title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: The Conference of the Methodist Church of Great Britain stated in 1976 that the human foetus had "an inviolable right to life" and that abortion should never be seen as an alternative to contraception. The Church also recognised that foetus is "totally dependent" on his or her mother for at least the first twenty weeks of its life and said that the mother has "a total right to decide whether or not to continue the pregnancy." The Church has supported counselling opportunities for mothers so that they fully understand the decision, and the alternatives to abortion.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Its sister church, the Methodist Church in Ireland, is opposed to what it describes as "abortion on demand" and urges support and resources for those who have a crisis pregnancy. The Church recognises that there are complex situations "in which early termination of pregnancy should be available" and considers that these include "when a mother's life is at risk, when a pregnancy is the result of a sexual crime, or in cases of fatal foetal abnormality."


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Congregations and members of major non-Christian religions in the UK likewise provide pastoral support for women, families and children whose circumstances are affected by crisis pregnancies and abortion, in a range of ways. Views on the morality and potential grounds for abortion vary within Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, and Judaism.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Prominent campaign groups which are supportive of a conservative policy include Both Lives Matter, Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), Evangelical Alliance, Life, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) and the UK Life League. Campaigning organisations in support of a liberal policy include Amnesty International, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), the Family Planning Association (FPA), Marie Stopes, MSI Reproductive Choices, and Humanists UK.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Abortion policy in Northern Ireland was the subject of intense discussion and campaigning in the decade leading up to changes in the law in 2019 and 2020. The issue is debated less frequently in Great Britain, where the law was last substantially changed in 1990.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Although Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man are not part of the United Kingdom, as they are part of the Common Travel Area, people resident on these islands who choose to have an abortion have travelled to the UK since the Abortion Act 1967.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: It is lawful in Jersey to have an abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy if the woman is in "distress" and requests it; in the first 24 weeks in case of foetal abnormalities; and at any time to save the woman's life or prevent serious permanent injury to her health. The criteria were established in the Termination of Pregnancy (Jersey) Law 1997.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: It is lawful in Guernsey to have an abortion in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, and at any time in cases of significant foetal abnormality or to save the woman's life or prevent serious injury to her health.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Guernsey's laws were updated in 2020 and 2021, to increase the previous 12-week limit on a woman's right to get an abortion on request to the current 24-week limit; to remove the previous 24-week limit in cases of significant foetal abnormality; to remove the previous requirement that all abortions take place at Princess Elizabeth Hospital; to allow nurses and midwives to perform abortions, and allow women to have them at home if they so choose; and to decriminalise the act of a woman attempting to or succeeding in ending her own pregnancy outside of a medical setting.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: The Guernsey law of 1997 does not apply to Alderney and Sark, which are also part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey but continue to apply an earlier law, in French, identical to the Offences against the Person Act 1861 of England and Wales, which does not explicitly mention any legal ground for abortion. However, the judicial decision "Rex v. Bourne" in England and Wales clarified that the law always implicitly allowed abortion at least to save the woman's life, and the decision extended it also to preserve her health. It is unclear whether Alderney and Sark apply only the original legal principle or also the extension by the judicial decision.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Since 24 May 2019, it is lawful in the Isle of Man to have an abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy at will, then until the 24th week, so long as criteria specified by the act are met, and then onwards if there is a serious risk of grave injury or death. Abortion is governed by the Abortion Reform Act 2019.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Statistics for legal abortions are published annually by the Department of Health and Social Care, for England and Wales, NHS Scotland, and the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. Where there is only a small number of abortions for a particular ground, the number is not published by statisticians to avoid the risk of disclosing the identity of the persons involved.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Nearly all (99.9%) of abortions carried out under Ground C alone were reported as being performed because of a risk to the woman's mental health and were classified as F99 (mental disorder, not otherwise specified) under the ICD-10 classification system.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In Northern Ireland, the total number of terminations in 2017–2018 was 12, followed by 8 in 2018–2019, and 22 in 2019–2020. As indicated above, for most of that time, abortions were permitted there if the act was to save the life of the mother, or if there was a risk of permanent and serious damage to the mental or physical health of the mother.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In 2020, a total of 371 women travelling from Northern Ireland received abortions in England and Wales:


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In the same year, 194 women travelling from the Republic of Ireland received abortions in England and Wales:


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: The number of pregnant women from the island of Ireland travelling for an abortion was previously much more significant although this decreased following changes in legislation in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, and travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scottish statistics for abortion record the place of residence of the pregnant woman within Scotland (i.e. an NHS board or a local government area); these figures includes temporary addresses for students and a small number of women travelling to Scotland from elsewhere.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: A significant majority of abortions in Great Britain take place at less than 10 weeks of gestation. The numbers and percentages in England and Wales, Scotland, and Great Britain overall, were as follows in 2020. Information on gestation and abortion is not available in Northern Ireland for the same year.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In 2020, the region with the largest number of abortions was London followed by South East England, the West Midlands and North West England. Statistics on abortion recorded at a regional level or national level (for England, Wales and Scotland individually) relate to residents. Abortions for non-residents are also recorded for England and Wales (collectively) although these were lower than usual (at 943 abortions) in that year due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Information for Northern Ireland is recorded by financial year rather than calendar year, with 22 abortions recorded in 2019–2020.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Abortions carried out for grounds outside those permitted in law (e.g. in most cases after the 24-week term limit, or where appropriate consent has not been given) continue to be unlawful in each jurisdiction of the UK – under the Offences against the Person Act 1861 in England and Wales, Scottish common law, and the . The Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929 and the Criminal Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 1945 also outlaw child destruction in cases where the life of the unborn child would have been viable outside the womb.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: With the increasing availability of medicines for abortion, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has stated that medicines are not ordinary consumer goods and have the potential to cause harm as well as cure, and selling mifepristone with no medical qualifications is illegal and can be extremely dangerous for patients.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Home Office statistics for England and Wales recorded 224 offences in total for procuring an illegal abortion in 1900-1909, which increased to 527 in the subsequent decade, 651 in the 1920s, and 1,028 in the 1930s (although figuers for 1939 are unavailable). The number of offences increased significantly from 1942 onwards, at the same time as the arrival of American military personnel during the Second World War, rising to 649 in 1944, and totalling 3,088 throughout the 1940s. The trend decreased but remained significant with 2,040 offences from 1950 to 1959 inclusive and 2,592 in the 1960s. However, there was a decrease from 212 offences in 1970 to three in 1979, alongside the implementation of the 1967 Act, and offences remained at single figures over the rest of the 20th Century. From 1931 to 2002, there were also 109 recorded cases of child destruction in the jurisdiction, as defined by the Infant Life (Preservation) Act 1929.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: From 2002-2003 to 2008-2009, there were 30 cases of child destruction and 46 cases of illegal abortion in England and Wales followed by 61 cases of illegal abortion and 80 cases of child destruction in the subsequent decade (between 2009–2010 and 2019–2020 inclusive). Guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service lists procuring an abortion (unlawfully) as a child abuse offence and notes that some unlawful abortions may be carried out as honour-based crimes, which are committed to punish women for "alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community's code of behaviour."


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Abortion and child destruction offences have historically only occasionally been recorded in Northern Ireland – a possible effect of the deterrent provided in law and the policing of a smaller jurisdiction. Between 1998 and 2018, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Police Service of Northern Ireland recorded 17 cases of procuring an illegal abortion and three cases of child destruction. In several years within that timeframe, no offences of this type were recorded.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In the absence of statute law on abortion in Scotland before 1967, medical and legal practice varied locally. General population comparisons between jurisdictions would indicate that Scotland would record fewer offences than England and Wales and more than Northern Ireland although figures are not routinely published. In 2022, calls were made to formalise an offence of child destruction in Scotland, to ensure a more consistent approach in line with its neighbouring jurisdictions.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Post 1967 there was a rapid increase in the annual number of legal abortions, and a decline in sepsis and death due to illegal abortions. In 1978 121,754 abortions were performed on women resident in the UK, and 28,015 on non-resident women. The rate of increase fell from the early 1970s and actually dipped from 1991 to 1995 before rising again. The age group with the highest number of abortions per 1000 is amongst those aged 20–24. 2006 statistics for England and Wales revealed that 48% of abortions occurred to women over the age of 25, 29% were aged 20–24; 21% aged under 20 and 2% under 16.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In 2004, there were 185,415 abortions in England and Wales. 87% of abortions were performed at 12 weeks or less and 1.6% (or 2,914 abortions) occurred after 20 weeks. Abortion is free to residents; 82% of abortions were carried out by the public tax-funded National Health Service.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: The overwhelming majority of abortions (95% in 2004 for England and Wales) were certified under the statutory ground of risk of injury to the mental or physical health of the pregnant woman.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: By 2009, the number of abortions had risen to 189,100. Of this number, 2,085 are as a result of doctors deciding that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would have such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously disabled.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In a written answer to Jim Allister, the Northern Ireland health minister Edwin Poots disclosed that 394 abortions were carried out in Northern hospitals for the period 2005/06 to 2009/10 with the footnote that reasons for abortions were not gathered centrally.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: 190,800 abortions were notified as taking place in England and Wales in 2013. 0.2% fewer than in 2012; 185,331 were to residents of England and Wales. The age-standardised rate was 15.9 abortions per 1,000 resident women aged 15–44 years; this rate increased from 11.0 in 1973, peaked at 17.9 in 2007, and fell to 15.9 in 2013. For comparison, the EU average is only 4.4aabortions per 1,000 women in child-bearing age.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In 2018, the total abortions in England and Wales was 205,295. In this year, the abortion rate was highest for those of the age of 21, and 81% were for those who were single.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Opinion polling and social attitudes surveys have regularly considered public opinion in relation to abortion in Britain since at least the 1980s. The British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey has asked a number of questions about abortion over the past 40 years and has found almost unanimous support for a right to have an abortion if the woman's health would be seriously endangered by going ahead with the pregnancy. Levels of support for abortion in a situation where the woman decides on her own she does not wish to have the child were lower, when the issue was considered in 2012, with just over six in ten (62 per cent) supporting and a third (34 per cent) opposing. However, this marked a considerable change since 1983 when 37 per cent thought the law should allow this while just over half (55 per cent) thought it should not.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: The similar Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey has surveyed its respondents on abortion several times since 1998. In that year, 43% said that it was "always wrong" for a woman to have an abortion on economic grounds (i.e. "if the family has a very low income and cannot afford any more children") with 14% saying it was "not wrong at all" and a variety of other responses in between. The same responses were broadly found in 2008, when a large percentage of people (39 per cent) also affirmed that an embryo was "a human being at the moment of conception". A specific set of questions, asked by the Life and Times Survey in 2016 and 2018, covered a wide range of issues around abortion.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: A YouGov/"Daily Telegraph" survey in 2005 measured British public opinion regarding the gestational age at which abortion should be permitted, with the following levels of support:


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: An Amnesty International poll in 2014 indicated that a majority of people in Northern Ireland appeared to agree with changes in abortion law in three particular situations i.e. where a pregnancy has occurred due to rape, or incest, or where a fatal foetal abnormality (or life-limiting condition) has been diagnosed in the unborn child.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: Methodology is time-related. Up to the ninth week medical abortion can be used (mifepristone was approved for use in Britain in 1991); from the seventh up to the fifteenth week suction or vacuum aspiration is most common (largely replacing the more damaging dilation and curettage technique); for the fifteenth to the eighteenth weeks surgical dilation and evacuation is most common.


title: Abortion in the United Kingdom

text: In 2011, BPAS lost a High Court bid to force the Health Secretary to allow women undertaking early medical abortions in England, Scotland and Wales to administer the second dose of drug treatment at home. However, this decision was later reversed in 2019, permitting women to take both pills at home. The temporary changes were also linked to an increase in abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic's first year. On 24 February 2022, the Department of Health announced that the "pills at home" scheme was going to be scrapped in England. At the same time, Wales has announced that they intend to make the scheme permanent. Before deciding whether or not to make the scheme permanent, all three countries in the United Kingdom held a public consultation. MPs later voted to amend the Health and Care Bill 2022 to make the scheme permanent, allowing telemedical abortion care up to the tenth week of pregnancy.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Roque Luis Santa Cruz Cantero (; born 16 August 1981) is a Paraguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Paraguayan club Club Libertad. He is the record goal scorer and has earned over 100 caps for the Paraguay national team, thus he is regarded as one of the best players in the nation's history.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz started his career with Olimpia, progressing through their youth system to the first-team squad where he made his debut at the age of 15 in 1997. He finished his career with the club having scored 13 goals in 24 Primera División appearances where Olimpia claimed the 1997, 1998 and 1999 Primera División titles. Santa Cruz scored three goals in four appearances for Paraguay at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship before debuting for the Paraguayan national team at the 1999 Copa América, where he scored three goals in four appearances. He immediately joined Bundesliga club Bayern Munich in August 1999 for a fee of €5 million, which was the highest transfer fee in Paraguayan football until 2019. where he scored five goals in 28 league appearances in his first season. He faced a series of injuries and heavy competition from teammates Giovane Élber, Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro which limited his impact and restricted his appearances for the club.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was part of a successful team for Bayern, winning numerous Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and DFB-Ligapokal titles. He also won the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup. He left Bayern Munich in July 2007 to join Blackburn Rovers for a transfer fee of €5 million, where he scored 19 goals in the 2007–08 Premier League season. In June 2009, he joined Manchester City for a fee of £17.5 million on a four-year deal. Since his transfer, he was loaned out to Blackburn and Real Betis. A holder of a Spanish passport, Santa Cruz is eligible for unrestricted selection in all EU-based sides.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz is ranked equal 75th in the List of top international association football goal scorers by country. He represented Paraguay at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cup tournaments, and at the 1999, 2007, 2011 (where Paraguay finished runners-up) and 2015 Copa América tournaments. He retired from international football in 2016, but reversed his decision in May 2019.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz joined Primera División Paraguaya club Olimpia Asunción's youth academy at the age of nine, where he became the top scorer during several seasons. The club's first-team coach, Luis Cubilla, invited Santa Cruz to train with the team aged 15, and the player eventually made his first-team appearance in the 1997 Primera División Paraguaya at the age of 15, during the Torneo Clausura on 27 July when he entered the field in the 80th minute for Alfredo Mendoza in the Paraguayan derby against Cerro Porteño.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: During the group stages of the 1998 Copa Mercosur, Santa Cruz scored his first goal of the competition in the 11th minute of Olimpia Asunción's 4–2 away victory against Argentine side Racing Club on 14 October 1998. The club finished in second position of their group with ten points, and advanced to the quarter-finals to face José Luís Chilavert's Vélez Sársfield. During the first-leg of the quarter-final match on 27 October, Santa Cruz scored in the 65th minute of Olimpia's 4–3 away victory. One week later, Santa Cruz scored a brace for Olimpia as they claimed a 2–1 home victory in the second leg on 4 November 1998. His goals came in the 24th and 40th minutes of the first half. All of his three goals were scored against his international teammate Chilavert. Bayern Munich's eyes looked at Santa Cruz for the first time after he scored his double past José Luís Chilavert. The club was later eliminated from the competition at the semi-final stage by Palmeiras, who would go on to win the tournament. During the 1998 Primera División Paraguaya season, Santa Cruz scored three goals in nine appearances as Olimpia were crowned champions of the league. The club had also reached the knock-out stages of the 1998 Copa Libertadores, where they were eliminated by Argentina's Colón.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: During the 1999 Primera División Paraguaya season, Santa Cruz scored 10 goals in 14 appearances as Olimpia claimed the league title. Santa Cruz participated at the 1999 Copa Libertadores, where Olimpia were drawn in Group 3 with Cerro Porteño, eventual champions Palmeiras and Corinthians. In Olimpia first group stage match, against Cerro Porteño on 24 February, Santa Cruz scored a second-half double past Aldo Bobadilla in the 58th and 89th minutes as his side were defeated 4–3. On 5 March, Santa Cruz played a full 90 minutes in his side's second group stage match, a 4–2 home victory against Palmeiras. Santa Cruz again featured for Olimpia in their third group stage fixture, a 1–1 away draw against Palmeiras on 12 March. In Olimpia's fourth group stage fixture, Santa Cruz featured in the entire match as his side drew 2–2 at home against Cerro Porteño on 17 March. On 26 March, Santa Cruz played a full 90 minutes in Olimpia's 2–1 home defeat against Corinthians in their fifth Copa Libertadores group stage fixture. Olimpia had been 1–0 in front since the 31st minute of the match, before Corinthians would go on to score two goals in the second half.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 16 May 1999, a Bayern Munich delegation composed of Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Uli Hoeneß, Søren Lerby and Giovanni Branchinni entered surprisingly into the Estadio General Pablo Rojas to see a game between 12 de Octubre and Olimpia Asunción, in which Santa Cruz scored and was Man of the Match, making Bayern Munich hurry with the transfer process. The following day during a reunion with Olimpia's president, Osvaldo Dominguez Dibb, who wanted the sale to reach US$10 million, said "Pay the sum, or Roque stays at Olimpia", stamping his hand on his desk table. To unblock the situation, Santa Cruz' father, Aproniano, renounced a 30% of the transfer that corresponded him and Santa Cruz joined Bayern Munich without obstacles.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz had scored two goals in five Copa Libertadores appearances and would not take part in his club's last group stage fixture, a 4–0 away defeat against Corinthians on 9 April, due to his participation for Paraguay U20 at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, which was disputed at the same time. Santa Cruz played in his last "Superclásico" against Cerro Porteño in a 1–0 home victory during the 1999 Apertura on 30 May. Santa Cruz also played in his last competitive match for Olimpia Asunción a 1–0 win against Colegiales, on 6 June. The first contacts with Bayern Munich were via telephone and the US$20 million that the Olimpia Asunción president wanted for the transfer was considered by Bayern Munich a very elevated cost. His involvement with Paraguay's national teams, the striker was awarded with the Paraguayan Footballer of the Year award in 1999, and Olimpia club president Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb had assessed Santa Cruz to value from around US$20 million, however Santa Cruz was eventually sold to Bayern Munich for US$7 million, the transfer fee becoming the record transfer in Paraguayan football. He later revealed that he had the chance to join Real Madrid before he eventually signed with Bayern in 1999.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz confessed that his teammates and himself had been mis-treated by Osvaldo Domínguez Dibb after bad performances from the first-team where the players' salaries were not deposited into their bank accounts in order for the players to personally collect it in person from the president and would be threatened by guns and knives. "I remember that we once lost an important regional derby. The president entered the sleeping room where we all spent the night ahead of games and unloaded his gun in the ceiling. That wasn't all though. When a player had put in a bad performance, he just strolled up to their car and urinated inside it while they were standing right next to him. The president always wanted us to come up to him to pick up our monthly wages. If you hadn't played well that month, he stood up and asked 'What is it you want?' while tapping a machine gun on his desk. That always prompted players to wait for their money until they had put in some better performances again."


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz debuted for Bayern Munich in the 1999–00 Bundesliga season in a 2–0 loss against Bayer Leverkusen on 22 August 1999. Six days later, he scored his first league goal in the 40th minute of a 1–0 win against SpVgg Unterhaching on 28 August. He made his first appearance in the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League on 15 September in a 2–1 victory over PSV. His first goal in the Champions League came on his fifth appearance in the competition as Bayern lost 2–1 against PSV, as was substituted onto the field on 26 minutes for Paulo Sérgio and scored with a right-footed shot on 51 minutes. He ended the season with five goals in 28 league appearances as Bayern were crowned champions of the 1999–2000 Bundesliga season. Santa Cruz had also made consecutive Champions League appearances until the semi-final stages where Bayern Munich were knocked out by Real Madrid. On 6 May 2000, he was substituted onto the field on 73 minutes for Carsten Jancker during the 1999–2000 DFB-Pokal final as Bayern Munich beat Werder Bremen 3–0. Santa Cruz finished the season with nine goals in 48 matches.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Prior to the start of the 2000–01 Bundesliga season, Santa Cruz scored in a semi-final 4–1 win against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the 2000 DFB-Ligapokal on 30 July. During the final, he was substituted off the field for Carsten Jancker after just 46 minutes as Bayern Munich defeated Hertha BSC 5–1 on 1 August. Santa Cruz scored his first goal of the season, eight minutes after being substituted on for Alexander Zickler on the 11th minute, in a 3–0 away win to VfL Bochum on 19 August. On 19 September, in his first appearance of the 2000–01 Champions League, he was substituted onto the field after 46 minutes and then substituted off the field after 73 minutes. Four days later, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 away victory to 1. FC Köln on 23 September. After suffering from an injury, he returned to action on 17 December to score the first goal of the game after 15 minutes in a 3–1 away win to Hertha BSC, he played 89 minutes of the match before being substituted off. He then missed the following nine games, where on his return he scored Bayern Munich's first goal after six minutes of the game in a 1–1 draw to Borussia Dortmund on 7 April. He missed a large amount of the Champions League, he made his return where he was brought onto the field for Giovane Élber on 65 minutes in the second-leg quarter-final 2–1 win against Manchester United on 18 April. Due to injuries he was reduced to only 19 league appearances for the season, having scored five goals, as Bayern Munich claimed both the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League titles, where he was an un-used substitute during the final on 23 May. Santa Cruz finished the season with six goals in 28 matches.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Having already been overlooked by Bayern for striker Giovane Élber, the signing of striker Claudio Pizarro for the 2001–02 Bundesliga season would also limit his appearances, as Santa Cruz would regularly be substituted on to replace Pizarro or Élber. On 8 September, he scored his first goal of the 2001–02 season in round five, the second goal in a 2–0 away win to Borussia Dortmund. He played 79 minutes of the game before being substituted. On 23 October, he scored a brace in a 3–1 home win against Feyenoord during a 2001–02 Champions League group stage fixture as Bayern finished on top of Group H. He would be in the starting XI for the following two matches, where the second game saw him replaced after 42 minutes of the first half due to an injury. On 27 November, Bayern Munich defeated Boca Juniors 1–0 in the 2001 Intercontinental Cup, though he was not included in the squad. He returned to the first-team in a 5–1 away loss against Schalke 04 on 26 January, where he played the full 90 minutes. During the second group stage phase of the Champions League, he headed in a goal in the 81st minute from a Bixente Lizarazu cross in a 1–0 win against Boavista on 26 February. Bayern Munich were knocked out in the quarter-finals to Real Madrid as Santa Cruz made ten appearances in the competition. Santa Cruz finished the season with nine goals in 38 matches.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz made his first appearance of the 2002–03 season on matchday 9 in a 1–0 away win against Hansa Rostock, where he was substituted on to the field for Claudio Pizarro in the 76th minute. The striker scored his first goal of the 2002–03 Champions League in a 2–1 loss against Deportivo La Coruna on 29 October; he was substituted onto the field for Hasan Salihamidžić in the 46th minute and scored in the 77th minute. Bayern, however, finished bottom of their group with just two points. His first goal of the 2002–03 season came in a 2–1 home win against Borussia Dortmund on 9 November. One week later, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against VfL Wolfsburg on 16 November. In the following match, he scored Bayern Munich's second goal in a 2–0 win against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on 23 November. This was the first time that he had scored a goal in three consecutive games for Bayern Munich. Two weeks later, he scored a brace in a 3–0 away victory to VfB Stuttgart on 7 December. Due to injury, the Paraguayan was reduced to only 14 league appearances for the 2002–03 season as Bayern Munich finished on top of the 2002–03 Bundesliga table with 75 points. Bayern Munich defeated 1. FC Kaiserslautern 3–1 to claim the 2002–03 DFB-Pokal on 31 May, Santa Cruz was not included in the squad. Santa Cruz finished the season with eight goals in 19 matches.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Giovane Élber transferred to Lyon, but Bayern Munich signed Dutch striker Roy Makaay which provided more competition between Santa Cruz and Claudio Pizarro for the 2003–04 Bundesliga season. He made his first appearance of the 2003–04 in round five in a 3–2 loss to VfL Wolfsburg on 13 September 2003. One week later, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–3 draw against Bayer Leverkusen on 20 September 2003. Santa Cruz scored his first goal of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League in a 1–1 draw against Anderlecht on 30 September. Bayern Munich reached the knock-out stages where they were eliminated against Real Madrid. He had made 29 league appearances, having surpassed the number of appearances he made during his first-season before facing injury. Bayern Munich eventually finished second of the Bundesliga table with 68 points, six points shy of Werder Bremen. Santa Cruz finished the season with nine goals in 41 matches.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Prior to the start of the 2004–05 season, Santa Cruz played a full 90-minute in Bayern Munich's 3–2 2004 DFB-Ligapokal final win against Werder Bremen on 2 August. His first appearance of the 2004–05 season came in round 1 in a 2–0 away win against Hamburger SV, he was replaced by Mehmet Scholl in the 60th minute. He featured in the following two matches, although due to an injury sustained, he made his fourth and final league appearance for the 2004–05 season on matchday 34 in a 3–1 away win against VfB Stuttgart on 21 May 2005; he was substituted onto the field for Bastian Schweinsteiger in the 77th minute. He did not participate in the 2004–05 Champions League, where Bayern Munich were eliminated by Chelsea during the quarter-final stages.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Bayern were crowned champions of the 2004–05 Bundesliga season with 77 points, and qualified for the 2005–06 Champions League. The club also claimed the 2004–05 DFB-Pokal in a 2–1 win against Schalke 04 on 28 May 2005, although Santa Cruz did not take part in the match, where in his absence was striker Paolo Guerrero. Upon Santa Cruz's return from injury, he played the full 90 minutes of Bayern's 2–1 2005 DFL-Ligapokal semi-final defeat against VfB Stuttgart on 26 July. Santa Cruz finished the season with five goals in seven matches for the first team and two goals in five matches for the reserve team.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz started in Bayern Munich's 3–0 home win against Borussia Mönchengladbach on the open day of the 2005–06 season on 5 August. He first appeared in the 2005–06 Champions League in a 1–0 home win against Club Brugge on 27 September, where he was substituted onto the field for Paolo Guerrero in the 72nd minute. He would make just one more appearance in the competition, as Bayern Munich were eliminated by Milan at the round of 16. He scored his first goal of the season on matchday 8 in a 2–0 home win against VfL Wolfsburg on 1 October. In the following match, he scored after 19 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against Schalke 04 on 15 October. In Bayern's 4–0 win against MSV Duisburg one week later, on 22 October, he scored his side's third goal in the 59th minute. He encountered an injury which reduced him to just 13 Bundesliga appearances for the season. During this period of injury recovery, he spent some time with Bayern Munich II in the Regionalliga Süd. He returned to the first-team on matchday 29 in a 3–0 away loss to Werder Bremen on 8 April, where he was substituted onto the field for Claudio Pizarro in the 80th minute.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Bayern claimed the 2005–06 DFB-Pokal when they defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 1–0 at the Olympic Stadium on 29 April, however Santa Cruz did not take part in the match. He scored his fourth and final goal of the 2005–06 season in a 3–1 home win against VfB Stuttgart on 3 May. During the 2006 DFL-Ligapokal, he featured in Bayern's 0–0 semi-final draw against Schalke 04 on 2 August, where he was substituted onto the field in the 77th minute for Lukas Podolski. Bayern eventually won the match 4–1 in a penalty shoot-out as he converted his side's third spot kick. Three days later, he played a full 90 minutes of the final where Bayern lost 2–0 against Werder Bremen on 5 August 2006. Bayern claimed the 2005–06 Bundesliga and qualified for the 2006–07 Champions League. Santa Cruz finished the season with three goals in 19 matches for the first team. He also made an appearance for the reserve team.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz made his first appearance in the 2006–07 Champions League in a 4–0 home win against Spartak Moscow on 12 September, where he scored Bayern's second goal with a right-footed shot in the 52nd minute. He scored his first goal of the 2006–07 season in a 3–0 away win against Energie Cottbus on 12 May. he finished the 2006–07 Bundesliga season with two goals in 26 league appearances, as Bayern finished in fourth position with 60 points. The club had also been eliminated in the third round of the 2006–07 DFB-Pokal. After eight years with Bayern, he stated to the club's director of football, Uli Hoeneß, that he needed a change of scenery and opted for a transfer to Real Betis, he also received offers to go to Italy and England. Bayern asked for an affordable price for him but at the time it was too high for Real Betis and he eventually signed for Blackburn Rovers in July 2007. Santa Cruz finished the season with four goals in 38 matches.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz agreed to a four-year deal with Blackburn on 28 July 2007. The club agreed to pay Bayern Munich £3.5 million for the player, where he was presented with the number nine shirt. The striker made his debut in the 2007–08 Premier League on the opening day of the season in a 2–1 away win against Middlesbrough on 11 August, where he was substituted onto the field for the injured Benni McCarthy in the 60th minute and after just three touches of the ball scored an equaliser in the 63rd minute. Two weeks later, he scored for Blackburn after 16 minutes in a 1–1 draw against Everton on 25 August. He celebrated his 26th birthday and his first full Rovers start when he scored in a 1–0 away first-leg win against MYPA in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup qualifying rounds on 16 August. He scored his first hat-trick for Blackburn in a 5–3 loss to Wigan Athletic on 15 December, Blackburn had been losing 3–0 before he had brought the sides level with his three goals. This hat-trick meant that he became the first player in over ten years in English football to score a hat-trick for the losing side, since Dwight Yorke's hat-trick on 30 September 1996 for Aston Villa in their 4–3 away loss to Newcastle United.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: During the 2007–08 League Cup, he scored a brace in a 3–2 loss against Arsenal. Two weeks later, he scored a brace in a 2–2 draw against Manchester City on 27 December. On 12 January 2008, he was named Premier League Player of the Month for December 2007. The Paraguayan scored a 90th minute consolation goal for Blackburn in their 3–1 away loss to Liverpool on 13 April. One week later, he scored in a 1–1 draw against Manchester United on 19 April.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: In the following match, he went on to score in a 1–0 victory against Portsmouth and then two goals in a 3–1 win against Derby County which totalled to five goals in four consecutive matches. Santa Cruz finished the season with 19 goals in 37 league appearances, finishing as the league's fourth top goal-scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo (31 goals), Fernando Torres (24 goals) and Emmanuel Adebayor (24 goals), as Blackburn claimed seventh spot on the 2007–08 Premier League table with 58 points. He was also voted as Blackburn's Player of the Season.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Following a successful 2007–08 campaign, there was much transfer speculation surrounding Santa Cruz at the start of the 2008–09 Premier League. However, he signed a four-year contract with Blackburn in August to end the speculation. Prior to the start of the 2008–09 season, Blackburn signed Roque's younger brother, Julio, who had arrived from Paraguayan Primera División side Cerro Porteño. He scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season in round 1 in a 3–2 away victory against Everton on 16 August. His second goal of the season came on 27 September in a 2–1 away win against Newcastle United. During the fourth round of the 2008–09 Football League Cup, he scored in Blackburn's 2–1 win against Sunderland on 12 November, he was substituted onto the field for Andy Haworth in the 62nd minute and scored in the 65th minute.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: During an away fixture against Portsmouth in December, Santa Cruz's front door was forced open and his house was raided by three thugs who held his wife, Giselle, at knifepoint to her throat. His children were forced into a downstairs room while the robbers searched the house upstairs with his wife as she was forced her to hand over thousands of pounds worth of jewellery. Santa Cruz's house was less than a mile from Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant's mansion, which was attacked by ram-raiders the day before.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 6 December, he scored in Blackburn's 3–1 loss against Liverpool. He became a target for Manchester City following their takeover by the billionaire Abu Dhabi United Group. In January 2009, they had bids of £12 million and £16 million rejected by Blackburn, with the club stating it would take £25 million for them to even consider selling their star striker. On 2 February 2009, City failed to meet the reported £25 million asking price. During the fifth round of the 2008–09 FA Cup, he scored within 90 seconds to give Blackburn the lead in their 2–2 draw against Coventry City on 14 February. He scored his fourth and final goal of the 2008–09 season in a 2–1 away loss against Manchester United on 21 February. On 20 April, there were rumours that he was planning to leave Rovers after the 2008–09 season, less than 12 months after signing a new deal with the Premier League club, although he denied these rumours, saying that they were "lost in translation". Blackburn finished on the season in 15th position of the Premier League table with 41 points; Santa Cruz scored just 4 goals in 20 league appearances.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 21 June 2009, it was reported that Santa Cruz was undergoing a medical at Manchester City ahead of a proposed summer transfer worth £17.5 million on a four-year deal. Confirmation that the deal had been completed was released later that same day. The move to Manchester City reunited Santa Cruz with his former manager at Blackburn, Mark Hughes . He debuted for Manchester City in the 2009–10 Premier League season in a 3–1 home victory against West Ham United on 28 September, where he was substituted onto the field for Shaun Wright-Phillips in the 81st minute. During a League Cup fixture, he scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 5–1 win against Scunthorpe United on 28 October. He scored his first league goals for Manchester City, a brace in a 4–3 home victory against Sunderland on 19 December, a game which proved to be Mark Hughes' last game at the club. Santa Cruz's appearances, however, were limited when Roberto Mancini took over as manager, due to a succession of injuries coupled with a lack of form. He scored his third and final league goal for the 2009–10 season in a 2–1 away victory against Fulham on 21 March. Santa Cruz had made only 19 league appearances as Manchester City finished the season in fifth position, where they qualified for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Roberto Mancini continued to leave out Santa Cruz during the 2010–11 season, and he made it clear that he wanted to leave. Mark Hughes, who by then was manager of Fulham, had insisted on signing him, but a transfer never materialized. From September 2010 to January 2011, he had made just one league appearance, a 0–0 draw against Birmingham City on 13 November where he had been substituted onto the field for James Milner in the 66th minute. He had also made one League Cup appearance in a 2–1 away loss to West Bromwich Albion on 22 September. In December, he received a loan offer from Serie A outfit Lazio for the remainder of the season, though it was rejected as he preferred a permanent move away from Eastlands.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 14 January 2011, Santa Cruz returned to Blackburn on loan for the remainder of the 2010–11 season. After Santa Cruz passed his medical, he said, "When Blackburn showed an interest in me, it was very easy to decide," to BBC Radio Lancashire. His first game for Blackburn was in a 2–0 away loss against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 15 January, where he was substituted onto the field in the 46th minute for Nikola Kalinić. He made one appearance for Blackburn in a 3–1 FA Cup loss against Aston Villa on 29 January. He made nine appearances for Blackburn, as they finished in 15th position of the Premier League.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: In August 2011, after being linked with moves to Leeds United and Celtic, Santa Cruz was loaned to Real Betis for the 2011–12 La Liga season after completing a medical on 27 August. He debuted for Betis in a 1–0 win against Mallorca on 10 September 2011, where he was substituted onto the field in the 75th minute for Jorge Molina. He scored his first goals for Betis, a brace, in a 4–3 win against Real Zaragoza on 22 September. He made his debut in the 2011–12 Copa del Rey in a 1–0 way loss against Córdoba on 13 December. His third league goal came in a 2–0 away win against Atlético Madrid, where he had been substituted onto the field for Beñat in the 72nd minute and scored his side's second goal in the 90th minute on 18 December.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: In December, Brazilian Série A outfit Cruzeiro had made a bid for Santa Cruz and had also offered Manchester City their highly rated 17-year-old youngster, Léo Bonatini, as part of the deal. He admitted that he was aware of interest from Cruzeiro, but stated that the challenge of consolidating his club's position in La Liga was more important than moving on to pastures new. He scored his first goal of 2012 in a 2–0 home victory against Sporting de Gijón on 8 January. One week later, he was substituted onto the field for Ireney in the 46th minute at the Camp Nou in a 4–2 loss against Barcelona on 15 January, where he scored in the 52nd minute with a right-footed shot to level the scores at 2–2.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Having not scored for over two months, Santa Cruz scored his sixth league goal in a 1–1 home draw against Racing de Santander on 25 March. Several days later, it was reported that he had expressed his desire to remain at Betis for the next season, citing his love to the fans and the club. On 7 April, he scored his seventh league goal in a 3–1 home win against Villarreal. After notching seven league goals in 33 La Liga appearances, he announced his desire to stay with Betis after being deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester City.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 17 June 2012, it was reported again that Mark Hughes, at that point managing Queens Park Rangers, was keen on signing Santa Cruz for the 2012–13 season. On 6 July 2012, it was reported that he was close to signing with Betis on a permanent deal but had hit problems due to his elevated wage demands. On 13 July 2012, it was reported that Argentine Primera División club Newell's Old Boys had expressed their interest in signing him after the club employed former Paraguay national team head coach Gerardo Martino as the first-team manager for the 2012–13 season. Martino stated that he would be the club's number 9 if they were to sign him. It was also reported that Colón and Santa Cruz's former club Olimpia Asunción were also chasing him. On 20 July, it had been reported that Santa Cruz was again linked with a move to QPR after he hinted that he could join up with ex-manager, Hughes. On 21 July, it was reported that he had admitted that he would prefer to join a team in the north-west of England as he sought an exit from Manchester City. On 31 July 2012, it was reported that Middlesbrough had failed in bid to sign Santa Cruz when it was understood that their offered deal had been swiftly rejected.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz had made surprise appearances for Manchester City during the club's pre-season tour and friendlies. On 31 July 2012, he scored in the 53rd minute of a 2–1 friendly loss against Oldham Athletic when he rounded goalkeeper Alex Cisak with ease and scored after a loose ball fell kindly. On 5 August 2012, he played 73 minutes in the city's 4–0 friendly victory over Limerick. On 10 August 2012, it was reported that Werder Bremen had been wheedled to within an inch of making a bid for him. It was also reported that he had had finally poised to agree deal with Bremen in order to leave Manchester City, and that according to Bremen's club general manager Klaus Allofs, they had been targeting a seasoned striker who can make a difference to their team.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 31 August 2012, Santa Cruz returned to Spain and Andalusia, this time signing for Málaga on a season-long loan. Santa Cruz was reunited with Argentine centre back and good friend Martín Demichelis, with whom he had played with at Bayern Munich. His first league appearance for the 2012–13 season came in a 3–1 home victory against Levante on 16 September 2012. Wearing the number 24, Santa Cruz was substituted onto the field in the 69th minute for Javier Saviola. Two days later, Santa Cruz featured as a second-half substitute in Málaga's 3–0 Champions League home victory against Zenit Saint Petersburg on 18 September. The encounter was his first UEFA Champions League competition return following several seasons, since the 2006–07 edition with Bayern Munich.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 7 October 2012, Santa Cruz scored his first league goal for Málaga in a 2–1 away defeat against Atlético Madrid. On 31 October, he scored a brace in a 4–3 away win against Cacereño in Malaga's first 2012–13 Copa del Rey fixture.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: He scored his first league double in a 3–2 home victory against Real Madrid on 22 December 2012. Santa Cruz had entered the field in the 65th minute of the match for Javier Saviola and netted both goals in the 73rd and 76th minutes of the fixture. On 13 March 2013, Santa Cruz scored Málaga's second goal in their 2–0 Round of 16 UEFA Champions League home victory against Porto. His goal gave Málaga a 2–1 aggregate scores and sent the club directly into the quarter-finals of the competition, where they would face Borussia Dortmund and be eliminated. Santa Cruz had totaled eight league goals in 31 La Liga appearances as Málaga concluded in sixth position and qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League play-off round, however, the club was banned by UEFA from participating due to violations of UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 11 July 2013, it was confirmed that Santa Cruz would stay with Málaga on a permanent three-year contract. He was issued the number 9 shirt for the 2013–14 La Liga season following the departure of Javier Saviola. Santa Cruz affirmed that he was happy to be staying at the club and the factor of family stability came into his decision as he was able to leave his children enrolled in the same school. Santa Cruz first appearance of the season came in a 1–0 away defeat against Valencia on 17 August 2013.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Two weeks later, Santa Cruz scored his first league goal in a 2–2 away draw against Sevilla on 1 September 2013.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: His first appearance in the 2013–14 Copa del Rey was in a 3–3 home draw against Osasuna on 8 December 2013. Santa Cruz scored his last goal of the 2013–14 La Liga season in a 2–0 home victory against Villarreal on 21 April 2014. He scored Málaga's first goal in the sixth minute of the match. Santa Cruz concluded the season with six league goals as Málaga avoided relegation by six points.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz made his 2014–15 La Liga season debut in a 1–0 home victory against Athletic Bilbao on 23 August, playing in the entire 90 minutes of the fixture.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 4 October, Santa Cruz scored his first goal of the 2014–15 season in a 2–1 home victory against Granada. He scored a double in a 4–1 home victory against Deportivo de La Coruña on 18 December 2014 in the 2014–15 Copa del Rey.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz played in his last match for Málaga on 21 December 2014 in a 2–1 away victory against Elche. The player was in the starting line-up and was substituted off of the field in the 51st minute for Nordin Amrabat. Concluding the fixture, Málaga club president Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani used his Twitter account in order to say goodbye to the Paraguayan striker, saying, "Thank you very much Roque Santa Cruz. You will always be in our hearts. I wish you every success."


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 20 December 2014, it was revealed by Santa Cruz's agent, Aproniano Santa Cruz (his father), that the player would join Mexican club Cruz Azul for the 2015 Clausura. It was then confirmed that Santa Cruz would travel to Mexico on 22 December 2014 after playing his final league fixture for Malaga the day before, that the signing itself would cost around €2 million and Santa Cruz's agent assured that it would be a two-year contract. It was then reported by Paraguayan newspaper "Última Hora" that Santa Cruz would be highest paid player in the Liga MX, with a salary of more than US$200,000 per month and €2 million per year, earning higher than Ronaldinho earned at Querétaro. Cruz Azul doubled his previous annual salary of €900,000 per year. The transfer was officially completed on 29 December 2014.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 10 January 2015, Santa Cruz debuted for Cruz Azul in the 2014–15 Liga MX season in a 1–0 away victory against Pachuca, being substituted off of the field after 82 minutes for Ismael Valadéz. One week after his debut, Santa Cruz was substituted off of the field after just 14 minutes of the first half in a 1–0 home victory against Santos Laguna on 17 January with reports that he had suffered muscle pain in the outer thigh. It was later reported that he would be sidelined for three weeks.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Upon his return, Santa Cruz scored his first league goal for Cruz Azul in a 2–1 home victory against Tijuana in March 2015. Three weeks later, he scored a double in a 2–0 home victory against Tigres UANL. He scored in the fourth minute of the match and then netted a penalty in the 14th minute to defeat the side who eventually finished in first place of the 2014–15 Clausura Championship. Before departing Cruz Azul, his last goal was in a 1–0 away victory against UNAM in early May 2015.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 26 August 2015, Santa Cruz returned to former club Málaga after agreeing to a one-year loan deal. On 3 December 2015, he scored in a 2–1 away loss against Mirandés in a Copa del Rey fixture. The game was his second since returning from injury and his first appearance in the squad's starting XI. On 12 December, Santa Cruz stated that his intention was to retire at Málaga.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz scored his first league goal of the season in a 1–1 away draw against Las Palmas on 10 January 2016. The fixture was his fourth league appearance and the first time he would be in the starting line-up for a league match. On 22 May 2016, Málaga-based newspaper "Málaga Hoy" reported that Santa Cruz was deciding whether to continue playing football or retire. The player's last appearance for the club had come on 24 April when he played just a few minutes at the Vicente Calderón Stadium against Atlético Madrid.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: At the end of the club season, Santa Cruz had been removed from Paraguay's 2016 Copa América squad due to a knee problem; his loan with Málaga had concluded; and Mexican club Cruz Azul had communicated that Santa Cruz was not returning for the next season. Several days later, one of the directors of Santa Cruz's former club Olimpia, Ricardo Tavarelli (also the player's brother in-law), announced that he had spoken with Santa Cruz in relation to the player's possible return to the club.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 6 June 2016, Santa Cruz arrived in Paraguay for vacation and was greeted by many fans of Olimpia at the airport. He stated to the press that his "wish is to be at Olimpia, it's my house, I left from here".


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 8 June, it was officially confirmed that Santa Cruz had returned to the club after 17 years and would join his teammates for pre-season.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: His "second" club debut came after entering the field in the second half of an international match, wearing the shirt number 24, against Boca Juniors on 23 June 2016. His league debut came in a 4–0 victory at home against Deportivo Capiatá on 30 July 2016. Santa Cruz was substituted onto the field in the second half for Fredy Bareiro in the 66th minute, assisting Julián Benítez in scoring his side's third goal two minutes later, then ultimately scoring a goal himself in the 90th minute.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: The player then missed his side's next two league fixtures, including the "Superclásico" against Cerro Porteño, and upon returning he scored again in a 4–3 come back victory against Nacional on 20 August.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was labelled 'Roque-Mania' by newspaper Versus, who described the 2018 and 2019 seasons as when his return to Olimpia Asunción reached its top, following four consecutive domestic titles under the coaching of Daniel Garnero.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Upon his departure from the club in 2021, Santa Cruz left Olimpia Asunción as its second-highest scorer behind Mauro Caballero, with 91 goals.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: In September 2021, a transfer for Santa Cruz to Libertad to be able to play the semi-finals of the Copa Sudamericana was announced, but the transfer attempt failed. On 27 December 2021, the 40-year-old Santa Cruz was officially revealed as Club Libertad's signing, announced through Twitter by the club. His signing was at the wish of Horacio Cartes. He joined until 31 December 2022. Before he departed Olimpia Asunción, who was in debt with him, Santa Cruz changed part of the debt payment into an inversion of bonds. Following his signing, Santa Cruz was the subject of criticism by Olimpia Asunción fans. Within the first 24 hours of announcing Santa Cruz as Libertad's signing, he lost thousands of Social Media followers who were Olimpia Asunción fans. The transfer was officially complete in January of Paraguay's 2022 summer transfer window.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Since Santa Cruz already debuted in Paraguay's domestic league, national team coach Paulo César Carpegiani contemplated taking the 17-year-old to the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. In 1999, Santa Cruz represented Paraguay's under-20 team before receiving a call up to the senior team when he made his debut aged 17 in a friendly match against Mexico on 28 April 1999. Santa Cruz scored his first goal for Paraguay in a 3–2 loss against Uruguay on 17 June 1999. He had scored a total of ten goals at international level for Paraguay (including U-20) in 1999. Due to his performances and involvement in three major tournaments of that same year (1999 South American Youth Championship, 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and the 1999 Copa América), Santa Cruz was awarded as the Paraguayan Footballer of the Year by Diario ABC Color and the Paraguayan Football Association.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: In 2000, Santa Cruz was selected to represent the under-23 at the 2000 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament in Brazil, which saw Paraguay fail to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics. He appeared in four matches at the tournament, against Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Peru, scoring a double against the latter.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: During the qualification campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Santa Cruz had scored a total of three goals. His first goal came in round nine, when Santa Cruz had scored Paraguay's first goal in the third minute of a 2–0 away victory against Colombia on 7 October 2000. His second goal came in a 5–1 home victory against Peru on 15 November 2000, and Santa Cruz scored his third goal of the 2002 World Cup qualification in a 5–1 home victory against Bolivia on 5 September 2001.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Prior to the World Cup, Santa Cruz scored his eighth international career goal in a 2–1 victory against Sweden in a friendly on 17 May 2002. Santa Cruz scored four goals during the qualification campaign for the 2006 World Cup. His first came in a 2–1 home victory against Ecuador on 15 November 2003, when Santa Cruz had given Paraguay a 1–0 lead in the 29th minute. Santa Cruz then scored Paraguay's only goal in their 4–1 away loss against Brazil on 5 June 2005. Three days later, Santa Cruz scored his third goal of the qualification campaign in a 4–1 home victory against Bolivia in Asunción on 8 June 2005. In round 16 of the qualification campaign, Santa Cruz scored in the 14th minute of the 1–0 home victory against Argentina in Asunción on 3 September 2005. His four goals during the qualification campaign brought him to a tally of 13 international goals for Paraguay.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz did not score his next international goal until two years later, Paraguay's only goal in their 2–1 away victory against Mexico at the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey on 25 March 2007. During the qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup, Santa Cruz had scored three goals for Paraguay. His first goal came in the 50th minute of a 5–1 home victory against Ecuador on 17 November 2007, Santa Cruz had dribbled into the 18-yard box and scored with a right-footed shot. On 15 June 2008, Santa Cruz scored Paraguay's first goal in their 2–0 home victory against Brazil in Asunción, hitting a far-post tap-in, side footing the ball into the net after receiving it from a corner. Then, in the 49th minute, he received a through ball from Nelson Valdez and dribbled towards the goal to attempt a shot on goal. His shot was initially saved by Brazil goalkeeper Júlio César, but fell into the path of Salvador Cabañas who would score Paraguay's second goal. He scored his 24th international goal for Paraguay with a header in a 2–0 home victory in Asunción against Romania on 11 June 2011, a preparation match for the 2011 Copa América. On 7 June 2013, Santa Cruz scored in a 2–1 home defeat against Chile during a 2014 World Cup qualifier. The goal brought his tally to 26 which made him the all-time leading goal scorer of the Paraguayan national team's history. Santa Cruz went on to score two more goals (against Bolivia and Argentina) during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, and also served as the national team captain for the last four fixtures of the campaign. On 18 November 2014, Santa Cruz scored in a 2–1 away friendly defeat against Peru in Lima, which took his tally to 30 goals for the national team.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was named in the 20-man squad for Paraguay's 1999 South American Youth Championship in Argentina in January. Santa Cruz scored in Paraguay's first match against Bolivia, levelling the scores at 1–1 in the 69th minute as Paraguay went on to win 2–1 on 8 January. In Paraguay's second game against Brazil, Santa Cruz scored in the first minute of the match which ultimately ended in a 1–1 draw on 10 January. Paraguay finished in first place of their respective group with 10 points, qualifying for the second round of the tournament. In Paraguay's third match of the second ground, Santa Cruz scored in the 66th minute of Paraguay's 3–2 victory against Chile on 21 January. Paraguay finished in fourth place of the second round group stage with eight points and subsequently qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was selected by coach Mario Jacquet for the 18-man Paraguay U-20 squad for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in April. Santa Cruz was handed the number 9 shirt. He played a full 90 minutes in Paraguay's group stage opener, a 4–0 loss against Germany on 4 April. In Paraguay's second group stage match, Santa Cruz scored in the 26th minute of Paraguay's 3–1 victory against Costa Rica on 7 April. He was substituted off of the field in the 75th minute for Sergio Fernández. Santa Cruz then played 80 minutes of Paraguay's last group stage match, a 2–1 victory against Nigeria on 10 April. Paraguay had obtained six points out of three games, they finished in first place of their respective group and advanced to the round of 16 knockout stages. Paraguay were drawn against Uruguay, where they were losing 2–0 before Santa Cruz scored a 62nd-minute penalty goal. He then scored for Paraguay in the 86th minute to level the scores at 2–2. The match was then decided via penalty shoot-out, where Santa Cruz had scored Paraguay's first penalty. After ten penalty shots had been taken, Santa Cruz took his second penalty shot which was missed. Uruguay subsequently won the penalty shoot-out 10–9.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz performances in Paraguay's national youth teams led to a call-up to by national team coach Ever Almeida for the 1999 Copa América held in Paraguay. In Paraguay's second group stage match, Santa Cruz scored a double against tournament invitees Japan on 2 July. Santa Cruz had scored a goal in each half, one goal in the 40th minute of the first half and the other goal in the 86th minute of the second half. Three days later, Santa Cruz scored the only goal for Paraguay in their 1–0 win against Peru on 5 July. Santa Cruz had scored in the 88th minute of the match. Paraguay had finished in first place of their respective group, with seven points, and advanced to the quarter-final stages of the tournament. Paraguay would face Uruguay on 10 July at the Defensores del Chaco in Asunción, where Uruguay won 5–3 via penalty shoot-out having drawn 1–1 in regulation time.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was included in Cesare Maldini's 23-man squad for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, where he was handed the number 9 shirt. Santa Cruz started in Paraguay's first group stage match against South Africa on 2 June. He scored in the 39th minute, giving Paraguay a 1–0 first half lead, when he latched onto the end of a free-kick by Francisco Arce and headed the ball into the left side of the net. Santa Cruz played a full 90 minutes of the 2–2 draw. He again started in Paraguay's second group stage match against Spain on 7 June. He again played a full 90 minutes of the 3–1 loss and was yellow carded in the 80th minute. On 12 June, Santa Cruz played a full 90 minutes of Paraguay's 3–1 victory against Slovenia. Paraguay finished in second position of their respective with four points, advancing to the round of 16 where they faced Germany on 15 June. Santa Cruz had again started the match as part of the squad's starting XI, however, he was substituted off of the field for Jorge Campos in the 29th minute due to injury in the eventual 1–0 defeat.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 10 June 2013, it was reported that José Luís Chilavert had stated that Santa Cruz had pretended to be injured in order to miss the match against Germany at the round of 16 stage of the 2002 World Cup. Chilavert claimed that this was because Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who at the time was vice president of Bayern Munich (which was the club were Santa Cruz had played at from 1999 to 2007), had visited the hotel that Paraguay were staying at and had apparently told Santa Cruz not to play against Germany.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Francisco Arce defended Santa Cruz, informing that "Chilavert comes out to say stupid things every now and then. Don't believe him. Roque is the most professional person that I have ever met in my time in the national team, he is a man that doesn't have a stain in any place".


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Prior to the match in 2002, the media stated that the match would have special significance for Santa Cruz due to playing for a German club. Prior to the match, Santa Cruz said, "I'm very excited – I have been dreaming of this. If I have a chance I will kill them – I know all their tricks. It will be a special game for me against my friends and colleagues from Bayern Munich, but I don't take it as a personal challenge. I have been living there for three years and I like the country very much, but I think they will understand that I must do my best and I won't need motivating. Germany are a powerful team, with players of the highest calibre, and their name is written into World Cup history," and in 2013 Santa Cruz himself then stated to Paraguay's Telefuturo that Chilavert's comments were false because they were stated more than ten years after the incident. Santa Cruz also stated that what had been said was painful because alongside Chilavert he had shared many experiences but the people had seen Santa Cruz play and were aware of his professionalism.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was in doubt for the 2006 World Cup as he had been recovering from a knee injury, however, he recovered in time for the start of the tournament and was eventually was selected in the 23-man squad by coach Aníbal Ruiz. Despite wearing the number 24 shirt during the World Cup qualification campaign, he was handed the number 9 for the tournament. Santa Cruz was part of the starting XI players in Paraguay's first match against England on 10 June. He was partnered upfront alongside Nelson Valdez in the eventual 1–0 loss. Santa Cruz again started in Paraguay's 1–0 loss to Sweden on 15 June, where he was substituted off of the field for Dante López in the 63rd minute. Santa Cruz played a full 90 minutes of Paraguay's third group stage match against Trinidad and Tobago on 20 June, he had assisted Nelson Cuevas with a pass in scoring Paraguay's second goal in the 86th minute of the 2–0 victory. Paraguay finished in third position of their respective group, obtaining three points for their win against Trinidad and Tobago.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was selected for the 2007 Copa América under new coach Gerardo Martino. In Paraguay's first group stage match against Colombia on 28 June, Santa Cruz scored a hat-trick in his side's 5–0 victory. His first goal was a left-footed chip in the 30th minute, his second goal was a right-footed shot in the 46th minute assisted from an Édgar Barreto pass, and his third goal was a header in the 80th minute assisted from a cross by Carlos Bonet. Santa Cruz played a full 90 minutes of Paraguay's 3–1 victory against the United States on 2 July. Santa Cruz was substituted onto the field for Jonathan Santana in the 81st minute of Paraguay's last group stage fixture, a 1–0 loss against Argentina on 5 July. Paraguay had finished in second place of their respective group, having obtained six points from their two wins. They advanced to the quarter final stages where they faced Mexico on 8 July, where Santa Cruz played a full 90 minutes of Paraguay's 6–0 loss.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz scored three times during qualification for the 2010 World Cup, including the opening goal of a 2–0 defeat of Brazil in Asunción, as "La Albirroja" finished third in the CONMEBOL standings.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Despite injury restricting him to a substitute appearance in the team's opening match of the tournament finals against champions Italy, Santa Cruz went on to start in Paraguay's second and third Group F matches, as well as the round of 16 defeat of Japan in Pretoria. This result took Paraguay to its first ever World Cup quarter-final, where the team lost 0–1 to eventual champions Spain, with Santa Cruz appearing as a 72nd-minute substitute.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was part of Paraguay's starting eleven players for the 2011 Copa América. On 3 July, he played in Paraguay's opening group stage fixture, a 0–0 draw against Ecuador. He played 83 minutes of the match before being substituted off of the field for Pablo Zeballos. In Paraguay's second group stage fixture on 9 July, Santa Cruz Paraguay's first goal in the 54th minute of their 2–2 draw against Brazil in Córdoba. Santa Cruz was awarded as the Man of the Match of the 2–2 draw. His goal brought him to a total of 25 goals for Paraguay, making him the joint all-time leading goal scorer of the Paraguayan national team's history, with José Saturnino Cardozo.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 13 July, Santa Cruz played just 39 minutes of Paraguay's last group stage match against Venezuela before being replaced by Nelson Valdez. The match finished as a 3–3 draw and Paraguay finished in third place of their respective group, with three points, qualifying for the quarter finals stages. On 17 July, Santa Cruz would not take part in Paraguay's quarter final match against Brazil. Paraguay eventually beat Brazil 2–0 via penalty shoot-out and qualified for the semi-final. In Paraguay's semi-final victory against Venezuela on 20 July, Santa Cruz was substituted onto the field in the 73rd minute for Nelson Valdez, however due to an injury, he was substituted off of the field in the 80th minute for Osvaldo Martínez. Paraguay had beat Venezuela 5–3 via penalty shoot-out and qualified for the final where they faced Uruguay at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires on 24 July. Santa Cruz did not take part in the final, where which Paraguay were beaten 3–0 and finished runners-up.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 7 June 2013, in a 2014 World Cup qualification match against Chile, Santa Cruz scored his 26th international goal and became the leading goalscorer for Paraguay. Nevertheless, Paraguay did not qualify for the World Cup.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz was described in his 2010 World Cup profile as having "long caused problems for opposing defences with his natural flair for goalscoring and surging runs into the penalty box".


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz, who is a naturalised Spanish citizen, married Giselle Tavarelli, the sister of his former national team and Olimpia teammate Ricardo Tavarelli, in 2003. They have a son named Tobias (born 17 December 2003), a daughter named Fiorella (born 11 November 2005), a son named Benjamin (born 2010) and a daughter named Alaia (born in Spain in July 2014). Roque Santa Cruz is a practising Roman Catholic.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: His father, Aproniano Santa Cruz, is also his agent, and his mother is Celina. Santa Cruz has a younger brother named Julio who plays for Asunción-based club Nacional, a second brother named Diego who was also a professional football player, and another brother named Oscar who died in 2005.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: Santa Cruz is good friends with long-time Bayern Munich teammate Owen Hargreaves, who taught him the English language. Hargreaves and Santa Cruz lived nearby to each other in the city of Manchester while Santa Cruz was playing for Blackburn in 2007.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: In 2004, Santa Cruz was the subject of the song "Ich, Roque" by the German band Sportfreunde Stiller.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: In a 2006 World Cup edition of German magazine "kicker", Santa Cruz was voted the sexiest man to be taking part in the tournament. He was also chosen by the German newspaper "Die Welt" as the sexiest footballer of the 2006 World Cup. He has appeared on the cover of the German version of "Pro Evolution Soccer 6".


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: On 28 June 2007, during Paraguay's 5–0 group stage victory over Colombia at the 2007 Copa América, Santa Cruz became the 60th player to score a hat-trick in the history of Copa América hat-tricks.


title: Roque Santa Cruz

text: In July 2021, Santa Cruz confessed that former France defender Lilian Thuram was the hardest defender he played against.


title: ISO 3166-2

text: ISO 3166-2 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and defines codes for identifying the principal subdivisions (e.g., provinces or states) of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1. The official name of the standard is "Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions – Part 2: Country subdivision code". It was first published in 1998.


title: ISO 3166-2

text: The purpose of ISO 3166-2 is to establish an international standard of short and unique alphanumeric codes to represent the relevant administrative divisions and dependent territories of all countries in a more convenient and less ambiguous form than their full names. Each complete ISO 3166-2 code consists of two parts, separated by a hyphen:


title: ISO 3166-2

text: Each complete ISO 3166-2 code can then be used to uniquely identify a country subdivision in a global context.


title: ISO 3166-2

text: The following table can be used to access the current ISO 3166-2 codes of each country, and comprises three columns:


title: ISO 3166-2

text: For the following countries, a number of their subdivisions in ISO 3166-2, most of them dependent territories, are also officially assigned their own country codes in ISO 3166-1:


title: ISO 3166-2

text: The format of the ISO 3166-2 codes is different for each country. The codes may be alphabetic, numeric, or alphanumeric, and they may also be of constant or variable length. The following is a table of the ISO 3166-2 codes of each country (those with codes defined), grouped by their format:


title: ISO 3166-2

text: The ISO 3166/MA updates ISO 3166-2 when necessary. Changes in ISO 3166-2 consist mostly of spelling corrections, addition and deletion of subdivisions, and modification of the administrative structure.


title: ISO 3166-2

text: ISO used to announce changes in newsletters which updated the currently valid standard, and releasing new editions which comprise a consolidation of newsletter changes. As of July 2013, changes are published in the online catalogue of ISO only and no newsletters are published anymore. Past newsletters remain available on the ISO website.


title: ISO 3166-2

text: Many of the lists below are based on outdated versions of ISO 3166-2 codes. The latest version may be obtained from the ISO 3166/MA.


title: Official state car

text: An official state car is a vehicle used by a government to transport its head of state or head of government in an official capacity, which may also be used occasionally to transport other members of the government or visiting dignitaries from other countries. A few countries bring their own official state car for state visits to other countries, for instance, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Germany and Japan. It also may serve as an automotive symbol of the head of state and their country. An official state car must have adequate security, capability and stateliness for its duty. A limousine, F-segment, luxury car or executive car is usually selected.


title: Official state car

text: Due to the high security risk of the passengers, these vehicles are often heavily secured and protected. Vehicles may be armored by the manufacturer or an after-market specialist. (In this article the term "armored car" invariably means a reinforced civilian vehicle, not the military vehicle). When carrying an important passenger, state vehicles may be surrounded by a motorcade consisting of police or military personnel. The vehicle's driver might also be from the law enforcement or military pool; the driver of the United States Presidential State Car is an experienced agent from the Secret Service and the British prime minister is driven by a Specialist Protection officer from the Metropolitan Police Service.


title: Official state car

text: In countries that have domestic automobile manufacturers, the government will usually commission one of the national automakers to provide a state car, or allow several to provide cars for an official state fleet. It is considered an honour for a car manufacturer to be selected to provide a state car for their respective country and a demonstration of the confidence of a government in their national industry. For example, the president of the United States currently uses a Cadillac with special undisclosed security features commissioned by the United States government and built by General Motors, with Lincoln, manufactured by Ford Motor Company and Chrysler vehicles having been used in the past, representing the three major American manufacturers. Soviet leaders used custom-built limousines made by the ZiL company, and though the Russian presidents switched to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class due to ZiL's decline after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Putin commissioned a new official state car from the national automotive establishment, which was delivered in early 2018. In 2018 the Government of South Korea commissioned a highly modified Hyundai Nexo SUV to serve as the official state car of South Korea. The emperor of Japan uses a Toyota Century, the prime minister of Italy uses a Maserati, the prime minister of Malaysia uses a Proton Perdana, the president of the Czech Republic is driven around in a Škoda Superb, and the British monarch uses a Bentley. Members of the British royal family are driven in Jaguars, though other makes may be used in other Commonwealth realms. The president of France can choose from cars manufactured by Renault or PSA Peugeot Citroën, and all major German manufacturers (Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen Group) are represented in Germany's pool of vehicles available for use by state officials. The prime minister of India uses a Land Rover Sentinel high security edition as Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by Tata Motors, an Indian automobile company though they are manufactured in the UK.


title: Official state car

text: For countries without major indigenous manufacturers, an official state car may be purchased from a suitable manufacturer in a nation with strong economic and diplomatic ties. Canada exclusively uses state cars manufactured by the Detroit Three, many of which are made in Canadian factories, with the United States and American car manufacturers having a historically strong relationship with Canada.


title: Official state car

text: The following information lists some state cars and their users of sovereign states and other territories; the list is likely to be out of date in some cases as incumbents and cars change.


title: Official state car

text: The president of Afghanistan traveled in a convoy of armored Toyota Land Cruiser J200s without registration plates.


title: Official state car

text: The current president of Albania rides in his Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman, escorted by a motorcade consisting of black Fiat 500Ls.


title: Official state car

text: Alberto Fernández has a Toyota Corolla accompanied by the Presidential Security using 4×4 Toyota Hilux SW4 and Toyota Corolla.


title: Official state car

text: The current president of Armenia is driven in a 4th generation Audi A8, escorted by a motorcade consisting of black Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUVs.


title: Official state car

text: The governor-general of Australia travels in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine for ceremonial occasions, such as the State Opening of Parliament. He more commonly uses a white ballistic and bullet-proof armoured BMW 7 series when on official business. The official cars of the governor-general fly the flag of the governor-general of Australia and display St. Edward's Crown instead of number plates.


title: Official state car

text: A similar arrangement is used for the governors of the six states. When the king is in Australia, the king's personal Australian flag is flown on the car in which he is travelling. During Queen Elizabeth II's 2011 visit to Australia, the queen and the duke of Edinburgh were driven in a Range Rover Vogue.


title: Official state car

text: The official state car of the prime minister of Australia is a white ballistic and bullet-proof armoured BMW 7 Series, supported at all times by an armoured BMW X5. Prior to 2013, vehicles in the prime ministerial fleet were white Ford Territory and Holden Caprice models. The prime ministerial vehicle is also escorted by police vehicles from state and federal authorities. The prime minister's car bears the number plate C1 (meaning "Commonwealth One") and a centrally mounted Australian flag. The prime ministerial car fleet operates as part of COMCAR, a division of the Australian Government's Department of Finance.


title: Official state car

text: In 2013, BMW was selected to provide a fleet of 7 Series High Security vehicles as part of a tender to replace the ageing armoured Holden Caprice fleet that formerly transported the Australian prime minister. The off-the-shelf replacements offer greater protection and better value for money. A BAE and GM-Holden Consortium also bid for the contract.


title: Official state car

text: The prime minister of Bangladesh travels in an armoured BMW 7 Series, as well as an armoured Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV and a Maybach. Previously, the car was a Nissan Armada SUV.


title: Official state car

text: The Belgian king, Philippe, uses a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW 7 Series, mostly with the number plate '1', because he is the commander in chief of the army. For his inauguration, a Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulette was used. All royal family members drive cars with only numbers.


title: Official state car

text: The prime minister of Belgium, []], uses an Audi A6. Federal government officials drive cars with number plates starting with an "A" followed by one to three numbers. Regional government officials drive cars with number plates starting with an "E" followed by one to three numbers. Members of parliament and the senate drive cars with number plates starting with a "P" followed by three numbers.


title: Official state car

text: For personal use, Queen Paola of Belgium drives a Fiat 500 with diplomatic plates. Prince Laurent of Belgium is famous for his speed driving and his fast cars. There is also a Mercedes-Benz 600 and a 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible in the royal garage. Baudouin of Belgium ordered in the 1970s an armored De Tomaso Deauville. He had also an Aston Martin DB2/4. For their marriage in 1960, Baudouin and Fabiola used a 1955 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, with a bulletproof bubble-top.


title: Official state car

text: The current governor-general of Belize and the current prime minister of Belize are both driven in a Genesis EQ900 Convertible bearing the Belizean flag and the standard of that office. Ministers generally use Toyota Prado or Ford Excursion, bearing either government plates or civilian plates with tags.


title: Official state car

text: Previously, the governor-general of Belize and the prime minister of Belize are both driven in various cars.


title: Official state car

text: The king of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is driven in a Lexus LX 570, escorted by a Jeep Wrangler of the Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan.


title: Official state car

text: The president of Bolivia is driven in an armoured Lexus LS 460L and escorted by four Toyota Land Cruisers.


title: Official state car

text: The ceremonial state car of the president of Brazil is a 1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, reserved exclusively for Independence Day commemorations, state visits and the presidential inauguration. The official state car used by the president for regular transportation is a 2011-model armored version of the Ford Fusion Hybrid. The car is also used as escort car for the presidential motorcade. The Fusion was first used on 17 June 2008 when it replaced a 2004 Chevrolet Omega.


title: Official state car

text: In February 2012 the Brazilian government bought 12 Canadian-built Ford Edge models, 10 of which armored, for the use of President Dilma Rousseff and her security team.


title: Official state car

text: The federal government's most important officials (President, ministers, magistrates, etc.) use yellow-green brass plates adorned with the coat of arms of Brazil and their titles engraved on them (e.g., President of the Republic, President of the Senate, Defense Minister, Supreme Court president, etc.).


title: Official state car

text: The ceremonial state car of the sultan of Brunei is a 1992 state landaulette Rolls-Royce Phantom VI. On non-ceremonial occasions, the sultan of Brunei personally drives a black Mercedes-Benz M-Class W163 ML55 AMG, usually escorted by either a Secret Service BMW E39 540i or a BMW E61 545i, and a few Lexus LX470. Recently, the Sultan drives around in a black Brabus G700. On other occasions he drives a Maybach 62. The sultan and his brother Prince Jefri Bolkiah own several luxury and exotic cars, one of the largest collections in the world.


title: Official state car

text: The members of the royal family are usually escorted by a Secret Service escort of Volvo S80 V8 models, or Mitsubishi 380.


title: Official state car

text: The cabinet ministers of Brunei and visiting foreign dignitaries are driven in a black Mercedes Benz W221 S350L, while other senior ranking officials are driven in a black Mercedes Benz W211 E280.


title: Official state car

text: The cars of the president of Bulgaria include Mercedes-Benz S600 and BMW 5 Series and BMW 7 Series. The prime minister is driven in a Toyota Land Cruiser, he very often drives it himself with the security guards sitting in the back of the car. The prime minister is also driven in a black BMW X5. The pilot cars are usually Ford, Toyota or Audi A6 and Audi A8. As of 18 December, the prime minister and the president of Bulgaria are transported in a top-of-the-line Mercedes S600 Guard, 517 hp.


title: Official state car

text: The royal king of Cambodia Norodom Sihamoni is driven in a black Mercedes S-Class 600 with the Royal Palace plate number and the logo of Royal Standard of the King of Cambodia behind. The king has owned two black Mercedes-Benz 600s and also a black Lexus SUV and uses an armoured Range Rover Sentinel stretch for his visits to provinces and rural area.


title: Official state car

text: The prime minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia has owned more than four Mercedes-Benz guard cars and more than five Chevrolet Suburbans in his houses. He also had a black Mercedes-Benz S-Class 600 Carat Duchatelet bullet proof with plate number codice_1 and another black Mercedes-Benz S600 (V221) with plate number codice_2 and two gold Mercedes-Benz S600 (W220)s.


title: Official state car

text: The president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, uses an armoured Range Rover Sentinel as his official car. Other vehicles forming part of his motorcade include Toyota Land Cruisers which transport his security detail.


title: Official state car

text: In 1926, in anticipation of the 1927 royal tour of Canada undertaken by Prince Edward of Wales (later the duke of Windsor) and his brother, Prince George, Duke of Kent, the first state cars of Canada, two Mclaughlin-Buick seven passenger open touring cars were constructed for their use by General Motors Canada. Mclaughlin Motor Car Company, was a Canadian automobile company that produced cars under the marque Mclaughlin, later branded Mclaughlin-Buick, that was purchased in 1918 by General Motors and became its Canadian subsidiary. Two McLaughlin-Buick Phaetons were built for the 1939 Royal tour of Canada. One of these later carried Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, during their 1986 visit to Canada.


title: Official state car

text: The monarch of Canada and governor general of Canada are currently driven in a Lincoln Continental, with the appropriate flag of office on a metal flagstaff affixed to the right-side front fender. The sovereign's car bears a licence plate with a gold St. Edward's Crown on a red field. The governor general's car bears a standard licence plate of the province of Ontario, but the car displays the governor general's flag to distinguish it. The governor general has also been driven in a Chevrolet Suburban or at times in a Cadillac DTS stretched limousine. A Toyota Highlander Hybrid has also been available for use by governors general. All vehicle are from the VIP fleet of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.


title: Official state car

text: The prime minister of Canada is driven in a motorcade of five vehicles or more. The motorcade's size is adjusted for certain events, as seen fit by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The prime minister usually rides in an armoured Chevrolet Suburban or long-wheelbase Cadillac DTS, but he has also been seen arriving at various events in a Toyota Sienna minivan when travelling with members of his family. The prime minister's vehicle bears a standard Ontario licence plate. The motorcade is usually led by a Chrysler 300 sedan.


title: Official state car

text: The president of Chile traditionally uses an elegant horse drawn "Bandeja" Carriage imported from France by President José Manuel Balmaceda for ceremonial events.


title: Official state car

text: In 1968, Queen Elizabeth made a state visit to Chile in which she and then president, Eduardo Frei Montalva, travelled together in a 1966 Ford Galaxie XL, reportedly donated by either Ford Brasil or Queen Elizabeth herself, and has been customised with Queen Elizabeth's royal arms on the steering wheel.


title: Official state car

text: The 1966 model Ford Galaxie began production in Brazil for South America in 1967 so it's plausible they would donate a vehicle knowing the promotional value its use would receive, and in fact provided other vehicles in Brazil for the queen's visit there prior to her visiting Chile, although the unlikely story of a British queen giving Chile a car built in Brazil by an American manufacturer has become an enduring myth.


title: Official state car

text: Montalva's successor, socialist Salvador Allende, not wanting to convey the image of royalty that carriages now confer, decided the more plebeian Ford better fit his image and used it for his inauguration, adopting the vehicle as his official vehicle, with a normally issued license plate (EL-2801). The Galaxie has since transported dignitaries such as Fidel Castro, Indira Gandhi and Pablo Neruda. Gabriel Boric was the first president officially driven in the Galaxie by a female driver during his inauguration.


title: Official state car

text: Both the carriage and the Galaxie have since been maintained by the state and are now used only for official ceremonies, such as presidential inaugurations on 11 March every four years, state visits, and the national holidays on 21 May and 19 September.


title: Official state car

text: President Ricardo Lagos used a Lincoln Town Car, while President Michelle Bachelet introduced a 2008-model Peugeot 607 saloon in her first term in office. Her motorcade was also often seen driving 2006 Audi A4 and A6s. Various Dodge Durangos also composed the presidential motorcade.


title: Official state car

text: During his first term, Sebastián Piñera was the first to switch to an Asian manufacturer, recognizing their increasing market share in Chile, choosing a Lexus LS 600h as his daily transport. Bachelet introduced the use of a Hyundai Equus in 2014 for her second term, a marque that has continued into Piñera's second term in 2018 with his choice of the Genesis G90.


title: Official state car

text: La Moneda staff currently accompanies the president in Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Sonata chase vehicles. Hyundai has long been a favored brand for the Chilean government since the signing of a free trade agreement in 2003, overtaking Chevrolet as the best selling auto brand in Chile in 2017.


title: Official state car

text: Before production began of the Hongqi, Chinese leaders used various foreign luxury cars. For example, Chairman Mao Zedong used a bullet-proofed ZIS-115 given by Stalin, while Premier Zhou Enlai used a GAZ-12 ZIM, later a ZIL-115 and Foreign Minister Chen Yi used a Mercedes Benz 600 Pullman before Hongqi began production of its CA770. Since the 1960s Chinese leaders have traditionally used limousines produced under the Hongqi brand for official events. Before the new Hongqi HQE (official name L9) was introduced, the Chinese leaders used a special version of CA770 limousine to review the troops on National Days. During former leader Hu Jintao's review of troops on National Day in 2009, he was seen in a Hongqi HQE Limousine. The HQE is powered by an aluminium V12 cylinder engine of Chinese design (designation CA12VG), with a displacement of 6.0 liters and producing 370 kW (470 hp) at 5600 rpm and 550 N m (405 lb·ft) of torque at 4400 rpm. It is bulletproof, completely hand built and comes with run-flat tyres.


title: Official state car

text: When the Kuomintang was still in power, Provisional president Sun Yat-sen used a Ford Model T and his successor Chiang Kai-shek used an armoured Packard limousine in China and a Cadillac 75 armoured limo in Taiwan.


title: Official state car

text: In the early 90s, Chinese leaders switched to using minibuses, such as the Toyota Coaster, or Hongqi CA630 for short-distance trips.


title: Official state car

text: When visiting a foreign country, Chinese leaders generally use vehicles supplied by the host country. This custom began to change in November 2014, when Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party, used his own Hongqi L5 limousine on a state visit to New Zealand. Chinese premiers continue to use cars supplied by the host country.


title: Official state car

text: The Colombian presidential vehicles have usually been state secret-armored BMWs. As of 2022, the presidential fleet includes four Israeli made armored BMW 7 Series and several units of Toyota Land Cruiser Sahara, whose level of armor is a state secret. These BMWs and Toyotas are equipped with GPS and run-flat tires, as well as a gas-proof chamber for defense against gas attacks, and a reinforced chassis with a steel plate under each vehicle protecting them against bombs, IEDs and grenades rolled under the car. The motorcade is made up of 3 BMWs plus 8 Toyota Sahara's, all armored, plus a Prado armored level IIIA used by The National Intelligence Directorate, an ambulance and no less than 8 motorcycles. All the vehicles have presidential tags.


title: Official state car

text: The president of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, uses two Toyota Land Cruiser. Before, a Hyundai Equus limo, donated by the government of South Korea was used as the Presidential State Car. In addition, the presidency owns Land Rover Discovery 4 turbodiesel. Land Cruiser its been part of the presidential house fleet.


title: Official state car

text: The president of Croatia is driven in an armored black BMW 7 Series and escorted by a selection of marked and unmarked BMW and Audi models driven by the members of the Croatian Secret Service. The president occasionally uses Volkswagen Passat and Mercedes-Benz E250. These vehicles are part of the vehicle fleet of the Honor Guard Battalion.