match between two, usually local, rivals. Designated player rule : a rule in Major League Soccer that allows teams to nominate players who are paid either partially or completely outside the salary cap. Dirty work : an unofficial term for the type of play undertaken by a defensive midfielder – such as making tackles in midfield, playing short passes to the wing, and breaking up opponents' attacking moves – which is necessary for a team to be successful, but rarely receives recognition or acclaim, and is not considered "glamorous". Dissent : an illegal action whereby a player uses offensive language or gestures towards official(s). In extreme cases it can result in yellow or red cards being issued. Diving : a form of cheating, sometimes employed by an attacking player to win a free kick or penalty. When being challenged for the ball by an opponent, the player will throw themselves to the floor as though they has been fouled, in an attempt to deceive the referee into thinking a foul has been committed. Also known as a ''flop''. Doing a Leeds : when a club incurs substantial debts through over-ambitious spending and subsequently drops down one or more divisions. Named after Leeds United, who reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2001 as a Premier League club but were playing in Football League One only six years later. Double : when a club wins both its country's domestic league and a major cup competition in the same season. Dribble : when a player runs with the ball at their feet under close control, especially when this successfully outmanoeuvres one or more opponents in close proximity without losing possession. Drop ball : a method used to restart a game, sometimes when a player has been injured accidentally and the game is stopped while the ball is still in play.

Dugout : see bench.

Dummy : a skill move performed by a player receiving a pass from a teammate; the player receiving the ball will angle their body in such a way that the opponent thinks they are going to play the ball. The player will then intentionally allow the ball to run by them to a teammate close by without touching it, confusing the opponent as to which player has the ball.

E

El Clásico : the name given to matches between the leading Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona. The term is sometimes applied to other derby fixtures in Spanish-speaking countries such as Argentina and Mexico.

Elevator team : see Yo-yo club.

Equaliser : a goal that makes the score even.

Exhibition match : see Friendly.

Extra time : an additional period, normally two halves of 15 minutes, used to determine the winner in some tied cup matches.

F

FA Cup : the oldest cup competition in the world. Fan : a follower of a football team or someone who simply enjoys watching the game. Also known as ''supporter''. Fan park : an area away from grounds and often in city centres used to screen matches on large television screens for fans, normally for big tournaments such as the World Cup or important matches. Fans' favourite : a player that is extremely popular with fans of a club or nation. Favourite : a team that is expected to win a particular match or tournament. Opposite of underdog. Feeder club : a club whose role is to provide first-team experience for younger players with a formal or informal agreement that successful ones can move on to the bigger club.

Feign injury : see play-acting

Field of play : see pitch.

FIFA : an acronym for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (International Federation of Association Football), the world governing body of the sport; pronounced "fee-fa".

Final whistle : see full-time.

First team : the eleven players who, under normal circumstances, and barring injuries and suspensions, would be the ones usually chosen by the team's manager to start the game. First touch : a skill attribute for a player which signifies their ability to bring the ball completely under control immediately upon receiving it. Flag : a piece of equipment used by an assistant referee to illustrate that they have seen a foul or other infraction take place, consisting of a small rectangular flag attached to a handle. One assistant referee's flag is a solid colour (often yellow), and their colleague's has a two-colour (often red and yellow) quartered pattern. Some sophisticated flags also have buttons in the hilt of the handle which, when pressed, will activate a vibrating armband worn by the referee to attract their attention. Can also refer to the corner flag. The action of an assistant referee using their flag is called ''flagging''. Flat back four : a defensive positioning formation, in which the primary first position of each member of a four-man defense is in a straight line across the pitch; often used in conjunction with an offside trap. In formations with three centre backs, the phrase "flat back three" is sometimes used.

Flick-on : when a player receives a pass from a teammate and, instead of controlling it, touches the ball with their head or foot while it is moving past them, with the intent of helping the ball reach another teammate.

Football : a widely used name for association football. Can also refer to the ball. Football League : English league competition founded in 1888, the oldest such competition in the world. Football programme : also known as ''match programme''; a booklet purchased by spectators prior to a football match containing information relevant to it, including lists of players, short articles penned by commentators and the like. Older programmes may have a considerable value as a collectable. Football pyramid : also known as ''league system'', term used to describe a hierarchy of leagues in which teams can be promoted or relegated between, depending on finishing positions or playoffs. They are often referred to as "pyramids" due to their tendency to have increasing number of divisions further down the tiers (or "steps"), leading to a pyramid-like structure. Formation : how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch.

Forward: see Striker.

Fourth official : additional assistant referee, who has various duties and can replace one of the other officials, in case of injury.

Fox in the box : see Goal poacher.

Foul: an illegal act as defined under the rules of the game, punished by a free-kick or penalty. Such acts can lead to yellow or red cards depending on their severity. Free kick: the result of a foul outside the penalty area, given against the offending team. Free kicks can be either direct (shot straight towards the goal) or indirect (the ball must touch another player before a goal can be scored). Freestyle football : is the art of expressing yourself with a football, while performing various tricks with any part of the body. Similar in style to keepie uppie and kemari, it has become a widespread sport across the world and is practised by many people. Friendly: a match arranged by two teams with no competitive value, such as a player's testimonial or a warm-up match before a season begins. Fullback: the position on either side of the defence, whose job is to try and prevent the opposing team attacking down the wings. Also spelt full back or full-back. Full-time: either (1) the end of the game, signalled by the referees whistle (also known as the ''final whistle''), (2) a professional footballer or club i.e. their only profession or (3) a word used to describe a permanent coach. Futsal: variant of association football that is played on a smaller hard court surface and mainly played indoors. Involves two teams with five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper, with an unlimited number of substitutes per permitted and is played in two periods each lasting 20 minutes. Similar, but not identical, to indoor soccer.

G

Game of two halves : an expression used by commentators to describe a close match where one team dominates each half. Game 39 : a proposed Premier League match played outside of the United Kingdom. Ghost goal: describes situations where a ball fairly crossed the goal line but did not result in a goal, as well as situations where a goal was awarded despite the ball not crossing the line. Giant-killing : a cliché used to describe a lower division team defeating another team from a much higher division in that country's league.

Give-and-go : see One-two.

Goal : the only method of scoring in football; for a goal to be awarded the ball must pass completely over the goal line in the area between the posts and beneath the crossbar. Goal difference : the net difference between goals scored and goals conceded. Used to differentiate league positions when clubs are tied on points. Goalkeeper : The goalkeeper is the player closest to their own goal and has the job of preventing the opposition from scoring. They are the only player on the pitch that can handle the ball in open play, but only in their own penalty area. Known informally as a ''keeper'' or a ''goalie''. Goal kick : the method of restarting play when the ball is played over the goal-line without a goal being scored. Goal poacher : a type of striker primarily known for excellent scoring ability and movement inside the penalty area. Also known as "fox in the box". Goalmouth : the section of the pitch immediately in front of the goal. Goalmouth scramble : when multiple players from both teams attempt to gain control of a loose ball in the goalmouth. This often results in a short period of chaotic play involving attackers shooting towards goal and defenders blocking shots, balls ricocheting around the goalmouth, and players falling over. Goal of the century : usually used to refer to Diego Maradona's second goal against England in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Goalpost : the vertical bars at either side of the goal. Golden Generation : a term used to describe an exceptionally talented set of players who are expected to achieve a high level of success. Golden goal : a method of determining the winner of a match which is a draw after 90 minutes of play. Up to an additional 30 minutes are played in two 15-minute halves, the first team to score wins and the match ends immediately. See also Silver goal. Groundhopping : a hobby in which the objective is to visit as many football stadiums and grounds as possible. Participants are known as "groundhoppers", "hoppers" or "travellers". Group of death : a group which is unusually competitive, because the number of strong competitors in the group is greater than the number of qualifying places available for the next phase of the tournament.

H

Half-back: a position employed in a 2–3–5 formation, the half-back would play between the fullbacks and the outside forwards. Three half-backs were used, positioned to the left, right and centre of the full-backs. Similar to the modern holding midfielder. Half-time: break between the two halves of the match, usually lasts 15 minutes. Half-volley : a pass or shot in which the ball is struck just as, or just after, it touches the ground. Handbags : a colloquialism, especially in the United Kingdom, used to describe an event where two or more players from opposing teams square up to each other in a threatening manner, or push and jostle each other in an attempt to assert themselves, without any actual violent conduct taking place. Hand-ball: when a player other than a goalkeeper deliberately touches the ball with their hand in active play. A foul is given against the player if spotted. Hand of God : Diego Maradona's first goal against England in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Hat-trick : when a player scores three goals in a single match. Header: using the head as a means of playing or controlling the ball.

High feet: the colloquial name for a certain type of foul, awarded when the referee determines that a player's foot has moved into a dangerous position while they are trying to play the ball, especially if the foot is in danger of coming into contact with an opponent's groin or head.

Holding : holding a player is an offence, punishable by a free-kick. Holding role or Holding midfielder : a midfielder whose role is to protect the defence.

Hold up the ball : when a player, usually a forward, receives a long ball from a teammate, and controls and shields it from the opposition, with the intent of slowing the play down to allow teammates to join the attack.

Hole: the space on a pitch between the midfield and attack where attacking midfielders play. Sometimes known as "playing in the hole". Hollywood ball: a spectacular pass that rarely achieves what the passer intended. Home and away : terms used to describe a team's own ground and their opponent's, respectively. See also Neutral ground. Hooligans: fanatical supporters known for violence. Hospital ball: sometimes referred to as ''hospital pass'', when a player plays a slightly under-strength pass to a teammate, to such an extent that it becomes likely that both the teammate and an opposing player will come into contact with the ball simultaneously, therefore increasing the likelihood of one or both players suffering an injury while challenging for the ball.

I

IFAB : the International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football. Indirect free kick : a type of free kick. Unlike in a direct free kick, a goal may not be scored directly from the indirect kick. Indoor soccer : also known as ''arena soccer'', or ''six-a-side football''. A variant of association football adapted for play in an arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or a skating rink. Unlike in futsal the playing field is surrounded by a wall instead of touch lines, resembling more of a hockey rink than a soccer pitch. The ball can be played directly off the wall, which eliminates many frequent stoppages that would normally result in throw-ins, goal kicks and corner kicks. Played by two teams with 6 players each.

Injury time : see stoppage time.

Inside forward : a position employed in a 2–3–5 formation. The inside forwards played just behind the centre forward, similar to the modern attacking midfielder or second striker.

Intercept : to prevent a pass from reaching its intended recipient.

Invincibles : name given to the Preston North End side of the 1888–89 season and the Arsenal team of 2003–04, which both went an entire English league season without defeat.

J

Journeyman : a player who has represented many different clubs over their career. Opposite of one-club man. Jumpers for goalposts : an informal name for a version of street football where players lay down items of clothing to mark out the two goals. The term also has a nostalgia factor, especially in England, intended to invoke a more "innocent" and "pure" type of football before commercialism became a major element of the sport.

K

Keeper : an abbreviation of goalkeeper.

Keepie uppie : the skill of juggling a football, keeping it off the ground using the feet, the knees, the chest, the shoulders or the head. Kick and rush : A style of play. See also Long ball. Kick-off : the method of starting a match; the ball must be played forwards from the centre spot with all members of the opposing team at least ten yards from the ball. Also used to restart the match when a goal has been scored. Kit : the football-specific clothing worn by players, consisting at the minimum of a shirt, shorts, socks, specialized footwear, and (for goalkeepers) specialized gloves. Also known as a ''uniform'' or a ''strip''. Kop : a British colloquial name for terraced stands in stadiums, especially those immediately behind the goals. Most commonly associated with Liverpool, they are so named due to their steep nature, which resembles a hill in South Africa that was the scene of the Battle of Spion Kop in January 1900 during the Second Boer War.

L

Last-man : a term used to describe a two-on-one situation where an attacker carries the ball towards the opposition goal with only one outfield defender nearby. If the defender commits a foul, a red card is usually shown.

Layoff : a short pass, usually lateral, played delicately into the space immediately in front of a teammate who is arriving at speed from behind the player making the pass; the player receiving the pass will then be able to take control of the ball without breaking stride, or (if they are close enough to the goal) attempt to score with a first-time shot.

Laws of the Game :the codified rules that help define association football. These laws are published by the sport's governing body FIFA, with the approval of the International Football Association Board, the body that writes and maintains the laws. The laws mention: the number of players a team should have, the game length, the size of the field and ball, the type and nature of fouls that referees may penalize, the frequently misinterpreted Offside law, and many other laws that define the sport.

League : usually a form of competition which involves a double or triple round-robin tournament. May involve any number of individual clubs but usually in the region of ten to twenty. Great majority of national championships are played in a league format and there are various formats employed around the world. Also, several leagues may be structured hierarchically in a football pyramid, thus enabling a system of promotion and relegation. For more information see Sports league.

Libero : see Sweeper.

Linesman : see Assistant referee.

Loan : when a player temporarily plays for a club other than the one they are currently contracted to. Such a loan may last from a few weeks to one or more seasons. This often occurs with young players who are commonly loaned to lower league clubs in order to gain valuable experience. The loaning club often takes over the responsibility of paying the player's wages so it can also occur when the originating club seeks to cut down expenses. Long ball : term used in association football to describe an attempt, often speculative, to distribute the ball a long distance down the field via a cross, without the intention to pass it to the feet of the receiving player. Often used to speed up play, the technique can be especially effective for a team with either fast or tall strikers. Lost the dressing room : where a manager is deemed to have lost control and support of his players.

M

Magic sponge : a sponge filled with water which has a seemingly miraculously reviving effect on injured players.

Manager : the individual in charge of the day-to-day running of the team. Duties of the manager usually include overseeing training sessions, designing tactical plays, choosing the team's formation, picking the starting eleven, and making tactical switches and substitutions during games. Some managers also take on backroom administrative responsibilities such as signing players, negotiating player contracts. Sometimes these tasks are also undertaken by a two separate individuals: a ''Head coach'' for on-field tasks, and a ''General manager'' or ''Director of Football'' for off-field administrative duties.

Man of the match : an award, often decided by pundits or sponsors, given to the best player in a game. Man on! : a warning shout uttered by players (and fans) to a teammate with the ball to alert him of the presence of an opposing player behind him. Man-to-man marking : a system of marking in which each player is responsible for an opposing player rather than an area of the pitch. Compare with zonal marking.

Match fixing : expression used to describe the situation when a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result motivated by financial incentives paid to players, team officials or referees in violation of the rules of the game.

Mexican wave : a self-organized crowd activity in which spectators stand up, raise their hands in the air, and sit down in sequence, creating a ripple effect that moves around the stadium's stands. Despite having been carried out in stadia for many years previously, it was first brought to world-wide attention during the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, hence its name. Mickey Mouse cup : pejorative term used to describe a cup, league, or other competition as being of a lower standard, importance or significance. Midfielder : one of the four main positions in football. Midfielders are positioned between the defenders and strikers. Mighty Magyars : also known as the ''Magical Magyars'' or ''Aranycsapat'' in Hungarian (literally ''Golden team''); nickname given to the record-breaking Hungary national football team squad of the early 1950s. Minnow : see underdog. Moving ball : the ball must be stationary when a goal kick, corner kick, free kick or penalty kick is being taken. The referee should order the kick to be re-taken if the ball was moving. Multiball system : the use of several balls during a game, intended to reduce the amount of time the ball is not in play. Historically, the same ball was used throughout the entire game, and had to be retrieved every time it went out of play. Under the multiball system, as soon as the ball goes out of play, a new ball is passed to the player by a ball boy, who then retrieves the other ball while the game continues.

N

Near post/Far post : a notional concept relating to the position of the goalkeeper in relation to his posts. If an attacker scores a goal by placing the ball between the goalkeeper and the post to which he is closest, the goalkeeper is said to have been ''"beaten at the near post''". Neutral ground : a venue for a match that belongs to neither team. Most cup finals are played on neutral ground, unless they are played over two legs. Nutmeg : when a player intentionally plays the ball between an opponent's legs, runs past the opponent, and collects their own pass.

O

Obstruction : an illegal defensive technique, in which a defensive player who does not have control of the ball positions their body between the ball and an attacking opponent, or otherwise blocks or checks an opponent, in order to prevent that opponent from reaching the ball. When the defensive player has control of the ball, this technique is known as shielding, and is permitted under the laws of the game. OFC : an initialism for the Oceania Football Confederation, the governing body of the sport in Oceania. Offside : Law 11 of the laws of football, relating to the positioning of defending players in relation to attacking players when the ball is played to an attacking player by a teammate. In its most basic form, a player is offside if they are in their opponent's half of the field, and is closer to the goal line than both the second-last defender and the ball at the moment the ball is played to them by a teammate. Offside trap : a defensive formation maneuver, in which each member of a team's defense will simultaneously step forward as the ball is played forward to an opponent, in an attempt to put that opponent in an offside position. An unsuccessful performance of this maneuver results in the opponent ''"beating the offside trap"'', usually as a result of one of the defenders failing to step forward in time with their teammates. Olympic goal : a goal scored directly from a corner kick.

One touch : term used to describe a team's style of play in which the ball is passed around quickly using just one touch. See also Tiki-taka.

One-club man : a player who spends their entire professional career at one club. Opposite of journeyman.

One-on-one : a circumstance in which an attacking player, having successfully moved past the opponents defensive line with the ball, is confronted with a situation where the only player in between them and an open goal is the opponent's goalkeeper.

One-two : a skill move between team mates to move the ball past an opponent. Player One passes the ball to Player Two and runs past the opponent, whereupon they immediately receive the ball back from Player Two, who has received, controlled, and passed the ball in one movement. Also known as a ''give-and-go''.

Opportunity : see chance.

Outfield player : a term used to describe any player other than the goalkeeper.

Outside forward : a position used in a 2–3–5 formation, in which they are the main attacking threat from the flanks. Similar to modern wingers.

Overhead kick : see Bicycle kick.

Overlap : a skill move between teammates in which Player One (who has the ball) is being shadowed by a single defender; Player Two (who does not have the ball) runs forward, past both their teammate and the defender, forcing the defender to make a choice between continuing to shadow Player One, or running with Player Two to stop them receiving a pass. As a result of Player Two overlapping, Player One will have the freedom to either pass the ball to Player Two or continue with the ball in their possession, depending on which decision the defender makes.

Over-the-top : a tackle, either deliberate or accidental, where one player makes contact with an opposition player rather than the ball. Own goal: where a player scores a goal against their own team, usually as the result of an error.

P

Parachute payment : a series of payments made for four years, by the Premier League to every club relegated from that league. Paralympic football : consists of adaptations of the sport of association football for athletes with a disability. These sports are typically played using FIFA rules, with modifications to the field of play, equipment, numbers of players, and other rules as required to make the game suitable for the athletes. The two most prominent versions of Paralympic football are Football 5-a-side, for athletes with visual impairments, and Football 7-a-side, for athletes with cerebral palsy. "Parking the bus" : expression used when all the players on a team play defensively, usually when the team is winning by a narrow margin. See also Catenaccio. Pass : when a player kicks the ball to one of their teammates. "Passive" offside : an exception to the offside rule, wherein play may continue if a player in an offside position makes no attempt to involve himself in the game at the moment an offside call would usually be made, and allows an onside player to win control of the ball instead. Penalty area : the rectangular area measuring 44 yards (40.2 metres) by 18 yards (16.5 metres) in front of each goal. Penalty kick : a kick taken 12 yards (11 metres) from goal, awarded when a team commits a foul inside its own penalty area, and the infringement would usually be punishable by a direct free kick.

Penalty shootout : a method of deciding a match in a knockout competition which has ended in a draw after full time and extra-time. Players from each side take it in turns to attempt to score a penalty against the opposition goalkeeper. Sudden death is introduced if scores are level after five penalties have been taken by either side. Perfect hat-trick : when a player scores three goals in a single match, one with the left foot, one with the right foot and one with a header.

Phantom goal : see Ghost goal.

Phoenix club : term sometimes used for a club which has been created following the demise of a pre-existing club. Phoenix clubs usually take on the same colours and fan base as those of the defunct club and may even be established by fans themselves. Pitch : the playing surface for the game, which is usually a specially prepared grass field. Referred to in the Laws of the Game as the ''field of play''. Pitch invasion : when a crowd of people who are watching run onto the pitch to celebrate, protest about an incident or confront opposition fans. Known as rushing the field in the United States. Play-acting : similar to diving, play acting is deceiving the officials that a player is injured to try and gain an advantage or force the referee to punish the "aggressor". Also known as ''feigning injury'' or Diving. Play to the whistle : an informal phrase used to instruct players to keep on playing until the referee blows their whistle.

Player : all active participants in a football match other than the officials.

Playing advantage : see advantage.

Playmaker : an attacking player whose job is to control the flow of their team's play. Playoff : a series of matches towards the end of the season that determine clubs which are promoted and/or relegated, determine tied league positions or determine qualifiers for continental competitions.

Points deduction : a method of punishing clubs for breaching the rules of a tournament by reducing the number of accumulated points during a league season. Points deductions have been applied for offences such as going into administration, financial irregularities, fielding ineligible players, match fixing, or violent conduct amongst club staff or supporters.

Post : see goalpost.

Pre-season : expression used for the only time of the year when football is not competitively played apart from the winter break (in countries which have winter breaks). Usually spans the period between June and August when clubs are preparing for the upcoming season by playing various friendlies and signing new players.

Premier League : the official name for the top division of English football since 1992, formerly referred to as the ''Premiership''. It can also be used generically or as a translation for leagues in other countries.

Professional : a player who is engaged by a club under a professional contract and who is paid a wage by the club to focus on their sport in lieu of other employment. Not an Amateur.

Professional foul : a foul committed by a player who is aware that they are about to intentionally commit the foul, and who does so having calculated the risk, and determined that committing the foul and taking a yellow card or even a red card will be more beneficial to their team than if the player allowed their opponent to continue unimpeded. Promedios : An alternative relegation system originating in Argentine football which has been used to determine relegation in several Latin American leagues by calculating a points per game average over several consecutive seasons. Promotion : when a club moves up to a higher division in the league hierarchy as a result of being one of the best teams in their division at the end of a season.

Q

Qualifier: a match or series of matches played to determine the teams competing in an event, for instance the Africa Cup of Nations.

R

Rabona : a skill move, indicating a method of kicking the football whereby the kicking leg is wrapped around the back of the standing leg.

Red card : awarded to a player for either a single serious cautionable offence or following two yellow cards. The player receiving the red card is compelled to leave the game for the rest of its duration, and that player's team is not allowed to replace him with another player. A player receiving the red card is said to have been ''sent off'' or ''ejected''. Reducer : term used mainly in the British football press for a hard tackle, usually early in a game, meant to intimidate an attacking player. Referee : the official who presides over a match, with the help of assistant referees and the fourth official.

Replacement : see ''substitute''

Relegation : when a club moves down to a lower division in the league hierarchy as a result of gaining the least number of points in their division at the end of a season.

Reserve : a player who is under contract to a team, but who generally does not feature in first team games, except for when one or more first team players are suspended, injured, or otherwise unable to take their usual places in the starting lineup. Some clubs field a ''reserve team'' in non-competitive matches, or in a ''reserve league''; the collective term ''reserves'' can refer to this team.

Retired number : a squad number which is no longer used as a form of recognising an individual player's loyal service to the club. Sometimes a number is retired as a memorial after their death. Ronglish : a dialect of English created by manager and pundit Ron Atkinson to describe action during a match using similes, expressions and verbal non sequiturs.

Round-robin tournament : or all-play-all tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".

Rounding the 'keeper : an attacking move in which a player finds himself in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper and, instead of shooting past the goalkeeper, attempts to dribble the ball around the goalkeeper, leaving himself with an open net in which to score a goal.

Route one : a direct, attacking style of football which generally involves taking the most direct route to goal. Roy of the Rovers stuff : an event during a game, or an entire game, in which a player or team is seen to have overcome some sort of extreme adversity prior to victory, or secured victory in an overtly spectacular or dramatic fashion, especially against a team generally considered to be "stronger". The term originates from the long-running football-themed English comic strip ''Roy of the Rovers'', in which such events were commonplace. Row Z : a cliche phrase used by commentators to describe the hypothetical destination of a forceful clearance, on the assumption that rows in which spectators are seated are ordered alphabetically so that row Z is the furthest from the pitch. Also used to describe a shot which goes a long way over the crossbar.

S

Safety : see survival.

Save : when a goalkeeper prevents the football from crossing the goal line.

Scissor kick : see Bicycle kick.

Scorpion kick : an acrobatic kick of the type first notably performed as a save by René Higuita in 1995 while playing for Colombia at Wembley stadium against England.

Scrimmage : a term used in early football reporting when a goal was scored from a goalmouth scramble, and the scorer could not be discerned.

Seal dribble : a type of dribble in which a player flicks the ball up from the ground onto their head and then proceeds to run past opponents whilst bouncing the ball on top of their forehead, somewhat imitating a seal.

Season : a term used to describe the time period during which primary competitions in a certain country are played. In most European countries the season starts around September and ends in May, with a winter break in December and January. In other countries the season is played within a single calendar year. It is often customary to use the Super Cup to mark the beginning of a season while the Cup final usually marks its end.

Second season syndrome : phrase sometimes used by commentators in English football used to describe a downturn in fortunes for a football club two seasons after its promotion to the Premier League.

Sending off : see red card.

Set piece : a dead ball routine that the attacking team has specifically practised, such as a free kick taken close to the D.

Shielding : a defensive technique, in which a defensive player positions their body between the ball and an attacking opponent, in order to prevent that opponent from reaching the ball. At all times while shielding the ball, the defender must maintain control of the ball within a nominal playing distance, otherwise the technique becomes obstruction, and a foul is called.

Shin pads : a mandatory piece of equipment, usually made of plastic or rubber, worn underneath the socks in order to protect the shins. Also known as ''shin guards''.

Shoot : to propel the ball goalwards in an attempt to score.

Shootout : see penalty shootout.

Shot : an attempt to score a goal.

Shoulder charge : an aggressive, but legal, defensive play in which a player uses their shoulder and upper arm to make contact with an opponent's shoulder and upper arm, in an attempt to knock the opponent off-balance and lose control of the ball. This manoeuvre is legal only when the challenge is shoulder-to-shoulder; a player using their shoulder to make contact with another part of an opponent's body is committing a foul. Also known as a ''shoulder barge'' or ''shoulder challenge''.

Shutout : see Clean sheet.

Side netting : the outside of the net part of the goal, which stretches back from the goalpost to the stanchion. Silver goal : a rule which was briefly in use between 2002 and 2004 in some UEFA competitions when elimination matches happened to end in a draw. In extra time the team leading after the first fifteen minute half would win, but the game would not stop the instant a team scored, like with the golden goal. Any goals in the second half could then be counted as golden goals. Competitions that operated extra time were able to decide whether to use the golden goal, the silver goal, or neither procedure during extra time.

Simulation : term used by FIFA referring to cheating by feigning injury to gain an advantage of some type.

Six pointer : a game between two teams, often those competing for a title, promotion or relegation, whereby the relative difference between the two teams and between victory and defeat can be six points.

Skill : an action by a member of either side with the intention of fooling an opponent e.g. Step-over. Generically, accurate passing and shooting can be referred to as skilful play. Known by a variety of other terms, depending upon region and level e.g. the colloquial word ''tekkers''.

Sliding tackle : a type of tackle where the defending player slides along the ground to tackle their opponent.

Soccer : an alternative word for the game of association football, used most commonly in countries where other codes of football are prominent, for instance American football in the United States, and Australian rules football and rugby league in Australia.

Spion Kop : see Kop.

Spot-kick : see penalty-kick.

Squad numbers : numerical markings on players' shirts used to distinguish individual players in a game of football. First used in 1928 and initially assigned to distinguish positions in a formation, they gradually became associated with individual players, irrespective of where they are positioned on the pitch. This in turn gave rise to the custom of retiring numbers.

Squad rotation system : a coaching system whereby an entire squad of players – often consisting of 20 or more individuals – is used in first team games equally, with no preferred starting eleven specified.

Square ball : when a ball is passed between teammates laterally, across the field of play.

Squeaky bum time : a term coined by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to define the tense final stages of a league competition, especially from the point of view of the leaders or clubs facing promotion and relegation.

Stanchion: part of the framework of the goal which holds the upper rear part of the net in the air and away from the crossbar.

Stepover: a skill move performed by an attacking player in which the player with the ball will move their foot over the ball without making contact with it. The intent of the move is to trick the defender into thinking that the attacking player is moving with the ball in a certain direction; when the defender then changes direction to block the move, the attacker will quickly move the ball in the opposite direction, and move past the off-balance defender. Stoppage time: an additional number of minutes at the end of each half, determined by the match officials, to compensate for time lost during the game. Informally known by various names, including ''injury time'' and ''added time''.

Street football : The term encompasses a number of informal varieties of association football. These informal games do not necessarily utilise the requirements of a formal game of football, such as a large field, field markings, goal apparatus and corner flags, eleven players per team (with a minimum of seven per team), or match officials (referee and assistant referees).

Striker : one of the four main positions in football. Strikers are the players closest to the opposition goal, with the principal role of scoring goals. Also known as ''forward'' or ''attacker''.

Studs : small points on the underneath of a player's boots to help prevent slipping.

Studs up : an informal name for a challenge made with feet off the ground and studs visible to the opponent, usually punished by a foul.

Substitute : a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player.

Sudden death : a feature of penalty shootouts. If scores are level after each side has taken five penalties, the shootout continues until one side misses.

Super Cup : (1) a one-off game involving the winners of two different continent-wide club championships, for example the Supercopa Sudamericana. (2) a one-off preseason domestic game between the defending champion of the country's top league and its cup champion; the "Super Cup" term may be used (as in Supercoppa Italiana) or not (see FA Community Shield).

Supporter : see fan.

Survive : opposite of Relegation, when a struggling team secures enough points to guarantee their position in that league for the following season. Also known as securing safety. Suspension : players are forced to miss their team's next game(s) if they pick up an alloted number of bookings in league or tournament matches, or are sent off in a previous fixture. Sweeper : a defender whose role is to protect the space between the goalkeeper and the rest of the defence. Also referred to as ''libero''.

T

Tackle : a method of a player winning the ball back from their opponent (see also slide tackle). Unfair tackles are punished by free kicks, penalties and red/yellow cards. See also reducer. Target man : a type of striker. usually tall, with a strong build and good heading ability, whose strength lies in controlling or attacking balls in the air. They are usually partnered with a smaller, more nimble player to give the forward line different options in how to attack the goal, and will often be used to hold up the ball and play layoff passes to their teammates. Taylor Report : a document overseen by Lord Taylor concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. It is synonymous with a recommendation that all top division stadiums in England and Scotland phase out their concrete terraces and become all-seater. Technical area : the area within which the manager must remain while coaching their team during a match, marked by white lines at the side of the pitch.

Telegraphed pass : a pass between team mates that is so poorly disguised that it becomes easy for the opponent to read the trajectory of the ball and intercept it.

Telstar : match ball designed by Adidas for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. The first ball to use a truncated icosahedron design, with 12 black and 20 white patches intentionally used to improve visibility on black-and-white TV sets. It became an iconic design and is often used in club crests and decorations even though modern match balls use a considerably different design. Also known as ''bubamara'' (ladybug) in countries where Serbo-Croatian is spoken.

Tekkers : see skill.

Terrace : the traditional standing area of a stadium, particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Consists of a series of concrete steps which are erected for spectators to stand on. Often occupied by ultras. Testimonial match : an exhibition match organised in honour of a player before their retirement. Through-ball : a pass from the attacking team that goes straight through the opposition's defence to a teammate. Throw-in : a method of restarting play. Involves a player throwing the ball from behind a touchline after it has been kicked out by an opponent. Tifo : originally the Italian word for the phenomenon of supporting a football team, today mainly used for any spectacular choreography displayed by supporters on the terraces of a stadium in connection with an association football match. Primarily arranged by ultras. Tiki-taka : a style of play characterised by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels and maintaining possession. The style is primarily associated with Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. See also One touch. Timewasting : a negative tactic employed by teams to run down the clock often when they are in a winning position and the game is close to finishing. Teams drawing can also utilise this tactic if they are content to see the game drawn rather than risk defeat. Common timewasting tactics include making last-minute substitutions, running the ball towards the corner flag and shielding it from opponents, passing the ball laterally along the line of defence while making no attempt to move the ball forwards, and diving and feigning injury such that the referee stops the game and has the medical staff enter the field to check on the "injured" player. Toe punt : a method of kicking the ball with the tip of the foot. Also known as a ''toe poke''. Too good to go down : belief, often misguided, that the ability within a team will preclude it from relegation. Top corner : the parts of the goal immediately below the two 90° angles where the crossbar and posts intersect. This part of the goal is generally considered the prime area in which to place the ball when attempting to score a goal, as it is the most difficult part of the goal for the goalkeeper to reach. Sometimes called the ''"angle"'', or the ''"upper 90''", the latter especially in North American parlance. Total Football : the label given to an influential tactical theory in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. It was invented by the Dutch coach Rinus Michels and was popularised by AFC Ajax and the Netherlands national team in the early 1970s. Touch-line : the markings along the side of the pitch, indicating the boundaries of the playing area. Throw-ins are taken from behind this line. Tracksuit manager : a phrase used by commentators to describe a manager who has a ''hands-on approach'', meaning that they have a tendency to work with players on the training ground and hence devotes a significant amount of time concentrating on improving players' abilities. Transfer window : the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Trap : a skill performed by a player, whereupon the player uses their foot (or, less commonly, their chest or thigh) to bring an airborne or falling ball under control. Travelling army : an expression used by commentators for any set of away fans – that is, fans who travelled to the match to support their team. Often a team's travelling army are referred to as the 12th man. Treble : achieved by a club that wins three major trophies in a single season. Competitions generally considered as part of a treble include the top tier domestic league, domestic cup and continental cup. Trebles achieved without winning a continental competition are known as domestic trebles. Trialist : a player who represents a club on a trial basis, most often to gain a contract with the club. Two-footed : a challenge, normally an illegal one, where a player, often a defender, tackles their opponent with both feet.

U

UEFA : an acronym for ''Union of European Football Associations'', the governing body of the sport in Europe; pronounced "you-eh-fa". Underdog : the team who is not expected to win a particular game. Under the cosh : a team's defence experiences a period of concerted or unrelenting attacking play. Ultras : type of football fans predominantly found in Europe renowned for their fanatical support and elaborate displays at football matches. These displays often include the use of flares, vocal support in large groups, displays of banners at stadium terraces and other forms of tifo choreography. Upset : a game where the underdog defeats a higher ranked team. Utility player : a player who can be used in different positions or for different roles transcending the traditional division of outfield players into defenders, midfielders and strikers.

V

vuvuzela playing a single B note.}} Vanishing spray: short-lasting aerosol paint applied to the grass by the referee to mark the 10 yard exclusion area at a free kick. Video technology: a long-campaigned for method of determining close decisions, such as whether a ball crosses the goalline, using instant replays provided by television cameras. It is yet to be introduced by the world governing body FIFA. Volley: a pass or shot in which the ball is struck before it touches the ground. Vuvuzela : plastic horn-shaped instruments popularised by supporters at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

W

Wall : a row of defensive players who line up ten yards away from a free kick, covering a portion of the goal, with the intent making it more difficult for an attacking player to have a shot on goal direct from the free kick. Want-away : a player who has made public their intentions to leave their current club. Webster ruling : a 2006 court case which stipulated that players are able to unilaterally walk away from a contract after a fixed period, regardless of the duration of the contract itself. Named after Andy Webster. Compare Bosman ruling.

Whistle : see play to the whistle.

Wing : the area of the pitch that runs parallel to the sidelines. Winger : a wide midfield player whose primary focus is to provide crosses into the penalty area. Alternatively known as a ''wide midfielder''. Wingless wonders: a term used to describe the formation deployed by England manager Sir Alf Ramsey in latter stages of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the basis for the modern 4–4–2 system. Winter break : the period between December and January in which competitive football is suspended and which cuts some national or continental seasons in half. Also known as "year-end" or "summer break" in the Southern Hemisphere. Woodwork: a common description of the posts and the crossbar, as in ''"the ball came back off the woodwork"'', meaning a shot at goal struck either the post or the crossbar and remained in play. The expression is still widely used even though goals are no longer made of wood. Work rate: the extent to which a player contributes to running and chasing in a match while not in possession of the ball. World Cup: mostly associated with the men's FIFA World Cup. FIFA also organises the FIFA Women's World Cup, international tournaments for youth football (such as the FIFA U-20 World Cup), and also the FIFA Club World Cup. Wunderteam : nickname for the Austria national football team of the 1930s captained by Matthias Sindelar.

X

X-rated challenge : slang term for a malicious tackle when a player has possible motivation to injure an opponent.

Y

Yellow card: shown by the referee to a player who commits a cautionable offence. If a player commits two cautionable offences in a match, they are shown a second yellow card, followed by a red card, and is sent off. Also known as a ''caution'' or a ''booking''. Youth: a player (or team of players) contracted under the youth system, generally under the age of 18 and not playing professionally although youth players can appear for the first-team. Yo-yo club: a club that is regularly promoted and relegated between higher and lower league levels. Also known in other languages as ''elevator team'', for instance ''Fahrstuhlmannschaften'' in German.

Z

Zonal marking : a system of marking in which each player is responsible for an area of the pitch, rather than an opposing player. Compare with man-to-man marking.

See also

List of association football club rivalries by country

List of association football clubs

List of association football people by nickname

List of association football media

Lists of nicknames in association football

Variants of association football

References

;General

Glossary of Football Words and Expressions

;Specific

Association football Category:Dynamic lists

Coordinates	45°30′″N73°40′″N
Width	200
Position	Shooting guard / Small forward
Height ft	6|height_in 6
Weight lbs	216
Number	23, 45, 9, 12
Birth date	February 17, 1963
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York
High school	Emsley A. Laney
League
Career start	1984
Career end	2003
Draftyear	1984
Draftround	1
Draftpick	3
Draftteam	Chicago Bulls
College	North Carolina (1981–1984)
Years1	–, – |team1 Chicago Bulls
Years2	– |team2 Washington Wizards
Stat1label	Points
Stat1value	32,292 (30.1 ppg)
Stat2label	Rebounds
Stat2value	6,672 (6.2 rpg)
Stat3label	Assists
Stat3value	5,633 (5.3 apg)
Letter	j
Bbr	jordami01
Highlights	6× NBA Champion (–, –) 5× NBA Most Valuable Player (, –, , ) 14× NBA All-Star (–, –, –) 6× NBA Finals MVP (–, –) 10× NBA scoring champion (–, –) 3× NBA steals champion (, , ) NBA Defensive Player of the Year () 10× All-NBA First Team (–, –) All-NBA Second Team () 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (–, –) NBA Rookie of the Year () NBA All-Rookie First Team () 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (, , ) 2× NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (–) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team #23 Retired by Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat NCAA Champion (1982) 2× Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1983–1984) ACC Player of the Year (1984) Oscar Robertson Trophy (1984) Naismith College Player of the Year (1984) John R. Wooden Award (1984) Adolph Rupp Trophy (1984)
Hof player	michael-jordan }}

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player, active businessman, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website states, "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

After a standout career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the Tar Heels' National Championship team in 1982, Jordan joined the NBA's Chicago Bulls in 1984. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, illustrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness". He also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat". Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball at the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season to pursue a career in baseball, he rejoined the Bulls in 1995 and led them to three additional championships (1996, 1997, and 1998) as well as an NBA-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Washington Wizards.

Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, three All-Star Game MVP awards, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game). In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film ''Space Jam'' as himself. He is the majority owner and head of basketball operations for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, having won a bidding war to buy controlling interest in the team from founding owner Robert L. Johnson.

Early years

Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Deloris (née Peoples), who worked in banking, and James R. Jordan, Sr., an equipment supervisor. His family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, when he was a toddler. Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he anchored his athletic career by playing baseball, football, and basketball. He tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year, but at 5'11" (1.80 m), he was deemed too short to play at that level. His taller friend, Harvest Leroy Smith, was the only sophomore to make the team.

Motivated to prove his worth, Jordan became the star of Laney's junior varsity squad, and tallied several 40 point games. The following summer, he grew four inches (10 cm) and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged about 20 points per game over his final two seasons of high school play. As a senior, he was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team During his three seasons at North Carolina, he averaged 17.7 ppg on 54.0% shooting, and added 5.0 rebounds per game (rpg). He was selected by consensus to the NCAA All-American First Team in both his sophomore (1983) and junior (1984) seasons. After winning the Naismith and the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984, Jordan left North Carolina one year before his scheduled graduation to enter the 1984 NBA Draft. The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick, after Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers). Jordan returned to North Carolina to complete his degree in 1986.

Professional career

During his first season in the NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting. He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas, and appeared on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' with the heading "A Star is Born" just over a month into his professional career. Jordan was also voted in as an All-Star starter by the fans in his rookie season. Controversy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving. This led to a so called "freeze-out" on Jordan, where players refused to pass him the ball throughout the game. The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted Rookie of the Year. The Bulls finished the season 38–44, and lost in the first round of the playoffs in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Jordan's second season was cut short by a broken foot which caused him to miss 64 games. Despite Jordan's injury and a 30–52 record, the Bulls made the playoffs. Jordan recovered in time to participate in the playoffs and performed well upon his return. Against a 1985–86 Boston Celtics team that is often considered one of the greatest in NBA history, Jordan set the still-unbroken record for points in a playoff game with 63 in Game 2. The Celtics, however, managed to sweep the series.

Jordan had recovered completely by the 1986–87 season, and had one of the most prolific scoring seasons in NBA history. He became the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score 3,000 points in a season, averaging a league high 37.1 points on 48.2% shooting. In addition, Jordan demonstrated his defensive prowess, as he became the first player in NBA history to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season. Despite Jordan's success, Magic Johnson won the league's Most Valuable Player Award. The Bulls reached 40 wins, and advanced to the playoffs for the third consecutive year. However, they were again swept by the Celtics.

Mid-career: Pistons roadblock

Jordan led the league in scoring again in the 1987–88 season, averaging 35.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting and won his first league MVP award. He was also named the Defensive Player of the Year, as he had averaged 1.6 blocks and a league high 3.16 steals per game. The Bulls finished 50–32, and made it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time in Jordan's career, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. However, the Bulls then lost in five games to the more experienced Detroit Pistons, who were led by Isiah Thomas and a group of physical players known as the "Bad Boys".

In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field, along with 8 rpg and 8 assists per game (apg). The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit a series-winning shot over Craig Ehlo in the closing moments of the deciding fifth game of the series. However, the Pistons again defeated the Bulls, this time in six games, by utilizing their "Jordan Rules" method of guarding Jordan, which consisted of double and triple teaming him every time he touched the ball.

The Bulls entered the 1989–90 season as a team on the rise, with their core group of Jordan and young improving players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, and under the guidance of new coach Phil Jackson. Jordan averaged a league leading 33.6 ppg on 52.6% shooting, to go with 6.9 rpg and 6.3 apg in leading the Bulls to a 55–27 record. They again advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals beating the Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers en route. However, despite pushing the series to seven games, the Bulls lost to the Pistons for the third consecutive season.

First three-peat

In the 1990–91 season, Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season. The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in 16 years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season. With Scottie Pippen developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them. However, this time the Bulls beat the Pistons in a surprising sweep. In an unusual ending to the fourth and final game, Isiah Thomas led his team off the court before the final minute had concluded. Most of the Pistons went directly to their locker room instead of shaking hands with the Bulls.

The Bulls compiled an outstanding 15–2 record during the playoffs, and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they beat the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one. Perhaps the best known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot in. In his first Finals appearance, Jordan posted per game averages of 31.2 points on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks. Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award, and he cried while holding the NBA Finals trophy.

Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991–92 season, establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from 1990 to 91. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game on 52% shooting. After winning a physical 7-game series over the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals in 6 games, the Bulls met Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic-Bird rivalry, highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype. In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals. After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying, "I can't believe I'm doing this." The Bulls went on to win Game 1, and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 53% from the floor.

In 1992–93, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 5.5 apg campaign, Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley. Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls captured their third consecutive NBA championship on a game-winning shot by John Paxson and a last-second block by Horace Grant, but Jordan was once again Chicago's catalyst. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series, and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards. He scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in 4 consecutive games. With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.

Gambling controversy

During the Bulls' playoff run in 1993, controversy arose when Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey the night before a game against the New York Knicks. In that same year, he admitted to having to cover $57,000 in gambling losses, and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course. In 2005, Jordan talked to Ed Bradley of the CBS evening show ''60 Minutes'' about his gambling and admitted that he made some reckless decisions. Jordan stated, "Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah." When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied, "No."

First retirement and baseball career

On October 6, 1993, Jordan announced his retirement, citing a loss of desire to play the game. Jordan later stated that the murder of his father earlier in the year shaped his decision. James R. Jordan, Sr. was murdered on July 23, 1993, at a highway rest area in Lumberton, North Carolina, by two teenagers, Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery. The assailants were traced from calls they made on James Jordan's cellular phone, caught, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. Jordan was close to his father; as a child he had imitated his father's proclivity to stick out his tongue while absorbed in work. He later adopted it as his own signature, displaying it each time he drove to the basket. In 1996 he founded a Chicago area Boys & Girls Club and dedicated it to his father.

In his 1998 autobiography ''For the Love of the Game'', Jordan wrote that he had been preparing for retirement as early as the summer of 1992. The added exhaustion due to the Dream Team run in the 1992 Olympics solidified Jordan's feelings about the game and his ever-growing celebrity status. Jordan's announcement sent shock waves throughout the NBA and appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world.

Jordan then further surprised the sports world by signing a minor league baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox. He reported to spring training and was assigned to the team's minor league system on March 31, 1994. Jordan has stated this decision was made to pursue the dream of his late father, who had always envisioned his son as a Major League Baseball player. The White Sox were another team owned by Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who continued to honor Jordan's basketball contract during the years he played baseball. In 1994, Jordan played for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, batting .202 with three home runs, 51 runs batted in, 30 stolen bases, and 11 errors. He also appeared for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against the top prospects in baseball.

"I'm back": Return to the NBA

In the 1993–94 season, the Bulls, without Jordan, achieved a 55–27 record, and lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. But the 1994–95 version of the Bulls was a shell of the championship squad of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago was 31–31 at one point in mid-March. The team received a lift, however, when Jordan decided to return to the NBA for the Bulls.

On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a pithy press release: "I'm back." The next day, Jordan donned jersey number 45 (his number with the Barons), as his familiar 23 had been retired in his honor following his first retirement. He took to the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points. The game had the highest Nielsen rating of a regular season NBA game since 1975.

Although he had not played in an NBA game in a year and a half, Jordan played well upon his return, making a game-winning jump shot against Atlanta in his fourth game back. He then scored 55 points in his fifth game back against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 1995 (his first appearance at Madison Square Garden since retiring). Boosted by Jordan's comeback, the Bulls went 13-4 to make the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic. At the end of the first game of the series, though, Orlando's Nick Anderson would strip Jordan from behind, leading to the game-winning basket for the Magic; he would later comment that Jordan "didn't look like the old Michael Jordan", after which Jordan returned to wearing his old number (23). Jordan averaged 31 points per game in that series, but Orlando prevailed in six games.

Second three-peat

Freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, Jordan trained aggressively for the 1995–96 season. Strengthened by the addition of rebound specialist Dennis Rodman, the Bulls dominated the league, starting the season 41–3, and eventually finishing with the best regular season record in NBA history: 72–10. Jordan led the league in scoring with 30.4 ppg, and won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards. In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Finals to win the championship. Jordan was named Finals MVP for a record fourth time, surpassing Magic Johnson's three Finals MVP awards. He also achieved only the second sweep of the MVP Awards in the All-Star Game, regular season and NBA Finals, Willis Reed having achieved the first, during the 1969–70 season. Because this was Jordan's first championship since his father's death, and it was won on Father's Day, Jordan reacted very emotionally upon winning the title, including a memorable scene of him sobbing on the locker room floor with the game ball.

In the 1996–97 season, the Bulls started out 69–11, but narrowly missed out on a second consecutive 70-win season by losing their final two games to finish 69–13. However, this year Jordan was beaten for the NBA MVP Award by Karl Malone. The team again advanced to the Finals, where they faced Malone and the Utah Jazz. The series against the Jazz featured two of the more memorable clutch moments of Jordan's career. He won Game 1 for the Bulls with a buzzer-beating jump shot. In Game 5, with the series tied 2–2, Jordan played despite being feverish and dehydrated from a stomach virus. In what is known as the "flu game", Jordan scored 38 points including the game-deciding three-pointer with less than a minute remaining. The Bulls won 90–88 and went on to win the series in six games. For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals MVP award. During the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, Jordan posted the first triple double in All-Star Game history in a victorious effort; however, he did not receive the MVP award.

Jordan and the Bulls compiled a 62–20 record in the 1997–98 season. Jordan led the league with 28.7 points per game, securing his fifth regular-season MVP award, plus honors for All-NBA First Team, First Defensive Team and the All-Star Game MVP. The Bulls captured the Eastern Conference Championship for a third straight season, including surviving a grueling seven-game series with Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; it was the first time Jordan had played in a Game 7 since the 1992 series with the Knicks. After prevailing, they moved on for a rematch with the Jazz in the Finals.

The Bulls returned to Utah for Game 6 on June 14, 1998 leading the series 3–2. Jordan executed a series of plays, considered to be one of the greatest clutch performances in NBA Finals history. With the Bulls trailing 86–83 with 40 seconds remaining, coach Jackson called a timeout. When play resumed, Jordan received the inbound pass, drove to the basket, and hit a layup over several Jazz defenders. The Jazz brought the ball upcourt and passed the ball to forward Karl Malone, who was set up in the low post and was being guarded by Rodman. Malone jostled with Rodman and caught the pass, but Jordan cut behind him and swatted the ball out of his hands for a steal. Jordan then slowly dribbled upcourt and paused at the top of the key, eyeing his defender, Jazz guard Bryon Russell. With fewer than 10 seconds remaining, Jordan started to dribble right, then crossed over to his left, possibly pushing off Russell, although the officials did not call a foul. Jordan then made what would become the climactic shot of his career. After a desperation three-point shot by John Stockton missed, Jordan and the Bulls claimed their sixth NBA championship, and secured a second three-peat. Once again, Jordan was voted the Finals MVP, having led all scorers by averaging 33.5 points per game, including 45 in the deciding Game 6. Jordan's six Finals MVPs is a record; Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, and Tim Duncan are tied for second place with three apiece. The 1998 Finals holds the highest television rating of any Finals series in history, and Game 6 holds the highest television rating of any game in NBA history.

Second retirement

With Phil Jackson's contract expiring, the pending departures of Scottie Pippen (who stated his desire to be traded during the season) and Dennis Rodman (who would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent) looming, and being in the latter stages of an owner-induced lockout of NBA players, Jordan retired for the second time on January 13, 1999.

On January 19, 2000, Jordan returned to the NBA not as a player, but as part owner and President of Basketball Operations for the Washington Wizards. Jordan's responsibilities with the Wizards were comprehensive. He controlled all aspects of the Wizards' basketball operations, and had the final say in all personnel matters. Opinions of Jordan as a basketball executive were mixed. He managed to purge the team of several highly paid, unpopular players (such as forward Juwan Howard and point guard Rod Strickland), but used the first pick in the 2001 NBA Draft to select high schooler Kwame Brown, who did not live up to expectations and was traded away after four seasons.

Despite his January 1999 claim that he was "99.9% certain" that he would never play another NBA game, in the summer of 2001 Jordan expressed interest in making another comeback, this time with his new team. Inspired by the NHL comeback of his friend Mario Lemieux the previous winter, Jordan spent much of the spring and summer of 2001 in training, holding several invitation-only camps for NBA players in Chicago. In addition, Jordan hired his old Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins, as Washington's coach for the upcoming season, a decision that many saw as foreshadowing another Jordan return.

Washington Wizards comeback

On September 25, 2001 Jordan announced his return to professional play with the Wizards, indicating his intention to donate his salary as a player to a relief effort for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In an injury-plagued 2001–02 season, he led the team in scoring (22.9 ppg), assists (5.2 apg), and steals (1.42 spg). However, torn cartilage in his right knee ended Jordan's season after only 60 games, the fewest he had played in a regular season since playing 17 games after returning from his first retirement during the 1994–95 season.

Playing in his 14th and final NBA All-Star Game in 2003, Jordan passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in All-Star game history. That year, Jordan was the only Washington player to play in all 82 games, starting in 67 of them. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He also shot 45% from the field, and 82% from the free throw line. Even though he turned 40 during the season, he scored 20 or more points 42 times, 30 or more points nine times, and 40 or more points three times. On February 21, 2003, Jordan became the first 40-year-old to tally 43 points in an NBA game. During his stint with the Wizards, all of Jordan's home games at the MCI Center were sold out, and the Wizards were the second most-watched team in the NBA, averaging 20,172 fans a game at home and 19,311 on the road. However, neither of Jordan's final two seasons resulted in a playoff appearance for the Wizards, and Jordan was often unsatisfied with the play of those around him. At several points he openly criticized his teammates to the media, citing their lack of focus and intensity, notably that of the number one draft pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, Kwame Brown.

With the recognition that 2002–03 would be Jordan's final season, tributes were paid to him throughout the NBA. In his final game at his old home court, the United Center in Chicago, Jordan received a four-minute standing ovation. The Miami Heat retired the number 23 jersey on April 11, 2003, even though Jordan had never played for the team. At the 2003 All-Star Game, Jordan was offered a starting spot from Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson, but refused both; in the end, however, he accepted the spot of Vince Carter, who decided to give it up under great public pressure.

Jordan's final NBA game was on April 16, 2003 in Philadelphia. After scoring only 13 points in the game, Jordan went to the bench with 4 minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and with his team trailing the Philadelphia 76ers, 75–56. Just after the start of the fourth quarter, the First Union Center crowd began chanting "We want Mike!". After much encouragement from coach Doug Collins, Jordan finally rose from the bench and re-entered the game for Larry Hughes with 2:35 remaining. At 1:45, Jordan was intentionally fouled by the 76ers' Eric Snow, and stepped to the line to make both free throws. After the second foul shot, the 76ers in-bounded the ball to rookie John Salmons, who in turn was intentionally fouled by Bobby Simmons one second later, stopping time so that Jordan could return to the bench. Jordan received a three-minute standing ovation from his teammates, his opponents, the officials and a crowd of 21,257 fans.

Olympic career

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams. As a college player he participated, and won the gold, in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Jordan led the team in scoring averaging 17.1 ppg for the tournament.

In the 1992 Summer Olympics he was a member of the star-studded squad that included Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and David Robinson and was dubbed the "Dream Team". Playing limited minutes due to the frequent blowouts, Jordan averaged 12.7 ppg, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and fellow Dream Team member Chris Mullin are the only American men's basketball players to win Olympic gold as amateurs (all in 1984) and professionals.

In addition, Jordan and fellow Dream Team member (and Bulls teammate) Scottie Pippen are the only players to have won both NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year (1992).

After retiring as a player

After his third retirement, Jordan assumed that he would be able to return to his front office position of Director of Basketball Operations with the Wizards. However, his previous tenure in the Wizards' front office had produced the aforementioned mixed results and may have also influenced the trade of Richard "Rip" Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse (although Jordan was not technically Director of Basketball Operations in 2002). On May 7, 2003, Wizards owner Abe Pollin fired Jordan as Washington's President of Basketball Operations. Jordan later stated that he felt betrayed, and that if he knew he would be fired upon retiring he never would have come back to play for the Wizards.

Jordan kept busy over the next few years by staying in shape, playing golf in celebrity charity tournaments, spending time with his family in Chicago, promoting his Jordan Brand clothing line, and riding motorcycles. Since 2004, Jordan has owned Michael Jordan Motorsports, a professional closed-course motorcycle road racing team that competes with two Suzukis in the premier Superbike class sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). Jordan and his then-wife Juanita pledged $5 million to Chicago's Hales Franciscan High School in 2006, and the Jordan Brand has made donations to Habitat for Humanity and a Louisiana branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. On June 15, 2006, Jordan bought a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats, becoming the team's second-largest shareholder behind majority owner Robert L. Johnson. As part of the deal, Jordan was named "Managing Member of Basketball Operations," with full control over the basketball side of the operation. Despite Jordan's previous success as an endorser, he has made an effort not to be included in Charlotte's marketing campaigns.

In February 2010, it was reported that Jordan was seeking majority ownership of the Bobcats. As February wore on, it emerged that the leading contenders for the team were Jordan and former Houston Rockets president George Postolos. On February 27, the Bobcats announced that Johnson had reached an agreement with Jordan and his group, MJ Basketball Holdings, to buy the team pending NBA approval. On March 17, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Jordan's purchase, making him the first former NBA player ever to become the majority owner of a league franchise.

Player profile

Jordan was a shooting guard who was also capable of playing small forward (the position he would primarily play during his second return to professional basketball with the Washington Wizards). Jordan was known throughout his career for being a strong clutch performer. He decided numerous games with last-second plays (e.g., The Shot) and performed at a high level even under adverse circumstances (e.g., Flu Game). His competitiveness was visible in his prolific trash-talk and well-known work ethic.

Jordan had a versatile offensive game. He was capable of aggressively driving to the basket, as well as drawing fouls from his opponents at a high rate; his 8,772 free throw attempts are the ninth highest total of all time. As his career progressed, Jordan also developed the ability to post up his opponents and score with his trademark fadeaway jump shot, using his leaping ability to "fade away" from block attempts. According to Hubie Brown, this move alone made him nearly unstoppable. Despite media criticism as a "selfish" player early in his career, Jordan's 5.3 assists per game also indicate his willingness to defer to his teammates. In later years, the NBA shortened its three-point line to 22 feet (from 23 feet, 9 inches), which coupled with Jordan's extended shooting range to make him a long-range threat as well—his 3-point stroke developed from a low 9 / 52 rate (.173) in his rookie year into a stellar 111 / 260 (.427) shooter in the 1995–96 season. For a guard, Jordan was also a good rebounder (6.2 per game).

In 1988, Jordan was honored with the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award and became the first NBA player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards in a career (since equaled by Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Kevin Garnett; Olajuwon is the only player other than Jordan to win both during the same season). In addition he set both seasonal and career records for blocked shots by a guard, and combined this with his ball-thieving ability to become a standout defensive player. His 2,514 steals are the second highest total of all-time behind John Stockton, while his steals per game average is third all-time. Jerry West often stated that he was more impressed with Jordan's defensive contributions than his offensive ones.

Legacy

Jordan's basketball talent was clear from his rookie season. In his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, Jordan received a prolonged standing ovation, a rarity for an opposing player. After Jordan scored a playoff record 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986, Celtics star Larry Bird described him as "God disguised as Michael Jordan."

Jordan led the NBA in scoring in 10 seasons (NBA record) and tied Wilt Chamberlain's record of seven consecutive scoring titles. He was also a fixture on the NBA All-Defensive First Team, making the roster nine times (NBA record shared with Gary Payton). Jordan also holds the top career regular season and playoff scoring averages of 30.1 and 33.4 points per game, respectively. By 1998, the season of his Finals-winning shot against the Jazz, he was well known throughout the league as a clutch performer. In the regular season, Jordan was the Bulls' primary threat in the final seconds of a close game and in the playoffs, Jordan would always demand the ball at crunch time. Jordan's total of 5,987 points in the playoffs is the highest in NBA history. He retired with 32,292 points in regular season play, placing him third on the NBA's all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.

With five regular-season MVPs (tied for second place with Bill Russell; only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won more, six), six Finals MVPs (NBA record), and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan is the most decorated player ever to play in the NBA. Jordan finished among the top three in regular-season MVP voting a record 10 times, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.

Many of Jordan's contemporaries label Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time. An ESPN survey of journalists, athletes and other sports figures ranked Jordan the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century, above icons such as Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali. Jordan placed second to Babe Ruth in the Associated Press's list of 20th century athletes. In addition, the Associated Press voted him as the basketball player of the 20th century. Jordan has also appeared on the front cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' a record 49 times. In the September 1996 issue of ''Sport'', which was the publication's 50th anniversary issue, Jordan was named the greatest athlete of the past 50 years.

Jordan's athletic leaping ability, highlighted in his back-to-back slam dunk contest championships in 1987 and 1988, is credited by many with having influenced a generation of young players. Several current NBA All-Stars have stated that they considered Jordan their role model while growing up, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. In addition, commentators have dubbed a number of next-generation players "the next Michael Jordan" upon their entry to the NBA, including Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Grant Hill, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Vince Carter, and Dwyane Wade. Although Jordan was a well-rounded player, his "Air Jordan" image is also often credited with inadvertently decreasing the jump shooting skills, defense, and fundamentals of young players, a fact which Jordan himself has lamented. Although Jordan has done much to increase the status of the game, some of his impact on the game's popularity in America appears to be fleeting. Television ratings in particular increased only during his time in the league and have subsequently lowered each time he left the game.

In August 2009, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, opened a Michael Jordan exhibit containing items from his college and NBA careers, as well as from the 1992 "Dream Team". The exhibit also has a batting glove to signify Jordan's short career in baseball. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in September 2009, with former Bulls teammates Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and Toni Kukoc in attendance.

Personal life

Jordan is the fourth of five children. He has two older brothers, Larry Jordan and James R. Jordan, Jr., one older sister, Deloris, and a younger sister, Roslyn. Jordan's brother James retired in 2006 as the Command Sergeant Major of the 35th Signal Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps in the U.S. Army.

He married Juanita Vanoy in September 1989, and they have two sons, Jeffrey Michael and Marcus James, and a daughter, Jasmine. Jordan and Vanoy filed for divorce on January 4, 2002, citing irreconcilable differences, but reconciled shortly thereafter. They again filed for divorce and were granted a final decree of dissolution of marriage on December 29, 2006, commenting that the decision was made "mutually and amicably". It is reported that Juanita received a $168 million settlement, making it the largest celebrity divorce settlement in history at the time on public record.

On July 21, 2006, a Cook County, Illinois judge determined that Jordan did not owe his alleged former lover Karla Knafel $5 million. Jordan had allegedly paid Knafel $250,000 to keep their relationship a secret. Knafel claimed Jordan promised her $5 million for remaining silent and agreeing not to file a paternity suit after Knafel learned she was pregnant in 1991. A DNA test showed Jordan was not the father of the child.

As of 2007, Jordan lived in Highland Park, Illinois, and both of his sons attended Loyola Academy, a private Roman Catholic high school located in Wilmette, Illinois. Jeffrey graduated as a member of the 2007 graduating class and played his first collegiate basketball game on November 11, 2007, for the University of Illinois. After two seasons, Jeffrey left the Illinois basketball team in 2009. He later rejoined the team for a third season, then received a release to transfer to the University of Central Florida, where Marcus was attending. Marcus transferred to Whitney Young High School after his sophomore year and graduated in 2009. He began attending UCF in the fall of 2009.

Media figure and business interests

Jordan is one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He has been a major spokesman for such brands as Nike, Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Gatorade, McDonald's, Ball Park Franks, Rayovac, Wheaties, Hanes, and MCI. Jordan has had a long relationship with Gatorade, appearing in over 20 commercials for the company since 1991, including the "Like Mike" commercials in which a song was sung by children wishing to be like Jordan.

Nike created a signature shoe for him, called the ''Air Jordan''. One of Jordan's more popular commercials for the shoe involved Spike Lee playing the part of Mars Blackmon. In the commercials Lee, as Blackmon, attempted to find the source of Jordan's abilities and became convinced that "it's gotta be the shoes". The hype and demand for the shoes even brought on a spate of "shoe-jackings" where people were robbed of their sneakers at gunpoint. Subsequently Nike spun off the Jordan line into its own division named the "Jordan Brand". The company features an impressive list of athletes and celebrities as endorsers. The brand has also sponsored college sports programs such as those of North Carolina, Cincinnati, Cal, St. John's, Georgetown, and North Carolina A&T;.

Jordan also has been associated with the Looney Tunes cartoon characters. A Nike commercial shown during the 1993 Super Bowl XXVII featured Jordan and Bugs Bunny playing basketball against a group of Martian characters. The Super Bowl commercial inspired the 1996 live action/animated movie ''Space Jam'', which starred Jordan and Bugs in a fictional story set during his first retirement. They have subsequently appeared together in several commercials for MCI.

Jordan's yearly income from the endorsements is estimated to be over forty million dollars. In addition, when Jordan's power at the ticket gates was at its highest point the Bulls regularly sold out every game they played in, whether home or away. Due to this, Jordan set records in player salary by signing annual contracts worth in excess of $30 million US$ per season. An academic study found that Jordan’s first NBA comeback resulted in an increase in the market capitalization of his client firms of more than $1 billion.

Most of Jordan's endorsement deals, including the first deal with Nike, were engineered by his agent, David Falk. Jordan has said of Falk that "he's the best at what he does", and that "marketing-wise, he's great. He's the one who came up with the concept of 'Air Jordan.'"

In June 2010, Jordan was ranked by Forbes Magazine as the 20th most powerful celebrity in the world with $55 million earned between June 2009 and June 2010. According to the Forbes article, Brand Jordan generates $1 billion in sales for Nike.

Honors and awards

Jordan won numerous awards and set many records during his career. The following are some of his achievements:

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2009

2 Olympic Gold Medals – 1984, 1992

6-time NBA Champion

6-time NBA Finals MVP

5-time NBA MVP

10 NBA Scoring Titles

3-time steals leader

3-time minutes leader

14 NBA All-Star Selections

3-time NBA All-Star Game MVP

11 All-NBA Selections

9 All-Defensive First Team Selections

2-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion – 1987, 1988

NBA Rookie of the Year – NBA Defensive Player of the Year –

NCAA National Championship – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 1981–82

ACC Freshman of the Year – 1981–82

2-time Consensus NCAA All-American First Team – 1982–83, 1983–84

ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year – 1983–84

USBWA College Player of the Year – 1983–84

Naismith College Player of the Year – 1983–84

John R. Wooden Award – 1983–84

Adolph Rupp Trophy – 1983–84

''Sports Illustrated'' Sportsman of the Year – 1991

Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996

Ranked No.1 by SLAM Magazine's Top 50 Players of All-Time

Ranked No.1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century

Elected to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

See also

Michael Jordan Steakhouse

Michael Jordan's Restaurant

''Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City''

''Michael Jordan in Flight''

''NBA 2K11''

References

Further reading

External links

Michael Jordan biography at NBA Encyclopedia

Michael Jordan player profile at NBA.com

Michael Jordan Motorsports

Category:1963 births Category:ACC Athlete of the Year Category:African American basketball players Category:African American sports executives Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Basketball players at the 1983 Pan American Games Category:Basketball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Category:Basketball players from North Carolina Category:Birmingham Barons players Category:Charlotte Bobcats executives Category:Charlotte Bobcats owners Category:Chicago Bulls draft picks Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:Living people Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:Minor league baseball players Category:National Basketball Association executives Category:National Basketball Association owners Category:NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners Category:NBA Finals MVP Award winners Category:NBA Slam Dunk Contest champions Category:North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Category:National Basketball Association players with retired numbers Category:Olympic basketball players of the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:Sportspeople from Brooklyn Category:Sportspeople from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Highland Park, Illinois Category:People from Wilmington, North Carolina Category:Shooting guards Category:Basketball players from New York Category:Sportspeople of multiple sports Category:United States men's national basketball team members Category:Washington Wizards executives Category:Washington Wizards players Category:Olympic medalists in basketball

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Coordinates	45°30′″N73°40′″N
name	The Foundations
background	group_or_band
origin	London, England
genre	Soul
years active	1967–1970
label	Pye, Castle, Uni
past members	1966-1968Eric AllendaleArthur BrownPat BurkeClem CurtisMike ElliottTony GomezTim HarrisPeter MacBethAlan Warner 1968-1970Eric AllendalePat BurkeTony GomezTim HarrisPeter MacBethAlan Warner Colin Young 1970-1971Eric AllendaleSteve BinghamPat BurkeTony GomezTim HarrisAlan Warner Colin Young }}

The Foundations were a British soul band, active from 1967 to 1970. The group, made up of West Indians, White British, and a Sri Lankan, are best known for their two biggest hits, "Baby Now That I've Found You" (a Number One hit in the UK Singles Chart and Canada, and subsequently Top 10 in the US), written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod; and "Build Me Up Buttercup" (a number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 in Canada), co-written by Macaulay with Mike d'Abo, at the time the lead vocalist with Manfred Mann. The group was the first multi-racial group to have a number 1 hit in the UK in the 1960s.

The Foundations are notable for being one of the few label acts to successfully imitate what became known as the Motown Sound. In terms of line-up and musical style, they anticipated the sound of the more successful Hot Chocolate. They were in a similar musical vein as Love Affair, who also topped the UK charts in 1968 with their version of Robert Knight's "Everlasting Love". The Foundations signed to Pye, at the time one of only four big UK record companies (the others being EMI with its HMV, Columbia Records, and Parlophone labels; Decca; and Philips who also owned Fontana). the Cabin Boys (led by Tommy Steele's brother, Colin Hicks), and others. Pat Burke, a professional musician, was from the London Music Conservatorium. Eric Allendale had led his own band at one stage as well as having played with Edmundo Ros and being a former member of the Terry Lightfoot and Alex Walsh bands. Alan Warner, the guitarist, was also an experienced musician for his age, having played with numerous semi-pro groups from the age of 16. Bassist Peter Macbeth was a former teacher. Tony Gomez, the keyboard player, was a former clerk, while Clem Curtis had been an interior decorator and professional boxer.

The story of the origins of the Foundations can be somewhat surprising and a bit confusing as to who was responsible for choosing the band's name, and various sources give slightly different accounts of their beginnings. One version is that they were originally called The Ramong Sound, or The Ramongs, and there were two lead singers, Clem Curtis and Psychedelic shock rocker Arthur Brown. Other variations on this are that after they dropped the "Ramong" from their name, they were then called The Foundation Squad or The Foundation Sound. Apparently, Arthur Brown was only a temporary member for about one month, and by the time the Foundations had signed to Pye, he had left the group.

The Foundations actually did come together in Bayswater, London in January 1967. They practiced and played in a basement club called the Butterfly Club, which they ran. While managing the club themselves, they played music nightly, and handled the cooking and cleaning. They would get to bed around 6 or 7 a.m., sleep until 4 p.m., get up and begin again to get ready to open at 8 p.m. Sometimes they barely made enough money to pay the rent, let alone feed themselves. At times, they lived off the leftovers and a couple of pounds of rice. They stayed there until they were eventually forced out by a protection racket gang and then had to move next door to a dingy unused mini-cab office.

Career from 1967

While the biography on Allmusic states that Barry Class was the first to discover them, Alan Warner, the original founding member and lead guitarist of The Foundations and former Ramongs member states that it was actually Fairway who saw them in the dingy office and then introduced them to Class. Either way, both Fairway and Class teamed up to become their managers. Class took care of the business management, while Fairway went out promoting and trying to secure gigs for the group.

When they were at the top spot with "Baby, Now That I've Found You", Fairway commented to ''Melody Maker'' that most management would pull them out of the "bargain priced dates" that were booked for some time. He expressed gratitude to everyone for their support, and said that they would fulfill every engagement for which they had signed. Dopson also noted that Fairway also leaked a story to the media saying that the Foundations had broken up which only served to keep the Foundations name in the news headlines. Fairway and Class eventually introduced them to Pye A&R; man Tony Macaulay. The day Macaulay came to hear them play, he was suffering from what he described as the worst hangover of his life. The band was playing so loud he could not judge how good they were, but he decided to give them a chance.

At first they found progress quite slow, and one of their sax players, Pat Burke, had to drop out of the band and take another job while they went through a rough patch. He did rejoin them again later in 1967.

They did a couple of tours backing The Toys and later Motown Records' Edwin Starr. Curtis doubted if this group called The Toys was the original Toys let alone American. They were noticed by Brian Epstein who added them to the roster of his NEMS Agency but the contract became void when he died.

When "Baby Now That I've Found You" was first released it went nowhere. Luckily the BBC's newly founded BBC Radio 1 were looking to avoid any records being played by the pirate radio stations and they looked back at some recent releases that the pirate stations had missed. "Baby, Now That I've Found You" was one of them. The single then took off and by November was number one in the UK Singles Chart. On the same day PP Arnold was in the studio with Dusty Springfield and Madeline Bell as her backing vocalists.

Around this time after the release of their second single, there were tensions developing between the band and their songwriter/producer, Tony Macaulay. He would not allow them to record any of their own songs. In an interview, the band's organ player, Tony Gomez, told NME Magazine in an interview that he, Peter MacBeth, and Eric Allendale had some ideas that they wanted to put together. Curtis later recalled that Macaulay was a problem. "Tony Macaulay was very talented, but could be difficult to get on with. When we asked to record some of our own material - just as B sides, we weren't after the A side - he called us 'ungrateful' and stormed out of the studio."

Bassist Peter Macbeth left the band in 1969, to join the group Bubastis with Bernie Living, and was replaced by Steve Bingham.

Beginning of 1970 to the breakup in late 1970

After a successful run of hits, The Foundations broke off with their management and a Bill Graham sponsored tour to support The Temptations at the newly opened Copacabana club. This ended up in disaster and the band came back to the UK in low spirits. It had been previously reported in a publicity sheet around early December 1969 that the band had broken away from their manager Barry Class. Jim Dawson who was formerly their agent and Mike Dolan took over the group's affairs. The group's final hits were "Born to Live, Born to Die" which was written by Eric Allendale and Tony Gomez. and "My Little Chickadee", a US only hit which barely made the hot 100. Another member joined the band in 1970. Paul Lockey who had been with Robert Plant in Band Of Joy joined as their bass guitarist.

"My Little Chickadee" proved to be the band's last hit. In spite of releasing "Take A Girl Like You", the title song to the Oliver Reed and Hayley Mills film, and a heavy blues rock song "I'm Gonna Be A Rich Man", the band split in late 1970.

1971 to the end of the 1970s

The last record released in the early 1970s as The Foundations was a single "Stoney Ground" b/w "I'll Give You Love" MCA MCA 5075 1971. By that time the original band had already split up and Alan Warner had been a member of Pluto since joining and helping to form the English progressive rock band in 1970. There would be two more singles released as The Foundations in the mid to late 1970s.

When Curtis returned to the UK, he formed a new version of the group with little success in spite of releasing several singles, but later had a lucrative spell on the 1960s nostalgia circuit. Curtis' re-formed Foundations have on several occasions and among the many musicians to be part of latter day Foundations were Bill and John Springate, the latter becoming a member of The Glitter Band, Derek "Del" Watson, Paul Wilmot (all members of the band "ELEGY") and Roy Carter who later on joined Heatwave.

Also in the 1970s there would be a collaborative attempt between two former members of the Foundations. Original Foundations trombonist Eric Allendale attempted to work with the band's Foundations drummer Tim Harris.

In the mid 1970s, while Clem Curtis and The Foundations were on the road, there was also another Foundations line up that was led by Colin Young who were on the road at the same time, who were playing basically the same material. This eventually led to court action which resulted in Curtis being allowed to bill his group as either The Foundations or Clem Curtis & The Foundations. Young was allowed to bill himself as The New Foundations or Colin Young & The New Foundations. These featured Curtis as the lead singer.

Various sources erroneously state that there was an early 1970s English line up that had nothing, or little to do with, the original Foundations. However, Curtis has been leading a new line up of the Foundations since coming back to the UK and reforming the group in the early 1970s.

1980s to present

In or around the late 1980s Curtis and Alan Warner teamed up to recut "Baby, Now That I've Found You" as well as other hits of The Foundations. Trinidad, West Indies.

Colin Young: lead vocals - b. 12 September 1944, Barbados, West Indies - replaced Clem Curtis in 1968.

Arthur Brown: vocals - b. 24 June 1942 Whitby, Yorkshire, Member for approximately one month in 1967

Alan Warner: lead guitar - b. 21 April 1941, Paddington, west London. Peter Macbeth: bass guitar - b. Peter McGrath, 2 February 1943, Marylebone, North London.

Steve Bingham: bass guitar -

Tim Harris: drums - b. 14 January 1948, St John's Wood, North London - Died ???? Tony Gomez: keyboards - b. 13 December 1938, Colombo, Ceylon - (now Sri Lanka). Pat Burke: tenor saxophone/flute - b. 9 October 1937, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. Mike Elliott: tenor saxophone - b. 6 August 1929, Jamaica, West Indies. - Left in 1968 Eric Allandale: trombone - b. Eric Allandale Dubuisson, 4 March 1936, Dominica, West Indies — died 23 August 2001.

The Tweeney: vocals - one guest appearance in Nottingham, 2011

Paul Lockey: bass guitar - joined in 1970 for nine months

Guests

Mike D'Abo :piano - b. Michael David D'Abo, 1 March 1944, Betchworth, Surrey. Co-wrote and guested on "Build Me Up Buttercup" contributing piano.

John Mcleod: piano

Clem Curtis & The Foundations

Clem Curtis: vocals

James Colah: keyboards

Michael J. Parlett: saxophone

Alan Warner: guitar

George Chandler: backing vocals

Valentine Pascal: electric guitar

1970s line-up

Clem Curtis: Vocals

Bill Springate: guitar

John Springate: Vocals

Del Watson: Bass

'''Paul Wilmot : Drums

John Paul: ?

1977 line-up

Clem Curtis: Vocals

Leroy Carter

John Savile

Valentine Pascal

Georges Delanbanque

Discography

;Summary of single releases From the bands beginning to their breakup near the end of 1970, the Foundations released ten singles in the UK including two versions of the same song. A good deal of the songs on the singles were composed by Tony Macaulay and John Macleod. They had four significant hits from these plus a minor hit with one of their own compositions, "Born To Live, Born To Die" and another minor hit with "My Little Chickadee" in the United States. There were other titles announced that were either never recorded or were never released. They were "Our Love Went Thataway", "Tear Jerker, Music-worker, You" which was to be released around the same time as "Better By Far" by Lulu and "No Place On Earth Could Find You" In 1971 the single "Stoney Ground" was released. It is believed that this single was actually by Colin Young and his new backing band Development. It seems quite likely as the Colin Young and Development debut single "Any Time At All" pre-dates "Stoney Ground". In the mid and late seventies there were two more singles released under the Foundations name. They were "Where Were You When I Needed Your Love" and "Closer To Loving You" which featured the Northern Soul classic "Change My Life" as the B side. These last two singles to bear the Foundations name featured Clem Curtis once more as the lead vocalist.

;Summary of album releases During the 1960s the Foundations recorded and released four LPs in the United Kingdom. Before its release it was originally announced, in the October 1967 of ''Beat Instrumental Monthly'' that the debut album's title was to be ''Sound Basis''issue. However, when it was released on Pye, it had the title of ''From The Foundations''. The American version of this album, which was released on the UNI label, was given the title of ''Baby, Now That I've Found You''. This album featured Curtis on lead vocals. The next release was in 1968. It was a live LP called ''Rocking The Foundations'', and also featured Curtis on lead vocals plus two instrumentals "The Look of Love" and "Coming Home Baby". Also in 1968, another LP was released on the Marble Arch label. This featured re-recordings of their previous hits and songs, but with Young on vocals instead of Curtis. It also featured a version of "Build Me Up Buttercup". There was also an American album called ''Build Me Up Buttercup''. This was a compilation of Foundations tracks. Side one consisted of tracks from their ''Rocking The Foundations'' album; and side two consisted of "Build Me Up Buttercup", the B side of that single, plus some earlier Foundations tracks. The groups last LP release was in 1969, which featured their hit "In The Bad Bad Old Days", and the minor US hit "My Little Chickadee". Since then there have been various compilations of the Foundations songs, released on both the Golden Hour and PRT labels.

UK singles

"Baby, Now That I've Found You" / "Come On Back to Me" - Pye 7N 17366 - 1967 - UK #1, US #11

"Back On My Feet Again" / "I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving" - Pye 7N 17417 - 1968 - UK #18

"Any Old Time (You're Lonely And Sad)" / "We Are Happy People" - Pye 7N 17503 -1968 - UK #48

"Build Me Up Buttercup" / "New Direction" Pye 7N 17636 - 1968 - UK #2, US #3

"In the Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)" / "Give Me Love" - Pye 7N 17702 - 1969 - UK #8

"Born to Live, Born to Die" / "Why Did You Cry" - Pye 7N 17809 1969 - UK #46

"Baby, I Couldn't See" / "Penny Sir" - Pye 7N 17849 - 1969

"Take A Girl Like You" / "I'm Gonna Be A Rich Man" - Pye - 7N 17904 - 1970

"I'm Gonna be a Rich Man" / "In The Beginning" Pye 7N 17956 - 1970

"Stoney Ground" / "I'll Give You Love" - MCA MKS 5075–1971

"Where Were You When I Needed Your Love" / "Love Me Nice And Easy" - Summit SU 100

"Closer To Loving You" / "Change My Life" - Psycho P 2603–1978

"Baby Now That I've Found You" / "Build Me Up Buttercup" - Old Gold OG9407 - (1979 Re-release)

"Baby Now That I've Found You" / "Build Me Up Buttercup" - Flashback FBS 6 - (1979 Re-release)

"Baby Now That I've Found You" (1989 Re Mix) / "Build Me Up Buttercup" - PRT PYS 24 - 1989

"Build Me Up Buttercup" - CD single - (1998 Re-release) - UK #71

UK albums

''From the Foundations'' - Pye NSPL 18206 - 1967

''Rocking the Foundations'' - Pye NSPL 18227 - 1968

''The Foundations'' - Marble Arch MALS 1157–1968

''Digging the Foundations'' - Pye NSPL 18290 - 1969

''Golden Hour of the Foundations'' (Greatest Hits) - GH 574 - 1973

''Back to the Beat'' - PRT DOW7 - 1983

''Best Of'' - PRT PYL 4003–1987

UK EPs 7"

"It's All Right" - Pye NEP24297 - 1968

"Mini Monster" - Pye PMM.103

UK EPs 12"

"Baby, Now That I've Found You" - Pye Big Deal BD 107 - (4 tracks)

"Baby, Now That I've Found You" - PRT Pyt 24 - 1989 - (3 tracks incl remix)

UK CDs

''Golden Hour Of The Foundations'' - Knight Records KGH CD 104 - 1990

''Strong Foundations'' - The Singles and More - Music Club - MCCD 327 - 1997

''Build Me Up Buttercup'' - Castle Select SELCD 527 - 1998

''Baby, Now That I've Found You'' - Sequel Records - NEECD 300 - 1999

''Build Me Up Buttercup'' (The Complete Pye Collection) [Remastered] - Castle - 2004

US singles

"Baby Now That I've Found You" / "Come On Back To Me" - Uni 55038 - 1967

"Back On My Feet Again" / "I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving" - Uni 55058 - 1968

"Any Old Time (You're Lonely And Sad)" / "We Are Happy People" - Uni 55073 -1968

"Build Me Up Buttercup" / "New Direction" - Uni 55101 - 1968

"In The Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)" / "Give Me Love" - Uni 55117 - 1969

"Born To Live, Born To Die" / "Why Did You Cry" - Uni 55162 - 1969 - UK #46

"My Little Chickadee" / "Solomon Grundy" - Uni 55137 - 1969

"Take A Girl Like You" / "I'm Gonna Be A Rich Man" - Uni 55210 - 1970

"Stoney Ground" / "I'll Give You Love" - Uni 55315 - 1971

"Build Me Up Buttercup" / "Baby, Now That I've Found You" - Eric 192 (Re-release)

US albums

''Baby Now That I've Found You'' - Uni 3016 (Mono)/73016 (Stereo) - 1967

''Build Me Up Buttercup'' - Uni 73043—1968

''Digging The Foundations'' - Uni 73058—1969

Canadian singles

"Baby Now That I've Found You" - Pye 827—1968 - #1

"Back On My Feet Again" - Pye 833 - #29

"Build Me Up Buttercup" - Pye 17636 - #1

"In the Bad Bad Old Days (Before You Loved Me)" - Pye 17702 - #23

References

Reference links and other information

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown http://www.richieunterberger.com/brown.html

Alex Gitlin Pluto page http://www.alexgitlin.com/npp/pluto.htm

Gary Moberley info http://web.archive.org/web/20091027104142/http://geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Diner/2674/moberley_gary_a.htm

Pluto Website http://www.pluto-rockband.com/70141/info.php?p=2&pno;=0

Alan Warner site page http://www.alan-warner.com/10102/info.php?p=4&pno;=0

Ride Your Pony http://rideyourpony-twighlightzone.blogspot.com/2007/09/group-made-up-of-west-indians.html

Mike D'Abo Foundations http://www.mikedabo.com/foundations.htm

Buddah Records @ Disco-Disco.com http://www.disco-disco.com/labels/buddah.shtml

www.javirunner-brightsideofthemoon.blogspot.com Info on Barry Class

www.tamworthbands.com Info on Barry Class

External links

Clem Curtis & The Foundations web site

Clem Curtis web site

Alan Warner site page

Interview with Clem Curtis

Category:British pop music groups Category:British soul musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1967 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1970 Category:The Foundations Category:Pye Records artists

de:The Foundations fr:The Foundations fi:The Foundations sv:The Foundations

Coordinates	45°30′″N73°40′″N
playername	Lionel Messi
fullname	Lionel Andrés Messi
dateofbirth	June 24, 1987
cityofbirth	Rosario
countryofbirth	Argentina
height
position	Striker / Winger
currentclub	Barcelona
clubnumber	10
youthyears1	1995–2000
youthyears2	2000–2004
youthclubs1	Newell's Old Boys
youthclubs2	Barcelona
years1	2004–2005
clubs1	Barcelona B
caps1	22
goals1	6
years2	2004–
clubs2	Barcelona
caps2	178
goals2	121
nationalyears1	2005
nationalyears2	2008
nationalyears3	2005–
nationalteam1	Argentina U20
nationalteam2	Argentina U23
nationalteam3	Argentina
nationalcaps1	7
nationalgoals1	6
nationalcaps2	5
nationalgoals2	2
nationalcaps3	60
nationalgoals3	17
medaltemplates	}}

| pcupdate = 13:30, 7 July 2011 (UTC) | ntupdate = 10:17, 17 July 2011 (UTC) }} Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (born 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina) is a football player who currently plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team as a striker or winger. Considered one of the best football players of his generation, Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi as his "successor".

Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 2006–07 season; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Messi then had the most successful season of his playing career, the 2008–09 season, in which he scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign. This record-breaking season was then eclipsed in the following 2009–10 campaign, where Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona. He surpassed this record again in the 2010–11 season with 53 goals in all competitions.

Messi has won five La Liga titles, three Champions League titles, scoring in two of those finals, against Manchester United in both 2009 and 2011. He was not on the pitch as Barcelona defeated Arsenal in 2006, but received a winners' medal from the tournament. After scoring 12 goals in the 2010–11 Champions League, Messi became only the third player (after Gerd Müller and Jean-Pierre Papin) to top-score in three successive European Champion Clubs' Cup campaigns. However, Messi is the first one to win the Champions League top scorer titles for three consecutive years after Champions League changed its format in 1992.

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

Early life

Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi, a factory steel worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner. His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883. He has two older brothers named Rodrigo and Matías as well as a sister named María Sol. At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys who were based in his home city Rosario. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. The traditional River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for treatment for his condition which cost $900 a month. Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, had been made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives in Lleida, Catalonia, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial. Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered Messi a contract written on a paper napkin. Barcelona offered to pay for Messi's medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain. Messi and his father moved to Barcelona where Messi enrolled in the club's youth academy.

Club career

Barcelona

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

2005–06 season

On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract; this time it was improved to pay him as a first team member and extended until June 2014. Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 26 September 2005 and was finally able to make his debut in the season's Spanish First Division. Messi's first home outing in the Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese. Fans at Barcelona's stadium, the Camp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon his substitution, as his composure on the ball and passing combinations with Ronaldinho had paid dividends for Barcelona.

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

2006–07 season

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

2007–08 season

During the 2007–08 season, Messi scored five goals in a week leading Barcelona to the top four in La Liga. On 19 September he scored once as Barcelona defeated Lyon 3–0 at home in a Champions League match. He scored two goals against Sevilla FC on 22 September and then on 26 September, Messi scored another two goals in a 4–1 victory over Real Zaragoza. Next goal came in 4–1 away win against Levante UD in 29 September 2007. His second Champions League goal of the season came against VfB Stuttgart. On 27 February, Messi played in his 100th official match for Barcelona against Valencia.

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

Messi was sidelined for six weeks following an injury on 4 March when he suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered this type of injury. After coming back from the injury Messi scored his last goal of 2007–08 season against Valencia on 4 May 2008 in a 6–0 win. When the season was over Messi managed to score 16 goals and assisted 13 times in all competition.

2008–09 season

Upon Ronaldinho's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey. On 1 October 2008, during a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes, after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry, to turn a 1–0 deficit to a 2–1 victory for Barcelona. The next league game was versus Atlético Madrid, a match billed as a friendly battle between Messi and his good friend Sergio Agüero. Messi scored a goal from a free kick and assisted another as Barça went on to win the match 6–1. Messi netted another impressive brace against Sevilla scoring a volley from and then dribbling round the goalkeeper and scoring from a tight angle for the other. On 13 December 2008, during the first Clásico of the season, Messi scored the second goal in Barcelona's 2–0 win over Real Madrid. He was also named second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards with 678 points.

Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2009 in a Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid which Barcelona won 3–1. Messi scored another important double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second half substitute to help Barcelona defeat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. The second of the two strikes was Barcelona's 5000th league goal. In the 28th round of La Liga, Messi scored his 30th goal of the season in all competitions, helping his team to a 6–0 victory over Málaga CF in the process. On 8 April 2009, he scored twice against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition. On 18 April, Messi notched his 20th league goal of the season in a 1–0 win at Getafe, allowing Barcelona to maintain their six-point advantage at the top of the league table over Real Madrid.

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

2009–10 season

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

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

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

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

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

2010–11 season

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

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

When Messi recovered he scored in a 1–1 tie against RCD Mallorca. He then scored another brace on the UEFA Champions League against København and helped the team to a 2–0 home win. He continued his impressive scoring run with braces against Zaragoza and Sevilla. After a prolific October, he started November scoring on an away 1–1 tie against København and an away 3–1 win against Getafe where he also assisted team-mates David Villa and Pedro Rodríguez. In the next fixture against Villarreal CF, he scored combining with Pedro, which gave Barcelona a 2–1 lead. He scored another goal and Barcelona won 3–1. This was the 7th consecutive match in which Messi scored, breaking his own previous record of 6. He also achieved the feat of scoring 50 goals in the calender year of 2010 with the 1st goal, while with the second goal, he achieved the same feat again, this time considering the goals he scored wearing a Barcelona shirt in 2010. Against Almería he scored his second hat-trick of the season in an impressive 8–0 away win, the second goal was his 100th La Liga goal. He scored on his ninth game in a row (10th including a friendly against Brazil) on a 3–0 away win against Panathinaikos. Messi's goalscoring run ended on 29 November at El Clásico but Barcelona still managed to win 5–0 with Messi assisting Villa twice. The next match day he scored a brace and gave an assist against Osasuna. He followed with another brace against Real Sociedad. In El Derbi, a match Barcelona won 1–5, he assisted teammates Pedro and Villa to score one goal each. His first goal in 2011 came against Deportivo La Coruña with a free kick on a 4–0 away win, where he once again assisted both Pedro and Villa.

Messi won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, beating his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta. Messi had been nominated for the awards for the fourth consecutive year. Only two days after he won the award he scored his first hat-trick of the year and third of the season against Real Betis. He began the second round of the league with a goal, scoring his second penalty against Racing Santander. After scoring the penalty kick, Messi revealed a message on his undershirt that said, "Happy birthday, mami.". He continued his goalscoring form with a brace against Almería in the Copa del Rey semifinal, and followed it up with another brace less than a week later against Hércules CF. On 5 February, Barcelona broke the record for most consecutive league wins with 16 victories after they defeated Atlético Madrid 3–0 at the Camp Nou. Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to ensure the victory for his side and after the match he stated, "it's an honor to be able to pass a record set by a great like Di Stéfano" and "if the record has been around for so long is because it's very complicated to achieve and we have reached it by defeating a very difficult team who's going through a bad situation, which makes it even more difficult."

After two scoreless games he scored the winner against Athletic Bilbao in which Barcelona won 2–1. The next week he scored the first header of the season against Mallorca on a 3–0 away win. This victory was the equalising a La Liga record set by Basque club Real Sociedad in the 1979–80 campaign with a 19 unbeaten away matches. The record was broken after three days later when Messi scored the only goal on an away victory over Valencia. On 8 March, Messi scored two goals against Arsenal in a UEFA Champions League match at the Camp Nou, helping Barcelona win 3–1 and qualify to the quarter-finals of the competition. After failing to score for a month he scored a brace against Almería; the second goal was his 47th of the season, equalling his club record return of the previous season. He surpassed his record on 12 April 2011 by scoring the winner against Shakhtar Donetsk in a UEFA Champions League game, which put him in the record book as all time top scorer in a single season for Barcelona. He scored his eight goal on El Clásico on a 1–1 tie at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. On 23 April, Messi scored his 50th goal of the season against Osasuna in a 2–0 home victory which he came on as a substitute in the 60th minute.

In the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals he gave a memorable performance, scoring twice against Real Madrid in a 2–0 win, the second goal (a dribble past several players) being acclaimed as one of the best ever at that stage of the competition. At the Champions League Final at Wembley, Messi scored the eventual game-clinching goal to give Barcelona their third title in six years and fourth overall.

2011–12 season

Messi started the season in the 2011 Spanish Supercup, scoring three goals and giving two assists for a 5–4 aggregate win against Real Madrid. On his next official match he scored again after a weak back pass from Fredy Guarín and gave an assist to Cesc Fàbregas for a 2-0 win against Porto at the UEFA Super Cup. This was the only official competition where he hadn't score before.

International career

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

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

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

On 17 November 2010, Messi scored a last-minute goal against South American rivals Brazil after an individual effort to help his team to a 1–0 win in the friendly match, which was held in Doha. This was the first time that he had scored against Brazil at senior level. Messi scored another last-minute goal on 9 February 2011 against Portugal in a penalty kick which he give his side a 2–1 victory in the friendly match, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland.

2006 World Cup

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

2007 Copa América

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

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

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

2008 Summer Olympics

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

2010 World Cup

Messi played the entire game on Argentina's opening match in the 2010 World Cup, the 1–0 victory against Nigeria. He had several opportunities to score but was repeatedly denied by Vincent Enyeama. Messi started in Argentina's following 4–1 win against Korea Republic; he participated in all of the goals of his team and helped Gonzalo Higuaín score a hat-trick. On the third and last group stage match Messi captained during Argentina's 2–0 win over Greece, again being the centrepoint of Argentina's play and was voted man of the match.

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

2011 Copa América

Messi took part in the Copa América in Argentina, where he failed to score a goal but notched three assists. He was selected man-of-the-match in matches against Bolivia (1–1) and Costa Rica (3–0). Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out against Uruguay (1–1 a.e.t.), with Messi scoring as the first penalty taker.

Outside football

Personal life

Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos, also from his hometown of Rosario. He is said to have been introduced to her by the girl's father when he returned to Rosario to recover from his injury a few days before the start of the 2006 World Cup. He has in the past also been linked to the Argentine glamour model Luciana Salazar. In January 2009 he told "Hat Trick Barça", a programme on Canal 33: "I have a girlfriend and she is living in Argentina. I am relaxed and happy". He was seen with the girl, Antonella Roccuzzo, at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. Roccuzzo is a fellow native of Rosario.

Messi has two cousins also involved in football: Maxi, a winger for Club Olimpia of Paraguay, and Emanuel Biancucchi, who plays as a midfielder for Spain's Girona FC.

Charity

In 2007 Messi established the Leo Messi Foundation, a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children. In an fansite interview, Messi said: “Being a bit famous now gives me the opportunity to help people who really need it, especially children." In response to Messi’s own childhood medical difficulties, the Leo Messi Foundation supports Argentine children diagnosed with medical conditions by offering treatment in Spain and covering the transport, hospital and recuperation costs. Messi’s foundation is supported by his own fundraising activity with additional assistance from Herbalife.

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

Media

He is featured on the front covers of the video games ''Pro Evolution Soccer 2009'' and ''Pro Evolution Soccer 2011'' and is also involved in promotional campaigns for the games. Messi, along with Fernando Torres, is the face of ''Pro Evolution Soccer 2010'', and was also involved in the motion capturing and the trailer. Messi is sponsored by the German sportswear company Adidas and features in their television advertisements. In June 2010, Messi also signed a three–year contract with Herbalife which further supports the Leo Messi Foundation.

Career statistics

Club

1 6 14 10 23 34 31 2

Club	Season	!colspan="3"	!colspan="3"	!colspan="3"	!colspan="3"	UEFA Super Cup	!colspan="3"	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists	!Apps	!Goals	!Assists
rowspan="8"	Barcelona		7	|	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	—			—			—			9	1	0
2005–06 FC Barcelona season	2005–06	17	|	3	2	1	0	6	1	1	0	0	0	—			—			25	8	4
2006–07 FC Barcelona season	2006–07	26	|	2	2	2	1	5	1	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	36	17	3
2007–08 FC Barcelona season	2007–08	28	|	12	3	0	0	9	6	1	—			—			—			40	16	13
2008–09 FC Barcelona season	2008–09	31	|	11	8	6	2	12	9	5	—			—			—			51	38	18
2009–10 FC Barcelona season	2009–10	35	|	10	3	1	0	11	8	0	1	2	0	1	0	1	2	2	0	53	47	11
2010–11 FC Barcelona season	2010–11	33	|	18	7	7	3	13	12	3	2	3	0	—			—			55	53	24
2011–12 FC Barcelona season	2011–12	1	|	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	2	1	1	1	0	0	0	4	6	4
Career total	!178!!121!!57!!26!!17!!6!!57!!37!!10!!7!!8!!2!!3!!1!!2!!2!!2!!0!!273!!186!!77

International

5 8 10 9 10 10 8

!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals!!Assists
rowspan=7	'''Argentina	2005	|	0	0
2006	|	2	2
2007	|	6	3
2008	|	2	1
2009	|	3	2
2010	|	2	2
2011	|	2	7
Total!!60!!17!!17

International goals

Under–20

:''Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first.'' 14 June 2005 22 June 2005 24 June 2005 28 June 2005 2 July 2005 2 July 2005

!Goal	!Date!!Venue!!Opponent!!Score!!Result!!Competition
1	|	De Grolsch Veste>Arke Stadion, Enschede, Netherlands		1–0	2–0	2005 FIFA World Youth Championship>2005 World Youth Championship
2	|	Univé Stadion, Emmen, Netherlands>Emmen, Netherlands		1–1	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
3	|	Arke Stadion, Enschede, Netherlands		3–1	3–1	2005 World Youth Championship
4	|	Stadion Galgenwaard>Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands		1–0	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
5	|	Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands		1–0	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
6	|	Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands	Nigeria	2–1	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship

Under–23

7 August 2008 16 August 2008

!Goal	!Date!!Venue!!Opponent!!Score!!Result!!Competition
1	|	Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China		1–0	2–1	Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament>2008 Summer Olympics
2	|	Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China		1–0	2–1	2008 Summer Olympics

Senior team

1 March 2006 16 June 2006 5 June 2007 5 June 2007 8 July 2007 11 July 2007 16 October 2007 20 November 2007 align=left 4 June 2008 11 October 2008 11 February 2009 28 March 2009 14 November 2009 7 September 2010 17 November 2010 align=left 9 February 2011 align=left 20 June 2011 align=left

!Goal	!Date!!Venue!!Opponent!!Score!!Result!!Competition
1	|	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland		2–1	2–3	Exhibition game>Friendly
2	|	Veltins-Arena>WM-Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Germany		6–0	6–0	2006 FIFA World Cup>2006 World Cup
3	|	Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain		2–2	4–3	Friendly
4	|	Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain	Algeria	4–2	4–3	Friendly
5	|	Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara>Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela		2–0	4–0	2007 Copa América
6	|	Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela		2–0	3–0	2007 Copa América
7	|	Estadio José Pachencho Romero>José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela		2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)>2010 World Cup qualification
8	|	Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia	Colombia ||	1–0	1–2	2010 World Cup qualification
9	|	Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States	Mexico	2–0	4–1	Friendly
10	|	Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti>Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina		1–0	2–1	2010 World Cup qualification
11	|	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France		2–0	2–0	Friendly
12	|	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Venezuela	1–0	4–0	2010 World Cup qualification
13	|	Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid, Spain		1–1	1–2	Friendly
14	|	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Spain	1–0	4–1	Friendly
15	|	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Brazil ||	1–0	1–0	Friendly
16	|	Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland	Portugal ||	2–1	2–1	Friendly
17	|	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Albania ||	2–0	4–0	Friendly

Awards and honours

Club

;Barcelona

La Liga: 5

:: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

Copa del Rey: 1

:: 2008–09

Supercopa de España: 5

:: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011

UEFA Champions League: 3

:: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11

UEFA Super Cup: 2

:: 2009, 2011

FIFA Club World Cup: 1

:: 2009

Argentina

FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1

:: 2005

Olympic Gold Medal: 1

:: 2008

Individual

FIFA Ballon d'Or: 1

:: 2010

Ballon d'Or: 1

:: 2009

FIFA World Player of the Year: 1

:: 2009

FIFA Team of the Year: 3

:: 2008, 2009, 2010

U-21 European Footballer of the Year: 1

:: 2007

La Liga Player of the Year: 3

:: 2009, 2010, 2011

La Liga top goalscorer: 1

:: 2010

Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 1

:: 2011

La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 3

:: 2007, 2009, 2010

La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year: 4

:: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011

European Golden Shoe: 1

:: 2010

UEFA Champions League top goalscorer: 3

:: 2009, 2010, 2011

UEFA Best Player in Europe: 1

:: 2011

UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 1

:: 2009

UEFA Champions League Forward of the Year: 1

:: 2009

UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 1

:: 2011

UEFA Champions League Final Fans' Man of the Match: 2

:: 2009, 2011

UEFA Team of the Year: 3

:: 2008, 2009, 2010

Footballer of the Year of Argentina: 5

:: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2

:: 2009, 2010

FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 3

:: 2006, 2007, 2008

FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2

:: 2007, 2008

FIFPro World XI: 4

:: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament: 1

:: 2005

FIFA U-20 World Cup top goalscorer: 1

:: 2005

Copa América Young Player of the Tournament: 1

:: 2007

World Soccer Player of the Year: 1

:: 2009

World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 3

:: 2006, 2007, 2008

FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 1

:: 2009

ESM Team of the Year: 5

:: 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

Onze d'Or: 2

:: 2009, 2010

Bravo Award: 1

:: 2007

Tuttosport Golden Boy: 1

:: 2005

Marca Leyenda: 1

:: 2009

UEFA best goal of the year: 1

:: 2007

References

External links

FC Barcelona profile

BDFutbol profile

Transfermarkt profile

Profile at ESPN

FIFA World Cup profile

Official page at Facebook

Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:People from Rosario, Santa Fe Category:Argentine people of Italian descent Category:Naturalised citizens of Spain Category:Argentine footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:La Liga footballers Category:FC Barcelona Atlètic footballers Category:FC Barcelona footballers Category:Pichichi Trophy winners Category:Argentina international footballers Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2007 Copa América players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:2011 Copa América players Category:Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic footballers of Argentina Category:Olympic medalists in football Category:Olympic gold medalists for Argentina Category:UNICEF people Category:Argentine expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain

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Coordinates	45°30′″N73°40′″N
name	Ed Sheeran
background	solo_singer
birth name	Edward Sheeran
birth date	February 17, 1991
origin	Suffolk, UK
instrument	Vocals, guitar loop pedals
genre	Folk rock, acoustic, hip-hop, grime
occupation	Singer, songwriter
years active	2005–present
label	Asylum / Atlantic Records (2011–present)
associated acts	James Morrison, Jason Mraz Example, Just Jack, Nizlopi, Elro, Devlin, Wiley, Ella Marcham, Ghetts, P Money, Mikill Pane, Wretch 32, Sway DaSafo, Lewis Watson, Griminal, Jamie Woon, Yasmin
website
notable instruments	}}

Edward "Ed" Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is an English singer/songwriter who is currently signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records. Sheeran broke through commercially in June 2011, when his debut single "The A Team" debuted at number 3 on the UK chart.

Early life

Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, before moving to Framlingham, Suffolk. He learned guitar at a very young age, and began writing songs during his time at Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham. His early childhood memories, that he referred to in a interview on the Zane Lowe show, included listening to Van Morrison on his countless trips to London with his parents and going to an intimate gig with Damien Rice in Ireland when he was 11. He also opened for Nizlopi in Norwich in April 2008 after being one of their guitar technicians.

Music career

2005–2011

Sheeran began recording in 2005, which led to the release of his first EP, ''The Orange Room EP''. Sheeran also released 2 albums, a self-titled one in 2006 and ''Want Some?'' in 2007. He moved to London in 2008 to play gigs, starting off in very small venues, playing every day, to as little as five people . In 2008, he auditioned for the ITV series ''Britannia High''.

In 2009, Sheeran played 312 gigs. He said that he read an interview with James Morrison that said that Morrison had done 200 gigs in a year, and Sheeran wanted to beat him on this number.Also in 2009, he released another EP, ''You Need E's'', just before going on tour with Just Jack. In February 2010 Sheeran posted a video through SB.TV, which led to mainstream rapper Example asking Sheeran to tour with him. Also in February 2010 he released his second independent release, his critically acclaimed ''Loose Change'' EP, which featured one of his most popular songs "The A Team". A video was made for the song, and cost only £20 to make. This was also his debut single once he was signed.

In April 2010, after leaving his old management company, Sheeran bought a ticket to Los Angeles, with no contacts other than one poetry night. He played open mic nights all over the city, before being spotted at 'The Foxxhole' by Jamie Foxx, who invited him to stay at his house and record for the rest of his stay. Throughout 2010, Sheeran began to be seen by more people over the internet through YouTube and his fan-base grew, with him also getting credit from ''The Independent'' newspaper, England football captain Rio Ferdinand and Elton John. Sheeran released three more EPs in 2010, including ''Ed Sheeran: Live at the Bedford'' and ''Songs I Wrote With Amy'' which is a collection of love songs he wrote in Wales with fellow singer songwriter Amy Wadge.

2011–present

On 8 January 2011, Sheeran released his final independent EP, ''No.5 Collaborations Project'' featuring appearances by grime artists including Wiley, JME, Devlin, Sway and Ghetts. With this EP, Sheeran gained mainstream attention for reaching number 1 in the iTunes chart without any promotion or label, selling over 7,000 copies in its first week. Three months later, Sheeran put on a free show to fans at the Barfly in Camden. Over 1,000 fans turned up to see the show, so Sheeran ended up playing four different shows to make sure everyone saw a gig, including a gig outside on the street after the venue had closed. Later that month, Sheeran was signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records.

On 26 April, Sheeran appeared on the TV music show ''Later... with Jools Holland'' – where he performed the song "The A Team". Six weeks later "The A Team" was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom. The release served as the lead single from Sheeran's upcoming debut studio album, entitled ''+'' – which is due for release through Atlantic Records on 12 September 2011. "The A Team" entered the UK chart at number 3, selling over 58,000 copies in the first week. It was congratulated on being the highest-selling and highest-charting debut single of 2011.

During a headline set in the BBC Introducing tent at Glastonbury Festival 2011, Sheeran announced that "You Need Me" would be released on 28 August as the second single from the album.

Sheeran will also be performing at the Festival Republic Stage during the Reading festival, and will perform on the main stage of the 2011 Jersey Live festival.

Discography

Albums

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK |- ! scope="row" | ''+'' |

Release Date: 12 September 2011

Label: Atlantic Records

Format: CD, digital download

| |}

Collaboration albums

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Chart positions |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK |- ! scope="row" | ''No. 5 Collaborations Project'' |

Release Date: 10 January 2011

Label: Self-released

Format: Digital Download

| 3 |}

Extended plays

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" ! scope="col" style="width:15em;"| Title ! scope="col" style="width:15em;"| Album details ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"|UK |- ! scope="row" | ''The Orange Room'' |

Released: 2005

| — |- ! scope="row" | ''Ed Sheeran'' |

Released: 2006

| — |- ! scope="row" | ''Want Some?'' |

Released: 2007

| — |- ! scope="row" | ''You Need Me'' |

Released: 2009

| 142 |- ! scope="row" | ''Loose Change'' |

Released: 7 February 2010

Label: Ed Sheeran

Format: Digital Download

| 195 |- ! scope="row" | ''Songs I Wrote With Amy'' |

Released: 4 April 2010

Label: Ed Sheeran

Format: Digital Download

| 199 |- ! scope="row" | ''Live At The Bedford'' |

Released: 2010

| 142 |- ! scope="row" | ''One Take'' |

Released: Early 2011

| — |- ! scope="row" | ''iTunes Festival: London 2011'' |

Released: July 2011

| 177 |}

Singles

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" ! scope="col" rowspan="2"|Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"|Single ! scope="col" colspan="3"|Peakpositions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"|Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| IRE ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| SCO |- | rowspan="2"|2011 ! scope="row"| "The A Team" | 3 || 5 || 4 | rowspan="2"|''+'' |- ! scope="row"| "You Need Me" | 140 || — || — |}

As featured artist

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Single ! scope="col" colspan="2"|Peak position ! scope="col" rowspan="2"|Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UKIND |- | rowspan="2"|2011 ! scope="row"| "If I Could"(Wiley featuring Ed Sheeran) | — || 26 | ''Chill Out Zone'' |- ! scope="row"| "Young Guns"(Lewi White featuring Ed Sheeran, Yasmin, Griminal & Devlin) | 86 || 10 | |}

Other charted songs

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Single ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peakpositions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |- ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK |- |rowspan="2"| 2011 ! scope="row"| "Little Bird" | 186 | ''Loose Change'' |- ! scope="row"| "Cold Coffee" | 191 | |}

Guest appearances

Year	Title	Album	Artist
2011	"Hush Little Baby"	''Black and White''	Wretch 32

References

External links

Interview

Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:British singer-songwriters

de:Ed Sheeran ru:Ширан, Эд