A partido is an administrative subdivision of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. They are formally considered to be a single municipality, and usually contain one or more population centers (i.e. towns and cities). These are distinct from all other provinces of Argentina, which call their first-level subdivisions departamento (see Departments of Argentina), and are further subdivided into distinct municipalities.

History[link]

By the end of 17th century the municipal council of Buenos Aires or cabildo established the first partidos in the countryside: San Isidro del Pago de la Costa (San Isidro) in 1779 and San Vicente, Quilmes, Magdalena, La Matanza, Cañada de Morón (Morón), Las Conchas (Tigre) and San Pedro in 1784.

At the head of every partido the cabildo appointed a rural judge called Alcalde de la Santa Hermandad. The judge or alcalde (from Arabic al-qadi ( قاضي,), meaning "the judge") had the mission to maintain the law and order in the surrounding rural area of Buenos Aires, fighting against cattle raiders. The alcalde was helped by a constabulary called Santa Hermandad (in English, Holy Brotherhood) created in the late 15th century by the Catholic Monarchs and transplanted to the colonies.

In 1821 the Governor Martín Rodríguez and his minister Bernardino Rivadavia dissolved the cabildo and since then was the governor itself who appointed the judge, now called Juez de Paz (in English, Justice of Peace).

In 1856 the office of Juez de Paz was replaced by a Presidente de la Municipalidad or Municipal President. It was appointed by the Governor from a list of three candidates presented by the Municipales or Councillors, who were elected by the citizens of the different partidos.

Since 1890 the head of the government is called Intendente (Intendant), or Mayor, and it is directly elected by the citizens.

On October 24, 1864 the Legislature of the Province of Buenos Aires sanctioned law № 422 dividing the province into 45 partidos: Arrecifes, Baradero, Barrancas al Sud (Avellaneda), Belgrano (Barrio Belgrano), Cañuelas, Carmen de Areco, Chacabuco, Chascomús, Chivilcoy, del Pilar, Ensenada, Exaltación de la Cruz, General las Heras, General San Martín, Giles, Junín, Matanza, Las Conchas (Tigre), Lobos, Lomas de Zamora, Luján, Magdalena, Mercedes, Merlo, Monte, Moreno, Morón, Navarro, Pergamino, Quilmes, Ramallo, Ranchos, Rivadavia, Rojas, Salto, San Antonio, San Fernando, San Isidro, San José de Flores (Barrio Flores), San Nicolás, San Pedro, San Vicente, Suipacha, Viedma and Zárate.

Government[link]

Every partido is administrated by a municipality. It is divided in an executive and a legislative branch: the mayor or intendente and the city council or consejo deliberante, respectively. The municipality is a strong mayor-council form of government.

The mayor is elected to four-year terms and can be reelected indefinitely.

The City Council is a unicameral body consisting and one-half of the members are elected every two years to serve four-year term.

The mayor and councilors can be reelected indefinitely.

The number of councillors depends on the population of every partido. According to decret-law 6769/58 the number of councillors varies as follows:

See also[link]

• Gobierno de Buenos Aires - Official website of the government of the Province of Buenos Aires.

Daddy Yankee
Background information
Birth name	Ramón Ayala
Also known as	Winchester 30-30 El Cangri El Jefe The Big Boss DY El Máximo Lider
Born	(1977-02-03) February 3, 1977 (age 35)
Origin	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genres	Reggaeton, Latin rap, hip-hop
Years active	1992–present
Labels	El Cartel, Interscope, Sony Music Latin
Website	daddyyankee.com

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1977), known artistically as Daddy Yankee, is a Latin Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican reggaeton recording artist. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, the largest district of San Juan, where he became interested in music at a young age. In his youth he was interested in baseball, and aspired to become a Major League Baseball player. He was unable to continue this sport when he received an injury to one of his legs, leaving him unable to walk correctly. He then became involved in the underground rap movement that was in its early stages in Puerto Rico, later to be called reggaeton. After receiving lessons from several artists within the genre, he developed an independent career, first recording in a production titled Playero 37. After this he began to produce independent albums. His first solo album was No Mercy. He subsequently formed a duo with Nicky Jam, and then continued his solo career with the releases of El Cartel and El Cartel II. This led him be one of many pioneers of the reggaeton genre earning him the nickname "El Cangri".

In 2002 El Cangri.com became Ayala's first album with international success, receiving coverage in the markets of New York and Miami. Barrio Fino was released in 2004, and the album received numerous awards, including Lo Nuestro Awards and a Latin Billboard, as well as receiving nominations for the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards. Barrio Fino performed well in the sales charts of the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. On June 5, 2007, El Cartel Records released El Cartel: The Big Boss, which was ranked as the top-selling album in Latin music genres in 2007. He promoted the album with an international tour which began in the United States and continued through Latin America, breaking attendance records in Ecuador and Bolivia.

His performances have appeared on more than 70 albums, including compilations such as Mas Flow 2 and Blin Blin Vol. 1. Outside of his work as a musician, Ayala has also worked as an actor and producer. Throughout his career, he has been generally reluctant to discuss his personal life, but has publicly expressed the importance of his wife and children to him.

Following the incident, he became interested in the underground movement, which at the time was in an early organizational stage.^[1] He also took more interest in the events that took place in the neighborhood in which he was raised, a public housing project named Villa Kennedy.^[2] Early in his career he attempted to imitate the style of Vico C. He went on to emulate other artists in the genre, including DJ Playero, DJ Nelson, and DJ Goldy, taking elements from their styles in order to develop an original style.^[1] In doing so, he eventually abandoned the traditional model of rap and became one of the first artists to perform reggaeton.^[1] Ayala first recorded with DJ Playero as a featured artist in a production titled Playero 37, which was released in 1992.^[2]

Musical career[link]

Independent productions[link]

His first album, titled No Mercy, was produced in 1995 when Ayala was eighteen years old.^[2] The production did not sell well, and he continued his work within the genre for the rest of the decade, eventually forming a duo with Nicky Jam. One of the duo's songs, "Posición", was included in the soundtrack of One Tough Cop, a movie directed by Bruno Barreto, that was released in 1998. Beginning in 2000, Ayala began concentrating more on his solo career, releasing albums produced outside studios. The first production he released was titled El Cartel, featuring elements of the mixtape style.^[2] In 2001 El Cartel II was released, a direct sequel to the previous production, and influenced by similar genres.

In 2005 El Cangri.com was released, and became the first album in Ayala's career to sell well outside Puerto Rico, mostly in the United States.^[2] The album was produced by VI Music, an independent recording studio in Puerto Rico, and was not supported by a major label.^[2] The most successful single from the album was "Latigazo", which received significant play on radio stations in New York and Miami.^[2] The album reached #43 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart.^[2] Following the release of this disc, Ayala performed at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum before 12,000 fans.^[3] The following year VI Music produced Los Homerun-es.^[2] The album became the leader in sales in Puerto Rico during a year in which several other reggaeton artists released significant productions, including Luny Tune's Mas Flow, Don Omar's The Last Don, and Tego Calderón's El Abayarde.^[2] The album's success helped Ayala receive the publicity required for a crossover to the United States market, and marked the last album he released with VI music before signing a contract with Universal

2004–2005[link]

Ayala's next album, Barrio Fino, was produced by Luny Tunes and released in July 2004 by El Cartel Records and VI Music. It was the most highly anticipated album in the reggaeton community.^[4] Ayala had enjoyed Salsa music since he was young, and this led him to include music of genres besides reggaeton in the album.^[4] The most prominent of these cross-genre singles was "Melao", in which he performed with Andy Montañez.^[4] The album was described as his most complete, and with it he intended to introduce combinations of reggaeton and other genres to the English-speaking market.^[4] Barrio Fino was followed up by an international tour with performances in numerous countries including the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Honduras, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and the United States.^[4] The album has sold over 500,000 copies in the United States alone and has sold well throughout Latin America and worldwide.^[5]

In 2005 Ayala won several international awards, making him one of the most recognized reggaeton artists within the music industry.^[6] The first award of the year was Lo Nuestro Awards within the "Latin music" category, which he received for Barrio Fino.^[6] In this event he performed "Gasolina" in a performance that was described as "innovative".^[6] Barrio Fino also won the "Reggaeton Album of the Year" award in the Latin Billboard that took place on April 28, 2005,^[6] where he performed a mix of three of his songs in a duo with P. Diddy. The album was promoted throughout Latin America, the United States, and Europe, reaching certified gold in Japan. Due to the album's success, Ayala received promotional contracts with radio stations and soda companies, including Pepsi.^[7] His single "Gasolina" received the majority of votes cast for the second edition of Premios Juventud, in which it received eight nominations and won seven awards.^[6] Ayala also made a live presentation during the award ceremony. "Gasolina" received nominations in the Latin Grammy and MTV Video Music Awards.^[6]

The successful single, "Gasolina", was covered by artists from different music genres. This led to a controversy when Los Lagos, a Mexican banda group, did a cover with the original beat but changed the song's lyrics.^[8] The group's label had solicited the copyright permission to perform the single and translate it to a different music style, but did not receive consent to change the lyrics; legal action followed.^[8] Speaking for the artist, Ayala's lawyer stated that having his songs covered was an "honor, but it must be done the right way."^[8]

2006–present[link]

On April 30, 2006, Ayala was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine, which cited the 2 million copies of Barrio Fino sold, Ayala's $20 million contract with Interscope Records, and his Pepsi endorsement.^[9] During this period, Ayala and William Omar Landrón (more commonly known by his artistic name Don Omar) were involved in a rivalry within the genre, dubbed "tiraera". The rivalry received significant press coverage despite being denied early on by both artists. It originated with a lyrical conflict between the artists begun by Ayala's comments in a remix single, where he criticized Landron's common usage of the nickname "King of Kings".^[10] Don Omar responded to this in a song titled "Ahora Son Mejor", part of his album Los Rompediscotecas.^[10]

El Cartel: The Big Boss was released by Interscope on June 5, 2007. Ayala stated that the album marked a return to his hip-hop roots as opposed to being considered a strictly reggaeton album.^[11] The album was produced in 2006, and included the participation of will.i.am, Scott Storch, Tainy Tunes, Neli, and personnel from Ayala's label. Singles were produced with Héctor Delgado, Fergie, Nicole Scherzinger and Akon.^[11] The first single from the album was titled "Impacto", and was released prior to the completion of the album. The album was promoted by a tour throughout the United States, which continued throughout Latin America.^[11] He performed in Mexico, first in Monterrey, where 10,000 attended the concert, and later at San Luis Potosí coliseum, where the concert sold out, leaving hundreds of fans outside the building.^[12] Ayala performed in Chile as well, and established a record for attendance in Ecuador.^[13] He also performed in Bolivia, setting another record when 50,000 fans attended his Santa Cruz de la Sierra concert.^[13] This show was later described as "the best show with the biggest attendance in history" and as "somehappy that his album had sold more than those of Juan Luis Guerra and Juanes, and that this was an "official proof that reggaeton's principal exponent defeated the rest of the genres".^[14] Ayala made a guest appearance in an album titled "Caribbean he loved the color reed|Inner Circle]], Bounty Killer, Elephant Man and Wayne Wonder.^[15] In July 2008, Ayala announced that as part of his work, he would produce a cover version of Thalía's song, Ten Paciencia.^[16] Prior to the album's release, Ayala scheduled several activities, including an in-store contract signing.^[17] On February 27, 2009, he performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile.^[18] In this event, the artists receive awards based on the public's reaction. After performing "Rompe", "Llamado de emergencia", "Tú me dejaste caer", "Gasolina", "Limpia parabrisas" and "Lo que pasó, pasó" over the course of two hours, Ayala received the "Silver Torch", "Gold Torch" and "Silver Seagull" recognitions.^[18] On April 24, 2009, he received the Spirit of Hope Award as part of the Latin Billboard Music Awards ceremony.^[19] The recognition is given to the artists that participate in community or social efforts throughout the year. The single "Grito Mundial" was released on October 8, 2009,^[20] in order to promote his ninth album, Mundial. Despite releasing "El Ritmo No Perdona (Prende)" more than a month before, that single was not considered the first official promotional single.

Film and other career projects[link]

Ayala has negotiated promotional deals with several companies outside of the music industry, releasing merchandise under his name. In 2005, he became the first Latin artist to sign a deal with Reebok, in order to produce accessories,^[21] including the licensed clothing line "DY", which was released in 2006.^[22] He also teamed up with the company to have his own shoes and sporting goods made, which were first distributed on May 23, 2006.^[11] Reebok continued the partnership with the introduction of the Travel Trainer collection in July 2007. In August 2007, Pepsi began an advertising campaign titled "Puertas", in which Ayala is depicted returning to his youth by opening a series of doors.^[23]

In 2008, Ayala participated in a campaign to promote voting in the 2008 general elections in Puerto Rico. This initiative included a concert titled "Vota o quédate callao".^[24] On August 25, 2008, Ayala endorsed John McCain's candidacy for President of the United States, stating that McCain "has been a fighter for the Hispanic community".^[25] As part of this campaign, Ayala moderated a debate titled “Vota o quédate callao: los candidatos responden a los jóvenes”, which was aired on October 9, 2008.^[26]

Ayala has worked in the film industry as both an actor and producer. His acting debut was the lead role of Vampiros, a film directed by Eduardo Ortiz and filmed in Puerto Rico.^[27] The film premiered at the Festival of Latin American Cinema in New York, where it received a positive reaction. This led Image Entertainment to produce a DVD, internationally released in March 2005.^[27] Ayala played the main role "Edgar" in Talento de Barrio, which was filmed in Puerto Rico and directed by José Iván Santiago. Ayala produced the film, which is based on his experience of growing up in a poor city neighborhood.^[28] While the film is not directly a biography, Ayala has stated that it mirrors his early life.^[28] Talento de Barrio's debut was scheduled for July 23, 2008, in New York's Latino Film Festival.^[29] After the premier, Ayala expressed satisfaction, saying that he had been invited to audition for other producers.^[30] On release, Talento de Barrio broke the record held by Maldeamores for the most tickets to a Puerto Rican movie sold in a single day in Caribbean Cinemas.^[31]

Ayala has been involved in the administration of three organizations, the first being El Cartel Records which he co-owns with Andres Hernandez. He also created the Fundación Corazón Guerrero, a charitable organization in Puerto Rico which works with young incarcerated people.^[32] On April 26, 2008, he was presented with a "Latino of the Year Award" by the student organization Presencia Latina of Harvard College, receiving it for his work with Puerto Rican youth and creating Corazón Guerrero.^[33] On February 6, 2008, Ayala announced in a Baloncesto Superior Nacional press conference that he had bought part of the Criollos de Caguas' ownership.^[34]

Personal life[link]

Ayala has kept most of his personal life private, rarely speaking about it in interviews.^[35] He has said that he avoids doing so because such details are the only aspect of his life that are not public and that they are like a "little treasure".^[35] He made an exception in 2006 when he spoke about his relationship with his wife and children in an interview with María Celeste Arrarás in Al Rojo Vivo.^[35] He stated that his marriage is strong because he and his wife are "friends above anything", adding that he has tried to ignore other temptations because "weakness is the reason for the downfall of several artists."^[35] He also described his "very close" communication with his children, in which he tries to offer advice against drugs and negative influences.^[35] His first daughter was born when he was seventeen years old,^[35] which he has described as confusing at first, adding that raising a daughter at that age was a hard experience.^[36]

Studio albums[link]

• 1995: No Mercy
• 2002: El Cangri.com
• 2004: Barrio Fino
• 2007: El Cartel: The Big Boss
• 2010: Daddy Yankee Mundial
• 2012: Prestige

Filmography[link]

Film

Television

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Puerto Rico portal
	Music portal

• Latin American music
• List of Caribbean music genres
• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of Puerto Rican songwriters
• Urban contemporary

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Daddy Yankee at the Internet Movie Database

Carles Puyol

Puyol in action for Barcelona in 2008.
Personal information
Full name	Carles Puyol i Saforcada
Date of birth	(1978-04-13) 13 April 1978 (age 34)
Place of birth	La Pobla de Segur, Spain
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Barcelona
Youth career
1993–1995	Pobla de Segur
1995–1996	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1997	Barcelona C
1997–2000	Barcelona B	89	(6)
1999–	Barcelona	374	(10)
National team‡
1995	Spain U18	3	(0)
2000	Spain U21	4	(0)
2000	Spain U23	5	(0)
2000–	Spain	99	(3)
2001–	Catalonia	5	(0)
Honours Competitor for  Spain Men's Football Silver 2000 Sydney Team Competition
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 2 March 2012

Carles Puyol i Saforcada (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkarɫəs puˈjɔɫ]; born 13 April 1978) is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. Mainly a central defender, he can also play on either flank, especially as a right back.^[1]

He served as a longtime team captain for his only club FC Barcelona after taking over from Luis Enrique in August 2004, going on to appear in more than 500 official games for the team and win 18 major titles, notably five La Liga and three UEFA Champions League championships.

A Spanish international on more than 100 occasions, Puyol was part of the squads that won the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup tournaments.

Club career[link]

Puyol training with Barcelona in 2009.

Born in La Pobla de Segur, Lleida, Catalonia, Puyol started playing football for his hometown club, as a goalkeeper. However, after injury problems with his shoulder, he switched to striker. He said that in his youth, "My parents were skeptical about me becoming a footballer and encouraged me to study."^[2] In 1995, he joined FC Barcelona's youth system at La Masia, switching positions again, to play as a defensive midfielder; two years later, he started playing for the club's B-team, occupying the position of right back.

In 1999, then-coach Louis van Gaal promoted Puyol to the first team. He made his La Liga debut on 2 October against Real Valladolid, in a 2–0 away win. After that, he successfully made another conversion, now to central defender. During the 2003 off-season, as Barcelona was immersed in a financial crisis, Manchester United showed interest in acquiring Puyol's services,^[3] but no move ever materialized; two years later, the player extended his contract for a further five seasons.^[4]

Puyol was named club captain at the end of the 2003–04 season, after the retirement of Luis Enrique. He continued to be a defensive cornerstone for Barça, being awarded the "Best European right back" award by UEFA in 2002 (amongst other individual accolades), and helping the Catalans win two consecutive league titles. In 2005–06, he appeared in a total of 52 official games, including 12 in the season's UEFA Champions League, which ended in conquest against Arsenal, the club's second.

Puyol in a 2007 La Liga match against Getafe

On 16 September 2008, Puyol made his 400th appearance in all competitions for Barcelona's first team in a Champions League group stage match against Sporting Clube de Portugal.^[5] In the league season, he dealt with injury problems, but still contributed to the team by appearing in 28 matches and helped to win another league title, his only goal coming in El Clásico at Real Madrid on 2 May 2009, which finished with a resounding 6–2 away win;^[6] from 2008–10 combined, other than the two league titles, he was essential in conquering the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, the 2009 Champions League and the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup, appearing in nearly 100 official matches, and describing the club as "the team who every Catalan child wants to play for... I am living the dream playing football for Barça and it is my dream to retire playing here."^[2]

Puyol struggled again with injury in the 2010–11 season,^[7][8][9] but still appeared in 28 official games for Barcelona, which again won the league and the Champions League. He played five minutes in the final of the latter competition, a 3–1 win against Manchester United.

Since the defeat to F.C. Internazionale Milano in the 2009–10 Champions League semi-final, Puyol went on to play 56 official games for Barcelona without losing, a run that only ended on 11 January 2012 at CA Osasuna (2–3 loss).^[10] Additionally, he scored two goals in the season's Copa del Rey, against Real Madrid (2–1 away win, 4–3 on aggregate) and Valencia CF (1–1 away, 3–1 aggregate).^[11][12]

International career[link]

Puyol won his first cap for Spain on 15 November 2000 against the Netherlands, and remained a regular fixture in the following years. He played for the nation at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup.

At Euro 2008, Puyol started throughout the vast majority of the competition, as the defensive backline only conceded two goals in five games, with an eventual final win against Germany. He was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside defensive partner Carlos Marchena, of Valencia CF. He started in three out of five at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and captained the team when Iker Casillas was rested for the last group stage match; as Spain finished third, he and four other teammates were named in the Team of the Tournament.

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Puyol started every match and played almost every minute (he was substituted by Marchena in the 84th minute of the quarter-final against Paraguay^[14]). He scored the only goal in the semifinal against Germany with a powerful header from a corner taken by Barcelona teammate Xavi, sending the national team through to their first World Cup final,^[15] and scoring his third international goal in 89 matches; in the decisive match, he played the full 120 minutes as Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0.

On 1 August 2010, 32-year Puyol announced that he would continue to play for the national team for at least another two years.^[16] He missed the Euro 2012 tournament due to a knee injury contracted in a league game against RCD Espanyol in early May, which required surgery and five to six weeks recuperation.^[17]

Puyol playing for Catalonia in a 2009 friendly match against Argentina at Camp Nou.

International goals[link]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	17 April 2002	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	Northern Ireland	4–0	5–0	Friendly
2.	11 October 2008	A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia	Estonia	0–3	0–3	2010 World Cup qualification
3.	7 July 2010	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa	Germany	1–0	1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup

Playing style[link]

Puyol is known for his intense commitment and ruggedness as a defender. According to Barcelona's head doctor, Puyol is "the strongest, who has the quickest reactions, and who has the most explosive strength."^[18] Club fans refer to him as "The Wall".^[19] Miguel Ángel Nadal, who played with him for a short period of time, said, "Carles plays with maturity, has great positional sense, and above all, has pride in his shirt."^[18]

Puyol is also known for his leadership and work ethic. He often continues training alone after the end of a team practice session or on days off.^[13] He said in 2010, "I don't have Romário's technique, [Marc] Overmars' pace or [Patrick] Kluivert's strength. But I work harder than the others. I'm like the student who is not as clever, but revises for his exams and does OK in the end."^[18] He is often described as the heart of the Barcelona team.

Fellow defender Gerard Piqué said: "He's someone who, even if you're winning 3–0 and there's a few seconds left in the game will shout at the top of his voice at you if he thinks your concentration is going."^[20] A former team-mate said, "Even four goals down he thinks we can still win",^[13] and another described him as "a pain in the arse" but added "that's exactly what we need".^[13]

Puyol in 2010

Statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of match played 26 May 2012.^[21][22]

International[link]

Honours[link]

Barcelona[link]

• La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12; Runner-up 2010–11
• Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11
• UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011; Runner-up 2006
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011; Runner-up 2006

Spain[link]

• FIFA World Cup: 2010
• UEFA European Football Championship: 2008
• Summer Olympics: Silver medal 2000
• FIFA Confederations Cup: Third-place 2009

Individual[link]

• La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2001
• ESM Team of the Year: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
• UEFA Club Best Defender: 2006
• FIFA/FIFPro World XI: 2007, 2008, 2010
• UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament^[24]
• 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Team of the Tournament
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010

Decorations[link]

• Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010
• Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011^[25]

Personal life[link]

In 2006, Puyol said that when not working, he leads "a very quiet life... I've not been to a nightclub in Barcelona for years either. When I go out, I stay in a restaurant with my friends."^[2]

Puyol's father, Josep, died in a farming accident in late 2006 while Carles was on his way to play a match against Deportivo de La Coruña. He was informed of the news by coach Frank Rijkaard upon landing.^[26] He said that this, combined with an injury led to a dark period, with Spanish national team physio Raúl Martínez eventually coming to Barcelona: in the player's words, he "...gave me a great telling off. He made me react, and I began to try to be more cheerful, and not overwhelmed by it all."^[27] Puyol's long shaggy hair has been a distinctive feature throughout his career. Barcelona manager van Gaal, suggested he get it cut when the player was 19, immediately after his first training session with the senior players: "What's your problem, can't you afford the money for a haircut?", Van Gaal asked him in his office. "I said nothing," Puyol remembered, "and to this day have kept my hair as is.^[18][28] He likes to warm up for games listening to Napalm Death.^[29]

In March 2009, Puyol told Goal.com: "I do not like to go out much, although it is good to disconnect and I like to read."^[30] In September of the following year, he started a relationship with model Malena Costa. On 16 October, he scored through a header in a 2–1 home win against Valencia CF, and dedicated her the goal by making a heart symbol with both hands. “I dedicate the goal to my girlfriend”, he said after the game.^[31]

See also[link]

• List of one-club men

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Carles Puyol

• FC Barcelona profile
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Carles Puyol at National-Football-Teams.com
• 2010 FIFA World Cup profile
• Carles Puyol – FIFA competition record
• Carles Puyol – UEFA competition record
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Spain squads v t e Spain squad – 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Third Place 1 Aranzubia 2 Lacruz 3 Capdevila 4 Amaya 5 Marchena 6 Ismael 7 Angulo 8 Gabri 9 José Mari 10 Xavi 11 Farinós 12 Puyol 13 Láinez 14 Dorado 15 Albelda 16 Tamudo 17 Velamazán 18 Ferrón 19 Luque 20 Ania 21 Felip Coach: Sáez v t e Spain squad – 2000 Summer Olympics Silver Medalists 1 Aranzubia 2 Lacruz 3 Capdevila 4 Marchena 5 Unai 6 Albelda 7 Angulo 8 Xavi 9 José Mari 10 Gabri 11 Ferrón 12 Puyol 13 Luque 14 Amaya 15 Ismael 16 Velamazán 17 Tamudo 18 Felip Coach: Sáez v t e Spain squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Casillas 2 C. Torres 3 Juanfran 4 Helguera 5 Puyol 6 Hierro (c) 7 Raúl 8 Baraja 9 Morientes 10 Tristán 11 De Pedro 12 Luque 13 Ricardo 14 Albelda 15 Romero 16 Mendieta 17 Valerón 18 Sergio 19 Xavi 20 Nadal 21 Luis Enrique 22 Joaquín 23 Contreras Coach: Camacho v t e Spain squad – UEFA Euro 2004 1 Cañizares 2 Capdevila 3 Marchena 4 Albelda 5 Puyol 6 Helguera 7 Raúl (c) 8 Baraja 9 F. Torres 10 Morientes 11 Luque 12 Gabri 13 Aranzubia 14 Vicente 15 Bravo 16 Alonso 17 Etxeberria 18 César 19 Joaquín 20 Xavi 21 Valerón 22 Juanito 23 Casillas Coach: Sáez v t e Spain squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Casillas 2 Salgado 3 Pernía 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Albelda 7 Raúl (c) 8 Xavi 9 F. Torres 10 Reyes 11 Luis García 12 A. López 13 Iniesta 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Senna 17 Joaquín 18 Fàbregas 19 Cañizares 20 Juanito 21 Villa 22 Ibáñez 23 Reina Coach: Aragonés v t e Spain squad – UEFA Euro 2008 Winners (2nd Title) 1 Casillas (c) 2 Albiol 3 Navarro 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Iniesta 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 F. Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Capdevila 12 Cazorla 13 Palop 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 García 17 Güiza 18 Arbeloa 19 Senna 20 Juanito 21 Silva 22 De la Red 23 Reina Coach: Aragonés v t e Spain squad – 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place 1 Casillas (c) 2 Albiol 3 Piqué 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Pablo 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 F. Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Capdevila 12 Busquets 13 López 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Llorente 17 Güiza 18 Riera 19 Arbeloa 20 Cazorla 21 Silva 22 Mata 23 Reina Coach: Del Bosque v t e Spain squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup Winners (1st Title) 1 Casillas (c) 2 Albiol 3 Piqué 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Iniesta 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 F. Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Capdevila 12 Valdés 13 Mata 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Busquets 17 Arbeloa 18 Pedro 19 Llorente 20 Martínez 21 Silva 22 Navas 23 Reina Coach: Del Bosque