{ "cells": [ { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": 1, "metadata": { "colab": { "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/" }, "id": "K8edgDQUq3xl", "outputId": "fc663665-1506-4803-dfaf-93b30d9e685b" }, "outputs": [ { "name": "stdout", "output_type": "stream", "text": [ "Tue Feb 13 08:53:36 2024 \n", "+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+\n", "| NVIDIA-SMI 535.104.05 Driver Version: 535.104.05 CUDA Version: 12.2 |\n", "|-----------------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+\n", "| GPU Name Persistence-M | Bus-Id Disp.A | Volatile Uncorr. ECC |\n", "| Fan Temp Perf Pwr:Usage/Cap | Memory-Usage | GPU-Util Compute M. |\n", "| | | MIG M. |\n", "|=========================================+======================+======================|\n", "| 0 Tesla T4 Off | 00000000:00:04.0 Off | 0 |\n", "| N/A 41C P8 9W / 70W | 0MiB / 15360MiB | 0% Default |\n", "| | | N/A |\n", "+-----------------------------------------+----------------------+----------------------+\n", " \n", "+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+\n", "| Processes: |\n", "| GPU GI CI PID Type Process name GPU Memory |\n", "| ID ID Usage |\n", "|=======================================================================================|\n", "| No running processes found |\n", "+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+\n" ] } ], "source": [ "### Checking for the GPU configuration\n", "!nvidia-smi" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": 31, "metadata": { "colab": { 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/usr/local/lib/python3.10/dist-packages (from markdown-it-py>=2.2.0->rich<14.0.0,>=10.11.0->typer[all]<1.0,>=0.9->gradio) (0.1.2)\n", "Building wheels for collected packages: ffmpy\n", " Building wheel for ffmpy (setup.py) ... \u001b[?25l\u001b[?25hdone\n", " Created wheel for ffmpy: filename=ffmpy-0.3.2-py3-none-any.whl size=5584 sha256=be63c1e7ff9a275b153d378f8b52d277d8f5afa351b63a73c113b4300abe9f01\n", " Stored in directory: /root/.cache/pip/wheels/bd/65/9a/671fc6dcde07d4418df0c592f8df512b26d7a0029c2a23dd81\n", "Successfully built ffmpy\n", "Installing collected packages: pydub, ffmpy, websockets, uvicorn, tomlkit, shellingham, semantic-version, ruff, python-multipart, orjson, colorama, aiofiles, starlette, gradio-client, fastapi, gradio\n", "\u001b[31mERROR: pip's dependency resolver does not currently take into account all the packages that are installed. This behaviour is the source of the following dependency conflicts.\n", "lida 0.0.10 requires kaleido, which is not installed.\u001b[0m\u001b[31m\n", "\u001b[0mSuccessfully installed aiofiles-23.2.1 colorama-0.4.6 fastapi-0.109.2 ffmpy-0.3.2 gradio-4.18.0 gradio-client-0.10.0 orjson-3.9.13 pydub-0.25.1 python-multipart-0.0.9 ruff-0.2.1 semantic-version-2.10.0 shellingham-1.5.4 starlette-0.36.3 tomlkit-0.12.0 uvicorn-0.27.1 websockets-11.0.3\n" ] } ], "source": [ "### Installing required libraries\n", "!pip install wikipedia openai langchain faiss-cpu tiktoken sentence-transformers gradio" ] }, { "cell_type": "markdown", "metadata": { "id": "qkIePJF7xHRY" }, "source": [ "### Designing the RAG Model" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": 3, "metadata": { "id": "hlX1DA1XJtE_" }, "outputs": [], "source": [ "### importing libraries\n", "import wikipedia\n", "import pandas as pd\n", "from tqdm import tqdm" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": 4, "metadata": { "colab": { "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/" }, "id": "tqHzjjTpJwyF", "outputId": "35e6a252-1696-4412-93f1-e74a920a401e" }, "outputs": [ { "name": "stdout", "output_type": "stream", "text": [ "List of top 5 players : ['Lionel Messi', 'Cristiano Ronaldo', 'Xavi Hernández', 'Andres Iniesta', 'Zlatan Ibrahimovic']\n" ] } ], "source": [ "### reading names of the players in the data and displaying few of them\n", "players = pd.read_csv(\"/content/World's best top 35 footballers.csv\", encoding = \"latin-1\")[\"Name\"].to_list()\n", "print(\"List of top 5 players : \", players[:5])" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": 5, "metadata": { "colab": { "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/" }, "id": "TduorD2dQC7p", "outputId": "5067846c-fbb5-405d-f026-d28c7574a3d4" }, "outputs": [ { "name": "stderr", "output_type": "stream", "text": [ "Fetching Data : 100%|██████████| 35/35 [00:29<00:00, 1.20it/s]\n" ] } ], "source": [ "### extracting information about the players from their wikipedia pages\n", "content = \"\"\n", "for player in tqdm(players, desc = \"Fetching Data : \"):\n", " text = wikipedia.page(player, auto_suggest = False).content\n", " content += player.upper() + text + \"\\n\"" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": 6, "metadata": { "colab": { "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/", "height": 178 }, "id": "w1oyFVv7qY8D", "outputId": "00ae8b9c-2085-46fd-80cb-c8c3556abe52" }, "outputs": [ { "data": { "application/vnd.google.colaboratory.intrinsic+json": { "type": "string" }, "text/plain": [ "'LIONEL MESSILionel Andrés \"Leo\" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] ; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record eight Ballon d\\'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and was named the world\\'s best player for a record eight times by FIFA. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and the UEFA Champions League four times. With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (eight), and most assists in La Liga (192) and the Copa América (17). He also has the most international goals by a South American male (106). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club (672).\\nMessi relocated to Spain from Argentina aged 13 to join Barcelona, for whom he made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09 he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, aged 22, Messi won his first Ballon d\\'Or. Three successful seasons followed, with Messi winning four consecutive Ballons d\\'Or, making him the first player to win the award four times. During the 2011–12 season, he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season, while establishing himself as Barcelona\\'s all-time top scorer. The following two seasons, Messi finished second for the Ballon d\\'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo (his perceived career rival), before regaining his best form during the 2014–15 campaign, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga and leading Barcelona to a historic second treble, after which he was awarded a fifth Ballon d\\'Or in 2015. Messi assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, and won a record sixth Ballon d\\'Or in 2019. Out of contract, he signed for French club Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, spending two seasons at the club and winning Ligue 1 twice. Messi joined American club Inter Miami in July 2023, winning the Leagues Cup in August of that year.\\nAn Argentine international, Messi is the country\\'s all-time leading goalscorer and also holds the national record for appearances. At youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, finishing the tournament with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with his compatriot Diego Maradona, who described Messi as his successor. After his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup (2006), and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named young player of the tournament. As the squad\\'s captain from August 2011, he led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which he won the Golden Ball, the 2015 Copa América, winning the Golden Ball, and the 2016 Copa América. After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and led his country to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a third-place finish at the 2019 Copa América, and victory in the 2021 Copa América, while winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot for the latter. That same year, Messi received a seventh Ballon d\\'Or. In 2022, he led Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he won a record second Golden Ball, scored seven goals including two in the final, and broke the record for most games played at the World Cup (26), later receiving his record-extending eighth Ballon d\\'Or in 2023.\\nMessi has endorsed sportswear company Adidas since 2006. According to France Football, he was the world\\'s highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014, and was ranked the world\\'s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022. Messi was among Time\\'s 100 most influential people in the world in 2011, 2012, and 2023. In 2020 and 2023, he was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, with Messi being the first team-sport athlete to win the award. In 2020, Messi was named to the Ballon d\\'Or Dream Team and became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nMessi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe, the third of four children of Jorge Messi, a steel factory manager, and his wife Celia Cuccittini, who worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. On his father\\'s side, he is of Italian and Spanish descent, the great-grandson of immigrants from the north-central Adriatic Marche region of Italy, and on his mother\\'s side, he has primarily Italian ancestry. Growing up in a tight-knit, football-loving family, \"Leo\" developed a passion for the sport from an early age, playing constantly with his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and his cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, both of whom became professional footballers. At the age of four he joined local club Grandoli, where he was coached by his father, though his earliest influence as a player came from his maternal grandmother, Celia, who accompanied him to training and matches. He was greatly affected by her death, shortly before his eleventh birthday; since then, as a devout Roman Catholic, he has celebrated his goals by looking up and pointing to the sky in tribute to his grandmother.\\n\\nA lifelong supporter of Newell\\'s Old Boys, Messi joined the Rosario club when he was six years old. During the six years he played for Newell\\'s, he scored almost 500 goals as a member of \"The Machine of \\'87\", the near-unbeatable youth side named for the year of their birth, and regularly entertained crowds by performing ball tricks during half-time of the first team\\'s home games. However, his future as a professional player was threatened when, aged 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. As his father\\'s health insurance covered only two years of growth hormone treatment, which cost at least $1,000 per month, Newell\\'s agreed to contribute, but later reneged on their promise. He was scouted by Buenos Aires club River Plate, whose playmaker Pablo Aimar he idolised. It was speculated that he failed to be signed into River Plate due to his ill health, however in a 2019 interview, Messi revealed that the club had offered to pay for his medical treatment despite ultimately rejecting him. His goalscoring idol growing up was Ronaldo, with Messi calling him \"the best forward I\\'ve ever seen\".\\nAs the Messi family had relatives in Catalonia, they sought to arrange a trial with Barcelona in September 2000. First team director Charly Rexach immediately wanted to sign him, but the board of directors hesitated; at the time it was highly unusual for European clubs to sign foreign players of such a young age. On 14 December, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered a contract on a paper napkin. In February 2001, the family relocated to Barcelona, where they moved into an apartment near the club\\'s stadium, Camp Nou. During his first year in Spain, Messi rarely played with the Infantiles due to a transfer conflict with Newell\\'s; as a foreigner, he could only be fielded in friendlies and the Catalan league. Without football, he struggled to integrate into the team; already reserved by nature, he was so quiet that his teammates initially believed he was mute. At home, he suffered from homesickness after his mother moved back to Rosario with his brothers and little sister, María Sol, while he stayed in Barcelona with his father.After a year at Barcelona\\'s youth academy, La Masia, Messi was finally enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002. Now playing in all competitions, he befriended his teammates, among whom were Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué. After completing his growth hormone treatment aged 14, Messi became an integral part of the \"Baby Dream Team\", Barcelona\\'s greatest-ever youth side. During his first full season (2002–03), he was top scorer with 36 goals in 30 games for the Cadetes A, who won an unprecedented treble of the league and both the Spanish and Catalan cups. The Copa Catalunya final, a 4–1 victory over Espanyol, became known in club lore as the partido de la máscara, the final of the mask. A week after suffering a broken cheekbone during a league match, Messi was allowed to start the game on the condition that he wear a plastic protector; soon hindered by the mask, he took it off and scored two goals in 10 minutes before his substitution. At the close of the season, he received an offer to join Arsenal, his first from a foreign club, but while Fàbregas and Piqué soon left for England, he chose to remain in Barcelona.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2003–2005: rise to the first team ====\\n\\nDuring the 2003–04 season Messi rapidly progressed through the club\\'s ranks, debuting for four youth teams in a single campaign. After being named player of the tournament in four international pre-season competitions with the Juveniles B, he was soon promoted to the Juveniles A, where he scored 18 goals in 11 league games. Messi was then one of several youth players called up to strengthen Frank Rijkaard\\'s depleted first team during the international break. French winger Ludovic Giuly notes that Messi stood out in first team training sessions: \"He destroyed us all... Even the team\\'s starting centre-backs were nervous. He was an alien.\"Messi made his first team debut as a 75th-minute substitute during a friendly against Porto on 16 November 2003. His performance, creating two chances and a shot on goal, impressed the technical staff, and he subsequently began training daily with the club\\'s reserve side, Barcelona B, as well as weekly with the first team. Barcelona\\'s new star player, Ronaldinho, believed the 16-year-old would become an even better player than himself; he soon befriended Messi, whom he called \"little brother\", and eased his transition into the first team.\\nTo gain further match experience, Messi played for Barcelona C, helping to save them from the relegation zone of the Tercera División by scoring five goals in ten games. He signed his first professional contract, which lasted until 2012 and contained an initial buyout clause of €30 million, on 4 February 2004; this automatically increased to €80 million when he made his debut for Barcelona B on 6 March. He played five games with the B team that season but did not score. Physically weaker than his opponents, who were often much older and taller, he worked on increasing his strength in order to be able to shake off defenders. He finished the campaign with a total of 36 goals in all official competitions.During the 2004–05 season, Messi was a guaranteed starter for the B team, playing 17 games and scoring on six occasions. He was not called up to the first team until the senior players asked manager Frank Rijkaard to promote him in October 2004. Since Ronaldinho already played on the left wing, Rijkaard moved the initially-unwilling Messi onto the right, allowing him to cut into the centre of the pitch and shoot with his dominant left foot. He made his league debut as a late substitute against Espanyol on 16 October. At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition. As a substitute, he played 244 minutes in nine matches for the first team that season, including his debut in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk. He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005 against Albacete, becoming – at that time – the youngest-ever scorer for the club. That season, Barcelona won the league for the first time in six years.\\n\\n\\n==== 2005–2008: becoming a starting eleven player ====\\n\\nOn his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first senior contract, which increased his buyout clause to €150 million and tied him to the club until 2010. On 24 August, during the Joan Gamper Trophy, he started for the first time and gave a well-received performance against Fabio Capello\\'s Juventus, receiving an ovation from the Camp Nou. Capello sought to take Messi to Juventus on loan, but Inter Milan offered to pay his €150 million buyout clause and triple his wages. Messi seriously considered the offer but ultimately decided to stay. On 16 September, his contract was extended to 2014.\\nDue to issues regarding his legal status, Messi missed the start of the 2005–06 La Liga, but on 26 September, he acquired Spanish citizenship and became eligible to play. Wearing the number 19 shirt, he gradually established himself as the first-choice right winger, forming an attacking trio with Ronaldinho and striker Samuel Eto\\'o; he was in the starting line-up in major matches such as his first Clásico against rivals Real Madrid on 19 November. Messi scored eight goals in twenty-five games, including, against Panathinaikos, his first in the Champions League, but suffered a torn hamstring against Chelsea on 7 March 2006. His participation in the Champions League final was ruled out on the day, and he was so disappointed that he refused to celebrate his team\\'s victory over Arsenal in Paris.While Barcelona began a gradual decline, the 19-year-old Messi established himself as one of the best players in the world during the 2006–07 campaign. Already an idol to the club\\'s supporters, he scored 17 goals in 36 games across all competitions. However, he sustained a metatarsal fracture on 12 November and was injured for three months. He recovered in time for the Champions League last 16 round against Liverpool, but Barcelona lost and were knocked out. In the league, 11 of his 14 goals came from his last 13 games; on 10 March 2007, he became the first player in twelve years to score a hat-trick in a Clásico, which ended in a 3–3 draw. His growing importance to the club was reflected that month in a new contract which greatly increased his wages.\\nAlready frequently compared to compatriot Diego Maradona, Messi nearly replicated Maradona\\'s two most famous goals in the span of seven weeks. During a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe on 18 April, he scored a goal remarkably similar to Maradona\\'s Goal of the Century, by collecting the ball near the halfway line, running 60 metres (66 yd), and beating five defenders before scoring with an angled finish, just as Maradona had done; against Espanyol on 9 June, he scored with his hand in similar fashion to Maradona\\'s Hand of God goal. Barcelona faltered that season, failing to reach the Copa del Rey final and losing the league to Real Madrid.After Ronaldinho lost form, Messi became Barça\\'s new star player at only 20 years old, receiving the nickname \"Messiah\" from the Spanish media. He was voted the third-best player of the year in the 2007 Ballon d\\'Or, behind Kaká and runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo, while international managers and national team captains voted him second for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, again behind Kaká. Although he managed to score 16 goals during the 2007–08 campaign, the second half of his season was again marred by injuries after he suffered a torn hamstring on 15 December. Returning against Celtic in the Champions League last 16 round, he reinjured himself during the return leg, which Rijkaard had selected him for against the medical staff\\'s wishes; captain Carles Puyol criticised the Spanish media for pressuring Messi to play every match. Barcelona finished the season without trophies, eliminated in the Champions League by Manchester United, and placed third in the league.\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–10: first treble and Ballon d\\'Or ====\\nAfter two unsuccessful seasons, Rijkaard and Ronaldinho departed from Barclona. In the latter\\'s wake, Messi was given the number 10 shirt, and signed a new contract with an annual salary of €7.8 million, becoming the club\\'s highest-paid player. He and the club implemented strategies to combat his frequent muscular injuries, which ensured he would remain virtually injury-free during the next four years. His performances in 2008 saw him again voted runner-up for the Ballon d\\'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times behind Cristiano Ronaldo.\\nIn his first uninterrupted campaign, the 2008–09 season, he scored 38 goals in 51 games. Under Barcelona\\'s new manager Pep Guardiola, Messi played mainly on the right wing as a false winger with the freedom to cut inside. During the Clásico on 2 May 2009, he played for the first time as a false nine, positioned as a centre-forward but dropping deep into midfield to link up with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. He set up his side\\'s first goal and scored twice to end the match in an emphatic 6–2 victory, the team\\'s greatest-ever score at Real Madrid\\'s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. He then scored once and assisted a second goal as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–1 to win the Copa del Rey. With 23 league goals from Messi, Barcelona became La Liga champions. The season\\'s Champions League top scorer with nine goals, the youngest in the tournament\\'s history, Messi returned as a false nine for the final on 27 May against Manchester United, in which he scored once; Barcelona won 2–0 and achieved the first treble by a Spanish team. On 18 September, he signed a new contract which increased his salary to €12 million and committed Messi to the club through 2016 with a buyout clause of €250 million.In the second half of 2009, Barcelona became the first club to achieve the sextuple, winning six top-tier trophies in a single year; after winning the Supercopa de España and UEFA Super Cup in August, Messi scored the winning goal to claim the FIFA Club World Cup on 19 December. At 22 years old, Messi won both the Ballon d\\'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award by the biggest voting margin in each trophy\\'s history. Unsatisfied with his position on the right wing – with Zlatan Ibrahimović now occupying the central forward role – Messi resumed playing as a false nine in early 2010. He soon effectively became the tactical focal point of Guardiola\\'s team, and his goalscoring rate increased.\\n\\nMessi scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions that season, equalling Ronaldo\\'s club record from the 1996–97 campaign. He became Barcelona\\'s all-time Champions League top scorer by scoring all four of his side\\'s goals in the quarter-final against Arsenal on 6 April. Although Barcelona were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Inter Milan, Messi\\'s eight goals meant he was the competition\\'s top scorer for a consecutive year. As the league\\'s top scorer with 34 goals (again tying Ronaldo\\'s record), he helped Barcelona win a second consecutive La Liga trophy with only a single defeat and earned his first European Golden Shoe.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–2012: trophies and records ====\\nMessi secured Barcelona\\'s first trophy of the 2010–11 campaign, the Supercopa de España, by scoring a hat-trick in his side\\'s second-leg 4–0 victory over Sevilla. He was again instrumental in a Clásico on 29 November 2010 as Barcelona defeated their rivals 5–0. Messi helped the team achieve 16 consecutive league victories, a record in Spanish football, concluding with another hat-trick against Atlético Madrid on 5 February 2011. His club performances in 2010 earned him the inaugural FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, though his win was met with some criticism due to his lack of success with Argentina at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Towards the end of the season, Messi played a prominent role in the Champions League semi-final victory against Real Madrid, scoring two goals, the second of which was highly acclaimed, in the first leg. Messi gave a man-of-the-match performance in the Champions League final against Manchester United on 28 May, scoring the match-winning goal of Barça\\'s 3–1 victory, and becoming the competition\\'s top scorer for the third consecutive year. Barcelona won a third consecutive La Liga title, with Messi scoring 31 and assisting 18 goals. He finished the season with 53 goals in all competitions, the highest in Spanish football history.\\nAs Messi developed into a combination of a creator and scorer, he scored an unprecedented 73 goals and provided 29 assists in all club competitions during the 2011–12 season, producing a hat-trick or more on 10 occasions. He began the campaign by helping Barcelona win both the Spanish and European Super Cups, the first with a hat-trick. At the close of the year, on 18 December, he scored twice in the FIFA Club World Cup final, a 4–0 victory over Santos. He again received the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, becoming only the fourth player in history to win the Ballon d\\'Or three times. Additionally, he won the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, a revival of the old-style Ballon d\\'Or. Messi was already widely considered one of the best footballers in history, alongside players like Diego Maradona and Pelé.\\nOn 7 March 2012, Messi scored five times in a Champions League last 16-round match against Bayer Leverkusen, an unprecedented achievement in the UEFA Champions League era. Two weeks later, on 20 March, Messi became the top goalscorer in Barcelona\\'s history at 24 years old, overtaking the 57-year record of César Rodríguez\\'s 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada. Barcelona\\'s era of greatness under Guardiola was however drawing to an end. Although Guardiola\\'s Barcelona won their 14th trophy in the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao, the team lost the league to Real Madrid and was eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Chelsea, with Messi missing a crucial penalty. In Barcelona\\'s last home league match on 5 May, Messi scored all four goals before embracing Guardiola, who had announced his resignation as manager. He finished the season as league top scorer in Europe again, with a La Liga record of 50 goals, while his 73 goals in all competitions made him the single-season top scorer in European history.Under manager Tito Vilanova who had first coached him at La Masia, Messi became Barcelona\\'s all-time top scorer in La Liga with 191 goals, and broke the record of most goals scored in a calendar year, previously set by Gerd Müller in 1972. At the close of the year, Messi had scored a record 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina. Messi again won the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, becoming the only player in history to win the Ballon d\\'Or four times.Barcelona had virtually secured their La Liga title by the start of 2013. However, their performances deteriorated in the second half of the 2012–13 campaign, with Vilanova absent due to ill health. They were nearly eliminated in the Champions League first knockout round by AC Milan, but two goals and an assist from Messi secured a second-leg comeback. Messi signed a new contract on 7 February, committing himself to the club through 2018 with annual wages of €13 million. He wore the captain\\'s armband for the first time on 17 March, in a league match against Rayo Vallecano; the team\\'s tactical focal point, more than 40% of Barcelona goals that season involved him, up from 24% three years earlier.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–2014: Messidependencia ====\\n\\nAfter four largely injury-free seasons, the muscular injuries that had previously plagued Messi reoccurred. After he suffered a hamstring strain on 2 April, during the first quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), his appearances became sporadic. In the second leg against PSG, with an underperforming Barcelona down a goal, Messi came off the bench in the second half and within nine minutes helped create their game-tying goal, which allowed them to progress to the semi-finals. Still unfit, he proved ineffective during the first leg against Bayern Munich and was unable to play at all during the second, as Barcelona were defeated 7–0 on aggregate by the eventual champions. These matches gave credence to the notion of Messidependencia, Barcelona\\'s perceived tactical and psychological dependence on their star player.\\nMessi continued to struggle with injury throughout 2013, eventually parting ways with his long-time personal physiotherapist. Further damage to his hamstring sustained on 12 May ended his goalscoring streak of 21 consecutive league games, a worldwide record; he had netted 33 goals during his run, including a four-goal display against Osasuna, while becoming the first player to score consecutively against all 19 opposition teams in La Liga. With 60 goals in all competitions, including 46 goals in La Liga, he finished the campaign as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for the second consecutive year, becoming the first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times. Following an irregular start to the new season under manager Gerardo Martino, formerly of his boyhood club Newell\\'s Old Boys, Messi suffered his fifth injury of 2013 when he tore his hamstring on 10 November, leaving him sidelined for two months. Despite his injuries, he was voted runner-up for the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, relinquishing the award after a four-year monopoly to Cristiano Ronaldo.During the second half of the 2013–14 season, doubts persisted over Messi\\'s form, leading to a perception among the culés that he was reserving himself for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Statistically, his contribution of goals, shots, and passes had dropped significantly compared to previous seasons. He still managed to break two longstanding records in a span of seven days: a hat-trick on 16 March against Osasuna saw him overtake Paulino Alcántara\\'s 369 goals to become Barcelona\\'s top goalscorer in all competitions including friendlies, while another hat-trick against Real Madrid on 23 March made him the all-time top scorer in El Clásico, ahead of the 18 goals scored by former Real Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano. Messi finished the campaign with his worst output in five seasons, though he still managed to score 41 goals in all competitions. For the first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy; they were defeated in the Copa del Rey final by Real Madrid and lost the league in the last game to Atlético Madrid, causing Messi to be booed by sections of fans at the Camp Nou. After prolonged speculation over his future with the club, Messi signed a new contract on 19 May 2014, only a year after his last contractual update; his salary increased to €20 million, or €36 million before taxes, the highest wage in the sport. It was reported that Vilanova played a key role in convincing Messi to stay amid strong interest from José Mourinho\\'s Chelsea.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: second treble ====\\nUnder new manager and former captain Luis Enrique, Messi experienced a largely injury-free start to the 2014–15 season, allowing him to break three more longstanding records towards the end of the year. A hat-trick scored against Sevilla on 22 November made him the all-time top scorer in La Liga, as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra. A third hat-trick, scored against city rivals Espanyol on 7 December, allowed him to surpass César Rodríguez as the all-time top scorer in the Derbi barceloní with 12 goals. Messi again placed second in the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, largely owing to his second-place achievement with Argentina at the World Cup.At the start of 2015, Barcelona were perceived to be headed for another disappointing end to the season, with renewed speculation in the media that Messi was leaving the club. A turning point came on 11 January during a 3–1 victory over Atlético Madrid, the first time Barça\\'s attacking trident of Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, dubbed \"MSN\", each scored in a match, marking the beginning of a highly successful run. After five years of playing in the centre of the pitch, Messi had returned to his old position on the right wing late the previous year, by his own suggestion according to Suárez, their striker. From there, he regained his best form, while Suárez and Neymar ended the team\\'s attacking dependency on their star player. With 58 goals from Messi, the trio scored a total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record in Spanish football.\\nTowards the end of the campaign, Messi scored in a 1–0 away win over Atlético Madrid on 17 May, securing the La Liga title. Among his 43 league goals that season was a hat-trick scored in 11 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on 8 March, the fastest of his senior career; it was his 32nd hat-trick overall for Barcelona, allowing him to overtake Telmo Zarra with the most hat-tricks in Spanish football. As the season\\'s top assist provider with 18 he surpassed Luís Figo with the most assists in La Liga; he made his record 106th assist in a fixture against Levante on 15 February, in which he also scored a hat-trick. Messi scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 3–1 in the Copa del Rey final on 30 May, achieving the sixth double in their history. His opening goal was hailed as one of the greatest in his career; he collected the ball near the halfway line and beat four opposing players, before feinting the goalkeeper to score in a tight space by the near post.In the Champions League, Messi scored twice and set up another in their 3–0 semi-final victory over Bayern Munich, now under the stewardship of Guardiola. His second goal, which came only three minutes after his first, saw him chip the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after his dribble past Jérôme Boateng had made the defender drop to the ground; it went viral, becoming the year\\'s most tweeted about sporting moment, and was named the best goal of the season by UEFA. Despite a second-leg loss, Barcelona progressed to the final on 6 June in Berlin, where they defeated Juventus 3–1 to win their second treble, becoming the first team in history to do so. Although Messi did not score, he participated in each of his side\\'s goals, particularly the second as he forced a parried save from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from which Suárez scored the match-winning goal on the rebound. In addition to being the top assist provider with six assists, Messi finished the competition as the joint top scorer with ten goals, which earned him the distinction of being the first player ever to achieve the top scoring mark in five Champions League seasons. For his efforts during the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for a second time.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16: domestic success ====\\nMessi opened the 2015–16 season by scoring twice from free kicks in Barcelona\\'s 5–4 victory (after extra time) over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. On 16 September, he became the youngest player to make 100 appearances in the UEFA Champions League in a 1–1 away draw to Roma. After a knee injury, he returned to the pitch on 21 November, making a substitute appearance in Barcelona\\'s 4–0 away win over rivals Real Madrid in El Clásico. Messi capped off the year by winning the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final on 20 December, collecting his fifth club trophy of 2015 as Barcelona defeated River Plate 3–0 in Yokohama. On 30 December, Messi scored on his 500th appearance for Barcelona, in a 4–0 home win over Real Betis.On 11 January 2016, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or for a record fifth time in his career. On 3 February, he scored a hat-trick in Barcelona\\'s 7–0 win against Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Camp Nou. In a 6–1 home win against Celta Vigo in the league, Messi assisted Suárez from a penalty kick. Some saw it as \"a touch of genius\", while others criticised it as being disrespectful to the opponent. The Celta players never complained and their coach defended the penalty, stating, \"Barca\\'s forwards are very respectful.\" The penalty routine has been compared to that of Barça icon Johan Cruyff in 1982, who was battling lung cancer, leading many fans to indicate that the penalty was a tribute to him. Cruyff himself was \"very happy\" with the play, insisting \"it was legal and entertaining\".On 17 February, Messi reached his 300th league goal in a 3–1 away win against Sporting de Gijón. A few days later, he scored both goals in Barcelona\\'s 2–0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, in the first leg of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League round of 16, with the second goal being Barcelona\\'s 10,000th in official competitions. On 17 April, Messi ended a five-match scoring drought with his 500th senior career goal for club and country in Barcelona\\'s 2–1 home loss to Valencia. Messi finished the 2015–16 season by setting up both goals in Barcelona\\'s 2–0 extra time win over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey final, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, on 22 May 2016, as the club celebrated winning the domestic double for the second consecutive season. In total, Messi scored 41 goals as Barcelona\\'s attacking trio managed a Spanish record of 131 goals throughout the season, breaking the record they had set the previous season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17: fourth Golden Boot ====\\n\\nMessi opened the 2016–17 season by lifting the 2016 Supercopa de España as Barcelona\\'s captain in the absence of the injured Andrés Iniesta; he set-up Munir\\'s goal in a 2–0 away win over Sevilla in the first leg on 14 August, and subsequently scored in a 3–0 win in the return leg on 17 August. Three days later, he scored two goals as Barcelona won 6–2 against Real Betis in the opening game of the 2016–17 La Liga season. On 13 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season in the opening game of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League campaign against Celtic in a 7–0 victory; this was also Messi\\'s sixth hat-trick in the Champions League, the most by any player. A week later, Messi sustained a groin injury in a 1–1 draw against Atlético Madrid and was ruled out with injury for three weeks. He marked his return with a goal, scoring three minutes after coming off the bench in a 4–0 home win over Deportivo de La Coruña, on 16 October. Three days after this, he netted his thirty-seventh club hat-trick as Barcelona defeated Manchester City 4–0. On 1 November, Messi scored his 54th Champions League group stage goal in Barcelona\\'s 3–1 away loss to Manchester City, surpassing the previous record of 53 goals held by Raúl.\\nMessi finished the year with 51 goals, making him Europe\\'s top scorer, one ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimović. After placing second in the 2016 Ballon d\\'Or, on 9 January 2017 Messi also finished in second place – behind Cristiano Ronaldo once again – in the 2016 Best FIFA Men\\'s Player Award. On 11 January, Messi scored from a free-kick in Barcelona\\'s 3–1 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, which enabled Barcelona to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition; with his 26th goal from a free-kick for Barcelona in all competitions, he equalled the club\\'s all-time record, which had previously been set by Ronald Koeman. In his next league match, on 14 January, Messi scored in a 5–0 win against Las Palmas; with this goal, he equalled Raúl\\'s record for the most teams scored against in La Liga (35).On 4 February 2017, Messi scored his 27th free-kick for Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Athletic Bilbao in the league, overtaking Koeman as the club\\'s all-time top-scorer from free-kicks. On 23 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–2 away win over Real Madrid. His game-winning goal in stoppage time was his 500th for Barcelona. His memorable celebration saw him taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to incensed Real Madrid fans – with his name and number facing the crowd. On 27 May, Messi scored a goal and set up another for Paco Alcácer in the 2017 Copa del Rey final, helping Barcelona to a 3–1 victory over Alavés, and was named Man of the Match. In total, Messi finished the 2016–17 season with 54 goals, while his 37 goals in La Liga saw him claim both the Pichichi and European Golden Boot Awards for the fourth time in his career.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18: domestic double and a record fifth Golden Boot ====\\nMessi opened the 2017–18 season by converting a penalty in Barcelona\\'s 1–3 first leg home defeat to Real Madrid in Supercopa de España. Thereby, Messi also extended his El Clásico goalscoring record with the goal being his 24th official and 25th overall.\\nOn 9 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the 2017–18 league campaign, against Espanyol in Derbi barceloní, thus helping to secure a 5–0 home victory for Blaugrana over local rivals. Messi netted twice against Gianluigi Buffon, on 12 September, as Barça defeated the last season\\'s Italian champions Juventus 3–0 at home in the UEFA Champions League. On 19 September, Messi found the net four times in a 6–1 trashing of Eibar at the Camp Nou in La Liga. Three weeks later, on 1 October, Messi surpassed his former teammate Carles Puyol to become the third highest appearance maker in the club\\'s history, as he helped Barça defeat Las Palmas 3–0 by assisting Sergio Busquets\\' opener and later adding two himself in his 594th official game for the club; the league game was played behind closed doors at the Camp Nou due to violence in Catalonia relating to an ongoing independence referendum.On 18 October, in his 122nd European club appearance, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League goal, and his 100th in all UEFA club competitions, in a 3–1 home victory over Olympiacos. Messi became only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this century milestone, but accomplished it in 21 fewer appearances than the Portuguese counterpart. On 4 November, he made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 2–1 home win over Sevilla in La Liga. Following the reception of his fourth Golden Boot, Messi signed a new deal with Barcelona on 25 November, keeping him with the club through the 2020–21 season. His buyout clause was set at €700 million. On 7 January 2018, Messi made his 400th La Liga appearance with Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Levante, marking the occasion with his 144th league assist and 365th league goal for the club, the latter of which saw him equal Gerd Müller\\'s record for the most league goals scored for the same club in one of Europe\\'s top five divisions. A week later, he broke the record, scoring his 366th La Liga goal from a free kick in a 4–2 away win against Real Sociedad.On 4 March, he scored his 600th senior career goal from a free kick in a 1–0 home win over Atlético Madrid, in La Liga. On 14 March, Messi scored his 99th and 100th Champions League goals in a 3–0 home win over Chelsea, becoming only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this landmark, in fewer appearances, at a younger age and having taken fewer shots than his Portuguese counterpart. His opening goal, which came after only two minutes and eight seconds, was also the fastest of his career, as Barcelona advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition for the eleventh consecutive season. On 7 April, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Leganés including his sixth goal scored from a free-kick for the season, matching the record set by former teammate Ronaldinho. He once again finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, with 34 goals, which also saw him win his fifth Golden Shoe award. On 21 April, Messi scored Barcelona\\'s second goal – his 40th of the season – in a 5–0 win over Sevilla in the 2018 Copa del Rey final, later also setting up Suárez\\'s second goal; this was Barcelona\\'s fourth consecutive title and their 30th overall. On 29 April, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 away win over Deportivo de La Coruña, which saw Barcelona claim their 25th league title. On 9 May, Messi scored as Barcelona defeated Villarreal 5–1 to set the longest unbeaten streak (43 games) in La Liga history.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19: captaincy, 10th La Liga title, and a record sixth Golden Boot ====\\nWith the departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team\\'s new captain for the following season. On 12 August, he lifted his first title as Barcelona\\'s captain, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla. On 19 August, Messi scored twice in helping Barcelona defeat Alavés 3–0 in their first La Liga match of the season, with his first goal, a free kick that he rolled under the jumping Alavés wall, making history in being Barcelona\\'s 6000th goal in La Liga. On 18 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over PSV Eindhoven in Barcelona\\'s opening Champions League group stage match of the season, setting a new record for most hat-tricks in the competition, with eight. On 20 October, Messi scored in a 4–2 home win over Sevilla, but was later forced off in the 26th minute after falling awkwardly and injuring his right arm; tests later confirmed that he had fractured his radial bone, ruling him out for approximately three weeks. On 8 December, Messi scored two free kicks – his ninth and tenth goals from set pieces during the calendar year – in a 4–0 away win over Derbi barceloní rivals Espanyol in La Liga; this was the first time ever that he had managed such a feat in the league. His first goal was also his 10th league goal of the season, making him the first player ever to reach double figures in La Liga for 13 consecutive seasons.\\nOn 13 January 2019, Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal in his 435th league appearance in a 3–0 home win over Eibar, becoming the first player ever to manage this tally in just one of Europe\\'s top five leagues. On 2 February, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 draw against Valencia, with his first goal coming from the penalty spot, his 50th La Liga penalty goal; as such, he became only the third player in La Liga history after Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Sánchez to score 50 penalties in the competition. Later that month, the club admitted they had begun preparations for Messi\\'s future retirement. On 23 February, Messi scored the 50th hat-trick of his career and also provided an assist for Suárez, as he helped Barcelona come from behind to achieve a 4–2 away victory over Sevilla in La Liga; the goal was also his 650th career goal for club and country at senior level. On 16 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home victory over Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals to give Barcelona a 4–0 aggregate win, which saw Barcelona progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2015; these were also his first goals in the Champions League quarter-finals since 2013.On 27 April, Messi came off the bench and scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Levante, which allowed Barcelona to clinch the league title; this was his 450th La Liga appearance, and his first league title as Barcelona\\'s captain. On 1 May, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals; his second goal of the match, a 35-yard free kick, was the 600th senior club goal of his career, all of which had been scored with Barcelona. In the return leg six days later at Anfield, Barcelona suffered a 4–0 away defeat, which saw Liverpool advance to the final 4–3 on aggregate. On 19 May, in Barcelona\\'s final La Liga match of the season, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 away draw against Eibar (his 49th and 50th goals of the season in all competitions), which saw him capture his sixth Pichichi Trophy as the league\\'s top scorer, with 36 goals in 34 appearances; with six titles, he equalled Zarra as the player with the most top-scorer awards in La Liga. He also captured his sixth Golden Shoe award, and a record third consecutive award since the 2016–17 season. On 25 May, Messi scored his final goal of the season in a 2–1 defeat to Valencia in the 2019 Copa del Rey final.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20: record sixth Ballon d\\'Or ====\\nOn 5 August 2019, it was announced that Messi would miss Barcelona\\'s US tour after sustaining a right calf injury. On 19 August, Messi\\'s chipped goal from the edge of the box against Real Betis was nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award. Later that month, he suffered another setback following the return of his calf injury, which ruled him out of the opening game of the season; as a result, he was sidelined indefinitely, and was only expected to return to action with Barcelona after the September international break. On 2 September, Messi was shortlisted as one of the three finalists for both the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award and the 2019 Best FIFA Men\\'s Player Award, with Messi winning the latter on 23 September.\\nMessi made his first appearance of the season on 17 September, and on 6 October he scored his first goal of the season with a free kick in a 4–0 home win over Sevilla; this was his 420th goal in La Liga, which saw him break Cristiano Ronaldo\\'s record of 419 goals scored in Europe\\'s top five leagues. On 23 October, Messi scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 2–1 away win over Slavia Prague, becoming the first player to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons (excluding qualifying rounds). He also equalled Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo\\'s shared record of the most sides scored against in the competition (33). On 29 October, Messi scored in a 5–1 home win over Real Valladolid in La Liga; his first goal – a set piece from 35 yards – was the 50th free-kick of his career. His goals (608) also saw him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo\\'s senior goal tally (606) at club level. On 9 November, Messi scored three goals (including two free kicks) in a 4–1 home win against Celta Vigo. This was his 34th hat-trick in La Liga, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo\\'s Spanish top-flight record. On 27 November, in what was his 700th appearance for Barcelona, Messi scored one goal and assisted two more in a 3–1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. Dortmund were the 34th team he had scored against in the competition, breaking the previous record of 33 held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl. On 2 December, Messi was awarded a record-breaking sixth Ballon d\\'Or. On 8 December, Messi scored his record-breaking 35th hat-trick in La Liga with three goals in Barcelona\\'s 5–2 home win over Mallorca.On 22 February 2020, Messi scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Eibar in La Liga. On 14 June, he scored in a 4–0 away win against Mallorca, becoming the first player ever in La Liga to score 20 goals or more in 12 consecutive seasons. On 30 June, he scored a panenka in a 2–2 home draw against Atlético Madrid in La Liga, to reach his 700th goal in his senior career for Barcelona and Argentina. On 11 July, Messi provided his 20th assist of the league season for Arturo Vidal in a 1–0 away win over Real Valladolid, equalling Xavi\\'s record of 20 assists in a single La Liga season from 2008 to 2009; with 22 goals, he also became only the second player ever, after Thierry Henry in the 2002–03 FA Premier League season with Arsenal (24 goals and 20 assists), to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a single league season in one of Europe\\'s top-five leagues. Following his brace in a 5–0 away win against Alavés in the final match of the season on 20 May, Messi finished the season as both the top scorer and top assist provider in La Liga, with 25 goals and 21 assists respectively, which saw him win his record seventh Pichichi trophy, overtaking Zarra; however, Barcelona missed out on the league title to Real Madrid. On 9 August, in the Champions League round of 16 second leg versus Napoli at the Camp Nou, Messi scored the second goal and earned a penalty which led to a third goal and led his side to a 3–1 home victory and qualified 4–2 on aggregate for the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich. On 15 August, Messi suffered his worst defeat as a player as Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8–2 in a one-off tie in Lisbon, leading to another disappointing exit from the Champions League.\\n\\n\\n==== August 2020: desire to leave Barcelona ====\\n\\nFollowing growing dissatisfaction with the direction of Barcelona on and off the field, Barcelona announced that Messi sent the club \"a document expressing his desire to leave\" on 25 August 2020. The announcement garnered a significant media response, including from current and former teammates (who supported Messi\\'s statement) and Catalan president Quim Torra. On 26 August, Barcelona\\'s sporting director Ramon Planes iterated the club\\'s desire to \"build a team around the most important player in the world\" and affirmed Messi will only be able to leave should a buyer pay his €700 million buyout clause; a reported early termination option available in Messi\\'s contract (which would have allowed him to leave the club for free) could only be exercised if he had communicated his decision to Barcelona by 31 May 2020, although the player\\'s representatives argued the deadline should be set to 31 August, due to the adjourned 2019–20 season. On 30 August, La Liga issued a statement stating Messi\\'s contract and buyout clause were still active.On 4 September, Jorge Messi, Lionel\\'s father and agent, released a statement in response to La Liga claiming the release clause \"is not valid when the termination of the contract is by the player\\'s unilateral decision from the end of the 2019–20 season\", as stated in Messi\\'s contract with Barcelona; moments later, La Liga issued a response reiterating their statement published on 30 August. Later that evening, Messi announced in an interview with Goal that he would continue at Barcelona for the final year of his contract. In the interview, Messi claimed to have informed Barcelona of his desire to leave multiple times, and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said Messi could decide at the end of every season if he wanted to stay or leave, only for Bartomeu to refer to the release clause. This left Messi with two options: to stay or go to court against the club, with the player saying \"I would never go to court against the club of my life\".\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21: final season at Barcelona ====\\nOn 27 September, Messi began the 2020–21 season by scoring a penalty in a 4–0 home win against Villarreal in La Liga. Two days prior to the opening game, he again criticised the club, this time for the manner of Luis Suárez\\'s departure, stating, \"at this stage nothing surprises me any more\". On 20 October, Messi scored a penalty in a 5–1 home victory against Ferencváros in the Champions League, becoming the first player in history to score in sixteen consecutive Champions League seasons. On 25 November, Messi was nominated for the 2020 Best FIFA Men\\'s Player award, and was later shortlisted as one of the final three candidates. On 29 November, Messi scored his side\\'s fourth goal in their 4–0 victory over Osasuna. After scoring, he unveiled a shirt of his former side Newell\\'s Old Boys, in tribute to Argentine compatriot Diego Maradona, who had died four days earlier, and raised both hands to the screen showing Maradona\\'s face in the stadium. The shirt was a number 10 replica of the same one Maradona had worn during his stint with the club in 1993. On 17 December, Messi finished third in The Best FIFA Men\\'s Player award behind Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo, and was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the fourteenth consecutive year.\\n\\nOn 23 December, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona against Real Valladolid in La Liga, surpassing Pelé with Santos as the player with the most goals scored for a single club. In order to celebrate his achievement, Budweiser sent personalised bottles of beer to every goalkeeper whom Messi has scored against. On 17 January 2021, Messi was sent off for the first time in his club career for violent conduct (swinging an arm at the head of Asier Villalibre, missed initially by the referee but reviewed via VAR) in the final minutes of Barcelona\\'s 2–3 extra time defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the 2020–21 Supercopa de España Final. On 10 March, Messi scored from 35 yards out and later had a penalty saved in a 1–1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 as Barcelona were eliminated at this stage for the first time in 14 years by an aggregate score of 2–5 after having lost 1–4 at home on 16 February, with Messi scoring Barcelona\\'s only goal in that game. On 15 March, Messi scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Huesca, and became the first player in history to score at least 20 goals in 13 consecutive seasons in the top five European leagues. On 21 March, he surpassed Xavi\\'s record to reach a club record of 768 appearances, in which he also scored a brace in a 6–1 away win against Real Sociedad.On 17 April, Messi scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–0 in the 2021 Copa del Rey final. With his second goal, he broke Gerd Müller\\'s record of 30 plus goals in 12 consecutive club seasons, setting a new record of 13. With his 35th trophy with Barcelona, Messi also overtook former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs as the most decorated footballer for a single club. On 16 May, Messi scored his 30th league goal of the campaign in a 1–2 home defeat against Celta Vigo, which later turned out to be his final goal and match in a Barcelona shirt. The top goalscorer in La Liga, Messi received the Pichichi trophy for a record eighth time in his career. It was also his record fifth consecutive win in La Liga, surpassing Alfredo Di Stéfano and Hugo Sánchez who both had four for Real Madrid.\\n\\nOn 1 July, Messi became a free agent after his contract expired, with negotiations on a new deal complicated due to financial issues at Barcelona. On 5 August, Barcelona announced that Messi would not be staying at the club, even though both parties reached an agreement and were due to sign a contract that day. The club cited financial and structural obstacles posed by La Liga regulations as a reason for Messi\\'s departure. Club president Joan Laporta also blamed the previous board for Messi\\'s exit by saying \"the basis of everything is the calamitous and disastrous situation left by the previous board\", he added by saying \"the expected debt is much higher and we had some sports contracts in place that meant we had no margin on salary\". Three days later, in a tearful press conference held at the Camp Nou, Messi confirmed that he would be leaving Barcelona.\\n\\n\\n=== Paris Saint-Germain ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22: first season adjustments and seventh Ballon d\\'Or ====\\nOn 10 August, Messi joined French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He signed a two-year deal until June 2023 with an option for an extra year. Messi chose 30 as his squad number, the same he wore as a teenager when he made his senior debut for Barcelona.Messi made his debut for the club on 29 August, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a 2–0 away win over Reims in Ligue 1. He made his first start and Champions League debut for the club in a 1–1 away draw against Club Brugge on 15 September. Four days later, Messi made his home debut for PSG in a 2–1 win over Lyon. On 28 September, he scored his first goal for the club, a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box in a 2–0 Champions League group stage win over former manager Pep Guardiola\\'s Manchester City. On 21 November, Messi scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 3–1 home victory over Nantes. Later that month, he provided a hat-trick of assists for the fifth time in his career as PSG beat Saint-Étienne 3–1 away from home. Having scored 40 goals at club and international level for the calendar year and helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América, Messi received a record seventh Ballon d\\'Or on 29 November.\\n\\nOn 2 January 2022, PSG announced that Messi had tested positive for COVID-19, missing two league games and a cup game as a result. He made his return against on 23 January in the league against Reims where he came on as a substitute in the second half and assisted PSG\\'s third goal in a 4–0 home victory. On 13 March, following their Champions League elimination against Real Madrid in the round of 16, Messi and his team-mate Neymar were booed by some of the PSG fans at the Parc des Princes in the league match against Bordeaux. Then-PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino defended Messi by saying \"To judge Messi in this way is unfair,\" adding \"It was a year of learning, and not just on a professional level coming to Paris Saint-Germain, in a new league and with new teammates, but also on a family level.\" On 23 April, he helped PSG clinch their 10th Ligue 1 title after scoring from a strike outside the 18-yard box in a 1–1 draw against Lens at home. Messi finished his debut season with 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitions. He failed to reach double figure league goals for the first time since 2005–06, ending the campaign with six.\\n\\n\\n==== 2022–23: return to form and departure ====\\nAfter adjusting to his new surroundings and settling in Paris, under new coach Christophe Galtier, Messi returned to his preferred free attacking role; being placed in his favoured position as the playmaker behind two strikers, in an attacking trident with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, quickly regaining his form from his previous season by starting off the new season on 31 July by scoring PSG\\'s first goal in a 4–0 victory over Nantes in the Trophée des Champions, winning his second trophy with PSG.Due to his form in the previous season, Messi was not nominated for the Ballon d\\'Or award for the first time since 2005. On 21 August, Messi provided a long-range assist for Mbappé, clocked at eight seconds, for Ligue 1\\'s second-fastest goal ever scored, before also scoring a goal in 7–1 away win over Lille. The following matches, after registering six goal contributions, including one goal and five assists, Messi was named Ligue 1\\'s Player of the Month in September. On 5 October, he scored in a 1–1 draw away to Benfica in the Champions League, becoming the only player in the competition\\'s history to score against 40 different Champions League opponents. On 25 October, he scored twice in a 7–2 Champions League win at home to Maccabi Haifa, setting the record for the most goals scored from outside the 18-yard box than any other player in the competition, with 23 goals. Four days later, Messi scored and provided an assist as PSG won 4–3 against Troyes to remain top of the Ligue 1 table. The goal was his seventh of the league season and his twelfth overall, surpassing his total output of the prior season in just 18 matches.On 26 February 2023, PSG defeated Marseille 3–0 in Le Classique, with Messi scoring his 700th senior career club goal as well as assisting two goals for Mbappé. On 11 March, PSG defeated Brest 2–1, with Messi setting up a last-minute winner for Mbappé, registering his 300th club career assist. On 8 April, he scored and provided an assist in a 2–0 away win over Nice in Ligue 1, which saw him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time highest goalscorer in European club football with 702 goals; during the match, he also achieved 1,000 career direct goal contributions at club level. On 2 May, Messi was suspended for two weeks and fined after taking an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia with his family as part of a promotional commercial agreement. His visit to Saudi Arabia meant he did not show up to training the previous day following a 3–1 defeat to Lorient. The next day, on 3 May, it was reported that Messi would leave PSG at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract. Afterwards, several PSG supporters demanded his exit from the club, viewing his absence as evidence of a team not fighting for the shirt, within a context of perceived disconnect between themselves and the club\\'s identity. Two days later, Messi apologised to the club and his teammates for the trip, stating he thought he had a free day after the match [against Lorient], and already had the trip planned, which he had canceled previously. On 28 May, Messi scored in a 1–1 draw against Strasbourg helping PSG clinch their 11th Ligue 1 title and his second in a row; in the process Messi became the player with the most goals in the history of Europe\\'s top five leagues, with 496 goals.On 1 June, Galtier confirmed that PSG\\'s home game against Clermont on 3 June would be Messi\\'s last for the club, with the club confirming his departure two days later; the match ended in 3–2 defeat. He ended the season with the highest number of assists in the league with 16 and was also included in the UNFP\\'s Ligue 1 Team of the Season alongside teammates Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Mbappé.\\n\\n\\n=== Inter Miami ===\\nFollowing confirmation of his departure from PSG, Messi was linked with a return to former club Barcelona, as well as with a big-money move to Saudi Professional League club Al-Hilal, but his eventual decision to sign for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami was communicated to Barcelona president Joan Laporta by 5 June 2023. Barcelona were unable to sign him due to financial constraints.On 7 June, Inter Miami posted a video on their social media hinting at the club\\'s impending signing of Messi. On the same day, Messi confirmed his intention to join Miami in a joint interview with Mundo Deportivo and Sport, in which he said that they \"haven\\'t closed it 100 percent\"; MLS also stated that the deal had not been finalised. He explained that even though La Liga had accepted everything and was fine for him to return to Barcelona, there were many things left to be done such as lowering salaries and selling players, and he did not want to go through it again or be responsible for it. He confirmed that other European clubs approached him, but that Barcelona was the only European team he wanted to play for.On 15 July 2023, Inter Miami announced the signing of Messi on a two-and-a-half year contract. He was formally introduced to fans at a live-streamed event, dubbed \"La PresentaSÍon\", at DRV PNK Stadium the following day alongside fellow signee and former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets. His base salary is set at $12 million with guaranteed compensation totaling $20.4 million for the 2023 season; Messi is also set to earn additional shares from jersey sales, MLS Season Pass subscriptions, and a stake in the club itself.\\n\\n\\n==== 2023–present: Leagues Cup victory and eighth Ballon d\\'Or ====\\nMessi made his debut for the club on 21 July in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, scoring with a free-kick in stoppage time for a 2–1 victory. After scoring nine goals in his first six games for Miami, Messi opened the scoring in the 2023 Leagues Cup final against Nashville SC on 19 August before Nashville equalised in the second half. The game ended in a penalty shoot-out which Miami won, 10–9, with Messi scoring the first, giving the club their first ever trophy.Messi made his MLS debut on 26 August, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, scoring a late goal in a 2–0 away win against New York Red Bulls, which put an end to Inter\\'s eleven-match league winless streak. Messi\\'s first goal in the regular season earned him Goal of the Matchday with 89.7% of the vote. On 30 October, following his World Cup win with Argentina and Ligue 1 trophy with PSG, Messi was awarded a record-extending eighth Ballon d\\'Or. Messi finished his first season for Inter Miami with 11 goals in 14 matches, after playing in his final game in a 1–0 loss to Charlotte FC on 21 October. Miami finished 14th in the Eastern Conference, having gone winless in their last seven games. For his achievements in 2023, he was named Time Athlete of the Year, the first footballer to ever win the award. On 15 January 2024, Messi won The Best FIFA Men\\'s Player for a record third time. He also extended his record number of appearances in the FIFPRO Men\\'s World 11 to 17 straight appearances, having not missed out on the selection since 2006.\\n\\n\\n==== Absence in the 2024 Hong Kong exhibition game ====\\n Main article: Lionel Messi\\'s absence in the 2024 Hong Kong exhibition game\\nOn February 4, 2024, Messi-led Inter Miami played an exhibition match against the Hong Kong League players at the Hong Kong Stadium. However, Messi sat on the bench during the whole match and did not play due to claimed injury, which aroused the anger of the fans at the scene and shouted \"refund\" (Cantonese: 回水). Messi\\'s personal social media accounts were flooded by comments of unsatisfied fans. Legislative Council Member Kenneth Fok issued a statement condemning the organizer Tatler and Inter Miami, believing that both of them are responsible when the latter received sky-high remuneration but made the fans leave disappointed and owes the fans an apology. The Government of Hong Kong also stated twice, expressing extreme disappointment at Messi\\'s absence and saying that it was considering to revoke the HK$16 million sponsorship funds. This incident was nicknamed \"Messi Messy\" by the CNN, and translated as \"Messi\\'s Chaos\" by the Hong Kong media. On February 6, 2024, Messi and his teammates were full of energy when practicing in Japan. Besides passing the ball, Messi was also able to kick the ball into the goal. It was completely different when he didn\\'t even touch the ball in Hong Kong, which left the fans in Hong Kong suspicious that he wasn\\'t hurt at all. On February 8, 2024, the Chinese Football Association temporarily halted its partnership with the Argentine Football Association over the incident.There was a friendly match against Vissel Kobe at 7 pm on 7 February 2024. Messi started as a reserve, and in the 60th minute of the second half, Messi came on as a reserve. In the 78th minute, Messi shot but was blocked by the goalkeeper. Although Messi was very active on the court, he failed to score. In the end, after Inter Miami and Vissel Kobe ended in a 0:0 draw, a new match was required to decide the outcome. Messi did not participate in the twelve yards, which caused boos from the scene. Inter Miami won 4:3 at last.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== 2004–2005: success at youth level ===\\nAs a dual Argentine-Spanish national, Messi was eligible to play for the national team of both countries. Selectors for Spain\\'s Under-17 squad began pursuing him in 2003 after Barcelona\\'s director of football, Carles Rexach, alerted the Royal Spanish Football Federation to their young player. Messi declined the offer, having aspired to represent La Albiceleste since childhood. To further prevent Spain from taking him, the Argentine Football Association organised two under-20 friendlies in June 2004, against Paraguay and Uruguay, with the purpose of finalising his status as an Argentina player in FIFA. Five days after his 17th birthday, on 29 June, he made his debut for his country against Paraguay, scoring once and providing two assists in their 8–0 victory. He was subsequently included in the squad for the South American Youth Championship, held in Colombia in February 2005. As he lacked the stamina of his teammates, the result of his former growth hormone deficiency, he was used as a substitute in six of the nine games. After being named man of the match against Venezuela, he scored the winning 2–1 goal in the crucial last match against Brazil, thereby securing their third-place qualification for the FIFA World Youth Championship.Aware of his physical limitations, Messi employed a personal trainer to increase his muscle mass, returning to the squad in an improved condition in time for the World Youth Championship, hosted by the Netherlands in June. After he was left out of the starting line-up in their first match against the United States, a 1–0 defeat, the squad\\'s senior players asked manager Francisco Ferraro to let Messi start, as they considered him their best player. After helping the team defeat Egypt and Germany to progress past the group stage, Messi proved decisive in the knockout phase as he scored their equaliser against Colombia, provided a goal and an assist against title favourites Spain, and scored their opening goal against reigning champions Brazil. Ahead of the final, he was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. He scored two penalties in their 2–1 victory over Nigeria, clinching Argentina\\'s fifth championship and finishing the tournament as top scorer with 6 goals. His performances drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona, who had led Argentina to the title in 1979.\\n\\n\\n=== 2005–2006: senior and World Cup debuts ===\\nIn recognition of his achievements with the under-20 side, senior manager José Pékerman gave Messi his first call-up for a friendly against Hungary on 17 August 2005. Aged 18, Messi made his senior debut for Argentina in the Ferenc Puskás Stadium when he came on in the 63rd minute, only to be sent off after two minutes for a perceived foul against Vilmos Vanczák, who had grabbed his shirt; Messi had struck the defender with his arm while trying to shake him off, which the referee interpreted as an intentional elbowing, a contentious decision. Messi was reportedly found weeping in the dressing room after his sending-off. He returned to the team on 3 September in their World Cup qualifier defeat to Paraguay, which he had declared his \"re-debut\" ahead of the match. Messi started his first game in the next qualifying match against Peru, in which he was able to win a crucial penalty that secured their victory. After the match, Pékerman described him as \"a jewel\". He subsequently made regular appearances for the team ahead of Argentina\\'s participation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, scoring his first goal in a friendly against Croatia on 1 March 2006. A hamstring injury sustained a week later jeopardised his presence in the World Cup, but he was nevertheless selected for Pékerman\\'s squad and regained fitness in time for the start of the tournament.During the World Cup in Germany, Messi witnessed their opening match victory against the Ivory Coast from the substitutes\\' bench. In the next match, against Serbia and Montenegro, he became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a FIFA World Cup when he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute. He assisted their fourth strike within minutes and scored the final goal in their 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth-youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. As their progression to the knockout phase was secured, several starters were rested during the last group match. Messi consequently started the game against the Netherlands, a 0–0 draw, as they won their group on goal differential. In the round of 16 match against Mexico, played on his 19th birthday, Messi came on in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was contentiously ruled offside, with the team needing a late goal in extra time to proceed. He did not play in the quarter-final against Germany, during which Argentina were eliminated 4–2 in a penalty shootout. Back home, Pékerman\\'s decision to leave him on the bench against Germany led to widespread criticism from those who believed Messi could have changed the outcome of the match in Argentina\\'s favour.\\n\\n\\n=== 2007–2008: Copa América final and Olympic gold ===\\nAs Messi evolved into one of the best players in the world, he secured a place in Alfio Basile\\'s starting line-up, as part of a team considered favourites to win the 2007 Copa América, held in Venezuela. He set up the game-winning goal of their 4–1 victory over the United States in the opening match, before winning a penalty that led to the game-tying first strike of their 4–2 win in the next match against Colombia. At the quarter-final stage, where the group winners faced Peru, he scored the second goal of a 4–0 victory that saw them through to the semi-final, during which he chipped the ball over Mexico\\'s goalkeeper to ensure another 3–0 win. In a surprise defeat, Argentina lost the final 3–0 to a Brazil squad that lacked several of the nation\\'s best players. Their unexpected loss was followed by much criticism in Argentina, though Messi was mostly exempt due to his young age and secondary status to star player Juan Román Riquelme. He was named the best young player of the tournament by CONMEBOL.Ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Barcelona legally barred Messi from representing Argentina at the tournament as it coincided with their Champions League qualifying matches. After interference from newly appointed Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who had won the tournament in 1992, Messi was permitted to join Sergio Batista\\'s under-23 squad in Beijing. During the first match, he scored the opening goal in their 2–1 victory over the Ivory Coast. Following a 1–0 win in the next group match against Australia, ensuring their quarter-final qualification, Messi was rested during the game against Serbia, while his side won the match to finish first in their group. Against the Netherlands, he again scored the first goal and assisted a second strike to help his team to a 2–1 win in extra time. After a 3–0 semi-final victory over Brazil, Messi assisted the only goal in the final as Argentina defeated Nigeria to claim Olympic gold medals. Along with Riquelme, Messi was singled out by FIFA as the stand-out player from the tournament\\'s best team.\\n\\n\\n=== 2008–2011: collective decline ===\\nFrom late 2008, the national team experienced a three-year period marked by poor performances. Under manager Diego Maradona, who had led Argentina to World Cup victory as a player, the team struggled to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, securing their place in the tournament only after defeating Uruguay 1–0 in their last qualifying match. Maradona was criticised for his strategic decisions, which included playing Messi out of his usual position. In eight qualifying matches under Maradona\\'s stewardship, Messi scored only one goal, netting the opening goal in the first such match, a 4–0 victory over Venezuela. During that game, played on 28 March 2009, he wore Argentina\\'s number 10 shirt for the first time, following the international retirement of Riquelme. Overall, Messi scored four goals in 18 appearances during the qualifying process. Ahead of the tournament, Maradona visited Messi in Barcelona to request his tactical input; Messi then outlined a 4–3–1–2 formation with himself playing behind the two strikers, a playmaking position known as the enganche in Argentine football, which had been his preferred position since childhood.\\nDespite their poor qualifying campaign, Argentina were considered title contenders at the World Cup in South Africa. At the start of the tournament, the new formation proved effective; Messi managed at least four attempts on goal during their opening match but was repeatedly denied by Nigeria\\'s goalkeeper, resulting in a 1–0 win. During the next match, against South Korea, he excelled in his playmaking role, participating in all four goals of his side\\'s 4–1 victory. As their place in the knockout phase was guaranteed, most of the starters were rested during the last group match, but Messi reportedly refused to be benched. He wore the captain\\'s armband for the first time in their 2–0 win against Greece; as the focal point of their play, he helped create their second goal to see Argentina finish as group winners.Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-final against Germany, at the same stage of the tournament and by the same opponent as four years earlier. Their 4–0 loss was their worst margin of defeat at a World Cup since 1974. FIFA subsequently identified Messi as one of the tournament\\'s 10 best players, citing his \"outstanding\" pace and creativity and \"spectacular and efficient\" dribbling, shooting and passing. Back home, however, Messi was the subject of harsher judgement. As the perceived best player in the world, he had been expected to lead an average team to the title, as Maradona arguably did in 1986, but he had failed to replicate his performances at Barcelona with the national team, leading to the accusation that he cared less about his country than his club.Maradona was replaced by Sergio Batista, who had orchestrated Argentina\\'s Olympic victory. Batista publicly stated that he intended to build the team around Messi, employing him as a false nine within a 4–3–3 system, as used to much success by Barcelona. Although Messi scored a record 53 goals during the 2010–11 club season, he had not scored for Argentina in an official match since March 2009. Despite the tactical change, his goal drought continued during the 2011 Copa América, hosted by Argentina. Their first two matches, against Bolivia and Colombia, ended in draws. Media and fans noted that he did not combine well with striker Carlos Tevez, who enjoyed greater popularity among the Argentine public; Messi was consequently booed by his own team\\'s supporters for the first time in his career. During the crucial next match, with Tevez on the bench, he gave a well-received performance, assisting two goals in their 3–0 victory over Costa Rica. After the quarter-final against Uruguay ended in a 1–1 draw following extra time, with Messi having assisted their equaliser, Argentina were eliminated 4–5 in the penalty shootout by the eventual champions.\\n\\n\\n=== 2011–2013: assuming the captaincy ===\\nAfter Argentina\\'s unsuccessful performance in the Copa América, Batista was replaced by Alejandro Sabella. Upon his appointment in August 2011, Sabella awarded the 24-year-old Messi the captaincy of the squad, in accord with then-captain Javier Mascherano. Reserved by nature, Messi went on to lead his squad by example as their best player, while Mascherano continued to fulfil the role of the team\\'s on-field leader and motivator. In a further redesign of the team, Sabella dismissed Tevez and brought in players with whom Messi had won the World Youth Championship and Olympic Games. Now playing in a free role in an improving team, Messi ended his goal drought by scoring during their first World Cup qualifying match against Chile on 7 October, his first official goal for Argentina in two-and-a-half years.Under Sabella, Messi\\'s goalscoring rate drastically increased; where he had scored only 17 goals in 61 matches under his previous managers, he scored 25 times in 32 appearances during the following three years. He netted a total of 12 goals in 9 games for Argentina in 2012, equalling the record held by Gabriel Batistuta for the most goals scored in a calendar year for their country. His first international hat-trick came in a friendly against Switzerland on 29 February 2012, followed by two more hat-tricks over the next year-and-a-half in friendlies against Brazil and Guatemala. Messi then helped the team secure their place in the 2014 World Cup with a 5–2 victory over Paraguay on 10 September 2013 when he scored twice from penalty kicks, taking his international tally to 37 goals to become Argentina\\'s second-highest goalscorer behind Batistuta. Overall, he had scored a total of 10 goals in 14 matches during the qualifying campaign. Concurrently with his bettered performances, his relationship with his compatriots improved, as he gradually began to be perceived more favourably in Argentina.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014–2015: World Cup and Copa América finals ===\\nAhead of the World Cup in Brazil, doubts persisted over Messi\\'s form, as he finished an unsuccessful and injury-plagued season with Barcelona. At the start of the tournament, however, he gave strong performances, being elected man of the match in their first four matches. In his first World Cup match as captain, he led them to a 2–1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina; he helped create Sead Kolašinac\\'s own goal and scored their second strike after a dribble past three players, his first World Cup goal since his debut in the tournament eight years earlier. During the second match against Iran, he scored an injury-time goal from 25 yards out to end the game in a 1–0 win, securing their qualification for the knockout phase. He scored twice in the last group match, a 3–2 victory over Nigeria, his second goal coming from a free kick, as they finished first in their group. Messi assisted a late goal in extra time to ensure a 1–0 win against Switzerland in the round of 16, and played in the 1–0 quarter-final win against Belgium as Argentina progressed to the semi-final of the World Cup for the first time since 1990. Following a 0–0 draw in extra time, they eliminated the Netherlands 4–2 in a penalty shootout to reach the final, with Messi scoring his team\\'s first penalty.\\nBilled as Messi versus Germany, the world\\'s best player against the best team, the final was a repeat of the 1990 final featuring Diego Maradona. Within the first half-hour, Messi had started the play that led to a goal, but it was ruled offside. He missed several opportunities to open the scoring throughout the match, in particular at the start of the second half when his breakaway effort went wide of the far post. Substitute Mario Götze finally scored in the 113th minute, followed in the last minute of extra time by a free kick that Messi sent over the net, as Germany won the match 1–0 to claim the World Cup. At the conclusion of the final, Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. In addition to being the joint third-highest goalscorer, with four goals and an assist, he created the most chances, completed the most dribbling runs, made the most deliveries into the penalty area and produced the most throughballs in the competition. However, his selection drew criticism due to his lack of goals in the knockout round; FIFA President Sepp Blatter expressed his surprise, while Maradona suggested that Messi had undeservedly been chosen for marketing purposes.Another final appearance, the third of Messi\\'s senior international career, followed in the 2015 Copa América, held in Chile. Under the stewardship of former Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino, Argentina entered the tournament as title contenders due to their second-place achievement at the World Cup. During the opening match against Paraguay, they were ahead two goals by half-time but lost their lead to end the match in a 2–2 draw; Messi had scored from a penalty kick, netting his only goal in the tournament. Following a 1–0 win against defending champions Uruguay, Messi earned his 100th cap for his country in the final group match, a 1–0 win over Jamaica, becoming only the fifth Argentine to achieve this milestone. In his 100 appearances, he had scored a total of 46 goals for Argentina, 22 of which came in official competitive matches.As Messi evolved from the team\\'s symbolic captain into a genuine leader, he led Argentina to the knockout stage as group winners. In the quarter-final, they created numerous chances, including a rebound header by Messi, but were repeatedly denied by Colombia\\'s goalkeeper, and ultimately ended the match scoreless, leading to a 5–4 penalty shootout in their favour, with Messi netting his team\\'s first spot kick. At the semi-final stage, Messi excelled as a playmaker as he provided three assists and helped create three more goals in his side\\'s 6–1 victory over Paraguay, receiving applause from the initially hostile crowd. Argentina started the final as the odds-on title favourites, but were defeated by Chile 4–1 in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 extra-time draw. Faced with aggression from opposing players, including taking a boot to the midriff, Messi played below his standards, though he was the only Argentine to successfully convert his penalty. At the close of the tournament, he was reportedly selected to receive the Most Valuable Player award but rejected the honour. As Argentina continued a trophy drought that began in 1993, the World Cup and Copa América defeats again brought intense criticism for Messi from Argentine media and fans.\\n\\n\\n=== 2016–2017: third Copa América final, first retirement, and return ===\\nMessi\\'s place in Argentina\\'s Copa América Centenario squad was initially put in jeopardy when he sustained a back injury in a 1–0 friendly win over Honduras in a pre-Copa América warm-up match on 27 May 2016. It was later reported that he had suffered a deep bruise in his lumbar region. He was later left on the bench in Argentina\\'s 2–1 opening win over defending champions Chile on 6 June due to concerns regarding his fitness. Although Messi was declared match-fit for his nation\\'s second group match against Panama on 10 June, Martino left him on the bench once again; he replaced Augusto Fernández in the 61st minute and subsequently scored a hat-trick in 19 minutes, also starting the play which led to Sergio Agüero\\'s goal, as the match ended in a 5–0 victory, sealing Argentina\\'s place in the quarter-finals of the competition; he was elected man of the match for his performance.\\n\\nOn 18 June, in the quarter-final of the Copa América against Venezuela, Messi produced another man of the match performance, assisting two goals and scoring another in a 4–1 victory, which enabled him to equal Gabriel Batistuta\\'s national record of 54 goals in official international matches. This record was broken three days later when Messi scored a free kick in a 4–0 semi-final win against hosts the United States; he also assisted two goals during the match as Argentina sealed a place in the final of the competition for a second consecutive year, and was named man of the match once again.During a repeat of the previous year\\'s final on 26 June, Argentina once again lost to Chile on penalties after a 0–0 deadlock, resulting in Messi\\'s third consecutive defeat in a major tournament final with Argentina, and his fourth overall. After the match, Messi, who had missed his penalty in the shootout, announced his retirement from international football. He stated, \"I tried my hardest. The team has ended for me, a decision made.\" Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said after the match, \"My generation can\\'t compare him to Maradona that\\'s for my generation, because of what Maradona did for Argentine football. But I think the best player ever played today here in the United States.\" Messi finished the tournament as the second highest scorer, behind Eduardo Vargas, with five goals, and was the highest assist provider with four assists, also winning more Man of the Match awards than any other player in the tournament (3); he was named to the team of the tournament for his performances, but missed out on the Golden Ball Award for best player, which went to Alexis Sánchez.Following his announcement, a campaign began in Argentina for Messi to change his mind about retiring. He was greeted by fans with signs like \"Don\\'t go, Leo\" when the team landed in Buenos Aires. President of Argentina Mauricio Macri urged Messi not to quit, stating, \"We are lucky, it is one of life\\'s pleasures, it is a gift from God to have the best player in the world in a footballing country like ours... Lionel Messi is the greatest thing we have in Argentina and we must take care of him.\" Mayor of Buenos Aires Horacio Rodríguez Larreta unveiled a statue of Messi in the capital to convince him to reconsider retirement. The campaign also continued in the streets and avenues of the Argentine capital, with about 50,000 supporters going to the Obelisco de Buenos Aires on 2 July, using the same slogan.\\n\\nJust a week after Messi announced his international retirement, Argentine newspaper La Nación reported that he was reconsidering playing for Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September. On 12 August, it was confirmed that Messi had reversed his decision to retire from international football, and he was included in the squad for the national team\\'s upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers. On 1 September, in his first game back, he scored in a 1–0 home win over Uruguay in a 2018 World Cup qualifier.\\nOn 28 March 2017, Messi was suspended for four international games for insulting an assistant referee in a game against Chile on 23 March 2017. He was also fined CHF 10,000. On 5 May, Messi\\'s four match ban as well as his 10,000 CHF fine was lifted by FIFA after Argentina Football Association appealed against his suspension, which meant he could now play Argentina\\'s remaining World Cup Qualifiers. Argentina\\'s place in the 2018 World Cup was in jeopardy going into their final qualifying match as they were sixth in their group, outside the five possible CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying spots, meaning they risked failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1970. On 10 October, Messi led his country to World Cup qualification in scoring a hat-trick as Argentina came from behind to defeat Ecuador 3–1 away; Argentina had not defeated Ecuador in Quito since 2001. Messi\\'s three goals saw him become the joint all-time leading scorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 21 goals, alongside Uruguay\\'s Luis Suárez, overtaking the previous record which was held by compatriot Hernán Crespo.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018: World Cup ===\\n\\nFollowing on from their poor qualification campaign, expectations were not high going into the 2018 World Cup, with the team, without an injured Messi, losing 6–1 to Spain in March 2018. Prior to Argentina\\'s opener, there was speculation in the media over whether this would be Messi\\'s final World Cup. In the team\\'s opening group match against Iceland on 16 June, Messi missed a potential match-winning penalty in an eventual 1–1 draw. In Argentina\\'s second game on 21 June, the team lost 3–0 to Croatia in a huge upset. Post-match the Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli spoke of the lack of quality in the team surrounding Messi, saying \"we quite simply couldn\\'t pass to him to help him generate the situations he is used to. We worked to give him the ball but the opponent also worked hard to prevent him from getting the ball. We lost that battle\". Croatia captain and midfielder Luka Modrić also stated post match, \"Messi is an incredible player but he can\\'t do everything alone.\"\\nIn Argentina\\'s final group match against Nigeria at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg on 26 June, Messi scored the opening goal in an eventual 2–1 victory, becoming the third Argentine after Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta to score in three different World Cups; he also became the first player to score in the World Cup in his teens, twenties, and his thirties. A goal of the tournament contender, Messi received a long pass from midfield and controlled the ball on the run with two touches before striking it across goal into the net with his weaker right foot. He was awarded Man of the Match. Argentina progressed to the second round as group runners-up behind Croatia. In the round of 16 match against eventual champions France on 30 June, Messi set up Gabriel Mercado\\'s and Sergio Agüero\\'s goals in a 3–4 defeat, which saw Argentina eliminated from the World Cup. With his two assists in his team\\'s second round fixture, Messi became the first player to provide an assist in the last four World Cups, and also became the first player to provide two assists in a match for Argentina since Maradona had managed the same feat against South Korea in 1986.Following the tournament, Messi stated that he would not participate in Argentina\\'s friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia in September, and commented that it would be unlikely that he would represent his nation for the remainder of the calendar year. Messi\\'s absence from the national team and his continued failure to win a title with Argentina prompted speculation in the media that Messi might retire from international football once again. In March 2019, however, he was called up to the Argentina squad once again for the team\\'s friendlies against Venezuela and Morocco later that month. A conversation with Lionel Scaloni and his idol Pablo Aimar made Messi reconsider his decision to retire. He made his international return on 22 March, in a 3–1 friendly defeat to Venezuela, in Madrid.\\n\\n\\n=== 2019–2020: Copa América third-place and suspension ===\\nOn 21 May, Messi was included in Scaloni\\'s final 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América. In Argentina\\'s second group match on 19 June, Messi scored the equalising goal from the penalty spot in a 1–1 draw against Paraguay. After coming under criticism in the media over his performance following Argentina\\'s 2–0 quarter-final victory over Venezuela on 28 June, Messi commented that it had not been his best Copa América, while also criticising the poor quality of the pitches. Following Argentina\\'s 2–0 semi-final defeat to hosts Brazil on 2 July, Messi was critical of the refereeing, and alleged the competition was \"set up\" for Brazil to win.In the third-place match against Chile on 6 July, Messi set-up Agüero\\'s opening goal from a free kick in an eventual 2–1 win, to help Argentina win the bronze medal; however, he was sent off along with Gary Medel in the 37th minute of play, after being involved in an altercation with the Chilean defender. Following the match, Messi refused to collect his medal, and implied in a post-match interview that his comments following the semi-final led to his sending off. Messi later issued an apology for his comments, but was fined $1,500 and was handed a one-match ban by CONMEBOL, which ruled him out of Argentina\\'s next World Cup qualifier. On 2 August, Messi was banned for three months from international football and was fined $50,000 by CONMEBOL for his comments against the referee\\'s decisions; this ban meant he would miss Argentina\\'s friendly matches against Chile, Mexico and Germany in September and October. On 15 November, Messi played in the 2019 Superclásico de las Américas versus Brazil, scoring the winning goal by a rebound of his saved penalty. On 8 October 2020, Messi scored a penalty in a 1–0 victory against Ecuador, giving Argentina a winning start to their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.\\n\\n\\n=== 2021–2022: Copa América and World Cup triumphs ===\\n\\nOn 14 June 2021, Messi scored from a free kick in a 1–1 draw against Chile in Argentina\\'s opening group match of the 2021 Copa América in Brazil. On 21 June, Messi played in his 147th match as he equalled Javier Mascherano\\'s record for most appearances for Argentina in a 1–0 win over Paraguay in their third game of the tournament. A week later, he broke the record when he featured in a 4–1 win against Bolivia in his team\\'s final group match, assisting Papu Gómez\\'s opening goal and later scoring two. On 3 July, Messi assisted twice and scored from a free-kick in a 3–0 win over Ecuador in the quarter-finals of the competition. On 6 July, in a 1–1 draw in the semi-finals against Colombia, Messi made his 150th appearance for his country and registered his fifth assist of the tournament, a cut-back for Lautaro Martínez, matching his record of nine goal contributions in a single tournament from five years earlier; he later scored his spot kick in Argentina\\'s eventual 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory to progress to his fifth international final. On 10 July, Argentina defeated hosts and defending champions Brazil 1–0 in the final, giving Messi his first major international title and Argentina\\'s first since 1993, as well as his nation\\'s joint record 15th Copa América overall. Messi was directly involved in nine out of the 12 goals scored by Argentina, scoring four and assisting five; he was named the player of the tournament for his performances, an honour he shared with Neymar. He also finished as top scorer with four goals tied with Colombia\\'s Luis Díaz, with the Golden Boot awarded to Messi as he had more assists.On 9 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 home win over Bolivia in a 2022 World Cup qualifier which also moved him above Pelé as South America\\'s top male international scorer with 79 goals. In the 2022 Finalissima, the third edition of the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions, at Wembley on 2 June 2022, Messi assisted twice in a 3–0 victory against Italy and was named player of the match, securing his second trophy for Argentina at the senior level. Messi then followed this on 6 June with all five Argentina goals in a 5–0 victory in a friendly win over Estonia, overtaking Ferenc Puskás among the all-time international men\\'s top scorers.\\nAt the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Messi scored a penalty in Argentina\\'s opening game, a 2–1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, before scoring with a low 20-yard strike in their next match against Mexico in which Argentina won 2–0, also recording an assist on Enzo Fernández\\'s goal. In the last 16 game against Australia, Messi scored the opening goal in Argentina\\'s 2–1 win in what was his 1,000th senior career appearance, and became the most-capped male South American (CONMEBOL member) footballer of all time, surpassing the previous record set by Ecuador\\'s Iván Hurtado, as well as surpassing and equalling several other FIFA World Cup and national team records. In the quarter-final against the Netherlands, Messi assisted Argentina\\'s first goal for Nahuel Molina with a reverse pass and then scored a penalty as the game finished 2–2 after extra time. Argentina won 4–3 in the penalty shootout, with Messi scoring the first penalty. In the semi-final against Croatia, Messi made a record-equalling 25th World Cup finals appearance, drawing level with Germany\\'s Lothar Matthäus, and scored the opening goal with a penalty before he assisted Argentina\\'s third goal scored by Julián Álvarez in a 3–0 win; with his 11th World Cup goal, Messi overtook Batistuta to become Argentina\\'s all-time top-scorer at the World Cup. Argentina advanced to the final against France, with Messi stating that it would be his final World Cup appearance.In the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on 18 December, Messi made his record 26th World Cup match appearance at Lusail Stadium. He scored Argentina\\'s opening goal with a penalty, becoming in the process the first player since the last-16 round was introduced in 1986 to score a goal in every round of a single World Cup edition. After Argentina\\'s eventual two-goal lead was erased by France forward Kylian Mbappé, who scored twice inside two minutes, Messi would score again in extra-time to restore Argentina\\'s lead, before Mbappé again drew France level. Tied 3–3 after extra-time, the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Messi scored Argentina\\'s first goal in the shoot-out, with Argentina eventually winning 4–2, ending the nation\\'s 36-year wait for the trophy. Messi received the Golden Ball for player of the tournament, becoming the first player to win it twice. He finished second in the Golden Boot race with seven goals in seven games, one behind Mbappé. With his appearance and two goals in the final, Messi overtook Matthaüs as the player with most appearances at the World Cup (26), and Pelé as the player with most direct goal contributions at the World Cup (21 – 13 goals and 8 assists). The championship game was widely acclaimed as one of the best of all time, with media coverage heavily framing it as a duel between Messi and Mbappé. Following the game, Messi confirmed that he had no plans to retire from the national team, saying \"I want to continue playing as a champion\". In December 2023, a set of jerseys he had worn during the World Cup was sold at auction for 7.8 million dollars.\\n\\n\\n=== 2023–present: 100 international goals ===\\nIn March 2023, Messi made his return to Argentina as a world champion with two appearances in friendlies in his home country. He scored his 99th international goal with a free-kick in Argentina\\'s 2–0 win over Panama; this also marked his 800th senior career goal for club and country. In the following match against Curaçao, Messi scored a hat-trick, his ninth for Argentina, and recorded an assist in a 7–0 win. The first of his three goals saw him reach 100 international goals, making Messi the third player in history to reach the milestone.\\n\\n\\n== Player profile ==\\n\\n\\n=== Style of play ===\\nDue to his short stature, Messi has a lower centre of gravity than taller players, which gives him greater agility, allowing him to change direction more quickly and evade opposing tackles; this has led the Spanish media to dub him La Pulga Atómica (\"The Atomic Flea\"). Despite being physically unimposing, he possesses significant upper-body strength, which, combined with his low centre of gravity and resulting balance, aids him in withstanding physical challenges from opponents; he has consequently been noted for his lack of diving in a sport rife with playacting. His short, strong legs allow him to excel in short bursts of acceleration while his quick feet enable him to retain control of the ball when dribbling at speed. His former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola once stated, \"Messi is the only player that runs faster with the ball than he does without it.\" Although he has improved his ability with his weaker foot since his mid-20s, Messi is predominantly a left-footed player; with the outside of his left foot, he usually begins dribbling runs, while he uses the inside of his foot to finish and provide passes and assists.A prolific goalscorer, Messi is known for his finishing, positioning, quick reactions, and ability to make attacking runs to beat the defensive line. He also functions in a playmaking role, courtesy of his vision and range of passing. He has often been described as a magician; a conjurer, creating goals and opportunities where seemingly none exist. Moreover, he is an accurate free kick and penalty kick taker. As of September 2023, Messi ranks 5th all time in goals scored from direct free kicks with 65, the most among active players. He also has a penchant for scoring from chips.\\nMessi\\'s pace and technical ability enable him to undertake individual dribbling runs towards goal, in particular during counterattacks, usually starting from the halfway line or the right side of the pitch. Widely considered to be the best dribbler in the world, and one of the greatest dribblers of all time, with regard to this ability, his former Argentina manager Diego Maradona has said of him, \"The ball stays glued to his foot; I\\'ve seen great players in my career, but I\\'ve never seen anyone with Messi\\'s ball control.\" Beyond his individual qualities, he is also a well-rounded, hard-working team player, known for his creative combinations, in particular with former Barcelona midfielders Xavi and Andrés Iniesta.Tactically, Messi plays in a free attacking role; a versatile player, he is capable of attacking on either wing or through the centre of the pitch. His favoured position in childhood was the playmaker behind two strikers, known as the enganche in Argentine football, but he began his career in Spain as a left-winger or left-sided forward. Upon his first-team debut, he was moved onto the right wing by manager Frank Rijkaard; from this position, he could more easily cut through the defence into the middle of the pitch and curl shots on goal with his left foot, rather than predominantly cross balls for teammates. Under Guardiola and subsequent managers, he most often played in a false nine role; positioned as a centre-forward or lone striker, he would roam the centre, often moving deep into midfield and drawing defenders with him, in order to create and exploit spaces for passes, other teammates\\' attacking runs off the ball, Messi\\'s own dribbling runs, or combinations with Xavi and Iniesta. Under the stewardship of Luis Enrique, Messi initially returned to playing in the right-sided position that characterised much of his early career in the manager\\'s 4–3–3 formation, while he was increasingly deployed in a deeper, free playmaking role in later seasons. Under manager Ernesto Valverde, Messi played in a variety of roles. While he occasionally continued to be deployed in a deeper role, from which he could make runs from behind into the box, or even on the right wing or as a false nine, he was also used in a more offensive, central role in a 4–2–3–1, or as a second striker in a 4–4–2 formation, where he was once again given the licence to drop deep, link-up with midfielders, orchestrate his team\\'s attacking plays, and create chances for his attacking partner Suárez.\\nAs his career advanced, and his tendency to dribble diminished slightly with age, Messi began to dictate play in deeper areas of the pitch and developed into one of the best passers and playmakers in football history. His work-rate off the ball and defensive responsibilities also decreased as his career progressed; by covering less ground on the pitch, and instead conserving his energy for short bursts of speed, he was able to improve his efficiency, movement, and positional play, and was also able to avoid muscular injuries, despite often playing a large number of matches throughout a particular season on a consistent basis. Indeed, while he was injury-prone in his early career, he was later able to improve his injury record by running less off the ball, and by adopting a stricter diet, training regime, and sleep schedule. With the Argentina national team, Messi has similarly played anywhere along the frontline; under various managers, he has been employed on the right wing, as a false nine, as an out-and-out striker, in a supporting role alongside another forward, or in a deeper, free creative role as a classic number 10 playmaker or attacking midfielder behind the strikers.\\n\\n\\n=== Reception and comparisons to Diego Maradona ===\\n\\nA prodigious talent as a teenager, Messi established himself among the world\\'s best players before age 20. Diego Maradona considered the 18-year-old Messi the best player in the world alongside Ronaldinho, while the Brazilian himself, shortly after winning the 2005 Ballon d\\'Or, commented, \"I\\'m not even the best at Barça\", in reference to his protégé. Four years later, after Messi had won his first Ballon d\\'Or by a record margin, the public debate regarding his qualities as a player moved beyond his status in contemporary football to the possibility that he was one of the greatest players in history. An early proponent was his then-manager Pep Guardiola, who, as early as August 2009, declared Messi to be the best player he had ever seen. In the following years, this opinion gained greater acceptance among pundits, managers, former and current players, and by the end of Barça\\'s second treble-winning season, the view of Messi as one of the greatest footballers of all time had become the apparent view among many fans and pundits in continental Europe. He initially received several dismissals by critics, based on the fact that he had not won an international trophy at senior level with Argentina, until he won his first at the 2021 Copa América.\\n\\nThroughout his career, Messi has been compared with his late compatriot Diego Maradona, due to their similar playing styles as diminutive, left-footed dribblers. Initially, he was merely one of many young Argentine players, including his boyhood idol Pablo Aimar, to receive the \"New Maradona\" moniker, but as his career progressed, Messi proved his similarity beyond all previous contenders, establishing himself as the greatest player Argentina had produced since Maradona. Jorge Valdano, who won the 1986 World Cup alongside Maradona, said in October 2013, \"Messi is Maradona every day. For the last five years, Messi has been the Maradona of the World Cup in Mexico.\" César Menotti, who as manager orchestrated their 1978 World Cup victory, echoed this sentiment when he opined that Messi plays \"at the level of the best Maradona\". Other notable Argentines in the sport, such as Osvaldo Ardiles, Javier Zanetti, and Diego Simeone, have expressed their belief that Messi has overtaken Maradona as the best player in history.In Argentine society, prior to 2019, Messi was generally held in lesser esteem than Maradona, a consequence of not only his perceived uneven performances with the national team, but also of differences in class, personality, and background. Messi is in some ways the antithesis of his predecessor: where Maradona was an extroverted, controversial character who rose to greatness from the slums, Messi is reserved and unassuming, an unremarkable man outside of football. An enduring mark against him is the fact that, through no fault of his own, he never proved himself in the Argentine Primera División as an upcoming player, achieving stardom overseas from a young age, while his lack of outward passion for the Albiceleste shirt (until 2019 he did not sing the national anthem and is disinclined to emotional displays) have in the past led to the false perception that he felt Catalan rather than truly Argentine. Football journalist Tim Vickery states the view among Argentines is that Messi \"was always seen as more Catalan than one of them\". Despite having lived in Spain since age 13, Messi rejected the option of representing Spain internationally. He has said: \"Argentina is my country, my family, my way of expressing myself. I would change all my records to make the people in my country happy.\" Moreover, several pundits and footballing figures, including Maradona, questioned Messi\\'s leadership with Argentina at times, despite his playing ability. Vickery states the perception of Messi among Argentines changed in 2019, with Messi making a conscious effort to become \"more one of the group, more Argentine\", with Vickery adding that following the World Cup victory in 2022 Messi would now be held in the same esteem by his compatriots as Maradona.\\n\\n\\n=== Comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo ===\\n\\nAmong his contemporary peers, Messi is most often compared and contrasted with Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, as part of an ongoing rivalry that has been compared to past sports rivalries like the Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier rivalry in boxing, the Roger Federer–Rafael Nadal rivalry in tennis, and the Prost–Senna rivalry from Formula One motor racing.Although Messi has at times denied any rivalry, they are widely believed to push one another in their aim to be the best player in the world. Since 2008, Messi has won eight Ballons d\\'Or to Ronaldo\\'s five, seven FIFA World\\'s Best Player awards to Ronaldo\\'s five, and six European Golden Shoes to Ronaldo\\'s four. Pundits and fans regularly argue the individual merits of both players. Beyond their playing styles, the debate also revolves around their differing physiques – Ronaldo is 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) with a muscular build – and contrasting public personalities with Ronaldo\\'s self-confidence and theatrics a foil to Messi\\'s humility. From 2009–10 to 2017–18, Messi faced Ronaldo at least twice every season in El Clásico, which ranks among the world\\'s most viewed annual sports events. Off the pitch, Ronaldo is his direct competitor in terms of salary, sponsorships, and social media fanbase.After Messi led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a number of football critics, commentators, and players have opined that Messi has settled the debate between the two players.\\n\\n\\n== In popular culture ==\\nMessi was the world\\'s highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014; he was the first player to exceed the €40 million benchmark, with earnings of €41 million in 2013, and the €50–€60 million points, with income of €65 million in 2014. Messi was second on Forbes list of the world\\'s highest-paid athletes, after Ronaldo, with income of $81 million from salary and endorsements in 2015–16. In 2018 he was the first player to exceed the €100m benchmark for a calendar year, with earnings of €126m ($154m) in combined income from salaries, bonuses and endorsements. Forbes ranked him the world\\'s highest-paid athlete in 2019. From 2008, he was Barcelona\\'s highest-paid player, receiving a salary that increased incrementally from €7.8 million to €13 million over the next five years. Signing a new contract in 2017, he earned $667,000 per week in wages, and Barcelona paid him $60 million as a signing on bonus. His buyout clause was set at $835 million (€700 million). In 2020, Messi became the second footballer, as well as the second athlete in a team sport, after Ronaldo, to surpass $1 billion in earnings during their careers.\\nIn addition to salary and bonuses, much of his income derives from endorsements; SportsPro has consequently cited him as one of the world\\'s most marketable athletes every year since their research began in 2010. His main sponsor since 2006 is Adidas. As Barcelona\\'s leading youth prospect, he was signed with Nike since age 14, but transferred to Adidas after they successfully challenged their rival\\'s claim to his image rights in court. Messi established himself as their leading brand endorser; from 2008, he had a long-running signature collection of Adidas F50 boots, and in 2015, became the first footballer to receive his own sub-brand of Adidas boots, the Adidas Messi. Since 2017, he has worn the latest version of the Adidas Nemeziz. In 2015, a Barcelona jersey with Messi\\'s name and number was the best-selling replica jersey worldwide. At the 2022 World Cup, Adidas sold out of Messi\\'s Argentina No.10 jersey worldwide.\\nAs a commercial entity, Messi\\'s brand has been based exclusively on his talents and achievements as a player, in contrast to arguably more glamorous players like Ronaldo and David Beckham. At the start of his career, he thus mainly held sponsorship contracts with companies that employ sports-oriented marketing, such as Adidas, Pepsi, and Konami. From 2010, concurrently with increased achievements as a player, his marketing appeal widened, leading to long-term endorsement deals with luxury brands Dolce & Gabbana and Audemars Piguet. Messi is a global brand ambassador for Gillette, Turkish Airlines, Ooredoo, and Tata Motors, among other companies. Messi was the face of Konami\\'s video game series Pro Evolution Soccer, appearing on the covers of PES 2009, PES 2010, PES 2011 and PES 2020. He subsequently signed with rival company EA Sports to become the face of their series FIFA and appeared on consecutive covers from FIFA 13 to FIFA 16.Messi was among the Time 100, an annual list of the world\\'s most influential people, in 2011, 2012 and 2023. His fanbase on Facebook is among the largest of public figures: within seven hours of its launch in April 2011, Messi\\'s Facebook page had nearly seven million followers, and by July 2023 he had over 114 million followers, the second highest for a sportsperson after Cristiano Ronaldo. He has over 450 million Instagram followers, the second highest for an individual and sportsperson after Cristiano Ronaldo. His World Cup celebration post from 18 December 2022 is the most liked post on Instagram with over 70 million likes. According to a 2014 survey in 15 international markets, Messi was familiar to 87% of respondents around the world, of whom 78% perceived him favourably, making him the second-most recognised player globally, behind Ronaldo, and the most likable of all contemporary players. On his economic impact on the city in which he plays, Terry Gibson called him a \"tourist attraction\".\\nMadame Tussauds unveiled their first wax sculpture of Messi at Wembley Stadium in 2012. A gold replica of his left foot, weighing 25 kg (55 lb) and valued at $5.3 million, went on sale in Japan in 2013 to raise funds for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. In 2013, a Turkish Airlines advertisement starring Messi, in which he engages in a selfie competition with Kobe Bryant, was the most-watched ad on YouTube in 2013, receiving 137 million views, and was voted the best advertisement of the 2005–15 decade to commemorate YouTube\\'s founding. World Press Photo selected \"The Final Game\", a photo of Messi facing the World Cup trophy after Argentina\\'s final defeat to Germany, as the best sports image of 2014. Messi, a documentary by filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August 2014.In June 2021, Messi signed a five-year deal to become an ambassador for the Hard Rock Cafe brand. He stated, \"sports and music are an integral part of my life. It is an honor to be the first athlete to partner with a brand who has a history of teaming with music legends.\" In May 2022, Messi was unveiled as Saudi Arabia\\'s tourism ambassador. Due to Saudi Arabia\\'s poor human rights record, Messi was condemned the role which was viewed as an attempt of Saudi sportswashing. In April 2023, Messi was featured in the 200 year old Thrissur Pooram festival in Kerala, India. During Thrissur Pooram, which is one of the largest festivals in Asia, umbrellas carrying the illuminated cut outs of Messi holding the World Cup trophy were displayed on the top of caparisoned elephants during the Kudamattam ceremony.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\n\\n\\n=== Family and relationships ===\\nSince 2008, Messi has been in a relationship with Antonela Roccuzzo, a fellow native of Rosario. He has known Roccuzzo since he was five years old, as she is the cousin of his childhood best friend, Lucas Scaglia, who is also a football player. After keeping their relationship private for a year, Messi first confirmed their romance in an interview in January 2009, before going public a month later during a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona–Espanyol derby.\\n\\nMessi and Roccuzzo have three sons. To celebrate his partner\\'s first pregnancy, Messi placed the ball under his shirt after scoring in Argentina\\'s 4–0 win against Ecuador on 2 June 2012, before confirming the pregnancy in an interview two weeks later. Thiago was born in Barcelona on 2 November 2012. In April 2015, Messi confirmed that they were expecting another child. On 30 June 2017, he married Roccuzzo at a luxury hotel named Hotel City Center in Rosario. In October 2017, his wife announced they were expecting their third child. Messi and his family are Catholic Christians.Messi enjoys a close relationship with his immediate family members, particularly his mother, Celia, whose face he has tattooed on his left shoulder. His professional affairs are largely run as a family business: his father, Jorge, has been his agent since he was 14, and his oldest brother, Rodrigo, handles his daily schedule and publicity. His mother and other brother, Matías, manage his charitable organization, the Leo Messi Foundation, and take care of personal and professional matters in Rosario.Since leaving for Spain aged 13, Messi has maintained close ties to his hometown of Rosario, even preserving his distinct Rosarino accent. He has kept ownership of his family\\'s old house, although it has long stood empty; he maintains a penthouse apartment in an exclusive residential building for his mother, as well as a family compound just outside the city. Once when he was in training with the national team in Buenos Aires, he made a three-hour trip by car to Rosario immediately after practice to have dinner with his family, spent the night with them, and returned to Buenos Aires the next day in time for practice. Messi keeps in daily contact via phone and text with a small group of confidants in Rosario, most of whom were fellow members of \"The Machine of \\'87\" at Newell\\'s Old Boys. While at Barcelona he lived in Castelldefels, a village near Barcelona. He was on bad terms with the club after his transfer to Barcelona, but by 2012 their public feud had ended, with Newell\\'s embracing their ties with Messi, even issuing a club membership card to his newborn son. Messi has long planned to return to Rosario to end his playing career at Newell\\'s. Messi holds triple citizenship, as he is a citizen of Argentina, Italy, and Spain.\\n\\n\\n=== Philanthropy ===\\nThroughout his career, Messi has been involved in charitable efforts aimed at vulnerable children, a commitment that stems in part from the medical difficulties he faced in his own childhood. Since 2004, he has contributed his time and finances to the United Nations Children\\'s Fund (UNICEF), an organisation with which Barcelona also have a strong association. Messi has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since his appointment in March 2010, completing his first field mission for the organisation four months later as he travelled to Haiti to bring public awareness to the plight of the country\\'s children in the wake of the recent earthquake. He has since participated in UNICEF campaigns targeting HIV prevention, education, and the social inclusion of disabled children. To celebrate his son\\'s first birthday, in November 2013, Messi and Thiago were part of a publicity campaign to raise awareness of mortality rates among disadvantaged children.\\nIn addition to his work with UNICEF, Messi founded his own charitable organisation, the Leo Messi Foundation, which supports access to health care, education, and sport for children. It was established in 2007 following a visit Messi paid to a hospital for terminally ill children in Boston, an experience that resonated with him to the point that he decided to reinvest part of his earnings into society. Through his foundation, Messi has awarded research grants, financed medical training, and invested in the development of medical centres and projects in Argentina, Spain, and elsewhere in the world. In addition to his own fundraising activities, such as his global \"Messi and Friends\" football matches, his foundation receives financial support from various companies to which he has assigned his name in endorsement agreements, with Adidas as their main sponsor.Messi has also invested in youth football in Argentina: he financially supports Sarmiento, a football club based in the Rosario neighbourhood where he was born, committing in 2013 to the refurbishment of their facilities and the installation of all-weather pitches, and funds the management of several youth players at Newell\\'s Old Boys and rival club Rosario Central, as well as at River Plate and Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires. At Newell\\'s Old Boys, his boyhood club, he funded the 2012 construction of a new gymnasium and a dormitory inside the club\\'s stadium for their youth academy. His former youth coach at Newell\\'s, Ernesto Vecchio, is employed by the Leo Messi Foundation as a talent scout for young players. On 7 June 2016, Messi won a libel case against La Razón newspaper and was awarded €65,000 in damages, which he donated to the charity Médecins Sans Frontières. Messi made a donation worth €1 million ($1.1 million) to fight the spread of coronavirus. This was split between Clinic Barcelona hospital in Barcelona, Spain and his native Argentina. In addition to this, Messi along with his fellow FC Barcelona teammates announced he will be taking a 70% cut in salaries during the 2020 coronavirus emergency, and contribute further to the club to provide fully to salaries of all the clubs employees.In November 2016, with the Argentine Football Association being run by a FIFA committee for emergency due to an economic crisis, it was reported that three of the national team\\'s security staff told Messi that they had not received their salaries for six months. He stepped in and paid the salaries of the three members. In February 2021, Messi donated to the Museu Nacional d\\'Art de Catalunya his Adidas shoes which he wore when he scored his 644th goal for Barcelona and broke Pelé\\'s record for most goals scored for a single club; the shoes were later auctioned off in April by the museum for charity to help children with cancer and were sold for £125,000.In advance of the 2021 Copa América in Uruguay, Messi donated three signed shirts to the Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech—whose directors spoke of their admiration for Messi—in order to secure 50,000 doses of Sinovac\\'s COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, in the hope of vaccinating all of South America\\'s football players. A deal brokered by Uruguay\\'s president Luis Lacalle Pou, the plan to prioritise football players caused some controversy given widespread vaccine scarcity in the region, with the Mayor of Canelones Yamandú Orsi remarking that \"Just as the president manifested cooperation with CONMEBOL to vaccinate for the Copa América, he could just as well have the same consideration for Canelones\".\\n\\n\\n=== Tax fraud ===\\nMessi\\'s financial affairs came under investigation in 2013 for suspected tax evasion. Offshore companies in tax havens Uruguay and Belize were used to evade €4.1 million in taxes related to sponsorship earnings between 2007 and 2009. An unrelated shell company in Panama set up in 2012 was subsequently identified as belonging to the Messis in the Panama Papers data leak. Messi, who pleaded ignorance of the alleged scheme, voluntarily paid arrears of €5.1 million in August 2013. On 6 July 2016, Messi and his father were both found guilty of tax fraud and were handed suspended 21-month prison sentences and respectively ordered to pay €1.7 million and €1.4 million in fines. Facing the judge, he said, \"I just played football. I signed the contracts because I trusted my dad and the lawyers and we had decided that they would take charge of those things.\"\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 21 October 2023\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\nAs of match played 22 November 2023\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\n\\nBarcelona\\nLa Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19\\nCopa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21\\nSupercopa de España: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018\\nUEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015Paris Saint-Germain\\nLigue 1: 2021–22, 2022–23\\nTrophée des Champions: 2022Inter Miami\\n\\nLeagues Cup: 2023Argentina U20\\n\\nFIFA World Youth Championship: 2005Argentina U23\\n\\nOlympic Gold Medal: 2008Argentina\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2022\\nCopa América: 2021\\nCONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022Individual\\n\\nBallon d\\'Or/FIFA Ballon d\\'Or: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023\\nFIFA World Player of the Year: 2009\\nThe Best FIFA Men\\'s Player: 2019, 2022, 2023\\nEuropean Golden Shoe: 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19\\nFIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014, 2022\\nFIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 2022\\nFIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2009, 2011\\nFIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball: 2005\\nFIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Boot: 2005\\nUEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2008–09\\nUEFA Men\\'s Player of the Year Award: 2010–11, 2014–15\\nUEFA Champions League top scorer: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2018–19\\nCopa América Best Player: 2015, 2021\\nCopa América Top Goalscorer: 2021\\nLa Liga Best Player: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15\\nPichichi Trophy: 2009−10, 2011–12, 2012−13, 2016–17, 2017−18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21\\nLaureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2020, 2023\\nArgentine Sportsperson of the Year: 2011, 2021, 2022, 2023\\nArgentine Footballer of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\nBibliography\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nProfile at Inter Miami\\nProfile at PSG\\nProfile at FC Barcelona\\nProfile at La Liga\\nProfile at Ligue 1\\nProfile at MLS\\nLionel Messi at BDFutbol \\nLionel Messi at Soccerbase \\nLionel Messi at Soccerway \\nLionel Messi at National-Football-Teams.com \\nLionel Messi – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nLionel Messi – UEFA competition record (archive)\\nCRISTIANO RONALDOCristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɾiʃˈtjɐnu ʁɔˈnaldu]; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d\\'Or awards, a record three UEFA Men\\'s Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League. Ronaldo holds the records for most appearances (183), goals (140) and assists (42) in the Champions League, goals in the European Championship (14), international goals (128) and international appearances (205). He is one of the few players to have made over 1,200 professional career appearances, the most by an outfield player, and has scored over 850 official senior career goals for club and country, making him the top goalscorer of all time.\\nRonaldo began his senior career with Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United in 2003, winning the FA Cup in his first season. He would also go on to win three consecutive Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup; at age 23, he won his first Ballon d\\'Or. Ronaldo was the subject of the then-most expensive association football transfer when he signed for Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth €94 million (£80 million). He became a key contributor and formed an attacking trio with Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which was integral to the team winning four Champions Leagues from 2014 to 2018, including La Décima. During this period, he won back-to-back Ballons d\\'Or in 2013 and 2014, and again in 2016 and 2017, and was runner-up three times behind Lionel Messi, his perceived career rival. He also became the club\\'s all-time top goalscorer and the all-time top scorer in the Champions League, and finished as the competition\\'s top scorer for six consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2018. With Real, Ronaldo won four Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles, two Copas del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups and three Club World Cups. In 2018, he signed for Juventus in a transfer worth an initial €100 million (£88 million), the most expensive transfer for an Italian club and for a player over 30 years old. He won two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana trophies and a Coppa Italia, became the inaugural Serie A Most Valuable Player and became the first footballer to finish as top scorer in the English, Spanish and Italian leagues. He returned to Manchester United in 2021, finishing his only full season as the club\\'s top scorer, before his contract was terminated in 2022. In 2023, he signed for Al Nassr.\\nRonaldo made his international debut for Portugal in 2003 at the age of 18 and has since earned more than 200 caps, making him both the country and history\\'s most-capped player of all time, recognised by the Guinness World Records. With more than 100 goals at international level, he is also the sports all-time top goalscorer. Ronaldo has played in and scored at eleven major tournaments; he scored his first international goal at Euro 2004, where he helped Portugal reach the final. He assumed captaincy of the national team in July 2008. In 2015, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation. The following year, he led Portugal to their first major tournament title at Euro 2016, and received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer of the tournament. This achievement would see him receive his fourth Ballon d\\'Or. He also led them to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, receiving the top scorer award in the finals, and later received the Golden Boot as top scorer of Euro 2020.\\nOne of the world\\'s most marketable and famous athletes, Ronaldo was ranked the world\\'s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016, 2017, and 2023, and the world\\'s most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019. Time included him on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. He is the first footballer and the third sportsman to earn US$1 billion in his career.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nCristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on 5 February 1985 in the São Pedro parish of Funchal, the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira, and grew up in the nearby parish of Santo António. He is the fourth and youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Viveiros da Aveiro, who worked as a cook in the hospitality industry and a cleaning woman, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener at the Junta de Freguesia of Santo António and part-time kit man for football club Andorinha. His great-grandmother on his father\\'s side, Isabel da Piedade, an African woman, was born in the island of São Vicente, in what was then Portuguese Cape Verde, and moved to Madeira Island at 16. He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia \"Katia\". He was named after actor and U.S. President Ronald Reagan, whom his father was a fan of. His mother revealed that she wanted to abort him due to poverty, his father\\'s alcoholism, and having too many children already, but her doctor refused to perform the procedure, as abortions were illegal in Portugal at that time. Ronaldo grew up in an impoverished Roman Catholic home, sharing a room with all his siblings.As a child, Ronaldo played for Andorinha from 1992 to 1995, where his father was the kit man, and later spent two years with Nacional. In 1997, aged 12, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP, who signed him for a fee of £1,500. He subsequently moved from Madeira to Lisbon to join Sporting CP\\'s youth system. By age 14, while struggling with his school duties and responsibilities in Escola EB2 de Telheiras, his school in the Telheiras area of Lisbon, Ronaldo believed he had the ability to play semi-professionally and agreed with his mother and his tutor at Sporting CP, Leonel Pontes, to cease his education to focus entirely on football. With a troubled life as a student and living in Lisbon area away from his Madeiran family, he did not complete schooling beyond the 6th grade. While popular with other students at school, he had been expelled after throwing a chair at his teacher, who he said had \"disrespected\" him. One year later, he was diagnosed with tachycardia, a condition that could have forced him to give up playing football. Ronaldo underwent heart surgery where a laser was used to cauterise multiple cardiac pathways into one, altering his resting heart rate. He was discharged from the hospital hours after the procedure and resumed training a few days later. In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo\\'s mother, Dolores Aveiro, stated in an interview for Sporting CP\\'s official television channel (Sporting TV) that her son would be a bricklayer if he hadn\\'t become a professional football player.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Sporting CP ===\\nAt age 16, Ronaldo was promoted from Sporting\\'s youth team by first-team manager László Bölöni, who was impressed with his dribbling. He subsequently became the first player to play for the club\\'s under-16, under-17 and under-18 teams, the B team and the first team, all within a single season.On 14 August 2002, Cristiano Ronaldo, then 17, played his first official match for a Sporting CP\\'s senior team, in a UEFA Champions League qualifying round at José Alvalade Stadium against Inter Milan. He came on in the 58th minute in place of Toñito.As far as the Portuguese football league system\\'s competitions is concerned, Sporting CP B was the 1st team in his senior career playing domestically, where he debuted in a 2–1 away loss against Sport Clube Lusitânia on 1 September 2002, in a game for the Segunda Divisão B championship played in the Azores. On 29 September 2002, Ronaldo made his debut in the Primeira Liga, playing for Sporting CP\\'s main team against Braga, and on 7 October, he scored two goals against Moreirense in their 3–0 win. Over the course of the 2002–03 season, his representatives suggested the player to Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier and Barcelona president Joan Laporta. Manager Arsène Wenger, who was interested in signing Ronaldo, met with him at Arsenal\\'s stadium in November to discuss a possible transfer.Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was determined to acquire Ronaldo on a permanent move urgently, after Sporting defeated United 3–1 at the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade on 6 August 2003. Initially, United had planned to sign Ronaldo and loan him back to Sporting for a year. Having been impressed by him, the United players urged Ferguson to sign him. After the game, Ferguson agreed to pay Sporting £12.24 million for what he considered to be \"one of the most exciting young players\" he had ever seen. A decade after his departure from the club, in 2013, Sporting honoured Ronaldo by selecting him to become their 100,000th member.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2003–2007: development and breakthrough ====\\n\\nRonaldo\\'s move to Manchester United was completed on 12 August 2003, too late for the 2003 FA Community Shield but in time for their game against Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the 2003–04 season, and made him the first Portuguese player to sign for the club. His transfer fee made him, at the time, the most expensive teenager in English football history. Although he requested the number 28, his number at Sporting, he received the squad number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by such United players as George Best, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. Wearing the number 7 became an extra source of motivation for Ronaldo. A key element in his development during his time in England proved to be Ferguson, of whom he later said: \"He\\'s been my father in sport, one of the most important and influential factors in my career.\"\\nRonaldo made his debut as a substitute in a 4–0 home win over Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League on 16 August 2003, and received a standing ovation when he came on for Nicky Butt. His performance earned praise from Best, who hailed it as \"undoubtedly the most exciting debut\" he had ever seen. Ronaldo scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free-kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November. Three more league goals followed in the second half of the campaign, the last of which came against Aston Villa on the final day of the season, a match in which he also received the first red card of his career. Ronaldo ended his first season in English football by scoring the opening goal in United\\'s 3–0 win over Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup Final, earning his first trophy. BBC pundit Alan Hansen described him as the star of the final. The British press had been critical of Ronaldo during the season for his \"elaborate\" step-overs in trying to beat opponents, but teammate Gary Neville said he was \"not a show pony, but the real thing\", and predicted he would become a world-class player.\\n\\nRonaldo scored United\\'s 1,000th Premier League goal on 29 October 2004, their only goal in a 4–1 loss to Middlesbrough. A few weeks later, he signed a new contract with the club that extended his previous deal by two years to 2010. At the start of 2005, Ronaldo played two of his best matches of the 2004–05 season, producing a goal and an assist against Aston Villa and scoring twice against rivals Arsenal. He played the full 120 minutes of the 2005 FA Cup Final against Arsenal, which ended in a goalless draw; although Ronaldo scored his attempt in the penalty shoot-out, United lost 5–4. Ronaldo won his second trophy in English football, the Football League Cup, after scoring the third goal in United\\'s 4–0 final win over Wigan Athletic.During his third season in England, Ronaldo was involved in several incidents. He had a one-match ban imposed on him by UEFA for a \"one-fingered gesture\" towards Benfica fans, and was sent off in the Manchester derby (a 3–1 defeat) for kicking Manchester City\\'s former United player Andy Cole. Ronaldo clashed with a teammate, striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who took offence at the winger\\'s showboating style of play. Following the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in which he was involved in an incident where club teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off, Ronaldo publicly asked for a transfer, lamenting the lack of support he felt he had received from the club over the incident. United denied the possibility of him leaving the club.Although his World Cup altercation with Rooney resulted in Ronaldo being booed throughout the 2006–07 season, it proved to be his break-out year, as he broke the 20-goal barrier for the first time and won his first Premier League title. An important factor in this success was his one-to-one training by first-team coach René Meulensteen, who taught him to make himself more unpredictable, improve his teamwork, call for the ball and capitalise on goalscoring opportunities rather than waiting for the chance to score the aesthetically pleasing goals for which he was already known. He scored three consecutive braces at the end of December, against Aston Villa (a win that put United on top of the league), Wigan and Reading. Ronaldo was named the Premier League Player of the Month in November and December, becoming only the third player to receive consecutive honours.\\n\\n\\n==== 2007–2008: collective and individual success ====\\nAt the quarter-final stage of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo scored his first goals in his 30th match in the competition, scoring twice in a 7–1 win over Roma. He subsequently scored four minutes into the first semi-final leg against Milan, which ended in a 3–2 win, but was marked out of the second leg as United lost 3–0 at the San Siro. He also helped United reach the 2007 FA Cup Final, but the final against Chelsea ended in a 1–0 defeat. Ronaldo scored the only goal in the Manchester derby on 5 May (his 50th goal for the club), as United won their first league title in four years. As a result of his performances, he amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the Professional Footballers\\' Association\\'s Player\\'s Player, Fans\\' Player and Young Player of the Year awards, as well as the Football Writers\\' Association\\'s Footballer of the Year award, becoming the first player to win all four main PFA and FWA honours. His wages were raised to £120,000 a week as part of a five-year contract extension. Ronaldo was named runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon d\\'Or, and came third, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi, in the running for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award.Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United on 12 January 2008, which put United top of the league table. On 19 March, he captained United for the first time in a home win over Bolton and scored both goals in a 2–0 win. His second goal was his 33rd of the campaign, surpassing George Best\\'s total of 32 goals in the 1967–68 season, setting the club\\'s new single-season record by a midfielder. His 31 league goals earned him the Premier League Golden Boot, as well as the European Golden Shoe, which made him the first winger to win the latter award. He additionally received the PFA Players\\' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards for the second consecutive season. In the knockout stage of the Champions League, Ronaldo scored the decisive goal against Lyon to help United advance to the quarter-finals 2–1 on aggregate; while playing as a striker, he scored with a header in the 3–0 aggregate win over Roma. United reached the final against Chelsea in Moscow on 21 May, where, despite his opening goal being negated by an equaliser and his penalty kick being saved in the shoot-out, United emerged victorious 1–1, winning the penalties 6–5. As the Champions League top scorer, Ronaldo was named the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.Ronaldo scored a total of 42 goals in all competitions during the 2007–08 season, his most prolific campaign during his time in England. He missed three matches after headbutting a Portsmouth player at the start of the season, an experience he said taught him not to let opponents provoke him. As rumours circulated of Ronaldo\\'s interest in moving to Real Madrid, United filed a tampering complaint with governing body FIFA over Madrid\\'s alleged pursuit of their player, but they declined to take action. FIFA president Sepp Blatter asserted that the player should be allowed to leave his club, describing the situation as \"modern slavery\". Despite Ronaldo publicly agreeing with Blatter, he remained at United for another year.\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–2009: Ballon d\\'Or and continued success ====\\nAhead of the 2008–09 season, on 7 July, Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery, which kept him out of action for 10 weeks. Following his return, he scored his 100th goal in all competitions for United with the first of two free kicks in a 5–0 win against Stoke City on 15 November, which meant he had now scored against all 19 opposition teams in the Premier League at the time. At the close of 2008, Ronaldo helped United win the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, assisting the final-winning goal against Liga de Quito and winning the Silver Ball in the process. With his 2008 Ballon d\\'Or and 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, Ronaldo became United\\'s first Ballon d\\'Or winner since Best in 1968, and the first Premier League player to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year.His match-winning goal in the second leg against Porto, a 40-yard strike, earned him the inaugural FIFA Puskás Award, presented by FIFA in recognition of the best goal of the year; he later called it the best goal he had ever scored. United advanced to the final in Rome, where he made little impact in United\\'s 2–0 defeat to Barcelona. Ronaldo ended his time in England with nine trophies, as United claimed their third successive league title and a Football League Cup. He finished the campaign with 26 goals in all competitions, 16 goals fewer than the previous season, in four more appearances. His final goal for United came on 10 May 2009 with a free kick in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.\\n\\n\\n=== Real Madrid ===\\nAhead of the 2009–10 season, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee at the time of £80 million (€94 million). His contract, which ran until 2015, was worth €11 million per year and contained a €1 billion buy-out clause. At least 80,000 fans attended his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu, surpassing the 25-year record of 75,000 fans who had welcomed Diego Maradona at Napoli. Since club captain Raúl already wore the number 7 (the number Ronaldo wore at United), Ronaldo received the number 9 shirt, which was presented to him by former Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–2013: world record transfer and La Liga title ====\\nRonaldo made his La Liga debut against Deportivo La Coruña on 29 August, scoring a penalty in a 3–2 home win. He scored in each of his first four league games, the first Madrid player to do so. His first Champions League goals for the club followed with two free kicks in the first group match against Zürich. His strong start to the season was interrupted when he suffered an ankle injury in October while on international duty, which kept him sidelined for seven weeks. A week after his return, he received his first red card in Spain in a match against Almería. Midway through the season, Ronaldo finished second in the 2009 Ballon d\\'Or and the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year awards, behind Messi. He finished the season with 33 goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick in a 4–1 win against Mallorca on 5 May 2010, his first in La Liga, and became Real Madrid\\'s highest goalscorer that season. Although Ronaldo helped amass a club record 96 points in the league, he did not win a trophy in his first season.Following Raúl\\'s departure, Ronaldo was given the number 7 shirt for Madrid before the 2010–11 season. His subsequent return to his Ballon d\\'Or-winning form was epitomised when, for the first time in his career, he scored four goals in a single match during a 6–1 rout against Racing Santander on 23 October. Ronaldo subsequently scored further hat-tricks against Athletic Bilbao, Levante, Villarreal and Málaga. Despite his performances, he did not make the top three in the inaugural 2010 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. During a historic series of four Clásicos against rivals Barcelona in April 2011, Ronaldo scored twice to equal his personal record of 42 goals in all competitions. Though he failed to score in either leg of the Champions League semi-finals as Madrid were eliminated, he equalised from the penalty spot in the return league game and scored the match-winning goal in the 103rd minute of the 2011 Copa del Rey Final, winning his first trophy in Spain. His two goals in the last match of the season against Almería made him the first player in La Liga to score 40 goals. In addition to the Pichichi Trophy, Ronaldo won the European Golden Shoe for a second time, becoming the first player to win the award in different leagues.\\nDuring the following season, Ronaldo achieved a new personal best of 60 goals in all competitions. He finished as runner-up to Messi for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, after scoring hat-tricks against Real Zaragoza, Rayo Vallecano, Málaga, Osasuna and Sevilla, the last of which put Madrid on top of the league by the season\\'s midway point. Ronaldo found greater team success in the league, helping Madrid win their first league title in four years with a record 100 points. Following a hat-trick against Levante as Madrid further increased their lead over Barcelona, he scored his 100th league goal for Madrid in a 5–1 win over Real Sociedad on 24 March 2012, a milestone he reached in just 92 matches across three seasons, breaking the previous club record held by Ferenc Puskás. Another hat-trick in the Madrid derby against Atlético Madrid brought his total to 40 league goals, equalling his record of the previous season. His final league goal of the season, against Mallorca, took his total to 46 goals, four short of the new record set by Messi, though he became the first player to score against all 19 opposition teams in a single La Liga season.Ronaldo began the 2012–13 season by lifting the 2012 Supercopa de España, his third trophy in Spain. With a goal in each leg, he helped Madrid win the Spanish Super Cup on away goals following a 4–4 aggregate draw against Barcelona. Although Ronaldo publicly commented that he was unhappy with a \"professional issue\" within the club, prompted by his refusal to celebrate his 150th goal for Madrid, his goalscoring rate did not suffer. After netting a hat-trick, including two penalties, against Deportivo, he scored his first hat-trick in the Champions League in a 4–1 win over Ajax. Four days later, he became the first player to score in six successive Clásicos when he hit a brace in a 2–2 draw at Camp Nou. His performances again saw Ronaldo voted second in the running for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, behind four-time winner Messi.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–2015: consecutive Ballon d\\'Or wins and La Décima ====\\nFollowing the 2012–13 winter break, Ronaldo captained Madrid for the first time in an official match, scoring twice to lift 10-man Madrid to a 4–3 win over Sociedad on 6 January. He subsequently became the first non-Spanish player in 60 years to captain Madrid in El Clasico on 30 January, a match which also marked his 500th club appearance. Three days prior, he had scored his 300th club goal as part of a perfect hat-trick against Getafe. He scored his 200th goal for Madrid on 8 May in a 6–2 win against Málaga, reaching the landmark in 197 games. He helped Madrid reach the 2013 Copa del Rey Final by scoring twice in El Clásico, which marked the sixth successive match at Camp Nou in which he had scored, a club record. In the final, he headed the opening goal of an eventual 2–1 extra time defeat to Atlético, but was shown a red card for violent conduct. In the first knockout round of the Champions League, Ronaldo faced his former club Manchester United for the first time. After scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw at home, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 win on his first return to Old Trafford. He did not celebrate scoring against his former club as a mark of respect. After scoring three goals against Galatasaray in the quarters, he scored Madrid\\'s only goal in the 4–1 away defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals and Real were eliminated at the semi-final stage for the third consecutive year despite a 2–0 win in the second leg.\\nAt the start of the 2013–14 season, Ronaldo signed a new contract that extended his stay by three years to 2018, with a salary of €17 million net, making him briefly the highest-paid player in football. He was joined at the club by winger Gareth Bale, whose world record transfer fee of €100 million surpassed the fee Madrid had paid for Ronaldo four years prior. Together with striker Karim Benzema, they formed an attacking trio popularly dubbed \"BBC\", an acronym of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, and a play on the name of the British public service broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). By late November, Ronaldo had scored 32 goals from 22 matches for both club and country, including hat-tricks against Galatasaray, Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Northern Ireland, and Sweden. He ended 2013 with 69 goals in 59 appearances, his highest year-end goal tally. He received the 2013 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, an amalgamation of the Ballon d\\'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, for the first time in his career.Concurrently with his individual achievements, Ronaldo enjoyed his greatest team success in Spain to date, as he helped Madrid win La Décima, their tenth European Cup. His goal in a 3–0 home win over Dortmund (his 100th Champions League match) took his total for the season to 14 goals, equalling the record Messi had set two years before. After hitting a brace in a 4–0 defeat of Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, he scored from the penalty spot in the 120th minute of the 4–1 final win over Atlético, becoming the first player to score in two European Cup finals for two different winning teams. His overall performance in the final was subdued as a result of patellar tendinitis and related hamstring problems, which had plagued him in the last months of the campaign. Ronaldo played the final against medical advice, later commenting: \"In your life you do not win without sacrifices and you must take risks\". As the competition\\'s top goalscorer for the third time, with a record 17 goals, he was named the UEFA Best Player in Europe.In the Copa del Rey, Ronaldo helped Madrid reach the final by scoring two penalties against Atlético at the Vicente Calderón, the first of which meant he had now scored in every single minute of a 90-minute football match. His continued issues with his knee and thigh caused him to miss the final, where Madrid defeated Barcelona 2–1 to claim the trophy. Ronaldo scored 31 goals in 30 league games, which earned him the Pichichi and the European Golden Shoe, receiving the latter award jointly with Liverpool striker Luis Suárez. Among his haul was his 400th career goal, in 653 appearances for club and country, which came with a brace against Celta Vigo on 6 January; he dedicated his goals to compatriot Eusébio, who had died two days before. A last-minute, back-heeled volley scored against Valencia on 4 May (his 50th goal in all competitions) was recognised as the best goal of the season by the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional, which additionally named Ronaldo the Best Player in La Liga.\\nDuring the 2014–15 season, Ronaldo set a new personal best of 61 goals, starting with both goals in Madrid\\'s 2–0 win over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. He subsequently achieved his best-ever goalscoring start to a league campaign, with 15 goals in the first eight rounds. His record 23rd La Liga hat-trick, scored against Celta Vigo on 6 December, made him the fastest player to reach 200 goals in La Liga, reaching the milestone in 178th matches. After winning the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, Ronaldo received the 2014 Ballon d\\'Or, joining Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten as a three-time recipient. Madrid finished in second place in La Liga and exited at the semi-final stage in the Champions League. In the latter competition, Ronaldo extended his run of scoring away to a record 12 matches with his strike in a 2–0 win against Schalke 04. He scored both of his side\\'s goals in the semi-finals against Juventus, where Madrid were eliminated 3–2 on aggregate. With 10 goals, he finished as top scorer for a third consecutive season, alongside Messi and Neymar. On 5 April, he scored five goals in a game for the first time in his career, including an eight-minute hat-trick, in a 9–1 rout of Granada. His 300th goal for his club followed three days later in a 2–0 win against Rayo Vallecano. Subsequent hat-tricks against Sevilla, Espanyol and Getafe took his number of hat-tricks for Madrid to 31, surpassing Di Stéfano\\'s club record of 28. He finished the season with 48 goals, winning a second consecutive Pichichi and the European Golden Shoe for a record fourth time.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–2017: all-time Madrid top scorer ====\\nAt the start of his seventh season at Madrid, the 2015–16 campaign, Ronaldo became the club\\'s all-time top scorer, first in the league and then in all competitions. His five-goal haul in a 6–0 away win over Espanyol on 12 September took his tally in La Liga to 230 goals in 203 games, surpassing the club\\'s previous record holder, Raúl. A month later, on 17 October, he again surpassed Raúl when he scored the second goal in a 3–0 defeat of Levante at the Bernabéu to take his overall total for the club to 324 goals. Ronaldo also became the all-time top scorer in the Champions League with a hat-trick in the first group match against Shakhtar Donetsk, having finished the previous season level with Messi on 77 goals. Two goals against Malmö FF in a 2–0 away win on 30 September saw him reach the milestone of 500 career goals for club and country. He subsequently became the first player to score double figures in the competition\\'s group stage, setting the record at 11 goals, including another four-goal haul against Malmö.\\nRonaldo\\'s four goals in a 7–1 home win over Celta de Vigo on 5 March 2016 took his total to 252 goals in La Liga, becoming the competition\\'s second-highest scorer in history behind Messi. He scored a hat-trick against VfL Wolfsburg to send his club into the Champions League semi-finals. The treble took his tally in the competition to 16 goals, making him the top scorer for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth overall. Suffering apparent fitness issues, Ronaldo gave a poorly-received performance in the final against Atlético, in a repeat of the 2014 final, though his penalty in the subsequent shoot-out secured Madrid\\'s 11th victory. For the sixth successive year, he ended the season having scored over 50 goals across all competitions. For his efforts during the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award for a second time.Ronaldo missed Madrid\\'s first three matches of the 2016–17 season, including the 2016 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla, as he continued to rehabilitate the knee injury he suffered against France in the Euro 2016 final. On 15 September, he did not celebrate his late free kick equaliser against Sporting CP in the Champions League, with Ronaldo stating post match that \"they made me who I am\". On 7 November, his contract was updated for the second time and extended by three years to 2021. On 19 November, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 away win against Atlético, making him the all-time top scorer in the Madrid derby with 18 goals. On 15 December, Ronaldo scored his 500th club career goal in the 2–0 win over Club América in the semi-finals of the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup. He then scored a hat-trick in the 4–2 win over Japanese club Kashima Antlers in the final. Ronaldo finished the tournament as top scorer with four goals and was also named player of the tournament. He won the 2016 Ballon d\\'Or, his fourth, and the inaugural 2016 The Best FIFA Men\\'s Player, a revival of the former FIFA World Player of the Year, largely owing to his success with Portugal in winning Euro 2016.\\nIn the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern in April, Ronaldo scored both goals in a 2–1 away win which saw him make history by becoming the first player to reach 100 goals in UEFA club competition. In the second leg of the quarter-finals, Ronaldo scored a \\'perfect\\' hat-trick and reached his 100th Champions League goal, becoming the first player to do so as Madrid again defeated Bayern 4–2 after extra-time. On 2 May, Ronaldo scored another hat-trick as Madrid defeated Atlético 3–0 in the Champions League semi-final first leg. On 17 May, Ronaldo overtook Jimmy Greaves as the all-time top scorer in the top five European leagues, scoring twice against Celta de Vigo. He finished the season with 42 goals in all competitions as he helped Madrid to win their first La Liga title since 2012. In the Champions League Final, Ronaldo scored two goals in a 4–1 victory over Juventus to take him to 12 goals for the season, making him the competition\\'s top goalscorer for the fifth straight season (sixth overall), as well as the first player to score in three finals in the Champions League era; the second goal was the 600th of his senior career. Madrid also became the first team to win back-to-back finals in the Champions League era.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–2018: fifth Ballon d\\'Or and fifth Champions League win ====\\nAt the start of the 2017–18 season, Ronaldo scored Madrid\\'s second goal in the 80th minute of a 3–1 win over Barcelona in the first leg of the 2017 Supercopa de España at Camp Nou; however, he was sent off two minutes later and missed the second leg. On 23 October, his performances throughout 2017 saw him awarded The Best FIFA Men\\'s Player award for the second consecutive year. On 6 December, he became the first player to score in all six Champions League group stage matches with a curling strike at home to Dortmund. A day later, Ronaldo won the 2017 Ballon d\\'Or, receiving his fifth-time award on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. On 16 December, he scored a free kick winner, as Madrid won their second Club World Cup in a row by beating Grêmio in the final. On 3 March 2018, he scored two goals in a 3–1 home win over Getafe, his first being his 300th La Liga goal in his 286th appearance, making him the fastest player to reach this landmark and only the second player to do so after Messi. On 18 March, he reached his 50th career hat-trick, scoring four goals in a 6–3 win against Girona.\\nOn 3 April, Ronaldo scored the first two goals in a 3–0 away win against Juventus in the quarter-finals of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, with his second goal being an acrobatic bicycle kick. Described as a \"PlayStation goal\" by Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli, with Ronaldo\\'s foot approximately 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) off the ground, it garnered him a standing ovation from the opposing fans in the stadium as well as a plethora of plaudits from peers, pundits and coaches. On 11 April, he scored in the second leg at home to Juventus, a 98th-minute injury time penalty in a 3–1 defeat, meaning Madrid advanced 4–3 on aggregate. It was his tenth goal against Juventus, a Champions League record against a single club. In the final on 26 May, Madrid defeated Liverpool 3–1, winning Ronaldo his fifth Champions League title, the first player to do so. He finished as the top scorer of the tournament for the sixth consecutive season with 15 goals. After the final, Ronaldo referred to his time with Madrid in the past tense, sparking speculation that he could leave the club.\\n\\n\\n=== Juventus ===\\nDespite months of negotiation to sign a new Real Madrid contract, on 10 July 2018, Ronaldo signed a four-year contract with Italian club Juventus after completing a €100 million transfer, which included an additional €12 million in other fees and solidarity contributions to Ronaldo\\'s youth clubs. The transfer was the highest ever for a player over 30 years old, and the highest paid by an Italian club. Upon signing, Ronaldo cited his need for a new challenge as his rationale for departing Madrid, but later attributed the transfer to the lack of support he felt was shown by club president Florentino Pérez.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–2020: consecutive Serie A titles ====\\nOn 18 August, Ronaldo made his debut in a 3–2 away win against Chievo Verona. On 16 September, Ronaldo scored his first two goals for Juventus in his fourth appearance in a 2–1 home win over Sassuolo in Serie A; his second was the 400th league goal of his career. On 19 September, in his first Champions League match for Juventus, against Valencia, he was sent off in the 29th minute for \"violent conduct\", his first red card in 154 tournament appearances. Ronaldo became the first player in history to win 100 Champions League matches, setting up Mario Mandžukić\\'s winner in a 1–0 home win over Valencia, which sealed Juventus\\'s passage to the knock-out stages of the competition. In December, he scored his tenth league goal of the season, from the penalty spot, the third in a 3–0 away win over Fiorentina. After placing second in both the UEFA Men\\'s Player of the Year and The Best FIFA Men\\'s Player for the first time in three years, behind Luka Modrić, Ronaldo performances in 2018 also saw him voted runner-up for the 2018 Ballon d\\'Or, finishing once again behind his former teammate. Ronaldo won his first trophy with the club on 16 January 2019, the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana, after he scored the only goal from a header against AC Milan.On 10 February, Ronaldo scored in a 3–0 win over Sassuolo, the ninth consecutive away game in which he had scored in the league, equalling Giuseppe Signori\\'s single season Serie A record of most consecutive away games with at least one goal. On 12 March, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 home win against Atlético in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, helping Juventus overcome a two-goal deficit to reach the quarter-finals. The following month, he scored his 125th goal in the competition, opening the scoring in a 1–1 away draw in the quarter-final first leg against Ajax on 10 April. In the second leg in Turin on 16 April, he scored the opening goal, but Juventus eventually lost the match 2–1 and were eliminated from the competition. On 20 April, Ronaldo played in the scudetto clinching game against Fiorentina, as Juventus won their eighth successive title after a 2–1 home win, thereby becoming the first player to win league titles in England, Spain and Italy. On 27 April, he scored his 600th club goal, the equaliser in a 1–1 away draw against Derby d\\'Italia rivals Inter Milan. Ending his first Serie A campaign with 21 goals and 8 assists, Ronaldo won the inaugural Serie A award for Most Valuable Player.\\nRonaldo scored his first goal of the 2019–20 season in a 4–3 home league win over Napoli on 31 August 2019. On 23 September, he came in 3rd place for the Best FIFA Men\\'s Player Award. On 1 October, he reached several milestones in Juventus\\'s 3–0 Champions League group stage win over Bayer Leverkusen: he scored in a 14th consecutive season, equalling Raúl and Messi\\'s record; he broke Iker Casillas\\' record for most Champions League wins of all time, and equalled Raúl\\'s record of scoring against 33 different opponents. On 6 November in a 2–1 away win against Lokomotiv Moscow, he equalled Paolo Maldini as the second-most capped player in UEFA club competitions with 174 appearances. On 18 December, Ronaldo leapt to a height of 8 ft 5 in (2.57 m), higher than the crossbar, to head the winning goal in a 2–1 away win against Sampdoria. He scored his first Serie A hat-trick on 6 January 2020, in a 4–0 home win against Cagliari. His 56th career hat-trick, he became only the second player after Alexis Sánchez to score hat-tricks in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. On 2 February, he scored twice from the penalty spot in a 3–0 home win over Fiorentina, equalling David Trezeguet\\'s club record of scoring in nine consecutive league games, and broke the record six days later by scoring in his tenth consecutive league game, a 2–1 away defeat to Hellas Verona. On 22 February, Ronaldo scored for a record-equalling 11th consecutive league game, alongside Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella, in what was his 1,000th senior professional game, a 2–1 away win against SPAL.On 22 June, he scored a penalty in a 2–0 away win over Bologna, overtaking Rui Costa to become the highest scoring Portuguese player in Serie A history. On 4 July, he scored his 25th league goal from a free kick in a 4–1 home win over rivals Torino, becoming the first Juventus player to achieve this milestone since Omar Sívori in 1961; the goal was also his first from a free kick with the club after 43 attempts. On 20 July, Ronaldo scored twice in a 2–1 home win over Lazio; his first goal was his 50th in Serie A. He became the second-fastest player to reach this landmark, after Gunnar Nordahl, and the first player in history to reach 50 goals in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, and becoming the second player after Edin Džeko to score 50 goals in three of Europe\\'s top five major leagues. With his brace, he also reached 30 league goals for the season, becoming just the third player (after Felice Borel in 1934 and John Hansen in 1952) in Juventus\\'s history to reach that milestone in a season. Moreover, he became the oldest player, at the age of 35 years and 166 days, to score over 30 goals in one of the five top European leagues since Ronnie Rooke with Arsenal in 1948. He also became the first player to score 30 or more league goals in a single season in three different big-five European leagues. On 26 July, Ronaldo scored the opening goal in a 2–0 home win over Sampdoria as Juventus were crowned Serie A champions for a ninth consecutive time. He finished his second league campaign with 31 goals, making him the second-highest goalscorer in the league behind only European Golden Shoe winner Ciro Immobile, with 36 goals. On 7 August, Ronaldo scored a brace in a 2–1 home win against Lyon in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, which saw him finish the season with 37 goals in all competitions; the tally allowed him to break Borel\\'s club record of 36 goals in a single season. Despite the win, the tie finished 2–2 on aggregate and Juventus were eliminated from the competition on the away goals rule.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–2021: 100 Juve goals, Capocannoniere, and departure ====\\nOn 20 September 2020, Ronaldo scored in Juventus\\'s opening league match of the season, a 3–0 home win over Sampdoria. On 1 November, having taken nearly three weeks to recover from COVID-19, he returned to action against Spezia; he came off the bench in the second half and scored within the first three minutes, before scoring a second goal from the penalty spot in an eventual 4–1 away win. On 2 December, he scored a goal against Dynamo Kyiv in a Champions League group stage match, his 750th senior career goal. Ronaldo played his 100th match in all competitions for Juventus on 13 December, scoring two penalties in a 3–1 away win over Genoa in the league to bring his goal tally to 79. On 20 January 2021, Juventus won the 2020 Supercoppa Italiana after a 2–0 win against Napoli, with Ronaldo scoring the opening goal. On 2 March, he scored a goal in a 3–0 win over Spezia in his 600th league match, to become the first player to score at least 20 goals in 12 consecutive seasons in the top five leagues of Europe. On 14 March, he scored his 57th career hat-trick in a 3–1 away win over Cagliari. On 12 May, Ronaldo scored a goal in a 3–1 away win over Sassuolo to reach his 100th goal for Juventus in all competitions on his 131st appearance, becoming the fastest Juventus player to achieve the feat. With Juventus\\'s victory in the 2021 Coppa Italia Final on 19 May, Ronaldo became the first player in history to win every major domestic trophy in England, Spain and Italy. Ronaldo ended the season with 29 league goals, winning the Capocannoniere award for highest goalscorer and becoming the first footballer to finish as top scorer in the English, Spanish and Italian leagues.On 22 August, Ronaldo started the first game of the new season on the bench, coming on as a substitute for Álvaro Morata in a 2–2 draw against Udinese, scoring a goal that was ruled out by VAR. Though manager Massimiliano Allegri confirmed it was his decision due to Ronaldo\\'s fitness, it came amid reports Ronaldo would depart the club before the closure of the transfer window, and Ronaldo would tell Allegri he had \"no intention\" of remaining a Juventus player. On 26 August, Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes reached a verbal agreement with Manchester City over personal terms, but the club pulled out of the deal the following day due to the overall cost of the transfer. On the same day, it was confirmed that City\\'s rivals Manchester United, Ronaldo\\'s former club, were in advanced talks to sign him, while former manager Alex Ferguson and several ex-teammates had been in contact to persuade him to re-sign for United.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Manchester United ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–2022: 100 Premier League goals and team struggles ====\\nOn 27 August 2021, Manchester United announced they had reached an agreement with Juventus to re-sign Ronaldo, subject to agreement of personal terms, visa and medical. The transfer was for an initial £12.85 million, with a two-year contract plus an optional year, and was confirmed on 31 August. Ronaldo was given the number 7 shirt after Edinson Cavani agreed to switch to 21. The first 24 hours of Ronaldo\\'s shirt sales was reported to have broken the all-time record following a transfer, overtaking Messi after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.\\nOn 11 September, Ronaldo made his second debut at Old Trafford, scoring the opening two goals in a 4–1 league victory against Newcastle United. On 29 September, he scored a last-minute winner in United\\'s 2–1 victory at home to Villarreal in the Champions League, and overtook Iker Casillas as the player with the most appearances in the competition. In the next Champions League fixture on 20 October, Ronaldo again scored a last minute winner, helping United overturn a two-goal deficit in a 3–2 home victory against Atalanta, and scored both goals, including a last minute equaliser, in the reverse fixture against Atalanta on 2 November. On 23 November, Ronaldo became the first player to score in five consecutive matches of a Champions League campaign for an English club, after opening United\\'s 2–0 victory away against Villarreal, with his six goals being crucial to United\\'s qualifying for the round of 16 as group winners. On 2 December, Ronaldo netted two goals in a 3–2 home league win against Arsenal, which saw him surpass 800 career goals.The following month, after enduring a fractured relationship with his teammates and interim manager Ralf Rangnick, his performances and his team\\'s declined during the season, with Ronaldo equalling his worst goalscoring run since 2010 during his time with Real Madrid, being two months without scoring a goal, before scoring his first goal in the new year, opening United\\'s 2–0 win home against Brighton & Hove Albion on 15 February 2022. Following a hamstring injury, which saw him miss the Manchester derby against Manchester City, Ronaldo made his return from injury on 12 March, scoring a hat-trick in a 3–2 victory against Tottenham Hotspur, which saw him pass Josef Bican\\'s record for goals scored in professional football with 807 career goals, although the Football Association of the Czech Republic claimed that Bican had scored 821 career goals. On 16 April, Ronaldo scored his 50th club hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Norwich City. On 23 April, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 3–1 defeat to Arsenal. After scoring in the following matches against Chelsea and Brentford, he was named the Premier League Player of the Month for April.He finished the season with 24 goals in all competitions, 18 of those goals being in the Premier League, making him the third-highest goalscorer in the league behind Golden Boot winners Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min, being named in the Premier League Team of the Year and the winner of United\\'s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, given to the club\\'s best player from the previous season; however, with United finishing in a disappointing sixth place and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, Ronaldo went trophyless for the first time since 2010.\\n\\n\\n==== 2022: final season and departure ====\\nAfter growing dissatisfaction with the direction of United on and off the field, Ronaldo missed the club\\'s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to family reasons, amid reports of his desire to leave to join a club competing in the Champions League, despite incoming manager Erik ten Hag insisting that he was not for sale and was part of the club\\'s plans. His agent Jorge Mendes began negotiating with various clubs for a transfer on loan or on a free transfer, including Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, with the latter club\\'s new owner Todd Boehly being keen on a possible transfer. However, due to his age, overall cost of a transfer and high wages demands, multiple European clubs rejected the opportunity to sign him, including Chelsea after their manager Thomas Tuchel did not approve his signing.\\nHaving failed to secure a transfer, Ronaldo lost his place in the starting line-up to Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, mostly featuring in Europa League matches. He scored his first goal in the competition aged 37, converting a penalty to make it 2–0 against Sheriff Tiraspol on 15 September. On 2 October, Ronaldo was an unused substitute in United\\'s 6–3 loss to Manchester City, with ten Hag saying that he refused to bring him on out of \"respect for his big career\". On 9 October, Ronaldo came on as a substitute and scored his 700th career club goal in a 2–1 win against Everton. Ten days later, Ronaldo refused to be brought on as a substitute during a home game against Tottenham and left the ground before the full-time whistle; Ten Hag punished him by dropping him from the squad for an upcoming fixture with Chelsea, and made him train separately from the first team. Following discussions with the manager, Ronaldo returned to training and started in United\\'s home win over Sheriff on 27 October, scoring the third goal and ensuring United\\'s qualification to the Europa League knockout stage. Ten Hag named Ronaldo as captain for a 3–1 defeat to Aston Villa on 6 November, saying that Ronaldo was \"an important part of the squad, we are happy with him and now he has to take even more of the leader role\". Ronaldo then missed United\\'s following matches before the World Cup break, with Ten Hag saying that Ronaldo was ill.On 14 November, an interview with Piers Morgan was published, where Ronaldo said that he felt \"betrayed\" by Ten Hag and senior executives who wanted Ronaldo to leave the club, and accused the club of doubting him regarding the illness of his daughter that led him to miss pre-season, adding that he did not respect ten Hag \"because he doesn\\'t show respect for me\", leading him to be disappointed with the communication of the club. Ronaldo claimed that ten Hag deliberately provoked him by first leaving him on the bench against City, and then wanting to bring him on in the final moments against Tottenham, but added that he regretted his decision to leave early. He also questioned the appointment of Rangnick the previous season as he was a \"sporting director and not even a coach\". On the club itself, Ronaldo stated there was \"no evolution\" since the departure of former manager Alex Ferguson in 2013, despite expecting changes in \"technology, infrastructure\". Ronaldo claimed that the Glazer family \"did not care about the club\" as he never spoke with them, and described United as a \"marketing club\". Following the interview, which aired in two-parts on 16 and 17 November, United began seeking legal action over whether Ronaldo had breached his contract, and were looking to terminate his contract. On 22 November, Ronaldo\\'s contract was terminated by mutual agreement with immediate effect.\\n\\n\\n=== Al Nassr ===\\nOn 30 December 2022, Saudi club Al Nassr reached an agreement for Ronaldo to join the club effective 1 January 2023, signing a contract until 2025. As reported by Fabrizio Romano of The Guardian, Ronaldo received the highest football salary in history, worth €200 million per year; this included an annual guaranteed football salary of €90 million, with commercial and sponsorship deals included bringing his total annual salary to €200 million. He was also reportedly paid a signing-on bonus in the region of €100 million. According to media reports, Ronaldo rejected a move to Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City to join Al Nassr.\\n\\n\\n==== 2023: debut season and league runner-up ====\\nRonaldo was due to appear in a match against Al-Tai on 5 January 2023, but had to serve a two-match ban incurred while he was still at Manchester United for knocking a phone out of a 14-year-old Everton fan\\'s hand after a 1–0 loss at Goodison Park in April 2022. On 19 January, Ronaldo played for the first time since transferring to Saudi Arabia, in an exhibition game featuring a combined team of Riyadh\\'s Al Nassr and Al Hilal players against Paris Saint-Germain. Ronaldo scored twice in a 5–4 loss. He made his debut for Al Nassr on 22 January, as club captain, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–0 win over Al-Ettifaq, and scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw against Al-Fateh by converting a last-minute penalty. On 9 February, Ronaldo scored all four goals in a 4–0 win over Al Wehda, his first goal of the match being his 500th career league goal. On 25 February, he scored his second hat-trick for the club, helping his side to a 3–0 away league victory against Damac. Ronaldo was awarded the Player of the Month award for February after scoring eight goals and assisting twice. Ronaldo spent another season without winning a league title, as Al Nassr finished second in the league in the 2022–23 season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2023–present: Arab Club Champions Cup winner ====\\nRonaldo\\'s signing for Al-Nassr resulted in increased popularity both domestically and internationally of the Saudi Pro League, with various European players such as Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané, N\\'Golo Kanté, Rúben Neves, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Neymar moving to the Saudi Pro League during the summer transfer window, crediting Ronaldo as one of the main factors for moving to the league.He scored his first goal of the 2023–24 season in a 4–1 win over Union Monastirienne in the Arab Club Champions Cup on 31 July. In the next Arab Club Champions Cup fixture on 3 August, Ronaldo scored a late equaliser against Zamalek, to help his side secure a 1–1 draw and qualify for the quarter-finals in second place of their group. In the semi-finals on 9 August, Ronaldo scored the only goal of a win over Al-Shorta, converting a penalty to help Al Nassr reach their first ever Arab Club Champions Cup final. In the final on 12 August, Ronaldo scored both goals for a ten-man Al Nassr as they defeated rivals Al-Hilal 2–1 after extra time to win the competition for the first time in their history. Ronaldo was awarded the competition\\'s top scorer award having scored six goals in the competition.On 18 August, Ronaldo made his first league appearance of the season in a 2–0 defeat to Al-Taawoun, and scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 5–0 away win against Al-Fateh a week later. On 29 August, Ronaldo scored twice and assisted once in a 4–0 win against rivals Al-Shabab. Ronaldo was awarded the SPL Player of the Month award for August after scoring five goals and assisting twice. On 2 September, he scored a goal in Al-Nassr\\'s 5–1 away win against Al-Hazem, his 850th senior career goal. On 19 September, Ronaldo made his AFC Champions League debut, starting in a 2–0 win over Persepolis, becoming the first player in football history to record 1000 career games unbeaten (776 wins and 224 draws). Ronaldo received the SPL Player of the Month award for a second consecutive month after recording five goals and three assists in September. On 2 October, he scored his first AFC Champions League goal in the home fixture against Istiklol, the equaliser in an eventual 3–1 win.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== 2001–2007: youth level and senior debut ===\\nRonaldo began his international career with Portugal under-15 in 2001. During his international youth career, Ronaldo would represent the under-15, under-17, under-20, under-21 and under-23 national sides, amassing 34 youth caps and scoring 18 goals overall.Aged 18, Ronaldo made his first senior appearance for Portugal in a 1–0 win over Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003, coming on as a half-time substitute for Luís Figo. He was subsequently called up for UEFA Euro 2004, held in his home country, and scored his first international goal in a 2–1 group stage loss to eventual champions Greece, his eighth appearance for Portugal. After converting his penalty in a shoot-out against England in the quarter-finals, he helped Portugal reach the final by scoring the opening goal in a 2–1 win over the Netherlands. He was featured in the team of the tournament, having provided two assists in addition to his two goals.Ronaldo was Portugal\\'s second-highest scorer in their qualification group for the 2006 FIFA World Cup with seven goals. During the tournament, he scored his first World Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick in Portugal\\'s second match of the group stage. At the age of 21 years and 132 days, Ronaldo became the youngest ever goalscorer for Portugal at a World Cup finals. In Portugal\\'s infamously dirty round of 16 match against the Netherlands, Ronaldo was forced off injured in the first half after a tackle from Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz. Following Portugal\\'s 1–0 win, Ronaldo accused Boulahrouz of intentionally trying to injure him, although he recovered in time to play in the next game. In Portugal\\'s quarter-final against England, Ronaldo\\'s Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. Although the referee later clarified that the red card was only due to Rooney\\'s infraction, the English media speculated that Ronaldo had influenced his decision by aggressively complaining, after which he was seen in replays winking at Portugal\\'s bench following Rooney\\'s dismissal. Ronaldo went on to score the vital winning penalty during the shoot-out which sent Portugal into the semi-finals. Ronaldo was subsequently booed during their 1–0 semi-final defeat to France. FIFA\\'s Technical Study Group overlooked him for the tournament\\'s Best Young Player award and handed it to Germany\\'s Lukas Podolski, citing his behaviour as a factor in the decision. Following the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo would go on to represent Portugal in four qualifying games for Euro 2008, scoring two goals in the process.\\n\\n\\n=== 2007–2012: assuming the captaincy ===\\nOne day after turning 22, Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly game against Brazil on 6 February 2007, as requested by Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) president Carlos Silva, who had died two days earlier. Ahead of Euro 2008, he was given the number 7 shirt for the first time. While he scored eight goals in qualifications, the second-highest tally, he scored just one goal in the tournament, netting the second goal of their 3–1 win in the group stage match against the Czech Republic. In the same game, he also set-up Portugal\\'s third goal in injury time, which was scored by Quaresma, and was named man of the match for his performance. Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals with a 3–2 loss against eventual finalists Germany.After Portugal\\'s unsuccessful performance at Euro 2008, Luiz Felipe Scolari was replaced as coach by Carlos Queiroz, formerly the assistant manager at United. Queiroz made Ronaldo the squad\\'s permanent captain in July 2008. Ronaldo failed to score a single goal in the qualification for the 2010 World Cup, as Portugal narrowly avoided a premature elimination from the tournament with a play-off victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the group stage of the World Cup, he was named man of the match in all three matches, against Ivory Coast, North Korea and Brazil. His only goal of the tournament came in their 7–0 rout of North Korea, which marked his first international goal in 16 months. Portugal\\'s World Cup ended with a 1–0 loss against eventual champions Spain in the round of 16.Ronaldo scored seven goals in qualifications for Euro 2012, including two strikes against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-offs, to send Portugal into the tournament, where they were drawn in a \"group of death\". In the last group stage game against the Netherlands, Ronaldo scored twice to secure a 2–1 win. He scored a header in the quarter-final against the Czech Republic to give his team a 1–0 win. In both games against the Netherlands and the Czech Republic he was named man of the match. After the semi-finals against Spain ended scoreless, Portugal were eliminated in the penalty shoot-out. Ronaldo did not take a penalty as he had been slated to take the unused fifth slot. Ronaldo\\'s own teammate, Nani, said that Ronaldo \"demanded\" to take the last penalty. As the joint top scorer with three goals, alongside five other players, he was again included in the team of the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2012–2016: all-time Portugal top scorer and European champion ===\\nDuring the qualification for the 2014 World Cup, Ronaldo scored a total of eight goals. A qualifying match on 17 October 2012, a 1–1 draw against Northern Ireland, earned him his 100th cap. His first international hat-trick also came against Northern Ireland, when he scored three times in a 15-minute spell of a 4–2 qualifying win on 6 September 2013. After Portugal failed to qualify during the regular campaign, Ronaldo scored all four of the team\\'s goals in the play-offs against Sweden, billed as a battle between Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović, which ensured their place at the tournament. His hat-trick in the second leg took his international tally to 47 goals, equalling Pauleta\\'s record. Ronaldo subsequently scored twice in a 5–1 friendly win over Cameroon on 5 March 2014 to become his country\\'s all-time top scorer.Ronaldo took part in the tournament despite suffering from patellar tendinitis and a related thigh injury, potentially risking his career. Ronaldo later commented: \"If we had two or three Cristiano Ronaldos in the team I would feel more comfortable. But we don\\'t.\" Despite ongoing doubts over his fitness, being forced to abort practice twice, Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes of the opening match against Germany, although he was unable to prevent a 4–0 defeat. After assisting an injury-time 2–2 equaliser against the United States, he scored a late match-winning goal in a 2–1 win over Ghana. His 50th international goal made him the first Portuguese to play and score in three World Cups. Portugal were eliminated from the tournament at the close of the group stage on goal difference.\\nRonaldo scored five goals, including a hat-trick against Armenia, in the qualification for Euro 2016. With the only goal in another win over Armenia on 14 November 2014, he reached 23 goals in the UEFA European Championship, including qualifying matches, to become the competition\\'s all-time leading goalscorer. At the start of the tournament, Ronaldo failed to convert his chances in Portugal\\'s draws against Iceland and Austria, despite taking 20 shots on goal. In the latter match, he overtook Figo as Portugal\\'s most capped player with his 128th international appearance, which ended scoreless after he missed a penalty in the second half. With two goals in the last match of the group stage, a 3–3 draw against Hungary, Ronaldo became the first player to score in four European Championships, having made a record 17 appearances in the tournament. Although placed third in their group behind Hungary and Iceland, his team qualified for the knockout round as a result of the competition\\'s newly expanded format, despite not winning any of their games.In Portugal\\'s first knockout match, Ronaldo\\'s only attempt on goal was parried by Croatia\\'s goalkeeper Danijel Subašić into the path of Ricardo Quaresma, whose finish then secured a 1–0 win late in extra time. After his team progressed past Poland on penalties, with Ronaldo scoring Portugal\\'s opening penalty, he became the first player to participate in three European Championship semi-finals; he scored the opener in a 2–0 win against Wales, equalling Michel Platini as the competition\\'s all-time top scorer with nine goals. In the final against hosts France, Ronaldo was forced off after just 25 minutes following a challenge from Dimitri Payet, despite multiple treatments and attempts to play on, he was stretchered off the pitch and replaced by Quaresma. During extra time, substitute Eder scored in the 109th minute to earn Portugal a 1–0 victory. As team captain, Ronaldo lifted the trophy in celebration of his country\\'s first triumph in a major tournament. He was awarded the Silver Boot as the joint second-highest goalscorer, with three goals and three assists, and was named to the team of the tournament for the third time in his career.\\n\\n\\n=== 2016–2018: post-European Championship victory and World Cup ===\\nFollowing the Euro 2016 success, Ronaldo played his first professional match on his home island of Madeira on 28 March 2017 at age 32, opening a 2–3 friendly defeat to Sweden at the Estádio dos Barreiros. With the goal, he tied with Miroslav Klose on 71 goals as the third-highest scoring European in international football.In Portugal\\'s opening match of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup against Mexico on 17 June, Ronaldo set up Quaresma\\'s opening goal in a 2–2 draw. Three days later, he scored in a 1–0 win over hosts Russia. On 24 June, he scored from a penalty in a 4–0 win over New Zealand, which saw Portugal top their group and advance to the semi-finals of the competition; with his 75th international goal, Ronaldo also equalled Sándor Kocsis as the second-highest European international goalscorer of all time, behind only Ferenc Puskás. He was named man of the match in all three of Portugal\\'s group stage matches. Ronaldo left the competition early; after Chile defeated Portugal 3–0 on penalties in the semi-finals, he was allowed to return home to be with his newborn children, and missed Portugal\\'s third-place play-off match in which Portugal defeated Mexico 2–1 after extra time.\\nOn 31 August 2017, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 5–1 win in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match over the Faroe Islands, which saw him overtake Pelé and equal Hussein Saeed as the joint-fifth-highest goalscorer in international football with 78 goals. These goals brought his tally in the World Cup qualifiers to 14, equalling Predrag Mijatović\\'s record for most goals in a single UEFA qualifying campaign, and also saw him break the record for the most goals scored in a European qualifying group, overtaking the previous record of 13 goals set by David Healy and Robert Lewandowski. Ronaldo\\'s hat-trick took his World Cup qualifying goals total to 29, making him the highest scorer in UEFA qualifiers, ahead of Andriy Shevchenko, and the highest goalscorer in World Cup qualifying and finals matches combined with 32 goals, ahead of Miroslav Klose. Ronaldo later added to this tally by scoring a goal against Andorra in a 2–0 win.On 15 June 2018, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup match, helping Portugal secure a 3–3 draw against Spain (his third goal a 30-yard curling free kick with two minutes remaining) in their opening match. In doing so, he became the first Portuguese player to score a goal in four World Cups and one of four players of any nationality to do so. On 20 June, Ronaldo scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Morocco, breaking Puskás\\' record as the highest European goalscorer of all time, with 85 international goals. In the final group match against Iran on 25 June, Ronaldo missed a penalty in an eventual 1–1 draw which saw Portugal progress to the second round as group runners-up behind Spain. On 30 June, Portugal were eliminated following a 2–1 defeat to Uruguay in the last 16. For his performances in the tournament, Ronaldo was named in the World Cup Dream Team.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018–2020: Nations League title and 100 international goals ===\\nAfter the World Cup, Ronaldo missed six international matches, including the entire league phase of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League, but played for hosts Portugal in the inaugural Nations League Finals in June 2019. In the semi-finals on 5 June, he scored a hat-trick against Switzerland to reach the final. Upon scoring the opening goal, he became the first player to score in 10 consecutive international competitions, breaking the record he previously shared with Ghana\\'s Asamoah Gyan. In the final of the tournament four days later, Portugal defeated the Netherlands 1–0.On 10 September 2019, Ronaldo scored four goals in a 5–1 away win over Lithuania in a Euro 2020 qualifying match; in the process, he overtook Robbie Keane (23 goals) as the player with most goals in the UEFA European Championship qualifying, setting a new record with 25 goals. He also set a new record for scoring against the most national teams, 40, while also completing his eighth international hat-trick. On 14 October, he scored his 700th senior career goal for club and country from the penalty spot, in his 974th senior career appearance, a 2–1 away loss to Ukraine in a Euro 2020 qualifier. On 17 November, Ronaldo scored his 99th international goal in a 2–0 win over Luxembourg, leading Portugal to qualify for Euro 2020. On 8 September 2020, Ronaldo scored his 100th and 101st international goals in a 2–0 away win over Sweden in a 2020–21 UEFA Nations League match, becoming only the second male player ever to achieve this milestone (after Ali Daei of Iran) and the first in Europe. On 13 October, the FPF announced that Ronaldo tested positive for COVID-19 while being asymptomatic. By 30 October, Ronaldo had recovered.\\n\\n\\n=== 2021–present: all-time international appearances and top goalscorer ===\\nOn 15 June 2021, Ronaldo scored twice in Portugal\\'s first game of Euro 2020, a 3–0 win against Hungary in Budapest. This took him to a total of 11 European Championship goals, two clear of Michel Platini, as the all-time top goalscorer in the competition\\'s history. He also became the first player to score at five Euros, and in eleven consecutive tournaments. The brace made Ronaldo the oldest player to score two goals in a match in the competition, and the oldest player to score for Portugal at a major tournament. On 23 June, he scored two penalties in Portugal\\'s 2–2 draw with France in their final group stage match, equalling Daei\\'s record of 109 international goals. On 27 June, Portugal were eliminated following a 1–0 loss against Belgium in the round of 16. Ronaldo finished the tournament with five goals (tied with Czech Patrik Schick) and one assist, earning him the Golden Boot.On 1 September, Ronaldo scored two headed goals, with his second coming seconds before the full-time whistle, in a 2–1 home win against the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifier at the Estádio Algarve, which saw him pass Ali Daei to become the sole record holder by breaking the men\\'s international scoring record with his 110th and 111th international goals. On 9 October, he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 friendly win over Qatar at the Estádio Algarve; with his 181st international appearance, he also overtook Sergio Ramos\\'s record for the most international caps received by a European player. In the following match against Luxembourg on 12 October, also played at the Estádio Algarve, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win for Portugal, and became the first player to score 10 hat-tricks in men\\'s international football.\\nRonaldo was named in Portugal\\'s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, making it his fifth World Cup. On 24 November, in Portugal\\'s opening match against Ghana, Ronaldo scored a penalty kick and became the first male player to score in five different World Cups. In the last group game against South Korea, Ronaldo received criticism from his own coach for his reaction at being substituted. He was dropped from the starting line-up for Portugal\\'s last 16 match against Switzerland, marking the first time since Euro 2008 that he had not started a game for Portugal in a major international tournament, and the first time Portugal had started a knockout game without Ronaldo in the starting line-up at an international tournament since Euro 2000. He came off the bench late on as Portugal won 6–1, their highest tally in a World Cup knockout game since the 1966 World Cup, with Ronaldo\\'s replacement Gonçalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick. Portugal employed the same strategy in the quarter-finals against Morocco, with Ronaldo once again coming off the bench; in the process, he equalled Bader Al-Mutawa\\'s international appearance record, becoming the joint–most capped male footballer of all time, with 196 caps. Portugal lost 1–0, with Morocco becoming the first CAF nation ever to reach the World Cup semi-finals.Following the World Cup, despite having his future with the national team in doubt, after rumours of a possible omission by new manager Roberto Martínez, Ronaldo was named in Portugal\\'s squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. On 23 March, Ronaldo scored a brace in a 4–0 win over Liechtenstein; with his 197th international appearance, he overtook Al-Mutawa\\'s record and became the most capped male footballer of all time. On 20 June, Ronaldo made his 200th appearance for his national team, scoring the only goal of an away win over Iceland, in the Euro qualifiers, as he became the first player in the history of men\\'s international football to make 200 appearances for his country. On 13 October, Ronaldo scored a brace in a 3–2 win over Slovakia, leading Portugal to qualify for Euro 2024, marking the nation\\'s fastest qualification to a major tournament in their history.\\n\\n\\n== Player profile ==\\n\\n\\n=== Style of play ===\\nA versatile attacker, Ronaldo is capable of playing on either wing as well as through the centre of the pitch, and, while ostensibly right-footed, is very strong with both feet. Tactically, Ronaldo has undergone several evolutions throughout his career. While at Sporting and during his first season at Manchester United, he was typically deployed as a traditional winger on the right side of midfield, where he regularly looked to deliver crosses into the penalty area. In this position, he was able to use his pace and acceleration, agility and technical skills to take on opponents in one-on-one situations. Ronaldo became noted for his dribbling and flair, often displaying an array of tricks and feints, such as the step overs and so-called \\'chops\\' that became his trademark; he has also been known to use the flip-flap.\\nHis strength and jumping ability, combined with his elevation, heading accuracy and height of 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in), give him an edge in winning aerial duels. These attributes allow him to function as a target-man and make him an aerial goal threat in the penalty area; consequently, many of his goals have been headers. Allied with his increased stamina and work-rate, his goalscoring ability improved drastically on the left wing where he was given the positional freedom to move into the centre to finish attacks. He has also increasingly played a creative role for his team, often dropping deep to pick up the ball, participate in the build-up of plays and create chances for his teammates, courtesy of his vision and passing ability.In his final seasons at United, Ronaldo played an even more attacking and central role, functioning both as a striker and as a supporting forward, or even as an attacking midfielder on occasion. He developed into a prolific goalscorer, capable of finishing well both inside the penalty area and from distance with an accurate and powerful shot, courtesy of his striking ability. An accurate penalty kick taker, he also became a set piece specialist, renowned for his powerful, bending free kicks. When taking free kicks, Ronaldo is known for using the knuckleball technique, which was developed by Juninho Pernambucano. He also adopts a trademark stance before striking the ball, which involves him standing with his legs far apart. Regarding Ronaldo\\'s unique style of taking free kicks, former United assistant manager Mike Phelan commented: \"People used to put the ball down, walk away, run up and hit it. He brought in a more dynamic showmanship. He places the ball down, the concentration level is high, he takes his certain amount of steps back so that his standing foot is in the perfect place to hit the ball in the sweet spot. He is the ultimate showman. He has that slight arrogance. When he pulls those shorts up and shows his thighs, he is saying \\'All eyes on me\\' and this is going in. He understands the marketing side of it. The way he struts up and places it; the world is watching him.\"\\nAt Real Madrid, Ronaldo continued to play a more offensive role, while his creative and defensive duties became more limited, although not entirely diminished. Initially deployed as a centre forward by managers Manuel Pellegrini and José Mourinho, he was later moved back onto the left wing, though in a free tactical role; this position allowed him to drift into the centre at will to get onto the end of crosses and score, or draw out defenders with his movement off the ball and leave space for teammates to exploit. Madrid\\'s counter-attacking style of play also allowed him to become a more efficient and consistent player, as evidenced by his record-breaking goalscoring feats. While he mainly drew praise in the media for his prolific goalscoring, Ronaldo also demonstrated his ability as an effective creator in this role. This unique role has been described by pundits as that of a \"false\", \"attacking\", or \"goalscoring winger\", as Ronaldo effectively almost functioned as a striker at times with his central runs into the penalty area, despite actually playing on the left flank. From 2013 onwards, under manager Carlo Ancelotti, he effectively adapted his style to the physical effects of ageing with increasingly reduced off-the-ball movement and general involvement, completing fewer dribbles and passes per game, and instead focusing on short-distance creating and goalscoring. Since 2017, Ronaldo adapted his style of play yet again to become more of a free-roaming centre forward under manager Zinedine Zidane, a role in which he continued to excel and maintain a prolific goalscoring record; in this position, he earned praise in the media for his intelligent movement both on and off the ball, positional sense, link-up play and finishing, as well as his ability to lose or anticipate his markers, find space in the box and score from few touches or opportunities.In his first season at Juventus, Ronaldo continued to play in a variety of different attacking roles under manager Massimiliano Allegri, depending on whom he was partnered with. While he had occupied an increasingly offensive role in his final years at Real Madrid, at times he functioned in a free role at Juventus, either as a lone striker or in his trademark role on the left wing, in a 4–2–3–1 or 4–3–3 formation, in which he often switched positions with Mario Mandžukić. In this role, he was also given licence to drop deep or even out wide onto the right flank to receive the ball, and be more involved in the build-up of plays; as such, aside from scoring goals himself, he began to take on opponents and create chances for other players with greater frequency than he had in his final seasons with Real Madrid. Off the ball, he was also capable of creating space for teammates with his movement and attacking runs into the box, or finishing off chances with his head or feet by getting onto the end of his teammates\\' crosses. On occasion he also played in an attacking partnership alongside Mandžukić in a 4–3–1–2, 4–4–2, or 3–5–2 formation. He continued to play a similar role in his second season with the club under manager Maurizio Sarri.\\n\\n\\n=== Image ===\\n\\nRonaldo is widely regarded as one of the two best players of his generation, alongside Lionel Messi. Winning his first Ballon d\\'Or in 2008 by a record-high vote count at age 23, over the next decade Ronaldo has often featured in debates concerning who is the greatest player in history. Acclaimed for his prolific and consistent goal-scoring, he is considered a decisive player who is also a game changer, especially in important and high-pressured situations.\\nRonaldo is noted for his work ethic, elite body conditioning and dedication to improvement on the training pitch, as well being regarded as a natural leader. On his longevity and \"extraordinary commitment to physical preparation\", Adam Bate of Sky Sports said: \"Dedication is a huge part of staying at the top and Ronaldo\\'s focus is perhaps unparalleled within the game.\" While stating they were stylistically different players who shared an equal desire to score goals, former Brazil international Ronaldo praised Cristiano\\'s approach to training, arguing that \"there are so few players who take care of their body like he does. I trained because I had to, he does it because he loves it.\" His drive and determination to succeed are fuelled by a desire to be talked about alongside other greats such as Pelé and Diego Maradona once retiring. He is credited, along with his compatriot, coach José Mourinho, with inspiring changing fortunes of Portuguese football in 2010s and 2020s. At times, he has been criticised for simulating when tackled. He was also occasionally criticised early in his career by manager Alex Ferguson, teammates and the media for being a selfish or overly flamboyant player. Jonathan Wilson of The Guardian opined that Ronaldo had made Juventus, who he joined aged 33 in 2018, weaker, due to \"his relative immobility\" in his mid-30s, even if his personal goal-scoring output remained high.During his career, Ronaldo has also been described as having an \"arrogant image\" on the pitch, with Ronaldo stating that he had become a \"victim\" because of how he was portrayed in the media. He is often seen moaning, gesticulating and scowling while trying to inspire his team to victory, with Ronaldo insisting that his competitive nature should not be mistaken for arrogance. His managers, teammates and various journalists have said that this reputation has caused an unfair image of him.\\n\\n\\n=== Goal celebrations ===\\nRonaldo has adopted several goal celebrations throughout his career, including one particular celebration which gained widespread coverage in the media, when he squatted and stared directly into a camera on the sidelines of the pitch with his hand on his chin. After scoring a goal, he usually celebrates with a \"storming jump\" and \"turn\", before \"landing in spread-eagled fashion\" into his \"signature power stance\", while usually simultaneously exclaiming \"Sí\" (Spanish and Italian for \"yes\"). This trademark celebration has been dubbed the \"Siu\" in the media.\\n\\n\\n=== Rivalry with Lionel Messi ===\\n\\nBoth Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored in multiple UEFA Champions League finals and have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season. Sports journalists and pundits regularly weigh the individual merits of both players in an attempt to argue who they believe is the best player in modern football or in the history of the game. It has been compared to several sports rivalries, among them the Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier rivalry in boxing, the Borg–McEnroe rivalry in tennis and the Senna–Prost rivalry from Formula One motor racing. Some commentators choose to analyse the differing physiques and playing styles of the two. Part of the debate revolves around the contrasting personalities of the two players, as Ronaldo is sometimes depicted as an arrogant and theatrical showoff, while Messi is portrayed as a shy, humble character.\\n\\nIn a 2012 interview, Ronaldo commented on the rivalry, saying: \"I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high.\" Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo\\'s manager during his time at Manchester United, opined: \"I don\\'t think the rivalry against each other bothers them. I think they have their own personal pride in terms of wanting to be the best.\" Messi himself denied any rivalry, saying that it was \"only the media, the press, who wants us to be at loggerheads but I\\'ve never fought with Cristiano.\" Responding to the claims that he and Messi do not get on well on a personal level, Ronaldo commented: \"We don\\'t have a relationship outside the world of football, just as we don\\'t with a lot of other players.\" Ronaldo added that in years to come he hopes they can laugh about it together, stating: \"We have to look on this rivalry with a positive spirit, because it\\'s a good thing.\" Representing archrivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, the two players faced each other at least twice every season in the world\\'s biggest club game, El Clásico, which is among the world\\'s most viewed annual sporting events.In a debate at Oxford Union in October 2013, when asked whether FIFA president Sepp Blatter preferred Messi or Ronaldo, Blatter paid tribute to the work ethic of the Argentine before taking a swipe at Ronaldo, claiming \"one of them has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other.\" Real Madrid demanded and promptly received a full apology. In response to Blatter\\'s \"commander\" on the pitch comment, Ronaldo issued his own riposte with a mock-salute celebration after scoring a penalty against Sevilla. In August 2019, Ronaldo and Messi were interviewed while sat next to each other prior to the announcement of the UEFA Men\\'s Player of the Year, with Ronaldo stating: \"I pushed him and he pushed me as well. So it\\'s good to be part of the history of football.\"In September 2023, Ronaldo declared that his rivalry with Messi was over and \"gone\", after 36 official fixtures and 15 years of \"sharing the stage\". After Messi led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a number of football critics, commentators and players have opined that Messi has settled the debate between the two players.\\n\\n\\n== Outside football ==\\n\\nSince his reputation grew at Manchester United, Ronaldo has signed many sponsorship deals for consumer products, including sportswear, football boots; since November 2012, Ronaldo has worn the Nike Mercurial Vapor personalised CR7 edition, soft drinks, clothing, automotive lubricants, financial services, electronics, and video games. Ronaldo featured as the cover star of FIFA video game FIFA 18 and was heavily involved in the game\\'s promotion. His \"Sii\" goal celebration features in the FIFA series, accompanied with his own voiceover. He was also the face of Pro Evolution Soccer, appearing on the covers of the 2008, 2012 and 2013 editions of the game.With earnings of €720 million (£615 million) from 2010 to 2019, Ronaldo was ranked second in Forbes list of the decade\\'s highest-paid athletes, behind boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.. Forbes twice ranked Ronaldo first on its list of the world\\'s highest-paid football players; his combined income from salaries, bonuses and endorsements was $73 million in 2013–14 and $79 million in 2014–15. The latter earnings saw him listed behind only Mayweather on the magazine\\'s list of The World\\'s Highest-Paid Athletes. In 2016, he became the first footballer to top the Forbes list of highest-earning athletes, with a total income of $88 million from his salary and endorsements in 2015–16. He topped the list for the second straight year with earnings of $93 million in 2016–17. He is the first footballer and only the third sportsman to earn $1 billion in their career. Ronaldo is one of the world\\'s most marketable sportsmen: SportsPro rated him the fifth most marketable athlete in 2012 and eighth most marketable athlete in 2013. Sports market research company Repucom named Ronaldo the most marketable and most recognised football player in the world in May 2014. He was additionally named in the 2014 Time 100, Time\\'s annual list of the most influential people in the world. ESPN named Ronaldo the world\\'s most famous athlete in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.\\nRonaldo has established a strong online presence. The most popular sportsperson on social media, he counted over 500 million total followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by February 2021, making him the first person to pass half a billion followers. The most-followed person on Facebook (168 million), most-followed on Instagram (615 million) and most-followed sportsperson on Twitter (109 million), his sponsors earned $936 million in media value across his accounts between June 2016 and June 2017. In December 2011, he launched an iPhone game called Heads Up with Cristiano, created by developer RockLive, and in December 2013, he launched Viva Ronaldo, a dedicated social networking website and app. Computer security company McAfee produced a 2012 report ranking footballers by the probability of an internet search for their name leading to an unsafe website, with Ronaldo\\'s name first on the list.Ronaldo\\'s autobiography, titled Moments, was published in 2007. His sponsor Castrol produced the television film Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit, in which he was physically and mentally tested in several areas; his physical performance was subject to scrutiny by world media upon the film\\'s release in September 2011. Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at His Feet, a documentary narrated by actor Benedict Cumberbatch, was released via Vimeo in June 2014. A documentary film directed by Anthony Wonke about his life and career, titled Ronaldo, was released on 9 November 2015.\\nDemand for a replica Ronaldo shirt has been high throughout his career. In 2008, Ronaldo\\'s number 7 Manchester United shirt was the best-selling Premier League sports product. In 2015, Ronaldo\\'s number 7 Real Madrid shirt was the second best-selling worldwide, after Messi\\'s number 10 Barcelona shirt. In 2018, within 24 hours of his number 7 Juventus shirt being released, over 520,000 had been sold, with $62.4 million generated in one day.Ronaldo opened a fashion boutique under the name CR7 (his initials and shirt number) on the island of Madeira in 2006 and opened a second in Lisbon in 2008. In partnership with Scandinavian manufacturer JBS Textile Group and the New York fashion designer Richard Chai, Ronaldo co-designed a range of underwear and sock line, released in November 2013. He expanded his CR7 fashion brand by launching a line of premium shirts and shoes in July 2014. In September 2015, Ronaldo released his own fragrance, \"Legacy\", in a partnership with Eden Parfums.\\nIn 2007, C.D. Nacional renamed its youth campus Cristiano Ronaldo Campus Futebol (Cristiano Ronaldo Football Campus). In December 2013, Ronaldo opened a museum, Museu CR7, in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, to house trophies and memorabilia; the museum is an official sponsor of the local football team União da Madeira. At a ceremony held at the Belém Palace in January 2014, President of Portugal Aníbal Cavaco Silva raised Ronaldo to the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry \"to distinguish an athlete of world renown who has been a symbol of Portugal globally, contributing to the international projection of the country and setting an example of tenacity for future generations.\" A bronze statue of Ronaldo, designed by artist Ricardo Madeira Veloso, was unveiled in Funchal on 21 December 2014.\\nIn June 2010, during the build-up to the World Cup, Ronaldo became the fourth footballer (after Steven Gerrard, Pelé, and David Beckham) to be represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London. Another waxwork of him was presented at the Madrid Wax Museum in December 2013. In June 2015, astronomers led by David Sobral from Lisbon and Leiden discovered a galaxy which they named Cosmos Redshift 7 (CR7) in tribute to Ronaldo.On 23 July 2016, following Portugal\\'s triumph at Euro 2016, Madeira Airport in Funchal was renamed as Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. The unveiling of the rebranded terminal took place on 29 March 2017, which included a bust of his head being presented. The bust and the name change were controversial, with the lack of the bust\\'s likeness to Ronaldo being ridiculed by comedians, including Saturday Night Live, while the name change was subject to much debate locally by some politicians and citizens, who even started a petition against the move, an action criticised by President of Madeira Miguel Albuquerque. A year later, sports website Bleacher Report commissioned sculptor Emanuel Santos to create another bust; however, this bust was never used and a new one was made by a Spanish sculptor, shown to the public on 15 June 2018.On 21 September 2020, the Sporting CP\\'s football academy in Alcochete, until then called Academia Sporting, was renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo.\\n\\n\\n=== Philanthropy ===\\nRonaldo has made contributions to various charitable causes throughout his career. Television footage of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami showed an eight-year-old boy survivor named Martunis wearing a Portuguese football shirt who was stranded for 19 days after his family was killed. Following this, Ronaldo visited Aceh, Indonesia, to raise funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction. After accepting undisclosed damages from a libel case against The Sun newspaper in 2008, Ronaldo donated the damages to a charity in Madeira. In 2009, Ronaldo donated £100,000 to the hospital that saved his mother\\'s life in Madeira following her battle with cancer, so that they could build a cancer centre on the island. In support of the victims of the 2010 Madeira flood, Ronaldo pledged to play in a charity match in Madeira between Primeira Liga club Porto and players from Madeiran-based clubs Marítimo and Nacional.In 2012, Ronaldo and his agent paid for specialist treatment for a nine-year-old Canarian boy with apparently terminal cancer. In December 2012, Ronaldo joined FIFA\\'s \"11 for Health\" programme to raise awareness amongst kids of how to steer clear of conditions including drug addiction, HIV, malaria, and obesity. In January 2013, Ronaldo became Save the Children\\'s new Global Artist Ambassador, in which he hopes to help fight child hunger and obesity. In March 2013, Ronaldo agreed to be the ambassador for The Mangrove Care Forum in Indonesia, an organisation aiming to raise awareness of mangrove conservation.Ronaldo was named the world\\'s most charitable sportsperson in 2015 after donating £5 million to the relief effort after the earthquake in Nepal which killed over 8,000 people. In June 2016, Ronaldo donated the entirety of his €600,000 Champions League bonus after Real Madrid won the competition. In August, Ronaldo launched CR7Selfie, a selfie app for charity to help Save the Children that lets participants take a selfie with him in one of several different outfits and poses.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\n\\n\\n=== Family, children, and relationships ===\\nRonaldo has five children. He first became a father to a son, who was born on 17 June 2010 in the United States. He has full custody of the child and has not publicly revealed the identity of the mother per an agreement with her. In January 2015, Ronaldo\\'s five-year relationship with Russian model Irina Shayk ended.Ronaldo became a father to twins, born on 8 June 2017 in the United States via surrogacy. He is currently in a relationship with Argentine-born Spanish model Georgina Rodríguez, who gave birth to a daughter on 12 November 2017. The couple expected a pair of twins in 2022. The male twin died during childbirth while the female twin survived.Ronaldo\\'s father, José, died of an alcoholism-related liver condition at age 52 in September 2005 when Ronaldo was 20.In January 2023, after Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia with his family having been signed by Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, the rulers of the Muslim-leaning Kingdom made Ronaldo an exception to the rule that unmarried couples are not allowed to live together in Saudi Arabia. An unnamed Saudi lawyer told Spanish news agency EFE that \"the laws of the Kingdom still prohibit cohabitation without a marriage contract\", but Saudi authorities have begun to \"turn a blind eye and stop prosecuting anyone, even though these laws are applied when there is a problem or a crime\".Ronaldo is of Cape Verdean descent through his great-grandmother. He is a Roman Catholic.\\n\\n\\n=== Health ===\\nRonaldo has said that he does not drink alcohol, and he received libel damages over a Daily Mirror article that reported him drinking heavily in a nightclub while recovering from an injury in July 2008. He also does not have any tattoos as he regularly donates blood and bone marrow.\\n\\n\\n=== Legal issues ===\\nIn July 2017, Ronaldo was charged with fraudulently evading almost €15 million in tax between 2011 and 2014, a claim he denied at the time. In June 2018, Ronaldo was given a two-year suspended jail sentence and fined €18.8 million, later reduced to €16.8 million after reaching a deal with Spanish authorities. The sentence can be served under probation, without any jail time, so long as he does not re-offend.Ronaldo and another man were investigated by the British Crown Prosecution Service after a 2005 rape allegation was brought forward by two women. Within days, the two women withdrew their allegation and Scotland Yard later issued a statement declaring there was not enough evidence for a prosecution.In April 2017, it was reported that Ronaldo was being investigated by the Las Vegas Police Department for an allegation by a woman that he had raped her in 2009. Documents, confirmed by Ronaldo\\'s lawyers, state that Ronaldo paid a woman US$375,000 in a non-disclosure settlement. Ronaldo and his lawyers issued a lengthy statement denying all accusations, describing them as an \"intentional defamation campaign\" with parts significantly \"altered and/or completely fabricated\", a claim which Der Spiegel categorically denied. In July 2019, Las Vegas prosecutors said they would not charge Ronaldo over allegations of rape; the statement added: \"Based upon a review of information at this time, the allegations of sexual assault against Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.\" The same woman, in September 2018, filed a civil lawsuit in Nevada accusing Ronaldo of rape. The Daily Mirror, citing court documents, reported in 2021 that the woman sought £56 million in damages from Ronaldo. In October 2021, federal magistrate judge Daniel Albregts recommended that the lawsuit be dismissed, citing that the woman\\'s lawyer, Leslie Stovall, \"acted in bad faith by asking for, receiving, and using Football Leaks documents to prosecute\" the case, despite the documents containing \"privileged communications\" between Ronaldo and his lawyers. Additionally, Albregts stated that no evidence was found of Ronaldo\\'s lawyers having \"intimidated [the woman] or impeded law enforcement\" during the 2010 settlement with her. In June 2022, the woman\\'s rape lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, as district judge Jennifer A. Dorsey ruled that Stovall\\'s repeated use of \"cyber-hacked attorney–client privileged documents\" were actions representing \"abuses and flagrant circumvention of the proper litigation process\".\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 30 December 2023\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\nAs of match played 19 November 2023Notes\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\n\\nSporting CP\\nSupertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2002Manchester United\\nPremier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09\\nFA Cup: 2003–04\\nFootball League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09\\nFA Community Shield: 2007\\nUEFA Champions League: 2007–08\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2008Real Madrid\\nLa Liga: 2011–12, 2016–17\\nCopa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14\\nSupercopa de España: 2012, 2017\\nUEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2017\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017Juventus\\nSerie A: 2018–19, 2019–20\\nCoppa Italia: 2020–21\\nSupercoppa Italiana: 2018, 2020Al Nassr\\n\\nArab Club Champions Cup: 2023Portugal\\n\\nUEFA European Championship: 2016\\nUEFA Nations League: 2018–19Individual\\n\\nBallon d\\'Or/FIFA Ballon d\\'Or: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017\\nFIFA World Player of the Year: 2008\\nThe Best FIFA Men\\'s Player: 2016, 2017\\nThe Best FIFA Special Award for Outstanding Career Achievement: 2021\\nUEFA Men\\'s Player of the Year Award: 2007–08, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17\\nUEFA Champions League top scorer: 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18\\nEuropean Golden Shoe: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15\\nGolden Foot: 2020\\nFIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2016\\nFIFA Puskás Award: 2009\\nUEFA European Championship Golden Boot: 2020\\nPremier League Player of the Season: 2006–07, 2007–08\\nLa Liga Best Player: 2013–14\\nSerie A Footballer of the Year: 2019, 2020\\nPremier League Golden Boot: 2007–08\\nPichichi Trophy: 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15\\nCapocannoniere: 2020–21\\nPortuguese Sportsman of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019\\nFPF Portuguese Player of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022Orders\\n\\n Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (Portuguese Royal Family)\\n Grand officer of the Order of Prince Henry\\n Commander of the Order of Merit\\nCordão Autonómico de Distinção\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of top international men\\'s football goal scorers by country\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 50 or more international goals\\nList of men\\'s footballers with the most official appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 500 or more goals\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n=== Citations ===\\n\\n\\n=== Works cited ===\\nCaioli, Luca (2016) [2012]. Ronaldo: The Obsession for Perfection (2017 updated ed.). New York: Icon Books. ISBN 978-1-78578-140-7.\\n\\n\\n== Further reading ==\\nBalagué, Guillem (2015). Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography (hardcover ed.). London: Orion Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4091-5504-1.\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nAl Nassr official profile\\nManchester United official profile\\nReal Madrid official profile\\nPortuguese Football Federation profile\\nCristiano Ronaldo at BDFutbol \\nCristiano Ronaldo at Premier League\\nXAVI HERNÁNDEZXavier Hernández Creus (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈʃaβjeɾ eɾˈnandeθ]; born 25 January 1980), also known as Xavi Hernández ([ˈʃaβj eɾˈnandeθ]) or simply Xavi ([ˈʃaβi]), is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who manages La Liga club Barcelona. Widely considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Xavi was renowned for his passing, vision, ball retention, and positioning. He won 32 trophies in his career, making him the second-most decorated Spanish player in history, behind former teammate Andrés Iniesta.He was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI on six occasions: 2008 to 2013, and the UEFA Team of the Year five times: 2008 to 2012. In 2020 Xavi was named in the Ballon d\\'Or Dream Team, a greatest all-time XI published by France Football. He is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,000 professional career appearances.\\nXavi joined La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy at age 11 and made his first-team debut against Mallorca in August 1998, age 18. In all, he played 767 official matches, a former club record—now held by Lionel Messi—and scored 85 goals. Xavi is the first player in the club\\'s history to play 150 European and FIFA Club World Cup matches combined. With Barcelona, Xavi won eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. In 2015, he departed Barcelona for Al Sadd, where he won four trophies before retiring in 2019.\\nWith Spain, Xavi won the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999, and the Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Olympics. After making his senior team debut in 2000, he was capped 133 times for his country, and was an influential figure in the team\\'s successes. He played an integral role in Spain\\'s victory at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as their wins at UEFA Euro 2008 and UEFA Euro 2012. He was named Player of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 2008, and was named in the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament in 2008 and 2012. With two assists in the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, Xavi became the first player to register assists in two separate European finals, after setting up the only goal in the final four years earlier. After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Xavi announced his retirement from international football.Xavi came third in the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year, followed by third place for its successor award, the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he was runner up to Messi for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Xavi was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award in 2012. He was awarded the IFFHS World\\'s Best Playmaker award four times, all straight between 2008 and 2011.\\nAfter retirement, Xavi transitioned to coaching, and he was named the manager at Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd in May 2019, where he won seven titles in less than three years. In November 2021, Xavi was appointed as manager at his former club Barcelona. He won the 2022–23 Supercopa de España & the 2022–23 La Liga title in his first full season as the club\\'s manager.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\n\\nBorn in Terrassa, Barcelona, Catalonia, Xavi is a product of FC Barcelona\\'s La Masia youth system, which he joined at the age of 11 from UFB Jàbac Terrassa and Terrassa FC. His father, Joaquim, was a former player for Sabadell in the first division. His older brother, Óscar, is a former player and manager. Xavi made his way through the youth and reserve teams and was a key member of Josep Maria Gonzalvo\\'s Barcelona B team that won promotion to the Second Division.\\nAlthough he was initially inspired by compatriot playmaker Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, as a child Xavi also watched a lot of English football, and looked up to midfielders John Barnes, Paul Gascoigne and Matt Le Tissier.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona ===\\n\\n\\n==== 1998–2001: Beginnings ====\\nXavi\\'s progression through the teams earned him a first-team appearance in a Copa Catalunya match against Lleida on 5 May 1998 and he scored his first goal on 18 August 1998 in the 1998 Supercopa de España against Mallorca. His debut in La Liga came against Valencia on 3 October 1998 in a 3–1 victory for Barcelona. Initially featuring intermittently both for the reserve and senior teams, Xavi scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Real Valladolid when Barcelona were in tenth position in the league. Sustained impressive performances meant that he became a key member of Louis van Gaal\\'s title-winning team, finishing his debut season with 26 matches played and being named 1999 La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year. Xavi became Barcelona\\'s principal playmaker after an injury to Pep Guardiola in the 1999–2000 season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2001–2008: Breakthrough and vice-captaincy ====\\nIn these years, Barcelona was on the verge of bankruptcy and struggling to keep its place in La Liga\\'s elite. Playing midfield, but in a more defensive role, Xavi made 20 assists and scored 7 goals in those two seasons. On 16 March 2002, he scored his first goal in El Clásico against Real Madrid.Xavi was named the vice-captain in the 2004–05 season, in which he helped Barcelona win La Liga and the 2004 Supercopa de España. He was named La Liga Spanish Player of the Year in 2005.In the 2005–06 season, Xavi tore the ligaments in his left knee in training; he was out of action for four months but returned in April and was on the substitutes bench for Barcelona\\'s win in the 2006 Champions League Final against Arsenal. He also won La Liga and the Supercopa de España again.\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–2012: Sustained domestic and European success ====\\n\\nAfter being named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2008, Xavi spoke to Bayern Munich about a transfer, but newly appointed Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola convinced him that he was too important to the club to be allowed to leave. He was a main part of Barcelona\\'s treble and scored the fourth goal in the 4–1 win in the 2009 Copa del Rey Final against Athletic Bilbao, with a free kick. In La Liga, one of his most significant games was the 6–2 Clásico victory over Real Madrid on 2 May; he assisted four goals – once to Carles Puyol, once to Thierry Henry and twice to Lionel Messi.Xavi helped Barcelona win the 2009 Champions League Final 2–0 against Manchester United, assisting the second goal by crossing to Messi for his header. Prior to the match, Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson heaped praise on the central midfield combination of Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, stating, \"I don\\'t think Xavi and Iniesta have ever given the ball away in their lives. They get you on that carousel and they can leave you dizzy.\" Xavi was voted \"UEFA Champions League best midfielder\" for his contribution during Barcelona\\'s victorious 2008–09 Champions League campaign. Xavi was the highest assisting player in La Liga with 20, and in the Champions League, with 7; he earned 29 assists overall that season. Xavi was under contract to Barça until 2014 after extending his contract during the 2008–09 season. The new contract made him one of the club\\'s biggest earners, with a salary of €7.5 million a year.\\nDuring the 2009–10 season, journalists increasingly noted Xavi\\'s contribution to the Barcelona team. For example:\\n\\n\"Quite simply the best midfielder of modern football. It could even be argued that Xavi and Matthäus are the two best in this position in history. World class for several years now, it is the past three seasons in particular where the 30-year-old has been untouchable. Xavi\\'s passing is up there with Michel Platini, he creates countless goals with genius through balls while virtually never relinquishing possession.\"\\nIn the 2009–10 season, Xavi again topped the assists table and provided both the assists in Barcelona\\'s 2–0 victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. Barcelona won the Liga title with a record 99 points, and Xavi was acclaimed Barcelona\\'s second-best player in a season-long vote. On 3 June 2010, Madrid-based newspaper Marca awarded him third place in the annual Trofeo Alfredo di Stéfano award for the best player in La Liga, behind Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.\\n\\nOn 9 June 2010, Xavi signed a new four-year contract with the club, which could be automatically renewed up to 30 June 2016 based on number of games played. On 29 November, he scored his third goal against arch-rivals Real Madrid in a 5–0 home win. On 18 December, he scored another goal against Espanyol in a 5–1 win. In the Champions League, Xavi scored a valuable goal with an assist from David Villa in a home win against Arsenal, that saw Barcelona progress to the quarter-finals.Xavi was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, and finished third in the vote behind his Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta. He narrowly defeated Messi to win the Player of the Year award from World Soccer magazine.\\nOn 2 January 2011, in a league match against Levante, Xavi made his 549th appearance for the club in all competitions, matching the record held by Migueli. Xavi later became the player with the most appearances for Barcelona of all time. On 28 May, Xavi was imperious in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium in London as Barcelona defeated Manchester United in the showpiece for the second time in three seasons, winning 3–1.Xavi began the 2011–12 season in fine goalscoring form and seemed to grow in his influence of the team despite the long-anticipated return of Cesc Fàbregas and the promotion of Thiago to create added competition for places in Barça\\'s attacking midfield positions. On 18 December, in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final in Yokohama, Barcelona won 4–0 against Brazilian side Santos as Xavi scored a goal and made an assist to Lionel Messi. After the ball was slightly behind him, Xavi brought the ball down with a cocked leg, effectively using his ankle to control it, before slipping a pass through to Messi, who scored the first goal.Xavi scored the winning goal in the Group H game against A.C. Milan, a vital match for Barcelona\\'s progression in the Champions League knockout stage. In total, Xavi had the best goalscoring return of his career in 2011–12 season with ten Liga goals, two in the Copa del Rey – which Barcelona won – and one in the Club World Cup final win.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–2015: Later years and departure ====\\nOn 18 December 2012, Barcelona renewed Xavi\\'s contract, extending it until 30 June 2016.\\nHe scored a goal against Real Madrid in a 3–2 win for Barcelona. Xavi was named in the FIFA World XI, along with teammates Iniesta, Messi and Dani Alves. Barcelona had virtually secured their La Liga title by the start of 2013, eventually equalling Real Madrid\\'s 100-point record of the previous season.On 16 January 2014, Xavi made his 700th appearance for the first team against Getafe in the Copa del Rey. For the first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy; they were defeated in the Copa del Rey Final by Real Madrid with Gareth Bale scoring a late winner, and lost the league in the last game to Atlético Madrid.In June 2014, it was announced that Xavi would be leaving the club. On 22 July, however, after talks with newly appointed manager and former teammate Luis Enrique, Xavi decided to stay at Camp Nou for one more season. He was also appointed as club captain after Carles Puyol\\'s retirement. On 25 April 2015, Xavi made his 500th La Liga appearance, becoming the eighth player in history to do so. On 4 June, a farewell event was held at Barcelona for Xavi with players, managers, friends and family paying tribute to him.On 6 June 2015, Xavi came on as a 78th-minute substitute for Andrés Iniesta to make his 767th and final appearance for Barcelona during the 2015 Champions League Final, as the club won its fifth European Cup, beating Juventus at Berlin\\'s Olympiastadion. Xavi, as club captain, lifted the trophy. This made Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup twice. Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Gerard Piqué, Pedro, Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves were part of both treble-winning teams. Xavi\\'s 767 appearances was a club record until surpassed by Lionel Messi in March 2021.\\n\\n\\n=== Al Sadd ===\\nOn 21 May 2015, Xavi announced that he would join Qatari club Al Sadd at the end of the 2014–15 season on a three-year contract. According to his agent, the deal would involve him becoming an ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and also start his coaching qualifications. He made his debut for Al Sadd in a 4–0 win over Mesaimeer on 13 September 2015, assisting in the team\\'s first goal. In the following match, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw with Umm Salal. Al Sadd ended the league campaign in third position putting them in a place for the next season\\'s AFC Champions League, the elite club competition of the Asian Football Confederation. Xavi scored three goals during the season. In the Champions League, Al Sadd were knocked out from the qualifying rounds by Emirati side Al Jazira on penalties; Xavi missed his spot kick.Xavi won his first trophy with Al Sadd following a 2–1 victory over El Jaish in the Qatar Cup final on 29 April 2017. On 10 November 2017, Xavi said that he would retire when his contract with Al Sadd expired at the end of the 2017–18 season, and would later pursue a coaching career. However, he postponed these plans and signed a two-year contract extension on 24 May 2018. In October 2018, Al Sadd reached the 2018 AFC Champions League semi-finals of the tournament with Xavi as captain but were eliminated 2–1 by Persepolis.On 2 May 2019, Xavi announced that he would be retiring from professional football at the end of the season. On 20 May 2019, Xavi played the final match of his career, a 2–0 defeat to Persepolis in Tehran, Iran which was Al Sadd\\'s final AFC Champions League group match; before the match, he stated that he would like to remain in Qatar after his retirement, and that he would look to begin a coaching career, commenting: \"The idea is to start as a coach in Qatar, to test myself and get some experience.\"\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nXavi played for Spain at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, 2009 Confederations Cup, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup. In 1999 he was part of the Spanish team that won FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria, with Xavi also scoring two goals in the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2008 ===\\nXavi was named Euro 2008\\'s player of the tournament after Spain defeated Germany 1–0 in the final. Xavi was dominant in midfield, where his passing and reading of the game was pivotal to Spain\\'s success, as he led his nation to their first silverware since the 1964 European Championship. Andy Roxburgh, head of UEFA\\'s technical committee, said, \"We have chosen Xavi because he epitomizes the Spanish style of play. He was influential in the whole possession, passing and penetrating kind of game that Spain played.\"Xavi scored the first goal in the semi-final against Russia, which Spain won 3–0. In the final, he made the pass from which Fernando Torres scored the winning goal.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 World Cup ===\\nXavi was named in Spain\\'s squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, with Spain eventually winning their first World Cup. He provided the most accurate passes, 599 with a passing success rate of 91%, and he crossed the ball inside the 18-yard box more than any other player in the tournament. In the final he made 57 accurate forward half passes. Xavi also covered 80.20 kilometres throughout the competitions, averaging approximately 11.5 kilometres per game, more than any other player. In the final, he covered a distance of almost 15 kilometres.\\nXavi is the beating heart of this Spanish team, the man dictating the tiki-taka pulse of pass after pass. He may be just 5ft 7in with a curiously hunched gait but no player more influences the way his whole team plays. He doesn\\'t score, doesn\\'t really tackle: he just passes and passes with a precision and wit unmatched by any of his peers.\\nDuring the round of 16 match against Portugal, Xavi provided a backheel pass in the 63rd minute to David Villa. Although Villa had his shot with his left foot blocked by goalkeeper Eduardo, he then put in the rebound with his right foot for the winning goal. In the semi-final against Germany, Xavi crossed from a corner to the edge of the six-yard box, where Carles Puyol scored with a header into the top-right corner. Spain dominated possession throughout the competition, averaging 59% possession during their three group matches, and 44 passes per shot throughout the entire World Cup, in large part thanks to midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Xabi Alonso, who were singled out in the media for their role in Spain\\'s title–run; Spain also completed more passes (3,547) than any World Cup team since 1966.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2012 ===\\nXavi played for Spain at Euro 2012 which Spain won by defeating Italy 4–0 in the final. Xavi attempted 136 passes (127 completed, 94% success rate) during Spain\\'s 4–0 victory in the group stage match against the Republic of Ireland, more than any other player in a European Championship match. The previous record of 117 had been set by Ronald Koeman in a Euro 1992 match between the Netherlands and Denmark. Xavi and Andrés Iniesta made 229 passes in the match, more than the combined Irish team managed. \"Pum, pum, pum, pum\" was how Xavi described the rhythmic sound of the ball moving between himself and his midfield partner.With Xavi providing two assists in the final, for Jordi Alba and Fernando Torres, he became the first player to register assists in two European Championship finals. Spain\\'s UEFA Euro 2012 victory made Xavi the most decorated player in Spanish football history, a status that he previously shared with Carles Puyol, who missed the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== Retirement ===\\nOn 5 August 2014, following the 2014 World Cup where Spain were eliminated at the group stage, Xavi announced his retirement from international football, having made 133 appearances in a 14-year period. Spain\\'s World Cup-winning manager Vicente del Bosque paid tribute, stating that Xavi was \"a key part of the team\\'s style of play\" and \"he was more important to us than even the manager\", also adding, \"We will miss him both on and off the pitch. He is a player who we hold in great esteem both personally and as a player. He is and always will be a person and a player who is greatly valued by the federation, the coaching staff and by myself.\"\\n\\n\\n== Managerial career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Al Sadd ===\\nOn 28 May 2019 it was announced that Xavi would take over as manager of Al Sadd on a two-year contract. Xavi helped the club reach the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League, where they were eliminated by Al-Hilal FC 6–5 on aggregate. In the league, the club finished third. In the 2019–20 season, Xavi led his team to win one domestic trophy, the Qatar Cup. In the 2020 AFC Champions League, Al Sadd reached the round of 16 but were eliminated 1–0 by Persepolis. During his 97 games in charge of Al Sadd, spanning two and a half years, he led the club to seven trophies.On 3 November 2021, Al Sadd drew 3–3 against Al-Duhail in his final game in-charge. Two days later Al Sadd announced Xavi\\'s move to Barcelona after his release clause was paid.\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona ===\\nOn 6 November 2021, Xavi returned to his former club Barcelona as the new manager replacing Ronald Koeman, on a contract until June 2024. Following his arrival, Xavi implemented stricter rules for the players which included re-introduction of fines, early arrival for training and tracking of players\\' off pitch activities.In his first game in charge, Barcelona defeated local rival Espanyol by a 1–0 scoreline at the Camp Nou in La Liga to win his first Catalan Derby as manager. On 4 December, Xavi suffered his first defeat as Barcelona manager after losing 1–0 to Real Betis at home in La Liga. In Xavi\\'s first Champions League campaign, he took charge with two group stage matches remaining. After drawing 0–0 with Benfica at the Camp Nou on 23 November and losing 3–0 to Bayern Munich on 8 December at the Allianz Arena, Barcelona finished third in the group stage which put them in the Europa League knockout round play-offs.On 12 January 2022, in his first Clásico in charge, Barcelona were beaten by Real Madrid 2–3 at the end of extra-time in the Supercopa de España semi-final. Barcelona suffered an early exit from the Copa del Rey after being beaten by Athletic Bilbao 3–2 at the end of extra-time in the round of 16. In the winter transfer window, Barcelona strengthened their attack with the signings of Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traoré on loan. After a difficult first few months for Xavi, Barcelona quickly turned around their form with the new signings playing a big role in the process. The team entered a 14-match unbeaten streak starting with a 0–1 victory over Alavés in La Liga, during this run they scored four goals in 6 out of 11 matches and also qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League. On 20 March, Xavi won his first Clásico as manager beating Real Madrid 0–4 in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabéu ending their five-match Clásico losing streak and extending their unbeaten run to 12 matches. On 14 April, Xavi and his men who were on the verge of a monumental comeback, were knocked out of the UEL quarter-finals by Eintracht Frankfurt, bringing their fifteen-game unbeaten run to an end. In La Liga, he led Barcelona to a second-placed finish from ninth position when he took charge.In the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League, Barcelona finished third in their group behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan to drop to the Europa League for the second consecutive season. On 15 January 2023, Barcelona won their first title under Xavi, following a 3–1 victory against Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España Final. On 14 May 2023, Barcelona clinched the 2022–23 La Liga title after defeating rivals Espanyol 4–2, with Xavi leading the club to its first league title since the 2018–19 season. On 22 September 2023, it was announced that he extended his contract at the club until 2025.A string of disappointing results across December and January, including 4–1 and 4–2 cup losses to Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao respectively, led to increased pressure and scrutiny on Xavi. Following a 3–5 home loss to Villarreal on 27 January, leaving the club 10 points behind league leaders Real Madrid, he announced that he would leave the club after the conclusion of the season.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nXavi is widely considered one of the best midfielders of all time, relying largely on his ability to find and exploit space as a deep-lying playmaker. As he said, \"That\\'s what I do: look for spaces. All day. I\\'m always looking.\" Finding space, he would appear for a teammate to receive and then move the ball on, with his coach Pep Guardiola putting it: \"I get the ball, I give the ball, I get the ball, I give the ball.\" A diminutive, composed, agile, and technically skilled player with a slender physique and a low centre of gravity, these characteristics compensated for his lack of pace or physicality. Xavi\\'s signature move when in possession involved him performing a 360 degree turn, a feint known as la pelopina, that allowed him to move away from the opposing player, retain possession, and gave him space and time on the ball to think about his next pass. In his youth, he had also played as a centre-back, before being shifted to a midfield role. While primarily a central midfielder with Barcelona, he often played in a more advanced midfield role with Spain.\\n \\nAlthough he was not known for his tackling ability, or for being prolific in front of goal, Xavi\\'s outstanding vision, \"metronomic\" pinpoint accurate passing, excellent off the ball movement, superb reading of the game, positional sense, and world-class ball control allowed him to create chances for teammates and dictate the flow of play in midfield, while rarely relinquishing possession. These qualities were displayed by his performance during Spain\\'s 2010 World Cup victory, where he maintained a 91% passing success rate throughout the entire tournament, in addition to providing two assists, while Spain dominated possession throughout the competition.Xavi\\'s ability to control games earned him the sobriquet, The Puppet Master. Jorge Valdano opined, \"If football was a science, Xavi would have discovered the formula. With a ball at his feet, no one else has ever communicated so intelligently with every player on the pitch.\" Barcelona president Sandro Rosell believed that Xavi, together with Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets, perfected the club\\'s tiki-taka style of play, a style introduced to the club by former coach Johan Cruyff. Despite primarily being a creative player, however, he was also capable of scoring goals himself in addition to assisting them. Named in the Ballon d\\'Or Dream Team, a greatest all-time XI, Xavi\\'s creativity, range of passing, and unique set of skills have led many in the sport to regard him as one of the greatest passers and one of the finest playmakers in history. In addition to his playing ability, Xavi was also praised for his leadership.\\n\\n\\n== Style of management ==\\nUpon transitioning into management, Xavi continues to hold coaching principles and style of play consistent with the Barcelona style popularized by Johan Cruyff and influenced by his playing career under Pep Guardiola.When describing his man-management philosophy, Xavi explained that \"The matter of managing a dressing room is almost more important than the tactical matter. At the end of the day we become half coaches, half psychologists. Being an elite footballer made more empathetic to the players who don\\'t play as much and I also know what the growth of a footballer feels like, and who needs a more loving approach. This gives me a sense of control over the dressing room.\" Xavi cites about his coaching influences in an interview revealing as follows: \"Having a lot of coaches in my career made me take a little bit from all of them: from Van Gaal, from Rijkaard, from Guardiola, from Luis Enrique, from Iñaki Sáez, from Luis Aragonés. I got my masters in man-management from Aragonés and my masters in tactics from Guardiola.\"\\n\\n\\n== Media ==\\nXavi has a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier Adidas and has appeared in Adidas commercials alongside Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Robin van Persie. Xavi has worn Adidas Predator boots.In November 2014, Xavi appeared in FIFA\\'s \"11 against Ebola\" campaign with a selection of top football players from around the world, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Gareth Bale and Didier Drogba. Under the slogan \"Together, we can beat Ebola\", FIFA\\'s campaign was done in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and health experts, with the players holding up 11 messages to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nSince July 2013, Xavi has been married to Núria Cunillera. They have a daughter, Asia, born in 2016 and a son, Dan, born in 2018.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\nScores and results list Spain\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Xavi goal.\\n\\n\\n== Managerial statistics ==\\nAs of match played 11 February 2024\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\n\\n\\n=== Player ===\\nBarcelona\\nLa Liga: 1998–99, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15\\nCopa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15\\nSupercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013\\nUEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011Al Sadd\\nQatar Stars League: 2018–19\\nQatar Cup: 2017\\nSheikh Jassim Cup: 2017\\nEmir of Qatar Cup: 2017Spain U20\\n\\nFIFA World Youth Championship: 1999Spain\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012Individual\\n\\nWorld Soccer Player of the Year: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 2008\\nUEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: 2008–09\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Playmaker: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011\\nLa Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 1999\\nLa Liga Spanish Player of the Year: 2005\\nLa Liga Midfielder of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011\\nLa Liga top assist provider: 2008–09, 2009–10\\nUEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2008–09\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012\\nAll-time UEFA European Under-21 Championship dream team: 2015\\nNew York City FC\\'s Ride of Fame: September 2015\\nFIFA FIFPro World11: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012\\nESM Team of the Year: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12\\nDon Balón Team of the Decade: 2010\\nFIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2011\\nFIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball: 2009\\nGlobe Soccer Awards Player Career Award: 2013\\nUEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (published 2015)\\nMarca Legend Award: 2015\\nAFC Champions League Fans\\' Best XI: 2018\\nAFC Champions League OPTA Best XI: 2018\\nBallon d\\'Or Dream Team: 2020\\nIFFHS All-time Men\\'s Dream Team: 2021\\nESPN Deportes Player of the Year: 2010\\nFourFourTwo - The 50 greatest Barcelona players of all time: 2022\\nFourFourTwo - The 100 best football players of all time: 2022\\nBallon d\\'Or: 3rd Place 2009, 3rd Place 2010, 3rd Place 2011\\n\\n\\n=== Manager ===\\nAl Sadd\\n\\nQatar Stars League: 2020–21\\nQatar Cup: 2020, 2021\\nSheikh Jassim Cup: 2019\\nEmir of Qatar Cup: 2020, 2021\\nQatari Stars Cup: 2019–20Barcelona\\n\\nLa Liga: 2022–23\\nSupercopa de España: 2022–23Individual\\n\\nQatar Stars League Best Coach Award: 2020–21\\nQatar Stars League Coach of the Month: August/September 2019, December/January 2020, September/October 2020, January 2021, February/March 2021, September 2021\\n\\n\\n=== Decorations ===\\nSpanish Sportsman of the Year: 2009\\nGold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2010\\nPrince of Asturias Award for Sports: 2010 , 2012 \\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with the most official appearances\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nXavi at the FC Barcelona website\\nXavi at the La Liga website\\nXavi at BDFutbol\\nNational team data at BDFutbol\\nXavi at National-Football-Teams.com\\nXavi – UEFA competition record (archive)\\nXavi – FIFA competition record (archived)\\n2010 FIFA World Cup profile (fifa.com) at the Wayback Machine (archived 1 March 2011)\\nANDRES INIESTAAndrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan]; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for UAE Pro League club Emirates. Widely considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, he was lauded for his balance, ball control and agility in close spaces, combined with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball. Iniesta has spent most of his career at Barcelona, where he played a major role in the club\\'s success along with his midfield partners Xavi and Sergio Busquets.\\nIniesta started his professional career through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early migration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regularly during the 2004–05 season and remained in the team until 2018. Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015, and his 35 trophies, which includes nine La Ligas and four UEFA Champions League titles, make him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time. After 22 years at Barcelona, Iniesta signed for J1 League club Vissel Kobe in 2018. After leaving the club in 2023, Iniesta signed for UAE Pro League club Emirates.\\nIniesta played for Spain at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels before making his international debut in 2006. He helped Spain win UEFA Euro 2008, playing every game and being selected in the Team of the Tournament. Iniesta was also a key member of the victorious Spanish team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, for which he was named the Man of the Match, and was selected to the tournament\\'s All-Star Team. His performances in 2010 for both club and country saw him being runner-up to Lionel Messi for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. At UEFA Euro 2012, Iniesta led Spain to their second consecutive continental crown, again being chosen as the Man of the Match of the final against Italy, and was named the Player of the Tournament.\\nIniesta has been named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI nine times and was chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year on six occasions. He was named in the All-time UEFA Euro XI. He won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2012 and was named the IFFHS World\\'s Best Playmaker in 2012 and 2013. Besides his runner-up position in 2010, he also achieved third place in the 2012 Ballon d\\'Or.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== FC Barcelona ===\\n\\n\\n==== Early career ====\\nIniesta comes from Fuentealbilla, a small village in the province of Albacete, Castile–La Mancha, where he mostly played futsal due to the lack of football pitches in the village. At the age of 12, while playing for Albacete Balompié in a junior seven-a-side tournament in Albacete, he attracted the attention of scouts from clubs around Spain. His parents knew Barcelona\\'s youth team coach, Enrique Orizaola, and he persuaded them to consider sending Iniesta to the Barcelona youth academy. Iniesta traveled there with his parents and visited La Masia, the farmhouse where the club houses its young players; the trip convinced them to enroll Iniesta in the Barcelona youth ranks.\\n\\nIniesta says he \"cried rivers\" the day he left for La Masia and struggled being separated from his parents; he was very shy and kept to himself while there. He captained the Barcelona Under-15 team to victory in the Nike Premier Cup of 1999, scoring the winning goal in the last minute of the final, and was named player of the tournament. Just after Iniesta arrived at the club, then-captain Pep Guardiola famously told fellow midfielder Xavi: \"You\\'re going to retire me. This lad [Iniesta] is going to retire us all.\"\\n\\n\\n==== 2004–2008 ====\\nIniesta joined the first team during the tenure of Radomir Antić. On 29 October 2002, he made his first team debut in a 1–0 away win against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League group stage. In the 2004–05 season, he featured in 37 out of 38 league games—more than any other player—although 25 of these were substitute appearances. He scored twice as Barcelona won La Liga. An injury to Xavi at the start of the 2005–06 season allowed Iniesta more regular starts in the centre of midfield, and he continued to improve and develop. He played in 11 UEFA Champions League games, including a half-time appearance in the 2006 final, to replace Edmílson. His contribution to the team was praised by manager Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona won a league and Champions League double.The 2006–07 season saw Iniesta\\'s profile continue to rise and he earned plaudits for his willingness to play in any position for his team. In the pre-season, he lifted the Joan Gamper Trophy as the captain of the team after a 4–0 victory over German side Bayern Munich. Iniesta played for the first time as a left wing-forward for Barça in two Champions League matches against Levski Sofia, finding the net twice. In the first knockout stage of the same competition, he played in central midfield against Liverpool. Despite being moved around the pitch by manager Rijkaard, the 2006–07 season remains Iniesta\\'s highest scoring thus far.\\nWith the departure of Ludovic Giuly ahead of the 2007–08 campaign, Iniesta was able to switch his number 24 shirt for his preferred number 8. Despite rumours of a possible transfer before the season, he extended his contract to 2014 on 25 January 2008, with his buy-out clause being raised to €150 million. Don Balón, a member of European Sports Magazines, named Iniesta one of the most consistent performers in the previous two seasons of La Liga; he placed fifth in 2006–07 and fourth in 2007–08. He also placed ninth in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year voting, gaining 37 total points.\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–09 ====\\nAt the start of the 2008–09 season, in September 2008, Iniesta was elected the fourth-choice captain behind, in order of preference, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Víctor Valdés; all four were products of the Barcelona youth system. His performances throughout the season were highly lauded, and he received standing ovations both in Barcelona at the Camp Nou, as well as from rival supporters in away matches. A leg injury sustained in mid-November 2008 left Iniesta sidelined until 3 January; initially expected to return to action in six weeks, he did not want to come back until he was 100 percent. Upon his return to action on 3 January, as a 65th-minute substitute against Mallorca, he scored a crucial goal after just ten minutes on the pitch and completed a Barcelona comeback in front of the Camp Nou. 3 days later, he captained Barcelona for the first time in an official match, a 3–1 victory against Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón in the round-of-16 first leg of the Copa del Rey.\\nIniesta sustained another injury during a home match against Málaga, but returned to action for the first leg Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich on 8 April, which Barcelona won 4–0. He scored a vital equaliser in the final minute of stoppage time during the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, with a curling strike with the outside of his right foot 25 yards from goal, securing the tie on away goals as the match finished 1–1 at Stamford Bridge. In the season review, Un Any Al Paradis, Iniesta wrote, \"I connected with that shot with the outside, not the inside or the tip of my boot, but right from my heart, with all my might.\"\\n\\nIniesta\\'s goal against Chelsea sent Barcelona through to the final in Rome against defending champions Manchester United. Prior to the final, United manager Alex Ferguson identified Iniesta as Barça\\'s biggest threat: \"He\\'s fantastic. He makes the team work. The way he finds passes, his movement and ability to create space is incredible. He\\'s so important for Barcelona.\" Despite a thigh injury, Iniesta played and was influential in the game, providing the assist for the first goal scored by Samuel Eto\\'o as his team went on to win 2–0. In his analysis, David Pleat wrote, \"In the end the midfield artistry of Iniesta and Xavi, helped by [Lionel] Messi, was the critical factor.\" After the game, United striker Wayne Rooney described Iniesta as the best player in the world.Iniesta received plaudits for his performances that season; Don Balón rated him as the league\\'s most consistent performer. Later that year, he placed fifth for the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award, with 134 votes, and fourth for the Ballon d\\'Or, receiving 149 points. Barcelona extended his contract by one year, until 2015, and raised his buy-out clause to €200 million.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–2012 ====\\nBarcelona won a second successive league title in the 2009–10 season, securing a record 99 points. Individually, however, Iniesta endured a campaign largely disrupted by recurring injuries. He missed pre-season fitness training due to the thigh tear suffered in the 2009 Champions League final. Despite featuring in almost as many matches as the previous season, he did so mostly as a substitute, starting only 20 games throughout. His season came to a premature end in April after he aggravated a previous calf injury during training.\\nA contributing factor of Iniesta\\'s fractured season were the episodes of psychological instability he suffered privately following the death of his close friend Daniel Jarque, a fellow footballer, in August 2009. Even when physically fit, he was often unable to complete training sessions or exert himself. After seeking psychological help, including from psychologist Inma Puig, he experienced catharsis when he scored Spain\\'s match-winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, which he dedicated to Jarque by revealing the message \"Dani Jarque, always with us\" written on his undershirt. \"I did it because I felt it deeply,\" Iniesta said at the time. \"It showed that what is more important than rivalry, your team or your colours is to be human and a good person. I am delighted because it was the most important moment in my career.\" Regarding the recurrent injuries that plagued his season, he said, \"It was hard, but I will start with more desire than ever.\"Iniesta scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season during the opening league fixture against Racing de Santander, lobbing the ball into the net from a distance of 30 yards. Throughout the campaign, he received standing ovations from opposition fans, including at El Sardinero and the Vicente Calderón Stadium, in appreciation of his World Cup-winning goal. Another standing ovation came on the home pitch of Espanyol in the Derbi barceloní, with the crowd acknowledging his friendship with Daniel Jarque, Espanyol\\'s captain at the time of his death. Iniesta was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or alongside Xavi and Messi, placing as runner-up behind the Argentine.Iniesta started the 2011–12 season by scoring the opening goal in the second leg of the Supercopa de España against rivals Real Madrid. Barcelona went on to win the match 3–2 and the cup 5–4 on aggregate. One of his best goals followed in October against Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League group stage after an interchange of passes with Messi. Iniesta played a record 51 matches unbeaten in La Liga, concluding with Barcelona\\'s 2–0 defeat of Mallorca on 24 March. In the Champions League, he ended a goal drought by scoring a vital goal against Milan in the quarter-finals. From there, he went on to score in the semi-final against Chelsea to make the scoreline 2–0, but the match ended 2–2, eliminating his team 3–2 on aggregate. Towards the end of the year, on 25 November, Iniesta was named man of the match after scoring one goal and providing three assists in a 4–0 win over Levante. His performances earned him third place in the voting of the 2012 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–2018 ====\\nIniesta signed a new contract with Barcelona in December 2013, keeping him at the club until 2018. As vice-captain, he regularly captained Barça throughout the club\\'s second treble-winning campaign of the 2014–15 season, and became captain after Carles Puyol\\'s retirement and Xavi\\'s departure. Iniesta scored three times during the team\\'s Copa del Rey campaign, and was man of the match in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, having assisted Ivan Rakitić\\'s opening goal in the 3–1 defeat of Italian champions Juventus at Berlin\\'s Olympiastadion. Their European victory made Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup twice; Iniesta was among the seven players to have been a part of both treble-winning teams.During the first Clásico of the 2015–16 season, on 21 November, Iniesta became only the third Barcelona player, after Diego Maradona in 1983 and Ronaldinho in 2005, to receive applause from Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu. His man-of-the-match performance included a goal and an assist, contributing to a resounding 4–0 victory.He signed a lifetime contract with Barcelona on 6 October 2017, effectively keeping him with the club for the remainder of his career. He played the 650th game of his career for Barcelona against Levante on 7 January 2018, he was replaced by André Gomes after 76 minutes as the game ended 3–0 in favour of Barcelona.Despite signing a lifetime contract, on 27 April 2018, Iniesta announced he would be leaving Barcelona by the end of the season. He made his 674th and final appearance for Barcelona on 20 May, in the final league match of the season, a 1–0 home victory over Real Sociedad, as Barcelona celebrated the victory of their 25th league and 30th Copa del Rey title; he came off in the 81st minute for Paco Alcácer.\\n\\n\\n=== Vissel Kobe ===\\nOn 24 May 2018, Japanese club Vissel Kobe announced the signing of Iniesta on a three-year deal. He made his debut on 22 July, coming on as a second-half substitute for Kazuma Watanabe in a 0–3 defeat against Shonan Bellmare. On 11 August 2018, Iniesta scored his first goal in the J1 League in a 2–1 win over Jubilo Iwata.On 21 December 2019, he scored the opening goal in a 3–1 win over Shimizu S-Pulse in the semi-final of the 2019 Emperor\\'s Cup. On 1 January 2020, he won his first trophy in Japan, starting in Vissel Kobe\\'s 2–0 victory over Kashima Antlers in the final of the 2019 Emperor\\'s Cup. A month later, he also won the 2020 Japanese Super Cup. On 7 December 2020, Iniesta suffered a tear of the rectus femoris muscle during a 2–0 win in the round of 16 of the 2020 AFC Champions League against Shanghai SIPG, in which he also scored the first goal of the game. He had a successful surgery in Barcelona a few days later.On 11 May 2021, Iniesta signed a contract extension with Vissel Kobe, keeping him at the club for another two seasons. On 11 November 2021, he was named J.League Monthly MVP after scoring three league goals in October. He was named in the 2021 J.League Best XI on 6 December 2021.On 14 May 2022, Iniesta scored a goal and guided Vissel Kobe to its first league win of the 2022 season in a 4–0 victory over Sagan Tosu.On 25 May 2023, Vissel Kobe said Iniesta would leave the club midway through the current J.League season, on 1 July. Iniesta had played significantly less for the club in his final season. He stated he did not want to retire as yet, and wished to play for a club where he could get regular playing time.\\n\\n\\n=== Emirates ===\\nOn 7 August 2023, Iniesta arrived in the United Arab Emirates to join the UAE Pro League club Emirates. He signed a one-year contract with an option to extend until 2025. He made his debut on 19 August 2023 against Al Wasl where he replaced Al Sanousi Al Hadi in the second half, the match ended as a 0–1 defeat as the Emirates failed to create a single shot on target. On 25 August 2023, he would score his first UAE Pro League goal in injury time against Ajman in a match that ended as a 4–4 draw.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== 2001–2008 ===\\nIniesta burst on to the international scene in 2001, helping Spain win the UEFA European Under-16 Championship. After representing his country at the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Trinidad and Tobago, he was in the squad that claimed the UEFA European Under-19 Championship the following year. From then, he became a regular choice for youth coach Juan Santisteban. In 2003, he was part of the side that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship final in the United Arab Emirates, and was named in the FIFA all-star team. During his spell with the Spain U21 side, Iniesta was named captain on several occasions.\\nIniesta was called up to represent the senior Spain squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup on 15 May 2006, much to the surprise of many. He won his first cap for La Furia Roja when he was brought on at half-time in a friendly against Russia on 27 May. His first goal followed in a friendly against England on 7 February 2007. His long-range effort, hitting the underside of the crossbar on the way in, gave Spain the lead on 63 minutes. Iniesta played a pivotal part in Spain\\'s qualification for UEFA Euro 2008 by scoring goals against Sweden and by assisting the strikers.\\n\\n\\n=== 2008–2012 ===\\nIniesta was selected in Spain\\'s squad for UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Though a stomach ailment somewhat hampered his performances in the group stages, he still played an integral part in the midfield. He played in the first two of Spain\\'s group stage matches and proved an important part of the team, providing a pass for David Villa\\'s second goal against Russia. He was not rested, unlike most of Spain\\'s regulars, for the final group game against Greece, which Spain won 2–1 thanks to a volley from Rubén de la Red and a late winner from Daniel Güiza. Iniesta returned for the quarter-final as Spain beat Italy on penalties; he was substituted before the penalty shootout itself. In the semi-final against Russia, he played the entire 90 minutes and produced a cross that Xavi converted to open the scoring in an eventual 3–0 victory; he was subsequently named the Man of the Match. He played the duration of the final in Spain\\'s 1–0 win over Germany. Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside fellow Spain midfielders Xavi, Marcos Senna and six other teammates. Iniesta did not participate in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa due to a thigh muscle injury; Spain was eliminated from the tournament at the semi-final stage.Iniesta was selected for Spain in the 2010 World Cup and scored the second goal in a 2–1 group stage win against Chile. He was also named man of the match. For his excellent performances in helping Spain reach the final of the tournament, Iniesta was shortlisted for the Golden Ball award. During the final, he scored the winning goal in the 116th minute of a 1–0 win against Netherlands. He earned a yellow card for removing his jersey during his ecstatic goal celebration to reveal his message to his late friend Dani Jarque. He won the man of the match award for his performance in the final, which gave Spain its first-ever World Cup.At UEFA Euro 2012, Iniesta was awarded the man of the match award for his performances in three different matches. He was also selected as man of the match in the final against Italy, which Spain won 4–0. In winning the award, Iniesta became the only Spanish player to win the award at least once in each of Spain\\'s three consecutive successful tournaments. Iniesta was also chosen as the UEFA Euro 2012 Player of the Tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2013–2018 ===\\nAt the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament and awarded the Silver Ball for the second best player in the competition, as Spain finished runner-up to host nation Brazil. Iniesta started all three matches for Spain at the 2014 World Cup, winning his 100th cap in the team\\'s final group match against Australia. At the UEFA Euro 2016, he assisted the only goal of the match against Czech Republic and put in a man of the match display to give Spain a winning start in the tournament. He started in all four Spain\\'s matches and were later knocked out by Italy in the Round of 16.\\nIn May 2018, Iniesta was named in Spain\\'s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He started in all three matches of the group stage, making an assist for Isco in the 2–2 draw against Morocco on 25 June 2018. He came off the bench in the 67th minute in Spain\\'s last match at the tournament against Russia on 1 July 2018 for the round of 16. After the loss in the penalty shoot-outs, Iniesta announced his retirement from international duty. He amassed 131 senior international caps for Spain and at the time of retiring was the nation\\'s fourth-most-capped player of all time, behind only Iker Casillas, Xavi, and Sergio Ramos.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play and reception ==\\nLike fellow La Masia graduate Cesc Fàbregas, Iniesta originally started as a defensive midfielder, but his balance, ball control and agility in close spaces, allied with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball, saw him make progress as an attacking midfielder. Beyond his raw talent that was spotted at a young age by Barcelona\\'s scouts, it was his great versatility, work ethic and inventiveness that allowed him to stake a claim on a first-team place at the age of 18. Vicente del Bosque described him as \"A complete footballer. He can attack and defend, he creates and scores,\" and Frank Rijkaard said, \"I played him as a false winger, central midfielder, deep midfielder and just behind the striker and he was always excellent.\" He was used initially as a wide-forward in the absence of Juan Román Riquelme and Ronaldinho by Louis van Gaal and Rijkaard respectively, but made his name as a world-class player in central midfield alongside or in lieu of Xavi, at both club and international level. As FIFA.com says, \"It is in this position that his direct style and quick feet can be used to full effect, with the ball seeming glued to his toes as he races into threatening positions.\" A diminutive midfielder, Iniesta is a player known for his passing, technique, vision and movement; he is also highly regarded for his ability to read the game, as well as his acceleration, and close control at speed, which — when combined with his low centre of gravity — has rendered him one of the most skilled dribblers of all time, by allowing him to change direction quickly, get past opponents, and undertake individual runs with the ball, despite not being particularly quick. Moreover, his former manager Guardiola has praised him for \"his mastery of the relationship between space and time,\" which he utilises to his advantage in order to disorient opposing players when in possession. His signature move is La Croqueta – a move pioneered by Michael Laudrup and popularised by Iniesta – where he quickly pushes the ball from his right foot to his left which takes the ball away from an opponent, allowing him to get out of a tight situation. His role has also been likened to that of a mezzala, in Italian football jargon, namely an offensive–minded box–to-box or central midfielder.\\n\\nMuch like other Barcelona youth products such as Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Iván de la Peña, Iniesta is a playmaker who relies on his technique, passing, intuition, movement and inventiveness to control the midfield, dictate the ebb and flow of play, and create chances or space for teammates. Iniesta has been praised for his understanding and interplay with Xavi; former Barcelona teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst said of the pair, \"They have a special relationship, they always have, they just seem to know where the other one is.\" Despite not being particularly prolific in front of goal, during his maturation as a player, he has gained a reputation of a big-game player for club and country, assisting a goal in each of the 2009, 2011 and 2015 UEFA Champions League finals, as well as scoring the winner in the 2010 World Cup Final, not to sideline his vital contributions in the 2006 Champions League Final, the 2008 Euro Final and the 2012 Euro Final, being known for his ability to score from powerful strikes outside the box. He is also the only footballer in history to win the Man of the Match award in a World Cup Final, a Euro Final, and a Champions League Final.His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch has earned him the sobriquet El Ilusionista (The Illusionist), El Cerebro (The Brain), El Anti-Galáctico (a pun on Real Madrid players\\' nickname Los Galácticos), El Caballero Pálido (The Pale Knight) and most recently Don Andrés from the Spanish press. Zinedine Zidane also praised Iniesta, stating on the Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, \"Iniesta really impresses me. He\\'s got so much influence in Spain\\'s game. He reminds me of myself.\" He is widely regarded by many in the sport as one of the most respected and best midfielders of all time, and as one of the greatest passers and playmakers in world football history. Despite his reserved personality, he was also known for his leadership.\\n\\n\\n== Media and sponsorship ==\\nIniesta had a sponsorship deal with sportswear company Nike, and has appeared in Nike commercials alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Wayne Rooney. Iniesta features in EA Sports\\' FIFA video game series, and was the sixth-highest rated player in FIFA 15. Iniesta\\'s signature move, La Croqueta, features in FIFA 19. In March 2015, Iniesta had the ninth highest social media rank in the world among sportspeople, with 24 million Facebook fans. On 22 October 2018, Iniesta signed a new sponsorship deal with Japanese sportswear company Asics, with his first signature boot being released on 15 July 2019.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nIniesta is married to Anna Ortiz; the couple began dating in 2008 and got married on 8 July 2012. They have two daughters, born in 2011 and 2017, and two sons, born 2015 and 2019. They lost an unborn child, a son, due to miscarriage in March 2014. In February 2023, they welcomed their fifth child, a girl. Iniesta is a Catholic.In 2011, Iniesta invested €420,000 in his boyhood club, Albacete, thus becoming its major shareholder. Two years later, with the club facing administrative relegation to the fourth tier of Spanish football, he loaned them a further €240,000 to cover unpaid wages.In May 2018, Iniesta revealed to Risto Mejide that he suffered from depression before the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to his injuries and the death of Daniel Jarque. \\nIn September 2018, Iniesta alongside German footballer Lukas Podolski campaigned and donated money for the victims of the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake in Japan.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 1 December 2023\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\nScores and results list Spain\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Iniesta goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nBarcelona\\nLa Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18\\nCopa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18\\nSupercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2016\\nUEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2011, 2015\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015Vissel Kobe\\nEmperor\\'s Cup: 2019\\nJapanese Super Cup: 2020\\nJ1 League: 2023Spain U16\\nUEFA European Under-16 Championship: 2001Spain U19\\nUEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2002SpainFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012Individual\\n\\nUEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012\\nLa Liga Best Spanish Player: 2009\\nLa Liga Best Midfielder: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014\\nFIFA FIFPro World11: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016\\nOnze de Bronze: 2009\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010\\nESM Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2017–18\\nOnze d\\'Argent: 2011\\nMarca Legend Award: 2011\\nUEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 2012\\nUEFA Euro Player of the Tournament: 2012\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Playmaker: 2012, 2013\\nIFFHS World Team of the Decade 2011–2020\\nIFFHS UEFA Team of the decade 2011–2020\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Silver Ball: 2013\\nLa Liga top assist provider: 2012–13\\nGolden Foot: 2014\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16\\nUEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (published 2015)\\nFIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball: 2015\\nFrance Football World XI: 2015\\nLa Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16\\nUEFA Euro All-time XI (published 2016)\\nJ.League Best XI: 2019, 2021\\nBallon d\\'Or Dream Team (Bronze): 2020Decorations\\n\\nPrince of Asturias Awards: 2010\\nGold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011\\nQueen Sofia Award: 2017\\nGrand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit: 2018\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with the most official appearances\\nList of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards\\nList of FC Barcelona players (150+ appearances)\\nList of La Liga players (400+ appearances)\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nFC Barcelona official profile\\nAndrés Iniesta at BDFutbol \\nNational team data at BDFutbol\\nAndrés Iniesta at Soccerway \\nAndrés Iniesta at National-Football-Teams.com \\nAndrés Iniesta – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nAndrés Iniesta – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nAndrés Iniesta at J.League (archive) (in Japanese) \\nBlinkfire Analytics stats\\nZLATAN IBRAHIMOVICZlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish: [ˈslǎːtan ɪbraˈhǐːmʊvɪtɕ] , Bosnian: [zlǎtan ibraxǐːmoʋitɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a striker. Ibrahimović is renowned for his acrobatic strikes and volleys, technique and ball control, as well as his physical dominance. He is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time and is one of the most decorated footballers in the world, having won 34 trophies in his career. He has scored over 570 career goals, including more than 500 club goals, and has scored in each of the last four decades.\\nIbrahimović began his career at Malmö FF in 1999, and signed for Ajax two years later, where he gained a reputation as one of the most promising forwards in Europe. He departed two years later to sign for Juventus before joining domestic rivals Inter Milan in 2006. At Inter Milan, he won three consecutive Serie A titles and his popularity experienced a significant increase. In the summer of 2009, he moved to Barcelona in one of the world\\'s most expensive transfers. After just one season, he returned to Italy having signed for Inter\\'s rival Milan. With them, he won the Serie A title in his debut season. In 2012, Ibrahimović joined Paris Saint-Germain, leading them to their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years and soon establishing himself as a leading figure in their dominance of French football. During his four-season stay in France, he won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles, was the top scorer in Ligue 1 for three seasons and became PSG\\'s all-time leading goalscorer at the time. In 2016, he joined Manchester United on a free transfer and won his first European honour in his debut season. Ibrahimović joined American club LA Galaxy in 2018 and rejoined Milan in 2020, winning his fifth Serie A title in 2022.\\nIbrahimović is one of eleven players to have made 100 or more appearances for the Swedish national team, over a 20-year international career. He is the country\\'s all-time leading goalscorer with 62 goals. He represented Sweden at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 UEFA European Championships. He has been awarded Guldbollen (the Golden Ball), given to the Swedish player of the year, a record 12 times, including 10 consecutive times from 2007 to 2016. Ibrahimović\\'s 35-yard bicycle kick goal for Sweden against England won the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award, and is often considered one of the best goals of all time. He has scored other memorable goals, most notably in the European Championships.Ibrahimović was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2013 and the UEFA Team of the Year in 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014. He finished at a peak of fourth for the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or in 2013. In 2015, UEFA included him as one of the best players that have not won the UEFA Champions League, while in 2019, FourFourTwo magazine named him the third-greatest player never to win the competition. In December 2014, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter ranked him the second-greatest Swedish sportsperson ever, after tennis player Björn Borg. Off the field, Ibrahimović is known for his brash persona and outspoken comments, in addition to referring to himself in the third person.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\n\\nIbrahimović was born in Malmö, Sweden, on 3 October 1981. He was born to a Muslim Bosniak father, Šefik Ibrahimović, who emigrated to Sweden in 1977, and a Catholic Croat mother, Jurka Gravić, who also emigrated to Sweden where the couple first met. Ibrahimović identifies with his mother\\'s faith and considers himself a devout Catholic Christian. He began playing football at the age of six, after receiving a pair of football boots. He alternated between FBK Balkan, a Malmö club founded by Yugoslav immigrants, Malmö BI and briefly BK Flagg football clubs.As a child, his mother sometimes hit him on the head with a wooden spoon, which would often break. After she was arrested for handling stolen goods, social services intervened. Concerned with his divorced mother\\'s ability to cope with five children, one of whom, Ibrahimović\\'s half-sister, had a drug problem, at age nine he was sent to live with his father. With food scarce at his father\\'s home where the fridge was packed with beer, Ibrahimović often went hungry so he would run to his mother\\'s for dinner. He also shoplifted and stole bikes. On the tough upbringing that shaped his character, author David Lagercrantz, who co-wrote I Am Zlatan, states:\\n\\nComplex is the best word to describe Zlatan. On the one hand he\\'s a strong, warrior type who knew he had to be very tough to survive. So he takes on fights all the time because he\\'s always had to. But another part of him is vulnerable. He\\'s a guy wounded by his upbringing, who uses all that to create strength for himself. In his position, 99 guys out of 100 would have gone under, but he used his anger to make himself better. He told me, ‘David, I need to be angry to play well’. When he played with middle-class kids he felt inferior because he wore the wrong clothes and had no money, so he said to himself ‘One day I\\'ll show them!’ That became his motivation.\\nWhile in his early teens, Ibrahimović was a regular for his hometown club Malmö FF. At the age of 15, he was close to quitting his football career, in favour of working at the docks in Malmö, but his manager convinced him to continue playing. As a boy, his hero was Brazilian forward Ronaldo. An avid viewer of Italian football, another player he admired was prolific striker Gabriel Batistuta – a player with similar characteristics to himself.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Malmö FF ===\\n\\nIbrahimović signed his first contract with Malmö in 1996, and moved up to the senior side for the 1999 season of Allsvenskan, Sweden\\'s top-flight league. That season, Malmö finished 13th in the league and were relegated to the second division, but returned to the top flight the next season. Arsène Wenger unsuccessfully tried to persuade Ibrahimović to join Arsenal, while Leo Beenhakker (the technical director of Ajax) also expressed interest in the player after watching him in a friendly against Norwegian side Moss FK. On 22 March 2001, a deal between Ajax and Malmö regarding Ibrahimović\\'s transfer to Amsterdam was announced, and in July, Ibrahimović officially joined Ajax for 80 million Swedish kronor (€8.7 million).\\n\\n\\n=== Ajax ===\\nIbrahimović received little playing time under manager Co Adriaanse, but when Adriaanse was sacked on 29 November 2001, new coach Ronald Koeman inserted Ibrahimović into the starting lineup as Ajax won the 2001–02 Eredivisie title. The next season, Ibrahimović scored twice in a 2–1 victory over French champions Lyon in his Champions League debut on 17 September 2002. He scored five Champions League goals overall as Ajax fell to Milan in the quarter-finals.Ibrahimović\\'s profile rose when he scored an individual goal against NAC Breda on 22 August 2004 – a slaloming run past five opposition players which the commentator compared with Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane – that was eventually voted the Goal of the Year by Eurosport viewers. On 18 August 2004, during an international match against the Netherlands, Ibrahimović injured Ajax teammate Rafael van der Vaart, who later accused Ibrahimović of hurting him intentionally.\\n\\n\\n=== Juventus ===\\nIbrahimović moved from Ajax to Juventus for €16 million. He was promptly inserted into the starting eleven due in part to top scorer David Trezeguet\\'s injury problems, and scored 16 goals. The club finished top of the Serie A, and in the Champions League they reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by eventual champions Liverpool. Near the end of the season, Juventus reportedly rejected a €70 million bid for him from Real Madrid, which was later revealed to be a publicity stunt initiated by Ibrahimović\\'s agent, Mino Raiola, in order to increase his market value. At the end of his first season in Italy Ibrahimović was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year, and in November 2005, he was awarded the Guldbollen, a prize awarded to the best Swedish footballer of the year.The following season was poor compared to his first season; his role in Juventus\\' attack changed, as he became less of a goalscorer and moved more to the sidelines, taking much part in the build-up play, especially as a target player, and his assist numbers increased. In the 2005–06 season, Juventus fans often got frustrated with him due to his anonymous presence in certain important games such as the Champions League defeat to Arsenal. Juventus were stripped of their last two Scudetti as part of the verdict from the Calciopoli scandal, and were relegated to Serie B. The new staff tried to persuade Ibrahimović and other top players to stay with Juventus, but the player and his agent were adamant to move on, with Raiola threatening legal action in order to extricate Ibrahimović from his contract.\\n\\n\\n=== Inter Milan ===\\nOn 10 August 2006, Ibrahimović completed a €24.8 million move to Inter Milan, signing a four-year-deal. Ibrahimović said that he had supported Inter when he was young.Ibrahimović made his debut for Inter on 26 August 2006 against Roma in the 2006 Supercoppa Italiana, playing the full 90 minutes as Inter won after extra time. He scored in his Serie A debut against Fiorentina on 9 September as Inter commenced the league with a 3–2 win at Stadio Artemio Franchi. Three days later, in his first Champions League appearance for Inter, Ibrahimović was not able to avoid the 1–0 away defeat to Sporting CP as Inter began their European campaign in the wrong way. Later, on 28 October, in his first \"Derby della Madonnina\" match against cross-town rivals Milan, Ibrahimović scored the third Inter goal of the match and also his third league goal of the season in a 4–3 thriller win. In his first season at the club, Ibrahimović top scored for Inter in Serie A with 15 goals, as the team won the Scudetto with a record 97 points.Ibrahimović played his 100th Serie A match on 16 September 2007 at the San Siro against Catania, where he appeared as a second-half substitute for Hernán Crespo in an eventual 2–0 win. In 2007, he signed a new contract until June 2013; it was reported that this contract had made him the world\\'s highest paid footballer. On 18 May 2008, Ibrahimović scored both goals in a 2–0 defeat of Parma on the final day of the 2007–08 Serie A season to give Inter a second consecutive Scudetto. Overall, he scored 17 goals in 26 league matches, and was named both Serie A Footballer of the Year and Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year.\\nIbrahimović started his third Inter season by winning the Supercoppa Italiana against Roma. After the regular and extra time had finished in a draw, the match went to a penalty shootout where he successfully converted his penalty attempt. He scored his team\\'s only goal in the 2008–09 Serie A opening match against Sampdoria, which finished in a 1–1 draw. On 4 October, during the match against Bologna at home which Inter won 2–1, Ibrahimović scored a sensational goal, stunning Francesco Antonioli with an irresistible backheeled shot from Adriano\\'s left-wing cross. The goal was later voted Goal of the Year in Serie A. On 19 October 2008, Ibrahimović continued with his solid performances by scoring twice in an impressive 4–0 win at Roma, taking his tally up to five league goals. He then scored another double in the Matchday 12 win against Palermo to help Inter take the lead in the Serie A table by one point. In the next fixture, Ibrahimović provided the assist on the only goal in the Derby d\\'Italia match against Juventus at home, helping Inter to extend their league lead.Ibrahimović ended the 2008–09 Serie A season as the league\\'s top goalscorer with 25 goals, helping Inter to another league title. He was also named both Footballer of the Year and Foreign Footballer of the Year for the second consecutive season.\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10: La Liga title and relationship with Pep Guardiola ====\\n\\nAfter Inter teammate Maxwell completed his transfer to Barcelona, Barça president Joan Laporta confirmed that there was an agreement in principle between Barcelona and Inter for Ibrahimović to join the club in exchange for striker Samuel Eto\\'o, plus a reported fee of £40 million. Ibrahimović left Inter during their United States summer tour in the World Football Challenge on 23 July 2009 for negotiations with Barcelona, with his last match for Inter being against Chelsea. After Inter agreed terms with Eto\\'o and Barcelona with Ibrahimović, Barcelona announced Ibrahimović would arrive on 26 July 2009 and undergo a medical test on 27 July 2009.\\nIbrahimović passed his medical and was presented to a crowd of over 60,000 at Camp Nou. He signed a five-year contract, for €46 million and the exchange of Eto\\'o (valued at €20 million) and loan of Alexander Hleb (with an option to purchase for a €10 million fee), with a €250 million release clause, making Ibrahimović worth €66 million. The Hleb deal, however, collapsed. Eventually, Ibrahimović cost Barcelona €69.884 million, which included other fees.:\\u200a173\\u200a As per the Inter book, the fee was €69.5 million, but part of the Inter fee (max 5% according to FIFA regulation) were deducted and distributed by Barcelona to youth and young professional clubs of Ibrahimović: Malmö FF and AFC Ajax as solidarity contribution.\\nIbrahimović started the 2009–10 season with his competitive debut for Barcelona on 23 August 2009 by assisting a Lionel Messi goal, leading them to the Supercopa de España, beating Athletic Bilbao 5–1 on aggregate. In his next competitive match, Barcelona won the 2009 UEFA Super Cup with a 1–0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. In his third appearance, he scored his first goal in Barcelona\\'s La Liga season opener against Sporting Gijón in a 3–0 win. Ibrahimović scored in his next four games, thus setting a team record as the only player ever to score in his first five league matches.On 20 October, he scored his first Champions League goal for Barcelona in a group stage match against Rubin Kazan. Five days later, he scored twice in a 6–1 thrashing of Real Zaragoza, giving him a league-leading seven goals in seven league matches while sending Barcelona to the top of the table. On 7 November, however, he suffered a thigh injury that kept him out for three weeks. He returned to action in week 12 of the season against Real Madrid as a second-half substitute for Thierry Henry, and scored his eighth goal of the campaign. He finished with 11 goals and 4 assists in Barcelona\\'s first 15 league matches. Barcelona capped off 2009 by winning the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes on 19 December 2009.\\nIbrahimović scored Barcelona\\'s only goal in the 2009–10 Copa del Rey first leg match of the round of 16 in a 2–1 loss to Sevilla on 5 January 2010. On 20 January, he was selected in the 2009 UEFA Team of the Year. His first goal of 2010 came on 14 February against Atlético Madrid. In his next appearance, Ibrahimović scored against Stuttgart in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout stage fixture. He was sent off on 6 March in a league match against Almería, which Barcelona appealed to no avail, and he was suspended for one game. A calf strain during warmups before the next La Liga match following his return from suspension against Athletic Bilbao ruled Ibrahimović out of the second leg 4–1 victory over Arsenal, in which he scored two goals away from home, the return leg of El Clásico against Madrid (which Barcelona won 2–0), and the next league match against Deportivo de La Coruña. He made his return as a substitute in the 82nd minute in a 0–0 away draw against Espanyol on 17 April.\\n\\nFollowing Barcelona\\'s semi-final defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League, Ibrahimović spoke of how he confronted his coach Pep Guardiola in the changing room. \"I yelled: \\'You haven\\'t got any balls!\\' and worse than that I added: \\'You can go to hell!\\' I completely lost it, and you might have expected Guardiola to say a few words in response, but he\\'s a spineless coward. He just [...] left, never to mention it again, not a word.\" He scored his final goal for Barcelona in the 2010 Supercopa de España on 14 August in a 3–1 defeat against Sevilla, and on 25 August, he played his last match for the club against Milan for the Joan Gamper Trophy, after which he claimed to the media that his relationship with Guardiola had started deteriorating and that Guardiola had not spoken to him since February. In his autobiography I Am Zlatan, he states, \"\\'It started well but then Messi started to talk. He wanted to play in the middle, not on the wing, so the system changed from 4–3–3 to 4–5–1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed.\"\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11: Loan to Milan ====\\nOn 28 August 2010, AC Milan announced via their official website that they had signed Ibrahimović for the 2010–11 season. He was loaned out to Milan for the season, with the club having the option to purchase him outright for €24 million at the end of the season. He signed a four-year deal immediately after successfully passing the medical examinations. Upon signing, Ibrahimović said, \"This move gives me more adrenaline. I have moved here to win the Champions League with Milan. I want to win the double.\"\\nIbrahimović made his Milan debut in a 2–0 loss to Cesena on 11 September, in which he missed a penalty late in the match, and scored his first goals for the club when Milan defeated Auxerre in their first Champions League match of the season on 15 September. On 14 November, Ibrahimović scored in a 1–0 victory against his former club Inter in the Derby della Madonnina. On 20 November, he scored his seventh goal against Fiorentina in the 45th minute with an over-the-head bicycle kick, passing Alexandre Pato as the team\\'s top goalscorer for the season. On 4 December 2010, in a game against Brescia, he assisted Kevin-Prince Boateng to give Milan an early lead and then scored the third goal by a powerful shot near the edge of the penalty box to give Milan a 3–0 win. On 12 December 2010, history repeated itself in the game against Bologna after he assisted Boateng to give Milan an early lead once again and scoring later that match to make it 3–0, leading him to 13 goals with 8 assists in 21 matches in all competitions. Within days of the match, he was compared to Milan legend Marco van Basten by both the media and Van Basten himself.Ibrahimović received a three-match ban after being shown a red card in a 1–1 home draw against Bari in March 2011 for punching Bari defender Marco Rossi in the stomach. An additional three-match ban was given to Ibrahimović in February 2012 in a 2–1 home defeat against Fiorentina for swearing at an assistant referee. Ibrahimović stated in his defence that he was talking to himself in frustration. He won his first Scudetto with Milan after a draw against Roma. All agreements between Milan and Barcelona were confirmed on 18 June 2011.\\n\\n\\n=== AC Milan ===\\nIbrahimović started the new season on 6 August in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana against city rivals Inter, where he scored the first goal of a 2–1 comeback victory to clinch the first trophy of the season. In the opening league match of the 2011–12 season, Ibrahimović scored Milan\\'s first goal of a 2–2 home draw against Lazio. He scored his first Champions League goal of the season on 28 September in a 2–0 home win against Viktoria Plzeň, which was followed by another one on 19 October against BATE Borisov in another 2–0 home win. He continued with his solid performances as he scored in a 4–1 home win against Parma and a brace in the team\\'s 3–2 away victory over Roma, ending a successful month of October.November saw him score in consecutive games against BATE, in the Champions League, and Catania, in the league. Later in the month against Barcelona in another Champions League tie, Ibrahimović scored against his old club to equalise the game at 1–1. Barça eventually pulled away however with Xavi scoring the winning goal to make it 3–2 at the San Siro. He ended November with a brace against Chievo, the first of those tallies brought his Serie A career total to 100 goals. In December, Ibrahimović scored a goal in each of five Serie A games. As 2012 started, he scored against Atalanta converting a penalty kick. He was the top goalscorer of Serie A, with 14 goals in 16 appearances following a brace against Novara, of which the second goal came from a backheel. On 5 February 2012 in a match against Napoli, he was shown a red card for slapping Salvatore Aronica in an off-the-ball incident, and was given yet another three-match ban from Serie A games.On 15 February, in the first leg of the Champions League\\'s round of 16, Ibrahimović set up both of Robinho\\'s goals and also scored by a spot kick, thus helping Milan win 4–0 over Arsenal. On 3 March, during the 4–0 away win against Palermo, Ibrahimović took the lead of the goalscorers table as he scored a first-half hat-trick to take his tally up to 17 goals. He finished the season as Serie A top scorer with 28 goals in 32 matches.\\n\\n\\n=== Paris Saint-Germain ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13: First Ligue 1 title in 19 years ====\\nOn 17 July 2012, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed that they had reached an agreement to acquire the sporting and economic rights of Ibrahimović from Milan, having already agreed personal terms with the striker, for a transfer fee of €20 million. Valued at €180 million, these combined fees eclipsed those commanded by Nicolas Anelka. His three-year contract would see him receive a net annual salary of €14 million including bonuses (which would be €2 million more than what he was earning per year just before he left Milan), and make him the second best paid footballer in the world behind Samuel Eto\\'o.\\nThe following day, Ibrahimović signed the contract and made the following statement during the press conference: \"It is a big step in my career and another dream come true. I am very happy because it is a project that I want to be involved in. I want to be part of the history of the club. I am here to win and nothing else.\" Ibrahimović scored twice in the second half for PSG to help them rally from 2–0 down at half-time to salvage a 2–2 home draw with Lorient in their opening 2012–13 Ligue 1 match. He scored two goals in the first half to help PSG to a 2–1 win over Lille which was PSG\\'s first Ligue 1 win after three successive draws in the first three league matches of the 2012–13 season.\\n\\nIn the opening 2012–13 Champions League Group A match against Dynamo Kyiv on 18 September 2012, Ibrahimović scored his sixth goal in only his fifth appearance for Carlo Ancelotti\\'s side through a penalty. He thus became the first man to score for six clubs in the UEFA Champions League. On 8 October, Ibrahimović became only the third player (after Ronaldinho and Laurent Blanc) to have played in El Clásico in Spain, the Derby della Madonnina in Italy and Le Classique, the derby between Marseille and PSG. He scored both of PSG\\'s goals (the first goal was from a backheel and the second was from a free kick) in the Ligue 1 Classique derby at the Stade Vélodrome on that day, with the match finishing 2–2. On 11 December 2012, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win against Valenciennes.In January 2013, Ibrahimović was handed the number 10 jersey after the departure of Brazilian winger Nenê. In April 2013, Ibrahimović scored in a 2–2 draw against his former club Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. PSG, however, were knocked out on away goals after drawing 1–1 at Camp Nou in the second leg. He ended the season as the assists leader in the 2012–13 Champions League, providing seven assists. On 12 May 2013, Paris Saint-Germain won the Ligue 1 title after a 1–0 away win against Lyon, their third title and first since 1994. He ended the year as Ligue 1\\'s top goalscorer with 30 goals, becoming the first player to reach that mark in the French top flight since Jean-Pierre Papin in the 1989–90 season. On 20 May, he was named as Ligue 1\\'s Player of the Year by the Union nationale des footballeurs professionnels (UNFP).\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: Back-to-back league top goalscorer and second Ligue 1 title ====\\nIbrahimović netted his first goal of the season on 31 August 2013, scoring deep into stoppage time as PSG recorded a 2–0 victory over Guingamp. On 24 September, it was announced that Ibrahimović had extended his contract with PSG, which would see him stay at the club until 2016. A week later on 2 October, the Swede scored twice as PSG ran out 3–0 winners over Benfica in a Champions League group match. On 19 October, he scored two goals in PSG\\'s 4–0 win over Bastia, one an audacious volleyed back heel as he reached behind the defender to fire the ball into the net. The goal was later named as Ligue 1\\'s Goal of the Season, as chosen by the public. Four days later, Ibrahimović scored four goals in PSG\\'s 5–0 away win against RSC Anderlecht in the Champions League; he scored the eighth-fastest hat-trick in the competition\\'s history (completed in 19 minutes which included a bending 30-yard half-volley clocked at 93 miles per hour), and became the 11th player to score four times or more in a Champions League match.On 27 November, Ibrahimović made his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance, scoring the opening goal in a 2–1 win over Olympiacos at the Parc des Princes. On 16 March 2014, Ibrahimović scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Saint-Étienne to surpass Carlos Bianchi\\'s club record of 39 goals in a season. On 11 May, he was named Ligue 1\\'s Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Ibrahimović ended the Ligue 1 season as top scorer with 26 goals as PSG won a second consecutive league title. Overall, he scored 41 goals in all competitions, including ten in eight Champions League matches.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: Domestic quadruple and all-time second top scorer ====\\nIbrahimović scored his first two goals for Paris Saint Germain on 2 August 2014 against Guingamp in the 2014 Trophée des Champions, winning his first silverware of the season. In the first league match of the season, Ibrahimović scored twice but also missed an open net and had a penalty saved as PSG drew 2–2 with Reims. Ibrahimović scored his first league hat-trick of the season in a match against Saint-Étienne on 31 August. In the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue on 13 January 2015, Ibrahimović scored the only goal to win away at Saint-Étienne. The home team argued that the ball had not crossed the line, and fans threw objects onto the pitch, disrupting play for ten minutes.On 11 March, Ibrahimović received a straight red card in a Champions League round of 16 match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, for a foul on Oscar. PSG drew 2–2 after extra time to qualify for the quarter-finals on away goals. Nine days later, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Lorient at the Parc des Princes. He netted another hat-trick on 8 April as PSG reached the 2015 Coupe de France Final with a 4–1 win over Saint-Étienne, starting with a penalty for his 100th goal for the club. He ended the match with 102 career goals for PSG, second only to Pauleta. Three days later, he scored twice as PSG defeated Bastia 4–0 in the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final. The first goal was a penalty which he won when fouled by Sébastien Squillaci, resulting in the Bastia defender\\'s dismissal.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16: Departure and all-time PSG top goalscorer ====\\nOn 4 October 2015, Ibrahimović scored both goals from penalty kicks in a 2–1 home win over Marseille to overtake Pauleta and become Paris Saint-Germain\\'s all-time leading goalscorer with 110 goals in all official competitions. On 25 November, Ibrahimović captained PSG on his return to hometown club Malmö FF in the group stage of the 2015–16 Champions League. He scored the team\\'s third goal in a 5–0 win, a result that confirmed PSG\\'s qualification to the knockout stage of the competition. In scoring twice in PSG\\'s 3–0 win over Nice on 4 December 2015, Ibrahimović beat Mustapha Dahleb\\'s previous record of 85 goals to become the club\\'s all-time top goalscorer in the French first division. On 16 February 2016, in the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg against Chelsea at home, Ibrahimović scored the opener in the 39th minute with a free kick to help his team win 2–1. This was Ibrahimović\\'s 116th appearance in the Champions League, meaning that he overtook Carles Puyol to enter the competition\\'s all-time top ten appearance makers. Four days later, Ibrahimović netted twice during the 4–1 home win over Reims, taking his tally up to 23 league goals; he also set up the goals of Edinson Cavani and Gregory van der Wiel.On 9 March, in the second leg of PSG\\'s Champions League tie with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Ibrahimović assisted a goal for Adrien Rabiot and scored the winning goal himself as Paris won the match 2–1 and progressed to the quarter-final stage with a 4–2 aggregate victory. With this goal, he became the 14th player to score 50 or more goals in UEFA club competitions. Four days later, he scored four times in a 9–0 win against bottom-placed Troyes that sealed PSG\\'s league title with eight games remaining; his hat-trick goal was his 100th in the league. His nine-minute hat-trick was the fastest in Ligue 1 history. Later that day, he announced he would be leaving PSG at the end of the season, while joking that only if they replaced the Eiffel Tower with a statue of himself would he stay. On 16 April, Ibrahimović scored twice in a 6–0 home win against Caen to earn him a season-best 32 goals in league; it was also his 41st goal of the season, equaling his season-best in 2013–14 season with two games less playing. Three days later, he netted the winner in the 2015–16 Coupe de France semi-final match away against Lorient to send Paris into the final for the second consecutive season; it was also his 42nd goal of the season, setting a new personal best. On 8 May 2016, Ibrahimović was named UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Season for the third consecutive year.Ibrahimović made his final Ligue 1 appearance for PSG against Nantes at the Parc des Princes on 14 May 2016, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory to become Paris Saint-Germain\\'s top scorer in a single Ligue 1 season with 38 goals, which put him one goal ahead of Carlos Bianchi, who managed 37 in the 1977–78 campaign. Ibrahimović ended the 2015–16 Ligue 1 season as its top scorer, the third time that he had done so. The league match was stopped briefly in the tenth minute as fans gave Ibrahimović – whose PSG shirt was number 10 – a standing ovation. He was also cheered just before the final whistle, holding his two sons in his arms. They had run onto the pitch moments earlier, wearing number 10 PSG shirts with either the word \"King\" or \"Legend\" written in English on the back. The names were in reference to their father\\'s \"I came like a king, left like a legend\" post on social media before the match. On 21 May 2016, Ibrahimović scored twice (his 155th and 156th goals in his 180th and final competitive match for the club) in the second half of the 2016 Coupe de France Final, and also set up Edinson Cavani\\'s goal. PSG defeated Marseille 4–2 in that match. He was substituted to a standing ovation in the final minutes of the match. PSG thus won the Ligue 1-Coupe de France-Coupe de la Ligue domestic treble for the second consecutive season, and equalled Marseille\\'s all-time record of ten Coupe de France titles. His record as PSG\\'s all-time top scorer was surpassed by his former strike partner Cavani in January 2018.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\nOn 1 July 2016, Ibrahimović signed as a free agent for Manchester United on a one-year contract, which had the option of being extended depending on his performance for the club. His salary was reported to be £200,000 per week.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17: Europa League and League Cup double ====\\nIbrahimović was handed the number 9 jersey ahead of the 2016–17 season. On 7 August, Ibrahimović scored the match-winning goal for Manchester United in the 2016 FA Community Shield, rising above Wes Morgan to head past Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in a 2–1 victory. This was his record 10th domestic super cup, won in a fifth country. In his Premier League debut one week later, he scored with a long-range strike in the 3–1 away win at AFC Bournemouth on the opening day. On 20 August, he scored both goals; a header in the first half and a penalty in the second, to beat Southampton 2–0 on his home debut. On 6 November, he scored twice in a 3–1 away win against Swansea City; his first was the 25,000th goal in Premier League history. He was later booked, picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, ruling him out of the league game at home against Arsenal on 19 November. On 5 February 2017, Ibrahimović scored his 15th league goal of the season and 20th in all competitions in a 3–0 away win against Leicester City, becoming the oldest player to manage at least 15 goals in a single Premier League season at the age of 35 years and 125 days.\\nOn 16 February, Ibrahimović registered his first Manchester United hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Saint-Étienne in the Europa League Round of 32. On 19 February, he made his first FA Cup appearance, coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute and scoring the winner in a 2–1 fifth round win against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. Exactly a week after his FA Cup debut, Ibrahimović scored two goals, a free-kick and a header (the winning goal), in the 2017 EFL Cup Final to clinch United\\'s fifth League Cup and to win his second trophy with the club. On 7 March, Ibrahimović was suspended for three matches by The Football Association for violent conduct after elbowing Bournemouth\\'s Tyrone Mings in a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford three days earlier. Later on 13 April, Ibrahimović was included in the six player shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year.On 20 April, Ibrahimović sustained serious ligament damage in his right knee in a Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht at Old Trafford. Several sources reported that the injury would sideline the player until at least the end of the 2016–17 season. Ibrahimović won his first major European title when Manchester United defeated Ajax in the Europa League Final at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, before being named in the UEFA Europa League squad of the season. At the end of the season, it was announced that Manchester United would release Ibrahimović at the end of his contract on 30 June 2017, although they later confirmed that they were in talks with Ibrahimović to re-sign him for the latter half of the 2017–18 Premier League season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18: Final season in Manchester ====\\nOn 24 August 2017, it was announced that Ibrahimović had signed a new one-year contract with Manchester United. It was also announced that he would be wearing number 10 in his second season with the team. Ibrahimović made his return for the club on 18 November, replacing Anthony Martial as a substitute in a 4–1 home win against Newcastle United. The following week, he became the first ever player to feature for seven clubs in the Champions League when he came on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to Basel. In his first start of the season on 20 December, Ibrahimović\\'s first goal of the season came as he scored a free-kick in a 2–1 loss against Bristol City in the quarter-final of the EFL Cup. On 22 March 2018, Manchester United announced that Ibrahimović had agreed to the termination of his contract.\\n\\n\\n=== LA Galaxy ===\\nOn 23 March 2018, Ibrahimović signed for Major League Soccer (MLS) club LA Galaxy. He announced his arrival by taking out a signed full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times that simply said, \"Dear Los Angeles, you\\'re welcome\".\\n\\n\\n==== 2018 season ====\\nHe made his debut on 31 March as a substitute against Los Angeles FC in the inaugural El Tráfico derby, where he scored twice, including a 45-yard (41 m) half volley and a header in stoppage time, helping the Galaxy come from three goals down to win the match 4–3. After his match-winning performance, Ibrahimović said, \"I heard the crowd saying \\'We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan\\', so I gave them Zlatan.\" He scored twice for the Galaxy in a 3–2 defeat to FC Dallas on 30 May; he railed against his team after the match, saying \"Every game we shouldn\\'t be losing two or three goals and then you have to catch the game and try to win. This is not the game; this is absolutely not the game. Even if you are in MLS or Premier League, wherever, it doesn\\'t work like that. We need to be the leading team and play from there, not to catch the goal all the time, so obviously it\\'s not good.\"Ibrahimović scored a penalty in a 4–0 win against the Columbus Crew on 8 July. He scored his 12th league goal of the season against the Philadelphia Union in a 3–1 victory on 21 July. Ibrahimović scored his first MLS hat-trick the following week in a 4–3 win against Orlando City, with his three goals inside 24 second-half minutes helping the Galaxy overcome a 1–2 deficit. On 15 September, Ibrahimović scored his 500th professional career goal for club and country with another acrobatic strike in a 5–3 away defeat against Toronto FC. Post match, Ibrahimović stated he was \"happy for Toronto because they\\'ll be remembered as my 500th victim\". The goal was nominated in August 2019 for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. In his first year, despite the Galaxy missing out on the playoffs, Ibrahimović managed to be selected for the MLS All-Star Game and the MLS Best XI, as well as being awarded the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award and MLS Goal of the Year for his strike from distance against Los Angeles FC.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019 season ====\\nIbrahimović was named team captain ahead of the 2019 season. On 2 March 2019, he scored in the Galaxy\\'s opening match in a 2–1 win over the Chicago Fire. On 31 March, in his second appearance of the season, Ibrahimović scored two goals from the penalty spot, including one Panenka-style, in a 2–1 home win over the Portland Timbers. With this he reached 515 career goals, overtaking fellow countryman Gunnar Nordahl to become the Swedish player with the most goals in football history. On 20 July, Ibrahimović scored a perfect hat-trick against Los Angeles FC to win the match 3–2. This performance followed a debate on whether Ibrahimović was the best player in MLS compared to Los Angeles FC rival Carlos Vela, with Ibrahimović claiming himself the \"best by far\". Ibrahimović scored a second hat-trick of the season on 15 September, in a 7–2 win against Sporting Kansas City. This brought his tally for 2019 to 26 goals, breaking the club record for most goals scored in a single regular season. Ibrahimović was again named both an MLS All-Star and to the Best XI for a second consecutive season.\\nIbrahimović managed to lead the LA Galaxy to the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, where on 24 October, despite recording a goal and an assist, his side were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals, following a 5–3 away defeat against Los Angeles FC. On 13 November 2019, Ibrahimović announced he was to leave the LA Galaxy through his Twitter account, telling Galaxy fans \"[Y]ou wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome. The story continues...Now go back to watch baseball\".\\n\\n\\n=== Return to AC Milan ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20: Return season ====\\nOn 27 December 2019, Ibrahimović returned to AC Milan on a free transfer on a six-month contract until the end of the season, with an option to extend his contract until the end of the 2020–21 season, subject to certain conditions. He made his first appearance since his return to the club on 6 January 2020, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 Serie A home draw against Sampdoria at the San Siro. Ibrahimović scored his first goal for Milan since returning on 11 January, in a 2–0 away win against Cagliari. The landmark goal saw him score in each of the last four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s). On 9 February, he assisted a goal and subsequently scored another for Milan in their eventual 4–2 loss against rivals Inter; as a result, he became the oldest goalscorer ever in the Derby della Madonnina at the age of 38 years and 129 days, breaking the previous record set by Swedish compatriot Nils Liedholm (aged 38 years and 43 days).Ibrahimović made his 100th appearance for the club (including his previous stint) on 15 July 2020, in a 3–1 home league win over Parma. He became the first player to score 50 Serie A goals for both Milan clubs on 29 July, with a brace in a win over Sampdoria. On 1 August, Ibrahimović scored a goal in a 3–0 win over Cagliari, becoming the oldest player to score at least ten goals in a Serie A season since Silvio Piola with Novara in the 1950s, at the age of 38 years and 302 days. On 31 August 2020, Ibrahimović extended his contract until the summer of 2021.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21: Serie A runner-up and return to Champions League ====\\nOn 17 September 2020, Ibrahimović scored Milan\\'s first goal of the 2020–21 season in a 2–0 away win over Shamrock Rovers in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. Four days later, he scored a brace in Milan\\'s opening match of the Serie A season, a 2–0 home win over Bologna. After missing three games recovering from COVID-19, Ibrahimović returned in the Derby della Madonnina on 17 October, scoring twice in three minutes as Milan defeated Inter 2–1. He scored his third consecutive brace in the league in a 3–3 home draw to Roma on 26 October. On 22 November, Ibrahimović again scored twice in a 3–1 away win over Napoli, which was also his eighth consecutive league appearance with at least one goal. However, he also suffered a hamstring injury and had to be substituted.Ibrahimović made his return to the side from injury on 9 January 2021, being brought on for the final five minutes of Milan\\'s 2–0 win against Torino. On 18 January, he scored both of his side\\'s goals in their 2–0 victory over Cagliari, ensuring Milan would stay three points clear at the top of the league table. Ibrahimović\\'s goals meant that he had managed to score in each of his last nine starts for the club. On 26 January, he was involved in a confrontation with former Manchester United teammate Romelu Lukaku in Milan\\'s Coppa Italia quarter-final match against Inter. Following a foul committed by Lukaku late in the first half, he and Ibrahimović exchanged insults as the pair clashed heads and had to be restrained by their respective teammates. Both players were booked as their arguments continued into the tunnel at half-time. Ibrahimović would be sent off during the second half following a second yellow for a foul on Aleksandar Kolarov, as Inter went on to record a 2–1 victory. Ibrahimović faced backlash after the match for his statements made in the confrontation, including when pitchside microphones picked up him telling Lukaku to \"go do your voodoo\" and calling him a \"little donkey\", with an investigation by the Italian Football Federation to determine if the statements made constituted racial abuse. He denied using racist language, and though no evidence of racist intent was found, Ibrahimović was fined €4,000, and Lukaku €3,000.Ibrahimović scored another brace in a 4–0 win over Crotone on 7 February, reaching the milestone of 500 and 501 total club career goals in the process. On 22 April, he signed a new contract extension to stay at the club for another season. On 9 May, Ibrahimović had to be substituted off in the second half of Milan\\'s 3–0 victory at Juventus following an injury to his left knee, which would rule him out for the remainder of the season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–2023: Serie A title and retirement ====\\nOn 12 September 2021, Ibrahimović made his first appearance for Milan since returning from injury and scored in a 2–0 win over Lazio, and in doing so, at the age of 39 years and 344 days he became the oldest non-Italian player to score a goal in the 123-year history of Serie A, breaking the record previously held by former Parma centre-back Bruno Alves. On 23 October, Ibrahimović scored Milan\\'s fourth in a 4–2 win over Bologna, becoming the fourth player to score a Serie A goal after his 40th birthday after Alessandro Costacurta, Silvio Piola and Pietro Vierchowod. On 20 November, he scored two goals in a 4–3 loss to Fiorentina, and in doing so, became the oldest player to score a brace in a Serie A game as well as the first 40-year-old player to net a brace in Europe\\'s top five leagues in the 21st century. On 11 December, Ibrahimović scored an acrobatic equaliser in stoppage-time in a 1–1 draw with Udinese, reaching the milestone of 300 career league goals across Europe\\'s top five leagues, thus becoming just the third person in the 21st century to achieve it after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.On 24 April 2022, Ibrahimović set up Tonali\\'s 90th minute winner against Lazio, helping Milan take top spot in the league table. On 22 May, after the final match against Sassuolo, Milan won the Serie A title for the first time in 11 years, Ibrahimović also being part of their last title in 2011. He contributed with eight goals and three assists during the campaign. It was his overall 5th Serie A title (2 additional titles were revoked with Juventus), Ibrahimović dedicated the title to his agent and friend, Mino Raiola, who had died recently. Three days later, Ibrahimović revealed that he had played through an anterior cruciate ligament injury for six months during the season, for which he underwent surgical repair that day and would be off the pitch for at least seven months.On 18 July 2022, it was announced that Ibrahimović had signed a one year contract extension with Milan, staying for the next season. He returned to training in February 2023, but was left out of the club\\'s Champions League squad. Ibrahimović returned to first-team action on 26 February 2023, his first appearance in nine months, in a 2–0 victory over Atalanta. On 18 March, he became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A at the age of 41 years and 166 days when he scored in a 3–1 defeat to Udinese. On 4 June, Ibrahimović announced his retirement from football following AC Milan\\'s final game of the Serie A season.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth ===\\nIn 1999, Ibrahimović played four games and scored one goal for the Sweden U18 team. In 2001, he made his debut for the Sweden U21 team and played in two games in the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying campaign, including the second-leg game against Belgium in the qualification play-offs which saw Sweden eliminated from the competition. In total, Ibrahimović played seven games and scored six goals for the U21 team.\\n\\n\\n=== Senior ===\\n\\n\\n==== Early career and 2002 FIFA World Cup ====\\nIbrahimović was eligible to represent Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Croatia at international level; he chose Sweden. He made his debut for Sweden in a 0–0 friendly draw against the Faroe Islands at Tipshallen on 31 January 2001 during the 2000–01 Nordic Football Championship. On 7 October 2001, he played his first competitive match, a 2002 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, scoring his first ever international goal in a 3–0 win as Sweden topped their group to qualify for the upcoming tournament.Ibrahimović was part of the Sweden squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Korea and Japan, who were eliminated at the round of 16 by newcomers Senegal. He appeared twice in the tournament, coming on as a substitute in the group stage game against Argentina and in the round of 16 game against Senegal.\\n\\n\\n==== UEFA Euro 2004 ====\\nSweden qualified for UEFA Euro 2004 as group winners, with Ibrahimović scoring three goals throughout the qualifying campaign. In Sweden\\'s opening group match of Euro 2004 against Bulgaria on 14 June, Ibrahimović assisted one of Freddie Ljungberg\\'s goals and later scored from a penalty in a 5–0 win. In the following match against Italy on 18 June, he scored an 85th-minute equaliser with a back-heel lob to seal a 1–1 draw and was named Man of the Match; the goal was later named the best goal of the tournament. Sweden and Denmark subsequently sealed a place in the knockout round on direct encounters following a 2–2 draw in their final group match, despite a three-way five-point tie with Italy, with Sweden topping the group. In the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, he missed a penalty in the resulting shoot-out following a 0–0 draw after extra-time, as Sweden were eliminated from the competition.\\n\\n\\n==== 2006 FIFA World Cup ====\\nDuring the 2006 World Cup qualification campaign, Ibrahimović scored four goals in a 7–0 victory away to Malta on 4 September 2004. He scored a total of eight goals during the qualifying campaign, which ranked joint-third best among the UEFA teams together with Finland\\'s Alexei Eremenko but behind the Czech Republic\\'s Jan Koller (nine goals) and Portugal\\'s Pauleta (eleven goals). He did not score during the 2006 World Cup finals, as Sweden were knocked out in the round of 16, this time by Germany.\\n\\n\\n==== UEFA Euro 2008 ====\\nIbrahimović was called up for a Euro 2008 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 6 September 2006, but two days before the match, he violated team curfew by leaving the hotel with teammates Christian Wilhelmsson and Olof Mellberg, visiting a nightclub. Though none of the players consumed any alcohol, they were nonetheless all sent home by manager Lars Lagerbäck as punishment and did not take part in the match. Mellberg and Wilhelmsson did not appeal the coach\\'s decision, but Ibrahimović felt that it was unjust and therefore refused to take part in Sweden\\'s next qualifiers against Iceland and Spain. He also refused to partake in a friendly against Egypt on 7 February 2007, but ended his self-imposed boycott a month later, and returned for Sweden\\'s loss to Northern Ireland on 28 March. He did not score in any of the 12 qualifying matches. Ibrahimović was awarded the 2007 Swedish Golden Ball as the \"Country\\'s Top Player of the Year\".Ibrahimović ended his international goal drought, which had lasted for over two years, in a 2–0 win against Greece in Sweden\\'s Euro 2008 opener on 10 June 2008, in which he was named Man of the Match, also scoring in the next match, a 2–1 defeat against eventual champions Spain, four days later. He finished the tournament with two goals as Sweden were eliminated in the group stage by Russia, following a 2–0 loss.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying ====\\nIbrahimović scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Malta on 10 June 2009 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier. On 5 September 2009, he scored a last second goal in Ferenc Puskás Stadium against Hungary in a 2–1 win for Sweden in their qualification match, although Sweden ultimately failed to qualify for the tournament, finishing third in their qualifying group.\\n\\n\\n==== UEFA Euro 2012 ====\\nAhead of the Euro 2012 qualification, Ibrahimović was named team captain on his return to the national team by manager Erik Hamrén. He scored his first goals of the qualifying game against San Marino, where he scored the first and fifth goals in a 6–0 win in front of over 21,000 home fans despite being down to ten men for over an hour. His next goals came in the form of a hat-trick against Finland, whom they beat 5–0.At the Euro 2012 finals, Ibrahimović scored the opening goal in Sweden\\'s first game of the tournament, a 2–1 defeat against hosts Ukraine. He then scored with a volley, later considered the goal of the tournament, to open the score in Sweden\\'s 2–0 win against France in the last group match; he was later named Man of the Match. Despite the victory, Sweden were knocked out of the competition in the group stage. Although Sweden suffered a group stage elimination, Ibrahimović was named to the Team of the Tournament for his performances.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying ====\\nIn October 2012, Ibrahimović scored Sweden\\'s first goal as they came from 4–0 down to draw 4–4 in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Germany in Berlin. It was the first time in its history that the German national team had not won a match after leading by four goals.On 14 November 2012, he scored all four goals in a 4–2 win over England in the first ever match at the Friends Arena. His fourth goal, a 35-yard overhead kick with his back to goal, won him praise from players and pundits, with The Guardian calling it \"a moment of sublime mastery\", while the BBC described it as a goal that \"combined unfathomable imagination and expert technique\". It would win Ibrahimović the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. It is often considered one of the best goals of all time.On 14 August 2013, Ibrahimović scored another international hat-trick at the Friends Arena, scoring Sweden\\'s first three goals in a 4–2 friendly win against Scandinavian rivals Norway. Ibrahimović ended Sweden\\'s qualifying campaign with eight goals. He scored twice in a 3–2 play-off defeat to Portugal – billed as a battle between Zlatan and Cristiano Ronaldo (Ronaldo scored three) – as the team failed to reach the 2014 World Cup. Ibrahimović summarised the defeat by saying: \"One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch.\"\\n\\n\\n==== Sweden\\'s top scorer, UEFA Euro 2016 and initial retirement ====\\nOn 4 September 2014, Ibrahimović scored his 50th international goal in a 2–0 friendly match victory over Estonia, making him the Swedish national team\\'s all-time leading goalscorer. Earlier in the same match, he equaled Sven Rydell\\'s record of 49 by scoring the opening goal. On 8 September, he made his 100th appearance for Sweden in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna. On 14 November 2015, Ibrahimović scored the winning goal for Sweden in a 2–1 victory in the home leg of the Euro 2016 qualifying play-off against rivals Denmark. Three days later, he scored both Sweden\\'s goals of a 2–2 draw in Copenhagen to qualify the nation for the Euro 2016 finals. Ibrahimović scored eleven goals during the qualifying phase, making him the second-highest overall top scorer after Poland\\'s Robert Lewandowski.On 11 May 2016, Ibrahimović was included in the final 23-man squad for Sweden at Euro 2016. On 21 June 2016, he announced that he would retire from international football immediately after Sweden\\'s last match at the tournament. The following day, Sweden finished their group in last place after a 1–0 loss against Belgium, and as a result were eliminated along with seven other teams in the first round. As captain, Ibrahimović played every minute of Sweden\\'s three group matches, but did not score any goals, managing only one shot on target during the tournament.\\n\\n\\n==== Talks of comeback and return to the national team ====\\nIn November 2017, after Sweden clinched qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia by defeating Italy in the second qualifying round, there was speculation about a possible return of Ibrahimović to the national team. Ibrahimović himself expressed his wish to represent Sweden in the World Cup. However, in April 2018, Sweden manager Janne Andersson stated that Ibrahimović would not be called up for the World Cup, thus ending any possibility of a return. Later in June, Ibrahimović blamed the Swedish media for his World Cup absence.In November 2020, Ibrahimović hinted in a newspaper interview once again the possibility of returning to the Swedish national side, prompting Sweden manager Janne Andersson to fly to Milan to discuss the matter with him. On 15 March 2021, Andersson included Ibrahimović in the Sweden squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Georgia, officially confirming his comeback to the side almost five years after his initial retirement. Ibrahimović responded to the announcement by simply tweeting \"The return of the God\". On 25 March, he started in a 1–0 home win against Georgia, providing the assist to Viktor Claesson\\'s decisive goal, making him the oldest man in history to play for Sweden\\'s national team. He then assisted Ludwig Augustinsson\\'s opening goal in the following 3–0 win against Kosovo before being substituted in the 67th minute.On 15 May 2021, days before Sweden was to announce their UEFA Euro 2020 squad, Andersson confirmed that Ibrahimović would not be included in the squad due to a knee injury he sustained with Milan days prior. He appeared as a late substitute in Sweden\\'s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off final against Poland on 29 March 2022, as Sweden lost 0–2 and failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.On 15 March 2023, Andersson said Ibrahimović would be in the Sweden squad once more after a one year absence, for their European Championship qualifiers against Belgium and Azerbaijan, but would not start the games. With his appearance against Belgium, he was initially hailed as being the oldest player to appear in a European Championship qualifier, breaking the record set by Dino Zoff, however, it was later confirmed that Lee Casciaro, four days older than Ibrahimović, had instead taken the record the same day.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\n\\nIbrahimović has been described by ESPN as being \"good in the air, quick, tall, strong and agile, he plays well with his back to goal and boasts some of the best finishing, vision, passing and ball control around.\" A versatile and well-rounded attacker, from a tactical standpoint, Ibrahimović is capable of playing anywhere along the front line, due to his ability to both create and score goals for his team, although he is most often deployed as a striker, due to his composure and eye for goal. He has also functioned in a more creative playmaking role at times, as a supporting forward or even as a number 10, in particular in his later career, after losing some of his pace and stamina with age; this deeper position allows him to drop into midfield to pick up the ball, where he can utilise his technical ability, vision, passing, and movement to create space and provide assists for teammates.\\nWhile naturally right-footed, Ibrahimović is a powerful and accurate striker of the ball from both inside or outside the penalty area with either foot, and is also known for his accuracy from penalties and dead ball situations. An accurate finisher with his head as well as with his feet, his height, elevation, and strength often give him an advantage at winning aerial challenges, and also allow him to function as a \"target man\"; despite his large stature, Ibrahimović is uncommonly agile for a player of his size, and his athleticism and ability in the air have seen him score several goals from acrobatic strikes and volleys throughout his career, which earned him the moniker Ibracadabra in the Italian media. In spite of his size and physique, Ibrahimović possesses excellent technique and ball control, which, coupled with his balance, power, and physicality, enables him to hold up the ball well with his back to goal, retain possession, and link up with other players; he has also been praised by pundits for his creativity and dribbling skills. Although he is not gifted with exceptional pace, in particular over shorter distances, which became more evident in his later career as he slowed down with age, he is also a quick player and a fast sprinter, who possessed significant acceleration in his youth, and was able to clock top speeds over 30 km/h even into his 30s.\\nConsidered to be a highly talented player in his youth, due to his prolific goalscoring, consistency, and spectacular strikes, Ibrahimović came to be regarded by many in the sport to be one of the best players in the world during his prime, and as one of the greatest and most complete strikers of his generation; he has also been regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time.Ibrahimović has drawn praise from managers and teammates for his leadership and longevity, as well as his fitness, professionalism, and dedication in training. Regarding his work-ethic, his former Juventus manager Fabio Capello commented in 2016: \"At the beginning of his first spell at Juventus [...] I noticed that he was weaker than I thought when he had to kick the ball and was not very strong in the air. Ibrahimovic [sic] loved making assists more than scoring goals. I wanted him to become more ruthless in front of goal and improve his finishing. He had the same technical skills as Van Basten and I made him watch some videos of him to improve his finishing. I told him to watch Van Basten\\'s movements inside the area and the way he used to score goals. Ibra got it straight away; I think results are out there to prove it. He is a very humble guy and he worked every day to improve. He\\'s proud of himself too, he loves being the best.\"\\nAlthough Ibrahimović has been criticised at times in the media for being inconsistent in high pressure situations, and for his limited work-rate and poor performances in big matches, in particular in his youth, throughout his career he has scored in some of the biggest matches in football; these include the Derby della Madonnina and the Derby d\\'Italia in Italy, El Clásico, El Otro Clásico, and the Catalan Derbi barceloní in Spain, Le Classique in France, De Klassieker and De Topper in the Netherlands, and the Manchester Derby and North-West Derby in England, as well as UEFA Champions League and UEFA European Championship games against some of the strongest opponents in European football. He has also scored in the Helsingborgs IF–Malmö FF \"Skånederby\" in Sweden, and in El Tráfico and the California Clásico in the United States. Moreover, in addition to being a prolific striker, he has also been highly successful throughout his career, winning numerous titles in several countries; additionally, he is the only player to have scored for six different clubs in the Champions League. Known for his strong mentality and leadership, as well as his extroverted and highly competitive personality, despite his success, he has been criticised in the media for his arrogance, aggression and rebellious character, as well as his lack of discipline on the pitch, in particular in his early career, which has led him to be involved in confrontations with other players, some of his managers and even reporters. Ibrahimović has frequently been compared to Dutchman Marco van Basten, due to their similar playing styles, physiques, and proclivity for scoring from powerful shots and volleys; despite this comparison, Ibrahimović has stated that his main influence was his idol, former Brazilian forward Ronaldo, whom he regards as the greatest player of all time. He has also been likened to the enigmatic French former footballer Eric Cantona, who also played for Manchester United.\\n\\n\\n== Football-related business activities ==\\n\\n\\n=== Hammarby IF ===\\nOn 27 November 2019, it was announced that Ibrahimović had bought 23.5 percent of the shares in Hammarby IF, a Swedish top flight club from Stockholm. The seller was Anschutz Entertainment Group, also the owner of his former club LA Galaxy, who reduced their stake in Hammarby by half. In Sweden, all sport teams in the league systems are regulated to be nonprofit organizations, which means that a majority of the voting rights, or 51 percent, is still controlled by the members of the club. Fans of Malmö FF, who were unhappy with Ibrahimović\\'s investment in another Swedish club, have vandalised his statue in Malmö on numerous occasions.\\n\\n\\n== Controversies ==\\n\\n\\n=== Violence ===\\nIbrahimović has been involved in several violent incidents with teammates. When he was playing for Malmö FF\\'s junior team, Ibrahimović headbutted a teammate after he was tackled by him during a training session. The teammate\\'s father, a police officer, wanted the other players to sign a petition to expel Ibrahimović from the team. After a 2004 international friendly against the Netherlands, Ajax teammate Rafael van der Vaart publicly accused Ibrahimović of deliberately injuring him during the game. Ibrahimović responded by threatening to break both of van der Vaart\\'s legs. Ibrahimović also reportedly punched Ajax teammate Mido in the dressing room after the latter had thrown a pair of scissors at him.In 2010, Ibrahimović was involved in a training-ground fist-fight with Milan teammate Oguchi Onyewu, after Ibrahimović had made a two-footed tackle on Onyewu, followed by a headbutt. The two were separated and the session prematurely abandoned, with Ibrahimović suffering a broken rib in the fracas. Both players had accused one of insulting the other.Ibrahimovic made a violent tackle on Inter defender Marco Materazzi during a Milan derby in the 2010–2011 Serie A season, resulting in Materazzi\\'s hospitalization. Ibrahimovic later revealed that he did so intentionally, stating that he had \"waited for this moment for the last four years\" because of a tackle that Materazzi made on him while Ibrahimovic was playing for Juventus.In March 2011, Ibrahimović was given a three-match ban for punching Bari defender Marco Rossi in the stomach during a game. He received another three-match ban in February 2012 for slapping Napoli player Salvatore Aronica. In 2011, Ibrahimović kicked teammate Antonio Cassano in the head while Cassano was speaking to reporters.In November 2012, while with Paris Saint-Germain, Ibrahimović received a two-match ban for kicking Saint-Étienne goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier in the chest. In December 2012, he was accused by Lyon defender Dejan Lovren and president Jean-Michel Aulas of deliberately stamping on Lovren\\'s head. Lovren suggested the reason Ibrahimović had escaped punishment was due to his \"superstar status\". In February 2013, UEFA handed Ibrahimović a two-match ban for stamping on Valencia winger Andrés Guardado.On 21 May 2018, Ibrahimović was sent off for slapping Montreal Impact player Michael Petrasso in the head, after the latter had stepped on his foot. In April 2019, Real Salt Lake defender Nedum Onuoha accused Ibrahimović of foul play and threats to injure him during a game, calling him \"arrogant\", \"disrespectful\", and \"a complete thug\". In May 2019, Ibrahimović received a two-match ban for violent conduct, after he had grabbed New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson by the neck.\\n\\n\\n=== Abuse ===\\nIn March 2013, PSG winger Lucas Moura claimed that Ibrahimović regularly insulted teammates, stating, \"He always asks for the ball and insults a lot. He is sometimes a bit arrogant and complains.\" Moura later claimed, however, that the interview was twisted and badly translated. In May 2013, Ibrahimović was filmed screaming at PSG sporting director Leonardo after the club\\'s title victory.Lyon coach Hubert Fournier accused Ibrahimović of abusing officials, stating in January 2015 that \"all the referees in this league get insulted by this person\". Two months later, following a Ligue 1 loss to Bordeaux, Ibrahimović was recorded ranting about the level of officiating in the match, proclaiming: \"In 15 years I\\'ve never seen a [good] referee in this shit country ... [they] don\\'t even deserve PSG.\" He later apologised, but was criticised by French politicians, and Ligue 1 imposed a four-match ban.On 20 July 2019, Ibrahimović elbowed Mohamed El Monir during a match with the LA Galaxy against Los Angeles FC, then had an altercation after the match with their goalkeeping coach Zak Abdel, telling him: \"Go home. You little bitch. Go home\". More controversy followed suit when, following Galaxy\\'s loss to crosstown rivals Los Angeles in the playoffs, Ibrahimović was seen making obscene gestures towards heckling fans as he left the pitch.Ibrahimović received a one-match ban following an altercation with former teammate Romelu Lukaku in his side\\'s Coppa Italia fixture against Inter Milan in January 2021, in which pitchside microphones picked up Ibrahimović repeatedly telling Lukaku, \"Go do your voodoo shit\", calling him a \"little donkey\", and telling him to \"call [his] mother\". Ibrahimović denied accusations of racism, posting on Twitter: \"there is no place for racism.\" An investigation was opened by the Italian Football Federation, with a potential ten-match ban for Ibrahimović if found guilty of racial abuse. However, it was reported in March that he had been cleared of the charge, as the incident was deemed purely unsportsmanlike and only warranted a fine.\\n\\n\\n=== Falling out with Pep Guardiola ===\\nDuring his spell at Barcelona, Ibrahimović had a falling-out with coach Pep Guardiola, culminating in a dressing room incident in which Ibrahimović allegedly threw a training-kit box across the room and screamed insults at Guardiola. Guardiola eventually refused to speak to Ibrahimović and loaned him out to Milan. Barcelona vice president Carles Vilarrubi further revealed that Ibrahimović had threatened to publicly beat up Guardiola if he was not released to Milan. Ibrahimović stated that Pep Guardiola was \"not a man\" during an interview with CNN in November 2015.\\n\\n\\n=== Controversial remarks ===\\nIn 2013, Ibrahimović came under fire from the Sweden women\\'s national team for an interview published on Christmas Day by tabloid Expressen, in which he had commented about the disparity of achievements by, and the treatment of, male and female footballers. His former teammate Anders Svensson had been rewarded with a car for becoming Sweden\\'s most-capped player that year, but Therese Sjögran had received no such reward for doing likewise for the women\\'s team, despite owning 41 more caps (187 to 146) than Svensson at the time. Ibrahimović\\'s response to the issue was that Sweden would be \"devaluing\" Svensson \"by comparing him with the ladies\\' individual achievements. They can get a bike with my autograph on it and then we\\'re good.\" Coach Pia Sundhage replied that his comments were \"sad and unfortunate\" and epitomised \"failings in the basic values of male football\", while Sjögran said, \"I understand him when he says that the men\\'s national team brings in more money and exposure. That\\'s true. But this is about respect.\"\\n\\n\\n=== Hammarby investment ===\\nIn November 2019, Ibrahimović bought a 23.5% stake in Stockholm-based club Hammarby, who were the rivals of the striker\\'s boyhood team, Malmö FF. In a statement, Ibrahimović expressed his admiration for the club and its fans, and how he was excited for the opportunity to support \"one of the most interesting and influential clubs in Sweden.\" However, this investment decision infuriated many fans of Malmö who considered it a betrayal, and they vandalized his bronze statue and set it ablaze. Ibrahimović responded to the incident by claiming that the decision had nothing to do with where he began his career.\\n\\n\\n=== Involvement in betting ===\\nIn April 2021, Ibrahimović was investigated by UEFA over alleged financial interest in a betting company called \"Bethard\". A month later, he was fined €50,000 by UEFA for breaking disciplinary regulations related to his interest in the aforementioned betting company.\\n\\n\\n=== Qatar Visit ===\\nDuring the controversial 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ibrahimović visited Qatar, amidst a widespread boycott of the tournament. Ibrahimović later stated that he had a \"10/10\" experience during his time in the country and praised Qatari politics, stating that \"Qatar has a system that works\" while \"Sweden does not have a system that fully works\". His remarks faced widespread criticism from media and numerous human rights activists who raised concerns about the state of human rights in Qatar.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nIbrahimović has one sibling (Sanela) and four half-siblings. His longtime partner is Helena Seger, with whom he has two sons. He used to reside outside Los Angeles when he played for LA Galaxy. He still has a home in Malmö, where he spends his summers. Ibrahimović received an honorary black belt in taekwondo; he attended classes at the Malmö Taekwondo club Enighet (\"Unity\") as a child. Ibrahimović is fluent in five languages: Swedish, Bosnian, English, Spanish and Italian. He has stated that he was raised as a Catholic. Ibrahimović often refers to himself in the third person.The name \"Zlatan\" was trademarked in May 2003 at the Swedish Patent and Registration Office for \"most likely being perceived as Zlatan Ibrahimović\", meaning he receives exclusive rights to the name for certain products, including sporting goods, clothing, and shoes.\\nIbrahimović is under contract with Nike and features in their television advertising where he has appeared alongside other players endorsed by the company, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Wayne Rooney. He wears the Nike Mercurial boot line and has the names and dates of birth of his sons embedded onto the external sides of his boots. In late 2007, Ibrahimović, with the help of Nike, self-funded Zlatan Court in the streets of the city district Rosengård in his hometown Malmö: he provided a playing mat, goalposts, lighting and a modern fence. In 2008, he donated new Nike kits to his youth club, FBK Balkan.In a February 2011 interview, Ibrahimović stated that the boxer Muhammad Ali is one of his role models, going on to say: \"One of my idols in sport and outside the sport also [sic]...he believed in his [principles] and he never gave [them] up.\" While in Malmö with the national team in September 2012, Ibrahimović was honoured with the inscription of his name on the city\\'s \"Walk of Fame of Sports\". The Swedish Post Office issued a set of five postage stamps featuring Ibrahimović in March 2014. Ibrahimović features in EA Sports\\' FIFA video game series, and was the fourth highest rated player in FIFA 15.\\nOn 11 August 2014, Ibrahimović paid US $51,000 to send the Swedish national football team for the intellectually disabled to the INAS World Football Championships in Brazil. After teammates Johan Elmander, Kim Källström, Andreas Isaksson and Per Nilsson donated autographed jerseys to be auctioned off for the cause, Ibrahimović responded, \"What the hell are you going to do with a shirt? How much is it to go?\". In a league match against Caen on 14 February 2015, Ibrahimović took off his shirt after scoring a goal to unveil the removable tattooed names of 50 people suffering from hunger around the world, in a gesture to raise awareness for famine in accordance with the United Nations World Food Programme.Active on social media, Zlatan has over 55 million Instagram followers, the most for a Swede. Independent Swedish film production company Auto Images released the sports documentary Becoming Zlatan in February 2016 which follows Ibrahimović through his formative years with Malmö FF and Ajax all the way to his breakthrough with Juventus in 2005. The film has been featured at several film festivals including the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Helsinki Documentary Film Festival and the Rouen Nordic Film Festival amongst others. He does not drink alcohol.In 2018, Ibrahimović mentioned that his wife only allows him to hang one picture of himself at home: \"My wife does not allow me to have pictures of myself\", then added, \"There is one of my feet on the wall. That is what has given us what we have, it is a reminder for the family, not for me, of what we have.\"On 8 October 2019, a statue of Ibrahimović was unveiled in his hometown, outside Malmö\\'s Stadion. The statue, created by Peter Linde, is 2.7 m (8 ft 9 in) tall and weighs almost 500 kg (1,100 lb).\\n\\n\\n=== Religious and social background ===\\nIbrahimović was born to a Bosniak Muslim father, Šefik Ibrahimović, and a Croat Catholic mother, Jurka Gravić; his parents were immigrants to Sweden from SFR Yugoslavia–Šefik from Bijeljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina and Jurka from Prkos near Škabrnja, SR Croatia–and met for the first time in Sweden. Ibrahimović\\'s parents divorced when he was a child, and although his upbringing was divided between them, he spent more time with his father: \"I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father.\" Relatives on both sides of his family were killed in the Bosnian War of the early 1990s. He has said in a 2012 interview with PSG that: \"My father is Muslim, my mother is Catholic, but none of that has anything to do with football. I received a special education. I\\'m me and football is a religion in its own right, and everyone is welcome...\" Ibrahimović was incensed in 2005 when Italian media attempted to build interest in a Juventus–Inter match by describing it as a \"mini Balkan War\" between himself and Serbian opponent Siniša Mihajlović. He said that he had no interest in nationalism, partially due to his mixed Bosniak-Croat parentage and his younger half-brother being fathered by a Serb.In an interview with CNN on 24 November 2015, he stressed that his Muslim background was \"not a factor\" in fans\\' perception of him: \"For me, it didn\\'t change (anything) because my father is Muslim and my mother is Catholic... For me it is all about respect. That\\'s how I grew up and the way I learned to be. This is what I am.\" Nevertheless he later described himself as a \"deeply faithful Catholic\". The Malmö-based television presenter Teddy Landén, who was interviewed for the same documentary, noted Ibrahimović\\'s choice of shirt name following his 2001 transfer to Ajax. He believed that the player changed from having Zlatan to having Ibrahimović on his jersey to honour his background and show to children from Rosengård and Malmö in general: \\'If I can do it, you can do it.\\'\" In Ibrahimović\\'s autobiography, he says that this change was only because his relationship with his father had improved at the time.On 18 February 2021, during a Europa League Round of 32 match between Red Star Belgrade and Milan at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, Ibrahimović was subjected to racism by the Red Star fans. Ibrahimović, who did not play the match, watched the game from the stands and jumped to celebrate once Milan scored, when a fan shouted insults at him, including \"balija\"—an ethnic slur targeting Bosnian Muslims. The match was played behind the closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a few supporters were allowed to spectate from a VIP box. Red Star Belgrade issued an apology and condemned the insults; however, UEFA opened an investigation of the incident nevertheless. On 14 April 2021, the club was fined €30,000 and ordered to play a home game in European competition behind closed doors.\\n\\n\\n=== Tattoos ===\\nHis surname is tattooed in Arabic on the back of his right arm, the names of his sons Vincent and Maximilian on his right arm. He has the common Buddhist \"Five Deva Faces Yantra\" representing wind, water, fire, creative perception and space, arranged in a way believed to ward off illness and injury, on his lower back, in addition to a roaring lion. Another Buddhist tattoo, a \"Yant Prajao Khao Nirote\" is a protective emblem intended to end the suffering of a family, is on his upper right arm. The phrase \\'Only God can judge me\\' is tattooed on his ribcage. He also has a feather, a Koi fish, Polynesian tribal, and ace of hearts and clubs.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nAjax\\nEredivisie: 2001–02, 2003–04\\nKNVB Cup: 2001–02\\nJohan Cruyff Shield: 2002Juventus\\nSerie A: 2004–05, 2005–06 (both revoked due to Calciopoli scandal)Inter Milan\\nSerie A: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09\\nSupercoppa Italiana: 2006, 2008Barcelona\\nLa Liga: 2009–10\\nSupercopa de España: 2009, 2010\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2009\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2009AC Milan\\nSerie A: 2010–11, 2021–22\\nSupercoppa Italiana: 2011Paris Saint-Germain\\nLigue 1: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16\\nCoupe de France: 2014–15, 2015–16\\nCoupe de la Ligue: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16\\nTrophée des Champions: 2013, 2014, 2015Manchester United\\nEFL Cup: 2016–17\\nFA Community Shield: 2016\\nUEFA Europa League: 2016–17Individual\\n\\nBallon d\\'Or Nominations: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016\\nBallon d\\'Or 4th place: 2013\\nGolden Foot: 2012\\nGlobe Soccer Awards Player Career Award: 2022\\nFIFA Puskás Award: 2013\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI: 2013\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014\\nUEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (published 2015)\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2013–14\\nUEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016–17\\nESM Team of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14\\nL\\'Équipe Journalists\\' Best XI: 2008\\nUEFA Euro 2004: Goal of the Tournament: Italy vs Sweden\\nUEFA Euro 2012: Goal of the Tournament: Sweden vs France\\nUEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2012–13\\nEurosport Goal of the Year: 2004\\nClub van 100\\nJuventus Player of the Year: 2004–05\\nSerie A Player of the Month: September 2007, December 2008, January 2012, October 2020\\nSerie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12\\nSerie A Footballer of the Year: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11\\nSerie A Most Loved Player: 2005\\nSerie A Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2011–12\\nSerie A Goal of the Year: 2008\\nCapocannoniere: 2008–09, 2011–12\\nSupercoppa Italiana Man of the Match: 2011\\nGazzetta Sports Awards Legend: 2020\\nItaly Best Foreign Athlete: 2021\\nAC Milan Hall of Fame\\nSportschau Goal of the Month Award: November 2012\\nSportschau Goal of the Year Award: 2012\\nGQ Men of the Year: 2013\\nSportAccord \\'Play for Change\\' Award: 2015\\nLigue 1 Player of the Month: September 2012, January 2014, February 2014, March 2014, November 2015\\nUNFP Just Fontaine Trophy Ligue 1 Best Forward of the Season: 2012–13\\nLigue 1 Best Foreign Player: 2012, 2013, 2014\\nLigue 1 Player of the Year: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16\\nLigue 1 Team of the Year: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16\\nLigue 1 Top scorer: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16\\nLigue 1 Goal of the Year: 2014\\nÉtoile d\\'Or France Football: 2014, 2016\\nTrophée des Champions Man of the Match: 2014\\nCoupe de la Ligue Man of the Match: 2014–15\\nCoupe de France Man of the Match: 2015–16\\nCoupe de la Ligue Top scorer: 2014–15\\nCoupe de France Top scorer: 2014–15, 2015–16\\nParis Saint-Germain Player of the Month: August 2012, September 2012, November 2013, January 2014, February 2015, November 2015, December 2015, January 2016, February 2016\\nParis Saint-Germain Hall of Fame\\nParis Saint-Germain Team of the History\\nMedal of the City of Paris: 2016\\nEurosport European Player of the Month: August 2016\\nPremier League Player of the Month: December 2016\\nPFA Fans\\' Premier League Player of the Month: December 2016\\nManchester United Player of the Month: December 2016, February 2017\\nAlan Hardaker Trophy: 2017\\nEFL Cup top scorer: 2016–17\\nMLS All-Star: 2018, 2019\\nMLS Best XI: 2018, 2019\\nMLS Newcomer of the Year: 2018\\nMLS Goal of the Year: 2018\\nMLS Greatest Goal: 2020\\nBest MLS Player ESPY Award: 2019\\nLA Galaxy Player of the Year: 2018, 2019\\nLA Galaxy Golden Boot: 2018, 2019\\nLA Galaxy Goal of the Year: 2018, 2019\\nPegasus Award: 2004\\nStor Grabb: 2004\\nGuldbollen: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020\\nJerringpriset: 2007\\nFotbollskanalens hederspris: 2008\\nIFFHS Men\\'s All Time Sweden Dream Team\\nInternational Swede of the Year Award: 2013\\nEliason Merit Award: 2018\\nMalmö Walk of Fame: 2012\\nMedal of the City of Malmö: 2015\\nSwedish Newcomer of the Year: 2001\\nSwedish Football Personality of the Year: 2002\\nSwedish Forward of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020\\nSwedish Male Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015\\nSwedish Goal of the Year: 2012, 2013Records\\nOverall\\n\\nThe only player to have scored at least a goal in De Klassieker in Netherlands, Derby della Madonnina and Derby d\\'Italia in Italy, El Clásico and Derbi barceloní in Spain, Le Classique in France, Manchester Derby and North-West Derby in England, El Tráfico and California Clásico in United States.\\nThe only player to score in the UEFA Champions League with six teams: Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.\\nThe only player to score on his Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League debut.\\nThe only player to have scored 50 Serie A goals for both Inter Milan and AC Milan.\\nThe only foreign player to have won Capocannoniere with two teams, in addition to two teams from the same city: Inter Milan (2008–09) and AC Milan (2011–12).\\nOne of three players, after Adrian Mutu and John Carew, to have scored in European competitions with seven different teams.\\nOldest player to score in Serie A history.Paris Saint-Germain\\n\\nFirst Paris Saint-Germain player to be top goalscorer in three Ligue 1 seasons (2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16) (equalled by Kylian Mbappé).\\nMost Ligue 1 goals in a single season: 38 in 2015–16 season\\nFastest Ligue 1 hat-trick: 9 minutes (vs. Troyes, 13 March 2016)\\nLongest goalscoring run in Ligue 1: 9 consecutive matches in 2015–16 season (shared with Vahid Halilhodžić)\\nMost goals scored in a single season (all competitions): 50 in 2015–16 season\\nAll-time top scorer in Le Classique: 11 goalsManchester United\\n\\nThe second player (after Ian Storey-Moore in the 1971–72 season) to score in his first three league matches\\nThe second player (after Javier Hernández in the 2010–11 season) to score in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, European competition and Community Shield in a single season (2016–17 season)\\nScored the 25,000th goal in Premier League history\\nThe oldest player to reach 15 goals in a single Premier League season (2016–17 season at 35 years and 125 days)LA Galaxy\\n\\nMost MLS regular season goals in a season: 30 in 2019 seasonSweden\\n\\nAll-time top goalscorer for Sweden national team: 62 goals\\nSweden\\'s top goalscorer in UEFA European Championship: 6 goals\\nSweden\\'s only player to score in three consecutive UEFA European Championship tournaments: 2004, 2008 and 2012\\nMost Guldbollen (Swedish Male footballer of the Year) awards: 12\\n\\n\\n== Discography ==\\n\\n\\n=== Singles ===\\n\\n\\n== Filmography ==\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of top international men\\'s football goalscorers by country\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 50 or more international goals\\nList of international goals scored by Zlatan Ibrahimović\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 500 or more goals\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nZlatan Ibrahimović – UEFA competition record (archived)\\nZlatan Ibrahimović at ESPN FC \\nZlatan Ibrahimović at Soccerbase \\nZlatan Ibrahimović at Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation\\nZlatan Ibrahimović at Major League Soccer\\nZlatan Ibrahimović at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)\\nZlatan Ibrahimović – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French\\nZlatan Ibrahimović at Premier League\\nZlatan Ibrahimović at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish)\\nRADAMEL FALCAORadamel Falcao García Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Rayo Vallecano and the Colombia national team. Nicknamed \"El Tigre\" (The Tiger), he is considered one of the best strikers of his generation, and as one of the greatest Colombian footballers of all time.Falcao began his professional career in the Argentine league in River Plate, where he played with their youth academy from 2001 until 2004 and later won the 2007–08 Clausura tournament. In 2009–10, he joined Porto, where he won several trophies, including the UEFA Europa League, Taça de Portugal and Primeira Liga treble in 2011. In August 2011, Falcao moved to Spanish club Atlético Madrid for a club record €40 million. He was integral in the club\\'s 2012 Europa League and UEFA Super Cup victories as well as their 2013 Copa del Rey Final victory over rivals Real Madrid. Falcao was also prolific in La Liga during his time with Atlético, being the third-highest goalscorer in 2011–12 and 2012–13, both behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.\\nRegarded at the time as one of the best strikers and players in the world, Falcao controversially signed for newly promoted Ligue 1 side Monaco in 2013 for a club record €60 million, despite interest from top European clubs. In the second half of his debut season, an ACL injury ruled him out for six months; he went on to spend the next two seasons on loan at Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea. Rejoining Monaco in the summer of 2016, he regained his best form finishing as the club\\'s top goalscorer in every competition and captaining them to their first Ligue 1 title in 17 years as well as a UEFA Champions League semi-final. Falcao joined Turkish club Galatasaray in 2019, before returning to La Liga in 2021 with Rayo Vallecano.\\nFalcao made his senior debut for Colombia in 2007, and has since earned over 100 caps and scored 36 goals, making him their all-time top scorer since breaking the previous record of 25 goals in June 2017. He represented his country at the 2011, 2015 and 2019 Copa América. Falcao missed the 2014 FIFA World Cup through injury, but made his World Cup debut at the 2018 tournament in Russia. He also captained the national team various times between 2015 and 2021, until reoccurring injuries affected his availability. \\nFalcao is one of the all-time top scorers of the UEFA Europa League and holds the record of most goals scored in a single season of the tournament. He set the record for most goals (17) in a European campaign in 2011 and is the first player to win consecutive Europa League titles with two teams (Porto in 2011 and Atlético in 2012) Falcao is Porto\\'s all-time top goalscorer in international club competitions, and is also Monaco\\'s highest goalscorer this century (83). He was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2012, becoming the first and only Colombian player to achieve this feat. Falcao also finished in fifth place for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, and was awarded the 2012 Globe Soccer Best Footballer. In November 2018, Falcao was honoured by the Atlético Madrid fans with a plaque outside the Metropolitano Stadium.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Lanceros Boyacá ===\\nFalcao made his debut for Lanceros Boyacá in the Colombian Categoría Primera B (second tier) on 28 August 1999, playing the last 40 minutes against Deportivo Pereira at the age of 13 years and 199 days, thus becoming the youngest debutant at that level of Colombian professional football. In 2000, Lanceros\\' coach, Hernán Pacheco, began to consider the 14-year-old more seriously; Falcao played seven matches that year. On 23 July, at the Estadio Olímpico del Sol in Sogamoso, he scored his first and only goal for the club, to seal a 2–0 win against Club El Cóndor that took Lanceros off the bottom of the table. In his two years with the club, he played eight matches and scored once.\\n\\n\\n=== River Plate ===\\nAfter training with Millonarios, who did not take up their option to purchase the player, Falcao was sold to River Plate of Argentina in February 2001, for a $500,000 fee. He began his River career in the youth team, playing in the eighth division of Argentine football. River\\'s coach, Leonardo Astrada, gave Falcao his professional debut in the 2005 Torneo Clausura, on 6 March 2005, in a game that finished in a 3–1 victory for his club against Instituto de Córdoba.Falcao became a regular in the first team during the 2005 Torneo Apertura. He scored twice in a match for the first time in Argentina, on 2 October in a game against Independiente that finished as a 3–1 win for River. He repeated the feat twice more during the Apertura: against Lanús, his brace contributed to a 4–1 home win, and against San Lorenzo, River won 5–1. This brought his total for the competition to seven from as many games under the management of Reinaldo Merlo, who gave Falcao the trust he needed to establish himself in the team.\\nIn the match against San Lorenzo in November, Falcao injured the ligaments of his right knee and missed the remainder of the Apertura; then, during pre-season training in January 2006, he sustained more serious damage to the same knee, which required surgery and was expected to keep him out for at least six months. He returned to the field in September, soon after the start of the 2006 Torneo Apertura, in which he made 12 appearances, mainly as a substitute; he scored just once, to seal a 2–0 win against Rosario Central that took River clear at the top of the table. A few days earlier, he made his debut in CONMEBOL competition, in the last eight of the 2006 Copa Sudamericana against Atlético Paranaense of Brazil. He was replaced at half-time, and the match finished 2–2; this meant River were eliminated on aggregate, as they lost the home leg 1–0.He was sent off in his only outing in the 2007 Copa Libertadores, against Colo-Colo on 22 February 2007. Domestically, he made little impression on the 2007 Torneo Clausura. He scored in only one of the eight games he played: River\\'s first two goals as they beat Racing Club 4–2 away from home. Falcao scored his first professional hat-trick on 27 September 2007, as River made a historic comeback against Botafogo to win the series 4–3 after trailing 3–1 on aggregate and progress into the quarter-finals of the 2007 Copa Sudamericana. The following week, he scored his first goal in a Superclásico, the first of River\\'s goals as they beat Boca Juniors 2–0.River Plate were reported to have rejected a $15 million offer from Milan for Falcao in early 2008, as well as bids from clubs including Aston Villa and Fluminense. On 27 February, Falcao scored, but was red-carded, in a 2–1 win over Club América in the 2008 Copa Libertadores group stage. He was a key player as Diego Simeone led River to the 2008 Torneo Clausura championship, his first domestic title, and his performances linked him with moves to a variety of clubs, including Man United and Arsenal. Nevertheless, he remained with River as they suffered the worst campaign in their history, finishing bottom of the 2008 Torneo Apertura.In 2009, River Plate had a difficult start: they were eliminated in the group stage of the 2009 Copa Libertadores and won few games at the beginning of the 2009 Torneo Clausura. Falcao retained his eye for goal and was instrumental in Nestor Gorosito\\'s plans; having matured as a striker in the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons, he scored 35 combined goals in his last two years with El Millonario.\\n\\n\\n=== Porto ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10 season ====\\nOn 15 July 2009, Primeira Liga team Porto signed Falcao on a four-year-contract worth €3.93 million for 60% of his economic rights after Porto sold striker Lisandro López to Lyon for €24 million. In the transaction, Porto also sold Mario Bolatti for €1.5 million to a third party owner, Natland Financier B.V., in exchange for 35% of the economic rights of Falcao. A week before, Porto rivals Benfica came very close to signing Falcao after making a €4.7 million offer, but the reluctance of the club to pay an additional €700,000 requested by Falcao for awards and delayed salaries dictated the end of negotiations, which prompted Falcao to join Porto a week later. He made his debut against Paços de Ferreira on the opening matchday and scored an important goal to earn the team a draw. He went on to score three goals in as many games, making him one of the few to score four goals in the first four matchdays of the Portuguese league.\\nOn 15 September, he made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 1–0 away defeat against Chelsea. Two weeks later, on 30 September, he scored his first Champions League goal, a backheel, in a 2–0 group stage win over his future club, Atlético Madrid. On 12 December, Falcao scored a header to defeat rivals Sporting CP in a 1–0 home victory. On 10 January 2010, Falcao scored a brace, including the winning goal, in a 3-2 league victory over Uniao de Leiria. On 2 February, Falcao scored twice in a 5–2 Taça de Portugal quarter-finals victory against rivals Sporting CP. In the same month, he scored the winning goal in a UEFA Champions League round of 16 2–1 victory over Arsenal, his fourth goal in the tournament, even though Porto were later eliminated from the competition. On 3 April, Falcao scored a brace against Marítimo to lead the scoring charts with 20 goals, although he would eventually finish the season as the second-highest league scorer with 25 goals, behind only Benfica\\'s Óscar Cardozo, who had 26. Falcao later scored two more braces in away victories over Vitoria Setubal and Leiria on 24 April and 8 May respectively. He scored in his last game of the season, the 2010 Taça de Portugal Final, where Porto won 2–1 against Chaves. Falcao wrapped up the campaign with a career-high 34 goals in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11 season ====\\nFalcao made an impressive start to the 2010–11 season, scoring a goal in the 2010 Portuguese Super Cup 2–0 victory over Benfica. He scored his first two league goals on the second matchday of the season in a 3–0 victory against Beira-Mar on 22 August 2010. He scored his second double for the club in a 5–1 victory over União de Leiria on 25 October. On 7 November, he scored twice, one of them a backheel goal, in a 5–0 victory against the defending champions Benfica.On 2 December, Falcao scored his first hat-trick for Porto in a 3–1 victory against Rapid Wien during a UEFA Europa League clash, becoming the top goal scorer with seven goals. On 7 April 2011, Falcao scored another hat-trick and provided an assist in the quarter-finals of the Europa League against Russian side Spartak Moscow in a 5–1 victory, bringing his goal tally in the tournament to ten. In the second leg, he scored another goal and provided another assist in another victory with the same scoreline in a 10–3 aggregate thrashing that took Porto to the tournament\\'s semi-final stage.On 17 April, he scored a double against rivals Sporting CP to help defeat them 3-2. He further added to his position as top scorer in the Europa League by scoring four goals in the semi-final against Villarreal two weeks later, which finished 5–1 for Porto. In the Europa League final against domestic rivals Braga, Falcao scored the only goal of the game with a header after a cross from Fredy Guarín, giving the title to Porto. He set a new goalscoring record of 17 goals in 14 games during the Europa League campaign, surpassing Jürgen Klinsmann\\'s previous record of 15 goals. In July 2011, Falcao extended his contract until 2015 with an added €45 million buy-out clause. Porto paid a commission of €6.58 million to extend the contract.\\n\\n\\n=== Atlético de Madrid ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12 season ====\\nOn 18 August 2011, Atlético announced they had signed Falcao from Porto on a €40 million transfer fee; the fee could potential rise to €50 million based on performance-based clauses, making him the most expensive player in the club\\'s history. Atlético and the Colombian forward also agreed on a four-year-contract.\\nFalcao made his Atlético debut on 11 September away to Valencia, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 defeat. A week later, on 18 September, Falcao scored his first hat trick for Atlético in a 4–0 win against Racing Santander. On 3 November, Falcao netted a goal in Atlético\\'s 4–0 triumph over Udinese – the goal meant that Falcao had scored 19 goals in his last 18 Europa League games.\\nFalcao\\'s second hat-trick in La Liga came on 21 January 2012, when he led his team to a 4–0 victory against Real Sociedad at the Anoeta Stadium. On 16 February, in the first leg of the Europa League round of 32, Falcao scored twice and assisted a goal in an 3–1 away victory against Lazio to progress to the round of 16. In the second leg of Atlético\\'s Round of 16 clash against Turkish club Beşiktaş, Falcao scored one goal and provided Eduardo Salvio\\'s goal in a 3–0 victory, advancing 6–1 on aggregate. On 21 March, Falcao netted a second half double to propel his side to a 2–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao and keep Atlético in the race for European places. In both legs of the Europa League quarter-final tie versus Hannover 96, Falcao managed to score a goal in each leg, helping Atlético seal a 4–2 aggregate victory and increasing his goal tally to eight in the competition.Falcao played his first Madrid Derby against Real Madrid on 11 April 2012. He had missed the first match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium due to injury, and scored Atlético\\'s only goal as his side fell 4–1 due to a hat trick by Cristiano Ronaldo. Four days later, he scored his 30th goal of the season in all competitions against Rayo Vallecano in a crucial 1–0 victory for Atlético. In the first leg of the 2011–12 Europa League semi-finals against Valencia, Falcao scored a double in a 4–2 victory while making Atlético the first team to win ten consecutive matches in a single Europa League season. Falcao added to his Europa League tally in the final against fellow La Liga side Athletic Bilbao, netting Atlético\\'s opening two goals in a 3–0 triumph at the Arena Națională in Bucharest on 9 May 2012. In so doing, Falcao not only became the top goal scorer in a Europa league season again, with 12 goals, but became the first player in history to win two consecutive Europa League titles with two different teams. Four days after the final, Falcao scored the only goal late into a match against Villarreal to give his team a victory in the last game of the season. After his outstanding debut season with the club, his purchase was called the \"best purchase of the 21st century\".\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13 season ====\\nFalcao scored two hat-tricks at the start of the 2012–13 season; first in the league game against 2012 Europa League finalists Athletic Bilbao on 27 August 2012, and the second in the 4–1 defeat of Chelsea during the 2012 UEFA Super Cup on 31 August 2012. At the same time, Falcao became the first player in history to score a hat trick in a UEFA Super Cup final in its current format; the original format was two legged before turning into a single legged final format in 1998. After the match, Simeone described Falcao\\'s performance as \"indescribable\". On 16 September, Falcao scored what turned out to be the decisive goal from the penalty spot in a 4–3 win over Rayo Vallecano, and did the same a week later in a 2–1 triumph against Real Valladolid, before going off at half-time in order to avoid a possible groin injury. Falcao scored a double in a 4–2 away victory over Real Betis, converting a cross for the first and then a penalty, putting him to the top of the goal scoring charts in La Liga with seven goals. In October 2012, he was nominated for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, and came in 5th place. He was also in the 2012 FIFPro World XI.\\nOn 7 October, Falcao scored a header early into the game against Málaga, and also forced Málaga defender Weligton to score an own goal, giving Atlético the 2–1 victory in the final minute. Three weeks later, he scored once again versus Real Sociedad, this time with a rare free-kick which was a last minute winner in the 1–0 victory. That was Falcao\\'s first professional free kick goal. In a match against Sevilla, Falcao scored a penalty and assisted another goal in a 4–0 victory; the strike marked his 50th goal for Atlético. In the 6–0 victory against Deportivo de La Coruña on 9 December, Falcao scored an astonishing five goals, becoming the first player in La Liga since Fernando Morientes in 2002 to net five goals in a match.Falcao missed the first La Liga match of 2013 due to muscle fatigue, but returned in the second match against Real Zaragoza on 13 January, where he scored a penalty in a 2-0 victory. In the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-finals against Betis, Falcao scored a header in a 2–0 victory on 18 January. He suffered an muscle injury in a match on 20 January, causing him to miss 3 games, including the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarter final against Betis and the first leg of the semi-finals against Sevilla. Falcao returned for the second leg to score against Sevilla in a 2–2 draw, helping Atlético advance to the finals with a 4–3 aggregate scoreline. Falcao scored a double against Granada in a comfortable 5–0 victory on 14 April. The second goal marked Falcao\\'s 200th career goal (counting both club and nation). A week later, Falcao scored the only goal in a 0–1 away victory against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.In the Madrid Derby the following week, Falcao scored Atlético\\'s only goal once more, albeit in a 1–2 home loss. That goal was Falcao\\'s 50th league goal with the club in just 64 appearances. On 8 May, Falcao scored the last goal for Atlético in a 3–1 away victory over Celta de Vigo. The win assured Atlético Madrid would appear in the next season\\'s Champions League for the first time in four years. He scored his last league goal that season in a 1–2 loss against Barcelona four days later. Falcao ended the season with 28 league goals, putting him third in the top scorers chart, only behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In the 2013 Copa del Rey Final, Atlético were trailing 1–0 when Falcao delivered a timely assist to Diego Costa to tie the game. They went on to win 2–1 and defeat their arch-rivals Real Madrid for the first time in 14 years. This was Falcao\\'s first and only domestic cup title with Atlético.\\n\\n\\n=== Monaco ===\\n\\nIn May 2013, Atlético Madrid general manager Miguel Ángel Gil Marín announced that the club would not stand in the way if Falcao decided to leave, and that he and the club would support him in his decision. Despite being linked with various clubs such as Atlético Madrid\\'s city rivals Real Madrid and English side Chelsea, he eventually signed for newly promoted Ligue 1 side Monaco on 31 May 2013. Falcao subsequently signed a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around €60 million, with his net annual salary at Monaco being reported to be around €14 million. Despite the Colombian showing optimism about his Monaco future, Falcao gave an emotional farewell to Atlético during a press interview, expressing his enjoyment with the club and considering it to be \"the best time of his career\". Falcao went on to say that part of his reason for choosing Monaco was to follow the footsteps of his idol, Thierry Henry. Monaco sporting director Vadim Vasilyev said that the club hoped to build a team around Falcao and provide a direct challenge in Ligue 1 to Qatari backed PSG. The Colombian forward added that he wanted to bring Monaco \"to the top of European Football.\"Falcao\\'s move to Monaco was generally considered a surprise as he was widely regarded as the best and most sought after striker in the world. According to Sportskeeda, a major factor in Falcao\\'s move to Monaco was his third-party ownership: in 2009, when wanting to move out of South America from River Plate to Porto, Falcao became a property of a group named Doyen Sports, which from that moment onwards owned a 55% stake in him. Doyen Sports wanted him to become more profitable, though eventually had invested too much in Falcao. Subsequently, Doyen Sports desperately wanted to cash Falcao out for a profit and Monaco were the only club who could manage the funds for Falcao\\'s transfer.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14 season ====\\nFalcao made his Ligue 1 debut in the first match against Bordeaux on 10 August, where he managed to score in the 88th minute, sealing a 2–0 victory. Eight days later, he scored the opening goal, a penalty, in a 4–1 victory against Montpellier. In a match against Marseille on 1 September, Falcao scored the equalizer in a 2–1 victory. In a match against Lorient, Falcao scored an early penalty kick, which proved to be the winner in a 1–0 victory. Falcao managed to equalize with a diving header in a tough away match against French champions Paris Saint-Germain; the game would end 1–1 and keep Monaco on top of the league table. Days later, Falcao scored a double against Bastia in a 3–0 victory. This also brought his goal tally to seven, making him top scorer in Ligue 1.Falcao ended his four-game goal drought for Monaco in a 2–1 win over Lyon, scoring with an impressive chip. On 27 November, it was reported that Falcao failed to fully recover from a thigh injury prior to his last match for the club, and he was forced to miss the next four league matches. Falcao made his return after being brought on within the second half against Valenciennes, where he missed a penalty kick as Monaco lost 2–1.Falcao was reportedly heavily linked with Chelsea during the winter transfer window, with Chelsea even agreeing to an \"£80 million deal\" with Monaco, but Vasilvey denied these rumours and said Falcao \"wasn\\'t going anywhere\" and is \"very happy at the club.\"Falcao started 2014 by making his Coupe de France debut in a match against Vannes, where he both assisted and scored a goal in a 3–2 victory. Falcao\\'s second goal of the month came in the Coupe de France once more, where he scored a goal before being substituted due to an injury sustained in the first half of a 0–3 victory against Monts d\\'Or Azergues Foot.On 23 January, the club confirmed on its website that Falcao had suffered a severe ACL injury in his left knee that would require 6 months to recover, and would also miss the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while effectively ending his 2013–14 season entirely. Falcao went on to say that he and his doctors were confident in a speedy recovery. Falcao also went on to say that he wanted to play in the match himself, and that Monaco head coach Claudio Ranieri did not force him to.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15 season ====\\nFalcao\\'s full recovery was confirmed in mid-July, where he would play regularly in pre-season matches for Monaco after six months sidelined. He returned on the field at the Emirates Cup coming on as a substitute for Dimitar Berbatov in the 72nd minute as Monaco drew 2–2 against Spanish side Valencia. The next day, he played the first hour of the match against Arsenal and scored the only goal of the game in the 36th minute.On 10 August, in his first competitive match since his injury, Falcao came on for Lucas Ocampos after 59 minutes and scored a penalty, though Monaco lost 2–1 at home to Lorient. Two weeks later, he started away to Nantes and scored the only goal of the game, heading in Layvin Kurzawa\\'s cross before half-time for the club\\'s first points of the season. Amidst rumours of a transfer, Falcao was not included in Monaco\\'s next match against Lille, and watched from the stands next to club owner Vadim Vasilyev. Falcao\\'s father later said that Falcao left Monaco because they changed the \"original plan\" and decided to sell all the players they had bought, mostly referring to the departure of James Rodriguez to Real Madrid.\\n\\n\\n==== Loan to Manchester United ====\\nOn 1 September 2014, Manchester United agreed to sign Falcao on a season-long loan for £6 million subject to a medical examination with an option to sign permanently for £43.5 million (€55 million) at season\\'s end. The deal saw him earn £265,000 per week at the club. Manchester City had previously opted out of signing him due to squad size, and he had also been linked to Juventus, Arsenal, and Real Madrid. United confirmed the transfer in the early hours of 2 September. Despite joining temporarily under a loan contract, Falcao said he would fight to stay at United for many years and become a legend at the club. Cristiano Ronaldo praised Falcao and United for the transfer, calling him a \"top, quality, very good player\", saying that United did \"very well\" and that he was a \"fantastic buy.\"\\n\\nFalcao made his debut at Old Trafford on 14 September, playing the final 23 minutes of a 4–0 win over Queens Park Rangers in place of Juan Mata, as United won for the first time in the season. His debut was marked by rapturous applause from the club\\'s supporters as they continuously chanted his name both while he was warming up and on the pitch. On 5 October, he scored his first goal for United, the winner in a 2–1 home victory against Everton. On 8 December, Falcao was left on the bench over 19-year-old James Wilson against Southampton, and Van Gaal later said that Falcao \"was only fit enough to play 20 minutes.\" On 20 December, Falcao made his return for the first time in the starting line-up to score a goal in the second half in a 1–1 draw with Aston Villa. Six days later, he provided an assist for Wayne Rooney against Newcastle United, and United went on to win the match 3–1. On New Year\\'s Day 2015, Falcao equalised against Stoke City in a 1–1 away draw.After being left out of the squad against Southampton on 11 January in favor of 19-year-old James Wilson again, Van Gaal said he did not regret making that decision, and furthermore, his future at United was put under doubt when his agent, Jorge Mendes, stated a few days later that his client \"may not be at Old Trafford at the start of next season\". After failing to offer any shots, either on or off target, and only having 26 touches against League One side Preston North End on 17 February, Martin Keown, a BBC commentator, described his performance as \"another night of nothing from Falcao\" and questioned if he was \"fit enough\". On 10 March, a day after being an unused substitute as United were knocked out of the FA Cup at home by Arsenal, Falcao played for their under-21 team in a 1–1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, being substituted after 72 minutes. The demotion was publicly criticised by former footballers Dietmar Hamann and Willem van Hanegem, whom had described the decision Van Gaal made to be \"disrespectful and disgraceful\", despite Van Gaal saying that he didn\\'t \"intend to humiliate\" Falcao. Diego Maradona also criticised Van Gaal for his treatment of Falcao, saying, \"he was closer to the devil than anything.\" At season\\'s end, he was adjudged by many to be among the worst signings of the season. On 24 May 2015, United announced their decision to not exercise their buy option on Falcao, ending a spell at the club in which he scored 4 goals in 29 appearances.\\n\\n\\n==== Loan to Chelsea ====\\nOn 3 July 2015, Chelsea signed Falcao on a season-long loan deal worth £4 million with the option of a permanent transfer at the end of the season for a fee of £38 million (€50 million), and with a salary of £170,000 a week. The move briefly reunited him with his Colombia teammate Juan Cuadrado and former Atlético Madrid teammates Diego Costa and Thibaut Courtois. Midfielder Mario Pašalić went to Monaco on loan in exchange for Falcao joining Chelsea.Falcao made his debut on 2 August in the 2015 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium, replacing Loïc Rémy at half time as Chelsea lost 1–0 to rivals Arsenal. His league debut came six days later in a 2–2 home draw with Swansea City, playing the final six minutes in place of Willian. On 29 August, again as a replacement for Willian, Falcao scored his first and only Chelsea goal, equalising in an eventual 1–2 home defeat to Crystal Palace. On 3 November, Falcao picked up a muscular injury in training, and was ruled out for a \"few weeks\". On 30 December, he reinjured his thigh, and new manager Guus Hiddink said he \"might be fit again within 10 days, although not to play.\" However, on 15 January 2016, Hiddink confirmed that Falcao\\'s latest injury setback was \"very serious\". He was dropped from the team\\'s Champions League squad the following month, in favour of new addition Alexandre Pato.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17 season ====\\nUpon Falcao\\'s return to Monaco in July 2016, he was made team captain by coach Leonardo Jardim. On 27 July, Falcao scored for Monaco in his first appearance for the club in two seasons; a Champions League qualifier against Fenerbahçe. On 17 September, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Stade Rennais at the Stade Louis II. On 5 November, he scored twice in the first half as Monaco defeated Nancy 6–0 in a league match, following his two first-half goals against CSKA Moscow in a Champions League group stage match three days earlier.On 3 December, he scored two goals against Bastia in a 5–0 win. A week later, on 10 December, Falcao scored his first Ligue 1 hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Bordeaux which boosted his 2016–17 season tally to 14 goals in 15 competitive games, and 10 goals in Ligue 1 with just 579 minutes of Ligue 1 playing time, meaning that Falcao scored an average of one Ligue 1 goal in every 58 minutes of Ligue 1 playing time.On 4 February 2017, Falcao scored a brace in a 3–0 victory over Nice. A week later, he scored another brace, this time in a 5–0 victory over Metz. On 21 February, Falcao scored two goals; the first with a diving header from Fabinho\\'s cross from the right and the second with a chip over Willy Caballero, but missed a penalty in a 5–3 away loss to Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 first leg match. Despite him missing out at the second leg at home due to injury, Monaco eventually won the match 3–1 (6–6 on aggregate) and qualified to the quarter-finals on away goals rule. On 19 April, he scored Monaco\\'s second in their 3–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund to put the team into the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2004. Falcao scored a brace on the final league matchday in a 4–0 victory against Lille on 14 May. Falcao ended the season claiming the Ligue 1 title and as the club\\'s top scorer with 30 goals in 43 appearances. On 1 June, Falcao extended his contract a further three years, keeping him at the club until 2020.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18 season ====\\nFalcao started off the season with a goal in Monaco\\'s first league match, Monaco\\'s second in a 3–2 win at home to Toulouse. Two weeks later, he scored the first hat-trick of the Ligue 1 season in a 4-1 win against Dijon. He then scored the only goal against Metz, and a week later scored a double – including a penalty – against Marseille, raising his tally to seven goals in four matches. Falcao\\'s form led him to being nominated for 2017 Ballon d\\'Or. After losing a match 4-0 at the hands of OGC Nice, Falcao responded with two more braces against Strasbourg and Lille respectively. Upon scoring for Monaco against former club FC Porto in a Champions League game in December 2017, Falcao refused to celebrate out of respect to his former club. He was applauded by Porto fans for the gesture. Five days later, he opened his mark in the Coupe de la Ligue match vs Caen, which ended in a 2-0 win. On 31 January 2018, he scored a double against Montpellier at the Stade Louis II to help send Monaco to the final, where Monaco eventually lost 3-0 to PSG. Falcao finished the season as top scorer with 18 league goals in 26 matches.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19 season ====\\nFalcao began the season on a high note during Monaco\\'s first match of the season, assisting Monaco\\'s second and scoring their third in a 3–1 away victory against Nantes. He scored the decisive goal in a 1–0 victory against Caen on 24 November 2018, a free-kick which ended Monaco\\'s winless streak of 13 games. Four days later, Falcao played against his former club Atletico Madrid for the first time since his departure in 2013 as part of a Champions League group stage match. Monaco eventually lost 2–0, and Falcao missed a penalty. On 4 December 2018, Falcao scored two penalties in an 0–2 away win against Amiens. On 22 January 2019, Falcao opened his tally in the Coupe de France, scoring in a 1–3 loss to Metz. Despite Falcao\\'s goal, Monaco were eliminated from the competition. Although he finished as Monaco\\'s top scorer with 16 goals across all competitions, this was certainly a season to forget for the club, as they barely avoided relegation and finished in 17th place.\\n\\n\\n=== Galatasaray ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20 season ====\\nOn 2 September 2019, Falcao joined Süper Lig club Galatasaray on a free transfer, as his contract with Monaco had expired, with a three-year contract and a salary of €5 million per year. He was welcomed by over 25,000 fans on the previous day at the Istanbul Atatürk Airport. He scored a goal on his debut in a 1–0 home win against Kasimpasa on 13 September. In a Turkish Cup match against Tuzlaspor on 17 December, he scored a goal to help his team make it to the next round and overturn a 0–2 first leg loss. On 28 December, he scored his first brace with the club in a 5–0 win over Antalyaspor at home. On 1 March 2020, he scored his first brace of the year against Gençlerbirliği in a 3–0 win at the Türk Telekom Stadium.Falcao played 22 matches, scored 11 goals, and got one assist in all competitions during the season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21 season ====\\nFalcao began the season by scoring twice and assisting in his club\\'s league debut victory against Gaziantep on 12 September 2020. On 11 April 2021, Falcao collided with Kerem Aktürkoğlu head-on during a training session and was taken to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a facial bone fracture and had surgery. After 2 weeks, he started training with a mask.He finished the season with 17 games, 9 goals and 2 assists. Falcao missed 24 games during the season due to injuries.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22 season ====\\nIn an official statement made by Galatasaray on 1 September 2021, Falcao and the club mutually agreed to terminate the player\\'s contract.The Colombian striker\\'s time at Galatasaray was plagued with injuries. He missed 49 matches during his time at the Turkish club, (24 in 2019–20, 25 in 2020–21), and played 43 out of 92 possible games.\\n\\n\\n=== Rayo Vallecano ===\\nOn 4 September 2021, Falcao signed for La Liga club Rayo Vallecano. He was presented at the Estadio de Vallecas on 16 September 2021 before 2,000 fans. Falcao chose to the jersey number 3, an unfamiliar number mostly worn by defenders and is not traditionally associated with attacking players. His decision to don that jersey was to honour his late father Radamel García, who played as a defender and mostly played with that jersey number. The number 3 jersey was being worn by Fran García at Rayo Vallecano before his arrival, however García agreed and switched to the number 33 to make that available for him. He made his debut with Rayo in a home fixture versus Getafe CF on 18 September 2021, scoring one goal in a 3–0 win. Falcao scored the only goal in a famous league win over Barcelona on 27 October. The result led to the sacking of Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth level and early international career ===\\nFalcao participated with the Colombia national under-17 team at the 2001 South American U-17 Championship, where he played four matches and scored one goal against Bolivia. He was also called up to the U-17 team for the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, but sustained an injury before the tournament and had to drop out.Falcao\\'s first call-up to the under-20 team was for the friendly tournament, Copa Simón Bolívar, in 2003. He played in the 2004 Toulon Tournament, scoring his only goal at the tournament against Turkey. In the 2005 South American U-20 Championship, where he was champion with his team, he played five matches and scored once, on 23 January in the 1–1 draw against Argentina. In the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, Falcao played three matches and scored twice, against Canada and Syria.On 7 February 2007, Falcao made his senior team debut against Uruguay, and scored his first goal on 3 June against Montenegro in the Kirin Cup. Falcao played his first competitive match on 13 October against Brazil. The match finished in a 0–0 draw.Falcao wasn\\'t able to participate in the 2010 World Cup qualification matches against Chile, Paraguay and Brazil due to an injury he suffered with River Plate. He returned to action and scored the only goal of the game in a friendly against Nigeria on 19 November 2008. On 10 June 2009, he scored the only goal of the 2010 World Cup qualifying match to give Colombia the victory against Peru at Estadio Atanasio Girardot. In total, Falcao played 10 games and scored once during the qualifying campaign.\\n\\n\\n=== 2011–2013: First Copa América and World Cup qualification ===\\nAfter missing the 2007 edition due to injuries, Falcao\\'s first major international tournament was the 2011 Copa América in Argentina. After failing to score against Costa Rica and the hosts, he netted both goals in a 2–0 win against Bolivia, the second a penalty, leading Colombia to top their group. In the quarter-finals, Falcao missed a penalty kick against Peru, which would have won the game had it gone in, and the opponents were able to score two goals in extra time to eliminate his team.\\nFalcao\\'s first match in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers started off with a goal against Bolivia in the last minute of added time, giving Colombia the win on 11 October 2011 at the Estadio Hernando Siles. Under new management of the national team led by Argentine José Pékerman, Falcao scored a goal against Mexico in a friendly that ended 2–0. On 7 September 2012, Falcao scored a header in the second minute to help Colombia win 4–0 against Uruguay. In the same match, he assisted Juan Camilo Zúñiga, for Colombia\\'s fourth goal in the final minutes of stoppage time. Falcao scored again days later and assisted Teófilo Gutiérrez against Chile to help give Colombia a 3–1 away win after having trailed 0–1 in Santiago. This result put Los Cafeteros second in the table, one point behind Argentina. On 12 October 2012, Falcao scored both goals in a 2–0 victory over Paraguay.\\n\\nIn Falcao\\'s first game of 2013, he scored the fourth goal during a 5–0 qualifier victory against Bolivia in March. Falcao scored a penalty against Peru in the 13th minute where Colombia won 2–0. On 11 October 2013, in the penultimate World Cup qualifying match against Chile, Falcao scored two penalties to tie 3–3 after trailing 3–0. This result ensured Colombia qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998. Falcao ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as Colombia\\'s top scorer, with nine goals in thirteen appearances.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014–2017: ACL injury, World Cup absence, and all-time top goalscorer ===\\nOn 23 January 2014, due to a severe ACL injury, it was announced that Falcao would likely miss the World Cup. However, Falcao expressed his optimism, believing that it was possible to make a speedy recovery. Falcao received tremendous support worldwide on social media for a speedy recovery; a social media movement entitled \\'Fuerza Tigre\\' (meaning \\'stay strong Tiger\\' in Spanish) rapidly grew popularity. Among those who wished him a quick recovery was Pau Gasol, professional basketball player in the NBA. Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia, visited Falcao in the hospital he was staying at in Porto.\\nOn 5 February, Falcao was included in José Pékerman\\'s initial 30-man squad for the World Cup. In mid-May, Falcao\\'s father, Radamel García, told RCN Radio that Falcao was \"60 percent fit, but not fully match-fit.\" In March, his surgeon said there was \"no reason why Falcao couldn\\'t play at the World Cup.\" On 25 May, Falcao arrived in Argentina to train with the rest of the squad. However, he eventually made the decision not to join the squad as he did not feel right taking up a position if not at full health, and was left out of the final 23-man-squad on 2 June.Falcao would score his first international goal in 11 months against El Salvador on 10 October 2014, after starting for the first time since his ACL injury. It was his first ever headed goal for his country while influencing the other two goals in a 3–0 victory. His last goal before the injury was in a 2–0 friendly victory against Belgium in November 2013. In a friendly against Bahrain on 26 March 2015, Falcao assisted one goal and scored a double in a 6–0 win. Four days later, he scored his 24th goal for the country and put himself one goal shy of equalling Arnoldo Iguarán\\'s record with a penalty in a 3–1 win over Kuwait.On 6 June, he tied the record as Colombia\\'s all-time top scorer by scoring his 25th goal in a 1–0 friendly victory against Costa Rica in Buenos Aires ahead of the 2015 Copa América. He captained the team at the tournament, despite having a shoddy season, but failed to score and grab any assists in three group matches. He didn\\'t start the quarter-final against Argentina on 26 June, and came on as a substitute for Jackson Martínez in the 74th minute; Colombia ended up losing 5–4 on penalties.\\nOn 4 November 2016, Falcao was recalled to the Colombia squad for the first time in 388 days for Colombia\\'s next two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Chile on 10 November and Argentina on 15 November. He had last played for Colombia on 13 October 2015, in a 3–0 loss to Uruguay in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match in Montevideo, and had not been selected in Colombia\\'s squad for the Copa América Centenario.On 7 June 2017, Falcao became the Colombia national team\\'s all-time top-goalscorer, scoring his 26th goal in a 2–2 draw with Spain. He went on to score twice in the team\\'s four remaining World Cup qualifying matches, as Colombia confirmed their qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 10 October 2017. The last qualifying match against Peru ended up in a 1–1 draw, a result that sent Colombia through automatically and Peru into a play-off with New Zealand at Chile\\'s expense as they lost to Brazil. Footage emerged of Falcao talking to the Peruvian players in what was suggested could be an alleged \"pact\" to see both teams through. Peruvian midfielder Renato Tapia admitted to the speculation by saying that the Colombians approached them about the draw as they knew the results of the other games. Falcao admitted to knowing what was happening in the other games, but denied making any arrangement.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018–present: First World Cup, 2019 Copa América ===\\nHaving missed the previous World Cup due to injury, Falcao made his World Cup debut against Japan on 19 June, in Colombia\\'s first group game of the 2018 World Cup, with Colombia losing 1–2. On 24 June, Falcao scored his first World Cup goal in Colombia\\'s 3–0 win over Poland. After his goal, Falcao left the field to a standing ovation, and Colombia\\'s manager, José Pékerman, stated after the game: \"I think (Falcao\\'s goal) is one of the greatest joys that we received tonight. He is a symbol of the national team, a symbol of Colombian football.\" Following a 1–1 draw with England in the round of 16, although Falcao converted his penalty in the shoot-out, Colombia lost 4–3.\\nOn 30 May 2019, Falcao was included in the 23-man final Colombia squad for the 2019 Copa América. He had a poor tournament overall, with no goals or assists to his name, and didn\\'t play the full 90 minutes in any of his matches. Colombia eventually lost 5–4 on penalties to Chile in the quarter-finals.\\nOn 24 September 2022, he played his 100th match with Colombia in a friendly match against Guatemala.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nFalcao has been described as a \"natural goal scorer\" and a striker with the \"ability to bag a goal from nothing\". He can hold up the ball well due to his high strength and is able to play off the shoulder of the last defender. Described as a \"poacher\", Falcao is frequently labeled as a \"pure striker\", often playing as a traditional \"number 9\" and capitalizing on less amount of chances than the typical goal scorer. His powerful and accurate shots are highly noticeable throughout his games regardless of distance and/or positions, and he is also known to have a tendency to take curved and chip shots. Falcao is well known for having a strong weak foot (left) that is on equals with his right foot (preference), allowing him to be flexible with goal scoring. Falcao controls a well-balanced pace, helping him keep his stamina in check and allowing him to often outrun other players in the most critical 50/50 moments. While Falcao is only of average height (1.77 m), his heading and jumping technique has given him an edge in aerial battles for balls. Falcao has also been praised for his free-kick ability, which is rarely seen from a striker.\\n\\nHe is often regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation and as one of the greatest Colombian footballers of all time. In his prime before his ACL injury, he was widely considered one of the best strikers in the world. Some media outlets regarded him as the best. Falcao\\'s talents have been recognized by many footballers and managers. Former Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo thought Falcao was the \"best striker in the world\" and that he \"wouldn\\'t swap him for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.\" Former Barcelona and current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described him as \"sensational\" and as one of the most talented in the world. Before Falcao\\'s ACL injury, Fabio Capello considered him to be on the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Hernán Crespo said Falcao was the best of \"human players\", also mentioning that Ronaldo and Messi are \"on another level.\" Former Atlético Madrid teammate Gabi said in 2012 that he thought Falcao was the best at heading the ball and finishing in the world. Lionel Messi spoke highly on him: he said, \"Falcao is a great player: his quality on the ball and the way he shoots are really impressive.\"Falcao has also influenced numerous younger players of the next generation through not only his style of play but leadership and professionalism as well. French footballer, Kylian Mbappé, has stated, \"He was like a teacher to me. He’s someone who always wants to score, but he left me the space to express myself. I think I\\'m the luckiest player in our squad, because I\\'m at the start of my career and get to play alongside a top striker like Radamel. He\\'s made his mark on the history of the game and scored a huge number of goals.\" Mbappé after playing with Falcao would go on to become one of the best players and forwards in the world.\\n\\n\\n== Outside football ==\\n\\n\\n=== Personal life ===\\nFalcao is a second generation footballer; his father, Radamel García, played professionally as a defender in Colombia and Venezuela, and moved to the latter country with the family when Falcao was five. García died on 3 January 2019, aged 61, due to cardiac arrest while playing tennis. In 2021, when Falcao joined Rayo Vallecano he chose the jersey number 3, same jersey number his father played with, to honour him. When Falcao was in Venezuela, he played baseball, the country\\'s most popular sport. However, when the family returned to Colombia in 1995, Falcao turned his attention back to football. Falcao also has two younger sisters.His name derives from the 1980s Brazil national team, Internacional and Roma legend Paulo Roberto Falcão, as a tribute from his father, Radamel García. Despite being named Radamel, he prefers to use his middle name in interviews. His nickname, \"El Tigre\" (Spanish for \"The Tiger\"), was given by Gonzalo Ludueña, his then-teammate at River Plate. Falcao scored two goals in a match versus Huracán, and the man of the match trophy he later won had a tiger on it, so Ludueña began to call him \"El Tigre\". Falcao has been married to Argentine singer and model Lorelei Tarón since December 2007; they met in a church while Falcao was playing for River at age 18. In early 2013, it was revealed that Falcao was expecting his first child with her. Dominique García Tarón was born on 13 August 2013, at the Princess Grace Hospital in La Colle, Monaco. His second daughter, Desirée García Tarón, was born in February 2015. His third daughter, Annette García Tarón, was born in August 2017. In December 2018, Falcao remarried his wife. In March 2020, both Falcao and Lorelei revealed that they were expecting their fourth child on social media. Their first son and fourth child, Jedediah García Tarón, was born in September 2020. Due to his wife\\'s Polish ancestry, his children also hold Polish passports, thanks to Monaco teammate Kamil Glik, who helped with the process. Falcao is a devout Christian, and Gonzalo Ludueña said about his faith that, \"We hid from Falcao because he would look for us in every room to take us to church on Sunday, our free day.\"He is partially of English descent; George King, (born in Burn), one of his great-grandfathers, emigrated from Selby, North Yorkshire in 1932 with his wife to work as an accountant for the United Fruit Company in Colombia and start a new life. His wife later died in childbirth, so he married a Colombian woman and had five children, including Falcao\\'s grandmother, Denis. King was later murdered in 1960. Owing to this ancestry, Falcao\\'s father attempted to make it easier for his son to play in Europe by obtaining a British passport for him, but this was rejected. His uncle was the telenovela and film actor Herbert King, who died in August 2018.During Falcao\\'s first few years with River Plate, he briefly studied journalism at University of Palermo.\\n\\n\\n=== Legal issues ===\\nIn mid-2017, Falcao was investigated for allegations of tax evasion committed while he was playing for Atletico Madrid from 2011 to 2013. He was accused of using shell companies from the British Virgin Islands, Ireland, and Panama to avoid having to pay image rights taxes, and he was also accused of defrauding around €5.6 million of income earned from image rights. He later pled guilty and paid around €8.2 million. In May 2018, he was given a 16-month suspended sentence and a €9 million fine.\\n\\n\\n=== Charity work ===\\nFalcao has donated numerous times to charity organizations and people. In 2013, he convinced Swiss watchmaking company Hublot to donate US$100,000 to a United Nations program in Colombia. In January 2015, he helped a 17-year-old Colombian boy find a heart transplant donor.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 31 January 2024\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\nAs of match played 28 March 2023\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nRiver Plate\\nArgentine Primera División: 2007–08 ClausuraPorto\\nPrimeira Liga: 2010–11\\nTaça de Portugal: 2009–10, 2010–11\\nSupertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2009, 2010, 2011\\nUEFA Europa League: 2010–11Atlético Madrid\\nCopa del Rey: 2012–13\\nUEFA Europa League: 2011–12\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2012Monaco\\nLigue 1: 2016–17Colombia U20\\n\\nSouth American Youth Championship: 2005Individual\\n\\nSouth American Team of the Year: 2007\\nPortuguese Golden Ball: 2010–11\\nUEFA Europa League Top Scorer: 2010–11 (17 goals), 2011–12 (12 goals)\\nUEFA Europa League Final Man of the Match: 2011, 2012\\nUEFA Super Cup Man of the Match: 2012\\nFIFA FIFPro World11: 2012\\nGlobe Best Footballer: 2012\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: August 2017\\nCoupe de la Ligue Top scorer: 2017–18 (3 goals)Records\\n\\nColombia all-time top scorer: 36 goals\\nTop goal scorer of the UEFA Super Cup: 3 goals (shared with Arie Haan, Oleg Blokhin, Gerd Müller, Rob Rensenbrink, François Van der Elst, Terry McDermott, and Lionel Messi)\\nOnly player to have scored a hat-trick in a single final of the UEFA Super Cup\\nOnly player to score 4 goals in a UEFA Europa League knockout match\\nOne of two players to win two consecutive UEFA Europa League titles with two different teams (shared with Marko Marin)\\nMost goals scored in a UEFA Europa League season: 17 goals\\nMost goals scored in the UEFA Europa League: 30 goals\\nMost goals scored in the UEFA Europa League knockout stages: 20 goals\\nMost goals in a UEFA Europa League knockout tie: 5 goals (shared with Romelu Lukaku)\\nMost UEFA Europa League hat-tricks: 3 hat-tricks\\nMost goals scored in UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League finals: 3 goals\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of top international men\\'s football goalscorers by country\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of footballers who achieved hat-trick records\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nProfile at the Rayo Vallecano website\\nRadamel Falcao – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nRadamel Falcao – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nRadamel Falcao at National-Football-Teams.com \\nRadamel Falcao García at Football-Lineups.com\\nRadamel Falcao at Soccerway\\nROBIN VAN PERSIERobin van Persie (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɔbɪɱ vɑm ˈpɛrsi] ; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Van Persie was known for his excellent technique and ball control, intelligent positioning, and vision. He is the all-time top scorer for the Netherlands national team. He is currently an assistant manager at boyhood club Feyenoord in his first managerial role.\\nStarting his career as a winger, Van Persie made his senior debut for Feyenoord during the 2001–02 season, which culminated with victory in the 2002 UEFA Cup final; he was also named as the Dutch Football Talent of the Year. After five years with Feyenoord, he fell out with manager Bert van Marwijk, and he joined English club Arsenal in 2004 as a long-term replacement for compatriot Dennis Bergkamp. Van Persie was converted to a striker by manager Arsène Wenger and went on to be a mainstay goalscorer for Arsenal. He scored a club record of 35 goals in 2011 and was club captain for the 2011–12 season, prior to joining rivals Manchester United in July 2012. In his first season, he won the Premier League and his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot.\\nAfter two injury-hit seasons followed, Van Persie fell out of favour at United and he was allowed to leave for Fenerbahçe in July 2015. During his spell in Turkey, Van Persie featured regularly in his first season, but saw limitations in playing time in the following two campaigns after suffering with injuries, with both club and player agreeing to a buyout in January 2018, after which he rejoined Feyenoord on a free transfer. By the end of the season he had helped his boyhood team win the Dutch Cup, his first trophy since the 2013 FA Community Shield.After representing the Netherlands at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level, Van Persie made his senior international debut in 2005 in a friendly match against Romania. A month later, he scored his first senior international goal in a 4–0 win over Finland. Van Persie recorded over 100 caps and scored 50 goals for the Netherlands, and from 2013 to 2015 served as the team\\'s captain. He represented his country at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships, reaching the final in 2010 and finishing third place in 2014 at the former tournament.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Feyenoord ===\\nBorn in Rotterdam, Van Persie joined the youth squad of local side SBV Excelsior when he was five, but left for Feyenoord at the age of 16 after falling out with the Excelsior coaching staff over his \"petulant\" attitude. An injury crisis at Feyenoord meant he was quickly promoted into the first team, and made his debut for the club at 17, the first of 15 total starts during the 2001–02 season. After starting for Feyenoord in the final of the UEFA Cup, Van Persie received the KNVB Best Young Talent award.The following season, Van Persie signed a three-and-a-half-year professional contract with Feyenoord, and scored five goals in a 6–1 KNVB Cup thrashing of AGOVV Apeldoorn on 6 February 2003. However, clashes with his manager Bert van Marwijk saw Van Persie demoted to the reserve squad. During a match featuring the Feyenoord and Ajax reserves, he was one of several Feyenoord players assaulted by hooligans who had invaded the pitch. Van Persie\\'s rift with Van Marwijk continued when he was sent home on the eve of the 2002 UEFA Super Cup final against Real Madrid after the coach was displeased with Van Persie\\'s body language after being asked to warm up for a Champions League qualifier. Van Persie finished his tumultuous first full season with the first team having scored eight goals in a total of 28 appearances, in addition to finishing runner-up in the KNVB Cup.\\nFeyenoord unsuccessfully attempted to extend Van Persie\\'s contract during the off-season, and his deteriorating relationship with Van Marwijk led to his spending most of the 2003–04 season on the bench. He again played 28 matches, but finished with two fewer goals than the previous season. Feyenoord shopped him at the end of the campaign but found few takers due to Van Persie\\'s past disciplinary issues. During the January transfer window, the Eredivisie club opened negotiations with Arsenal, who were seeking a long-term replacement for aging veteran Dennis Bergkamp, but both parties could not agree to terms.\\n\\n\\n=== Arsenal ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2004–05 season ====\\nOn 17 May 2004, Van Persie signed a four-year deal with Arsenal for £2.75 million, just over half of Feyenoord\\'s original asking price of £5 million. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who planned to convert Van Persie from a left winger to a centre forward as he had successfully done with star player Thierry Henry, said of his new acquisition, \"He can play on the left side of midfield, as a creative player behind the main strikers or as a target man.\" Arsenal had further padded their stable of strikers in January by signing Spanish forward José Antonio Reyes, leaving the two to battle for playing time. Van Persie made his debut and won a trophy in the process, as he came on as a substitute in the 3–1 FA Community Shield victory over Manchester United on 8 August 2004. Van Persie spent most of his time on the bench during earlier parts of the 2004–05 season, and marked his first competitive start on 27 October by scoring Arsenal\\'s opening goal in a 2–1 League Cup win over Manchester City.\\n\\nHe was sent off for the first time, however, in an Arsenal shirt on 26 February during a 1–1 road draw with Southampton, following a lunge at left-back Graeme Le Saux, for which Wenger was seen yelling an obscenity at Van Persie from the sidelines. He then later lambasted his charge in the press. \"I do not support Van Persie today, but he did not look out of control at half-time. When the referee has sent off a home player, he is under pressure, so, if any player had to behave, it was him.\" Meanwhile, Telegraph sportswriter Clive White described Van Persie in his match report as \"21 going on nine.\"Van Persie was consequently benched for a number of games, starting with Arsenal\\'s upcoming replay in the FA Cup against Sheffield United, and he was reintroduced into the squad only after Henry was out with a calf injury, and his return to the first team saw him score twice in a Cup semi-final win over Blackburn Rovers. He came on as a substitute in the final and scored one of the penalties in the shootout as Arsenal beat Manchester United. The end of Van Persie\\'s season was disrupted by injury, and he finished with ten goals in 41 appearances in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2005–06 season ====\\nVan Persie\\'s good form at the start of the 2005–06 season earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for November 2005 after eight goals in eight starts, and he was rewarded with a five-year contract extension until 2011 on 4 January. Two days after signing the contract, however, Van Persie was again hit by injury when an opponent stepped on his foot and broke his toe during an FA Cup match against Cardiff.Van Persie played the next three matches with a hole cut into his shoe to alleviate the pain until he was finally rested for Arsenal\\'s Premier League match against West Ham United on 1 February. He was an unused substitute in Arsenal\\'s first Champions League final appearance, a 2–1 loss to Barcelona.\\n\\n\\n==== 2006–07 season ====\\nThe beginning of the 2006–07 season included an airborne volley against Charlton Athletic that Wenger called \"the goal of a lifetime\" and was later named BBC Sport\\'s Goal of the Month for September, and he capped off the calendar year by being named the 2006 Rotterdam Sportsman of the Year. His season, however, ended early for the second time in his career on 21 January, when he fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot while celebrating his late equalizer in a match against Manchester United.\\nAlthough Van Persie was injured for a large part of the season he still managed to finish as Arsenal\\'s top goalscorer with 13 goals in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2007–08 season ====\\nAfter Henry departed for Barcelona prior to the 2007–08 season, Van Persie assumed the role as Arsenal\\'s main striker. Following a streak of seven goals in ten regular-season games, Van Persie was sidelined for two months with a knee injury suffered on international duty. He made his comeback in Arsenal\\'s Champions League group stage win over Steaua București on 12 December and made his Premier League return in the win against Chelsea over the weekend. He picked up, however, a recurrent injury that kept him sidelined until January when he played 45 minutes in a League Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur. He was withdrawn at half-time following another injury scare and featured sporadically throughout the rest of the campaign.\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–09 season ====\\nVan Persie opened his 2008–09 account on 31 August with a brace in Arsenal\\'s 3–0 league victory over Newcastle United. On 29 October, he scored his fiftieth career Arsenal goal in a 4–4 home draw with North London derby rivals Tottenham, but was hit with his first red card of the season on 1 November after knocking down goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen with a shoulder charge in a 2–1 loss to Stoke City. Sørensen later admitted to \"teasing\" Van Persie in an attempt to provoke a reaction. On 30 November, he scored a brace against Chelsea to help Arsenal come from behind and pick up a 2–1 victory at Stamford Bridge. On 21 December 2008, he scored a spectacular goal against Liverpool, which was later named the second BBC Goal of the Month of his career. With captain Cesc Fàbregas injured and regular stand-in skipper Manuel Almunia rested, Van Persie captained Arsenal for the first time on 3 January 2009 for the club\\'s 3–1 FA Cup third round victory over Plymouth Argyle. Van Persie scored Arsenal\\'s first and third goals, while the second was a result of his cross being deflected into the net by a Plymouth player for an own goal.In January 2009, every Arsenal goal that month was either scored or assisted by Van Persie, which earned him the club\\'s Player of the Month award. His most inspirational display being against Hull City, where he struck the post with a freekick, and provided three assists to his teammates; he later received the Man of the Match award. On 24 February, Van Persie scored a crucial penalty that earned Arsenal a 1–0 win over Roma in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 encounter, after he was fouled by defender Philippe Mexès. He followed it up with a fifth Champions League goal by converting another penalty against Villarreal in a 3–0 victory.\\nOn the final day of the Premier League, Van Persie scored a brace against Stoke City, which guaranteed him for the second time in his career as Arsenal\\'s top scorer. He had his best season overall for Arsenal as he scored 11 Premier League goals, along with a league-leading 11 assists and a career best of 20 goals in all competitions. Van Persie was named the 2008–09 Arsenal.com Player of the Season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10 season ====\\nWith only one year remaining of his contract, Van Persie was in negotiations with Arsenal about an extension for several months in 2009. Finally, it was announced in July that he had signed a new long-term contract with his club, stating, \"My heart is with Arsenal and I just can\\'t picture myself in a different shirt.\" The departure of Emmanuel Adebayor also meant that the Dutchman was now the main striker in Wenger\\'s 4–3–3 system. Van Persie started the 2009–10 season with two assists in the first match against Everton, which led to a 6–1 victory. As one of the first choice penalty and corner takers, he has set up many of Arsenal\\'s goals, including Thomas Vermaelen\\'s debut goal against Everton. He scored his first goal of the season in the 4–2 loss at Eastlands to Manchester City, where he later had his head stomped on by former teammate Adebayor (an act the referee failed to notice, but the FA later charged Adebayor with violent conduct and served him with a three-game suspension).He then scored goals against Olympiacos, Fulham, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, West Ham United, and Tottenham. Van Persie\\'s excellent form in October did not go unrecognised as he was named Premier League Player of the Month for October, his second such award. On 14 November, however, he injured his ankle in an international friendly and was initially expected to be out for six weeks, but further tests showed that he would be out of action for five months. Van Persie made his return on 14 April, in a 2–1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. He then scored a header against Blackburn Rovers in the 2–1 defeat, and a goal assisted by Theo Walcott in the 4–0 win over Fulham in the last league game of 2009–10 season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11 season ====\\nBefore the start of the 2010–11 season, Van Persie changed his squad number to 10, previously worn by Arsenal and Netherlands legend Dennis Bergkamp. He made his 200th appearance on 28 August but an ankle injury suffered in the same game placed him on the sidelines once again. He returned as a substitute for Arsenal\\'s 1–0 home defeat to Newcastle United on 7 November.\\nOn 1 January 2011, Van Persie scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 away win over Birmingham City. On 15 January, he added two more goals to his tally in a comfortable 3–0 win over West Ham. This made him only the fourth Dutchman to reach 50 goals in England\\'s top division. Van Persie scored his first career hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Wigan Athletic on 22 January and two goals against Newcastle United in a 4–4 draw on 5 February. Continuing his fine form, he hit a brace the following week against Wolverhampton Wanderers scoring both Arsenal goals in a 2–0 win including a volley from inside the box. The ten goals he scored between 1 January and 12 February set a new Premier League record for most goals scored in the first two months of a calendar year.Van Persie set the Emirates alight with a goal from an almost impossible angle in Arsenal\\'s fightback against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, which ended 2–1 in favour of the Gunners. On 27 February 2011, Van Persie captained Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in the League Cup final, scoring the first-half equalizer for the Gunners. It was his first goal at Wembley and his first in a cup final for Arsenal. However, he was later taken off in the second half with a knee injury he picked up while scoring the goal.\\n\\nOn 1 March 2011, he was ruled out for three weeks, which would see him miss the Champions League return leg with Barcelona. However, he recovered in time for the return leg at Camp Nou. During the game, he received a yellow card in the first half for a foul. In the second half, he was controversially sent off after receiving a second yellow card when the referee, Massimo Busacca, deemed him to be time-wasting by taking a shot at goal after the whistle was blown (one second earlier) for offside. Barcelona went on to score twice more and advanced to the quarter finals on a 4–3 aggregate result. Afterwards, Van Persie branded Busacca\\'s decision as a \"total joke\", claiming that with the noise of the 95,000-strong crowd he could not hear the whistle. On 19 March 2011, he scored the equalizing goal in a 2–2 against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns. The match finished 2–2 with Arsenal still five points behind the current leaders, Manchester United.\\nOn 10 April 2011 in a match against Blackpool, Van Persie put in a Man of the Match performance to give Arsenal a crucial 3–1 win as he set up a goal and scored the third. On 24 April 2011, he became the first player to score in seven successive Premier League away games when he scored against Bolton, beating Didier Drogba\\'s record who was on six successive away games, between August and November 2009. However, the Gunners lost 2–1, all but ending their title hopes. On 1 May he assisted Aaron Ramsey who scored the winning goal against league leaders Manchester United to add a twist to the Premier League. Van Persie was named Premier League Player of the Month for April.On 8 May 2011, Arsenal lost 3–1 against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. Van Persie scored the goal for Arsenal and extended his Premier League record by scoring in an eighth successive away match. In the last home game of the season, he scored against Aston Villa, but Arsenal lost the match 2–1. In the last game of the season away to Fulham, he managed to score in his ninth consecutive away match, bringing his goal tally for the season to a personal record of 18 league goals. He also equalled the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry by scoring 18 league goals from the turn of the year to the end of the season. He ended the season just two goals behind joint league top scorers, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov in the race for the golden boot, despite being injured for half of the season. He was voted as the second best player of the 2010–11 season on Arsenal\\'s official website and also received the team\\'s Goal of the Season award for his audacious strike in the 2–1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12 season ====\\nHaving been appointed vice-captain for the 2010–11 season, Van Persie was promoted to club captain following the transfer of Cesc Fàbregas to FC Barcelona at the start of the 2011–12 season. On 24 August, Van Persie scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season in the second leg of Arsenal\\'s 2–1 away victory against Udinese in a Champions League play off match. On 24 September 2011, he scored twice against Bolton Wanderers to raise his tally for Arsenal to 100 goals, becoming the 17th Arsenal player to reach this milestone.\\nOn 16 October 2011, he scored the fastest goal of the 2011–12 Premier League season, 28 seconds into a home match against Sunderland. He went on to score a late winner from a curling left foot free kick, to put Arsenal 2–1 ahead. After the match, Van Persie stated his dedication to the club after speculation surrounding a future transfer away from the Emirates. On 23 October, he came on as a substitute in the 66th minute replacing Marouane Chamakh and scored two goals against Stoke City. The match ended 3–1 with another home win for Arsenal.He then continued his scoring run for Arsenal on 29 October by scoring a hat-trick in Arsenal\\'s 5–3 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Due to his consistent performances and good goal-scoring form, Van Persie was named the Premier League Player of the Month for October 2011. He continued scoring as he scored Arsenal\\'s opening goal of the match in their 3–0 win over West Bromwich Albion on 5 November along with two assists. After the international break, he scored both Arsenal goals against Norwich City to help the Gunners to a 2–1 win on 19 November 2011. In Van Persie\\'s fifth Champions League match of the season he scored twice in the 49th and 86th minutes to lift Arsenal to a 2–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund and to qualify Arsenal for the knockout phase on 23 November 2011.After failing to score against Fulham, Van Persie scored again for Arsenal, this time against Wigan Athletic to make the score 4–0 to Arsenal on 3 December 2011. He then added to his tally with the only goal of the game against Everton, an exquisite volley from an Alex Song long ball. The following match, versus Aston Villa, saw him score a penalty and provide an assist. Van Persie\\'s final goal of the 2011 calendar year came in Arsenal\\'s one-goal win over Queens Park Rangers on the last day of the year. The goal took his tally for the year to 35 goals, one short of Alan Shearer\\'s Premier League record.The following calendar year started in the same fashion for Van Persie, but Arsenal began to falter, losing three consecutive matches against Fulham, Manchester United and Swansea City, even though the Dutchman scored in the latter two. On 29 January, he rescued his team, scoring two penalties against Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup to help Arsenal to a 3–2 win after falling 2–0 down in a Man of the Match performance. It was also his 120th goal in an Arsenal shirt, equalling fellow Dutch legend Dennis Bergkamp\\'s total. On 4 February, he overtook Bergkamp as the 10th-highest scorer in Arsenal\\'s history, scoring another hat-trick as Arsenal beat Blackburn 7–1 at home, with three close-range goals from crosses by Theo Walcott and Francis Coquelin. He was also credited with two assists in the game as he set up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain\\'s first Premier League goal and unselfishly passed to Thierry Henry enabling him to score his first Premier League goal since returning on loan.With Arsenal in unpredictable form, Van Persie was again of supreme importance for Arsenal, this time in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, played on 26 February. Arsenal went 2–0 down at half in the first half, but Van Persie equalised before half-time. In the second half, he gave the assist to Walcott\\'s goal as Arsenal performed a remarkable comeback to win the game 5–2. A week later, Van Persie scored both goals in a 2–1 away win at Liverpool, one being a left-footed volley assisted by Alex Song, similar to the goal he scored against Everton earlier in the campaign. On 11 April 2012, after scoring the penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3–0 away win, he became only the second player, after Ian Wright, to score against 17 Premier League clubs in a 20-team campaign. He finished as the top goal-scorer in the Premier League with 30 goals, and became Arsenal\\'s 8th all-time top scorer with 132 goals.On 4 July 2012, Van Persie announced that he would not be signing a new contract with Arsenal.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13 season ====\\n\\nOn 15 August 2012, Arsenal announced they had agreed terms with Manchester United for his transfer, but Van Persie had yet to agree to personal terms with the club. On 17 August, Van Persie transferred to Manchester United for an initial £22.5 million, with an additional £1.5 million to follow if United won a Premier League or Champions League title within the next four years. He signed a four-year contract, keeping him at the club until June 2016. Van Persie chose the number 20 shirt after assistant coach Rene Meulensteen convinced him that he would help secure Manchester United\\'s 20th league title.He made his debut on 20 August, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for Danny Welbeck in a 1–0 loss to Everton. Five days later, with his first shot for the club, he scored his first Manchester United goal, United\\'s first in a 3–2 home victory over Fulham. On 2 September 2012, he scored his first hat-trick for United in another 3–2 victory over Southampton, helping pull United back from a 2–1 deficit; his third goal was his 100th in the Premier League. Van Persie netted a late penalty on 23 September to give United a 2–1 away win at Anfield against Liverpool, and opened his European account with the club, scoring a brace in the 2–1 away win against CFR Cluj, with both goals assisted by Wayne Rooney.\\nOn 20 October, Van Persie scored United\\'s second goal in a 4–2 win over Stoke City, opening up his body and guiding a cross into the far corner with his left foot. In the next Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, he scored his seventh goal in the league, with a sidefoot finish from Antonio Valencia\\'s driven cross to put United 2–0 up. He also played a part in the first goal, firing a shot against the post that cannoned off David Luiz and into the net, in a 3–2 United win. On 3 November, he scored against his former club Arsenal in a 2–1 victory. This meant that he had scored against all 20 current Premier League clubs. On 9 December, Van Persie scored a last minute winner from a deflected free kick in a 3–2 victory over Manchester City, his Manchester derby debut. This goal ended City\\'s unbeaten Premier League record in the 2012–13 season and also their unbeaten home record extending into the previous season.\\nAfter scoring against Everton on 10 February 2013, Van Persie went ten games without scoring, finally ending his barren run when he scored a penalty against Stoke on 14 April. Against Queens Park Rangers on 23 February, he had to be substituted after falling against a television camera and injuring a hip, but was fit for United\\'s next match.\\n\\nOn 22 April, he netted a first-half hat-trick against Aston Villa, confirming Manchester United\\'s 20th league title with four games in hand. His second goal came from a Rooney pass from behind the halfway line, which he volleyed into the net from outside the box. Supporters of Manchester United voted Van Persie as the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season. Van Persie was nominated by UEFA into the 10-man shortlist for the 2012–13 Best Player in Europe award.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14 season ====\\nVan Persie kick-started his new campaign by scoring both of Manchester United\\'s goals in their 2–0 win against Wigan Athletic in the Community Shield, securing David Moyes\\' first honour as club manager. He scored twice more in the first Premier League match of the season, against Swansea City, for the first of which \"he chested it down and executed a crisp, instant scissor-kick into the net\". On 19 March 2014, Van Persie scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Olympiacos in the second leg of the Champions League second round to send United through to the quarter-finals 3–2 on aggregate.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15 season ====\\nVan Persie scored his first goal for the season in his fourth league appearance in a 5–3 defeat to Leicester City on 21 September 2014. He scored again in the next game against West Ham United, helping United win the game 2–1. On 26 October 2014, against Chelsea, Van Persie scored a late equaliser to earn a point for United. In the dying minutes of injury time, Marouane Fellaini\\'s header from Ángel Di María\\'s free-kick was saved by Thibaut Courtois, and Van Persie smashed in the rebound to equalise. Van Persie celebrated the goal by taking his shirt off and was booked for his actions. His goal celebration was also labelled \"stupid\" by United coach Louis van Gaal.On 11 January 2015, he suffered an ankle injury in a 1–0 home defeat to Southampton. Following Manchester United\\'s defeat to West Bromwich Albion, which saw Van Persie miss a penalty, he was stripped of his penalty-taking duties by Van Gaal.\\n\\n\\n=== Fenerbahçe ===\\nOn 14 July 2015, Van Persie joined Turkish side Fenerbahçe on a three-year deal for a fee claimed by Fenerbahçe to be £3.84 million. He was assigned the number 10 shirt. He and his former United teammate Nani debuted two weeks later in a goalless home draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the third qualifying round of the season\\'s Champions League, with Van Persie a 68th-minute substitute for Moussa Sow. His league debut came on 14 August as a 60th-minute substitute for Fernandão in a 2–0 win at Eskişehirspor. Six days later, he scored his first goal for his new club: as a late substitute for Sow, he headed the only goal away to Atromitos Athens in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs, with his first of only two touches in the entire match. Van Persie scored his first domestic goal for the club on his first start on 23 August, finishing Nani\\'s pass for the opening goal in a 1–1 draw at Çaykur Rizespor.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Feyenoord ===\\nOn 19 January 2018, Van Persie agreed to return to Feyenoord after cancelling his contract with Fenerbahçe. On 28 February, van Persie scored his 300th career goal in a victory that put Feyenoord into the 2017–18 KNVB Cup final. He also scored in the final later on 22 April as Feyenoord defeated 3–0 AZ Alkmaar to claim their 13th trophy.In October 2018 he announced he would retire from football at the end of the 2018–19 season. On 3 March 2019 he scored his first hat-trick in the Eredivisie in a 4–0 win against FC Emmen.On 12 May 2019, Van Persie played his last professional match as a footballer in a 2–0 home defeat against ADO Den Haag. He nearly played the entire match before being replaced by Dylan Vente in the 93rd minute of extra time. Feyenoord coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst had previously confirmed that this would be Van Persie\\'s last match despite having one matchday left in that season\\'s Eredivisie.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== U21 career ===\\nVan Persie was a U-21 international and took part in the 2004 and 2006 European Championship qualifying. Van Persie was used in a wider role as a left wing due to the preference of the experienced Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the striker role. The Jong Oranje failed to qualify for the 2004 tournament and Van Persie did not participate in the latter as he was already in the senior squad for the FIFA World Cup. He earned his first caps for the Netherlands in less than the span of a week, first in a 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Romania on 4 June 2005, and in another qualifier four days later against Finland, which saw him pick up his first international goal in a 4–0 victory.\\n\\n\\n=== 2006 FIFA World Cup ===\\nDespite not being a regular starter for Arsenal, Van Persie was part of coach Marco van Basten\\'s roster for the 2006 World Cup finals. He played in all four of the Netherlands\\' matches and scored his only goal in the group stage against Ivory Coast via a free kick as Oranje were eliminated in the Round of 16.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2008 ===\\nVan Persie scored a team-best four UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying goals, and was deployed as a winger behind lone striker Ruud van Nistelrooy during the tournament after Van Basten decided to change to a 4–2–3–1 formation. As Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart were preferred in the midfield, Van Persie was left to battle with Arjen Robben for the remaining spot on the wing. On 13 June, he scored as a 55th-minute substitute in a 4–1 Group C victory over 2006 World Cup finalists France, and started the next match against Romania, scoring off a pass from Demy de Zeeuw with an excellent volley into the back of the net. He finished with two goals as the Netherlands finished atop their group but again suffered a first knock-out round, second-stage elimination.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 FIFA World Cup ===\\nIn the 2010 World Cup qualifying process, the Netherlands graduated from Group 9 with a 100% record.\\nVan Persie was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk announced that he was in the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.Van Persie was in the starting line-up for their first match in the competition, a 2–0 victory over Denmark. On 24 June, he scored the first goal against Cameroon in a 2–1 win to ensure that the Netherlands finished as group winners, and was officially named the man of the match. He started every match for Oranje, though he did not increase his goal tally in the following matches. Oranje reached the 2010 World Cup Final, in which he was on the losing side due to Andrés Iniesta\\'s extra time goal.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2012 ===\\nOn 2 September 2011, Van Persie scored four goals in a record-breaking 11–0 victory in UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group E over San Marino. He entered the Dutch national team\\'s top 10 all-time topscorer ranking with a tally of 25 goals, dislodging Marco van Basten in the process. Van Persie had not scored four goals in a single match for a long while. Van Persie contributed six goals in total during qualifying.\\n\\nOn 13 June 2012, Van Persie scored the Dutch goal in a 2–1 loss to Germany in the European Championship group stage. Having missed two earlier chances, he picked up the ball near the halfway line, turned and ran at the German defence, before firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area. \\n\\n\\n=== 2014 FIFA World Cup ===\\nVan Persie ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as top scorer in the UEFA section with 11 goals. In June 2013, he was appointed captain of the Dutch national team by manager Louis van Gaal. On 11 October 2013, he became the Netherlands\\' top goalscorer of all time in an 8–1 defeat of Hungary, the Dutch\\'s penultimate Group D match, where he scored a hat-trick. This put him on 41 goals in 80 internationals, surpassing the record previously held by Patrick Kluivert.In the team\\'s opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Van Persie captained the Netherlands to a 5–1 win over champions Spain in Salvador. He scored twice in the match, one of which was a flying header which was later nominated for FIFA Puskás Award for the most beautiful goal of the year. He was also named man of the match by FIFA. On 18 June, he scored his third goal of the tournament in a 3–2 defeat of Australia, a result that qualified the Netherlands to the knockout stage with one group match remaining.In the quarter-final, Van Persie scored the Netherlands\\' first kick in a 4–3 penalty shootout defeat of Costa Rica. He scored his fourth goal of the tournament from a penalty kick in a 3–0 win against Brazil in the third-place play-off. Van Persie was the only player since 1966 in World Cup history to score with his left foot, right foot, and head, as well as scoring from a free kick and a penalty kick.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2016 ===\\nOn 28 August 2015, Van Persie was replaced by Arjen Robben as captain of the national team. He replaced Huntelaar for the final three minutes of a 2–1 away win over Kazakhstan in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying on 10 October, his 100th appearance for the Netherlands. In doing so, Van Persie became the eighth Dutchman to reach the milestone. Three days later, in their final group game, Van Persie came on as a 38th-minute substitute for Jaïro Riedewald away to the Czech Republic and scored an own goal which handed the Czechs victory, despite scoring later on in a 3–2 defeat. The result meant that the Dutch did not qualify for an international tournament for the first time since 2002.\\n\\n\\n== Coaching career ==\\nIn May 2020, a year after his retirement, Van Persie became an assistant-coach to Dick Advocaat at his former club Feyenoord, where he would help train the club\\'s strikers in an unofficial role. In May 2021, Feyenoord announced that Van Persie would officially join the club from the start of the 2021–22 season in a supporting role as a field coach, while also becoming the co-head coach at the club\\'s under-16 team. For the 2023–24 season, Van Persie was promoted to co-head coach of the club\\'s under-18 team, as well as the under-19 team in the 2023–24 UEFA Youth League.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nVan Persie was born in Rotterdam to an artistic family. His mother, José Ras, is a painter and jewellery designer who also teaches special needs children. His father, Bob, is a sculptor. After Van Persie\\'s parents divorced he was brought up by his father. At school, Van Persie had serious problems with his behaviour and was excluded from class almost daily.After joining Arsenal in England, Van Persie settled in Hampstead, an affluent suburb of north London. Van Persie is married to Bouchra (née Elbali), who is Moroccan, and the couple have two children, a son named Shaqueel, born in 2006, and daughter Dina, born in 2009. When asked if this caused him to convert to Islam, Van Persie said, \"It\\'s not true. I am not a Muslim, nor a Christian or a Jew. I have been raised liberally. If you want to become a Muslim it should come from the heart. I would not do it just to please my wife. To believe for me is a quest for being a good man.\"\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\n\\nVan Persie started his senior club career as a left winger and possessed an exceptional ball control and was also a talented striker of the ball. He was bought by Arsenal as a long-term replacement for Dennis Bergkamp. Manager Arsène Wenger planned to convert Van Persie from a left winger to a central forward as he had successfully done with star player Thierry Henry. He was at first mostly deployed as a supporting forward in League Cup and FA Cup matches. Due to the retirement of Bergkamp and departure of Freddie Ljungberg, Van Persie was given a starting role to play alongside Henry as a second striker upfront.\\nThe departure of Emmanuel Adebayor and Henry meant the Dutchman was now the main striker in Wenger\\'s 4–3–3 system and very successfully played further upfront as a pure striker, winning the Premier League Golden Boot twice in a row. Van Persie is also a set piece specialist and a vast number of his assists come from both corners and freekicks. He is also a proven direct freekick taker scoring regularly for his club and country. He was also occasionally deployed as a false-9 throughout is career, seemingly as a centre-forward, but given the freedom to drop deep.\\n\\n\\n== Sponsorship ==\\nVan Persie has a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier, Adidas. Having previously worn Adidas Predator football boots he made the transition to the Adidas F50 adiZero boots in 2013.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nFeyenoord\\n\\nUEFA Cup: 2001–02\\nKNVB Cup: 2017–18; runner-up: 2002–03\\nJohan Cruyff Shield: 2018Arsenal\\n\\nFA Cup: 2004–05\\nFA Community Shield: 2004\\nUEFA Champions League runner-up: 2005–06\\nFootball League Cup runner-up: 2010–11Manchester United\\n\\nPremier League: 2012–13\\nFA Community Shield: 2013Fenerbahçe\\n\\nTurkish Cup runner-up: 2015–16Netherlands\\n\\nFIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010; third place: 2014Individual\\n\\nDutch Football Talent of the Year: 2001–02\\nKNVB Best Young Talent Award: 2001–02\\nPremier League Player of the Month: November 2005, October 2009, October 2011, December 2012, April 2013\\nBBC Goal of the Month: September 2006, December 2008, December 2011, August 2012, April 2013\\nMost assists in the Premier League: 2008–09 (shared)\\nPremier League Golden Boot Landmark Award: 2011–12 (10 goals), 2011–12 (20 goals), 2011–12 (30 goals)\\nPremier League Golden Boot: 2011–12, 2012–13\\nPFA Players\\' Player of the Year: 2011–12\\nPFA Fans\\' Player of the Year: 2012\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2011–12 Premier League, 2012–13 Premier League\\nFWA Footballer of the Year: 2011–12\\nESM Team of the Year: 2011–12\\nArsenal Player of the Season: 2008–09, 2011–12\\nSir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2012–13\\nBBC Goal of the Season: 2012–13\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI shortlist: 2011, 2012, 2013\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 2nd team: 2013\\nPremier League 100 Club\\'s Greatest Goal Award\\nNetherlands all-time top goalscorer: 50 goals\\nManchester United Goal of the Season: 2012–13 (vs. Aston Villa, 22 April 2013)\\n2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Top scorer (11 goals)\\nFIFA Puskás Award (3rd place) 2014\\nEredivisie Player of the Month: August 2018\\n\\n\\n== Records ==\\n\\n\\n=== Arsenal ===\\nMost goals in a 38-game league season: 30 goals (in the Premier League, 2011–12)\\nMost goals in a calendar year (35), 2011–12\\nMost goals scored at the Emirates Stadium: (64)\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\nOnly player to score two 90th-minute winning goals in the Premier League (shared with two players) 2012/13\\nThe third-fewest matches needed for a player to reach 15 goals (21 matches, behind only Ruud van Nistelrooy (19 matches), Dwight Yorke (20 matches)\\n\\n\\n=== Feyenoord ===\\nThe oldest player in Eredivisie history with two goals in a Klassieker (35 years, 174 days).\\n\\n\\n=== Premier League ===\\nMost Premier League goals scored from the turn of the year to the end of the season (18) 2010/11 (shared with Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo)\\nNumber of teams scored against in a season: 17, joint record:\\n20-team league:Ian Wright (Arsenal, 1996–97)\\nRobin van Persie (Arsenal, 2011–12)\\nMohamed Salah (Liverpool, 2017–18)\\nMost consecutive away league matches scored in: 9, Robin van Persie (for Arsenal, 1 January 2011 to 22 May 2011)\\nHighest goal-scoring Dutch player in Premier League (144 goals)\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n2014 FIFA World Cup – Only player since 1966 to score with his left foot, right foot, and head, as well as scoring from a free kick and a penalty kick.\\nNetherlands male national team all-time top scorer (50)\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of men\\'s association football players with 50 or more international goals\\nList of footballers with 100 or more caps\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nRobin van Persie – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nRobin van Persie at WorldFootball.net \\nRobin van Persie – statistics for the Netherlands on voetbalstats.nl (in Dutch)\\nRobin van Persie at Soccerbase \\nRobin van Persie at Wereld van Oranje (archived) (in Dutch) \\nRobin van Persie at the Turkish Football Federation\\nANDREA PIRLOAndrea Pirlo (Italian pronunciation: [anˈdrɛːa ˈpirlo]; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Serie B club Sampdoria. Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all-time, Pirlo was renowned for his vision, ball control, technique, creativity, passing, and free kick ability.Pirlo began his club career in 1995 as an attacking midfielder with hometown club Brescia, winning the Serie B in 1997. He signed for Serie A club Inter Milan a year later, but limited game time and loans away from the club saw him transfer to cross-city rivals AC Milan in 2001. There, Pirlo matured into a world-class player in a deep-lying playmaker role, and he then won two Serie A titles, two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, a FIFA Club World Cup, a Coppa Italia, and a Supercoppa Italiana. He departed for Juventus in 2011, where he won four consecutive Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and another Coppa Italia. In 2015, Pirlo joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York City FC, where he played for two years before retiring in 2017.\\nAt international level, Pirlo played 116 matches for the Italy national football team, which is the fifth-most of all time. He made his senior debut in 2002, and captained his nation to a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. Pirlo was instrumental in Italy\\'s triumph at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, winning the Bronze Ball and being elected to the Team of the Tournament. He repeated similar success as he led Italy to the UEFA Euro 2012 final. Pirlo also represented his country at the 2004 and 2008 UEFA European Championships, the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and the 2009 and 2013 FIFA Confederations Cups.\\nPirlo finished in the top four five times in the IFFHS World\\'s Best Playmaker award between 2006 and 2015. He placed fourth for UEFA Best Player in Europe in 2011, and seventh in 2015. He was named Serie A Footballer of the Year three times and voted to the Serie A Team of the Year four times. Pirlo was elected to UEFA Team of the Year in 2012, the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season in 2015, and was part of the FIFPro World XI in 2006. He also placed seventh for the 2007 FIFA World Player, finished in the top ten three times for the Ballon d\\'Or, and was named an MLS All-Star in 2016. In 2019, Pirlo was elected into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.\\nFollowing his retirement, Pirlo was appointed as head coach at Serie C club Juventus U23 on 30 July 2020. He took charge of the first team nine days later, and won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in his debut season, before being dismissed in 2021.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Brescia, Inter Milan and Reggina ===\\n\\n\\n==== 1992–2001: Early years and realisation of role ====\\nPirlo was born in Flero in the province of Brescia. He began his career with the Flero youth team, later moving to Voluntas, and subsequently joined the youth sector of local club Brescia in 1992, where he initially played predominantly as a supporting forward. In 1995, at the age of 16, Pirlo made his Serie A debut for Brescia against Reggiana, on 21 May, becoming Brescia\\'s youngest player to make an appearance in Serie A. He was promoted by his coach Mircea Lucescu. The following season, he did not appear with the senior team, although he was able to capture the Torneo di Viareggio with the youth team. After breaking into the Brescia first team during the 1996–97 Serie B season, he helped the club to gain Serie A promotion the following season by winning the Serie B title. He scored his first goal in Serie A during the 1997–98 season, in a 4–0 home win over Vicenza on 19 October 1997.Due to his performances with Brescia, Pirlo was spotted by Inter Milan coach Lucescu, who signed the playmaker. Pirlo was unable to break into the first squad permanently, however, and Inter finished eighth in the 1998–99 Serie A campaign. Inter loaned Pirlo to Reggina for the 1999–2000 season, alongside young Inter teammates Roberto Baronio and Mohamed Kallon. After an impressive season, he returned to Inter but was once again unable to break into the first team, making just four league appearances. He spent the second half of the 2000–01 season on loan at his former club, Brescia, where he played alongside his childhood idol, offensive playmaker Roberto Baggio. As Baggio occupied the attacking midfield role for Brescia, manager Carlo Mazzone made a ground-breaking decision, becoming the first coach to deploy Pirlo as a deep-lying playmaker, rather than as an offensive midfielder, a deeper creative role in which he particularly excelled, due to his long passing ability. Despite initially struggling against relegation that season, Brescia would eventually manage a comfortable seventh-place finish in Serie A, also reaching the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, qualifying for the 2001 Intertoto Cup. A notable moment in Pirlo\\'s Brescia career was his long pass which assisted Baggio\\'s late equaliser against Juventus at the Stadio delle Alpi, on 1 April 2001.\\n\\n\\n=== AC Milan ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2001–2004: Domestic and European success ====\\nAfter three seasons on the Inter books, Pirlo was sold to rivals AC Milan for 33 billion Italian lire (€17,043,078) on 30 June 2001, the last day of 2000–01 financial year. The transfer fee was partially funded by the movement of Dražen Brnčić in the opposite direction for an undisclosed fee. In the same window Inter swapped Cristian Brocchi (25 billion lire; €12.9 million) for Guly (undisclosed fee; €8.537 million profit) and Matteo Bogani for Paolo Ginestra. The deals were later reported by the Italian press to have been undertaken to create \"false profit\" by inflating the players\\' values in the transfer fees in the swap deal. The exchange involving Ginestra and Bogani created an approximate €3.5 million \"profit\" for both clubs, but this actually manifested itself in terms of useless registration rights.It was at Milan, in particular under manager Carlo Ancelotti, where Pirlo made big strides in developing into a world class player, and one of the best deep-lying playmakers and set-piece specialists in the world, as he went on to achieve notable domestic and international success during his time with the club. Pirlo later recalled the period he has spent in Milan with Ancelotti: \"He changed my career, putting me in front of the defence. We shared some unforgettable moments. We had a magnificent past together.\" After Mazzone\\'s pioneering decision to move Pirlo into a deep-seated playmaking role with Brescia during the previous season, Milan managers Fatih Terim and, in particular, Carlo Ancelotti further developed this role for him at Milan. In Ancelotti\\'s 4–3–1–2 and 4–3–2–1 formations, Pirlo was deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in front of the defence, which allowed him to play alongside other talented attacking midfielders, such as Rivaldo, Rui Costa and eventually Kaká, replacing the gap left by Milan legend Demetrio Albertini in the deep midfield playmaking role. He would become an integral part of the Rossoneri\\'s midfield, forming a formidable partnership with Gennaro Gattuso, as well as with Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini, who also supported his playmaking role defensively. Pirlo was given the nickname the metronome during his time at the club, for the way in which he set the team\\'s rhythm.Pirlo made his Milan debut on 20 September 2001, in a 2–0 win over BATE Borisov in the UEFA Cup, after coming on for Massimo Donati. During his first season with the club, he helped the team to a fourth-place finish UEFA Champions League qualification spot, also reaching the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, the club\\'s best ever result in the competition. On 30 March 2002, he scored his first goal with Milan in a 3–1 home win over Parma, from a free kick.\\nPirlo led Serie A in the 2002–03 season in four categories – passes played (2589), ball possession (123 hours played and 39 minutes), successful balls (661), and successful passes (2093); he averaged almost 90 passes per game throughout the season. During this season, his second with the club, he also managed a career best of 9 goals in Serie A, as Milan finished the league in third place, also winning the Coppa Italia over Roma, and the UEFA Champions League, beating out Italian rivals and 2003 Serie A champions Juventus in the final 3–2 on penalties, following a 0–0 draw after extra-time. The following season saw Pirlo win the 2003 UEFA Super Cup with Milan over Porto, although the Rossoneri lost to Juventus on penalties in the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana following a 1–1 draw after extra time; during the match, Pirlo scored on a penalty in extra time, and once again in the shoot-out. Milan would also miss out on the 2003 Intercontinental Cup, losing out on penalties once again, to Boca Juniors, following a 1–1 draw after extra-time; on this occasion, Pirlo missed his penalty in the shoot-out, after previously setting up Milan\\'s opening goal of the match. Pirlo would celebrate winning his first Serie A title with Milan during the 2003–04 season however, following up the scudetto with the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana over Lazio.\\n\\n\\n==== 2004–2006: Struggles ====\\nMilan finished as runners up in Serie A to Juventus in the 2004–05 season. In the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Pirlo finished as one of the second highest assist providers with four assists, as he helped Milan to reach the final. In the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final against Liverpool, on 25 May, Pirlo assisted Paolo Maldini\\'s opening goal, after 50 seconds, from a free kick, and combined with Kaká before the Brazilian unleashed Hernán Crespo with a long pass for Milan\\'s third goal before halftime. In the second half, however, Liverpool made a three-goal comeback, sending the match into extra time. After a 3–3 deadlock, the match went to penalties, and Milan were defeated by the English team in the shoot-out. Despite Pirlo\\'s performance throughout the competition and in the final, Pirlo had missed his penalty kick during the shoot-out in the final when it was saved by Jerzy Dudek. Pirlo would later state in his autobiography that the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final defeat on penalties was the worst moment of his career, and that he had considered retiring prematurely following the match:The following season, Milan once again finished in second place behind Juventus in Serie A (before their 30-point deduction due to their involvement in the 2006 Calciopoli scandal), also reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, only to be defeated by eventual champions, Barcelona, and the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. In 2006, Pirlo placed 9th in the Ballon d\\'Or, which was won by his Italy teammate Fabio Cannavaro, and was elected to the 2006 FIFPro World XI.\\n\\n\\n==== 2006–2009: Second UEFA Champions League title ====\\nAndrea has demonstrated all his great talent and worth. When we played together, everything started with him. He always had the great gift of being able to visualise and anticipate plays before everyone else. His vision, what he can do with the ball, and what he\\'s able to create, make him a true superstar. Andrea has something which you don\\'t see very often.\\nPirlo led Milan in minutes played for the 2006–07 season with 2,782 across 52 appearances, as he went on to win his second UEFA Champions League title with Milan, also helping his team to a fourth-place finish in Serie A, and another Coppa Italia semi-final. In the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Manchester United, Pirlo set up Seedorf\\'s goal, as Milan progressed on to the final. In the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final in Athens, Pirlo assisted Inzaghi\\'s first goal from a free kick, helping Milan to defeat Liverpool 2–1, avenging their 2005 final defeat in Istanbul. During the 2007–08 season, Pirlo won his second UEFA Super Cup with Milan, assisting Milan\\'s second goal in the final, and winning the Man of the Match award; he also contributed to the club\\'s first ever FIFA Club World Cup title in 2007, once again setting-up Milan\\'s second goal in the final. In October 2007, he was nominated for the 2007 Ballon d\\'Or, the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year, and the 2007 International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) World\\'s Best Playmaker Awards, but they were all won by Milan teammate Kaká, as Pirlo placed 5th in the Ballon d\\'or, 7th in the FIFA World Player of the Year, and 2nd in the World\\'s Best Playmaker Awards. Despite a strong start, Milan suffered a dip in form during the second half of the season, finishing the league in fifth place, failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League; Milan also suffered eliminations in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League and the Coppa Italia that season. The following season, Milan managed a second-place finish in Serie A, alongside Juventus, and behind local rivals Inter, while they were eliminated in the round of 32 of the UEFA Cup, and the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–2011: Second Scudetto and farewell ====\\nAfter Kaká and Ancelotti left Milan in the summer of 2009, Chelsea tested Milan\\'s resolve by bidding $12 million and Claudio Pizarro for Pirlo. The club rejected the offer and Pirlo was said to be contemplating a transfer request. On 5 August, club owner Silvio Berlusconi decided not to sell Pirlo, who said he was overjoyed and wanted to end his career at Milan. On 21 October 2009, Pirlo scored a notable 30-metre goal in Milan\\'s 3–2 win over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League; Milan were eventually eliminated in the round of 16. Milan finished the season with a 3rd place in Serie A, and a quarter-final finish in the Coppa Italia under new manager Leonardo.The following season saw Milan dominate the league. Milan played host to Genoa on 25 September 2010, with Pirlo providing a lifted ball over the top of the defence to set striker Zlatan Ibrahimović free to score the solitary goal of the game. On 2 October, Pirlo scored a 40-yard goal against Parma to give Milan their first away win of the 2010–11 season. On 14 May 2011, Pirlo appeared in his last match for Milan, coming on as a half-time substitute for Ambrosini as the club celebrated their Serie A title with a 4–1 victory over Cagliari. Four days later, Pirlo confirmed that he would be leaving Milan at the end of the 2010–11 season, after a mutual decision not to renew his contract. In his last season in Milan, Pirlo appeared in the league just 17 times under manager Massimiliano Allegri, notching just one goal and three assists, winning his second Serie A title with Milan that season, also reaching the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League, and in the Coppa Italia semi-final.In total with Milan, Pirlo made 401 appearances, scoring 41 goals. With the club, he won two Serie A titles in 2004 and 2011, as well as two UEFA Champions League titles in 2003 and 2007, also reaching the final in 2005; he also won a Coppa Italia in 2003, a Supercoppa Italiana in 2004, and two UEFA Super Cups in 2003 and 2007, as well as playing a key role in Milan\\'s first ever FIFA Club World Cup title in 2007. During this period, Milan also finished as runners up in Serie A in the 2004–05 and the 2005–06 seasons, as well as finishing second on penalties in the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana, and in the 2003 Intercontinental Cup.\\n\\n\\n=== Juventus ===\\n When Andrea told me that he was joining us, the first thing I thought was: \"God exists\". A player of his level and ability, not to mention that he was free, I think it was the signing of the century!\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–2012: Debut season ====\\nFollowing Pirlo\\'s departure from Milan in 2011, Juventus signed him on a free transfer on a contract until 2014. His debut with Juventus was in a friendly match against Sporting CP, which they lost 2–1. His first competitive match with Juventus was the 2011–12 Serie A opening match against Parma at home, in which he tallied two assists, for Stephan Lichtsteiner and Claudio Marchisio – the latter of which was the first ever goal in the Juventus Stadium –, and completed 110 passes in a 4–1 victory. Antonio Conte played him alongside younger midfielders Marchisio and new signing Arturo Vidal in a three-man midfield, which allowed Pirlo to function creatively as a deep-lying playmaker, while Marchisio and Vidal supported him defensively. Pirlo\\'s first goal for Juventus was a free kick against Catania on 18 February 2012 securing a 3–1 victory for Juventus and put the club back at the top of the Serie A table, above his former club Milan. On 18 March, Pirlo scored in a 5–0 demolition of Fiorentina and after the game dedicated the win to Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest playing for Bolton Wanderers during a match against Tottenham Hotspur the same day.Pirlo finished the season by winning the 2011–12 Serie A title, after helping Juventus to secure a 2–0 victory over Cagliari. He provided the most assists in the Serie A that season, with 13, and he also found the back of the net three times in the league. Pirlo created over 100 chances and completed 2643 passes that season, with an 87% pass completion rate, completing 500 more passes than any other player in Serie A; the only player in the world to have completed more passes than him that season was Xavi. Due to his performances throughout the season, and his key role in leading Juventus to their first Serie A title in nine years, he was named to the Serie A Team of the Year, along with his Juventus midfielder partner Vidal. Pirlo and Juventus also finished runners up to Napoli in the Coppa Italia final that season. Pirlo\\'s fine form in the 2011–12 season, in which he led Juventus to the league title, the Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia Final, as well as leading Italy to the final of Euro 2012, saw him nominated for the 2012 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, in which he finished 4th. He was also elected to be part of the 2012 ESM Team of the Year and the 2012 UEFA Team of the Year.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–2014: Consistent domestic success ====\\nPirlo played in the 2012 Supercoppa Italiana in Beijing on 11 August 2012 against Napoli, helping Juventus to a 4–2 win in extra time. He curled in a free kick to seal a 2–0 defeat of Parma on the opening day of the new Serie A season. The goal caused much controversy, as the Parma players protested that it had not gone over the line, and replays proved inconclusive. In the following league match against Udinese on 2 September, Pirlo helped to win a penalty and assisted Sebastian Giovinco\\'s second goal of the match, as Juventus went on to defeat the home team 4–1. On 29 September, Pirlo opened the scoring when he dispatched a trade mark free kick to send Juventus on their way to a 4–1 defeat of Roma. Pirlo was nominated for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, along with Juventus and Italy teammate Gianluigi Buffon, following their performances throughout the calendar year. Pirlo provided three assists for Juventus during the group stage, helping them to top their group undefeated and advance to the knockout stages for first time since the 2008–09 tournament. Pirlo was also elected the 2012 Serie A Footballer of the Year, as well as the best midfielder of the season, also winning the 2012 Guerin d\\'Oro. He was named as part of the 2012 Serie A team of the Year for his performances. Pirlo also won the Pallone Azzurro, given to the best player of the year in the Italy national team, as well as placing fourth in the IFFHS World\\'s Best Playmaker of the Year Award, and seventh in the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. Pirlo and Juventus retained their Serie A title that season. Juventus were, however, eliminated by Bayern Munich in the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League, and in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia by Lazio; both of these teams were the winners of these respective competitions.Pirlo featured in Juventus\\'s 4–0 win against Lazio in the 2013 Supercoppa Italiana, on 18 August 2013, at the Stadio Olimpico, in Rome. Pirlo helped to create Paul Pogba\\'s opening goal in the twenty-third minute of play. Pirlo was the only Italian player to be nominated for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, and was also nominated for the 2013 FIFPro World XI. On 1 December, Pirlo sustained a knee-ligament injury which would keep him off the field for over a month. On 12 January 2014, Pirlo signed a new contract with Juventus, which will keep him at the club until 2016. On 27 January, Pirlo was named Serie A Footballer of the Year for a second consecutive time, and was once again included in the Serie A Team of the Year. Juventus won their 30th league title that season with a record 102 points and 33 victories; this was also their third consecutive title since Pirlo\\'s arrival. Juventus also reached the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, losing out to Roma. The Turin club suffered a group stage elimination in the UEFA Champions League, but managed a semi-final finish in the UEFA Europa League, losing out to Benfica, with Pirlo scoring a match winning goal from a free kick in the round of 16 against Fiorentina. Pirlo was chosen to be part of the 2013–14 Europa League Team of the Season, for his performances in the competition.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–2015: UEFA Champions League final and departure ====\\nOn 11 June 2014, Pirlo signed a new contract keeping him at Juventus until 2016. Pirlo made his 100th league appearance for Juventus in a 3–2 home win over Roma on 5 October 2014. On 1 November, Pirlo scored Juventus\\'s opening goal from a free kick in a 2–0 win over Empoli, on their 117th anniversary; this was his 26th goal from a free kick in Serie A, putting him two goals behind the all-time record holder, Siniša Mihajlović. On 4 November, Pirlo scored once again from a trademark, curling direct free kick in a 3–2 home win over Olympiacos in a group-stage UEFA Champions League fixture. This was Pirlo\\'s 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League, marking the occasion with his first UEFA Champions League goal with Juventus. On 15 December 2014, Pirlo was named the Serie A Footballer of the Year for the third time in his career, and for the third consecutive year since his arrival at Juventus; he was also named part of the 2014 Serie A Team of the Year. In Juventus\\'s 2–1 home victory over Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, on 24 February 2015, Pirlo left the pitch during the first half of the match, after injuring his right calf, ruling him out for three weeks. Pirlo was called up on 11 April 2015 against Parma following his injury. He returned to the starting line-up on 14 April 2015, helping Álvaro Morata to win a penalty which was later converted by Vidal in a 1–0 victory over Monaco at the Juventus Stadium, in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals; he was replaced by Andrea Barzagli during the second half. On 26 April, Pirlo scored from a free kick in a 2–1 away defeat to local rivals Torino in the \"Derby di Torino\"; this was his 28th goal in Serie A from a free kick, which put him level with Mihajlović as the player with the most goals from free kicks in Serie A history. On 20 May, Pirlo played a part in both of Juventus\\'s goals as the Turin club defeated Lazio 2–1 at the Stadio Olimpico in the 2015 Coppa Italia Final. On 6 June 2015, Pirlo played the entirety of the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final as Juventus were defeated 3–1 by Barcelona at Berlin\\'s Olympiastadion; this was the final game of his Juventus career. Pirlo was named to the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League Squad of the season for his performances.In total, he made 164 appearances for Juventus in all competitions, scoring 19 goals (15 of which were scored from free kicks), also providing 39 assists; 31 of his goals came in Serie A, from 119 appearances. During his four seasons in Turin, he won four Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, and two Supercoppe Italiane, also reaching the fourth UEFA Champions League final of his career during his final season with the club. Over 20 seasons in Italy, he made 493 appearances in Serie A. With 101 assists in the Italian top flight, he is also the fifth–highest assist provider in Serie A history, behind Francesco Totti, Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero, and Gianni Rivera.\\n\\n\\n=== New York City FC ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2015: Playoff disappointment ====\\nOn 6 July 2015, it was announced that Pirlo had completed a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise New York City FC as their third Designated Player. In doing so, he became the highest paid Italian player in all leagues with an $8 million salary, until Graziano Pellè overtook him after moving to Chinese club Shandong Luneng the following year. Pirlo made his debut with the club on 26 July 2015 at Yankee Stadium in New York against Orlando City, coming on as a substitute in the 56th minute; he was involved in his team\\'s third and fourth goals and was booked in the 88th minute as New York won the match 5–3. He made his first start for New York on 1 August, in a 3–2 home defeat to the Montreal Impact. On 12 August, it was announced that Pirlo had placed seventh in the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe. On 13 August he set up a goal for David Villa in a 3–1 home win over D.C. United. In October 2015, Pirlo was named to the 59-player shortlist for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. He finished the 2015 MLS season with 5 assists in 13 appearances, and ended up third in the MLS in minutes per pass, although he failed to score a goal. Despite the presence of Pirlo and two other UEFA Champions League winners, David Villa and Frank Lampard, New York City failed to qualify for the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs at the conclusion of their debut season, which drew criticism from the press; Pirlo in particular drew criticism from the media for his low defensive work-rate. In November, Pirlo became the first MLS player in history to be nominated for the FIFPro World XI.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016: All-Star designation ====\\nPirlo made his first assist of the 2016 MLS season on 30 April, as he set up a goal for David Villa from a corner in a 3–2 home win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. On 18 June, he scored his first MLS goal from a free kick in the 50th minute of a 3–2 home victory over Philadelphia. In July 2016, Pirlo was included in the roster for the 2016 MLS All-Star Game. Pirlo finished his second MLS season with the club with one goal and a team seasonal best of eleven assists in 32 appearances, as New York City finished in second place in the Eastern Conference, and qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time ever, clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference semi-final. He was ruled out of the first leg, however, after sustaining a last-minute calf injury, and New York lost the match 2–0 away to Toronto. He appeared in the second leg on 6 November, as New York were eliminated from the Playoffs 7–0 on aggregate, following a 5–0 home defeat to Toronto.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017: Retirement ====\\nAfter struggling with persisting physical problems for most of the 2017 MLS season, on 8 October 2017, Pirlo announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the season; in total, he was limited to only 15 appearances and two assists during the 2017 MLS regular season. He made his final professional appearance on 5 November, coming on as a 90th-minute substitute in a 2–0 home win over Columbus Crew, in the second leg of the 2017 MLS Cup Eastern Conference Semi-finals; New York were eliminated from the Playoffs following a 4–3 aggregate loss. In total, Pirlo made 62 appearances for New York – 60 of which came in the MLS regular season, with the other two coming in the MLS Cup Playoffs – over the course of his three seasons with the club, scoring one goal and providing 18 assists, all of which came during the MLS regular season. Pirlo officially communicated his retirement from professional football the following day, on Twitter. A testimonial match – La Notte del Maestro – was played at the San Siro Stadium in Milan on 21 May 2018, in honour of Pirlo\\'s retirement from professional football.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n Pirlo is a silent leader. He speaks with his feet.\\n To pass the ball to Andrea Pirlo is like to hide it in a safe.\\n Is he the best player of his generation? Not quite, but he is the most important.\\n\\n\\n=== Under-21 and Olympic career, senior team debut, and Euro 2004 ===\\nPirlo captained Italy to an Under-21 European Championship in 2000, wearing the number 10 jersey, and winning the awards for best player and top scorer of the tournament with three goals; he scored both goals – one from a penalty and the other from a free kick – in Italy\\'s 2–1 victory over Czech Republic in the final. He also led the Italy under-21 team to a semi-final finish in the 2002 edition of the tournament. Pirlo played for Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, scoring a goal in Italy\\'s 1–0 opening win over hosts Australia on 13 September; he also helped Italy win the bronze medal as overage players at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. With 46 matches and 16 goals, Pirlo is the record appearance holder for the Italian under-21 team, and the second highest goal-scorer after Alberto Gilardino.Pirlo made his Italy senior debut on 7 September 2002 under Giovanni Trapattoni, at the age of 23 in a 2–0 away win over Azerbaijan in a Euro 2004 qualifying match; he also appeared in a friendly match in Pescara against Turkey on 20 November, later that year, which ended in a 1–1 draw. Pirlo scored his first goal for Italy from a free kick in a 4–0 away win in a friendly match against Tunisia. His first major tournament with the Italian senior team was UEFA Euro 2004 under Trapattoni, where he made two appearances in Italy\\'s last two group matches: the first in a 1–1 draw against Sweden, and the second in a 2–1 win over Bulgaria. The Italian team was eliminated in the first round, on direct encounters, following a three-way five-point tie with Sweden and Denmark.\\n\\n\\n=== 2006 World Cup ===\\nUnder Trapattoni\\'s replacement, Marcello Lippi, Pirlo became a key member of Italy\\'s starting line-up during their 2006 World Cup Qualifying campaign, and he was eventually called up as a starting member of the Italian squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. On 26 March 2005, he assured Italy\\'s participation in the tournament after scoring from two free kicks in a 2–0 win against Scotland in a World Cup Qualifier.Pirlo was named to Italy\\'s 23-man squad for the 2006 World Cup, and appeared in all of Italy\\'s matches at the tournament, playing 668 minutes in total. In Italy\\'s first match of the tournament on 12 June, Pirlo scored the opening goal against Ghana, and subsequently helped set up a goal for Vincenzo Iaquinta to seal a 2–0 victory, as the midfielder was named Man of the Match. In the second match on 17 June, he set up a diving header for Gilardino from a set piece which proved to be vital in the 1–1 draw against the United States.In the semi-final against Germany on 4 July, he assisted Fabio Grosso\\'s opening goal in the dying minutes of extra-time, and was again named Man of the Match, as Italy triumphed 2–0 over the hosts. In the final against France on 9 July, his corner kick produced Marco Materazzi\\'s equalising header ten minutes after France had opened the scoring with a Zinedine Zidane penalty. Following a 1–1 deadlock after extra-time, the match went to a penalty shoot-out, in which he scored the first spot kick, helping Italy to win the title. Pirlo formed a formidable midfield partnership with Milan teammate Gattuso, and he completed 475 passes out of 580 attempted throughout the tournament, while also winning 18 challenges. After the final, he was named Man of the Match for a third time, winning more Man of the Match Awards than any other player in the tournament. Pirlo was voted the third-best player of the tournament, winning the Bronze Ball. He was named as part of the 2006 FIFPro XI and as part of the 2006 World Cup Team of the Tournament for his performances, placing ninth in both the 2006 Ballon d\\'Or and the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year Awards.\\n\"I don\\'t feel pressure ... I don\\'t give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of Sunday, 9 July 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup.\"\\n\\n\\n=== Post World Cup ===\\nPirlo appeared in all three of Italy\\'s group matches at UEFA Euro 2008. He was named Man of the Match in Italy\\'s second group match, a 1–1 draw against Romania, on 13 June. On 17 June 2008, Pirlo netted a penalty as Italy defeated France 2–0 in the final group match, to send their rivals and World Cup runners-up crashing out of the European Championships in the first round. Italy lost on penalty kicks to eventual winners Spain in the quarterfinals, as Pirlo and Milan teammate Gattuso were suspended for the match.On 15 June 2009, Pirlo assisted Giuseppe Rossi\\'s second goal in a 3–1 win in Italy\\'s opening match of the Confederations Cup against the United States. Italy subsequently lost the following two group matches against Egypt and Brazil, and were eliminated from the competition in the first round.Pirlo was not able to play the first two games in the 2010 World Cup for Italy due to recent injuries. He came off the bench for Italy late in the match on 24 June against Slovakia. Even with his help in orchestrating a renewed Italian offence, Pirlo could not prevent Italy from being knocked out of the first round.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2012 ===\\nCoach Prandelli named Pirlo Vice-Captain of the Italian squad, behind captain, Gianluigi Buffon. Pirlo appeared in nine matches as Italy qualified undefeated for the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine, providing several assists, and netting one goal in Italy\\'s 5–0 victory over the Faroe Islands on 7 September 2010.\\nBecause of his excellent performances in leading Juventus to win the Serie A title, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli included the playmaker in his 32-man provisional squad for Euro 2012, and subsequently in Italy\\'s final 23-man squad for the tournament. Pirlo provided the cutting ball from which Antonio Di Natale scored the opening goal of Italy\\'s 1–1 draw with World and European champions Spain in the opening round of group play on 10 June 2012. Pirlo then opened the scoring himself from a direct free kick in Italy\\'s second group match against Croatia on 14 June, which also ended in a 1–1 draw; Pirlo was named Man of the Match. In the final group match against Republic of Ireland, Pirlo set up Antonio Cassano\\'s goal from a corner kick to help Italy take a 1–0 lead. Italy eventually won 2–0 and progressed to the knock-out stage of the tournament as runners-up in Group C.On 24 June, Pirlo produced a Man of the Match performance in the quarter-finals against England, as Italy won 4–2 on penalties after the game had finished 0–0 in extra time. Pirlo scored in the shoot-out with an audacious chipped penalty down the centre of the goal, also known as a Panenka. Following the match Pirlo spoke of his eloquent penalty, stating, \"At the moment I saw the goalkeeper making strange movements, so I waited for him to move and hit it like that... It was easier for me to chip it at that stage. Maybe my effort put some pressure on England.\" Pirlo completed more passes than the entire England midfield, as he managed 131 passes, the most of any player during the match, and the second most in a single match in the history of the European Championship, behind Xavi, with an 87% pass completion rate, as Italy finished the match with 63% ball possession. He also ran 11.58 kilometres throughout the match, covering more distance than any England player.In the semi-final round, on 28 June, Pirlo once again put up a Man of the Match performance against Germany, starting the play which led to Balotelli\\'s first goal of the match, as Italy won 2–1 to advance to the final of the tournament. Following Italy\\'s success in the semi-finals, Italy were defeated 4–0 against Spain in the final.Pirlo won three Man of the Match Awards at Euro 2012, the most awards won by a single player, along with Andrés Iniesta of tournament champions Spain. Pirlo was nominated for the Player of the Tournament Award, which ultimately went to Iniesta, and he was also elected to be part of the Team of the Tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2013 Confederations Cup ===\\nPirlo was selected for Italy\\'s squad to play in Brazil at the 2013 Confederations Cup. He won his 100th cap on 16 June in Italy\\'s opening game against Mexico, opening the scoring with a trademark free kick as Italy won 2–1, and Pirlo was voted Man of the Match.\\nHe was only the fifth Italian player to receive 100 caps after Dino Zoff, Paolo Maldini, Gianluigi Buffon, and Fabio Cannavaro. In the second group stage match against Japan on 19 June, Pirlo assisted De Rossi\\'s goal against from a corner, as the match ended 4–3 to Italy. The win allowed Italy to progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time.\\nPirlo did not play in the third group stage match against hosts Brazil, as he had come down with a minor injury at the end of the second match, although he would be available to play for the semi-finals. Italy were defeated 4–2 in the final group stage match on 22 June, which meant that they finished second in group A, and would be playing the winners of group B, tournament favourites Spain, in a rematch of the European Championship Final of the previous year. Italy held Spain to 0–0 draw on 27 June, as the match eventually went to penalties. Pirlo netted his penalty, but Bonucci\\'s miss allowed Spain to advance to the final, as Italy lost the shoot-out 7–6. Pirlo was injured for the third place final, although Italy managed to defeat Uruguay 3–2 on penalties on 30 June, after a 2–2 draw. Pirlo was named to the Team of the Tournament, and was nominated for the Golden Ball award, although he failed to place amongst the top three players of the tournament, as the awards went to Neymar, Iniesta, and Paulinho, respectively.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup ===\\nPirlo scored one goal during Italy\\'s qualification campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which saw them top their group, undefeated. Pirlo converted a penalty as Italy dispatched Armenia by a score of 3–1 on 12 October 2012, and assisted several goals during the World Cup qualifying campaign. On 5 June 2014, Pirlo was selected by Italy manager Prandelli as part of his 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. On 12 June, Pirlo announced that he would retire from international football following the tournament.In the 2014 World Cup, Italy were placed in Group D, along with Costa Rica, England and Uruguay, in what was called the \"Group of Death\". On 14 June, in Italy\\'s opening match against England, Pirlo wore the captain\\'s armband due to Buffon\\'s last minute injury. The match ended with a 2–1 win to Italy. Pirlo heavily contributed to Italy\\'s win, controlling the flow of the game, and setting up several goalscoring chances, as Italy dominated possession. During the match, Pirlo made 108 passes in total, only misplacing five, with a pass completion rate of 95.4%, completing the most passes of any other player in the previous opening matches of the 2014 World Cup. With a 93.2 pass percentage, Italy also managed to record the highest pass accuracy percentage of any team in a World Cup match since Denmark in the 1966 World Cup, completing 561 of their 602 passes. Pirlo also contributed to Italy\\'s first goal of the match: Antonio Candreva\\'s short corner was played to Marco Verratti, who then passed the ball out wide towards Pirlo, who drew his marker with him. Pirlo let the ball pass in between his legs to Marchisio, leaving him with space to score with a low drive from outside the area. Pirlo also managed to hit the crossbar from a swerving free kick in injury time. Italy suffered 1–0 defeats in both of their remaining matches against Costa Rica and Uruguay, however and were eliminated in the group stage for the second consecutive World Cup, finishing in a disappointing third place in their group, behind Costa Rica and Uruguay. Pirlo\\'s appearance against Uruguay was his 112th cap for Italy, which allowed him to equal Dino Zoff\\'s number of appearances for the Italy national team, and made him the fourth most capped player for the Italy national team. The Italian squad and manager, Cesare Prandelli, were criticised for over-relying on Pirlo to create goalscoring chances. Although Pirlo was able to set up some goal scoring opportunities and did test the opposition goalkeepers with some dangerous free kicks in the final two group games, his performances were stifled by the defensive pressure of the opposition, and he was much less dominant than he had been in the opening match against England. Although he had previously communicated his intention to retire after the World Cup, he stated, upon his return to Italy, that he would still be available to play for the national team.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2016 ===\\nDespite previously announcing his international retirement following the 2014 World Cup, Pirlo reversed his decision, and under new Italy manager, and Pirlo\\'s former Juventus manager Conte, Pirlo returned to the Italian squad. On 10 October, Pirlo started in Italy\\'s second Euro 2016 qualifying match, which ended in a 2–1 home win over Azerbaijan, overtaking Zoff with his 113th appearance for Italy. Pirlo assisted Chiellini\\'s first goal of the match from a corner kick. In August 2015, Pirlo was called for Italy\\'s Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Malta and Bulgaria in September; he appeared in Italy\\'s 1–0 home victory over Malta on 3 September, becoming the first MLS player to represent Italy; this was his final international appearance. In total, Pirlo made four appearances under Conte, as Italy qualified for Euro 2016 on 10 October in a 3–1 win over Azerbaijan. On 23 May 2016, Pirlo, along with fellow MLS compatriot Giovinco, was left off of Conte\\'s 30-player shortlist for Italy\\'s Euro 2016 squad. Regarding their omission, Conte commented in a press conference: \"When you make a certain choice and go to play in certain leagues, you do so taking it into account that they could pay the consequences from a footballing viewpoint\". In response to Conte\\'s comments, Pirlo stated to Sky Italia: \"I have spoken to Conte and there is no disappointment on my part, he knows what he has to do and what he should not do. We had discussions during the season and both parties made their own decisions. He is the coach and it\\'s only right he makes his decisions and decides what is best for him. I hope Italy win although the favourites are other teams such as Germany, Spain and France.\"In total, Pirlo made 116 appearances for Italy, scoring 13 goals, making him the fifth-most capped player in his nation\\'s history.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nPirlo is a genius. Together with Baggio, I think he\\'s the greatest talent that Italian football has produced in the last 25 years.\\nPirlo spots a pass in a split-second that lesser players could spend a whole lifetime waiting to see.\\nPirlo can make his feet do whatever he wants. He\\'s a genius.\\n\\n\\n=== Position and reception ===\\nTactically, Pirlo was capable of playing in several midfield positions, but was usually deployed by his club and national teams as a central midfielder, in the role of a deep-lying playmaker, due to his vision and passing accuracy. A highly technical and creative player, Pirlo is regarded by players, managers, and pundits as one of the greatest ever players in his position; throughout his career, he was considered one of the greatest midfielders in the world and of his generation, and as one of the greatest Italian players ever, and is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time by several pundits, managers and players. Pirlo started his career in a more advanced role, as an attacking midfielder, and also played as a supporting striker on occasion. Although he was considered a talented young prospect, even drawing comparisons with former Italian footballer Gianni Rivera, Pirlo occasionally struggled in this role, due to his lack of pace, and competition from other talented and more dynamic players in his position.Because of this, he was later moved to a deep-lying playmaker role by his coaches Mazzone, Terim, and Ancelotti, where he was able to excel due to his unique capabilities. This position best utilised Pirlo\\'s attributes, and allowed him to operate creatively from a deeper position, in or even behind the main midfield line, in a seemingly defensive midfield role, where he was allowed more time on the ball to create scoring opportunities with his trademark long balls. This position has occasionally been described as \"the Pirlo role,\" in the media, due to Pirlo\\'s association with the role and his success in executing and popularising it. During his final season with Milan, Pirlo was also used on the wing under Allegri, due to his ability to provide accurate crosses.\\n\\n\\n=== Skills ===\\nAlthough not gifted with pace, stamina, physicality or notable defensive skills, work-rate, or tackling abilities, Pirlo was known for his composure in possession, and drew praise for his touch, technique, balance, elegance, close control, and dribbling ability, as well as his flair and creativity in beating players with feints during one-on-one situations, in order to retain the ball and create space for himself to play and receive passes. His reactions and ability to anticipate plays also enabled him to cover ground in midfield and intercept passes despite his lack of pace, tackling ability, or stamina. As a playmaker, he is highly regarded by pundits for his outstanding vision, awareness, and football intelligence, as well as his movement, positional sense, inventive play, anticipation, ability to read the game, and his wide range of distribution, which enabled him to play the ball first time and rarely relinquish possession, even when put under pressure; in addition to being capable of playing precise, short exchanges to teammates, he was also known for frequently attempting riskier and more difficult passes and is renowned in particular for his extremely accurate long-range passing, both on the ground or in the air, with either foot, despite being naturally right footed. He is considered to be one of the best passers in the history of the sport, and is also known for his accurate striking ability from distance. These characteristics allowed him to contribute to his team\\'s offensive play with goals and assists.Pirlo was a free-kick and penalty-kick specialist. Throughout his career, he was regarded as one of the best free-kick takers in the world, and drew praise from pundits for his versatility, and ability to both score and create chances from dead-ball situations. He was extremely effective at curling shots accurately on target from close range, a technique that he perfected by studying Baggio in training sessions during their time at Brescia together; as a youngster, Zico, Michel Platini, and Diego Maradona were also some of his major influences when taking free kicks. Pirlo was also capable of scoring from long-range free kicks with swerve and power, due to his unique technique, which was inspired by Juninho\\'s \"knuckle ball\" free kicks; this technique was later dubbed the maledetta (\"accursed\") in the Italian media. Pirlo has scored the highest number of free kicks in Serie A, alongside Siniša Mihajlović.\\n\\n\\n=== Nicknames ===\\nFellow players on the Italy national team nicknamed Pirlo l\\'architetto (\"the Architect\"), because of the way that he built plays, and set up goal-scoring opportunities with long, lobbed through passes. In later seasons, Juventus fans also dubbed him il professore (\"the professor\"), Maestro, and Mozart, as a reference to the Austrian composer\\'s prodigious ability. Pirlo was also frequently compared to fellow former Milan and Italy playmaker Albertini early in his Milan career, due to their similar characteristics and style of play. Pirlo was often thought to be Albertini\\'s heir for Milan and the national team; he inherited his nickname the metronome whilst playing at Milan, for the way in which he influenced games by controlling the tempo of his team\\'s play through his direct, precise, and efficient passing game in midfield, as well as his ability to make himself available to teammates to receive and subsequently distribute the ball.\\n\\n\\n== Managerial career ==\\nIn August 2019, Pirlo enrolled in the UEFA Pro Licence courses at Coverciano. On 30 July 2020, Pirlo was appointed head coach of Serie C club Juventus U23, the reserve side of his former club Juventus. Nine days later, following the dismissal of Maurizio Sarri, Pirlo was appointed head coach of the first team, signing a two-year contract. Pirlo received his UEFA Pro Licence on 16 September 2020. Pirlo received 107 out of 110 after his oral validation of his 30-page thesis, entitled \"The football that I would like\" (Italian: Il calcio che vorrei). Pirlo cited the teams that \"inspired [his] idea of football\" as \"the Barcelona of Johan Cruyff and then of Pep Guardiola, the Ajax of Louis van Gaal, the Milan of Carlo Ancelotti, and the Juventus of Antonio Conte\".In his first competitive match as a head coach, on 20 September 2020, Juventus won 3–0 at home in a league game against Sampdoria. He made his Champions League debut as a manager on 20 October, leading Juventus to a 2–0 away win over Dynamo Kyiv; as a result, he became only the third Juventus manager after Lippi and Capello to win his first away game in the competition.On 20 January 2021, Pirlo won his first trophy as manager with Juventus, beating Napoli 2–0 in the 2020 Supercoppa Italiana. On 9 March 2021, Juventus were eliminated from the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by Porto in the round of 16 on the away goals rule, drawing 4–4 on aggregate. On 2 May 2021, Juventus\\' run of nine consecutive titles was mathematically ended by Internazionale who were confirmed as champions. On 19 May, Pirlo won the Coppa Italia with Juventus following a 2–1 victory over Atalanta in the final. On 23 May, the final day of the league, Pirlo managed to secure a fourth-place finish for Juventus after a 4–1 away win over Bologna, one point above Napoli which drew 1–1 with Verona, granting Juventus qualification to the following season\\'s Champions League. Five days later, on 28 May, Juventus announced the departure of Pirlo from his managerial position at the club.On 12 June 2022, Pirlo was appointed as manager of Turkish club Fatih Karagümrük. The club later announced Pirlo\\'s release on 24 May 2023.On 27 June 2023, Pirlo was appointed manager of Sampdoria who had just been relegated to Serie B that season.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nPirlo is one of two children along with his brother Ivan. He was married to Deborah Roversi between 2001 and 2013; the couple have two children: son Nicolò (born 2003) and daughter Angela (born 2006). The couple separated in 2014.Pirlo\\'s father founded a metal trading company in Brescia in 1982 called Elg Steel. Pirlo himself retains a stake in the family business. With regard to his wealth from his family business and footballing career, Pirlo stated in an interview with Italian Vanity Fair magazine that he never talks about money. Pirlo is known for being a wine connoisseur and he also runs his own vineyard in Italy, which produces around 15–20,000 bottles a year.In 2013, Pirlo wrote an autobiography, with Alessandro Alciato, titled Penso Quindi Gioco (I Think Therefore I Play). On 1 September 2014, Pirlo, along with many current and former footballing stars, took part in the \"Match for Peace\", which was played at the Stadio Olimpico, in Rome, with the proceeds being donated entirely to charity. That same year, he revealed that he supported Inter in his youth, and that his favourite footballers and major influences as a player were German former midfielder Lothar Matthäus – as he played for Inter – and compatriot Roberto Baggio – due to his playing style and role on the pitch as an offensive playmaker, with which Pirlo identified at the time.In July 2016, it was reported that Pirlo\\'s jersey was the highest-selling MLS shirt in 2016.On 7 July 2017, Pirlo\\'s partner, Valentina Baldini, gave birth to their twins named Leonardo and Tommaso.Pirlo featured in EA Sports\\' football video game FIFA 20 as one of the Ultimate Team Icons.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nScores and results list Italy\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pirlo goal.\\n\\n\\n=== Managerial ===\\nAs of match played 10 February 2024\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\n\\n\\n=== Player ===\\nBrescia\\nSerie B: 1996–97AC Milan\\nSerie A: 2003–04, 2010–11\\nCoppa Italia: 2002–03\\nUEFA Champions League: 2002–03, 2006–07\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2007Juventus\\nSerie A: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15\\nCoppa Italia: 2014–15\\nSupercoppa Italiana: 2012, 2013\\nUEFA Champions League: Runner-up: 2014–15Italy U21\\n\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2000Italy Olympic Team\\n\\nSummer Olympic Games: Bronze Medal: 2004Italy\\nFIFA World Cup: 2006\\nUEFA European Championship: Runner-up: 2012\\nFIFA Confederations Cup: Bronze Medal: 2013Individual\\n\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2000\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship Top Scorer: 2000\\n2006 FIFA World Cup: All-star team\\n2006 FIFA World Cup: Bronze Ball\\n2006 FIFA World Cup: Top Assist Provider\\n2006 FIFA World Cup Final: Man of the Match\\nFIFPro World XI: 2006\\nUEFA Super Cup Man of the Match: 2007\\nESPN World Team of the Decade: 2009\\nPremio Bulgarelli Number 8: 2012\\nESM Team of the Year: 2011–12\\nPallone d\\'Argento: 2011–12\\nPallone Azzurro: 2012\\nGuerin d\\'Oro: 2012\\nUEFA European Championship Teams of the Tournament: 2012\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2012\\n2011–12 Serie A Top Assist Provider\\nSerie A Team of the Year: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15\\nSerie A Midfielder of the Year: 2012\\nSerie A Footballer of the Year: 2012, 2013, 2014\\nPremio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare \"Gaetano Scirea\": 2013\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Team of the Tournament: 2013\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Castrol Index Top XI: 2013\\nUEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2013–14\\nUEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2014–15\\nAC Milan Hall of Fame\\nAll-time UEFA European Under-21 Championship dream team: 2015\\nNew York City FC\\'s Ride of Fame: September 2015\\nGlobe Soccer Awards Player Career Award: 2015\\nUEFA European Championship All-time XI: 2016\\nMajor League Soccer All-Star: 2016\\nJuventus Greatest XI of All Time: 2017\\nPremio internazionale Giacinto Facchetti: 2017\\nAIC Lifetime Achievement Award: 2018\\nGolden Foot Award Legends: 2018\\nItalian Football Hall of Fame: 2019\\nBallon d\\'Or Dream Team (Silver): 2020\\n\\n\\n=== Manager ===\\nJuventus\\n\\nCoppa Italia: 2020–21\\nSupercoppa Italiana: 2020\\n\\n\\n=== Orders ===\\n 5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2004 4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2006 CONI Golden Collar of Sports Merit: 2006\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== Bibliography ==\\nAlessandro Alciato, Andrea Pirlo, Penso quindi gioco, Milan, Mondadori, 2013, ISBN 88-04628-69-3 (I Think Therefore, I Play). (in Italian)\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nAdam Digby, Andrea Pirlo still as good as ever, SI.com, 3 May 2012\\nAndrea Pirlo at ESPN FC\\nAndrea Pirlo at Major League Soccer\\nNYFC Profile at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 April 2016)\\nAndrea Pirlo at Soccerway\\nAndrea Pirlo at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)\\nProfile at legaseriea.it at the Wayback Machine (archived 28 July 2022) (in Italian)\\nProfile at FIGC (in Italian)\\nProfile at Italia1910.com (in Italian)\\nAndrea Pirlo at the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (in Italian)\\nAndrea Pirlo at Olympics.com\\nAndrea Pirlo at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)\\nYAYA TOUREGnégnéri Yaya Touré (born 13 May 1983) is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently an assistant coach for the Saudi Arabia national team.\\nTouré aspired to be a striker during his youth and has played centre-back, including for Barcelona in the 2009 UEFA Champions League final. However, he spent the majority of his career as a box-to-box midfielder for club and country, where he has been regarded as one of the world\\'s best players in his position. One of the greatest African players of all time, Touré was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.Touré began his playing career at Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas, where he made his debut at age 18. His performances attracted attention from Europe. He had stints with Beveren, Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos and Monaco before moving to Barcelona in 2007. He played over 100 matches for the club and was part of the historic Barcelona team that won six trophies in a calendar year, in 2009. In 2010, Touré moved to Premier League club Manchester City, where he scored a number of key goals, most notably the only goals in the 2011 FA Cup semi-final and final. He also helped City earn their first league title in 44 years.\\nTouré earned 100 caps for the Ivory Coast from 2004 to 2015, representing the nation at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He also represented them in six Africa Cup of Nations in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015, helping them finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012, while captaining them to victory in 2015. He is the younger brother of fellow former footballer Kolo Touré, who was his teammate at Manchester City and for the national team.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early career ===\\nTouré was born in Bouaké. He joined the ASEC Mimosas youth academy in 1996 on the recommendation of his long-time mentor Patrick van Reijendam. A prominent figure in the ASEC academy was Jean-Marc Guillou. In 2001, Guillou invested heavily in a Belgian club, Beveren, with the aim of using the team to showcase Ivorian players in a European league. Touré moved to Beveren in 2001, one of many ASEC players to do so in this period. By 2003, he was one of 14 Ivorians in the Beveren squad.In the summer of 2003, Touré had a trial with Arsenal. He started a pre-season friendly against Barnet on 19 July which finished a 0–0 draw. The BBC Sport website said that Touré \"blotted his copy book by missing Arsenal\\'s clearest chance of the game, heading a cross from Quincy Owusu-Abeyie wide.\" Wenger was still keen to sign the then 20-year-old but Touré had difficulties in receiving a work permit. Ultimately, Touré grew impatient and opted to sign for Ukrainian club Metalurh Donetsk in December 2003, where he spent one-and-a-half years.\\n\\n\\n=== Olympiacos and Monaco ===\\nTouré joined Olympiacos in 2005. He was described as \"the new Patrick Vieira\" by his older brother. Olympiacos won the double that season, and Touré was one of their key players. His performances in Greece were impressive and attracted interest from many clubs.Touré signed for French Ligue 1 club Monaco in August 2006. However, he had a difficult relationship with the incumbent manager, László Bölöni, with Touré claiming Bölöni refused to play him in his preferred midfield position. Bölöni was soon sacked with Monaco languishing in the second-last position in the league table.Laurent Banide replaced Bölöni and Touré subsequently became an influential player in the second half of the season, scoring five times to help haul the club out of relegation difficulties. He had established himself as a key midfielder, and with interest from around Europe he decided to join Barcelona in the summer of 2007.\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona ===\\nTouré joined Spanish La Liga club Barcelona for €10 million (£6.7 million) and made his official debut for the club on 26 August 2007 during the 2007–08 La Liga season opener against Racing de Santander. He scored his first goal in a La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao on 2 September 2007, which Barcelona won 3–1. His first UEFA Champions League match for Barcelona was against Schalke 04 in the 2007–08 quarter-final, securing a 2–0 aggregate victory and a berth in the semi-final.During the early stages of the 2008–09 season, newly appointed manager Pep Guardiola favoured Sergio Busquets in the defensive role of Barcelona\\'s midfield trio. In the 2009 Champions League final, Touré played at centre-back due to injuries and suspensions of first-choice defenders, despite having only played there twice before for Barcelona. In late June 2010, Barcelona confirmed that Touré would be allowed to leave the club in the summer.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester City ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11: Debut season and FA Cup ====\\nOn 2 July 2010, Touré signed a five-year contract with Premier League club Manchester City for a fee of around £24 million. He made his Premier League debut on 14 August in a 0–0 away draw against Tottenham Hotspur. A week later, Touré impressed in the 3–0 home win over Liverpool, forming a part of a three-man midfield with Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong. On 19 September, Touré scored his first City goal, against Wigan Athletic. The goal was scored in the 70th minute and Touré was assisted by Carlos Tevez, who also scored in that match. Touré had been seen to take up a more attacking position under Roberto Mancini and revelled in the position. In December, he scored a brilliant left-footed drive against West Ham United and soon scored a second, which was later credited as an own goal because the ball rebounded off the post onto goalkeeper Robert Green\\'s back and bounced in.In January 2011, Touré scored his third goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a delightful counter-attack move, with Touré making up 90 yards to latch onto the ball and fire it past the goalkeeper, with Manchester City eventually winning 4–3. Touré\\'s fifth goal for City came on 25 February in a UEFA Europa League match against Aris. The goal was a deflected strike to make the score 3–0 to Manchester City. On 16 April 2011, Touré scored the only goal of the game in a Man of the Match performance against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final. Touré continued his Wembley success by scoring the only goal in his team\\'s 1–0 win over Stoke City in the 2011 FA Cup final, ending Manchester City\\'s 35-year wait for a major trophy, and writing himself into Manchester City folklore in the process.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12: First Premier League title ====\\nThe 2011–12 season began strongly as Manchester City led the table for the majority of the season, with Touré playing a vital part in midfield. On 21 December 2011, in a 3–0 home win over Stoke City, Touré set new Premier League records for most passes attempted (168) and most completed (157) in a single match. His efforts and performances were rewarded as he was crowned African Footballer of the Year for 2011, an impressive achievement for a midfielder, since the previous 12 awards have gone to African forwards.As the 2011–12 came to a close, Manchester City lost ground to Manchester United in the Premier League title race. After a defeat by Arsenal on 8 April 2012, an eight-point deficit had been established between City and leaders United, with most writing off City\\'s chances of winning the league with six matches remaining. However, City defeated West Bromwich Albion 4–0, Norwich City 6–1, and Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 with United slipping-up, meaning the deficit at the top was now only three points with only three matches to play. A victory at home to Manchester United would move City to top on goal difference. The match was keenly anticipated as one of the most important matches the Premier League\\'s 20-year history. Manchester City won the match, thanks to Vincent Kompany headed goal just before half-time. Touré\\'s performance throughout the match garnered many plaudits in the media, describing his performance as \"dominant\" and \"magnificent\".Touré scored a brace on 6 May in City\\'s 2–0 win over Newcastle United, moving three points above Manchester United with one match left to play in the Premier League season. Touré played the full first half before coming off due to injury as City defeated Queens Park Rangers 3–2 on the final day of the season, assisting Pablo Zabaleta\\'s opening goal in the 39th minute, to secure the first league championship for City in 44 years.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–2014: Collective and individual success ====\\nTouré started the 2012–13 season with a goal in the FA Community Shield in the 3–2 win over Chelsea in Aston Villa\\'s stadium Villa Park. This goal was followed up by scoring first for City in two games, against Liverpool at Anfield and against Queens Park Rangers at home. In City\\'s opening UEFA Champions League match of the season, away to Real Madrid, Touré produced a stellar individual performance, assisting an Edin Džeko goal and continually worrying the hosts. However, despite his best efforts, City lost 3–2 to a late Cristiano Ronaldo goal. He also scored in the Manchester derby, making it 2–1 to Manchester United, but City eventually lost 3–2. On 20 December 2012, Touré was crowned the 2012 African Player of the Year award at a ceremony in Accra, Ghana. It is the second time he has won the award. On 24 February 2013, after returning from the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Touré scored the opening goal as City beat Chelsea 2–0 in the Premier League. On 4 April 2013, Touré signed a new contract with City, keeping him at the club until 2017.Touré scored his first goal of the 2013–14 season with a free kick as City defeated Newcastle United 4–0 in their opening Premier League match. On 22 September 2013, he scored the second goal in a 4–1 derby win over Manchester United and was named man of the match. Under City manager Manuel Pellegrini, Touré was promoted to vice-captain. He regularly captained the team in the first half of the 2013–14 season in the absence of Vincent Kompany. On 2 December, Touré was named the 2013 BBC African Footballer of the Year.On 4 December 2013, Touré scored twice for Manchester City in a 3–2 win at West Bromwich Albion. This took his tally of league goals to seven, his highest in a single Premier League season. On 2 March 2014, Touré scored the equalising goal for Manchester City in the 2014 League Cup final against Sunderland.\\nThe match ended in a 3–1 win for Manchester City. He scored the first hat-trick of his career on 22 March in a 5–0 home win over Fulham. Touré scored the third goal for Manchester City on 25 March in the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford, helping City to a 3–0 victory over their local rivals. On 18 April, Touré was named as one of the six players on the shortlist for the PFA Players\\' Player of the Year award before being named in the PFA Team of the Year.On 7 May 2014, Touré scored his 20th Premier League goal of the season in a 4–0 win against Aston Villa, becoming only the second midfielder to score 20 goals in a Premier League season, after Frank Lampard. His performances helped City to a second Premier League title in three years. Touré completed more passes than any other player throughout the 2013–14 Premier League season, with 1,169 successful passes in total; he also made an average of 76.41 passes per game, and achieved an average passing accuracy of 90.76% throughout the course of the entire season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–2018: Later seasons and departure ====\\nOn 5 November 2014, in a home UEFA Champions League group fixture against CSKA Moscow, Touré scored City\\'s equaliser in the eighth minute after Seydou Doumbia had taken under two minutes to put CSKA ahead. City were already 2–1 down and had Fernandinho sent off when Touré was dismissed for shoving Roman Eremenko. The result put City into last place in their group. On 1 March 2015, Touré started the Premier League match against Liverpool and his brother Kolo Touré came on as an 83rd-minute substitute, marking the first time the two brothers faced each other in a competitive match.On 10 August 2015, Touré scored as Manchester City defeated West Bromwich Albion 3–0 at The Hawthorns in their opening fixture of the 2015–16 Premier League season. Although he played in the second leg of the Champions League play-off against Steaua București, Guardiola opted to omit Touré from City\\'s Champions League squad. Touré\\'s agent, Dimitri Seluk, subsequently stated that Guardiola humiliated Touré by omitting him for the first team. In response, Guardiola said Touré would not be included in the team until he receives an apology. A few weeks after a public apology to Guardiola on behalf of his agent, Touré made a surprising return to the first team on 16 November, starting against Crystal Palace in which he scored two goals to earn City a 2–1 away win.It was announced on 4 May 2018 that Touré would leave Manchester City at the end of the 2017–18 season. His final appearance came in the 3–1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.\\n\\n\\n=== Later career ===\\nToure re-signed for Super League Greece club Olympiacos on 2 September 2018. His contract with Olympiacos was terminated in December 2018 by mutual agreement.On 3 July 2019, Touré joined China League One club Qingdao Huanghai. He left the club on 1 January 2020.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nTouré was a regular member of the Ivory Coast national team from his debut in 2004 to the end of his international career after 2015. In 2014, he was named captain of the team following the retirement of Didier Drogba. Touré won his 100th international cap in his side\\'s 0–0 draw with Cameroon on 19 November 2014.Touré appeared in all three of Ivory Coast\\'s matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In the 2010 tournament, he again played in all three of his nation\\'s games, scoring the opening goal in a 3–0 win over North Korea. Touré made his third and final World Cup tournament appearance during the 2014 competition, and captained the team in their opening match, a 2–1 defeat of Japan.Touré represented the Ivory Coast at six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015; his side ended as runners-up in the 2006 and 2012 editions, and won the tournament in 2015. Touré was named in the CAF\\'s team of the tournament in 2008, 2012 and 2015. On 4 February 2015, Touré scored the opening goal in the Ivory Coast\\'s 3–1 semi-final victory over DR Congo to qualify the team for their third Africa Cup of Nations final in nine years. On 8 February, in the final held at the Estadio de Bata in Equatorial Guinea, Touré captained the Ivory Coast as they won a first AFCON title since 1992, defeating Ghana in a penalty shoot-out.On 20 September 2016, Touré announced his retirement from international football. He returned to the national team set-up in March 2018, but would play no further games for the nation before his eventual retirement from professional football.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nFormerly a striker, Touré played primarily in the centre of the pitch as either a holding midfielder or as a box-to-box midfielder, often switching between offensive and defensive stances throughout matches in the latter role. Touré was a complete and versatile midfielder. He was also capable of playing as a centre-back or in the number 10 role. His key strengths were his passing range, vision and physical ability. He was gifted with good technique and ball control, although he also excelled defensively at breaking down opposing attacking plays and winning back possession through his powerful tackling ability. He was known for his pace, stamina and physical presence, which was often combined with runs from midfield, and he had been referred to as a \"human train\" and a \"colossus\" by various pundits. Touré was frequently pushed forward during the latter part of matches, most notably in the penultimate match of the 2011–12 season against Newcastle United where Touré scored two late goals to win the match, and put Manchester City at the top of the league. He was also capable of scoring goals due to his powerful striking ability from distance, and his heading ability, as well as his adeptness at scoring from free kicks and penalties. Jonathan Wilson, when writing for The Guardian in 2013, described Touré as a holding midfielder who can \"make tackles,\" and who was \"capable of regaining the ball,\" while also noting that he frequently functioned \"as the more creative player alongside a destroyer.\" He also added that \"he likes to make forward surges.\" As such, he labelled Touré as a \"carrier\" or \"surger,\" namely \"a player capable of making late runs or carrying the ball at his feet.\"Touré had in his repertoire an unusual method of striking the ball, referred to by Norwegian footballer Alexander Tettey as a \"Yaya\", and described by BBC Sport\\'s Pat Nevin as a way of striking the ball with a far back area of the foot close to the heel, allowing the ball to move in a straight line which a goalkeeper can find hard to read.\\n\\n\\n== Coaching career ==\\nOn 10 February 2021, Touré joined Ukrainian Premier League club Olimpik Donetsk as assistant manager. He left the position after 4 months at the club.On 14 June 2021, Touré was appointed as an assistant coach by Russian Premier League club Akhmat Grozny until June 2022. Touré left the club on 13 December 2021.After a spell coaching part-time, Touré became an under-16 coach at Tottenham Hotspur\\'s academy in August 2022. The following June, he moved to Belgian club Standard Liège as assistant manager.On 3 November 2023, Touré was named as assistant coach of Saudi Arabia national team, to join the staff of his former manager at Manchester City Roberto Mancini.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nTouré is the younger brother of Kolo Touré, who was his teammate at Manchester City and the Ivory Coast national team. Their younger brother Ibrahim Touré was also a footballer, who died on 19 June 2014 at the age of 28 after a short battle with cancer. Touré is Muslim.In October 2013, Touré joined a campaign against elephant poaching, becoming a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme.On 13 December 2016, Touré pleaded guilty to drink driving. He was arrested by police on 28 November after being pulled over and found to be more than twice over the legal driving limit. Touré said he had not \"intentionally consumed alcohol\", explaining to the court he had consumed diet cola from a jug at a party without realising there was brandy in it. He conceded that his drink tasted \"odd\" and that he felt tired after consuming it, but did not suspect he was drunk. Judge Gary Lucy said it was \"inconceivable\" that he was unaware that he was drinking alcohol. Touré was banned from driving for 18 months, and was fined £54,000 – at the time the largest fine for drink driving in British legal history.\\n\\n\\n== Awards and nominations ==\\nTouré was nominated in the Personality of the Year category at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards. In July 2014, Touré was nominated for Prize in Entertainment at the 2014 The Future Africa Awards. In December 2015, Touré won the BBC African Footballer of the Year on a public vote for the second time, after leading the Ivory Coast to victory in the 2015 African Cup of Nations.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nIvory Coast score listed first, score column indicates score after each Touré goal\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nOlympiacos\\n\\nAlpha Ethniki: 2005–06\\nGreek Football Cup: 2005–06Barcelona\\n\\nLa Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10\\nCopa del Rey: 2008–09\\nSupercopa de España: 2009\\nUEFA Champions League: 2008–09\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2009\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2009Manchester City\\n\\nPremier League: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18\\nFA Cup: 2010–11; runner-up: 2012–13\\nFootball League Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16\\nFA Community Shield: 2012Qingdao Huanghai\\n\\nChina League One: 2019Ivory Coast\\n\\nAfrica Cup of Nations: 2015; runner-up: 2006, 2012Individual\\n\\nIvory Coast Player of the Year: 2009\\nAfrican Footballer of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014\\nCAF Team of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015\\nPremio Bulgarelli Number 8: 2013\\nESM Team of the Year: 2013–14\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2011–12 Premier League, 2013–14 Premier League\\nBBC African Footballer of the Year: 2013, 2015\\nManchester City Player of the Year: 2013–14\\nAfrica Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015\\nIFFHS CAF Men\\'s Team of the Decade 2011–2020\\nIFFHS All-time Africa Men\\'s Dream Team: 2021\\nFWA Tribute Award: 2023\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nYaya Touré – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nYaya Touré – UEFA competition record (archived)\\nEDINSON CAVANIEdinson Roberto Cavani Gómez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈeðinsoŋ kaˈβani]; born 14 February 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Argentine Primera División club Boca Juniors. \\nCavani began his career playing for Danubio in Montevideo, where he played for two years, before moving to Italian side Palermo in 2007. In 2010, Cavani signed for Napoli, who signed him on an initial loan deal before buying him for a total fee of €17 million. He helped them win the Coppa Italia in 2012 and established himself as the most dominant striker in Serie A. In mid-2013, Cavani joined Paris Saint-Germain in France for a reported €64 million, at the time the most expensive signing in French football history. With PSG, Cavani won six Ligue 1 titles, five Coupes de la Ligue and four Coupes de France. He also ranks as the club\\'s second all-time top goalscorer. In 2020, Cavani signed with Manchester United, scoring 17 goals in his first season, including a goal in the UEFA Europa League final, before signing for Valencia in 2022.\\nCavani scored on his Uruguay debut against Colombia in 2008, and has since then earned 136 caps and scored 58 international goals, only behind strike partner Luis Suárez among Uruguayan internationals. He has participated in ten major international tournaments: four FIFA World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022), five Copas América (2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021), and one FIFA Confederations Cup (2013). Cavani scored at the 2010 World Cup to help Uruguay to fourth place in the tournament, and in 2011 was part of the Uruguay squad that won a record fifteenth Copa América title. He finished as the CONMEBOL 2018 World Cup qualification top scorer with ten goals.\\nDuring his time in Serie A, Cavani was named in the Serie A Team of the Year three times and was Serie A top scorer in the 2012–13 season. During his time in Ligue 1, he was named in the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year three times, was awarded Ligue 1 Player of the Year for the 2016–17 season, and was the league\\'s top scorer in the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons. He was awarded the Golden Foot in 2018 for his achievements in football.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Palermo ===\\n\\nAfter his breakthrough at the 2007 South American Youth Championship, several big teams were reportedly interested in signing Cavani, including Juventus and Milan. On 29 January 2007, however, Palermo chairman Maurizio Zamparini announced the signing of the promising Uruguayan. The bid was officially confirmed on 31 January for €4.475 million. Cavani made his debut on 11 March 2007 in a home league match against Fiorentina, coming on in the 55th minute with his team 1–0 down and scoring an impressive equaliser only 15 minutes later, a goal reminiscent of Marco van Basten\\'s strike in the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final. In his second season with the Rosanero, Cavani found himself fighting for a first team place with Fabrizio Miccoli and Amauri.\\nAfter Amauri\\'s departure to Juventus in June 2008, Cavani cemented his place in the starting line-up, forming a striking partnership with Fabrizio Miccoli and scoring a total 14 goals in the 2008–09 season, earning the nickname \"El Matador\" due to his composure in front of goal. He retained his place for the 2009–10 season under new boss Walter Zenga, and also under successor Delio Rossi, being instrumental in the team\\'s successful run in Serie A which took Palermo to European qualification and potential qualification to the UEFA Champions League with two games remaining. In April 2010, he signed a new contract with Palermo valid to June 2014.\\n\\n\\n=== Napoli ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11: move to Europe ====\\nIn July 2010, Cavani signed for Napoli. The transfer, however, was a loan of €5 million plus an option/obligation to buy outright for €12 million, which made the total fee €17 million. After debuting for Napoli as a substitute in the previous game, Cavani scored twice in his first start, as Napoli beat Elfsborg in the UEFA Europa League 2–0 and qualified for the main tournament. He then started his Serie A tenure with Napoli scoring a controversial goal against Fiorentina after just seven minutes, with replays showing the ball landing on the line. Cavani also scored on his home debut against Bari before adding a late winner against Sampdoria, meaning he had scored in his first four competitive matches with Napoli.\\nOn 26 September, Cavani came on as a late replacement with 30 minutes left in a game against Cesena which Napoli was losing 1–0. After assisting the equalising goal, he went on to score two more, with the scoreline finishing at 4–1. That meant Cavani shared the lead as top scorer in the league alongside Internazionale\\'s Samuel Eto\\'o. Cavani\\'s partnership with fellow forwards Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamšík led the Italian sporting media to dub them \"The Three Tenors\" after the famous singing group of the same name. On 15 December, Cavani netted a 92nd-minute goal against Steaua București to help his team to a 1–0 win and progress beyond the group stage of the Europa League. In the first match, which was held on Romanian soil, he had scored an equalising goal in the 97th minute. On 9 January 2011, Cavani scored a hat-trick during a 3–0 win over Juventus, the third goal coming by way of a diving header. On 30 January, Cavani scored another hat-trick, this time in a 4–0 win over Sampdoria. Cavani continued his fine form scoring a brace against Roma, with Napoli winning 2–0.\\nOn 20 March, Cavani scored another brace against Cagliari in a 2–1 win. This win kept them within three points of leaders Milan with eight games left. On 3 April, Cavani scored yet another hat-trick in a 4–3 comeback win over Lazio, having been 2–0 and 3–2 down during the game. He also became the highest league goalscorer in a single season in Napoli\\'s history, netting 25 goals in Serie A. On 8 May, in a 2–1 away loss against Lecce, he received a red card for two bookable offences. He sarcastically applauded the referee after the decision and was handed a two-match ban for the action. As Napoli only had two more games of the season, it meant that his season was over and that he would not be able to regain his top position in the Serie A scoring charts, as Antonio Di Natale had surpassed him with 26 goals. Cavani signed a new five-year contract on 19 May, keeping him at Napoli until 2016.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12: Coppa Italia win ====\\nOn 14 September, Cavani scored the opener in Napoli\\'s first game of their Champions League campaign, a 1–1 away draw at Manchester City. Four days later, on 18 September, he scored a hat-trick against Milan in Napoli\\'s 3–1 home win. On 22 November, Cavani scored both goals in the match winning brace 2–1 at home against Manchester City in the Champions League, leaving Napoli in pole position to follow Bayern Munich into the knockout stage. On 26 November, Cavani scored a 94th-minute equaliser against Atalanta after Napoli went a goal down in the 64th minute through on-loan Napoli striker Germán Denis. On 21 December, Cavani netted a brace in Napoli\\'s 6–1 thrashing of Genoa, helping the Azzurri finish 2011 strong and end the first half of the season in sixth place.On 17 February 2012, Cavani scored two goals against Fiorentina, helping Napoli go in fifth place ahead of Internazionale. On 21 February, Cavani scored the second goal against Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16 first leg in Naples. He also provided the assists for both of Ezequiel Lavezzi\\'s goals that game. Napoli subsequently went on to win this game 3–1. Following Napoli\\'s exit from the Champions League at the hands of Chelsea, Cavani scored two goals against Udinese in the last ten minutes to earn a much-needed draw to keep Napoli in the hunt for the last Champions League qualifying spot. A few days later, he converted a fantastic counter-attack against Siena to book Napoli a place in the Coppa Italia final. On 21 April, he celebrated his 200th career league appearance by scoring in a 2–0 win against Novara. Cavani finished the league season with 23 goals, tied for third on the goal scoring charts with Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale. On 20 May, Cavani scored a penalty against Juventus in the 2012 Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, which Napoli won 2–0. Cavani finished the tournament as the top goalscorer, with five goals.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13: Serie A top scorer ====\\nCavani\\'s first goal of the Serie A season came on 26 August, netting the final goal of Napoli\\'s 3–0 defeat of former club Palermo. A month later, on 26 September, Cavani scored a mesmerising hat-trick against Lazio to maintain Napoli\\'s undefeated start to the Serie A season in a 3–0 win.On 8 November, Cavani scored all four goals, including a half-volley from outside the box and a tremendous free kick, as Napoli came back from 2–1 down to defeat Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 4–2 in the group stage of the Europa League. Cavani scored a late penalty in the 94th minute to secure a 2–1 victory over Swedish side AIK on 22 November, sending Napoli through to the next round of the Europa League. Cavani was the last player ever to score on the Råsunda Stadium which was the stadium that hosted the 1958 FIFA World Cup final. On 6 January 2013, Cavani netted a perfect hat-trick as Napoli thumped Roma 4–1, gaining ground in the race for the league title as champions Juventus fell to a shock win. Cavani finished the season as leading Serie A goalscorer, with 29 goals, six ahead of Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale in second.Towards the end of the season, reports emerged that Cavani would leave Napoli, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all believed to be interested. On 27 May 2013, however, he told that he was not thinking of moving, saying, \"Real Madrid, Chelsea and [Manchester] City are interested in me? I just think about Napoli.\" Nonetheless, he continued, \"If an important offer were to come in, I will talk with president [Aurelio] De Laurentiis\". He then paid tribute to his time in Italy, saying, \"I\\'m fine in Italy, I have grown as a man there and as a player with the Serie A experience\". Cavani was asked about the interest Chelsea and Manchester City took in him, saying, \"I don\\'t know if they made an offer for me, I just know that to be coached by someone like [Man City manager] Manuel Pellegrini or [Chelsea manager] José Mourinho would always be a pleasure\". On 23 June, Napoli club president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed that Cavani\\'s reported £53 million \"buyout clause expires\" on 10 August 2013.\\n\\n\\n=== Paris Saint-Germain ===\\nOn 16 July 2013, Cavani joined French champions Paris Saint-Germain on a five-year contract, for a fee believed to be around €64 million, making it the sixth largest transfer in history, at the time. The reported sum made Cavani the record signing in French football, breaking Radamel Falcao\\'s €60 million move to Monaco earlier in the summer, and saw him link up with former Napoli teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi in Paris.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: debut season ====\\nCavani debuted for PSG on 9 August, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Lavezzi in a league match against Montpellier. He started the following game on 18 August and scored his first goal for the club, a late equaliser against Ajaccio.Cavani scored his first Champions League goal for the club in their European season opener against Olympiacos on 17 September. He ended the group stage with four goals from five matches as PSG qualified with a 100% win record.On 22 January 2014, Cavani scored his 20th goal of the season in PSG\\'s 2–1 Coupe de France defeat at home to Montpellier. On 2 March, after missing a month of the season with a thigh injury, Cavani scored on his return to the team in a 2–0 win over Le Classique rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes.On 19 April, he scored both goals for PSG as they beat Lyon 2–1 in the 2014 Coupe de la Ligue Final. He finished his first season with 25 goals in 43 games across all competitions, including 16 in 30 league games.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–16: back-to-back domestic quadruples ====\\nCavani scored a penalty to secure a 3–1 win at Lens on 17 October 2014, and celebrated by shooting an imaginary bow and arrow. Referee Nicolas Rainville booked him for this, and sent him off for dissent after Cavani complained about it. PSG club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said to Canal+, \"Why did he get the yellow card before? He always celebrates the same way.\" On 5 November 2014, it took Cavani 56 seconds to score the only goal of the game against Cypriot club APOEL, a result which put PSG into the Champions League knock-out stage with two games to spare.In January 2015, Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi were fined and suspended for two matches by PSG manager Laurent Blanc for missing a mid-season training camp in Morocco and the first training session after the winter break. On 11 April, he scored two goals as a second-half substitute for Lavezzi as PSG defeated Bastia 4–0 to win the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final. On 8 May, he scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 defeat of Guingamp, which gave PSG a six-point lead in Ligue 1 with two matches remaining. With the title retained, PSG sealed a domestic treble on 30 May when Cavani headed the only goal of the game – his 31st in all competitions that season – to defeat Auxerre in the Coupe de France final.Cavani and PSG kicked off the season against Lyon for the 2015 Trophée des Champions on 1 August, with him scoring the second goal of a 2–0 victory. On 21 May 2016, Cavani scored the decisive third goal of PSG\\'s 4–2 2016 Coupe de France Final win over Marseille to record a second consecutive Ligue 1–Coupe de France–Coupe de la Ligue domestic treble for the club.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–18: Ligue 1 Player of the Year, back-to-back Golden Foot ====\\nOn 13 September 2016, in the opening 2016–17 Champions League Group A match against Arsenal at the Parc des Princes, Cavani scored after just 44 seconds had elapsed in the first half by heading in Serge Aurier\\'s cross from the right for PSG\\'s fastest-ever Champions League goal. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. On 16 September, Cavani scored four times (his first ever four-goal haul with PSG) in the first half as PSG trounced Caen 6–0 away in a Ligue 1 match to end PSG\\'s streak of three competitive matches without victory, two of them in Ligue 1. On 30 November, he scored a penalty in a 2–0 home win against Angers to take his Ligue 1 tally to 14 goals in 14 matches, which also saw him become only the fourth player in PSG history to score 100 competitive goals for the club.Cavani scored one goal in each leg of PSG\\'s 6–5 aggregate loss to FC Barcelona in their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, taking him to eight goals from eight matches in the season\\'s competition. On 1 April 2017, he scored two-second-half goals in PSG\\'s 4–1 win over Monaco in the 2017 Coupe de la Ligue Final. On 15 May 2017, he was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year for scoring 35 goals.\\nPrior to the 2017–18 season, Cavani was joined at the club by Brazilian forward Neymar, who moved to PSG in a transaction worth €222 million making him the world\\'s most expensive player, and 18-year-old French prodigy Kylian Mbappé, a loan signing with the club having an option to sign him for €180 million. Cavani, Neymar and Mbappé immediately formed a formidable attacking trio, with Cavani scoring in each of PSG\\'s opening three games of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League group stage, twice in the team\\'s 5–0 win at Celtic, once in the 3–0 win at home to Bayern Munich, and once in the 4–0 win at Anderlecht.On 22 October, Cavani scored a curling free kick off the crossbar to earn PSG a 2–2 draw in Le Classique away to Marseille. The following month, he scored twice in the return leg against Celtic in a 7–1 win. The result saw PSG break the record for the most goals scored by a club in the group stages of the Champions League, with 24. On 4 November, Cavani\\'s goals in a 5–0 win at Angers made him only the third player to score 100 times in two of Europe\\'s five best leagues, after Ibrahimović and Gonzalo Higuaín.Cavani became PSG\\'s all-time top scorer on 27 January 2018 with a goal in a 4–0 home win over Montpellier. He surpassed Zlatan Ibrahimović\\'s record with his 157th goal in his 229th match. On 8 May 2018, he scored as PSG won 2–0 against Les Herbiers VF to clinch the 2017–18 Coupe de France.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–20: Final seasons in Paris ====\\nOn 25 August 2018, Cavani played his first game of the season after missing PSG\\'s first three games following his injury at the 2018 World Cup. The front three of Cavani, Neymar and Mbappé all scored in a 3–1 league win over Angers at home, with Cavani scoring the opener from Neymar\\'s assist. On 11 November 2018, Cavani scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Monaco. On 18 December, Cavani scored in PSG\\'s 2–1 win over Orléans in the Coupe de La Ligue; this was his 15th goal all-time in the competition, tying Pauleta\\'s record for most goals in the tournament.In April 2020, PSG were assigned the 2019–20 Ligue 1 title after the season was ended prematurely due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic; at the time of the League\\'s suspension, PSG were in first place, with a twelve–point lead over second-placed Marseille. On 13 June, PSG\\'s sporting director Leonardo revealed that Cavani would be leaving the club at the end of the Champions League campaign in August, alongside his teammate Thiago Silva. However, it was later revealed that, unlike Silva, Cavani had refused a short-term two-month contract extension that would allow him to see out the rest of the delayed Champions League campaign (including the final), the Coupe de la Ligue final and the Coupe de France final, and he left the club upon the expiry of his original contract on 30 June.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21: debut season and Europa League runner-up ====\\nOn 5 October 2020, Cavani joined Premier League club Manchester United on a one-year deal with an option to extend for a further year. He was given the prestigious number 7 shirt. On 24 October, he made his Premier League debut from the bench in a 0–0 draw against Chelsea. On 7 November, Cavani scored his first goal in the Premier League in a 3–1 away win against Everton. On 29 November, Cavani scored twice, including the winning goal in added time, in a 3–2 comeback win against Southampton after coming on as a half time substitute.On 2 February 2021, he scored the fourth goal in United\\'s Premier League record-equalling 9–0 win against Southampton. On 29 April, he scored twice and assisted two more goals in a 6–2 home win over Roma in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals; he scored another two in a 3–2 defeat in the return leg, which allowed United to advance to the final 8–5 on aggregate. Across April, Cavani scored five goals and collected three man of the match award from four starts which lead to him winning his first Manchester United player of the month award.On 10 May, Cavani officially extended his stay for another season. On 18 May, in an eventual 1–1 home draw against Fulham, Cavani scored the first goal at Old Trafford with fans in attendance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 40-yard lob. He was later awarded Premier League Goal of the Month for his effort. On 26 May, he scored the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw against Villarreal in the Europa League Final; however, Manchester United lost eventually on penalties, despite Cavani netting his spot kick in the shoot-out.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22: final season in England ====\\nEven though Cavani played his first match of the 2021–22 season against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the number 7 shirt, upon the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, he agreed to switch to the number 21 shirt, the same number he wears for the Uruguay national team. He scored his first goal of the season, in a 3–0 away win on 30 October against Tottenham Hotspur, assisted by Ronaldo.On 22 May 2022, interim-manager Ralf Rangnick announced that Cavani would be leaving the club when his contract expired at the end of season.\\n\\n\\n=== Valencia ===\\nOn 29 August 2022, Valencia announced the signing of Cavani with a two-year contract.He made his mark in Spain against Elche CF on 15 October, where he scored twice and got the Man of the match-award. On 29 July 2023, it was announced that Cavani had parted ways with Valencia.\\n\\n\\n=== Boca Juniors ===\\nOn 29 July 2023, Cavani joined Boca Juniors on a free transfer and a deal running until December 2024. Two days later, Boca Juniors presented him at an unveiling ceremony as their new signing. On 9 August 2023, he made his debut for the club in the 2023 Copa Libertadores round of 16 match against Nacional.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth ===\\nIn January 2007, Cavani was selected to join the Uruguay national under-20 team to play in the 2007 South American Youth Championship in Paraguay. He finished the tournament as top scorer with seven goals in nine games, helping Uruguay to finish in third place, thereby earning them a place in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.\\n\\n\\n=== Senior ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2010 World Cup and 2011 Copa América ====\\nOn 6 February 2008, Cavani made his first senior appearance for the Uruguayan senior team, scoring in a 2–2 draw with Colombia. He scored from his own area on the counterattack from a corner.\\nOn 22 June 2010, in the final match of the group stage of the 2010 World Cup, Cavani set-up a goal for Luis Suárez in a 1–0 win over Mexico. Uruguay won Group A and advanced to the knockout stage. On 10 July 2010, he scored against Germany in the third place match to make the score 1–1; Germany went on to win 3–2.On 8 October 2010, he scored his first international hat-trick in a friendly match against Indonesia, a 7–1 win in Jakarta in which Luis Suárez also scored a hat-trick.Cavani was included in the Uruguayan squad at the 2011 Copa América in Argentina. He started the first two group games, but a knee injury in the second game against Chile ruled him out until the final. In the final, he replaced Álvaro Pereira after 63 minutes, and was involved in his team\\'s final goal as Uruguay beat Paraguay 3–0 won a record 15th title.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012 Olympics, 2013 Confederations Cup, and 2014 World Cup ====\\nCavani was one of the three over-age players selected by Uruguay for the 2012 Summer Olympics.At the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Cavani equalised in the semi-final against the hosts and eventual champions Brazil, who eventually won 2–1. In the match for third place, he equalised twice against Italy, his second goal coming from a free kick, taking the game to penalties. Although Cavani scored his spot kick, Uruguay lost; he was named man of the match for his performance.On 13 November 2013, Cavani scored the last goal in Uruguay\\'s 5–0 away win over Jordan in a play-off for the 2014 World Cup. In their first group game of the finals, against Costa Rica in Fortaleza, Cavani opened the scoring with a penalty after Diego Lugano had been pulled down. Uruguay, however, eventually lost 3–1. Uruguay were eliminated by Colombia, following a 2–0 defeat in the round of 16 on 28 June 2014.\\n\\n\\n==== Post-World Cup ====\\nWith Suárez suspended for the entire tournament, Cavani was an undisputed starter for Uruguay at the 2015 Copa América in Chile. In the quarter-finals against the hosts at the Estadio Nacional, Cavani was sent off for two bookings: the first for a foul on Arturo Vidal, the second for flicking at Gonzalo Jara\\'s face after Jara had poked him in the buttocks. The incident received almost immediate and prominent international coverage from newspapers and the internet, mostly in defence of Cavani. Massive coverage included articles, columns, blogs, memes and cartoons. Press in Australia drew comparisons to what the press referred to as \"Hopoate\", comparing it to a similar infamous onfield anus-poking incident from rugby. Other massive international coverage of the incident came from China, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. Internet coverage included Goal.com, Business Insider, ESPNFC, Bleacher Report The World Game, The Huffington Post, and Dirty Tackle. Teammate Jorge Fucile was later also dismissed, and holders Uruguay were eliminated with a 1–0 defeat. Cavani also took part in the Copa América Centenario the following year, but he once again went scoreless in the competition, as Uruguay were eliminated in the first round.In 2018, Uruguay participated in the China Cup. Cavani led Uruguay to the trophy by scoring the only goal in the final match against Wales.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018 World Cup ====\\nCavani finished as the top scorer in the CONMEBOL 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, with 10 goals. In March 2018, Cavani was part of the Uruguay squad that won the China Cup. He scored in the 2–0 semi-final win over the Czech Republic, and in the final he scored the only goal against Wales, his 100th cap.In his nation\\'s final group game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 25 June, Cavani scored Uruguay\\'s final goal in a 3–0 win over hosts Russia. Cavani then went on to score both of Uruguay\\'s goals against Portugal in a 2–1 victory in the Round of 16 on 30 June, though he was withdrawn in the second-half with an apparent hamstring injury. Because of his injury, he was ruled out of Uruguay\\'s 2–0 defeat to France in the quarter-finals on 6 July.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019 Copa América ====\\nIn March 2019, manager Óscar Tabárez included Cavani in the final 23-man Uruguay squad for the 2019 Copa América in Brazil. On 16 June, Cavani scored \"an acrobatic bicycle-kick\" in a 4–0 win over Ecuador in the team\\'s opening group match of the tournament; this was his first goal ever in the Copa América. In the quarter-finals against Peru on 29 June, he had a goal disallowed by VAR for offside in regulation time; following a 0–0 draw, the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Although Cavani was able to convert his spot-kick, Peru won the shoot-out 5–4, which saw Uruguay eliminated from the competition.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nA quick, strong, opportunistic and prolific forward with good technique, and a tall, slender frame, Cavani is considered to be one of the greatest strikers of his generation, and has been described as a \"modern striker\". Possessing an excellent first touch, intelligent movement off the ball, and clinical finishing, he is a well-rounded striker, who is known for his ability to score impressive goals, both with his head and with his feet, and for his tireless work-rate and energy across the pitch, as well as his willingness to track back and help his team defensively; moreover, he is an athletic player, who is also strong in the air, and who has a penchant for scoring from acrobatic goals. He is also an accurate set-piece taker, and is generally a competent penalty taker, even though his record from the spot has been inconsistent at times throughout his career.In addition to his goalscoring, he is also known for his ability to create space for his teammates. However, despite being a prolific player, and having a reputation as one of the best strikers of his generation, he has been accused at times in the media of missing an excessive number of chances, and has also been criticised on occasion for his performances in important matches. Although he primarily plays either as a centre forward or as a main striker, he is capable of playing in several offensive positions, and has also been deployed as a supporting striker or as a winger. Writing for The Guardian in 2018, Jorge Valdano remarked upon \"the generous endeavour of Cavani, a striker who covers the entire pitch\". Due to his composure in front of goal, Cavani was given the nickname \"El Matador\" (\\'The Bullfighter\\', in Spanish) during his time in Italy. Despite his ability, he has struggled with injuries throughout his career.Like his idol, Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta, Cavani often celebrates scoring a goal by pretending to fire an imaginary machine gun; he has also celebrated goals by pretending to shoot a bow and arrow.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nCavani was born in Salto, Uruguay on 14 February 1987 to Luis Cavani and Berta Gómez. His elder brothers, striker Walter Guglielmone and Christian Cavani, are also professional footballers. Cavani holds an Italian passport as a result of playing in Italy and his Italian heritage; Cavani\\'s paternal grandparents were originally from Maranello. In 1929, they migrated to Argentina and later to Montevideo. Cavani is trilingual; he is fluent in Spanish, Italian and French.Cavani was married to Maria Soledad Cabris Yarrús, with whom he has two sons, Bautista (born 22 March 2011) and Lucas (born 8 March 2013). In 2013, Cavani announced that he and his wife were to get a divorce, following a split between the two the year before. Then he had a daughter, India (born 17 May 2019), with his girlfriend Jocelyn Burgardt.He is a devout Evangelical Christian. As a child, Cavani idolised Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta. Cavani also enjoys ballet dancing. His resemblance with the cartoon character Tarzan is a popular reference among football fans.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 1 February 2024Notes\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of match played 2 December 2022Scores and results list Uruguay\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cavani goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nDanubio\\nPrimera División: 2006–07Napoli\\nCoppa Italia: 2011–12Paris Saint-Germain\\nLigue 1: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20\\nCoupe de France: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20\\nCoupe de la Ligue: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20\\nTrophée des Champions: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019\\nUEFA Champions League runner-up: 2019–20Manchester United\\n\\nUEFA Europa League runner-up: 2020–21Boca Juniors\\n\\nCopa Libertadores runner-up: 2023Uruguay\\nCopa América: 2011Individual\\n\\nSouth American Youth Championship top scorer: 2007 (7 goals)\\nSerie A Fan Award: 2010\\nSerie A Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13\\nCoppa Italia top scorer: 2011–12 (5 goals)\\nCapocannoniere: 2012–13\\nGuerin d\\'Oro: 2012–13\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2016–17\\nLigue 1 top scorer: 2016–17 (35 goals), 2017–18 (28 goals)\\nCoupe de la Ligue Top scorer: 2013–14 (four goals), 2014–15 (three goals), 2016–17 (four goals)\\nCoupe de France top scorer: 2014–15 (four goals)\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: September 2016, October 2016\\nTrofeo EFE: 2017–18\\nESM Team of the Year: 2016–17\\nCONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualification top scorer: 2018 (ten goals)\\nLigue 1 Best Foreign Player: 2017\\nGolden Foot: 2018\\nPremier League Goal of the Month: May 2021\\nUEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2020–21\\nIFFHS Uruguayan Men\\'s Dream Team (Team B)\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 50 or more international goals\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nEdinson Cavani – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nEdinson Cavani – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nEdinson Cavani – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French \\nEdinson Cavani at Premier League\\nEdinson Cavani at Soccerbase \\nEdinson Cavani at Olympics.com \\nEdinson Cavani at Olympedia\\nSERGIO AGUEROSergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League. He played for Manchester City from 2011 to 2021 and is the club\\'s all-time top goalscorer and holds the record for most Premier League hat-tricks, with 12.\\nAgüero began his career at the Argentine club Independiente where, on 5 July 2003, he became the youngest player to play in the Argentine Primera División at 15 years and 35 days, breaking the 27 year record previously set by Diego Maradona. In 2006, Agüero moved to La Liga club Atlético Madrid in a transfer worth €23 million, establishing himself as one of the world\\'s best young players and one of the most prolific players in La Liga, winning the Don Balón, the Golden Boy, and the World Soccer Young Player of the Year. Agüero also won the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup while in Madrid.\\nAgüero signed for Premier League club Manchester City in 2011 in a transfer for a reported fee of £35 million. During his 10 years at the club, he won five league titles, notably scoring a last minute winner in the final league game of his debut season to win the club its first league title in 44 years. Further honours with the club include a record six EFL Cups and an FA Cup; he was also part of the club\\'s first UEFA Champions League final. Agüero won a Premier League Golden Boot and was twice included in the PFA Team of the Year. He is the fifth all-time Premier League goalscorer and the highest non-English scorer in the competition, with 184 goals. He held the record for the most Premier League goals scored by a player for any single club until it was overtaken by Harry Kane in 2022. In 2021, he joined Barcelona on a free transfer, before retiring from football aged 33 due to heart problems in the same year. He played just four matches for the club, with his only goal coming in the first El Clásico of the 2021–22 season.\\nAt international level, Agüero represented the Argentina under-20 team as they won the 2005 and 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cups. He played at the 2008 Olympics, scoring two goals in the semi-final against Brazil as Argentina won gold. Agüero is Argentina\\'s third-highest all-time top goalscorer and has earned over 100 caps, representing the senior team at three FIFA World Cups (in 2010, 2014 and 2018) and five Copas América (in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021), winning the Copa América in 2021.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Independiente ===\\nSergio Agüero joined the youth system of Independiente at the age of nine. He started playing for the side, becoming the youngest player to debut in the first division at 15 years and 35 days (on 5 July 2003 against Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro), when Independiente\\'s coach, Oscar Ruggeri sent Agüero onto the field as a substitute for Emanuel Rivas in the 69th minute of the match. His performance was well received by the press. Despite his early debut, he was not selected again by Ruggeri, and his replacement Osvaldo Sosa, for the remainder of 2002–03 season, having made only one appearance in the Torneo Clausura. Following the arrival of coach Jose Omar Pastoriza, seven months after Agüero\\'s first match he returned to the club\\'s first-team in 4–2 win against Peru\\'s Cienciano during the group stages of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. This meant that he also became the youngest player to participate in the Copa Libertadores, a record that he held for three years. One month later, Agüero again featured in a Copa Libertadores fixture against Ecuador\\'s El Nacional. On 19 June, for the first time, Agüero played a full 90-minute match for Independiente against Atlético de Rafaela during the Torneo Clausura. He scored his first goal for Independiente in a 2–2 draw against Estudiantes on 26 November, with a 22nd minute shot from outside the penalty area. Agüero became a regular in the club\\'s first-team, being selected for the Argentina U-20 squad for the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which Argentina won.\\nDuring the 2005–06 season, Agüero scored 18 goals in 36 league appearances, having missed two games due to suspension. In a 4–0 win against Racing Club on 11 September, he dribbled from inside of his own half and scored Independiente\\'s fourth goal with a left footed shot. His first red card came in the Torneo Apertura, after slapping an opponent in a match against Tiro Federal. His outstanding performances during the Torneo Apertura attracted interest from a number of large European clubs, and, after months of speculation, Agüero announced on TV in April that he intended to leave the club at the end of the season. Before the end of the season, there had already been speculation of a possible transfer to Atlético Madrid. With his performances being lauded by the press, there was talk of a possible call up for Agüero for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In a 2–0 away victory against Olimpo de Bahia Blanca in round 17 of the Torneo Clausura, Agüero received his fifth yellow card of the season. This prevented him from playing his last game for Independiente in a fixture against Boca Juniors in Avellaneda one week later. The yellow card brought tears to his eyes, as television cameras recorded. Agüero, who scored Independiente\\'s second goal of the match later said \"I think that it was my last goal for Independiente\". He played his last game for Independiente, two weeks later, in a 2–0 away defeat to Rosario Central. On 30 May, Agüero officially transferred to Atlético Madrid for €20 million, marking a record for the club.\\n\\n\\n=== Atlético Madrid ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2006–09: Transfer and fast rise to stardom ====\\nIn May 2006, Agüero joined Spanish club Atlético Madrid for a fee reported to be around €20 million, breaking the club\\'s previous transfer record. He caused controversy early in his Atlético career by using his hands to score the winning goal against Recreativo Huelva on 14 October 2006, only his second goal for the club, with the first coming in a 4–1 away win against Athletic Bilbao on 17 September. He ended his first season in Madrid with seven goals in all competitions, eased into European football by manager Javier Aguirre, who opted to bring him in and out of the line-up as Atlético finished seventh, enough to qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.\\nFollowing the departure of strike partner Fernando Torres to Liverpool in the summer of 2007, Agüero secured his starting spot for the Rojiblancos and soon became arguably the team\\'s most important player at the age of just 19. In the 2007–08 season, he finished third highest scorer in La Liga, behind Dani Güiza and Luís Fabiano, with 19 goals, and was runner up in the Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano award. Agüero won many plaudits for his man of the match display against Barcelona in March 2008, scoring twice, assisting a goal and winning a penalty for Atlético in a 4–2 win. He also scored important goals against the likes of Real Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal to help Atlético finish fourth and qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over ten years.Agüero was once again a regular goalscorer for Atlético in the 2008–09 season, continuing to establish a lethal partnership with Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán, also a former Independiente player. On 16 September, he scored his first Champions League goals in a 3–0 away win at PSV Eindhoven, helping Atlético eventually reach the last 16 of the competition. In March 2009, Forlán and Agüero each scored a brace in a 4–3 win over league leaders Barcelona, the latter scoring the winning goal in the match\\'s final minutes. With the help of more vital goals in a formidable end of the season run-in from his team, Agüero finished in the top ten contenders for the Pichichi Trophy, which was won by his teammate Forlán. Atlético finished fourth in the league, qualifying for the following season\\'s Champions League.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–11: UEFA Europa League win and departure ====\\nDespite not being as prolific in front of goal, Agüero had another good season in 2009–10, and was praised for his influential performances as Atlético enjoyed their most successful season in over a decade. On 3 November 2009, he scored twice against Chelsea during a 2–2 draw in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderón. Atlético were knocked out of the competition, but went on to reach the final of the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League, where Agüero assisted both goals in a 2–1 extra time win against English club Fulham. He also helped Atlético reach the final of the Copa del Rey, although this time they were not victorious, losing to Sevilla in the Camp Nou on 19 May.\\nOn 27 August 2010, Atlético Madrid captured the UEFA Super Cup by beating favorites Inter Milan 2–0. Agüero provided the assist for José Antonio Reyes\\' opening goal and then secured the win by scoring the second. On 4 January 2011, Atlético Madrid confirmed via their official website that Agüero had signed a new contract which would keep him at the club until 2014. The following day, he was named as the new vice-captain of Atlético, along with strike partner Diego Forlán. The 2010–11 season was arguably Agüero\\'s most successful for Atlético, as he scored 20 league goals for the first time in his career. Between March and May 2011, he went on a run of seven consecutive goalscoring appearances, a feat that no other player in Europe could match during the season. Agüero\\'s final outing for Atlético came on 21 May against Mallorca, a game in which he reached two milestones. In a 4–3 win, he scored his first career hat-trick, the second goal being his 100th for the Colchoneros. Failure to celebrate any of the goals, however, led to speculation that he would be on his way out of the club.\\nOn 23 May 2011, Agüero announced on his official website that he wanted to move from Atlético and formally asked to be released from his contract. Agüero later spoke to ESPN, where he stated that he would \"not be returning to Atlético\". On the same day that Agüero officially became a Manchester City player, Atlético hosted a 2011–12 Europa League qualifier against Strømsgodset IF, where a group of Atlético fans brandished \"Agüero, We Hope You Die\" banners in a reaction to the striker\\'s transfer to City at the Vicente Calderón on 28 July 2011, after he had previously stated his desire to see out his contract with the club just weeks before requesting a transfer. Upon his departure, Atlético used the money from Agüero\\'s sale to buy Radamel Falcao as his replacement.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester City ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12: Record transfer and Premier League win ====\\nOn 28 July 2011, Manchester City confirmed that Agüero had signed a five-year contract with the club. The fee was reported to be in the region of £35 million. He was given the number 16 shirt for his first season at City and, as he did in Atlético, wore the name \"Kun Agüero\" on his shirt. He was an unused substitute in the Dublin Super Cup match against Inter Milan and the 2011 FA Community Shield against Manchester United with manager Roberto Mancini believing Agüero was not yet fit. Agüero made his debut for City on 15 August 2011 in a 4–0 Premier League victory over Swansea City. Agüero came on as a substitute in the 59th minute, scoring his first goal for the club within nine minutes after a tap-in from a cross from full back Micah Richards. He then turned provider with an assist after chipping over the oncoming goalkeeper before flicking the ball back into the penalty box and into the path of David Silva to score. Agüero rounded off his debut by scoring again in injury time with a 30-yard strike. His 30-minute debut gained rave reviews among football journalists, with some suggesting it was one of the best in English football.City continued their strong start, winning 3–2 away at Bolton Wanderers with Agüero missing two chances in the penalty box. On 28 August, Agüero scored his third league goal in Manchester City\\'s 5–1 rout of Tottenham Hotspur. On his third start for the club, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick, against Wigan Athletic. On 18 September, he scored twice at Craven Cottage against Fulham, but City were held to a 2–2 draw. Having been substituted after just 28 minutes due to an injury during a 4–0 win against Blackburn Rovers on 1 October, Agüero returned to action in a 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage fixture, where he came on for Nigel de Jong on 62 minutes and scored a 93rd-minute winner in his side\\'s 2–1 victory against Villarreal on 18 October. On 23 October, Agüero took part in his first Manchester derby, scoring in the 69th minute as he converted a Micah Richards pass across the face of goal. The match finished 6–1 to City. On 1 November, Agüero was shortlisted for the prestigious FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. On 19 November, he scored a penalty in a 3–1 win at home to Newcastle United, ending Newcastle\\'s unbeaten start to the season.\\nAgüero made his League Cup debut in the quarter final match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, scoring the only goal of the game in the 83rd minute from an Adam Johnson through-ball. His next goal came in a 5–1 home win against Norwich City, opening the scoring in the 32nd minute, giving him his 13th goal of the season and maintaining the team\\'s 100% league record at home. On 21 December, he scored a brace as City beat Stoke City 3–0 at home. On 3 January 2012, he opened the scoring in a 3–0 win at home to Liverpool, beating Pepe Reina with a low shot. Agüero scored his 15th goal on 4 February, scoring a penalty against Fulham in a 3–0 win at a snow-covered City of Manchester Stadium.\\nDuring the first-leg of a Europa League round of 32 match against Porto, Agüero entered the field in the 78th minute for Mario Balotelli and scored the match-winning goal, and his first Europa League goal for Manchester City, in the 85th minute. The game ended 2–1, and, in the second-leg, Agüero scored within 19 seconds in a 4–0 win on 22 February. Manchester City advanced to the last 16 of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, having won 6–1 on aggregate. On 25 February, Agüero scored his 16th league goal in a 3–0 win against Blackburn. During the second-leg of Manchester City\\'s Round of 16 Europa League fixture against Sporting CP on 15 March, Agüero netted a double to help City claim a 3–2 win, having been trailing 2–0 at half-time, to level the scores at 3–3 on aggregate. Sporting CP won on away goals, as they defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the first-leg on 8 March. One week later, Agüero scored his 17th league goal in 2–1 win against Chelsea on 21 March. On 29 March, Agüero was ruled out for 10 days to two weeks due to a foot problem, which was later diagnosed as a reaction to a substance that blistered his foot.On 11 April, Agüero scored two goals for himself and also set up another two goals (for David Silva and Carlos Tevez) in a 4–0 home victory against West Bromwich Albion. On 14 April, Agüero scored a double in a 6–1 away win against Norwich City, his two goals meaning that he had surpassed 20 league goals in the Premier League. He scored one goal in the next match, in which Manchester City beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0. On 4 May, Agüero was named Manchester City Player of The Year. His first goal in the 6–1 away win against Norwich also won him the club\\'s Goal of the Season award.\\n\\n\\n===== Final game of the season =====\\n\\nFive straight wins helped City wipe out an eight-point deficit against Manchester United and they went into the final day\\'s fixtures leading on goal difference. Facing relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers, City needed to match or better United\\'s result at Sunderland. By the 66th minute, QPR\\'s Joey Barton was sent off after elbowing Agüero\\'s teammate Carlos Tevez in the face. After being shown the red card, Barton proceeded to kick Agüero\\'s knee, then attempted to attack Vincent Kompany, only for him to be held back by Micah Richards. Despite that, QPR still went ahead 2–1 against City, while United were 1–0 up against Sunderland.\\nIn response, manager Roberto Mancini sent on strikers Edin Džeko and Mario Balotelli in an attempt to get the two goals City now needed for the title. Five minutes of injury time began for City with their and United\\'s match scores unchanged. Džeko equalised to give City a glimmer of hope and United finished their own game with a 1–0 victory. In the 94th minute, Agüero, receiving the ball from Balotelli, drove into the penalty area and placed a powerful low shot into the corner of the goal, clinching the win and the first top flight English title for Manchester City since 1968. Agüero\\'s goal sent the City of Manchester Stadium into a frenzy and he was dragged to the floor jubilantly by his City teammates. Vincent Kompany recalled that Agüero was crying on the floor, and when asked if he cried during the Manchester City parade the following day, Agüero stated: \"Yeah, a little\".\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13: Injuries and league runner-up ====\\nAgüero started the 2012–13 season in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Chelsea at Villa Park as Manchester City won 3–2. In Manchester City\\'s first league match, Agüero had to be stretchered off in the 13th minute of their home game against Southampton due to a knee injury. Agüero was an unused substitute in City\\'s 3–2 defeat to Real Madrid on 18 September 2012. Following the match, Agüero said he would have joined Real Madrid had they made an offer for him in 2011 but was left with \"no option but to join City\". Agüero made his return in a 1–1 home draw against Arsenal in the Premier League and went on to score his first goal of the season against Fulham on 29 September in a 2–1 away win in the Premier League. He followed this up with another goal the following weekend against Sunderland in a 3–0 home win. His next league goal came in a 2–1 win at home against Tottenham on 11 November. He followed this up with another two goals the following weekend against Aston Villa in a 5–0 win at home. Agüero also scored in back-to-back games in the Champions League in successive draws at home to Ajax and Real Madrid. He scored his next goal on 15 December, where he scored the opening goal, as Manchester City won 3–1 away against Newcastle. Agüero then scored against Norwich City on 29 December in a 4–3 away win. In his next match on 2 January, after scoring a penalty in the 73rd minute, Agüero damaged his hamstring during a 3–0 victory over Stoke.Agüero made his return for Manchester City on 19 January after coming on as an 81st-minute substitute in a 2–0 victory against Fulham. On 3 February, Agüero scored the equaliser after beating Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina in a race to the ball out near the right corner flag. On 17 February, Agüero helped Manchester City to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as he scored twice in a 4–0 win at home to Leeds United. He sustained a knee injury in the 2–0 win over Chelsea on 24 February. This eventually led to him missing the Argentina squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Venezuela and Bolivia. Agüero made his return for Manchester City on 30 March after coming on as a substitute with warm reception in a 4–0 victory against Newcastle.On 8 April, Agüero scored a solo goal to give City the win in the Manchester derby in the 78th minute, seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Samir Nasri. Agüero then scored a header to help Manchester City defeat Chelsea on 14 April in the FA Cup semi-final and reach the final. In the 82nd minute of the tie, Agüero made a two-footed tackle on David Luiz after the defender had previously appeared to tackle him. Despite the incident warranting a red card at the time, the FA announced Agüero would not be punished following confirmation that referee Chris Foy had at least seen part of the incident and acted on it during the match. Many people disagreed with this decision and felt that the FA had failed to act. On 17 April, Agüero revealed that he had apologised to David Luiz for his rash challenge on the defender. Agüero withdrew as a precaution at half-time on 17 April in Manchester City\\'s 1–0 home victory over Wigan after feeling tightness in a hamstring, but he appeared as an unused substitute in City\\'s 3–1 away loss at White Hart Lane against Tottenham on 21 April. He scored his next goal on 27 April, where he scored the opening goal, as Manchester City won 2–1 home against West Ham United. On 11 May, Agüero started for Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup Final, where the team lost 1–0 to Wigan. Agüero scored his final goal of the season in a 2–0 away win against Reading on 14 May.The Times reported that he was the main transfer target of Spanish giants Real Madrid, but Agüero responded by saying, \"I\\'m very happy at City and I feel appreciated and loved here which means a lot to me.\" Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano also negated the idea of a transfer, insisting Agüero would stay at the City of Manchester Stadium. However, former Argentina international Diego Maradona backed him to join Real Madrid, believing Agüero\\'s presence in the Madrid team could help get even more out of Cristiano Ronaldo. On 25 May 2013, Agüero signed a one-year extension to his contract, keeping him at Manchester City until 2017. Agüero stated his commitment to Manchester City on 28 May 2013, saying, \"I\\'m committed to Manchester City, it\\'s a great club.\"\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: Second Premier League win ====\\nFollowing a knee injury that ruled him out of all of the club\\'s pre-season games, Agüero scored in City\\'s 4–0 victory over Newcastle United in the opening game of the 2013–14 Premier League season. On 22 September 2013, he scored a brace in a 4–1 home win against Manchester United. On 8 November, after scoring five goals in four matches between 5 October and 2 November, Agüero was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for the first time. During the same period, he had also scored both goals for City in a 2–1 away win against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. He scored six goals in five matches in the Champions League group stage as Manchester City qualified for the knockout phase for the first time.\\nOn 14 December 2013, Agüero was substituted in a 6–3 win against Arsenal due to a calf injury and missed eight matches. On 16 January 2014, he returned from injury in an FA Cup third-round replay against Blackburn Rovers, scoring after coming on as a substitute in the 5–0 win. In the next round of the competition, he scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–2 victory over Watford. On 29 January, he scored his 50th Premier League goal in a 5–1 victory at Tottenham but was substituted with a hamstring injury. On 2 March, Agüero returned to the City team for the 2014 Football League Cup Final, where they beat Sunderland 3–1 at Wembley Stadium. In his third appearance since returning from the hamstring problem, Agüero suffered a recurrence of the injury and was withdrawn at half-time in a 2–1 Champions League loss at Camp Nou against Barcelona. He missed the team\\'s next five league matches, before returning to the starting line-up in a 3–2 loss against Liverpool at Anfield on 13 April. On 21 April, Agüero scored his first goal since January in a 3–1 defeat of West Bromwich Albion at the City of Manchester Stadium. After scoring his final goal of the season in a 3–2 win over Everton at Goodison Park on 3 May, Agüero started for Manchester City against West Ham as the team secured its second Premier League title in three seasons with a 2–0 win.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–16: League top goalscorer and individual success ====\\nOn 14 August 2014, Agüero signed a new five-year contract to keep him at City until 2019. Agüero scored his first goal of 2014–15 while appearing as an 83rd-minute substitute for Edin Džeko in City\\'s opening match of the Premier League season against Newcastle on 17 August. Due to his late return from the World Cup, Agüero was again used as a substitute in the second game of the season against Liverpool, but, after replacing Džeko, took just 23 seconds to score City\\'s third goal in the 3–1 win. On 18 October, he scored all four of City\\'s goals in a 4–1 home win over Tottenham, two of which were penalties; he took another penalty in the match, but it was saved by Hugo Lloris. This took Agüero to 61 Premier League goals for the club, surpassing Carlos Tevez as the club\\'s record scorer in the competition. He was the first player in the season to reach ten Premier League goals, doing so with the only goal in the Manchester derby on 2 November.\\n\\nAgüero scored a hat-trick in City\\'s 3–2 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage on 25 November, starting with a penalty which he won himself. Five days later, in his 100th Premier League match, he was wrongly booked for simulation by referee Mike Jones after being fouled by José Fonte in the penalty area, although City went on to defeat Southampton 3–0. On 2 December, Agüero was named the Football Supporters\\' Federation Player of the Year for 2014. He was also awarded Premier League Player of the Month for November 2014, a month in which he scored three league goals and assisted two more.Agüero sustained a knee injury in the second minute of Manchester City\\'s 1–0 win over Everton on 6 December and was unable to appear again for the remainder of 2014. He returned to City\\'s matchday squad for the return fixture with Everton at Goodison Park on 10 January 2015 and appeared as a 67th-minute substitute in the 1–1 draw. On 11 February, he scored his first two goals of 2015 in a 4–1 win at Stoke City. On 21 February, 72 seconds into a match against Newcastle United, Agüero scored the fastest penalty kick in the Premier League since 1994. On 12 April, Agüero scored twice in a 4–2 derby loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford. His second goal of the match took him to 100 goals for City in all competitions. On 19 April, he scored his 20th league goal of the season in a 2–0 home win against West Ham United. He passed 30 goals for the season with a hat-trick in a 6–0 home win over Queens Park Rangers on 9 May, relegating the opponents. On 24 May, in City\\'s final match of the season against Southampton, Agüero scored his 26th league goal of the season, ending 2014–15 with the Premier League Golden Boot.On 7 August 2015, Agüero announced he would be switching from his number 16 shirt to the number 10 shirt, previously worn by teammate Edin Džeko. Nine days later, he opened the scoring in a 3–0 home victory over reigning champions Chelsea. During City\\'s 2–0 victory away at Everton on 23 August, Agüero halted the game after noticing that an Everton supporter was in need of emergency treatment. The striker alerted the referee and the other players and made sure that the man received attention from the medics. On 30 September, Agüero earned and converted a last-minute penalty to give City a 2–1 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Champions League group stage. On 3 October, Agüero scored five goals against Newcastle in a 6–1 comeback win, joining Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov in scoring as many in a Premier League game. His five goals within 23 minutes of game time made it the fastest five-goal haul since the Premier League started in 1992. Four minutes after scoring his fifth goal in the 62nd minute, Agüero was substituted by manager Manuel Pellegrini, as he had been receiving treatment due to a leg injury at half time.On 8 October, in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador, Agüero sustained a hamstring injury early on and was carried off the pitch in tears. Agüero himself said he expected to be out for around four weeks (in which the derby against Manchester United was to be played), although several media outlets later claimed the injury would last for eight weeks. He returned on 21 November, scoring in a 1–4 home loss to Liverpool; this was his 85th Premier League goal, making him the top-scoring South American of all time in the division, ahead of his compatriot and former strike partner Carlos Tevez. On 16 April 2016, Agüero scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win at Chelsea, ending with a penalty kick. He became the third visiting player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Stamford Bridge, and the fifth player to have three 20-goal seasons in the division. Three days later, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 1–1 draw at Newcastle. He reached the century in 147 games, second only to Alan Shearer who did so in 124. The goal was also his sixth against Newcastle for the season, making him just the sixth player in the Premier League era to have scored six goals against the same club in a single campaign. Agüero ended the 2015–16 Premier League season with 24 goals, one behind Golden Boot winner Harry Kane and level with Jamie Vardy. However, with his goals coming from 30 appearances, Agüero recorded the league\\'s best goals to minute ratio.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–20: All-time club top scorer, sustained domestic success ====\\nOn 13 August 2016, Agüero scored Manchester City\\'s first competitive goal under the management of Pep Guardiola in a 2–1 victory against Sunderland on the opening day of the 2016–17 Premier League season. In a league match against West Ham on 28 August, Agüero struck opponent Winston Reid in the throat with his arm, an incident which went unpunished by the referee. Reid lost his voice with the strike, and had to be substituted. The FA gave Agüero a three-match ban for violent conduct, accusing him of behaving in an \"aggressive manner that was excessive in force and brutal\". On 5 November, Agüero scored his 150th goal for Manchester City in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough in the league. Agüero was sent off in a 1–3 loss to Chelsea on 3 December for a tackle on David Luiz and was given a four-match suspension.\\n\\nHaving scored on Manchester City\\'s opening fixture of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion on 12 August 2017, Agüero scored his second goal of the season against Liverpool in a 5–0 win on 9 September. This was his 124th Premier League goal, and saw him overtake Trinidadian Dwight Yorke as the top-scoring non-European in the competition\\'s history. One week later, Agüero scored his sixth Premier League hat-trick in a 6–0 win at Watford to put Manchester City top of the league. On 28 September, he was involved in a road accident after attending a Maluma concert in Amsterdam, when his taxi crashed into a lamppost. He was left with a fractured rib and ruled out for two weeks.On 21 October, Agüero scored his 177th goal for Manchester City in a 3–0 win over Burnley, equalling the record set by Eric Brook. This was also the Citizens 11th straight win, equalling another club record. He scored his record 178th goal for the team on 1 November away at Napoli in a Champions League group game, a 4–2 win that sent his team through to the knockout stages of the competition. On 20 January 2018, Agüero scored a perfect hat-trick, his second of the season, against Newcastle in a 3–1 win with his second goal being the landmark 350th goal of his career. He was later awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for January, claiming the award for the fifth time in his career. On 10 February, Agüero scored four goals in a 5–1 Premier League home thrashing of Leicester City, claiming his third hat-trick of the season. He opened the scoring in the 2018 EFL Cup Final on 25 February, by chipping Arsenal\\'s David Ospina in a 1vs1 situation, ultimately helping City secure a convincing 3–0 victory at Wembley Stadium.In City\\'s first game of the 2018–19 season, Agüero scored both goals in the 2–0 2018 FA Community Shield victory over Chelsea, the first goal being his 200th for the club. On 19 August 2018, Agüero scored his 9th Premier League hat-trick in a 6–1 home victory against Huddersfield Town, putting him behind only Alan Shearer\\'s 11. He also leapfrogged Robin van Persie to enter the league\\'s top ten scorers of all time, and second place in foreign Premier League scorers only to Thierry Henry\\'s 175. Agüero hit the post twice in a 1–1 away draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. On 21 September, Manchester City confirmed via their official website that Agüero had signed a new contract with the club which would keep him at the club until 2021. On 22 September, in his 300th appearance for Manchester City, Agüero scored the opening goal in an eventual 5–0 away win over Cardiff City.On 4 November, Agüero scored his 150th Premier League goal in a 6–1 home win over Southampton in his 217th Premier League appearance; he became only the ninth player in history to achieve this landmark, and only the third player after Henry and Wayne Rooney to do so for one club. He was also the second-fastest player to reach this milestone, after Shearer, who took five fewer appearances. On 11 November, Agüero scored the second goal in a 3–1 win against Manchester United, making him the joint highest scorer in Manchester derbies in the Premier League era, level with Rooney. On 29 January 2019, Agüero scored after 24 seconds in an eventual 2–1 defeat at Newcastle United. On 3 February, he scored a hat-trick against Arsenal, including a goal after 48 seconds, bringing his Premier League tally of hat-tricks to ten, in a 3–1 win at the Etihad Stadium. On 10 February, Agüero scored his 11th Premier League hat-trick, as City defeated rivals Chelsea 6–0 at home; with this feat, he equalled Shearer\\'s record of 11 in the competition. The hat trick also saw him overtake Tommy Johnson\\'s and Eric Brook\\'s record of 158 league goals for the club, and set a new record of 160 goals. The following month, he scored twice in a 7–0 (10–2 aggregate) Champions League win over Schalke 04 and in doing so helped the club equal the record for the largest winning margin in the knockout-phase of the competition.On 10 August 2019, Agüero came on as a substitute replacing Gabriel Jesus, in a match that was dominated by the newly introduced VAR, at the London Stadium against West Ham United. With City 3–0 up, they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Riyad Mahrez. Agüero took the penalty and it was saved by opposing keeper Łukasz Fabiański. However, VAR stepped in and re-awarded the penalty for an infringement by Declan Rice. Agüero scored the re-awarded penalty in an eventual 5–0 away opening day win for the Citizens to start their Premier League title defence. On 12 January 2020, Agüero scored 12th hattrick of his Premier League career against Aston Villa in 6–1 away victory at Villa Park, taking his individual tally past Henry\\'s 175 goal mark. Agüero scored the 399th and 400th goals of his professional career in a 3–1 away win over AFC Bournemouth on 25 August.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21: Final season, European finalist ====\\nAfter several weeks on the sidelines due to a meniscus injury, Agüero returned to action on 17 October 2020 in a 1–0 victory against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium. On 21 October, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 win over Porto in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League. On 13 March 2021, Agüero scored his first league goal since January 2020 in a 3–0 away win against Fulham. On 29 March 2021, City announced that Agüero would leave the club at the end of the season following the expiry of his contract. On 23 May, on his final league appearance for the club, Agüero came off the bench to score twice in an eventual 5–0 home win over Everton, as City celebrated their Premier League title victory on the last matchday of the season; his brace saw him reach 184 league goals in 275 appearances, breaking Wayne Rooney\\'s record for most Premier League goals for a single club. On 29 May, he played his last match for the club after he came on as substitute in the second half, in a 1–0 loss against Chelsea in the Champions League final, where he was seen crying at the end, having failed to win the Champions League in his final game with City. In total, Agüero managed 260 goals for City in 390 appearances.\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona and retirement ===\\n\\nOn 31 May 2021, Agüero agreed to sign for La Liga club Barcelona on a two-year contract starting 1 July, with a buyout clause set at €100 million. On 17 October, he made his debut when he came off the bench in a 3–1 home win against Valencia. In his first El Clásico appearance on 24 October, Agüero came on as a substitute in the 77th minute, scoring his first goal for the club in the last minute of play of a 2–1 home defeat to Real Madrid. Seven days later, he was taken to hospital with chest discomfort diagnosed as cardiac arrhythmia during an eventual 1–1 home draw against Alavés. It was reported in November 2021 that he would be out of action for at least three months, but on 15 December 2021 Agüero announced his retirement from football on the advice of doctors, and thanked the teams he had played for.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth teams ===\\nAgüero was selected for the Argentina U17 team to participate at the 2004 U-16 South American Championship in Paraguay in September. He participated in all of Argentina\\'s group stage matches, scoring in a 2–1 win against the United States and a 3–1 win against Ecuador to help Argentina finish top of their group. Agüero scored in the 47th minute of Argentina\\'s 1–0 quarter-final victory against Peru, setting up a semi-final match against Colombia which Argentina lost 2–0.\\nAgüero represented Argentina at two FIFA World Youth Championships, winning back-to-back world titles. He was part of the team that won the 2005 edition in the Netherlands, alongside his future 2008 Olympics squad teammates Fernando Gago and Lionel Messi. At the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, held in Canada, Agüero scored twice and helped set up three goals in a 6–0 win over Panama in the second game of the group stage of the tournament. He then scored the only goal in Argentina\\'s third match against North Korea from a free kick. Having qualified to the round of 16, he scored two of the three goals against Poland that would eventually give them a 3–1 win to advance to the next round. Argentina defeated Mexico in the quarter-finals and Chile in the semi-finals, and faced the Czech Republic in the finals, a team they drew 0–0 in the group stage. Agüero captained and scored the equaliser in the 62nd minute, leading to a 2–1 victory. In addition, Agüero won the Golden Boot of the tournament, scoring six goals in seven, and the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament.\\nAs a member of the Argentine squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Agüero scored two goals in the space of five minutes in the semi-final 3–0 win over Brazil on 19 August 2008. Argentina went on to win its second consecutive gold medal at the Olympic tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== Senior team ===\\n\\n\\n==== Debut, 2010 World Cup and 2011 Copa América ====\\nAt age 18, Agüero made his senior debut for Argentina in a friendly with Brazil, played at Emirates Stadium, England on 3 September 2006. A year later, he scored his first international goal in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Bolivia, and went on to score three more times as the Albiceleste successfully qualified for the finals in South Africa.\\n\\nAgüero was chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad, and made his FIFA World Cup debut in Argentina\\'s second group match against South Korea on 12 June 2010, replacing Carlos Tevez in the 75th minute. Agüero\\'s impact was immediate as Argentina scored in the next minute. He assisted on Gonzalo Higuaín\\'s hat-trick goal late in the game. Argentina won the game 4–1. Argentina, however, subsequently lost to Germany in the quarter-finals.\\nAgüero was named in the 23-man squad for the 2011 Copa América where Argentina had been drawn into Group A with Bolivia, Colombia, and Costa Rica. On 1 July, in Argentina\\'s opening group stage match against Bolivia, he came on for Ezequiel Lavezzi on 71 minutes and scored an equaliser on 76 minutes to secure a 1–1 draw. On 11 July, in Argentina\\'s third group stage match against Costa Rica, Agüero scored a goal in each half as Argentina won 3–0 and finished in second position in their group.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014 World Cup, and 2015 and 2016 Copas América ====\\nAgüero was named in Argentina\\'s 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 15 June, he started alongside Lionel Messi as a forward in Argentina\\'s 2–1 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Estádio do Maracanã.Agüero was named in the Argentine squad for the 2015 Copa América, and in a warm-up game on 7 June against Bolivia in San Juan, he scored his first international hat-trick in a 5–0 victory. On 13 June, he scored Argentina\\'s opening goal of the tournament in a 2–2 group stage draw with Paraguay. Three days later at the same ground, he headed a cross from Manchester City teammate Pablo Zabaleta for a 1–0 win against holders Uruguay. At the semi-final stage, Agüero headed in Ángel Di María\\'s cross as Argentina defeated Paraguay 6–1 to reach the 2015 Copa América Final. Agüero started the final against Chile, but was replaced in the 74th minute for Gonzalo Higuaín in an eventual penalty shootout loss.Agüero was included in Gerardo Martino\\'s 23-man squad for the Copa América Centenario and scored his first goal of the tournament in Argentina\\'s second group match, a 5–0 win over Panama on 10 June 2016, which allowed them to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition. Agüero considered retiring from international football shortly after losing against Chile in a penalty shootout in the final of the tournament for a second consecutive time.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018 World Cup, 2019 Copa América, and 2021 Copa América ====\\nOn 14 November 2017, Agüero was taken to hospital after fainting in the dressing room at half-time in a 4–2 loss to Nigeria in a friendly match in Krasnodar, Russia.In May 2018, Agüero was named in Argentina\\'s preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia; later that month, he was included in Jorge Sampaoli\\'s final 23-man squad for the competition. In his team\\'s first group match of the tournament against Iceland on 16 June, he scored the opening goal of an eventual 1–1 draw; this was his first ever World Cup goal. In the round of 16 match against France on 30 June, Agüero scored Argentina\\'s final goal in a 4–3 defeat, which saw his side eliminated from the World Cup.On 21 May 2019, he was included in Lionel Scaloni\\'s final 23-man Argentina squad for the 2019 Copa América. In Argentina\\'s final group match against Qatar on 23 June, Agüero scored the second goal in a 2–0 win, which enabled his team to advance to the knock-out stages. On 28 June, in the quarter-finals of the tournament, Agüero assisted Lautaro Martínez\\'s opening goal, and was also involved in the second goal, scored by Giovani Lo Celso, as Argentina defeated Venezuela 2–0 to advance to the semi-finals. In the third-place match against Chile on 6 July, Agüero scored the opening goal in an eventual 2–1 win, to help Argentina capture the bronze medal.On 28 June 2021, Agüero made his 100th senior international appearance for Argentina in a 4–1 win against Bolivia in his team\\'s final group stage match of the 2021 Copa América, also setting up Messi\\'s second goal. Argentina eventually won the tournament.\\nDuring the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Agüero was present with the winning Argentine team for the duration of the tournament as an unofficial supporter, as his heart conditions had forced his retirement a year earlier. Though not an official member of the team, he was seen celebrating with the players after their win in the final.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\n\\nOften considered to be one of the best strikers in the world, Agüero is regarded as an all-out centre forward, although he is a versatile player, who can also play as a second striker off another striker, which he often did at Atlético Madrid with Diego Forlán, due to his passing ability, link-up play, tactical intelligence, and vision, which made him a capable assist-man. When asked to name the players who influenced his playing style, Agüero named former Brazilian striker Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Diego Maradona as the best players to have played the game, but said that the player who influenced his style of play the most was \"the Brazilian Ronaldo\". Aguero has a diminutive figure with a stocky build, which has led to comparisons with former Manchester City teammate Carlos Tevez and past forwards such as Romário, Alessandro Del Piero, and Diego Maradona. When both were on the same team, some pundits called Agüero Tevez\\'s heir apparent at City and others said that he was superior to his compatriot. His ex-manager at Manchester City, Roberto Mancini, has compared Agüero to former Brazilian striker, Romário, due to his pace, goalscoring ability, positioning in the area, and technique. Although naturally right footed, Agüero is also capable of striking well with his left foot, and can finish well both inside and outside the area with his powerful and accurate shot.A prolific goalscorer, Agüero\\'s playing style is characterised by agility, acceleration, excellent movement off the ball, and strength, being described as \"sharp and clever\" by former Argentine player Osvaldo Ardiles; a view which is shared by his international captain Lionel Messi, who believes Agüero possesses \"immense power, strength and an incredible work ethic.\" Combined with his close control, quick feet, dribbling skills, and strength to keep the ball, he has been described as \"a menace in the box\". Despite his ability, Agüero\\'s playing time has often been limited by injuries throughout his career.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nAgüero was married to Giannina Maradona, the youngest daughter of Diego Maradona. On 19 February 2009, Giannina gave birth to their son, Benjamín, in Madrid. Diego Maradona was there for the birth of his first grandson, while Agüero, then 20, missed Atlético\\'s training session earlier in the day. Atlético offered their congratulations in a statement on their official website. Agüero and Giannina divorced in 2012 after four years of marriage.Agüero\\'s nickname \"Kun\", which features on his shirt, dates back to his childhood. It was first given to him by his grandparents, due to a resemblance to the character \"Kum-Kum\" from the anime Wanpaku Omukashi Kumu Kumu which was Agüero\\'s favourite television programme as a child. He said \"I have grown to appreciate it because it\\'s unique. It\\'s not every day an athlete is nicknamed after a cartoon character!\" Agüero has a tattoo on the inside of his right arm inscribed in Tengwar—a form of writing invented by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings—that transliterates roughly to Kun Agüero in the Latin script. He also has a tattoo on his left arm of his son\\'s name and date of birth. Agüero holds Spanish nationality, after being granted citizenship in 2010 whilst playing for Atlético Madrid.Gastón del Castillo and Mauricio del Castillo are brothers of Agüero. Agüero shares a close friendship with Lionel Messi, his regular roommate during outings for the national team since 2005. He described Messi as being \"like a brother\" in his 2014 autobiography, Born to Rise, which contains a foreword written by Messi.During the three-month football break due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Agüero started live-streaming himself playing various video games on Twitch. He became the fastest-growing streamer in the month of May, reaching 1 million followers. He has been especially popular among the Hispanic community, collaborating with many big names such as El Rubius and even calling Messi once live on air. In November 2022, Agüero joined the newly-established Kings League serving as chairman for one of the competing teams, Kunisports, featuring as a guest player for his own side.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nScores and results list Argentina\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Agüero goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nAtlético Madrid\\n\\nUEFA Europa League: 2009–10\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2010\\nCopa del Rey runner-up: 2009–10Manchester City\\n\\nPremier League: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21\\nFA Cup: 2018–19; runner-up: 2012–13\\nFootball League/EFL Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21\\nFA Community Shield: 2012, 2018, 2019\\nUEFA Champions League runner-up: 2020–21Argentina U20\\n\\nFIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005, 2007Argentina U23\\n\\nOlympic Gold Medal: 2008Argentina\\n\\nCopa América: 2021\\nFIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014Individual\\n\\nFIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball: 2007\\nFIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Shoe: 2007\\nGolden Boy: 2007\\nWorld Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2009\\nPremier League Golden Boot: 2014–15\\nLa Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year: 2007–08\\nDon Balón Award: 2007–08\\nFSF Player of the Year: 2014\\nManchester City Player of the Year: 2011–12, 2014–15\\nManchester City Goal of the Season: 2011–12\\nPremier League Hall of Fame: 2022\\nPremier League Player of the Month: October 2013, November 2014, January 2016, April 2016, January 2018, February 2019, January 2020\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2017–18 Premier League, 2018–19 Premier League\\nSouth American Team of the Year: 2005\\nPremier League Player of the Year by Northwest Football Awards: 2015\\nIFFHS CONMEBOL team of the decade 2011–2020\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of most-followed Twitch channels\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website (in Spanish and English)\\nSergio Agüero – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nSergio Agüero – UEFA competition record (archive)\\nIKER CASILLASIker Casillas Fernández (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈikeɾ kaˈsiʎas feɾˈnandeθ]; born 20 May 1981) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper and currently works as a football commentator. Popularly dubbed \"San Iker\" (\"Saint Iker\") for his ability to produce spectacular saves, Casillas is widely considered to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is known for his athleticism, quick reactions and outstanding shot-stopping ability. Having spent the majority of his career at Real Madrid, Casillas is one of the few players to achieve over 1000 professional career matches, and holds the record for the most clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League, as well as for the Spain national team. Currently, he works for RTVE, Movistar Plus+ and Azteca Deportes.\\nAt club level, Casillas started his career with the Real Madrid youth team, eventually gaining promotion to the main team in 1999, where he became the youngest goalkeeper to play in the final of the Champions League, and to win the title, at 19 years and four days. Casillas became the first choice goalkeeper at Real Madrid, winning two Champions Leagues and La Liga titles in his first three seasons, establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. During his highly successful career in Madrid, Casillas won all major club titles, including five La Liga titles, four Supercopa de España titles, two Copa del Rey titles, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and the FIFA Club World Cup. After 25 years with Real Madrid, Casillas joined FC Porto in 2015 on a free transfer, where he won the Primeira Liga and a Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira title. While at Porto, he broke the record for most consecutive seasons played in the UEFA Champions League (20) and amassed the most appearances in the competition (177). He ended his playing career in February 2020, after almost a year on the sidelines following a heart attack he suffered during a training session with Porto in May 2019.\\nWith 167 international caps, Casillas has the second most appearances for the Spain national team, making him the joint tenth-most capped footballer of all time. An unused substitute at UEFA Euro 2000, Casillas became the nation\\'s first choice goalkeeper at the 2002 World Cup, and went on to play at UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. In 2008, he was made captain, and went on to lead the team to the European Championship title that year. Casillas also led Spain to their first World Cup win in 2010, where he kept a joint–record five clean sheets, winning the Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Spain became the first nation to retain the European Championship, winning the title again in 2012, where he set the record for most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal in the competition (509). In 2014, Casillas became one of four players to represent Spain at four World Cups.\\nIn 2008, Casillas placed fourth overall in the Ballon d\\'Or, and has been selected for the UEFA Team of the Year six consecutive times from 2007 to 2012, a record for a goalkeeper. Casillas was also selected in the FIFPro World XI a record five times for a goalkeeper, and was named as the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper a record five times, alongside Gianluigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer. He was named as the second-best goalkeeper of the 21st century, behind Gigi Buffon, and the second-best goalkeeper of the past 25 years by the same organisation.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nCasillas was born on 20 May 1981 in Móstoles, province of Madrid, to José Luis Casillas, a civil servant in the Ministry of Education, and María del Carmen Fernández González, a hairdresser. Both his parents had moved from their home of Navalacruz, Ávila.Casillas has a brother, seven years younger, named Unai, who used to play as a central midfielder for CD Móstoles. The brothers\\' forenames are of Basque origin due to a family connection to the region: their paternal grandfather – an officer in the Civil Guard – was posted to Bilbao and settled in the city, their father grew up there as a result and Iker also lived in the area as a small child before the family relocated to Madrid.On one occasion as a young child, when he was seven or eight, Casillas forgot to post his father\\'s football predictions for the weekend; his father had correctly predicted all 15 results, and the family lost out on an estimated €1.2 million (£1 million).\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Real Madrid ===\\n\\n\\n==== Early years ====\\nCasillas began his career in Real Madrid\\'s youth system, known as La Fábrica, during the 1990–91 season. On 27 November 1997, at age 16 and still a junior, he was first called up to the senior team squad to face Rosenborg in the UEFA Champions League, although he remained on the bench throughout. After spending a season with the C-team in the fourth tier, during which they won their regional group, he came into contention as the club\\'s first-choice between the posts. In starting the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League group stage fixture against Olympiakos on 15 September 1999, he became the youngest goalkeeper ever to feature in the competition at the time, aged 18 years and 177 days; a record which was only broken in October 2017 by Mile Svilar. Three days earlier, Casillas had made his La Liga debut in a 2–2 draw against Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés Stadium. In May 2000, he became the youngest ever goalkeeper to play in and win a Champions League final when Real Madrid defeated Valencia 3–0, just four days after his 19th birthday.\\n\\n\\n==== 2001–2010 ====\\nCasillas lost his place in the side to backup César Sánchez after poor performances in the 2001–02 campaign, but redeemed himself when Sánchez suffered an injury in the final minutes of the 2002 Champions League Final. Casillas came on and pulled off several key saves to deny a rampant Bayer Leverkusen the Champions League crown. Real Madrid won 2–1.\\nThe 2007–08 season was a fruitful season for Casillas, as he helped Real Madrid reclaim their 31st La Liga title and conceded only 32 goals in 36 matches to claim the Zamora Trophy. On 14 February 2008, he and club captain Raúl were awarded contracts for life; Casillas signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2017, with an automatic extension if he played 30 competitive matches during the final season of the contract and a buy-out clause of £113 million. His performances earned him a spot in the UEFA Team of the Year for the second time.\\nIn February 2009, Casillas equalled Paco Buyo\\'s record of 454 matches played for a goalkeeper and has since surpassed it to become Real Madrid\\'s most-capped goalkeeper of all time at only 27 years old. During the 2009 summer transfer window, some Spanish media reported that Manchester City had launched a record £129 million bid for the goalkeeper. The club denied the rumours, however, saying that no such offer had been made. Manchester United had been rumoured to have enquired about him, but no price was announced. He had been linked with other Premier League clubs before but Casillas himself stated that he \"had no intention of leaving\" his boyhood club.\\nDuring the 2009–10 season on 4 October in a game against Sevilla, Casillas made an extraordinary save, running from one side of his goal to the other to deny Diego Perotti in a one-on-one, close-range encounter. After the match, he received praise from fellow Spanish goalkeepers and England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, who stated, \"Casillas\\' reflexes are incredible. If he continues to play this well he will become one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the game.\" Europa Press reported that Casillas was the second-most popular Spanish sportsman on the Internet in 2010. The study performed by company Vipnet360 examined the web presence on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–2015 ====\\nDuring the 2010–11 season, after the departure of first and second captains of Real Madrid, Raúl and Guti respectively, Casillas was selected as first captain with new vice-captains Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Gonzalo Higuaín.\\nDuring the 2011–12 season, Casillas won the IFFHS Best Goalkeeper award, making him only the second goalkeeper behind Gianluigi Buffon to win it four times and the only goalkeeper to win the award four times in a row. Casillas played his 600th match for Real Madrid on 22 January 2012 in a 4–1 win against Athletic Bilbao. On 2 May 2012, Casillas clinched his fifth La Liga title and his first as a captain of Real Madrid, with a 3–0 win in Bilbao.\\n\\nOn 22 December 2012, Casillas was dropped by José Mourinho for a Liga match against Málaga in favour of Antonio Adán. This was the beginning of a series of sour disagreements between the Portuguese coach and the player, some of which, along with other internal affairs, were allegedly aired to the press by Casillas himself. This generated a shift in the opinion of certain sectors of Real Madrid\\'s fans, who gave Casillas the nickname \"topor\" (a portmanteau of \"topo\", and \"portero\", Spanish for \"mole\" and \"goalkeeper\", respectively). During the 2012–13 season, Casillas won the IFFHS Best Goalkeeper Award for the fifth consecutive time, making him the only goalkeeper in history to have ever won that award five times (in a row).\\nIn January 2013, after a serious injury to Casillas, Mourinho signed Diego López from Sevilla. López was named first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Adán and kept his place in the team even after Casillas had returned from injury. After the 2012–13 season, Mourinho left Madrid and soon after his departure, Spanish midfielder Andrés Iniesta criticised him for benching Casillas.\\nIn the middle of 2013, it was announced that Carlo Ancelotti would be Real Madrid\\'s head coach for the 2013–14 season. Real Madrid started the season with a 2–1 victory over Real Betis in which Casillas was benched once again. He made his first start in 238 days in the Champions League group stage match against Galatasaray, but was injured in the 14th minute after Sergio Ramos caught him with an accidental elbow as the goalkeeper came from his line to make a routine catch. Despite being the club\\'s second-choice keeper in La Liga, behind Diego López, Casillas continued to be Madrid\\'s first choice keeper in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, setting a new record of 962 minutes without conceding a goal in the latter competition. In February 2014, he became the first goalkeeper to play in every round of the Copa del Rey prior to the final without conceding a goal. On 16 April, he captained Madrid in the final as they beat rivals Barcelona 2–1 at Valencia\\'s Mestalla Stadium. On 24 May 2014, Casillas captained Real Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final, winning the title for the third time in his career with a 4–1 win over Atlético Madrid in Lisbon; this was the tenth time Real Madrid had won the trophy. Although Diego Godín\\'s opening goal resulted from an error by Casillas, Sergio Ramos tied the match for Real Madrid in injury time; the club went on to win the title in extra-time. In 2013–14 season Casillas kept 6 clean sheets, third most in a single season of Champions League.Following the Champions League win, the 2014–15 season saw Casillas return to being the club\\'s first choice goalkeeper, despite competition from new arrival Keylor Navas, as he then went on to win the UEFA Super Cup, with Real Madrid defeating Sevilla 2–0 on 12 August 2014. He then also won the FIFA Club World Cup later that year, making his 700th appearance for Madrid on 20 December 2014, in the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup Final, as Real Madrid defeated San Lorenzo 2–0. In May 2015, Casillas played in the Champions League semi-finals against Juventus, in which his team lost 3–2 on aggregate.\\n\\n\\n=== Porto ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–2019 ====\\n\\nAfter much speculation about his future, on 11 July 2015 Casillas signed with Portuguese Primeira Liga side Porto on a two-year deal with the option of a one-year extension. Real Madrid\\'s conduct in his exit was criticised, with Casillas\\' parents claiming that he was being forced out of the club by president Florentino Pérez, who received calls to quit from fans. Former international teammate Xavi, who earlier that summer left Barcelona after a similarly long and successful career, claimed that Real Madrid were ungrateful of Casillas\\' service to the club.Casillas made his Primeira Liga debut on 15 August, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Vitória de Guimarães at the Estádio do Dragão. On 29 September 2015, he overtook Xavi to become the player with the most appearances in the Champions League, making his record 152nd Champions League appearance in a 2–1 home win over Chelsea. That season, Casillas also broke Edwin van der Sar\\'s record for the most clean sheets in Champions League history, keeping his 51st clean sheet in the competition on 20 October 2015, in a 2–0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, as his team climbed top of Champions League Group G. In January 2016, he was blamed for the away loss at Vitória de Guimarães (1–0) in the league, following a high-profile error.On 11 March 2017, Casillas set a new personal record for clean sheets in a single season with his sixteenth clean sheet in a 4–0 away win over Arouca. On 14 March, Casillas made his 175th appearance in UEFA club competitions in a 1–0 away defeat to Juventus in the second leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, overtaking Paolo Maldini as the player with the most appearances in European club matches.On 13 September, Casillas equalled Ryan Giggs\\'s record of playing in 19 consecutive UEFA Champions League campaigns when he appeared in Porto\\'s 3–1 home defeat to Beşiktaş in the 2017–18 edition of the tournament. On 2 April 2018, Casillas played his 1,000th match as a professional in Porto\\'s 2–0 loss at Belenenses. In May, he won his first trophy with the club as they won the league title for the first time since 2013. The 2017–18 Primeira Liga title was confirmed after Sporting CP and Benfica tied their respective match. On 17 May 2018, he renewed his contract with Porto for another year.On 4 August, Casillas started in Porto\\'s 3–1 victory over Desportivo das Aves in the 2018 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. He surpassed Giggs\\' record during the 2018–19 season, appearing in his 20th consecutive UEFA Champions League campaign. On 11 December, Casillas, in a 3–2 away win over Galatasaray, became the first player to reach the knock-out stage 19 times, and become only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to win 100 Champions League matches. He made 31 league appearances throughout the season as Porto finished in second place, but his season was cut short after he suffered \"an acute myocardial infarction\" during training on 1 May 2019. He was discharged from hospital on 6 May, but commented that he was uncertain about his future.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–2020 ====\\nIn July 2019, following his heart attack two months earlier, Casillas returned for pre-season training. Later that month, Porto announced that he had been given a role with the club\\'s coaching staff as he continued his recovery. In August, he was named in Porto\\'s squad for the 2019–20 season. In September, he shared the results of his medical tests on social media; at the end of the month, he stated that he would wait until March of the following year to see how he is progressing with his recovery before deciding whether to return to playing or retire. In October, he posted a photo of himself working out in the club\\'s gym on Instagram. He resumed training on 4 November.\\n\\n\\n==== Retirement ====\\nOn 4 August 2020, Casillas officially announced his retirement from professional football. In July, he was reported to have returned to Real Madrid to work as an advisor for Florentino Pérez. In December 2020, he was appointed as the deputy to the Real Madrid Foundation CEO.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth career ===\\nCasillas debuted for Spain at the under-17 level. At age 16, he was the youngest player in the Spanish squad that placed third at the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt. He was later made captain of the U17s. Two years later, he went on to win the FIFA World Youth Championship and the UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup that same year. Initially second-choice, he soon worked his way up to first-choice and eventually earned his first senior cap following some brilliant performances at club level.\\n\\n\\n=== Senior debut, Euro 2000 and 2002 World Cup ===\\nCasillas is currently the second most capped player in the history of the Spain national team. Following his full international debut at the senior level on 3 June 2000 against Sweden (at 19 years and 14 days), Casillas was an unused substitute at UEFA Euro 2000. He was part of the roster for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, initially as the understudy to Santiago Cañizares. Coincidentally, he became first-choice when Cañizares had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury from a freak accident. At 21, Casillas was one of the youngest first-choice goalkeepers in the tournament. He played an instrumental role in Spanish progression when he saved a penalty in regulation time and two more in the 3–2 shoot-out victory during the round of 16 match against the Republic of Ireland (1–1 after 120 minutes), earning him the nickname \"The Saint\". One of his saves during the quarter-final against co-hosts South Korea during the 2002 World Cup was rated by FIFA as one of the top ten saves of all time; however, Spain were eliminated following a 5–3 penalty shoot-out defeat to the Koreans (0–0 after 120 minutes).\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup ===\\nCasillas played in all eight Group six fixtures during Euro 2004 qualifying, conceding just four goals. He kept a clean sheet in the second leg victory of the playoff against Norway which ended 3–0 in Oslo, and started all of Spain\\'s Euro 2004 matches. He was the first choice for the 2006 World Cup, captaining the team twice, but could not prevent La Roja from losing 3–1 to a Zinedine Zidane-inspired France in the Round of 16.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2008 ===\\nWith the exclusion of his Real Madrid teammate Raúl from the squad for Euro 2008, Casillas was given the captain\\'s armband. He started the first two Group D games against Russia and Sweden before being rested in place of second-choice goalkeeper Pepe Reina for Spain\\'s group stage elimination of Greece. Casillas saved two penalties from Antonio Di Natale and Daniele De Rossi as Spain eliminated Italy in the quarter-finals with a 4–2 shootout win following a goalless draw on 22 June. Spain later went on to win the competition with a 1–0 win over Germany in the final on 29 June. Casillas kept clean sheets in all of the quarter-final, semi-final and final matches, with Sweden\\'s first round goal by Zlatan Ibrahimović being the last one scored against him. On 29 June 2008, Casillas became the first goalkeeper-captain to lift the UEFA European Championship trophy when Spain beat Germany in the final.In October 2008, Casillas and back-up Pepe Reina broke the national record for the longest time spent without conceding a goal. The pair went unbeaten for 710 minutes, longer than Spain\\'s longest-serving goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta and Paco Buyo. Wesley Sonck of Belgium ended their goalless streak when he scored against them a 2010 World Cup qualifying match.\\nCasillas was the highest-ranked goalkeeper (fourth place) in the 2008 Ballon d\\'Or, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and national teammate Fernando Torres. Also in 2008, Casillas was named the world\\'s best goalkeeper by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). He also came in third place in the best goalkeepers of all time ranking, beating Oliver Kahn.\\n\\n\\n=== 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup ===\\nCasillas was Spain\\'s starting goalkeeper during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, making four appearances as Spain finished the tournament in third place. On 5 September 2009, after a 5–0 win over Belgium in a qualifying match for the World Cup, Casillas equalled Andoni Zubizarreta\\'s national record of 56 clean sheets, and during the team\\'s next match, against Estonia on 9 September 2009, he surpassed Zubizarreta as the record holder for the most Spanish international clean sheets (this being achieved in Casillas\\' 98th appearance for the national team, while Zubizarreta made 126 before his retirement). Two months later, Casillas made his 100th appearance for Spain in its friendly win over Argentina, making him only the third player in history of Spanish football to ever reach this far internationally.\\nAlthough Casillas committed an error which led to a goal in Spain\\'s 1–0 defeat to Switzerland in their opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, on 11 July 2010, Casillas captained Spain to their first ever World Cup title with a 1–0 win against the Netherlands in extra-time. In so doing, he became the third ever goalkeeper to captain a World Cup winning side (along with Gianpiero Combi in 1934 and Dino Zoff in 1982; the feat was later also achieved by Hugo Lloris in 2018). He was voted the tournament\\'s best goalkeeper, being named to the 2010 World Cup Dream Team, and was also awarded the Golden Glove. In the course of the finals in South Africa, he kept a joint–record five clean sheets – all of which came in the knock-out stages –, only conceded a joint–record two goals, and saved a penalty in regulation time in the quarter-final victory against Paraguay. In the final, he made two crucial stops from Netherlands\\' Arjen Robben with the score at 0–0 after the Dutchman had passed all the defenders. Before he went to pick up the World Cup trophy, Casillas would later state that images of the past captains doing the same was in his head, reeling them off in perfect order going back to the first World Cup he saw as a youngster:\\n\\n\"From when I was small, I saw Matthäus lift it. I saw Dunga lift it, I saw Deschamps lift it, I saw Cafu lift it, Cannavaro... so to watch me lift it, I could watch it tomorrow, I could watch it within 10 years and it will always make me emotional because it\\'s incomparable.\"\\nOn 15 November 2011, Casillas became Spain\\'s most capped player, breaking Andoni Zubizarreta\\'s record after starting for Spain in their 2–2 draw against Costa Rica. On 29 February 2012, in Spain\\'s 5–0 win over Venezuela, Casillas equalled Edwin van der Sar\\'s record of 72 international clean sheets. On 30 May, in Spain\\'s 4–1 win over South Korea, Casillas came on for Pepe Reina on the 82nd minute mark. This set the record for most international victories with 95 giving Casillas yet another record to his name. On 6 June, In Spain\\'s 1–0 win over China PR, Casillas set the record for most international clean sheets with 74.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2012 ===\\nPrior to Euro 2012, there had been growing tensions in the dressing room among Spain\\'s players who played for rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid; this led manager Vicente del Bosque to declare that any player who carried this hostility with them at international level would be dropped from the team. As such, Casillas, Carles Puyol, and Xavi called a summit with the manager and the team\\'s players, in order to ease tensions; Casillas was praised in the media for his role in successfully uniting the dressing room. On 1 July 2012, Casillas became the first player to reach 100 international wins for his country as Spain defeated Italy 4–0 in the Euro 2012 final, as Spain successfully defended their title to win their third consecutive major international trophy. He also set another record with his 509 minutes without conceding a goal in that year\\'s European Championship, keeping five consecutive clean sheets and breaking the longstanding tally of 494 minutes set by Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff. The only goal he conceded, scored by Antonio Di Natale, came in Spain\\'s opening match of the tournament, a 1–1 draw against eventual runners-up Italy. Casillas then continued his new record unbeaten streak with Spain to 817 minutes, until it was finally broken by Olivier Giroud\\'s injury-time goal on 16 October of that year, which came in a 1–1 home draw against France in a 2014 World Cup qualifying match.\\n\\n\\n=== 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup ===\\nIn June 2013, Casillas represented Spain at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil, making three appearances as Spain reached the final, only to be defeated 3–0 by the hosts Brazil on 30 June, at the Maracanã Stadium.In June 2014, Casillas was selected to represent Spain in his fourth World Cup. In the team\\'s opening match, he made two mistakes leading to goals from Stefan de Vrij and Robin van Persie as the champions were defeated 5–1 by the Netherlands. After the match, Casillas apologised for the defeat and called his performance the worst of his career. He also started in Spain\\'s second group game against Chile, which they lost 2–0 and were subsequently eliminated from the World Cup. He received criticism for his role in Chile\\'s second goal, where he punched Alexis Sánchez\\'s free kick into the path of the goalscorer Charles Aránguiz. On 23 June, Casillas was left on the bench for Spain\\'s final game against Australia, with Pepe Reina playing instead.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2016 ===\\nOn 5 September 2015, Casillas kept a clean sheet in his 100th game as Spain\\'s captain, a 2–0 Euro 2016 qualifying win over Slovakia at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo. On 13 November, Casillas kept his 100th international clean sheet with Spain in a 2–0 friendly win over England, in Alicante, becoming the first goalkeeper ever – male or female – to reach this landmark. He equalled the Latvian Vitālijs Astafjevs\\' European record of 166 caps on 27 March 2016 by playing in a friendly against Romania.On 31 May, Casillas was named to Vicente del Bosque\\'s final 23-man Spain squad for Euro 2016. The following day, he became the most-capped European player by earning his 167th cap in a 6–1 friendly win over South Korea in Salzburg in a pre-tournament warm-up match; he was later replaced by debutant Sergio Rico in the second half. This was his final international appearance. During the tournament, he was the second-choice goalkeeper behind David de Gea; Casillas did not make an appearance during the tournament as Spain was eliminated in the Round of 16 following a 2–0 defeat to Italy.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018 World Cup ===\\nOn 21 May 2018, Casillas was left out of Julen Lopetegui\\'s final 23-man Spain squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In November, he hinted a return to the Spain football team and Real Madrid.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play and recognition ==\\n\"Honestly, I don\\'t have to use up many words to say how good he is, the results are there for all to see. He has won everything there is to win and has been on the same great level for so many years now, which is possibly hardest of all for a goalkeeper. Spain almost never concede goals and Casillas is the main reason for that.\"\\nWidely considered by pundits, as well as both former and current goalkeeping colleagues, as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, Casillas was given the nickname \"San Iker\" (\"Saint Iker\") throughout his career, for his precocious performances as a youngster, and due to his ability to produce acrobatic and decisive saves. In his prime, he was a spectacular, well-rounded, and athletic keeper, who was known in particular for his outstanding agility, reflexes, consistency and shot-stopping, as well as his foot-work, positioning between the posts, concentration, and speed when rushing off his line in one on one situations; he has also stood out for his penalty-saving abilities. In spite of his reserved character, he has been highly regarded for his strong personality, calm composure under pressure, ability to organise his defence, and leadership from the back throughout his career, as well as his reading of the game. Gianluigi Buffon described Casillas as the best goalkeeper of his era with his hands. He was also known for his ability to save the ball with his feet, with former goalkeeper Manuel Almunia likening him to compatriot Luis Arconada, who also served as an inspiration to Casillas, and to whom he was often compared throughout his career, due to his quick reactions, movement, and excellent footwork. Regarding Casillas\\'s playing style and goalkeeping ability, Almunia commented in 2017: \"Iker\\'s a strong goalkeeper, leaps well, good diving in either direction... between the posts he moves like a cat.\" In 2016, Casillas was named the fourth greatest goalkeeper in history by France Football.A precocious talent in his youth, Casillas has drawn praise for his longevity and consistency at the top level, as well as his discipline in training; despite his reputation and goalkeeping ability, however, due to his lack of notable height and strong physical attributes, he has been criticised at times by pundits for struggling to command his area, in particular against aerial threats, and for his unsteady handling and indecisiveness when coming out to claim crosses, as he often preferred to punch the ball away. He also received criticism in the media for a series of errors and less consistent performances in his later career, as he lost some of his speed and mobility with age due to his physical decline. Although he has occasionally been criticised by pundits for his limited skills with the ball at his feet in comparison to other Spanish goalkeepers, Casillas\\'s distribution with both his hands and feet has generally been reliable throughout his career, and he is capable of sending the ball into deep areas of the pitch with his long throws and kicks with his left foot.\\n\\n\\n== Sponsorship ==\\nIn January 2012, Casillas agreed a sponsorship deal with Adidas to wear their Response goalkeeping gloves and Predator football boots. The move to Adidas ended a long running association for Casillas with Reebok, which started in 2004. In February 2005, Casillas was the football face of Reebok\\'s \"I Am What I Am\" global integrated advertising campaign that linked all the brand\\'s marketing efforts under one umbrella. Adidas has been the parent company of Reebok since 2005.\\n\\n\\n== Outside football ==\\n\\n\\n=== Personal life ===\\nBetween 2004 and 2008, Casillas dated beauty pageant winner Eva González.Casillas was in a relationship with sports journalist Sara Carbonero from 2009 to 2021. Their son Martín was born on 3 January 2014 in Madrid. In November 2015, the couple announced they were expecting their second child. On 20 March 2016, the couple married. On 2 June 2016, Sara gave birth to the couple\\'s second child, Lucas.On 1 May 2019, during Porto\\'s morning training session, Casillas was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack at the club\\'s training ground, where his situation was stabilized. Later that evening, Casillas, whose situation had improved, published a statement on Twitter with a picture of himself giving the thumbs up signal in which he thanked the people for the moral support they gave him. Later that month, it was announced that his wife was suffering from cancer. On 12 March 2021, Casillas and Carbonero announced their decision to separate.In 2013, a street in the Móstoles municipality of Madrid was renamed Avenida de Iker Casillas in his honour.On 17 February 2020, Casillas confirmed his intention to stand as a candidate in the RFEF presidential elections.\\n\\n\\n=== Charity ===\\nIn 2011, Casillas was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme\\'s Millennium Development Goals.He has his own charitable foundation, the Fundación Iker Casillas.In 2018, he attended the international social Football for Friendship forum in Moscow.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nReal Madrid C\\n\\nTercera División: 1998–99 (Group VII)Real Madrid\\nLa Liga: 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12\\nCopa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14\\nSupercopa de España: 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012\\nUEFA Champions League: 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2013–14\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2002, 2014\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2014\\nIntercontinental Cup: 2002Porto\\n\\nPrimeira Liga: 2017–18\\nTaca de Portugal: 2019-20\\nSupertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2018Spain U16\\n\\nUEFA European U-16 Championship: 1997Spain U18\\n\\nUEFA–CAF Meridian Cup: 1999Spain U20\\n\\nFIFA World Youth Championship: 1999Spain\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012Individual\\n\\nBravo Award: 2000\\nLa Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2000\\nLa Liga Zamora Trophy: 2007–08\\nLa Liga Best Goalkeeper: 2009, 2012\\nLa Liga Fair Play Award: 2012–13\\nPrimeira Liga Fair Play Award: 2017–18\\nMARCA Fair Play Award – MARCA\\'s 80th Anniversary: 2018\\nDragões de Ouro Award – Porto Athlete of the Year: 2018\\nPrimeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Month: October/November 2018\\nPrimeira Liga Best Goalkeeper: 2018–19\\nPrimeira Liga Team of the Year: 2018–19\\nQuinas de Ouro Award – Primeira Liga Best XI: 2018–19\\nBest European Goalkeeper: 2010\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012\\nIFFHS Best Goalkeeper of the Decade 2001–2010: 2nd\\nIFFHS Best Goalkeeper of the Past 25 Years 1987–2012: 2nd\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012\\nFIFA World Cup Golden Glove: 2010\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010\\nUEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012\\nESM Team of the Year: 2008\\nUEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (published 2019)\\nGolden Foot: 2017\\nWorld XI: Team of the 21st Century\\nGlobe Soccer Awards – Player Career Award: 2020\\n11Leyendas Jornal AS: 2021Records\\n\\nSecond-most appearances in the UEFA Champions League: 177 (behind Cristiano Ronaldo) (excluding 4 appearances in the qualifying rounds)\\nSecond-most victories in the UEFA Champions League: 101 (behind Cristiano Ronaldo)\\nMost clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League: 57 (excluding 2 in the qualifying rounds)\\nMost consecutive seasons in the UEFA Champions League: 20\\nFirst player in UEFA Champions League history to reach the knockout stages 19 times\\nFirst goalkeeper to win 100 UEFA Champions League matches\\nYoungest goalkeeper to play in a UEFA Champions League final: 19 years and 4 days\\nYoungest goalkeeper to win a UEFA Champions League final: 19 years and 4 days\\nMost penalty kicks saved in the UEFA Champions League (excluding shoot-outs): 7 out of 23\\nSecond most UEFA Champions League titles won by a goalkeeper: 3 (behind Juan Alonso) (alongside Ray Clemence, Sepp Maier, Keylor Navas, Heinz Stuy, Víctor Valdés and Kiko Casilla)\\nMost appearances for Real Madrid in UEFA club competitions: 155\\nMost IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper Awards: 5 (alongside Gianluigi Buffon and Manuel Neuer)\\nMost appearances by a goalkeeper in the FIFPro World XI: 5\\nMost appearances by a goalkeeper in the UEFA Team of the Year: 6\\nSecond-most appearances for the Spain national team: 167 (behind Sergio Ramos)\\nMost international clean sheets: 102\\nSecond-most international victories: 121 (behind Sergio Ramos)\\nFewest goals conceded by a FIFA World Cup-winning goalkeeper in a single edition of the tournament: 2 goals in 7 appearances (in 2010, alongside Gianluigi Buffon in 2006 and Fabien Barthez in 1998)\\nMost clean sheets in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup: 5 (in 2010, alongside Gianluigi Buffon, Pascal Zuberbühler, Oliver Kahn, Fabien Barthez and Walter Zenga)\\nMost FIFA World Cup tournaments played by a Spanish player: 4 (alongside Xavi, Andoni Zubizarreta and Fernando Hierro)\\nLongest unbeaten run at the UEFA European Championship: 509 minutes\\nMost clean sheets at the UEFA European Championship: 9 (alongside Edwin van der Sar)\\nMost clean sheets in a single edition of UEFA European Championship: 5 in 2012 (Alongside Jordon Pickford in 2020)\\nFewest goals conceded in a single edition of the UEFA European Championship: 1 (in 2012, alongside Gianluigi Buffon, Thomas Myhre, and Dino Zoff)\\nMost penalty kicks saved in penalty shoot-outs at the UEFA European Championship: 3 (alongside Gianluigi Buffon)\\nOnly goalkeeper to stop penalties in two different editions of the FIFA World Cup (excluding shoot-outs): 2002 (vs. Ireland), 2010 (vs. Paraguay)Decorations\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with the most official appearances\\nList of Real Madrid CF records and statistics\\nList of La Liga players (400+ appearances)\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nIker Casillas at FIFA (archived)\\nIker Casillas at UEFA\\nIker Casillas at FootballDatabase.eu\\nIker Casillas at Fussballdaten.de (in German)\\nIker Casillas at L\\'Équipe (in French)\\nIker Casillas at National-Football-Teams.com\\nIker Casillas at Soccerway.com\\nIker Casillas at WorldFootball.net\\nIker Casillas at AS.com (in Spanish)\\nProfile on Real Madrid official website\\nNEYMAR JRNeymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar Júnior or mononymously as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal and the Brazil national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, he is renowned for his flamboyant style of play, passing abilities and two-footedness. He finished third for the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or in 2015 and 2017 and is a recipient of the FIFA Puskás Award. Neymar has scored at least 100 goals for three different clubs, making him one of the few players to achieve this feat.Neymar came into prominence at Santos, where he made his professional debut aged 17. Soon becoming the Brazilian league\\'s star player, he helped Santos win their first Copa Libertadores in nearly 50 years. In 2013, he relocated to Europe to join Barcelona where he became part of Barcelona\\'s attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, dubbed MSN. Winning the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League in the trio\\'s first season together, Neymar was the tied top scorer of the Champions League campaign, as well as the top scorer in the Copa del Rey.\\nMotivated to be the focal player at club level, Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017. The transfer cost €222 million, making him the most expensive player ever. In his debut season, he was voted Ligue 1 Player of the Year and won his first of five Ligue 1 titles. Driven to lead PSG to their first Champions League title, Neymar was integral to PSG being runners-up in the 2019-20 Champions League. In the following season, he became the highest-scoring Brazilian player in Champions League history. Reoccurring injuries riddled Neymar\\'s playing time; in 2023 he left PSG as one of their top goalscorers of all time, signing for Al Hilal in a lucrative deal.\\nDebuting for Brazil aged 18, Neymar is the all-time top goalscorer for his national team with 79 goals in 128 matches. He won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, winning the Golden Ball. In his first FIFA World Cup, the 2014 edition, he was named in the Dream Team. He captained Brazil to their first Olympic gold medal in men\\'s football at the 2016 Summer Olympics, having already achieving a silver medal at the 2012 edition. Helping Brazil to a runner-up finish at the 2021 Copa América, he won the joint Best Player award alongside Messi. In the 2022 World Cup, he joined Pelé and Ronaldo as the only Brazilians to score in three World Cups. Neymar has won a record six Samba Gold awards, given to the best Brazilian player in Europe.\\nNeymar has been named in the FIFA FIFPro World11 and the UEFA Team of the Year twice, and the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season three times. SportsPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world in 2012 and 2013, and ESPN cited him as the world\\'s fourth-most-famous athlete in 2016. In 2017, Time included him in its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. France Football ranked Neymar the world\\'s third-highest-paid footballer of 2018. Forbes ranked him the world\\'s third-highest-paid athlete of 2019, dropping a spot to fourth in 2020.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nNeymar da Silva Santos Júnior was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, to Neymar Santos Sr. and Nadine da Silva and had a Christian upbringing. He inherited his name from his father, who is a former footballer and became his son\\'s advisor as Neymar\\'s talents began to grow. Neymar comments on his father\\'s role: \"My father has been by my side since I was little. He takes care of things, my finances and my family.\" Growing up, Neymar combined his love of futsal with street football. Neymar said that futsal had a massive influence on him growing up, helping him develop his technique, speed of thought and ability to perform moves in tight spaces.In 2003, Neymar moved with his family to São Vicente, where he began playing for youth side Portuguesa Santista. Then, later in 2003, they moved to Santos, where Neymar joined Santos. With the success of his youth career and added income, the family bought their first property, a house next to Vila Belmiro, Santos\\' home stadium. Their quality of family life improved, as at age 15, Neymar was earning 10,000 reais per month and at 16, 125,000 reais per month. At 17, he signed his first full professional contract, was upgraded to the Santos first team, and began signing his first sponsorship deals.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Santos ===\\n\\n\\n==== Youth ====\\nNeymar began playing football at an early age and he was soon spotted by Santos who offered him a contract in 2003, where he was inducted into their youth academy, which has, in the past, produced Brazilian internationals like Coutinho, Clodoaldo, Diego, Elano and Alex. He also joined the likes of Pepe, Pelé and Robinho in starting out his career at the club, nicknamed Peixe. While in the youth academy, Neymar met Paulo Henrique Ganso, becoming good friends in the process. Aged 14, Neymar travelled to Spain for try outs with the Real Madrid youth team. He did not stay in Madrid, however, as his father decided at the time that he preferred the young prodigy to keep growing up while playing at Santos.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009: Debut season ====\\nNeymar made his professional debut on 7 March 2009, despite being only 17 years old. He was brought on for the last thirty minutes, in a 2–1 win against Oeste. The following week he scored his first goal for Santos against Mogi Mirim. One month later, on 11 April, Neymar scored the decisive goal in a 2–1 win against Palmeiras in the 2009 Campeonato Paulista semi-final first leg. In the final, however, Santos suffered a 4–2 aggregate defeat to Corinthians. In his first season, Neymar racked up 14 goals in 48 games.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010: Campeonato Paulista success ====\\n\\nNeymar continued his ascendancy in 2010, and, on 15 April, he scored five goals for Santos in an 8–1 rout of Guarani in the qualifying stages of the Brazilian Cup. Following the 2010 Campeonato Paulista in which Neymar scored 14 goals in 19 games, the club were crowned champions after a 5–5 aggregate win over Santo André in the finals. Neymar was subsequently given the award for the best player in the competition. Neymar\\'s performances for Santos drew comparisons to other Brazilians, including Robinho and Pelé.In 2010, Santos rejected a £12 million bid for him from English Premier League team West Ham United, and later an offer from another English club, Chelsea, reported to be in the region of £20 million. Despite the unwillingness of Santos to sell and Neymar himself stating: \"I\\'m focused only on Santos\", his agent, Wagner Ribeiro, indicated that Neymar\\'s career was elsewhere, stating: \"He wants to become the best player in the world. The chances of him doing that while playing in Brazil are zero.\" One year later Neymar said, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, that he had been happy with Chelsea\\'s interest in him as it was a \"dream\" of his \"to play in Europe\", while also stating that at the time it had been the right decision to stay in Brazil.On 30 November 2010, Santos sold a 5% share of future transfer fees that he would receive to an investment group, Terceira Estrela Investimentos S.A. (TEISA), for R$ 3,549,900 (€1.5 million). The previous year, his family had sold a 40% stake in Neymar\\'s sporting rights to the DIS Esporte group who had been a long-term strategic partner of Santos\\' football club.Despite his first two seasons being highly successful, having ended the 2010 season with an impressive 42 goals in 60 games, problems had been identified, namely Neymar\\'s apparent taste for diving when tackled, rather than attempting to continue his run, and his attitude. The latter came to the forefront during a match with Atlético Goianiense, on 15 September 2010, when the Santos\\' manager, Dorival Júnior, appointed another player to take the penalty awarded for a foul on Neymar. His decision was based on the fact that Neymar had missed a crucial penalty during the Copa do Brasil final of that year, even if Santos went on to win. Reacting to this, Neymar turned his back on his manager, had to be calmed down by a linesman and argued with his captain, Edu Dracena. The fallout from this event was that Dorival Júnior wished to have Neymar suspended for two weeks, but the board sided with the player and promptly sacked the manager. Despite Neymar\\'s apologies over the incident, some doubts still remain about his attitude. In December 2010, aged just 18, Neymar came third for the 2010 South American Footballer of the Year, behind Andrés D\\'Alessandro and Juan Sebastián Verón.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011: Puskás Award ====\\nNeymar scored six goals during Santos\\' run to the 2011 Copa Libertadores Finals, tying him for third top goalscorer, including the clinching goal of Santos\\' 4–3 aggregate win over Cerro Porteño in the semi-finals. In the two-legged final, Santos faced Uruguayan side Peñarol and drew the first leg 0–0 in Montevideo. At home in the second leg, Neymar opened the scoring in the 46th minute as Santos held on for a 2–1 win and Neymar won Man of the Match honours. The win brought Santos their first Copa Libertadores triumph since 1963, when Brazilian legend Pelé was playing for the club.In September 2011, Santos club president Luís Ribeiro threatened to report Real Madrid to FIFA following reports that they had attempted to sign Neymar to a pre-contract agreement, and denied that such an agreement was in place. On 9 November, Neymar and Santos agreed to a contract extension that would see the player stay with the club until after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The deal reportedly increased Neymar\\'s wages by 50%, to the levels that top European clubs would be paying him. On 14 December, Neymar scored the opening goal for Santos as they defeated Kashiwa Reysol 3–1 in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup at the Toyota Stadium in Toyota, Japan, but failed to score against Barcelona in the final on 18 December, where Santos were defeated 4–0, finishing as runners-up in the competition. He won the 2011 FIFA Puskás Award for scoring a solo goal in the Brasileirão Série A against Flamengo, in a 5–4 loss. On 31 December, he won the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award for the first time, by a record margin, following in the footsteps of Diego Maradona, Romário, Pelé and Zico.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012: South America\\'s best player ====\\nOn 5 February 2012, when he turned 20, Neymar scored his 100th goal as a professional football player, against Palmeiras in the Campeonato Paulista. On 25 February – he scored two goals, one of which was from 25-yards – and created two assists to help his side to a 6–1 win over Ponte Preta. On 7 March, Neymar netted a hat-trick as Santos saw off Brazilian rivals Internacional 3–1 in the Copa Libertadores Group stage match. On 29 March, he scored a brace against Guaratinguetá in a 5–0 victory. In the fixture against São Paulo on 29 April 2012, Neymar scored a hat-trick with the match ending 3–1. Thereafter, he went on to score twice in the first and second legs in the 2012 Campeonato Paulista Finals against Guarani, which ended 7–2 on aggregate. Neymar finished the 2012 Campeonato Paulista with 20 goals and was voted the Best player and Best Forward, and Santos were crowned champions. He was joint top scorer in the Copa Libertadores with eight goals, after Santos were beaten over two legs by eventual champions Corinthians in the semi-finals.\\nOn 25 August 2012, he scored a brace in the 2–1 away win at Palmeiras. On 3 November, in the Brasileiro Série A away fixture at Cruzeiro, Neymar scored a hat-trick and assisted Felipe Anderson\\'s goal, to help his side to a 4–0 win. Neymar finished off the 2012 season in style, first setting-up Victor Andrade\\'s equaliser, then scoring twice, to give Santos a 3–1 home win over Palmeiras on 1 December. Neymar was voted the Best Player of the 2012 Recopa Sudamericana, with himself scoring in the second leg to win the title 2–0 on aggregate. He finished the 2012 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A with 14 goals and being voted the Best forward. Neymar finished the 2012 season, being award the Golden Ball, Arthur Friedenreich Award and Armando Nogueira Trophy. He was one of three finalists in the 2012 FIFA Puskás Award and finished runners-up behind Miroslav Stoch. He won the 2012 South American Footballer of the Year, retaining his award and winning it ahead of the likes of Ronaldinho.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013: Final season ====\\nNeymar started the 2013 Campeonato Paulista scoring twice in the first match, which ended a 3–1 win over São Bernardo on 19 January 2013. On 3 February, in the Paulista fixture against São Paulo, where Santos won 3–1, with Neymar scoring and making two assists. On 18 March, Neymar told that he had a \"dream of playing in Europe, for a big club like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea.\" But he went on to say, \"There\\'s no point in speculating when I\\'ll leave Santos. I\\'ll leave when I want to.\"Neymar scored all four goals, had another disallowed and hit the post as Santos beat União Barbarense 4–0 in the Paulista on 13 April. On 25 April, his agent and father revealed that Neymar intended to leave for Europe before the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Ahead of his last match for Santos, on 26 May against Flamengo, Neymar was in tears during the national anthem.\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona ===\\n\\nOn 24 May 2013, Santos announced that they had received two offers for Neymar. The following day, Neymar announced he would sign with Barcelona on 27 May and join the team after playing in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Neither Neymar nor the clubs released details on the transfer fee or personal terms, save to say he signed a five-year deal. On 3 June, Neymar was unveiled by Barcelona after passing medical tests and signing a contract that would keep him at the club through June 2018.Neymar was presented at the Camp Nou in front of 56,500 fans, a record turnout for a Brazilian player. Club vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu initially said Neymar\\'s transfer fee was €57.1 million and his release clause set at €190 million. Barcelona\\'s doctor suggested he might need to gain weight to be able to cope physically in Spanish football.\\n\\n\\n==== Transfer investigation ====\\nIn January 2014, the prosecutor\\'s office in Madrid began investigating the transfer fee that Barcelona paid for Neymar. The documents submitted to the authorities on request contained contradictory information. On 23 January 2014, Rosell resigned from his position as president. A day later, the details of the transfer were revealed by Barcelona; the transfer had in fact cost them €86.2 million (£71.5 million), with Neymar\\'s parents confirmed to have received a €40 million sum. In the aftermath, Barcelona and Bartomeu were charged with tax fraud.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: Adapting to Spain ====\\nOn 30 July 2013, Barcelona drew 2–2 against Lechia Gdańsk in a pre-season friendly; Neymar made his unofficial debut when he came on as a substitute. He scored his first goal for the club in a 7–1 win against a Thailand XI on 7 August at the Rajamangala National Stadium. Neymar made his competitive debut for Barcelona during the opening game of the 2013–14 La Liga season as a 63rd-minute substitute for Alexis Sánchez in a 7–0 win against Levante. On 21 August, he scored his first competitive goal for the club in the first leg of the 2013 Supercopa de España against Atlético Madrid: seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Pedro, he headed Dani Alves\\' cross to equalise in a 1–1 draw at the Vicente Calderón Stadium as Barcelona won on the away goals rule for his first trophy at the club. On 18 September, he made his UEFA Champions League debut, assisting a Gerard Piqué goal as Barça beat Ajax 4–0 in their opening match of the 2013–14 tournament.\\nSix days later, Neymar scored his first goal in La Liga in Barcelona\\'s 4–1 defeat of Real Sociedad at Camp Nou. On 26 October, he made his first El Clásico appearance, scoring the opening goal and assisting the team\\'s winning goal scored by Alexis Sánchez as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2–1 at Camp Nou. On 11 December, Neymar recorded his first three Champions League goals as he scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win over Celtic in Barcelona\\'s final Group H match.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: The treble and individual success ====\\nOn 13 September 2014, after appearing as a substitute, Neymar scored his first two goals of the 2014–15 season, helping Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2–0. On 27 September, he scored a hat-trick against Granada in a 6–0 win and scored in his next three La Liga matches, including the opening goal in a 1–3 loss to Real Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.On 24 January 2015, Neymar scored twice and assisted two more goals in a 6–0 win at Elche. On 28 January, he scored his 20th goal of the season in a 3–2 Copa del Rey quarter-final win over Atlético Madrid. On 4 March, Neymar scored twice in Barcelona\\'s 3–1 Copa del Rey semi-final win over Villarreal to qualify the club for its 37th Spanish Cup final. On 21 April, Neymar took his tally to 30 goals for the season by scoring twice in Barcelona\\'s 2–0 Champions League quarter-final win over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).In May, the closing month of the season, Neymar scored the last goal in a 3–0 win against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. A week later, he scored both the team\\'s goals in a 3–2-second leg defeat at the Allianz Arena to ensure Barça would qualify for the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final. He also opened the scoring with a header in a 2–0 league win versus Real Sociedad, a result which gave Barça a four-point lead over Real Madrid with only two matches remaining.\\nAfter securing the league title on 17 May with a 1–0 win over Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 3–1 at Camp Nou in the 2015 Copa del Rey Final on 30 May, with Neymar scoring the second goal for Barça. With Barcelona\\'s victory likely, he performed tricks with the ball in the final stages of the game, which was deemed unsporting by opponent Andoni Iraola. Barcelona manager Luis Enrique claimed that it had to be understood that such behaviour was acceptable in Brazil, while Neymar himself did not apologise.On 6 June, Neymar scored the third goal for Barça in the 3–1 Champions League Final defeat of Italian champions Juventus at Berlin\\'s Olympiastadion, ensuring the club won its fifth European Cup. This made Barcelona the first club in history to twice win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup. On a personal note, he became the eighth player in football\\'s history to win both the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League, and the first player to score in final victories in both competitions. Neymar ended the season with 39 goals in all competitions and 10 in the Champions League, making him joint highest scorer with Cristiano Ronaldo and teammate Lionel Messi in the latter competition. He was the first player apart from those two to top the competition\\'s scoring list, since compatriot Kaká in 2006–07. Barcelona\\'s attacking trio of Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, dubbed \"MSN\", ended with 122 goals, the most in a season for an attacking trio in Spanish football history.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16: Domestic double ====\\n\\nDue to having the mumps, Neymar was expected to miss the 2015 UEFA Super Cup and the 2015 Supercopa de España. On 17 October, Neymar scored four goals in Barcelona\\'s 5–2 home win over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, taking his total to eight goals for the season. On 21 November, Neymar scored one and provided a back heel assist for Andrés Iniesta in Barcelona\\'s 4–0 away win against Real Madrid. He scored twice in a 4–0 home win over Real Sociedad on 28 November, taking his La Liga total to 14 goals in 12 games. On 30 November, Neymar was shortlisted for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or alongside Messi and Ronaldo, and subsequently came third. On 22 May 2016, Neymar scored a late goal in Barcelona\\'s 2–0 extra time win over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey Final at the Vicente Calderón, as the club celebrated winning the domestic double for the second consecutive season, following their treble victory from the previous season. The front three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar finished the season with 131 goals, breaking the record they had set the previous year for most goals by an attacking trio in a single season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17: Final season ====\\n\\nIn Barcelona\\'s 6–1 victory over PSG in the Champions League round of 16, Neymar had a miraculous and heroic role in Barcelona\\'s comeback, by scoring two goals and assisted the decisive goal of Sergi Roberto during the closing seven-minute sequence, of which he was named man of the match, based on his efforts. Overcoming the 4–0 loss to PSG in the first leg from 14 February 2017, this second leg match became the biggest comeback in Champions League history.On 2 April, Neymar scored his 100th goal for Barcelona in his 177th appearance for the club, netting in a 4–1 win over Granada. On 27 May, Neymar scored in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final, his 105th goal for the club, as Barcelona defeated Alavés 3–1 at the Vicente Calderón in Madrid.Desire to leave Barcelona\\nAccording to former Barcelona teammate Xavi, Neymar informed his teammates of his desire to leave Barcelona at Messi\\'s wedding in June 2017. By July 2017, media speculation emerged that Neymar wanted to join PSG, with the club holding talks with Barcelona officials. At 25-years old, Neymar was motivated to leave Barcelona to step out of Messi\\'s shadow and be the sole star player, increasing the likelihood of him winning the Ballon d\\'Or. Barcelona president, Bartomeu, admitted he was powerless to stop him from wanting to leave: \"Neymar is one of our best players and so we don\\'t want to lose that player,\" he said. \"We want him to continue with us. He still has four years of his contract so there is nothing else to say [...] You know that players decide if they want to leave, they can decide.\" On 2 August 2017, Neymar asked Barcelona to allow him to leave.\\n\\n\\n=== Paris Saint-Germain ===\\n\\nOn 3 August 2017, Barcelona announced that Neymar\\'s legal representatives made a payment of €222 million to the club, equal to the release clause of his contract, which constituted the most expensive transfer ever. The club informed UEFA so that they can determine any disciplinary responsibilities that may arise from this case. According to the BBC, in Spain, the release clause must be activated by the footballer himself. The situation was unusual, in that the fee was paid to the club directly, after La Liga had refused to receive the payment. Usually, the buyout clause is deposited with La Liga in order to release the player from his contract, and the league then passes the money to the selling club. However, La Liga rejected the payment—citing violation of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules by PSG, who are backed by money from Gulf state Qatar.Neymar joined PSG on a contract that would run until 2022. He was offered the number 10 shirt by Javier Pastore as a \"welcome gift\". It was believed that PSG signed Neymar to increase their chances of winning the Champions League.The relationship between Neymar and Barcelona fans was tainted following his unexpected transfer to PSG, with some fans burning Barcelona jerseys with Neymar\\'s name on it. In his presentation on 17 August, Neymar said that leaving Barcelona was one of the toughest decisions in his life. The presentation was reported to have been watched by 85 million viewers in Brazil. Neymar was unequivocally considered the star player of Ligue 1; Lille\\'s general director Marc Ingla credited the presence of Neymar in Ligue 1 to potentially accelerating it into a powerhouse league in Europe, alongside the Premier League and La Liga.\\n\\n\\n==== Contract breach lawsuit ====\\nOn 27 August 2017, Barcelona filed a lawsuit against Neymar, demanding he return the contract renewal bonus he received as well as €8.5 million in damages and an additional 10% for the arrears. They claimed they are owed money that Neymar received as part of a renewal bonus when he signed a new contract in 2016. The club also requested PSG to take on the responsibility for the payment of the fees if the player cannot do so himself. Neymar\\'s lawyers announced that they would contest the case.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18: Debut season and domestic treble ====\\nNeymar made his debut for Les Rouge-et-Bleu on 13 August 2017, scoring a goal and assisting another in a 3–0 away victory over Guingamp. Highlighting the hype around Neymar\\'s arrival in Paris, the match was broadcast in 183 countries. After the match, Neymar said, \"People think that leaving Barca is to die, but it\\'s the opposite [...] I\\'m more alive than ever.\"He added two more goals to his tally in the next Ligue 1 fixture against Toulouse. Forming a prolific attacking trio alongside teenage French prodigy Kylian Mbappé and Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani, Neymar scored one each in PSG\\'s two opening games of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League group stage, with the team winning 5–0 at Celtic and 3–0 at home over Bayern Munich respectively. Neymar finished in third place in the 2017 Ballon d\\'Or and in the same year was ranked the third-best footballer in the world by The Guardian, both times behind Messi and Ronaldo.During a 3–0 defeat of rivals Marseille on 25 February 2018, Neymar fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot. He travelled to Belo Horizonte and underwent a successful operation on his foot. Despite failing to make another appearance for PSG while recovering from the injury, Neymar consequently ended his first season in Paris with 28 goals in 30 matches, including 6 goals in 7 Champions League matches. A testament to the success of his debut season, Neymar was awarded the Ligue 1 Player of the Year.Neymar was rushed back to play for Brazil at the 2018 World Cup in Russia following the injury in February, but his playing style was not quite the same as he appeared to be avoiding physical contact entirely rather than simply trying to draw fouls.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19: Injury and league title ====\\nOn 12 August 2018, Neymar scored PSG\\'s opening league goal of the 2018–19 season in a 3–0 win over Caen at Parc des Princes. Neymar scored from a penalty in his next game as PSG won 3–1 against Guingamp in Ligue 1. In the following league game, the front three of Neymar, Mbappé and Cavani all scored in a 3–1 win over Angers at home, with Neymar scoring from Mbappé\\'s cut back and setting up Cavani to score the opener.On 3 October, Neymar scored a hattrick in a 6–1 win over Red Star Belgrade in a Champions League group stage fixture. He suffered a foot injury in late January 2019 that kept him out of his side\\'s Champions League round of 16 tie against Manchester United. After United eliminated PSG, Neymar went on Instagram insulting video review officials for awarding a stoppage-time penalty to United; UEFA banned Neymar for three matches for the insult.On 27 April, Neymar scored in the 2019 Coupe de France Final against Rennes, but Rennes made a comeback and won on penalties. After the match, Neymar was caught on video appearing to punch a spectator in the face. The spectator had been filming and insulting PSG players. PSG said they supported Neymar \"100 percent\" over the incident. Neymar admitted he was wrong, but argued that neither he nor anyone else could have stayed indifferent. PSG coach Thomas Tuchel responded: \"It\\'s not easy to climb the stairs after a defeat. If we lose, we must show respect. You can\\'t come into conflict with a spectator.\"\\n\\n\\n===== Potential return to Barcelona =====\\nIn July 2019, Neymar was absent from training with PSG, with the club talking disciplinary action. Neymar wanted to leave PSG as he felt referees never protected him, there was jealousy towards him from some dressing room team-mates, fans did not appreciate his talent showcased in PSG and sections of the French media were against him.According to Sky Sports News, Neymar was prepared to pay €20m of his own money to PSG in five instalments to facilitate a move to Barcelona. On 27 August 2019, both clubs met to discuss Neymar\\'s situation, but according to PSG sporting director Leonardo, Barcelona\\'s only written offer came during the meeting, which was not enough and PSG refused. Three days later, on 30 August, an offer was made in writing from Neymar to PSG general manager Jean-Claude Blanc. Neymar\\'s offer was dismissed by PSG because of French football federation regulations, and he ultimately agreed to stay at PSG after the talks to return to Barcelona broke down. Sky Sports News also reported that Real Madrid were interested in signing Neymar throughout the transfer window.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20: PSG\\'s first Champions League final ====\\nNeymar made his first appearance for PSG in the 2019–20 season on 14 September, in a 1–0 victory over Strasbourg in Ligue 1. He scored the winning goal in injury time in the second half from a bicycle kick. One week later, he again scored a late winner, as PSG defeated Lyon 1–0 at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Neymar suffered a hamstring injury in October while on international duty with Brazil, and returned to play for PSG during their Champions League group match against Real Madrid on 26 November in a 2–2 draw.\\nNeymar won his third league title after PSG were awarded Ligue 1 as the season finished early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his first 50 matches in Ligue 1, Neymar scored 46 goals, being the first player to do so since Marseille\\'s Gunnar Andersson in the early 1950s. On 24 July 2020, in PSG\\'s first professional game back after the pandemic, Neymar scored his side\\'s lone goal in a 1–0 win over Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France Final, winning his second Coupe de France title with the club. On 31 July, PSG won the 2020 Coupe de la Ligue Final 6–5 on penalties over Lyon, following a 0–0 draw after extra time, which saw the side complete a domestic treble, with Neymar netting one of the penalties in the shoot-out.In the Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta on 12 August, Neymar assisted the equalising goal in injury time in an eventual 2–1 win. As a result of his performance in the match, the BBC published an article the following day titled \\'Neymar: Is he now the best player in the world?\\'. In the semi-final against RB Leipzig, he assisted one goal in a 3–0 victory, which saw PSG reach the Champions League final for the first time in their history. Marca were also praiseful of Neymar, considering him the most decisive and the best player in the world following his \"masterclass\" performances leading up to the final. PSG eventually lost out 1–0 to Bayern Munich on 23 August. With his focal ambition of being the talisman to PSG winning its first ever Champions League title, Neymar was distraught and had to be consoled by the club\\'s sporting director Leonardo.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21: Contract extension ====\\nNeymar missed out on the first match of the 2020–21 season because he had tested positive for COVID-19 a week earlier; PSG went on to lose the game against Lens 1–0. However, he returned to training before the match against Marseille on 13 September. PSG lost Le Classique for the first time since 2011 as OM were victorious 1–0 in a match that had 14 yellow cards and five red cards handed out by the referee, including one of each to Neymar.Neymar scored his first two goals of the season in a 6–1 win against Angers on 2 October. He entered the list of the top ten goal scorers in PSG history by doing so, scoring his 72nd for the club, which put him level with Raí. On 28 October, Neymar suffered an adductor injury in a match against İstanbul Başakşehir, leaving the pitch after 26 minutes of play. He made his return to action as a substitute in a 3–2 loss against Monaco on 20 November, and scored his first goal after recovering from his injury in a 1–0 win against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on 24 November.On 28 November, Neymar scored his 50th goal in Ligue 1, converting a penalty in PSG\\'s 2–2 draw against Bordeaux. This made him the fastest player in the club\\'s history to reach this, doing so in only 58 matches. Four days later, on 2 December, he scored two goals in a 3–1 Champions League victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford. In PSG\\'s final group match, Neymar scored his third career Champions League hat-trick against İstanbul Başakşehir, as his side won 5–1 and qualified for the knockout stage as group winners. He became the first player in European Cup and Champions League history to score 20 goals for two different clubs, scoring 21 goals for Barcelona in 40 games, and 20 for PSG in 25 games. In a 1–0 loss to Lyon on 13 December, Neymar suffered an ankle injury after a tackle from Thiago Mendes, and had to be stretchered off the field. He avoided a fracture, but was ruled out of action for three weeks with a sprain. His return proved to be exactly one month after his injury, on 13 January 2021, in a 2–1 win over rivals Marseille in the Trophée des Champions, with Neymar scoring the winning goal from a penalty. He sustained a left adductor injury in a 1–0 cup win over Caen on 10 February, ruling him out for four weeks. On 21 March, he was back in action, coming on as a substitute in a 4–2 league win against Lyon.In the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, PSG were eliminated by Manchester City in the semi-finals. Neymar was absent for PSG\\'s defeat of Barcelona, but he was present in both matches of the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich and both semi-final confrontations against Man City. On 8 May, he extended his contract with PSG until 2025.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22: Record-breaking Ligue 1 title and injuries ====\\nOn 10 August 2021, Neymar\\'s former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi signed for PSG. On 29 August, Neymar made his first appearance of the season, being a starter in a 2–0 win over Reims. Messi replaced Neymar at 66th minute of the match, making his debut for the French club. Neymar scored his first goal of the 2021–22 season on 19 September, converting a penalty in a 2–1 win over Lyon. He scored his 400th career goal on 6 November against Bordeaux, where he scored a brace and helped the team to win the match 3–2.On 28 November, Neymar suffered an ankle injury in a 3–1 win over Saint-Étienne. He was taken off on a stretcher at the 85th minute of the match. His return from injury came on 15 February 2022 in a Champions League match against Real Madrid, where he came on as a substitute and assisted Mbappé\\'s injury-time goal to win the match 1–0. Four days later, he made his return to league play and his first start in 2022 in a match against Nantes; he scored a goal and missed a penalty in a 3–1 loss at the Stade de la Beaujoire. On 13 March, following their Champions League elimination against Real Madrid in the round of 16, Neymar and his team-mate Messi were booed by some of the PSG fans at the Parc des Princes in the league match against Bordeaux. On 21 May, he scored his 100th goal with PSG in a 5–0 win over Metz. Neymar helped PSG win their record-tying 10th national championship, finishing the season with 13 goals and 8 assists across all competitions, registering the fewest goals scored since arriving in Europe in 2013, in a season marked by various injuries and collective irregularity.\\n\\n\\n==== 2022–23: Final season at PSG ====\\nFollowing a disappointing form in the previous season and with the club\\'s change in transfer policy, Neymar was linked with a potential departure from the club, but the lack of potential suitors broke down a potential move, despite PSG\\'s Football Advisor Luís Campos dismissing those rumours – stating that Neymar was part of the club\\'s project. He quickly regained his form from his previous season, starting off the season by scoring a goal and providing a hat-trick of assists in a 5–0 win against Clermont on 6 August. As part of his prolific attacking trio alongside Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, on 21 August, all three scored and assisted with Neymar netting twice and registering three more assists in PSG\\'s 7–1 away win over Lille.After registering 13 goal contributions in his first five league games, Neymar was named Ligue 1\\'s Player of the Month in August. By early October 2022, Neymar was considered one of the stand-out players in Europe and back to his best form, having scored 11 goals and providing 9 assists in just 13 games. Manager Christophe Galtier praised Neymar for playing his best ever football in PSG. Neymar\\'s form in the first half of the season led him to be touted to win the 2023 Ballon d\\'Or, alongside the likes of Erling Haaland and Mbappé.On 6 March 2023, PSG announced that Neymar would undergo surgery in Doha and would be ruled out for the remainder of the season. This led to Neymar missing PSG\\'s second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich, in which PSG ended up being eliminated. After reports that Messi would leave the club following the expiration of his contract, a group of PSG supporters gathered outside the club\\'s headquarters, protesting against the club\\'s direction and insulting various figures of the club, including Neymar. Another group of individuals went to Neymar\\'s house, demanding him to leave the club.\\n\\n\\n==== August 2023: Departure ====\\n\\nDespite being PSG\\'s fourth-highest scorer and winning ten trophies, including five Ligue 1 titles, Neymar\\'s tenure at PSG was marred by injuries and unfulfilled expectations, most notably not helping PSG win a Champions League. He missed 119 matches for PSG in total as a result of being injured around 20 times across his six-year spell, showing a fragility that was not seen either at Barcelona or Santos. James Westwood of Goal wrote that Neymar wasted the best years of his career and that in 2017 he had \"the world at his feet\" playing for Barcelona, throwing away his chance to join Pelé and Messi as a \"true legend of the game\" by joining PSG. Regardless, Neymar has been credited as a legend of PSG, trailing only Ibrahimović, Cavani and Mbappé in the club\\'s top scorers at the time of his departure.At the end of the 2022–23 season, PSG began a squad overhaul and after not renewing the contracts of Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi, following the arrival of Luis Enrique as the club\\'s new manager, Neymar and Marco Verratti were informed that they would not be in the team\\'s plans for the following season. Shortly after, Neymar was linked with a potential return to Barcelona. However, Barcelona\\'s hierarchy never reached an advanced stage to discuss finer economic details and possibilities, as the club\\'s manager Xavi was not keen on signing him, leading both clubs to fail to reach an agreement. Other top clubs also distanced themselves from signing Neymar.\\n\\n\\n=== Al Hilal ===\\nOn 15 August 2023, Neymar completed a transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal on a two-year contract. The transfer fee was reported to be worth €90 million, making him the most expensive purchase in the Saudi Pro League. He is also reportedly being paid €150m a year at Al Hilal, six times the amount he earned at PSG.According to The Independent, Barcelona were the only European club who showed genuine interest in signing Neymar; others top clubs turned away primarily due to his high salary and the expected transfer fee to sign him. Various media outlets dubbed Neymar as the \\'Prince who never became King\\' due to leaving Europe without a Ballon d\\'Or and no additional Champions League titles after the 2015 win with Barcelona.In light of the fellow star players joining the league, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Neymar declared, \"I wouldn\\'t be surprised if the Saudi league is better than the French.\" His transfer to Al Hilal drew comparisons to former Brazil international Rivellino\\'s move to the club in 1978. On 15 September, he made his debut in a 6–1 thrashing of Al-Riyadh, coming off the bench and providing an assist to a goal by Malcom. On 3 October, Neymar scored his first goal for the club in a 3–0 away win against Nassaji Mazandaran in an AFC Champions League group stage match. Having played five games for his new club, Neymar ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty in October 2023. In January 2024, Al Hilal deregistered Neymar from their roster as a result of his season ending injury, in order to free up one of the eight foreign roster spots for Renan Lodi.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== 2010–2012: Senior debut and first major tournaments ===\\nFollowing Neymar\\'s performances for Santos in their successful early 2010 season, including winning the 2010 Copa do Brasil, in which he was the top goalscorer, and the 2010 Campeonato Paulista, in which he scored 14 goals, former Brazilian football players Pelé and Romário reportedly urged coach Dunga to take Neymar to the 2010 World Cup. Although the opinion that Neymar deserved a place in Dunga\\'s squad went as far as a 14,000 signature petition, and despite the pressure on Dunga to pick Neymar, he was omitted from both the squad of 23, and the stand-by list. Although Dunga described Neymar as \"extremely talented\", he said that the 18-year-old had not been tested sufficiently on the international level to earn a World Cup spot and he had failed to impress enough while on international duty.On 26 July 2010, Neymar was selected for the first time in the Brazil senior team by new head coach Mano Menezes for a friendly match against the United States to be played in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On 10 August 2010 he made his debut with the national team in that game, aged 18 years old, starting the match and wearing the number 11 jersey. He scored on his debut after 28 minutes, a header coming from an André Santos cross in a 2–0 win for Brazil. On 1 March 2011, Neymar said: \"Being on the Brazilian team is a privilege, There are some marvelous players and I\\'m very happy to be among them.\"\\nOn 27 March 2011, he scored twice in a 2–0 win against Scotland at the Emirates Stadium. During the match against Scotland, a banana was thrown onto the pitch after he scored from the penalty spot, which led Neymar to complain about \\'constant jeering and an atmosphere of racism\\', implying that Scottish fans exhibited racism. While Scottish officials explained that Neymar had been booed solely for perceived injury-feigning, a German student who was in the stadium amongst Brazil supporters said that he threw the banana with no racist intentions. This led to the Scottish Football Association asking the Brazilian Football Confederation for an apology for the accusations made to the Scottish fans. Neymar refused to apologise or retract his words, claiming he \"did not accuse any person or any group of supporters\".Neymar was the leading goal scorer of the 2011 South American Youth Championship with nine goals, including two in the final, in Brazil\\'s 6–0 win against Uruguay. He also took part at the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, where he scored two goals in the first-round game against Ecuador. He was selected \\'Man of the Match\\' in Brazil\\'s first match against Venezuela, which ended a 1–1 draw. Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out against Paraguay (2–2 a.e.t.), with Neymar being substituted in the 80th minute.\\nOn 11 May 2012, Neymar was selected for the squad of the Brazil Olympic football team to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games.\\nIn Brazil\\'s first warm-up match on 20 July 2012, against the host nation Great Britain at Riverside Stadium, Neymar was involved in both goals of a 2–0 win, first making an assist with a free-kick into the six-yard box for Sandro\\'s header, before converting a penalty. On 26 July, he scored his first goal in Brazil\\'s opening fixture against Egypt, which ended a 3–2 victory for Brazil. In the following match against Belarus at Old Trafford in Manchester, Neymar scored a free-kick from 25-yards into the top-right corner of the goal and set up goals for Alexandre Pato\\'s header with a cross from the right and Oscar with a back heel as Brazil secured their place in the quarter-finals with a 3–1 win. Afterwards he said: \"I scored and made two assists so for me it was perfect\".On 5 August 2012, in the quarter-final encounter against Honduras, Neymar scored a penalty, his third goal of the tournament and assisted in Leandro Damião\\'s second goal on the match, to help Brazil to a 3–2 victory at St James\\' Park and book a place in the semi-finals. On 11 August, Brazil lost 2–1 to Mexico in the final at Wembley Stadium in London.Neymar scored his first full international hat-trick on 10 September 2012, in an 8–0 win over China at the Estádio José do Rego Maciel in Recife. On 19 September, Neymar scored the winner against Argentina in a 2–1 win in the first leg of the 2012 Superclásico de las Américas at the Estádio Serra Dourada in Goiânia, Brazil.\\n\\n\\n=== 2013–2014: Confederations Cup triumph and World Cup breakthorugh ===\\nNeymar was selected as part of Luiz Felipe Scolari\\'s Brazil squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup on home soil. For the tournament he was assigned the number 10 shirt, having previously worn 11.Neymar scored the first goal of the tournament in a 3–0 win over Japan at the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha on 15 June. In their second match, Neymar scored after nine minutes and crossed for Jô\\'s late goal to give Brazil a 2–0 win over Mexico. He scored in his third consecutive match, with a powerful free kick from the edge of the penalty area, as Brazil beat Italy 4–2, and received his third consecutive man-of-the-match award.On 30 June, Neymar was involved in Fred\\'s opening goal and then subsequently scored Brazil\\'s second in the 3–0 final victory over Spain. Neymar\\'s performances saw him receive the Golden Ball for player of the tournament.On 5 March 2014, Neymar scored a hat-trick in a friendly win against South Africa in Johannesburg. He made headlines for his conduct after the final whistle when a South African boy ran onto the pitch. As security staff began to escort the boy from the field, Neymar intervened and introduced him to his Brazil teammates before they lifted him in the air during their celebrations.\\n\\nOn 2 June, Neymar was named in the Brazil squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Going into the tournament, as the team\\'s star player Neymar was expected to lead Brazil to their sixth World Cup success, and first title on home soil. One week prior to the team\\'s opening match, Neymar scored once and made two assists in a 4–0 friendly win over Panama.Neymar earned his 50th international cap in the opening match of the tournament, on 12 June against Croatia in São Paulo. In the 26th minute, with Croatia leading 1–0, Neymar elbowed Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić, after which Neymar was issued a yellow card. Many critics agreed that Neymar\\'s punishment was too lenient and that he should have been issued a red card. He equalised before half-time with a shot from outside the box and gave Brazil the lead in the second half with a penalty kick, following a controversial decision by the referee, in an eventual 3–1 win. In the third group match, he again scored twice as the Seleção defeated Cameroon 4–1 to reach the knockout stage. In the round of 16 against Chile, the match finished 1–1 after 120 minutes and was decided by a penalty shoot-out with Neymar scoring what proved to be the winning kick for Brazil.In the quarter-final win over Colombia, while challenging for the ball, Neymar was kneed in the back by Juan Camilo Zúñiga and had to be removed from the pitch on a stretcher. A hospital scan revealed that Neymar had suffered a fractured vertebra in his spine and he missed the rest of the World Cup. Earlier in the match, Neymar assisted Thiago Silva\\'s opening goal with a cross from a corner kick. It was the second Neymar assist from a corner in the tournament, after creating David Luiz\\'s goal in the previous round against Chile. Without their injured talisman Neymar (and the suspended captain Thiago Silva), Brazil would ultimately lose in the semi-final in a stunning 7–1 defeat to eventual champion Germany on 8 July.On 11 July, Neymar was named on the 10-man shortlist for FIFA\\'s Golden Ball award for the tournament\\'s best player. He won the Bronze Boot as the tournament\\'s third top goalscorer and was named in the World Cup All Star XI.\\n\\n\\n=== 2015–2016: Assuming the captaincy and Olympic gold ===\\nWith captain Thiago Silva ruled out through injury, new coach Dunga decided to make Neymar captain and confirmed on 5 September that the forward would stay on as skipper on a permanent basis. On 14 October 2014, Neymar scored four goals in one game for the first time in his international career, scoring all of Brazil\\'s goals in 4–0 friendly win against Japan at the National Stadium, Singapore. At the age of just 22 years, Neymar had scored 40 goals in 58 internationals, and had become the fifth highest goalscorer for his national team. On 26 March 2015, Neymar scored Brazil\\'s second goal in a 3–1 friendly win over France in Paris.On 14 June 2015, in Brazil\\'s opening Copa América fixture, Neymar scored the equaliser and assisted the stoppage-time winning goal by Douglas Costa as Brazil came from 0–1 down to beat Peru 2–1 in Temuco. After Brazil\\'s second match, a 0–1 loss to Colombia in Santiago, Neymar was booked for handball, resulting in a suspension. After the final whistle, he was red carded for deliberately kicking the ball at Pablo Armero, and as a result was pushed over by Colombian striker Carlos Bacca, who was also dismissed. CONMEBOL issued Neymar with a four-match ban, ruling him out for the remainder of the tournament, in addition to a $10,000 fine.\\nThe CBF had wanted Neymar to play at the Copa América Centenario and the Olympics in Rio during the summer of 2016, but after a request from Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, he was rested from the first tournament. In late June 2016, he was subsequently one of the three over-23 players to be included in Brazil\\'s squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics on home soil, and was named the team\\'s captain by the Olympic side\\'s manager Rogério Micale.In Brazil\\'s quarter-final clash with Colombia on 13 August, Neymar scored Brazil\\'s first goal of the match, from a direct free kick, and also set up his nation\\'s second goal in an eventual 2–0 win. In Brazil\\'s semi-final clash with Honduras on 18 August, Neymar scored twice, Brazil\\'s first and last goals of the match, in a 6–0 win.In the final against Germany at the Maracanã in Rio on 20 August, Neymar opened the scoring with a free-kick after 27 minutes. The game finished 1–1 after Max Meyer equalised in the second-half. Brazil beat Germany 5–4 on penalties, and Neymar scored the winning penalty to bring Brazil its first Olympic gold medal in men\\'s football. Both during and prior to the tournament, he had been subjected to criticism over his conduct on and off the pitch, with several former Brazil players suggesting that he was not fit to captain the national team. Neymar subsequently renounced the captaincy following their Olympic victory.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018: World Cup ===\\nIn May 2018, Neymar was named in Tite\\'s final 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. On 3 June 2018, he made his international comeback after a three-month absence from a foot injury and scored a goal in a 2–0 win over Croatia in a friendly match at Anfield. The following week, he became Brazil\\'s joint-third highest goalscorer alongside Romário when he scored his 55th international goal in a 3–0 friendly win over Austria. In Brazil\\'s second World Cup match, played against Costa Rica at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, on 22 June, Neymar scored the team\\'s second goal in injury time as Brazil won 2–0. The goal, his 56th for Brazil, took him third in the all-time scoring chart behind only Pelé and Ronaldo.On 2 July, Neymar scored his second goal of the World Cup in a 2–0 win over Mexico in the last 16, while also assisting Roberto Firmino for his goal. After the Mexico game, BBC Sport wrote that despite Neymar\\'s \"good performances\" coming up top in several statistics at the World Cup, \"there is still a sense that he remains widely unpopular among neutrals\" due to his \"petulance and the play-acting\". Meanwhile, Brazilian newspaper O Globo wrote that \"Neymar has charmed Brazil, but annoyed the whole world\". On 6 July, Brazil were eliminated after losing 2–1 against Belgium in the quarter-finals, with Neymar denied an injury time equaliser by a finger-tip save from Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.\\n\\n\\n=== 2019–2021: Copa América runner-up ===\\nIn May 2019, Neymar was included in Brazil\\'s 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América on home soil. On 5 June, however, he suffered an ankle injury in a 2–0 friendly win over Qatar and was ruled out of the tournament, with Neymar expected to miss four weeks due to the injury.On 10 October 2019, Neymar played his 100th match for Brazil in a friendly draw 1–1 with Senegal in Singapore. On 13 October 2020, he scored a hat-trick in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Peru, which Brazil won 4–2. He reached his 64th international goal and surpassed Ronaldo as the nation\\'s second highest goalscorer of all time.On 13 June 2021, in Brazil\\'s opening group match of the 2021 Copa América, which took place on home soil, Neymar scored his team\\'s second goal from the penalty spot and later assisted another for Gabriel Barbosa in a 3–0 win over Venezuela. In the following match on 17 June, he once again scored the second goal in an eventual 4–0 win over Peru. On 23 June he assisted Casemiro\\'s match–winning goal from a corner in injury time of a 2–1 win over Colombia. On 2 July, he assisted Lucas Paquetá\\'s goal in a 1–0 win over Chile in the quarter-finals of the competition. Three days later, he once again assisted Paquetá for the only goal of the match in the semi-finals against Peru. On 10 July, Brazil were defeated 1–0 by Argentina in the final. Despite the loss, Neymar was named the player of the tournament alongside Argentina\\'s Messi for his performances throughout the competition.On 9 September 2021, Neymar scored the second goal in a 2–0 win over Peru and became Brazil\\'s all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification matches, with 12 in total.\\n\\n\\n=== 2022–present: World Cup and all-time Brazil top scorer ===\\n \\nOn 7 November 2022, Neymar was named in the Brazil squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He played 79 minutes of Brazil\\'s first match on 24 November, a 2–0 win against Serbia, but was unable to play the next two group games due to ankle ligament damage. Neymar recovered from his injury to play against South Korea in the last 16 on 5 December, where he assisted Vinícius Júnior\\'s opening goal and scored a penalty in a 4–1 win for Brazil; as a result, he became only the third Brazilian player ever, after Pelé and Ronaldo, to score in three different World Cups. Four days later, in the quarter-final match against Croatia, Neymar scored his 77th international goal and equalled Pelé\\'s official goal tally for the national team, a goal which journalist Michael Cox described as one of the \"greatest individual goals in football history\". Brazil, however, were defeated 4–2 in the ensuing penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw after extra time, before Neymar was able to take Brazil\\'s final penalty.On 8 September 2023, Neymar scored twice for Brazil in a 5–1 win over Bolivia in their opening match for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification. His 78th and 79th goals in his 125th appearance for Brazil, Neymar became the national team\\'s top goalscorer ahead of Pelé. Mimicking Pelé\\'s punch in the air goal celebration with the first of his two goals, Neymar stated after the game that he never imagined he would reach the record. On 17 October, in Brazil\\'s 2–0 qualifying defeat to Uruguay, Neymar was taken off in tears on a stretcher at the end of the first half, following an awkward landing after a challenge. Neymar would confirm later that week that he had ruptured his ACL and meniscus completely in his left knee and would need to undergo surgery, likely ruling him out for the remainder of the 2023–24 campaign.\\n\\n\\n== Player profile ==\\n\\n\\n=== Style of play and reception ===\\nNeymar primarily plays as either a central striker, second striker, winger or occasionally as an attacking midfielder, and has been described as \"a true phenomenon\". Highlighting both his prolific scoring and playmaking abilities, he stands as PSG\\'s fourth-highest-goalscorer of all time and fifth-highest-assister of all time. He often plays as a left sided forward for both club and country in the team\\'s 4–3–3 formation, drifting infield, due to his energetic pace and playmaking skills; this position allows him to shoot with his stronger foot, or create chances for teammates.\\nAccording to Westwood of Goal,\"[Neymar] is a master dribbler, and he sees openings that other players don\\'t. He can create chances out of nothing and more often than not, has the finishing touch or decisive final pass to match his ingenuity on the ball.\"Neymar\\'s dribbling skills, tricks and playmaking ability have been described as reminiscent of compatriot Ronaldinho. His main traits are his creativity, vision, passing, finishing, dribbling, feints, touch, and technique, being described as both \"electric\" and \"explosive\". He is a notable exponent of the rainbow flick. A prolific goalscorer, although naturally right-footed, he is capable of scoring with both feet, as well as with his head, and is an accurate free-kick and penalty taker. Neymar stated: \"I\\'m always trying to perfect everything – dribbling, shooting, headers and control. You can always improve\". He has been inspired by Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Wayne Rooney. Neymar cites Kyle Walker as the toughest opponent he has ever faced.Considered to be a highly promising player in his youth, Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho had also tipped Neymar on becoming the best player in the world, stating in 2013: \"Neymar is young though, and I can\\'t explain how special he will become. In the next two or three seasons he will become the best player.\" Another Brazilian star, retired World Cup winner Ronaldo also believed that Neymar could become the best in the world, commenting: \"Logically, Messi is better right now but Neymar is a great talent who will show the world that he will be number one\". Former Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano has also praised Neymar, stating: \"I like Neymar a lot. Many of his individual actions result in a goal and often it\\'s a move that only seems to be happening with him on the pitch.\" After joining Barcelona, Neymar consequently established himself as one of the best players in world football, generally being considered the third-best player in the world behind Messi and Ronaldo. In the years since, Neymar is also widely reputed as the best Brazilian player of his generation.\\n\\nHowever, Neymar also has been known and criticised for his excessive diving when tackled by another player for which Pelé has said, \"[h]e is a player with a body that can\\'t take a lot of hits. [...] A lot of times he will fall because he can\\'t do anything else, but he was overdoing it.\" He continued: \"Even when he is fouled, he can\\'t make a spectacle out of it\". During the 2018 World Cup, Neymar\\'s antics inspired on social media the Neymar Challenge for dramatic dives. As the star player for Brazil (and PSG) he is often the most targeted player on the field; he was the most fouled player in Europe\\'s top leagues in 2018. A divisive figure in the sport, he has been accused of exaggerating injury, with Eric Cantona stating Neymar is a \"great actor\", comparing him to a wheeled suitcase: \"you barely touch it, and it turns round and round for hours.\" In response to the criticism over his petulance and histrionics, Neymar starred in a post 2018 World Cup commercial where he admitted to not being able to deal with his frustrations which contributed to theatrics while on the pitch and promised to change for the better.\\n\\n\\n=== Expectations ===\\nDespite being the all-time topscorer for Brazil and having a longstanding reputation as one of the world\\'s best players, Neymar is considered to have not fulfilled the expectations of him set at the beginning of his career: winning the Ballon d\\'Or and leading Brazil to a World Cup title. According to Sports Illustrated, Neymar could end his career as the most gifted player to never win a Ballon d\\'Or or World Cup. Neymar finished in third place in the 2015 and 2017 editions of the Ballon d\\'Or, both times behind Messi and Ronaldo.\\nAt PSG, Neymar was also expected to lead them to their first ever Champions League title; the club lost to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final. During his six-year tenure at the club, he struggled with frequent injuries which hindered his playing time and his explosiveness. The injuries may have contributed to him not achieving more in his prime years, as he cumulatively missed 119 matches and played over 30 matches in all competitions just once in Paris (31 in 2020–21). In 2023, Spanish publication Marca wrote that \"Neymar\\'s star is dimming due to a seemingly endless string of injuries\".Neymar was also often criticized for his lack of professional discipline, with his desire to party and play late-night poker games illustrating what may have been his lack of commitment to PSG. In 2018, Pelé criticised Neymar: \"It\\'s difficult to defend Neymar for all the things he does besides playing football. I\\'ve been with him in Europe twice. We talked and I explained: \\'The God of football gave you the gift. What you do complicates it\\'.\" In February 2023, the day after PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, images of Neymar in a fast-food restaurant at the end of the night surfaced on social media. Neymar defended himself, saying \"It\\'s my life, I do what I want.\"In 2023, following his relocation from Europe to Saudi Arabia at 31-years old, various media outlets dubbed Neymar as the \\'Prince who never became King\\'. Westwood of Goal owed Neymar\\'s move to PSG from Barcelona as the reason for him not being regarded alongside the likes of Pelé and Messi as a \"true legend of the game\". RMC Sport journalist Daniel Riolo said: \"Do we realise that Neymar, in terms of transfer and salary, is the biggest failure in the history of football? I can\\'t think of a bigger failure for what he cost, it\\'s horrible.\" On the contrary, Cox of The Athletic argues that Neymar deserves to be regarded as one of football\\'s all-time greats in light of becoming Brazil\\'s all-time topscorer. Brazil coach Fernando Diniz also declared that Neymar is one of the greatest players in history. During his 10-year tenure in Europe playing for Barcelona and PSG, Lawrence Ostlere of The Independent opinionated that Messi was the only player superior in \"every facet of the game\" than Neymar.\\n\\n\\n=== Comparisons ===\\nThe media have often drawn comparisons between Neymar and Brazilian legend Pelé, as Neymar possesses similar attributes and also like Pelé came from the Santos Youth Academy. In February 2013, he was on the cover of Time magazine with the title \\'The Next Pelé\\'. Neymar has said that Pelé is his \"role model\" but also said: \"I don\\'t like to make a comparison with Pelé\". He has also been compared to compatriot Ronaldinho.Neymar\\'s increasing reputation led both the media and former great players to draw comparisons between Neymar and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, which Neymar has commented on saying: \"Messi is above everyone, there is no use comparing me with him. He is the best player in the world and I always get inspired when I watch good football.\" Ronaldo stated: \"Neymar is a great talent, the best we have in Brazil. He is very similar to Messi.\" Zico said: \"I see Neymar like a [Cristiano] Ronaldo or a Messi, the type who appears and makes things happen.\" After his hat-trick in a 3–1 victory against Internacional in the Copa Libertadores and Messi\\'s five goals scored in the Champions League, Neymar said: \"I am a Messi fan. I was told what he did today. I support him to score a lot of nice goals so I can keep copying and imitating him.\"\\n\\n\\n=== Image ===\\nDescribed as a \\'hair icon\\' in sports by GQ Australia, Neymar\\'s hairstyles have drawn much attention. He has a reputation for changing hairstyles frequently, usually for flamboyant styles.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nHe has a very close sibling relationship with his sister Rafaella Beckran, and honoured her by tattooing her face on his arm, while Beckran tattooed her brother\\'s eyes on her arm.Neymar is a Christian, and follows the Pentecostal branch of the religion. Neymar has spoken about his faith saying: \"Life only makes sense when our highest ideal is to serve Christ!\" Additionally, he has sometimes worn a headband with the words \"100% Jesus\".\\nNeymar reportedly also tithes (10%) his income to his church and has named Kaká as his religious role model. Each year, Neymar organises a charity match with fellow Brazilian footballer Nenê in Nenê\\'s hometown of Jundiaí, with the purpose of raising food for needy families. In addition to his native Portuguese, Neymar also speaks Spanish.In July 2019, police announced that a rape investigation against Neymar would be dropped due to insufficient evidence. On 2 September 2020, it was reported that Neymar, along with PSG teammates Ángel Di María and Leandro Paredes, tested positive for COVID-19. The French sports newspaper L\\'Équipe said that the three players reportedly went on vacation in Ibiza. As a result, they were quarantined for one week, and the rest of the players and working staff were scheduled to take a coronavirus test within the same week.\\nDuring a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, Neymar reported being racially abused by Álvaro González, after being sent off for hitting him in the back of the head. In the aftermath, Neymar hit back on social media, as the Spanish defender denied saying any racist comments during the match. On 16 September, Neymar was handed a two-match ban for his actions; Ligue 1 also began an investigation into the alleged racist comments made by Álvaro. Several days before the decision made by the French league, Spanish radio station Cadena SER claimed to have footage of Neymar racially abusing OM player Hiroki Sakai. On 30 September, Ligue 1 decided that both Álvaro and Neymar would receive no suspensions, because proof of their wrongdoings were insufficient. Additionally, the day after the ruling, Sakai denied on social media that Neymar had made racist comments toward him.Neymar supported Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 Brazilian general election.\\n\\n\\n== Outside football ==\\n\\n\\n=== Wealth and sponsorships ===\\nNeymar has signed many sponsorship deals since his reputation began to grow from the age of 17. In March 2011, he signed an 11-year contract with American sportswear company Nike, which ended in August 2020 after a Nike employee made a sexual assault complaint against him. Neymar has since signed with German sportswear company Puma. Still in March 2011, Panasonic paid US$2.4 million to secure Neymar\\'s services for two years. Prior to signing for Barcelona, France Football had ranked Neymar 13th in its list of the world\\'s richest players in 2012, with total earnings of $18.8 million for the previous 12 months. He has also signed other sponsorships from Volkswagen, Tenys Pé Baruel, Lupo, Ambev, Claro, Unilever and Santander.In 2018, France Football ranked Neymar the third-highest-paid footballer in the world, earning €81.5m ($95m) for a calendar year in combined income from salaries, bonuses and endorsements deals. In 2019, Forbes ranked Neymar the world\\'s third-highest-paid athlete (after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo) with earnings of $105 million for the calendar year.On 8 May 2013, Neymar was rated by SportsPro magazine as the most marketable athlete in the world, ahead of Lionel Messi (2nd) and Cristiano Ronaldo (8th). The same month, Neymar launched the Nike Hypervenom football boot. In November 2012 advertising agency Loducca, created Neymar\\'s own personal brand logo, featuring the N, J and R (Neymar Junior) with the N styled to match Neymar\\'s shirt number 11. Neymar starred in a 2014 advert for Beats with other global football stars including Thierry Henry and Luis Suárez, with the theme of \\'The Game Before The Game\\' and the players pre-game ritual of listening to music.In the summer of 2023, Agence France-Presse, citing local authorities, reported that Neymar faces a potential fine of about one million dollars for environmental violations committed during the construction of his Mangaratiba mansion. The unauthorized diversion of the waterway, the use of beach sand without permission and unauthorized earthworks were mentioned in the report.\\n\\n\\n=== Media ===\\nNeymar was featured on the front covers of the video games Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 on the North American version, after Konami Digital Entertainment announced that he had joined Pro Evolution Soccer. Neymar joined Cristiano Ronaldo as a featured cover athlete. Neymar also features in EA Sports\\' FIFA video game series, with the trailer for FIFA 18 showing him in his PSG home jersey. He appeared alongside Cristiano Ronaldo on the Champions and Ultimate Edition packs for FIFA 19, where Neymar\\'s \"Hang Loose\" goal celebration also features in the game. Neymar also appears as a playable operator in the 2022 first-person shooter Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II alongside fellow football players Paul Pogba and Lionel Messi, whose character models were released as downloadable content to coincide with the 2022 FIFA World Cup.Neymar appeared on the cover of Time magazine in February 2013, the first Brazilian athlete to do so. The issue included an article by Bobby Ghosh entitled \"The Next Pelé\" and subtitled \"How the career of Brazilian football star Neymar explains his country\\'s economy\".Controversy erupted because of a cover by Brazilian football magazine Placar that depicted Neymar on a cross. The title read \"A Crucificação de Neymar\" (the Crucifixion of Neymar) and subtitled: \"the Brazilian ace turns scapegoat in a sport where everyone plays dirty\".In April 2013, Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa released a Monica\\'s Gang comic book featuring a younger version of Neymar (called Neymar Jr.) as the main character.In May 2013, SportsPro magazine named Neymar as the most marketable athlete on the planet for the second consecutive year. He topped the list ahead of Lionel Messi, Rory McIlroy, Usain Bolt and Cristiano Ronaldo, among other sportspeople. The list measures the monetary value, the age, the force in domestic markets, the charisma and their market potential in the next three years. In March 2015, Neymar had the fourth highest social media rank in the world among sportspeople, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and David Beckham, with 52 million Facebook fans. He has over 200 million Instagram followers, the third highest for a sportsperson (after Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi), and inside the top 20 most followed people. In ESPN\\'s list of active sportspeople in 2016, Neymar was ranked the fourth most famous athlete in the world. In April 2017, Neymar was included in the Time 100, Time magazine\\'s list of the most influential people in the world. In 2019, ESPN again ranked him the world\\'s fourth most famous athlete.To mark the World Cup commencing in Brazil, in June 2014, Neymar appeared with supermodel Gisele Bündchen on the front cover of Vogue\\'s Brazilian edition. In November 2014, Neymar appeared in FIFA\\'s \"11 against Ebola\" campaign with a selection of top football players from around the world, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Xavi and Didier Drogba. Under the slogan \"Together, we can beat Ebola\", FIFA\\'s campaign was done in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football and health experts, with the players holding up eleven messages to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.In collaboration with DAZN, in 2019 Neymar appeared in The Making Of series, documentaries which relives the significant games that helped define football\\'s greatest modern icons, with Neymar recounting his performance for Santos against Flamengo in 2011 when he scored that year\\'s FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year, and also the film Neymar and the Line of King which covers Neymar\\'s journey in becoming one of Brazil\\'s top players.Most recently, he had signed a deal with Facebook Gaming. He was also the subject of a 2022 Netflix documentary series titled Neymar: The Perfect Chaos.\\n\\n\\n=== Music ===\\nNeymar has become an icon in promoting Brazilian modern pop music, particularly Música sertaneja. The video in which Neymar dances in the Santos locker room dancing in front of teammates carrying his recorder making the round of the players and making them react to the tune of Michel Teló\\'s hit \"Ai se eu te pego!\" went viral. He made a point of performing his dance antics to the song after scoring goals in football games and appeared live with Teló in one of the latter\\'s concerts. He also supported sertanejo singer Gusttavo Lima performing live with Lima on renditions of the singer\\'s hits \"Balada\" and \"Fazer Beber\". In 2012, he made cameo appearances in the music video for yet another sertanejo hit \"Eu Quero Tchu, Eu Quero Tcha\" by João Lucas & Marcelo. In 2013, Neymar appeared on a rap music video, \"País do Futebol\" by MC Guimê.\\n\\n\\n=== Television and films ===\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 3 October 2023\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\nAs of match played 17 October 2023\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nSantos\\nCopa do Brasil: 2010\\nCampeonato Paulista: 2010, 2011, 2012\\nCopa Libertadores: 2011\\nRecopa Sudamericana: 2012Barcelona\\nLa Liga: 2014–15, 2015–16\\nCopa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17\\nSupercopa de España: 2013\\nUEFA Champions League: 2014–15\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2015Paris Saint-Germain\\n\\nLigue 1: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23\\nCoupe de France: 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21; runner-up: 2018–19\\nCoupe de la Ligue: 2017–18, 2019–20\\nTrophée des Champions: 2018, 2020, 2022\\nUEFA Champions League: runner-up: 2019–20Brazil U20\\nSouth American U-20 Championship: 2011Brazil Olympic \\n\\nSummer Olympics: 2016; runner-up: 2012Brazil\\n\\nFIFA Confederations Cup: 2013\\nCopa América runner-up: 2021IndividualAwards\\n\\nCampeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2012\\nChuteira de Ouro: 2010, 2011, 2012\\nBola de Prata: 2010, 2011\\nBola de Ouro: 2011\\nCampeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Player: 2011\\nWorld Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2011\\nCopa Libertadores Most Valuable Player: 2011\\nFIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball: 2011\\nSouth American Footballer of the Year: 2011, 2012\\nFIFA Puskás Award: 2011\\nBola de Ouro Hors Concours: 2012\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 2013\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Shoe: 2013\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Dream Team: 2013\\nFIFA World Cup Bronze Boot: 2014\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014\\nSamba Gold: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15, 2019–20, 2020–21\\nLa Liga Best World Player: 2014–15\\nLa Liga Player of the Month: November 2015\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2017–18\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: January 2020, August 2022\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2015, 2020\\nFIFA FIFPro World11: 2015, 2017\\nIFFHS Men\\'s World Team: 2017\\nESM Team of the Year: 2017–18\\nIFFHS CONMEBOL Team of the Decade: 2011–2020\\nCopa América Team of the Tournament: 2021Performances\\n\\nCopa do Brasil top scorer: 2010\\nSouth American U-20 Championship top scorer: 2011\\nCampeonato Paulista top scorer: 2012\\nCopa Libertadores top scorer: 2012 (tied with Matías Alustiza)\\nCopa Libertadores 2nd top assist provider: 2012\\nCopa del Rey top scorer: 2014–15\\nUEFA Champions League top scorer: 2014–15 (tied with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi)\\nFIFA Club World Cup top assist provider: 2015\\nUEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2015–16, 2016–17\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of top international men\\'s football goalscorers by country\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 50 or more international goals\\nList of most expensive association football transfers\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website (in Portuguese)\\nNeymar at Paris Saint-Germain F.C.\\nNeymar at BDFutbol \\nNeymar at Soccerbase \\nNeymar at Soccerway \\nNeymar at National-Football-Teams.com \\nNeymar – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nNeymar – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nNeymar – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French\\nNeymar at ESPN FC\\nSERGIO BUSQUETSSergio Busquets Burgos (Catalan: [busˈkɛts], Spanish: [ˈseɾxjo βusˈkets]; born 16 July 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. A deep-lying playmaker capable of directing gameplay through short and calm passes and his singular reading of the game, he is regarded as one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time.Busquets arrived in Barcelona\\'s first team in July 2008 and went on to receive the La Liga\\'s Breakthrough Player in 2009. From the 2009–10 season, he was a first team regular and was part of a widely lauded midfield trio with Andrés Iniesta and Xavi. Busquets made over 700 total appearances for the club, winning 32 trophies, including nine La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and three UEFA Champions Leagues. He was part of the squads that won a continental treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in 2008–09 and 2014–15. He left the club after 14 years at the end of the 2022–23 season.\\nBusquets made his senior international debut for Spain in April 2009, and has since made 143 appearances for the national side, scoring twice. He helped the country win the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012 tournaments, and also featured at three other World Cups and two European Championships. He retired from international football following the 2022 World Cup.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona ===\\nBorn in Sabadell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Busquets began playing football with local team CD Badia del Vallès, followed by spells with CEF Barberà Andalucía, Lleida and UFB Jàbac Terrassa, before joining Barcelona\\'s youth ranks in 2005. He scored seven goals in 26 games for the Juvenil A team in his second season and, two years later, Busquets was promoted to the B team under Pep Guardiola, and helped them achieve promotion to the third division. In that same season he would make his first-team debut, coming on as a substitute in the Copa Catalunya.\\n\\nBusquets played his first La Liga match on 13 September 2008, featuring 90 minutes in a 1–1 home draw to Racing Santander. During Barcelona\\'s 2008–09 UEFA Champions League clash against Basel at St. Jakob-Park on 22 October 2008, he scored the second goal in the 15th minute in a 5–0 group stage win; in early December, in another start, he scored his second with Barça in the competition, netting in the 83rd minute of a 2–3 home loss against Shakhtar Donetsk.On 22 December 2008, Busquets signed a contract extension until 2013 with a buy-out clause of €80 million. On 7 March 2009 he scored his first league goal, in a 2–0 home win over Athletic Bilbao.On 27 May 2009, having been regularly played as he competed for the spot with internationals Seydou Keita and Yaya Touré, he also featured in Barcelona\\'s starting eleven in the Champions League final, a 2–0 win over Manchester United in Rome; with that victory, Carles Busquets and Sergio Busquets became only the third father-and-son combo to both have won Europe\\'s top club competition playing for the same team, joining Cesare Maldini and Paolo Maldini (won it with A.C. Milan) and Manuel Sanchís and Manolo Sanchís (Real Madrid).Busquets\\' fine form continued in the 2009–10 campaign, with Guardiola preferring him to Touré as Barcelona\\'s central holding midfielder. In the second leg of the Champions League semi-final 1–0 victory (and an eventual 2–3 aggregate defeat) against Inter Milan at Camp Nou on 28 April 2010, he went down to the ground after Thiago Motta had raised his arm and appeared to push Busquets directly in the face. As a result of this action, the former was shown a red card and dismissed for violent conduct, whilst the latter was subsequently criticised by both Motta and the media for apparently feigning injury.Busquets was again ever-present in 2010–11, even playing as a centre back on occasions. On 27 January 2011, he signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2015 – the buyout clause was increased to €150 million. On 8 March 2011, playing at centre back, he scored an own goal from a corner kick against Arsenal, in the season\\'s Champions League round-of-16, levelling the score at 1–1; Barcelona eventually won the game 3–1 (and 4–3 on aggregate). On 28 May, Busquets played the full match during his side\\'s 3–1 Champions league final victory against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.Busquets scored a rare goal on 24 April 2012 – only his sixth official one in four years – netting from an easy tap-in after an Isaac Cuenca cross to make it 1–0 for the hosts in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Chelsea. Barcelona could only draw 2–2 against ten men as the English club came back from being 0–2 down; his team eventually lost 2–3 on aggregate, after already having lost 1–0 in the first leg at Stamford Bridge.On 16 July 2013, the day he celebrated his 25th birthday, Busquets agreed to a new deal until 2018, with the buyout clause remaining unaltered. On 1 August 2014, after the retirement of long time club captain and defender Carles Puyol and at the veteran\\'s personal request, he was given the number 5 shirt for the upcoming campaign and was named one of the four captains for the club alongside Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi.\\nBusquets started on 6 June in the 2015 Champions League final, as the team won their fifth accolade in the competition by beating Juventus 3–1 at Berlin\\'s Olympiastadion. This made Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup twice, and Dani Alves, Busquets, Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Pedro, Gerard Piqué and Xavi the only players to achieve the same feat.On 3 October 2015, Busquets captained Barcelona for the first time in the absence of regular captain Iniesta and vice-captain Messi in a 1–2 away defeat to Sevilla.Busquets opened the scoring in a 3–0 win against Las Palmas on 1 October 2017, with the match being played behind closed doors at the Camp Nou due to the ongoing Catalan independence referendum. Around a year later, he signed a new contract until June 2023, which increased his buyout clause from €200 million to €500 million. On 24 November 2018 he played his 500th game for Barcelona away to Atlético Madrid, and he made his 100th Champions League appearance on 11 December, in a 1–1 group stage home draw against Tottenham Hotspur.On 9 January 2021, Busquets made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 4–0 win against Granada at the Los Cármenes. Only his contemporaries Xavi, Iniesta and Messi had played more games in the history of the club. In August, he became club captain after Messi left for Paris Saint-Germain FC. On 12 January 2023, Busquets made his 700th appearance for Barcelona in his team\\'s penalty shoot-out victory after a 2–2 draw against Real Betis at the King Fahd International Stadium in 2022–23 Supercopa de España semi-final. In the next match, three days later, Busquets participated in his team\\'s 3–1 win against Real Madrid in the 2023 Supercopa de España Final, becoming the player with the most matches in the history of El Clásico with 45 matches, jointly with Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, in addition he becoming the player with the most wins in El Clásico matches, with 21 matches, jointly with Paco Gento. On 2 March, in the next El Clásico match, Busquets broke both records as Barcelona won 0–1 in the first leg of the 2023 Copa del Rey semi-final.\\nOn 10 May 2023, Busquets announced he would leave Barcelona by the end of the season.\\n\\n\\n=== Inter Miami ===\\nOn 23 June 2023, Inter Miami announced that they had signed Busquets. On 16 July, Busquets officially signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Inter Miami. He was also joined at the club with former Barcelona teammates Messi and Jordi Alba. He won his first title with the club on 20 August 2023, helping Inter Miami beat Nashville SC in the 2023 Leagues Cup final.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nOn 11 October 2008, Busquets earned his first cap for Spain\\'s under-21 in their 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification play-offs first-leg away match against Switzerland. He scored in the 17th minute of a 1–2 loss, though they eventually emerged victorious 4–3 on aggregate. On 28 December, he played his first game for the Catalan representative side, starting in a 2–1 win over Colombia at the Camp Nou.On 11 February 2009, Busquets was called up to the senior squad for a friendly against England. He was named as a substitute for a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkey on 28 March 2009, making his debut in the return match on 1 April, playing 16 minutes in a 2–1 win in Istanbul after replacing David Silva. In the summer, he went to his first senior tournament, helping Spain come third at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.\\n\\nBusquets was selected by manager Vicente del Bosque for the 2010 World Cup in the same country, assuming the holding midfielder role naturalized Brazilian Marcos Senna had previously occupied in the conquest of UEFA Euro 2008. He played all of the tournament\\'s games and minutes for the eventual world champions, save the last 30 minutes of the 0–1 group-stage loss against Switzerland in Durban. He finished the tournament with the third–highest pass success rate, alongside his teammate Puyol, completing 88% of his passes.At UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, Busquets played every minute as Spain won the title, and he was named in the Team of the Tournament. On 8 September 2014, he scored his first international goal in a 5–1 win over Macedonia during Euro 2016\\'s qualifying phase. His second came during the same tournament on 15 November, in the 3–0 defeat of Belarus in Huelva. He was selected for the final tournament in France.Busquets celebrated his 100th appearance for Spain on 9 October 2017, in a 1–0 away win against Israel for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Subsequently, he was named in Julen Lopetegui\\'s squad for the finals in Russia.On 7 October 2020, Busquets captained the Spanish for the first time in a goalless friendly draw away to Portugal, as Sergio Ramos was on the bench. The following May, he was included in Luis Enrique\\'s 24-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020. In the absence of Ramos, he was named captain. He tested positive for COVID-19 eight days before Spain\\'s first game, causing the entire squad to withdraw from their final warm-up match against Lithuania. He missed the first two group games – both draws – before returning to the team for the third, in which he was voted man of the match by UEFA for a 5–0 win over Slovakia. Four days later, in their round of 16 match against Croatia, Busquets was again named the man of the match in his team\\'s 5–3 extra time victory. In the quarter-finals, he hit the post with Spain\\'s first kick of the penalty shootout against Switzerland, though his team prevailed.In the final against France on 10 October, he once set-up Mikel Oyarzabal who scored the opening goal of the match, although Spain ultimately suffered a 2–1 defeat. For his performances throughout the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals, Busquets won the Hisense Player of the Finals award.In the 2022 World Cup, Busquets captained the national team during the tournament in Qatar. In the round of 16, he missed a penalty during the penalty shootouts against Morocco, which ended in a 3–0 defeat after a goalless draw.\\nOn 16 December 2022, Sergio announced his retirement from international football, having made 143 appearances in a 15-year period.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\n\\nConsidered by several pundits to be one of the best midfielders of his generation, and one of the greatest holding midfielders of all time, Busquets is usually deployed as either a central or defensive midfielder, although he is also capable of playing as a central defender. Busquets is known for redefining the deep-lying midfield position by focusing on football intelligence, precision passing, and a ‘genius’ ability to read the game rather than overwhelming strength or physicality. A hard-working player, he excels at intercepting loose balls and breaking down opposition plays due to his positional sense, defensive attributes, tackling, tactical intelligence, and ability to read the game, despite his lack of pace. Due to his vision, ball control, physical prowess, technical skills, calm composure on the ball, and accurate passing ability, he rarely relinquishes possession, and alongside his former midfield teammates, such as Iniesta, Xavi and Ivan Rakitić, he has also played an important creative role in setting his team\\'s tempo in midfield as a deep-lying playmaker through his short passing game. His role has also been likened to that of a metodista (\"centre-half,\" in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield as well as assist his team defensively. His position and playing style have led him to be compared to his former manager, as well as fellow former Spain and Barcelona player, Pep Guardiola.Manager del Bosque praised Busquets, saying, \"If you watch the whole game, you won\\'t see Busquets—but watch Busquets, and you will see the whole game.\" The latter\\'s height also allows him to be effective in the air, and enables him to advance into more offensive positions on occasion, providing an additional attacking outlet for his team.\\nBusquets has been accused of play-acting in the past, due to his tendency of exaggerating fouls. However, in response to these criticisms, he defended his behavior as intelligent, arguing that the realities of the game are more complex.Often considered to be one of the most underrated footballers in the world, Busquets earned praise from his peers, with current club teammate Messi saying \"When there will be trouble, Busquets will always be there.\"\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nBusquets\\' father, Carles, was also a footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for Barcelona for several years during the 1990s, although almost exclusively as a backup.In 2014, Busquets started a relationship with Elena Galera. They have two sons born in 2016 and 2018. He spotted an Arabic tattoo on his left forearm translating to \"A thing for you, the life in my country\", dedicated to his maternal grandfather to whom he was very close.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 21 October 2023\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nScores and results list Spain\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Busquets goal\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nBarcelona\\nLa Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23\\nCopa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21\\nSupercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2022–23\\nUEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015Inter Miami\\n\\nLeagues Cup: 2023Spain\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2012\\nFIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013; third place: 2009\\nUEFA Nations League runner-up: 2020–21Individual\\n\\nBravo Award: 2009\\nLa Liga\\'s Breakthrough Player: 2009\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15\\nLa Liga Team of the Season:2015–16\\nUEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16\\nUEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament: 2021Decorations\\n\\nPrince of Asturias Awards: 2010\\nGold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of FC Barcelona players (100+ appearances)\\nList of La Liga players (400+ appearances)\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nSergio Busquets at the Inter Miami CF website\\nSergio Busquets at MLS\\nSergio Busquets at BDFutbol \\nSergio Busquets at National-Football-Teams.com \\nSergio Busquets – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nSergio Busquets – FIFA competition record (archived)\\nXABI ALONSOXabier Alonso Olano (Basque: [ˈʃaβi aˈlons̺o oˈlano], Spanish: [ˈʃaβj aˈlonso oˈlano]; born 25 November 1981) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player who is currently the head coach of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home province Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar, he was appointed as team captain of Real Sociedad by then-manager John Toshack. He succeeded in the role, taking the club to second place in the 2002–03 season. He moved to Liverpool in August 2004 for £10.5 million and won the UEFA Champions League in his first season, under manager Rafael Benítez, scoring the equalising goal in the Final against Milan. The following season, he won the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield.\\nHe moved to Real Madrid for the start of the 2009–10 season in a deal worth around £30 million. After winning honours including a league title in 2012 and the Champions League in 2014 during five seasons in Madrid, he was signed by German club Bayern Munich on a two-year contract. This was extended by a further year, and he eventually retired from playing in summer 2017, aged 35, having won the Bundesliga in each of his three seasons with Bayern.He made his international debut for Spain in April 2003 in a 4–0 victory against Ecuador. While playing for Spain, Alonso won Euro 2008, Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup, and he also represented his country at Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. On 23 June 2012, Alonso won his 100th cap for Spain in the quarter-final of Euro 2012 against France; he celebrated the occasion by scoring both of Spain\\'s goals to send them into the semi-finals. Following Spain\\'s failure to progress out of the group stages at the 2014 World Cup, Alonso retired from international football on 27 August 2014. His 114 caps make him the eighth-most capped player in the nation\\'s history.\\n\\n\\n== Early years ==\\nAlonso was born in the small town of Tolosa, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, into a family known for its footballing prowess. His father, Periko Alonso, won La Liga twice in successive seasons with Real Sociedad and a third time after he joined Barcelona. He also featured in the national team, winning 21 caps over the course of his career. Alonso lived in the city of Barcelona for the first six years of his life and moved to San Sebastián (Donostia) thereafter. It was here that his passion for football began as he whiled away his childhood playing at Playa de la Concha (Shell Beach). On the Basque sands, Alonso befriended a fellow resident of Calle Matia, Mikel Arteta, and the two would battle each other in exhibitions of technical ability. He was immersed in football and his father would often bring him and his older brother, Mikel, to CE Sabadell\\'s training ground to practice together. Alonso was influenced by his father\\'s playing, taking more pleasure in passing the ball well than shooting at goal. At an early age, he decided to play as a defensive midfielder, a role which helped him learn how to distribute the ball well. This talent would later prove to be an integral part of his club and international career.At age 15, Alonso went to the Irish town of Kells, County Meath, on a school exchange programme to learn English and while there he played Gaelic Football.Alonso and Arteta were ambitious and dreamed of playing alongside each other for Real Sociedad when they were older. Though they attended different schools, the two young players joined forces at the local youth side Antiguoko, playing games at the weekend. Their performances attracted the attention of scouts from top Spanish sides and the young Donostiarras separated ways, ending nine years of friendly rivalry, as Alonso went to Real Sociedad and Arteta moved to Catalan giants Barcelona. Alonso\\'s move to Real Sociedad, however, was not a companionless one, as his older brother Mikel, who had also become an adept player, joined the club together with him.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Real Sociedad ===\\nAlonso quickly progressed through the youth ranks and the reserve team at Real Sociedad (winning the regionalised fourth tier in his single season with the latter) and impressed enough to earn a first team debut at the age of 18. He made his first senior appearance against Logroñés in December 1999 in a Copa del Rey match. Alonso failed to make another appearance in the season but the following year brought more opportunities. At the beginning of the 2000–01 season, Javier Clemente sent him to Segunda División team Eibar to gain experience. Alonso\\'s father particularly felt the move to the smaller club improved him as a player. A quick turnover of managers, however, including a two-month period with Periko Alonso in charge, left Real Sociedad in a dire situation. By January 2001, Real Sociedad were bottom of the league and its new manager, John Toshack, turned to the prodigious Alonso in the hope of reversing the team\\'s fortunes. In a surprise move, the Welsh manager made the 20-year-old the team captain, a position traditionally held by more senior players. By the end of the season, Sociedad had climbed out of the relegation zone and finished in 14th place. Toshack lauded Alonso, noting that the impression he had on the team was exceptional, especially for a player from the youth team.Under the tutelage of John Toshack, Alonso\\'s captaincy marked a resurgence of form for Real Sociedad. Toshack recognised Alonso\\'s potential and invested much time in his young captain, creating a training method designed to improve his touch and control specifically for him. The team cemented its mid-table position in the 2001–02, finishing in 13th place. Alonso appeared consistently in La Liga with 30 appearances over the course of the season and also scored his first league goal, finishing with a season total of three. Real Sociedad\\'s management changed again in the summer of 2002 with the arrival of Raynald Denoueix, but Alonso kept his place in the first team on the strength of his past performances.The 2002–03 season was the club\\'s best league performance since the 1981–82 season, in which they won the league. The Basque team finished second, two points behind Real Madrid, setting a club record for their highest ever points total, and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. Alonso received much praise for his role in the team\\'s success and was given the Best Spanish Player award by Spanish sports magazine Don Balón. In addition, Alonso significantly contributed to the team\\'s goal tally, scoring 12 goals in all competitions. His performances earned Alonso national repute and Iñaki Sáez, the coach of the Spain national team, called him up for the Spain national football team. Alonso made his international debut in April 2003 in a 4–0 friendly win over Ecuador. Sáez raved over Alonso, saying, \"He has a fantastic range of accurate passing [and] sees football with an extraordinary clarity.\"The 2003–04 season comprised mixed results for Alonso and his San Sebastián club. Alonso revelled in the opportunity to perform in Europe, appearing in all the team\\'s games, and Real Sociedad qualified for the knockout phase of the Champions League. The team struggled under the pressure of the extra matches, however, and were promptly knocked out of the tournament by Lyon and finished 15th in La Liga. The combination of Alonso\\'s outstanding performances and the team\\'s poor league finish made a move away from Anoeta Stadium inevitable. Despite interest from La Liga champions Real Madrid, Alonso remained committed to Real Sociedad. Madrid failed to meet the £13 million price tag that José Luis Astiazarán, the Real Sociedad president, had placed on Alonso and the deal reached a stalemate. Alonso had other concerns and focused on international duty with Spain at UEFA Euro 2004. Despite the fact that Alonso\\'s appearance at the tournament was brief, he caught the attention of retired footballer Jan Mølby, who was impressed with his precise passing abilities.The summer transfer window at Real Sociedad saw the arrival of Alonso\\'s childhood friend Mikel Arteta. Arteta was ecstatic at the prospect of partnering Alonso in midfield, but his excitement was short-lived. Alonso was not picked for Real Sociedad\\'s pre-season friendlies, signalling that an offer by Liverpool was being treated seriously. The Basque side announced on 20 August 2004 that they had made a deal worth £10.7 million with Liverpool and Alonso had agreed terms with the Merseyside team. Alonso did not lament the fact that a move to Real Madrid had not materialised. Instead, he concentrated on integrating with the new Spanish contingent at Liverpool under the guidance of former Valencia manager Rafael Benítez.\\n\\n\\n=== Liverpool ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2004–05: Champions League victory ====\\nAlonso arrived at Liverpool along with Luis García from Barcelona, marking the beginning of a new era at Anfield. New Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez sought to revolutionise the club and completely overhauled the squad, impressing his own management style and tactics upon the team. The technical Spaniards were Benítez\\'s first signings and he remarked that their emphasis of skill over strength offered the team something different. Alonso made his Premier League debut against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium on 29 August 2004. Liverpool lost the fixture 1–0 but Alonso was already receiving praise for his passing skills from the press. A Premier League tie away against Fulham displayed more of Alonso\\'s talents. Liverpool were losing 2–0 at half-time and Benítez brought on Alonso as a substitute after the break. He revived a deflated Liverpool and the game finished 2–4 to the Merseyside team. Furthermore, Alonso scored his first goal for the team from a free kick to bring Liverpool ahead of the opposition.\\nAlonso continued to provide important goals for the club, scoring his first goal at Anfield against Arsenal in a 2–1 victory. Alonso was elated at the achievement and felt he was settling in well in England. The Arsenal game marked the return of Steven Gerrard from injury but Alonso\\'s midfield partnership with the team captain came to a halt when Alonso suffered his first setback at Liverpool. Alonso\\'s ankle was broken following a tackle from Frank Lampard in Liverpool\\'s 0–1 home defeat against Chelsea on New Year\\'s Day 2005 and the Spaniard was ruled out of action for three months.Alonso made his return to the first team in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Juventus. Alonso was not at full fitness but, as Steven Gerrard was injured, he played for the full 90 minutes and Liverpool held the score at 0–0 in Italy, defeating the eventual Italian champions on aggregate. Kevin McCarra of The Guardian paid testament to Alonso\\'s skill and dedication to the game, saying, \"This marvellously accomplished footballer testified in the Stadio delle Alpi that technique can overcome a serious physical disadvantage.\" In the next round against Chelsea, Alonso received a yellow card in a tense and scrappy 0–0 draw at Stamford Bridge, making him suspended for the following fixture. Alonso was distraught that he would miss the game and vehemently contested the referee\\'s decision to no avail. Gerrard returned from injury for the second leg, however, and the captain steered his team to a 1–0 win with the help of a Luis García goal, qualifying for the final against Milan.Liverpool\\'s fifth-place finish in the Premiership left much to be desired but debut season glory still awaited Alonso in the form of the Champions League final. The team fell three goals behind Milan but completed a dramatic second-half comeback. Liverpool, trailing 3–2, were awarded a penalty and it was decided that Alonso would take the spot kick. While Dida, Milan\\'s acclaimed Brazilian goalkeeper, managed to save the penalty Alonso fired the rebound into the roof of the net, bringing the score to 3–3. Extra time passed without a goal from either team and Liverpool won 3–2 in the penalty shootout. Alonso was praised for his pivotal influence on the team\\'s comeback and manager Benítez reinforced his importance to the team. Alonso was ecstatic with the win, commenting, \"This is the best moment in my professional career.\" The epic night was also recalled to be the \\'Miracle of Istanbul\\'.\\n\\n\\n==== 2005–06: FA Cup winner ====\\nAlonso was ever-present in the first team in the 2005–06 season, largely avoiding injuries that had marred his first season at the club. The summer transfer window brought Peter Crouch to Liverpool and the striker\\'s height sparked accusations that the team would change to long ball tactics. Crouch denied this, highlighting that Alonso\\'s passing ability, alongside Gerrard, would define Liverpool\\'s style of play. Alonso faced more competition for his place in the form of new arrival Mohamed Sissoko. However, Steven Gerrard\\'s injuries and Rafael Benítez\\'s favouring of a 4–5–1 formation ensured Alonso\\'s place in the team. Alonso appeared in all of Liverpool\\'s games in the Champions League but the dominance shown in the previous season had gone as the team lost to Benfica in the knockout stage.\\nOn 7 January 2006, in an FA Cup third-round tie against Luton Town, Alonso assisted Liverpool to a 5–3 comeback victory after being down 3–1 early in the second half. Alonso scored two impressive goals from distance: one from 45 yards, and the other 65 yards from goal; behind the half-way line. Consequently, Alonso\\'s goals marked a stroke of luck for a Liverpool fan who won £25,000 from a £200 bet on Alonso scoring from within his own half. Alonso suffered an ankle injury in a 1–3 away victory over Portsmouth, putting his participation in the FA Cup final in doubt. However, he recovered sufficiently to start the game against West Ham United and Gerrard scored Liverpool\\'s third goal from Alonso\\'s free kick, pulling the team ahead of the opposition. Alonso, still affected by the injury, could not manage the entire 90 minutes and was substituted in the second half. Liverpool won on penalties without his help but Alonso still earned his first FA Cup winners\\' medal.\\n\\n\\n==== 2006–2009 ====\\nOn 20 September 2006, Alonso scored what the BBC described as \"an outrageous strike\" from his own half in a 2–0 Premiership win against Newcastle United. Andy Hunter of The Independent described it as \"one of the most audacious goals in Anfield\\'s rich 115-year history\". Alonso rebutted claims that his 70-yard goal was all down to luck and stated that he took long range shots as part of his training routine. Despite the similarity of the goals struck from inside his own half, Alonso was in no doubt which was his best. He said, \"I think this was better. The Luton goal bounced a few times, this one went quite straight. The Luton one was left-footed – it was different – but I am quite happy to score the goal.\" It was his first goal for Liverpool since the goal against Luton, making distinct history as the only outfield player in modern professional football history to score two consecutive goals from inside his own half of the pitch.On 8 June 2007, Alonso signed a five-year contract, stating, \"I knew there was interest from other clubs but it was always my idea to stay here. I have been here for three seasons now and have such special feelings for the club and the supporters. I understand what Liverpool means to so many people. It is such a special club and I just didn\\'t want to leave.\" The 2007–08 season started well for the Spaniard: Gerrard\\'s absence led to Alonso playing in a more advanced position and he scored twice in a 6–0 rout against Premier League newcomers Derby County. The bright beginning was short-lived, however, as a minor injury sustained in a game against Portsmouth became aggravated in training. The metatarsal injury forced him out of training for six weeks but his return to the first team was rushed and his injury recurred in his first game back. Alonso\\'s determination and passion proved to be his downfall, and he later reflected, \"I had been feeling a bit tired around that time because it was only my first game back and the match was very fast. But as a player you don\\'t want to come off, particularly when the team is winning and I stayed on.\"Alonso returned from injury at December 2007, but over the following months he increasingly faced competition for a place in midfield from Javier Mascherano and Lucas. His role in Liverpool\\'s five-man midfield role was assured, however, as Rafael Benítez regarded him as \"a top class player\", stating that Alonso had the ability to change games and break down the opposition\\'s defence. Alonso made his 100th league appearance for Liverpool on 12 January 2008 against Middlesbrough.The 2008 summer transfer window suggested a move away from Merseyside, as Liverpool pursued England international Gareth Barry to replace Alonso. By the start of the 2008–09 season, neither Alonso or Barry had moved club but the drawn-out transfer saga had left the Spaniard feeling unsettled at Liverpool and unsure of his position in the team. However, the club\\'s fans did much to restore his spirits, supporting him on and off the pitch, and Alonso responded to this, saying:\\n\\n\"[The fans] couldn\\'t have done more to show me how they felt... If I went out for lunch or a coffee, there was always someone who would come over and say, \\'We\\'d love you to stay\\'. I\\'m just glad that, in the end, nothing came of it [the transfer] because it wasn\\'t something I ever asked for.\"Despite the events of the summer, Alonso made a confident start to the season and both his peers and the press praised his strength of character, citing his influence as a factor in the team\\'s strong opening to the season. Alonso\\'s importance to the team was further underlined when he scored the only goal, through a deflection, in a 0–1 victory against Chelsea, making Liverpool the first away team to win at Stamford Bridge in over four years. Statistical analysis reflected Alonso\\'s good form: on 11 December, figures from Opta Sports revealed that he was the first Premier League player to complete 1,000 successful passes in the season. His last goal for Liverpool came in their 1–3 away win at Hull City on 25 April, striking after his free kick deflected off the Hull wall.\\n\\n\\n=== Real Madrid ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10 season ====\\nAlonso completed his £30 million move to Real Madrid on 5 August 2009. It has been suggested that he never wanted to leave the Anfield side, with his contract existing until at least 2012, and that his departure was due to differences with Benítez. Former teammate Steven Gerrard said he was \"devastated\" by Alonso\\'s decision, and cited his departure as one of the reasons behind Liverpool\\'s poor run of form at the start of the following season.Alonso was given the number 22 jersey in Madrid and played in a holding midfield position. He scored his first goal for his new team on 21 February 2010, a penalty against Villarreal in a 6–2 win. Unless he was injured or suspended, Manuel Pellegrini started Alonso in every match of the Champions League and in La Liga in his first season at Real Madrid. In La Liga, he helped the club finish with a club-record 96 points, three points behind winners Barcelona. It was the third time in Alonso\\'s career that he helped his team set a new club record in terms of points gathered, while finishing in second position (he achieved the same feat with Real Sociedad in 2002–03 and with Liverpool in 2008–09). During his first season at Real Madrid, Alonso scored three goals and was considered one of the club\\'s \"most consistent\" players. Readers of Marca made him part of its La Liga team of the season, as their choice defensive midfielder; the only other Real Madrid player featured was Cristiano Ronaldo. Alonso received the same accolade from ESPN Soccernet. He was also a nominee in the LFP Awards, awards given out by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional, the Spanish Football league. Alonso was nominated in the Best Midfielder category, alongside Xavi and Javi Martínez. Several members of the Spanish press, as well as a number of Real Madrid supporters, gave Alonso a new nickname during the season: La Barba Roja (\"The Red Beard\").\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11 season ====\\nAlonso\\'s second season at Real Madrid started with the arrival of a new manager, José Mourinho. He was given the number 14 jersey after the departure of vice-captain Guti. He did not score any goals that whole season but was vital. While he believed that Real Madrid would win the league, the club only managed to win the Copa del Rey.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12 season ====\\nAlonso began his third season at Madrid by scoring the second goal in a 2–2 draw against Barcelona in the 2011 Supercopa de España at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. On 21 September 2011, he played his 100th official game for Real Madrid in the 0–0 draw against Racing de Santander. Alonso continued to be an undisputed force in the starting XI and ultimately claimed the first league title of his career.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: La Decima ====\\nOn 8 January 2014, Alonso signed a contract extension with Real Madrid, which would have kept him at the club until 2016.On 29 April 2014, Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich 4–0 in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final to qualify for the final on a 5–0 aggregate win. Alonso received a yellow card after a sliding tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger in the first half; as he already had two before the match, this ruled him out of the final. He claimed his second Champions League winners medal as Real defeated Atlético Madrid 4–1 in extra time.\\n\\n\\n=== Bayern Munich ===\\nOn 29 August 2014, Alonso moved to Bayern Munich on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut the following day, starting in a 1–1 draw at Schalke 04. On 27 September 2014, in the match against 1. FC Köln, Alonso broke the record for most passes completed in a Bundesliga game, with 196. He scored his first goal for the club on 18 October 2014, a free kick in a 6–0 win over Werder Bremen.On 17 February 2015, in his 100th Champions League appearance, Alonso was sent-off for a second bookable offense in a 0–0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. Alonso was suspended for the return leg of the fixture, which Bayern won 7–0. Alonso would go on to record his fourth goal, another free kick, against Porto in the Champions League quarter-final. Bayern would go on to win 6–1, advancing to the semi-finals for a fourth-straight season on aggregate, 7–4.\\nOn 28 April 2015, Alonso was one of four Bayern players, all FIFA World Cup winners, to miss in a 2–0 penalty shootout defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-final. He was also the only player to miss as the club lost the shootout at the end of the 2015 DFL-Supercup away to VfL Wolfsburg, his attempt being saved by goalkeeper Koen Casteels.On 18 December 2015, Alonso signed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until 2017. On 9 March 2017, Alonso confirmed via Twitter his retirement from the game at the end of the 2016–17 season.On 20 May 2017, Alonso and teammate, Bayern captain Philipp Lahm played their final professional game, in a 4–1 victory at home to Freiburg in which he assisted the opening goal for Arjen Robben. He was substituted off in the 82nd minute for Franck Ribéry. It was his 79th match in the German top-flight.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2004 ===\\nAlonso was first called up for the Spain national football team by manager Iñaki Sáez for a friendly against Ecuador on 30 April 2003, aged 21. He started in the 4–0 win at the Vicente Calderón Stadium.Sáez named Alonso in the UEFA Euro 2004 squad in Portugal. He was a substitute in the win over Russia, and started the defeat to the hosts, in a group stage exit.\\n\\n\\n=== 2006 World Cup ===\\nAlonso was named in the Spanish squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and he scored Spain\\'s first goal of the tournament, his first international goal, against Ukraine on 14 June 2006. After Spain won all their games of the group phase, they were beaten by the eventual finalists France in the first knockout stage of the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2008 ===\\nLiverpool\\'s 2007–08 season finished trophyless but the opportunity to win honours awaited Alonso in the form of the Euro 2008 tournament. Alonso featured mainly as a substitute but, with key players resting, he captained Spain in the final group game against Greece, earning the man of the match award. Despite a strong performance, he could not attain a starting position in the team, highlighting Spain\\'s strength in depth. Spain went on to win the tournament and he featured in four of their six matches. Speaking to Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué, he said that Spain\\'s victory was deserved and the players\\' teamwork had been crucial to the team\\'s undefeated run in the tournament. The Basque was ecstatic at the achievement, declaring, \"Right now, we\\'re all just living the moment. It\\'s incredible and we\\'re all walking around in a dream. It\\'s fantastic.\" Alonso scored twice in a 3–0 win in a friendly against Denmark on 20 August.\\n\\n\\n=== 2009 Confederations Cup ===\\nAt the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, Spain were eliminated in the semi-finals by the United States. In the third-place play-off against the hosts, the game went to extra time after finishing 2–2; Alonso scored a free kick in the 107th minute to win the game.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 World Cup ===\\nAlonso started every game for Spain during the 2010 tournament, playing alongside Sergio Busquets and Xavi in midfield and helping his side to lift their first World Cup trophy. In the 28th minute of the final against the Netherlands, he received a \"Kung fu-style\" kick to the chest from Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong, the foul was controversial since it appeared to be a foul worthy of a straight red, but was only ruled out to be a yellow card given by referee Howard Webb. This left Alonso in pain and in fear of a broken rib. Despite this pain, he continued playing on for another hour.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2012 ===\\nOn 23 June 2012, Alonso played his 100th match for Spain in the quarter-finals against France in which he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory. The first goal came after he headed a cross from the left flank delivered by Jordi Alba, while the second one came from a penalty kick given after Pedro was fouled by Anthony Réveillère in the dying seconds of the match. Alonso\\'s penalty in the semi-final shoot-out against Portugal was saved by Rui Patrício in which Spain went on to win 4–2 after a 0–0 draw in the game itself. Spain went on to beat Gianluigi Buffon and Italy 4–0 in the finals; this was Alonso\\'s third major title win with Spain.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup ===\\nSpain were again amongst the favourites for cup victory in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but were eliminated in the first round. Alonso scored a penalty in the 27th minute of their first match against the Netherlands, though he was substituted in the 62nd minute with Spain down 2–1 before losing 5–1. Spain then lost 2–0 to Chile, in which Alonso received a yellow card in the first half and was substituted at half-time with the score already at 2–0. Spain were then eliminated from the tournament but did win their final match 3–0 against Australia and finished third in the group; Alonso played 83 minutes in the match.\\nAlonso retired from international football on 27 August 2014.\\n\\n\\n=== Basque Country ===\\nAlonso made his debut for the Basque Country national team in a friendly against Ghana on 29 December 2001 and received regular call ups since, while – due to his busy club schedule – not always being able to appear. Most recently, Alonso appeared for Basque on 29 December 2012 in a 6–1 victory over Bolivia.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nA complete, consistent, hardworking and versatile midfielder, Alonso is regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, and was effective both creatively and defensively. Gifted with good technique, excellent vision, and varied passing range, he excelled in the centre in a deep-lying playmaking role, where he utilized his accurate long passing ability to create goal scoring chances for teammates; he also utilized a powerful and accurate shot from distance, and he was an effective set-piece and penalty kick taker. Due to his height, positioning, and physical characteristics, Alonso was also effective in the air, often contributing with headed goals from set pieces when he advanced into more offensive positions. In addition to his creative attributes, he was also capable of excelling as a defensive midfielder due to his strength and powerful physique, combined with his tenacity, tactical intelligence, aggressive tackling and his ability to read the game. He was at times criticised, however, for occasionally committing rash challenges and for his tendency to lose his composure and pick up unnecessary cards for particularly hard fouls. Regarding Alonso\\'s playing style, Jonathan Wilson noted in a 2013 article for The Guardian that he was an example of a more creative interpreter of the holding midfield role, who, \"although capable of making tackles, focused on keeping the ball moving, occasionally raking long passes out to the flanks to change the angle of attack like an old-style regista.\" His role has also been likened to that of a metodista (\"centre-half,\" in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield as well as assist his team defensively. Since retiring, Steven Gerrard has claimed that he believes Alonso was the best midfielder he has ever played alongside. Moreover, in 2017, his former Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola, to whom he has occasionally been compared due to their similar role and playing style, described Alonso as one of the best midfielders he had ever seen in his life.\\n\\n\\n== Coaching and managerial career ==\\nIn 2018, whilst completing his UEFA Elite coaching course alongside former teammates Raúl, Xavi, Víctor Valdés, and Joan Capdevila, Alonso returned to Real Madrid where he assumed a role coaching the Real Madrid U14s.\\n\\n\\n=== Real Sociedad B ===\\nAlonso was appointed manager of Segunda División B club Real Sociedad B on 1 June 2019, and began the role on 9 July. On his debut on 24 August, he drew 1–1 at home to Burgos CF.In Alonso\\'s second season at Sanse, the club won promotion to the Segunda División, following a play-off win against Algeciras on 22 May 2021. The win signified Real Sociedad B\\'s first season back in the Segunda División since 1961–62. That March, despite being heavily linked to the soon-to-be vacant manager role at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Alonso signed a one-year extension with the club.In his first game in the second tier on 14 August 2021, Alonso won 1–0 at home to Leganés through a Jon Karrikaburu goal. On 25 May 2022, Real Sociedad announced that Alonso would leave Sanse at the end of the season, with the side already relegated from the second level.\\n\\n\\n=== Bayer Leverkusen ===\\nOn 5 October 2022, Alonso was appointed as the new head coach of Bayer Leverkusen until June 2024. He replaced Gerardo Seoane with the team second from bottom after eight Bundesliga games. He debuted three days later with a 4–0 home win over Schalke 04. He guided the team to the semi-finals of the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League, being eliminated by his former Real Madrid manager José Mourinho\\'s Roma via a single first-leg goal.In May 2023, Alonso confirmed that he would remain for a second season, amidst interest from Tottenham Hotspur, and on 4 August he signed a new contract until 2026. In the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League group stage, the team won all six games, with 19 goals scored. Alonso set his team up in a 3–4–3 formation with an emphasis on passing and counter-attack, while also only conceding five goals from open play in their first 11 Bundesliga fixtures. Of their first 13 games of the league season, Leverkusen went unbeaten and only Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich could draw with them.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nAlonso was regarded as a quiet and friendly person by his teammates at Liverpool. He is married to Nagore Aranburu and the couple have three children—one son (born 2008) and two daughters (born 2010 and 2013). In March 2008, instead of travelling with the team, Alonso stayed in Merseyside to be at his wife\\'s side while she gave birth, saying, \"It was a little frustrating to miss the match against Inter but I have to be with my family at times like these.\" His decision to place his family ahead of a Champions League tie caused friction with manager Rafael Benítez.Alonso and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta were neighbours on the same street while growing up in San Sebastián and also lived near each other in Liverpool. Alonso convinced Arteta to transfer to Everton after he told him how happy he was living in Liverpool. Alonso also helped persuade former Real Sociedad teammate Juan Ugarte to make a move to Wales by joining Wrexham in 2004.Alonso\\'s brother Mikel played for Spanish club Real Unión. He previously spent a season on loan at Bolton Wanderers in the 2007–08 season with an option for a permanent deal. However, the team opted not to extend the loan deal and he returned to Spain to train with Alonso\\'s former club, Real Sociedad. Alonso also has another brother involved in football, Jon, who works as a referee.Alonso is a Meath Gaelic football supporter. His interest in the Irish sport stems from the age of 15 when he stayed with a family in the Irish town of Kells, County Meath to learn English, and played the sport in his spare time.Even while playing at Real Madrid, Alonso has declared himself a Liverpool supporter and returns to watch games at Anfield when his schedule allows. He was quoted in The Times Online in 2011 as saying, \"I am still a Liverpool fan and will be forever, absolutely\" and that he will raise his Liverpool-born son as a Red supporter.\\n\\n\\n== Politics ==\\nIn 2009, Alonso criticised British Prime Minister Gordon Brown\\'s economic policy, in particular the devalued pound sterling and the 50% tax rate, warning that it has weakened English football and could drive top players away from the UK.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n1 Includes FIFA Club World Cup, FA Community Shield, Supercopa de España and DFL-Supercup.\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of 18 June 2014The match away against Equatorial Guinea in November 2013 although included in Alonso\\'s 114 caps is not considered a full international by FIFA (too many substitutions) but it is official for the RFEFScores and results list Spain\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Alonso goal.\\n\\n\\n== Managerial statistics ==\\nAs of match played 10 February 2024\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nLiverpool\\nFA Cup: 2005–06\\nFA Community Shield: 2006\\nUEFA Champions League: 2004–05\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2005Real Madrid\\nLa Liga: 2011–12\\nCopa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14\\nSupercopa de España: 2012\\nUEFA Champions League: 2013–14Bayern Munich\\nBundesliga: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17\\nDFB-Pokal: 2015–16\\nDFL-Supercup: 2016Spain\\nFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012Individual\\n\\nSpanish Player of the Year: 2003\\nBBC Goal of the Month: November 2004\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI: 2011, 2012; 2nd team: 2014; 3rd team: 2013; 4th team: 2015; 5th team: 2016\\nLa Liga Best Midfielder: 2011–12\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2013–14\\nBundesliga Team of the Season: 2014–15Decorations\\n\\nGold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nXabi Alonso at BDFutbol \\nNational team data at BDFutbol\\n2010 FIFA World Cup profile (fifa.com) at the Wayback Machine (archived 20 October 2013)\\nXabi Alonso at WorldFootball.net\\nXabi Alonso at National-Football-Teams.com \\nXabi Alonso – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nXabi Alonso – UEFA competition record (archived)\\nXabi Alonso at Soccerbase \\nLFCHistory.net Profile (lfchistory.net) at the Wayback Machine (archived 18 February 2007)\\nProfile at BBC Sport Archived 31 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine\\nXabi Alonso at ESPN FC\\nTHIAGO SILVAThiago Emiliano da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: [tʃiˈaɡu ẽmiliˈɐ̃nu dɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Chelsea and the Brazil national team. Widely regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, he is known for his defensive prowess, discipline, and leadership.Silva began his senior club career in 2002 playing as a midfielder for RS Futebol, and transitioned to a defensive position while at Juventude; he then signed with Porto in 2004, at age 19, and moved to Dynamo Moscow on loan, where he was hospitalized with a near fatal bout of tuberculosis. After recovering, he joined Fluminense and won a Copa do Brasil. In 2009, Silva moved to AC Milan for a reported fee of €8 million and won the 2010–11 Serie A title.\\nIn 2012, Silva was the subject of a then-record association football deal when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer worth up to €42 million, becoming the most expensive defender ever at the time. There, he would become the club\\'s longest serving captain, winning seven Ligue 1 titles, six Coupes de la Ligue, five Coupes de France, and playing in the final of the UEFA Champions League, which served as his last PSG appearance. He currently ranks eighth in all-time appearances for the club. In 2020, the 36-year-old Silva joined Chelsea on a free transfer, winning the Champions League in his first season, and both the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in his second.\\nSilva made his senior international debut for Brazil in 2008 at age 23, and has since received over 110 caps, including appearances in eight major tournaments. He earned a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in 2008 and a silver in 2012, before serving as captain for Brazil on home soil as they won the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and finished fourth at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Silva was also a member of the sides that won the Copa América in 2019 and finished runners-up in 2021.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early career ===\\nWhen he was younger, Silva was admitted into a school in the Campo Grande neighborhood of Rio – coincidentally a feeder school for Fluminense. At the age of 14, Silva impressed Fluminense coach Maurinho during a friendly in Xerém. He was given a short trial, where he was given the role of a defensive midfielder. Silva\\'s playing opportunities were few, prompting him to trial for other clubs. In 1999, at the age of 15, Silva auditioned at Madureira, Olaria, and Flamengo; he was rejected at each club, the trial at Flamengo being the most difficult for him as he was not even observed by coaches.After another unsuccessful trial at Botafogo, Silva was taken on by his hometown side Barcelona, a small Brazilian club in the lower divisions. The following year, Silva played at a showcase tournament in São Paulo in the hope of attracting the attention of bigger clubs. It is there where he was spotted by Paulo César Carpegiani, who invited him to join RS Futebol in the south of Brazil. Joining the club in the end of 2001, Silva became a professional in 2002 and competed in the third division of the Campeonato Gaúcho, finishing second and achieving promotion to the state\\'s second division. In a tournament played in Ancona, Italy, Silva was spotted by Bruno Conti, a coach with Roma. Conti wanted him to play for Roma, but Silva did not accept the offer. Strong performances in his last season as a defensive midfielder led to Silva\\'s move to Juventude.Silva moved to Juventude in 2004, where he played for six months. At 20 years old, Silva transitioned from midfield to defence under the tutelage of Ivo Wortmann. In his only season at Juventude, Silva was regarded as the revelation of the season. He was rated by the sports magazine Placar as the third-best defender in Brazil and was included in the team of the season. Juventude had made a huge leap in league placement during Silva\\'s time at the club – from finishing 18th with 53 points in 2003, to finishing 7th with 70 points in 2004. Silva\\'s performances had caught the eye of many clubs with his outstanding performances, and he was sold to Porto.\\nSilva was bought by Porto for €2.5 million in 2004, but played only for the reserve team. After a year in Portugal, he joined Dynamo Moscow, where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was hospitalised for six months. He is quoted as saying, \"Every now and then a doctor would come in and give me an injection, three or four times a day, plus 10-15 pills.\" His illness became much worse over time and his doctors told him that if he had been hospitalized two weeks later, he could have died. During his recovery, Silva decided to retire from football but was persuaded to reconsider by his mother.\\n\\n\\n=== Fluminense ===\\nSilva returned to football with the help of his former coach, Ivo Wortmann. In 2006, Wortmann was signed as a coach by Fluminense and requested to bring Silva with him, despite Silva\\'s health issues. On 14 January, Fluminense announced the signing of Silva from Dynamo Moscow. Fluminense struggled in the 2006 Brasileirão, finishing 15th out of 20 teams; however, Silva was described as one of the best players in the season. It is during this time where Silva developed the nickname of \"O Monstro\" — Portuguese for \"The Monster\".2007 was a much better year for both Fluminense and for Silva. The club finished in fourth place in the 2007 Brasileirão, conceding only 39 goals in 38 matches, enough for the second-best defence in Brazil. More importantly, Fluminense managed a historic victory in the 2007 Copa do Brasil, winning the prestigious trophy for the first time. Silva played a decisive part in the victory; he started in every match, and scored the opening goal in the quarter-final, as well as the equalising goal in the semi-final. Silva\\'s form through the season led him to be selected into Brazil national team manager Dunga\\'s preliminary squad for the 2007 Copa América. After winning the Copa do Brasil, Silva was recognised by fans as the best defender in Brazil. At the end of the season, he was one of three nominees for the Best Central Defender award, alongside Breno and Fábio Luciano. The voting results were unveiled on 4 December, where Silva finished second, behind Breno.\\n\\n2008 was a bad year for Fluminense, but Silva\\'s best on an individual level. Having devoted much of their efforts towards the 2008 Copa Libertadores, the club\\'s league form suffered, finishing in 14th place. On 18 January, Silva was rewarded by Fluminense\\'s board of directors for his 100th match in the tricolor: He was awarded a shirt with the number \"100\" and a plaque in honour of his achievements. Silva became an idol for young Fluminense supporters with his level of performances — the white wristband that Silva would wear during matches became a trend amongst teenagers in Rio de Janeiro who supported the tricolor. In May 2008, four fans painted a flag of Silva to honour what they deemed \"the best central defender in Brazil\". It was first shown in the Copa Libertadores semi-final against Boca Juniors — Silva scored a crucial equaliser in the same match.Silva was included in the 2008 Brasileirão Team of the Season and was selected as the Fans\\' Player of the Season. Silva was widely regarded as one of Fluminense\\'s most important performers in the 2008 Copa Libertadores, reaching the finals only to lose on penalties to LDU Quito. Silva\\'s form for Fluminense earned him a call-up to the Seleção to take part in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Silva was linked with many clubs in 2008, including the likes of Inter Milan, Chelsea and Villarreal, though ultimately he opted to join the Brazilian contingent already at AC Milan. The transfer was confirmed on 12 December. In his final match for Fluminense, Silva was cheered by 50,000 supporters who were witnessing his last performance at the Maracanã.\\n\\n\\n=== AC Milan ===\\nAfter a five-month rundown and a confusing four-hour negotiation period, Silva agreed to a move to Milan for a €10 million fee, with net wages of €2.5 million on a four-year contract. Although Silva could not play competitive matches, he was able to train with the first team. In his first month at Milan, he was taught new defending techniques from Paolo Maldini and manager Carlo Ancelotti. Silva played his first match for the Rossoneri in a friendly match against Hannover 96 on 21 January 2009; he played well, making ten tackles. His performance drew praise from Milan executive Adriano Galliani and teammate Clarence Seedorf. Silva was officially registered as a Milan player for the 2009–10 season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10: Debut season ====\\nSilva played his first competitive match of the season against Siena on 22 August 2009. After the match, he was praised for a strong individual performance alongside teammate Alessandro Nesta. Milan legend Paolo Maldini claimed that Silva had the \"physical and technical characteristics of a champion\", while Nesta said that Silva would \"extend my life as a central defender\". On 23 September, Silva left training with a muscle strain; he was inactive for the next four matches. In October, Silva followed a poor performance against Roma with two great displays against Real Madrid; Silva also had a wrongly disallowed goal in Milan\\'s away victory.\\n\\nOn 8 November, Silva scored a goal – as well as an own-goal – in a 2–1 victory over Lazio. His quick transition to European football was met with a lot of interest from Italian media — the investment of €10 million to acquire Silva was regarded as a good decision; the La Gazzetta dello Sport, the largest daily newspaper in Italy, claimed that Silva\\'s value had doubled at that point. On 25 November, Silva put in a man of the match performance against Marseille to secure passage into the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. In a match against Zürich on 8 December, Silva was substituted after 20 minutes with a muscle injury. It was suspected that Silva tore a muscle, and would miss up to two months, though after clinical examinations, the injury was found to be a strain rather than a tear. On 30 December, Silva was pronounced to be fully fit by club doctor Massimo Manara.On 10 January 2010, Milan defeated Juventus by a score of 3–0; Silva was rated as one of the best performers on the day, and La Gazzetta dello Sport compared the understanding of Silva and Nesta to the legendary duo of Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta. On 15 January, Silva\\'s teammate Alexandre Pato claimed that Silva would become the best defender in the world. In a match against Udinese on 12 February, Silva picked up a muscle injury, leaving him in doubt for Milan\\'s upcoming Champions League match against Manchester United. On 6 March, Silva was selected as man of the match in a 0–0 draw with fellow Scudetto challengers Roma. At the end of the season, Silva was rated as the third-best central defender in the 2009–10 Serie A by La Gazzetta dello Sport.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11: Serie A win ====\\nSilva\\'s season began with a goal against Lecce in the first match of the 2010–11 Serie A season. In a 3–1 victory over Chievo on 16 October, Silva was forced to leave the match with a sprained left ankle. The injury forced Silva to miss a Champions League group stage match against Real Madrid — Milan CEO Adriano Galliani jokingly said after the match that he would give Silva his healthy foot in order to see him play at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Silva was inactive for four matches due to his injury. After returning from his injury, he was to play in the Derby della Madonnina against city rivals and treble winners Inter Milan. Matched against UEFA Club Footballer of the Year winner Diego Milito, Silva nullified his efforts and played a key role in Milan\\'s 1–0 victory. In a 0–2 group stage loss to Ajax in the Champions League, Silva suffered a right knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. Initially feared to be a serious injury, it only kept Silva away for one month. At the midpoint of the season, Silva was regarded as the best defender in the Serie A, and the best in Europe.\\n\\nForced to play as an emergency defensive midfielder due to an injury crisis, Silva played extraordinarily well against Cesena, a match which Milan won 2–0. Silva\\'s performance brought comparisons to legendary Milan midfielder Marcel Desailly. In his next match, Silva was rated as the best player in Milan\\'s 2–1 victory over Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia quarter-final. The midfield \"experiment\" continued in a 0–0 draw against Lazio, though this time, Silva was compared to another legendary Milan midfielder, Frank Rijkaard. Silva was lauded by Italian media for his display against Napoli, marking-out star striker Edinson Cavani. Milan won 3–0. One publication claimed that Silva and Nesta \"made a ghost\" of Cavani, whereas another claimed that Cavani had a \"nightmare\".In the match that sealed the Scudetto for Milan, Silva anchored the Rossoneri to a 3–0 victory in the Derby della Madonnina against city rivals Inter. At the end of the season, Silva extended his contract to June 2016. Silva managed to complete the entire 2010–11 Serie A having earned only one yellow card, and having committed 26 fouls in 33 total matches. Silva\\'s individual season was met with praise from all across Europe. In a fan vote, Silva was selected as Milan Player of the Season with 66.6% of the vote. La Gazzetta dello Sport rated him as the Player of the Season. Silva was selected as Goal\\'s Serie A Player of the Season, and was also voted as the best defender in the league by Italian media and his fellow professionals.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12: Final campaign in Italy ====\\nMilan\\'s season began with a 2–1 victory over Inter in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana; Silva was the best defender in the match and one of the best overall performers, making a decisive last-man tackle on Samuel Eto\\'o to deny a clear chance in the first half. Milan began the 2011–12 Serie A in poor form, winning only two points in the first three matches, though Silva was one of the better players in the draws against Lazio and Udinese. In a Champions League group stage match against Barcelona, Silva and Alessandro Nesta were crucial in the 2–2 result; both defenders were regarded as two of the best performers by Italian and Catalan media. In the match, Silva scored the 90th-minute equaliser — his former coach Carlo Ancelotti predicted that Silva would score that goal.A knee contusion in a 3–0 victory over Palermo on 15 October kept Silva out for two matches. In Silva\\'s 75th Serie A match for Milan, played on 19 November, he was vital in maintaining a clean sheet against Fiorentina. The next week, Silva was named captain against Chievo, in the process becoming the first foreign captain in 50 years for Milan. In the 4–0 demolition at the San Siro, Silva scored his first goal as captain, while teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović also scored his 100th Serie A goal in the same match. On 1 December, Silva was shortlisted for the FIFPro World XI. 1994 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira regarded Silva as the best Brazilian footballer in Europe.On 9 January, Silva was compared to Milan\\'s greatest player, Franco Baresi, by his teammate Gennaro Gattuso. On 13 January, Zlatan Ibrahimović claimed that Silva was the best defender he had ever played with. Silva was voted into the 2011 UEFA Team of the Year on 18 January. Silva was selected as man of the match in a 0–0 draw against Napoli in February. In Milan\\'s 4–0 win over Arsenal in the Champions League Round of 16, Silva successfully marked-out Robin van Persie, who was in a great run of form. Silva played his last full league match for Milan on 17 March against Parma, playing an important role in the 2–0 victory. Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidić said that Silva was the best defender in the world in an interview on 22 March.\\n\\nOn 24 March, Silva was forced out of a match against Roma after ten minutes due to a serious injury. Although Milan originally claimed Silva would be out just four weeks, instead he missed seven weeks, including the Champions League quarter-finals against Barcelona, where Milan fell 1–3 on aggregate. Without Silva, Milan stuttered in the league and lost the Scudetto to rivals Juventus. It was argued that Silva\\'s injury was the turning point in the title race: with Silva, Milan won 2.37 out of a possible 3 points per match, while without him Milan won 2.09 out of a possible 3 points. Silva\\'s strong season finished in another nomination to the Serie A Team of the Year, being joint-best central defender alongside Juve stalwart Andrea Barzagli. He was also regarded as one of the best defenders in Italy by multiple independent publications.\\n\\n\\n=== Paris Saint-Germain ===\\nThe negotiations to bring Silva to Paris Saint-Germain took place at the end of the 2011–12 season. The saga took over a month to complete. On 11 June 2012, it was reported that Milan legend Paolo Maldini would convince Silva to join PSG in the summer. Major French newspaper L\\'Équipe claimed that a transfer would be completed by 15 June. The same day, PSG sporting director — and former Milan coach — Leonardo officially declared interest in acquiring Silva. The next day, however, Milan general director Ariedo Braida claimed that Silva was not for sale. On 13 June, Maldini refuted claims that he would play a part in Silva\\'s transfer, asserting the fact that he would never convince Silva to leave. Milan chairman Silvio Berlusconi mentioned a potential transfer on 13 June, saying that Silva needed to be sold for €46 million in order to balance the club\\'s accounts. The next day, however, Berlusconi confirmed that Silva would be staying at Milan. Transfer news slowed down, and on 2 July, Milan extended Silva\\'s contract to 2017, yet just 12 days later, Silva\\'s transfer to PSG was confirmed. The transfer fee was rumoured to be around €42 million, which would have made Silva the most expensive defender in football history. Silva had repeatedly stressed the fact that he never pushed for a transfer, and that he was happy at Milan. Silva even mentioned that he would like to return to Milan later in his career.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13: Record transfer ====\\nAt his arrival, Silva was presented to the media as the \"best defender in the world\" by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Then PSG coach, and his former coach with Milan, Carlo Ancelotti, admitted to French media that Silva came to the club injured, and would not be able to participate immediately in matches. Thirteen days later, Silva was declared fit to play, in time for a Champions League group stage match against Dynamo Kyiv. On his debut, Silva scored the second goal in PSG\\'s 4–1 victory. He played his first Ligue 1 match against Bastia, which PSG dominated, winning 4–0. On 20 October, Silva was played as a central midfielder in PSG\\'s 1–0 win over Reims; Silva was commended for his display by teammate Salvatore Sirigu. Silva scored his second goal for the club in Le Classique — the derby between PSG and Marseille. He was praised for his defensive display in the match. On 16 December, Silva was praised for shackling Lyon forward Lisandro López in PSG\\'s 1–0 win. For the 2012 football year, Silva was inducted into the UEFA Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.In Silva\\'s first match after the winter break, he was injured in a 0–0 draw against Ajaccio; the MRI confirmed damage to his left bicep, and Silva\\'s recovery time was listed at three weeks. It was found that Silva\\'s injury was more serious than initially diagnosed, and as a result Silva was actually inactive for almost two months. Silva made his return in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Valencia. Silva was outstanding in this match, being lauded heavily in France for an \"extraterrestrial effort\" against the Spanish side. In PSG\\'s 1–0 victory over reigning champions Montpellier, Silva was regarded as the man of the match with a flawless defensive display. Silva received the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award for March, with 71% of the vote, after several fantastic performances. This was followed by a unanimously exalted performance against Barcelona, where Silva was described as \"a wall\" by French and Catalan media. Carlo Ancelotti claimed after the match that Silva was the best defender in the world, saying that Silva had all the ability to win the Ballon d\\'Or. PSG legend Ricardo Gomes claimed that Silva was one of Brazil\\'s best-ever defenders, as well as saying that Silva was the best defender in the history of the club. In the return leg, Silva was again praised by Catalan media for a world-class performance.\\n\\nSilva continued his run of great performances in PSG\\'s tight 1–0 victory against Troyes. Silva\\'s season came to an end on 5 May when he received a straight red-card in a match against Valenciennes. He motioned to the referee, and put his hands on the referee\\'s shoulder, which the referee deemed as a red-card offence. It was deemed to be a very harsh decision, with former referee Alain Sars claiming the expulsion was severe. Sporting director Leonardo said that the expulsion was \"unacceptable\", and Ancelotti said that he did not understand the reason for the expulsion. Nevertheless, at the end of the season Silva was voted into the 2012–13 Ligue 1 Team of the Year for his level of play throughout the season. Silva was also shortlisted for the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award, alongside teammates Blaise Matuidi and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Over the course of the season, Silva committed an extremely-low 14 fouls, which was mentioned as an excellent total for a defender in Le Parisien. Silva was considered the best defender in Ligue 1 by France Football.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: Individual success and domestic treble ====\\nSilva\\'s season began with a 2–1 victory in the Trophée des Champions against Bordeaux; Silva was voted as man of the match for his display. It was the first time Paris Saint-Germain had won the trophy since 1998. On 22 August 2013, it was announced that Silva had signed a one-year extension to his contract, keeping him at the club until 2018. In the rematch with Bordeaux at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, Silva put in another good performance as PSG won 2–0. Silva was forced off the field in the 16th minute against Monaco due to a left hamstring injury, which ultimately kept him out for six weeks. Coming back from his injury, Silva played extremely well against Nice, out-dueling the league\\'s second top-scorer, Darío Cvitanich. Silva had an unusual run of scoring form, netting three times in seven matches. Silva scored in PSG\\'s 4–0 victory over Lyon, 5–0 victory over Sochaux, and 4–0 victory over Nantes. France Football rated Silva as the best central defender in Ligue 1 at the half-way point of the season. At the end of the 2013 football year, Silva was inducted into the 2013 UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive year, making him joint-fifth in all-time appearances. Silva was also voted by his fellow professionals in the 2013 FIFPro Team of the Year for the first time in his career.On 15 January 2014, Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand claimed that Silva was, by a distance, the best defender in the world. Silva was imperious in PSG\\'s 2–0 win against Bordeaux at the Parc des Princes, where he covered for the errors of teammate Gregory van der Wiel and was even close to scoring himself. This performance was followed by another strong performance against Monaco; despite scoring an unlucky own-goal, Silva made crucial interventions throughout the match, including a last-man block against striker Emmanuel Rivière. In PSG\\'s comprehensive 4–0 win in the Champions League over Bayer Leverkusen, Silva was regarded by Le Parisien as having \"dominated\" then Bundesliga leading-scorer Stefan Kießling. Marseille defender Lucas Mendes said that Silva was the best defender in the world, and that Silva was his role model as a footballer. On 16 February, Ronaldo, the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, compared the qualities of Silva to legendary German sweeper Franz Beckenbauer. Silva managed another accomplished display in Le Classique, marshaling the club\\'s defence to a clean sheet and helping extend its lead to eight points at the top of the Ligue 1 table.\\n\\nIn the Champions League quarter-finals against Chelsea, Silva conceded his first penalty in over three years, but recovered well in the 3–1 first leg victory — Silva\\'s overall defensive effort was well-recognised by both English and French media. In the second-leg, however, Chelsea prevailed on away goals after a late goal from substitute Demba Ba. On 19 April, Silva captained PSG to a 2–1 victory in the 2014 Coupe de la Ligue Final, the first time the club had won the competition since 1998. Despite losing 1–2 to Rennes, PSG clinched the league title; Silva had captained the club to their second consecutive league title, and their first double. Silva again was shortlisted for Ligue 1 Player of the Year, and named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year for the second consecutive season. Silva was rated by France Football as the league\\'s fifth-best player, as well as the best defender in Ligue 1.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: Domestic quadruple ====\\nSilva\\'s season began poorly in PSG\\'s 2–2 draw with Reims; he was rated as one of PSG\\'s worst players in his first match back from the 2014 World Cup. In his post-match interview, Silva mentioned how he was not fully fit and that he was finding it difficult to forget Brazil\\'s embarrassing loss to Germany, where Brazil capitulated without him. Only three days after the match against Reims, Silva\\'s rush to get back to full fitness was halted as he suffered a serious thigh injury in a friendly against Napoli on 11 August; he only lasted 13 minutes before being carried off the pitch. After nine weeks, Silva was finally pronounced fit on 16 October by manager Laurent Blanc, who also said that Silva would be able to start the next league match against Bordeaux. In his return, he had an excellent display alongside fellow countryman David Luiz as PSG dominated Bordeaux, winning 3–0. A third of the way into the season, it was observed that Silva\\'s performances were marked with inconsistency, especially throughout November and December. After PSG\\'s 1–3 loss to Barcelona in December, he was criticised by former PSG player Pierre Ducrocq, who argued that Silva did not have any physical or technical problems, but instead a mentality issue. Despite his struggles, Silva was recognised by his peers as being one of the two best central defenders in the world, as he was voted into the 2015 FIFPro World XI for the second consecutive year.The 2015 calendar year began extremely well for Silva, with a man of the match display against Saint-Étienne in a 1–0 victory. It was followed by another man of the match performance, this time in a 1–0 win against Rennes. After the match, Rennes captain Sylvain Armand had nothing but praise for Silva, saying \"he [Silva] is a monster and a phenomenon\". Four days later, Silva was voted as man of the match in PSG\\'s 1–0 Coupe de la Ligue win against Lille. Silva\\'s return to form was evident and it met praise from across the country — Pierre Ménès of L\\'Équipe offered his praise, while Alain Roche of Le Parisien stated that he was back to his best. After PSG\\'s 1–1 draw with Chelsea in the first leg of the 2014–15 Champions League Round of 16, Silva was unanimously praised by the French press for his outstanding defensive showing as he marked-out striker Diego Costa. Three days later, he was voted man of the match as he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 victory over Toulouse.\\nL\\'Équipe recognised Silva\\'s incredible performances in January and February with a detailed analysis of his performances — in 2015, Silva was winning 89% of his duels, best in Ligue 1; Silva had 2.9 interceptions, 3.4 tackles, and 7.6 clearances per match, best in Ligue 1; lastly, Silva had committed a remarkable 0 fouls in 630 minutes of play. In a 2–0 win against Monaco in the Coupe de France quarterfinal, Silva was praised for his dominance: one publication noted, \"if you thought Dimitar Berbatov [of Monaco] was silent and invisible throughout the match, it was only due to the work of the Monster\". In the second leg of the 2014–15 Champions League Round of 16, Silva conceded a controversial penalty in the 96th minute. PSG were poised to be eliminated from the Champions League but in the 114th minute, Silva atoned for his error with a towering header to beat Thibaut Courtois to help PSG advance to the next stage. Silva was voted by several media sources as the best player in the match as he produced an extraordinary performance.PSG finally took pole position in the league after their 2–3 win over Marseille; Silva was dominant in his duels and played a crucial role in the victory. Three days later, he was voted man of the match in a 4–1 victory against Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France semi-final. On 11 April, Silva captained the club to a 4–0 win in the Coupe de la Ligue final against Bastia. Four days later, Silva suffered an injury in the 20th minute of PSG\\'s quarterfinal against Barcelona. He was ruled out for two weeks as PSG were comprehensively beaten 1–5 on aggregate by Barça. Upon his return in a 3–1 win against Metz, Silva had a comfortable performance as PSG moved closer to the title. After an incredible 6–0 win against Guingamp which edged the club closer to the first possible French domestic treble, Silva claimed that this PSG side was the best he had ever played in. One week later, PSG clinched the Ligue 1 title in a hard-fought 2–1 away win at Montpellier; Silva was voted man of the match and he was hailed for marking out Lucas Barrios. In the final match of the season, Silva was rated as the best player on the pitch in PSG\\'s 3–2 win against Reims. For the third consecutive season, Silva was voted by his peers into the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. Silva was also selected in Opta\\'s Ligue 1 Team of the Season based on statistical merit.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–2020: Sustained domestic success, European final ====\\nAfter playing in the 2015 Copa América, Silva finally returned to club training on 20 July in New Jersey. The first pre-season match that Silva played in was the final match of the 2015 International Champions Cup against Manchester United, where PSG won 2–0 to win the trophy; Silva was rated as the best player in the match. Two days later, Silva captained PSG to a 2–0 victory in the 2015 Trophée des Champions against Lyon. Silva had a good match with little to do defensively, as Lyon\\'s star striker Alexandre Lacazette played an insignificant role in the match.PSG began their league campaign with a 1–0 victory against Lille, playing with ten-men for two-thirds of the match. Silva had a superb display, leading the defence to a hard-fought clean sheet. His performance was described as dominant, showcasing his intelligence and athleticism throughout the match. On 8 May 2018, he played as PSG won 2–0 against Les Herbiers VF to clinch the 2017–18 Coupe de France.In April 2020, PSG were awarded the 2019–20 Ligue 1 title after the season was ended prematurely due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic; at the time of the League\\'s suspension, PSG were in first place, with a twelve–point lead over second–placed Marseille. This was Silva\\'s record seventh Ligue 1 title with the club, which saw him equal the all–time individual record of most Ligue 1 title victories, along with his club teammate Marco Verratti, which was jointly held by Hervé Revelli and Jean-Michel Larqué of Saint-Étienne, as well as Grégory Coupet, Juninho and Sidney Govou of Lyon. On 13 June, PSG\\'s sporting director Leonardo revealed that Thiago Silva would be leaving the club at the end of the Champions League campaign in August, alongside his teammate Edinson Cavani. PSG completed a domestic treble, while his last competitive match for PSG was the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final on 23 August, which PSG lost 1–0 to Bayern Munich. However, Silva became the first Brazilian to start a Champions League Final as a captain.\\n\\n\\n=== Chelsea ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21: Debut season and European glory ====\\nOn 28 August 2020, Silva joined Premier League club Chelsea on a one-year deal with an option for a second. He made his debut for the club on 23 September, in a 6–0 home win over Barnsley in the third round of the EFL Cup. Three days later on 26 September, Silva made his Premier League debut in a 3–3 draw against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns as captain. On 7 November, Silva scored his first goal for Chelsea in a 4–1 home league win over Sheffield United. On 21 December, Silva scored his second goal for Chelsea in a 3–0 victory over West Ham.On 3 April 2021, Silva received a second yellow card and got sent off in the 29th minute in Chelsea\\'s 5–2 home defeat to West Bromwich Albion. Silva led the defence as Chelsea reached its third Champions League final, defeating Real Madrid in the semi-finals. On 29 May, Silva went off injured in the 39th minute while he won his first-ever Champions League trophy after Chelsea\\'s 1–0 victory against Manchester City in the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final at the Estádio do Dragão.On 4 June 2021, Chelsea announced the extension of his contract for another year, keeping him at the club until June 2022.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–23: 100 Champions League appearances ====\\n\\nOn 3 January 2022, Silva extended his contract again, this time until the end of the 2022–23 season. On 11 October 2022, he made his 100th Champions League appearance in a 2–0 away win against his former club AC Milan. On 10 February 2023, Silva extended his contract by another year, taking his contract to the end of the 2023–24 season. On February 28, 2023, the club announced he would be out of action for an unspecified time after suffering ligament damage in a game against Tottenham. In April, Silva was in the starting lineup for the two-legged Quarter Final tie against Real Madrid, which Chelsea lost 4–0 on aggregate. In a post-match interview, Silva hinted that he might have played his last game in the Champions League. On 28 May 2023, before Chelsea played their final game of the season against Newcastle, Thiago Silva was named Chelsea\\'s Player of the Year. Silva became Chelsea\\'s oldest goalscorer after scoring against Manchester City in a 4–4 draw on 12 November 2023.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early career and 2008 Olympics ===\\n\\nAfter a strong season with Fluminense, Silva was called up to the Brazil preliminary squad for the 2007 Copa América, though he was not a part of the main team which ultimately won the tournament. Silva was then called up for a friendly against Algeria on 15 August, failing to leave the bench, as Brazil won 2–0. Silva was then selected by Dunga to play in the 2008 Summer Olympics, one of two overage players, alongside Ronaldinho. Silva won his first two caps for Brazil in pre-Olympic friendlies against Singapore and Vietnam, though he suffered a right calf injury against Vietnam that kept him out of Brazil\\'s first Olympic match. He was finally pronounced fit for the third group match, where Silva started and Brazil won 3–0 against China. He did not start any other matches, only coming on in the 71st minute against Belgium in the third-place match, which sealed the bronze medal for Brazil.Silva\\'s next cap came in an international friendly against Portugal on 20 November 2008; Brazil won by a convincing 6–2 scoreline, and Silva was praised for having \"dominated\" the reigning FIFA World Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo. Silva was praised by his teammates for his performance. He was not a starter during the 2010 World Cup qualifications for Brazil, despite his high level of club performances for Milan. He was still playing in friendly matches, and in a November 2009 friendly against England, Silva put in a man of the match display in Doha.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 World Cup, 2011 Copa América, and 2012 Olympics ===\\nSilva was an unused substitute in all matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where Brazil were defeated in the quarter-finals by the eventual finalists, the Netherlands. Silva was selected as captain by new Brazil coach Mano Menezes ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifying cycle, replacing Lúcio. Brazil disappointed at the 2011 Copa América, losing in a penalty shootout to Paraguay, where every Brazilian player — Fred, André Santos, Elano and Silva — failed to convert their penalties in shocking fashion. Silva scored his first goal for Brazil in a friendly match against the United States. International honours still eluded Silva at the 2012 Summer Olympics, as Mexico surprised Brazil in the final to win 2–1.\\n\\n\\n=== 2013 Confederations Cup title ===\\nSilva\\'s first international trophy came at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Brazil. As a warm-up tournament to the 2014 World Cup, the Brazilian side dominated all opposition, winning the tournament with an overall aggregate score of 14–3. Silva was outstanding throughout the tournament; he was rated as the tenth-best player at the end of the group stages, and by the end of the tournament, he was rated as the fifth-best player of the tournament by the Castrol Performance Index. Silva was also voted into the Confederations Cup Dream Team by FIFA.com users.Silva scored his second goal for Brazil in a 3–1 friendly victory over Portugal on 11 September 2013. In a pre-World Cup friendly against Serbia, Silva assisted Fred\\'s goal as Brazil ran out with a 1–0 victory.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup ===\\nWith Silva playing for the first time at a World Cup, Brazil won 3–1 against Croatia in their first match at the 2014 World Cup, held on home soil. Silva was regarded as Brazil\\'s best player in their second match, a 0–0 draw against Mexico, making several crucial interventions and getting involved offensively. In the final group match against Cameroon, Silva was again outstanding as Brazil won by a decisive 4–1 scoreline. At the end of the group stage, FIFA rated Silva as the third-best defender of the tournament, and the ninth-best player overall.In Brazil\\'s victory over Chile in the round of 16, Silva assisted the opening goal scored by David Luiz. Chile equalised, and after no goals were scored in extra-time, the match went to a penalty shootout. Silva faced severe criticism for his behaviour, as he was pictured in tears before and during the shootout. 1970 World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto asserted that Silva was a weak captain, while Brazilian legend Zico insisted that Silva should have volunteered to take a penalty, instead of refusing to take one. After the Round of 16, Silva was still regarded as one of the best defenders of the tournament by multiple media sources.Silva was able to silence his critics by scoring the opening goal in the quarterfinal against Colombia, and was seen as a top performer in the match; however, Silva picked up his second yellow card of the tournament for obstructing goalkeeper David Ospina, which ruled him out of the semi-final. Brazil tried to appeal his yellow card, but it was immediately rejected. Nevertheless, at the end of the quarter-final stage, Silva was rated by FIFA as the second-best defender of the tournament, and the fourth-best player overall. Silva\\'s suspension brought apprehension to the team; José Mourinho even claimed that Silva was Brazil\\'s most important player, praising the stability Silva offers to the defence.Silva was replaced by Bayern Munich defender Dante, who was deemed by Germany coach Joachim Löw as \"an excellent player\". Without Silva as captain, Brazil capitulated in the semi-final, losing by a record 1–7 scoreline to Germany. It was widely recognised that Silva\\'s absence played a crucial part in the shock result.In the third-place match, Silva returned, but his presence could not salvage any honours for Brazil, as they were comprehensively beaten 3–0 by the Netherlands. In the second minute of the game, Silva pulled down Arjen Robben, as he ran into Júlio César\\'s box with the ball for a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Under FIFA rules Silva ought to have been shown a red card, but he was shown a yellow card instead by the Algerian referee Djamel Haimoudi. The referee called for a penalty, while the foul happened outside the box, which was successfully scored by Robin van Persie.\\nAt the conclusion of the tournament, Silva was rated by FIFA as the third-best central defender, and the eighth-best player overall. Silva was selected into the FIFA World Cup Dream Team voted by FIFA.com users, and the Castrol World Cup Top XI based on statistical merit.\\n\\n\\n=== 2015 Copa América ===\\nBrazil, under Dunga\\'s second stint as manager, went to the 2015 Copa América in Chile with Neymar as the captain. After his suspension for the remainder of the tournament in their second game, however, the armband did not go back to Silva, but rather to his defensive partner, Miranda. In Brazil\\'s final group match against Venezuela at the Estadio Monumental David Arellano in Santiago, Silva opened the scoring in the ninth minute, volleying in a corner from Robinho. The eventual 2–1 victory sent Brazil into the quarter-finals as group winners. In the 70th minute of the quarter-final, Silva\\'s handball gave Paraguay the penalty kick from which they equalised for a 1–1 draw; Brazil lost in the subsequent penalty shoot-out.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018 World Cup and 2019 Copa América title ===\\nOn 14 May 2018, Silva was named by Tite to the squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He would play the full 90 minutes of all five of Brazil\\'s matches at the tournament, before they were eliminated by Belgium in the quarter-finals. Silva managed to score during Brazil\\'s final group stage match on 27 June, getting the second goal in his side\\'s 2–0 win against Serbia.In May 2019, Silva was included in Brazil\\'s 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América on home soil. He would go on to play every minute for Brazil as they won the tournament, concluding with a 3–1 final victory against Peru on 7 July at the Maracanã.\\n\\n\\n=== 2021 Copa América runner-up and appearance milestones ===\\nIn June 2021, Silva was included in Brazil\\'s squad for the 2021 Copa América, again held on home soil. He played the full 90 minutes for Brazil in two of their group stage games and all three of their knockout stage fixtures, including their 1–0 defeat to rivals Argentina in the final on 10 July.On 10 October 2021, Silva made his 100th appearance for Brazil in a goalless 2022 World Cup qualification draw against Colombia. In September 2022, he became the most-capped centre-back in the history of the Brazil national team, surpassing Lúcio.\\n\\n\\n=== 2022 World Cup ===\\nOn 7 November 2022, Silva was named to Brazil\\'s 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.Silva started and played the full 90 minutes of Brazil\\'s first two group matches against Serbia and Switzerland. He then assisted Richarlison\\'s goal in a 4–1 round of 16 victory against South Korea on 5 December.\\nFour days later, Silva played the full 120 minutes of Brazil\\'s quarter-final elimination by Croatia, losing on penalties after extra time.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nSilva has been recognized as a complete defender by his peers and critics. He has been described as a consistent defender, without any flaws, and someone who can lead any defence. A leader from the back, Silva\\'s play has led him to be compared to legendary Italian defender Franco Baresi. Baresi, regarded as one of the greatest defenders in football history, has gone on record to state that Silva is the defender who most resembles him, and said in June 2012 that Silva was his \"heir\". Although he has been criticised at times in the media over his mentality, his leadership skills are also apparent through his success in captaining both Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain.Silva is heralded as one of the fastest defenders in European football, and has been described as a strong defender with good aerial ability. He combines these physical gifts with a phenomenal tactical intelligence, discipline, and knowledge of the game, as well as an excellent positional sense, which allows him to excel in one on one situations. Thanks to his abilities, he excels at reading the game and at anticipating plays, and he is excellent at closing down and tackling opposing players in possession of the ball. Hailed as the best of the new breed of defenders — composed in possession, able to create chances for his team from the back with his passing — Silva is a technically gifted defender who is universally praised for his ability, being voted as one of the top two central defenders in Europe for three consecutive years; he is considered to be one of the best defenders of his generation, with Rio Ferdinand and Ronaldo both describing him as the best defender in the world in 2014. Although predominantly a centre-back, Silva has also been used in midfield as either a central or defensive midfielder. Despite his ability, however, he has also struggled with injuries throughout his career; notwithstanding these difficulties, he has also drawn praise for his longevity.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nSilva and his wife Isabele have two sons. Silva is a Christian. On 15 March 2019 after playing almost seven years in France with Paris Saint-Germain, Thiago announced that he, his wife and children had also become French citizens. Thiago speaks Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and English.Produced by Fulwell 73, FIFA released Captains in 2022, an eight-part sports docuseries following six national team captains in their respective 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns. Silva, representing Brazil, starred alongside Luka Modrić (Croatia), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), Andre Blake (Jamaica), Hassan Maatouk (Lebanon) and Brian Kaltak (Vanuatu). It was released by Netflix and also shown on FIFA\\'s own streaming platform, FIFA+.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 12 February 2024\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of match played 9 December 2022As of match played 9 December 2022\\nScores and results list Brazil\\'s goal tally first\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nFluminense\\n\\nCopa do Brasil: 2007Milan\\n\\nSerie A: 2010–11\\nSupercoppa Italiana: 2011Paris Saint-Germain\\n\\nLigue 1: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20\\nCoupe de France: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20; runner-up: 2018–19\\nCoupe de la Ligue: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20\\nTrophée des Champions: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019\\nUEFA Champions League runner-up: 2019–20Chelsea\\n\\nUEFA Champions League: 2020–21\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2021\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2021\\nFA Cup runner-up: 2020–21, 2021–22\\nEFL Cup runner-up: 2021–22Brazil U23\\n\\nOlympics Bronze Medal: 2008\\nOlympics Silver Medal: 2012Brazil\\n\\nCopa América: 2019; runner-up: 2021\\nFIFA Confederations Cup: 2013Individual\\n\\nBola de Prata: 2007\\nCampeonato Brasileiro Série A Best Fan\\'s Player: 2008\\nCampeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2008\\nCONMEBOL South American Team of the Year: 2008\\nSamba Gold: 2011, 2012, 2013\\nSerie A Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2011–12\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: March 2013, October 2019\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013\\nUEFA Champions League Team of the Group Stage: 2015\\nFIFA FIFPro World11: 2013, 2014, 2015\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Dream Team: 2013\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Castrol Index Top XI: 2013\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2014, 2018\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014, 2018\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2015–16\\nCopa América Team of the Tournament: 2019\\nIFFHS CONMEBOL team of the decade 2011–2020\\nFIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2021\\nChelsea Player of the Year: 2022–23\\nChelsea Players\\' Player of the Year: 2022–23\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nThiago Silva at Chelsea F.C.\\nThiago Silva – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French \\nThiago Silva at Premier League\\nThiago Silva – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nThiago Silva – UEFA competition record (archived)\\nMESUT OZILMesut Özil (German pronunciation: [ˈmeːzut ˈøːzil], Turkish: [meˈsut œˈzil]; born 15 October 1988) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders and playmakers of his generation. He could also play as a wide midfielder.\\nBorn and raised in Gelsenkirchen, Özil began his senior club career playing for hometown club Schalke 04, before signing with Werder Bremen in 2008, aged 19. After winning the DFB-Pokal in his first season, his individual performances led to a move to Real Madrid in 2010. There, he helped the club win a La Liga title, and ranked first in league assists for three straight seasons. In 2013, Özil was the subject of a then-club record association football transfer when he signed for Arsenal in a transfer worth up to £42.5 million (€50 million), becoming the most expensive German player ever at the time. In England, he won three FA Cups and helped end Arsenal\\'s nine-year trophy drought, while recording the second most assists ever (19) in a Premier League season. In 2021, Özil joined Fenerbahçe on a free transfer; after his contract with the club was terminated in 2022, he signed with İstanbul Başakşehir, before retiring in 2023.\\nA German international for over nine years, Özil holds the record for the most German National Team Player of the Year awards (5). He made his senior debut for the Germany national team in 2009 at age 20, and appeared in five major tournaments. He was the top assist provider at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, where he helped Germany twice reach the semi-final. Özil helped Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but retired from international competition in 2018, alleging discrimination and disrespect by the German Football Association (DFB) and the German media.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nÖzil was born on 15 October 1988 in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, as a son of Turkish immigrants. His grandfather moved as a Gastarbeiter from Zonguldak, Turkey to Germany. He played, at youth level, for various clubs in Gelsenkirchen during 1995–2000, before a five-year stint for Rot-Weiss Essen.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Schalke 04 ===\\nIn 2005, Özil moved to the youth system of Schalke 04. He was deployed a midfielder and wore 17 as his squad number, after starting as a playmaker and central attacking midfielder in the place of the suspended Lincoln in DFL-Ligapokal matches against Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich. Upon making the first team at Schalke, he was described as \"the next big thing\". However, soon after declining an offer from Schalke 04, claiming that a yearly salary of €1.5 million would not be enough, he eventually fell out with club management and moved on to Werder Bremen in January 2008. This led to Mirko Slomka, the then-Schalke manager, claiming that Özil would not play another match for Schalke.\\n\\n\\n=== Werder Bremen ===\\nOn 31 January 2008, Özil moved to Werder Bremen for a reported fee of €5 million, signing a contract with the German club until 30 June 2011. Other than Werder Bremen, Hannover 96 and VfB Stuttgart were reportedly interested as well in binding Özil to their respective clubs, however did not want to pay such a high transfer fee. After transferring to Werder Bremen, Özil got the jersey number 11. On 26 April 2008 (30th match day) Özil scored the go-ahead goal in the 33rd minute against Karlsruher SC, to put his team up 2–1. This was Özil\\'s first Bundesliga goal. He played in twelve games throughout the second half of the season, six times playing in the starting formation, becoming second with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga at the end of the 2007–08 season.\\nAlthough Bremen failed to get going in their 2008–09 Bundesliga season, eventually finishing a disappointing tenth, Özil managed to make a significant impact in most games and came away with a respectable three goals and 15 assists that highlighted his attacking credentials. He helped lead the North German club to the 2009 DFB-Pokal with the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Berlin. He also excelled in Europe where he led Werder Bremen to the final of the last ever UEFA Cup, losing out to Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.In the 2009–10 season, Özil became the key playmaker of Werder Bremen, stepping into the shoes of Brazilian Diego who had left for Juventus, was named the best player of the first leg of the 2009 Bundesliga season. On 1 May 2010, the 33rd match day, Özil played his 100th Bundesliga game, scoring the 1–0 lead in a 2–0 win against his former club Schalke. Özil went on and led Werder Bremen to become third in the league and again to the DFB-Pokal final, however this time it was lost against Bayern Munich by 0–4. In his second season, Bremen finished a respectable third, with Özil contributing 9 goals and 17 assists in 31 league fixture appearances. During the 2009–10 season, Özil was also declared as the \"best player of the first half of the season\".\\n\\n\\n=== Real Madrid ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11: Debut season, European assist leader ====\\nDue to his performances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Özil ensured his place among Europe\\'s top young talents. He was sought by teams like Barcelona, Arsenal and Real Madrid. English striker Wayne Rooney was one of the many admirers Özil had garnered with his performances in the World Cup, and had even asked Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to sign the German playmaker. There were reports claiming that a deal was struck for a transfer to Barcelona, but Werder Bremen denied the reports and on 17 August 2010, the team announced that they had reached an agreement with Real Madrid for Özil\\'s transfer. The transfer fee is believed to have been in the region of €15 million. Upon signing, Özil said, \"When the offer came in to join Real Madrid, there is no decision to make. Let\\'s be honest – you don\\'t refuse this club. I was in no rush to leave Werder Bremen, but this is one club you say yes to. They are an institution, a club with a fantastic history, stadium and squad full of world-class players. The prospect of performing at the Bernabéu is so awesome you jump straight in.\"Özil made his debut on 22 August in a friendly match against Hércules, which Real Madrid won 3–1. His jersey numbers were changed often before the season started. He was given the number 26 in the pre-season and 19 for his debut. But following the transfer of Rafael van der Vaart to Tottenham Hotspur, he was given the vacant 23.Özil was brought in to back up teammate Kaká, but due to the latter\\'s surgery, Özil obtained a starting role. He then made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid as a substitute for Ángel Di María in the 62nd minute against Mallorca, which Real Madrid drew 0–0.\\nHe made his season debut in the Champions League on 15 September. He got his first assist with Real Madrid in the 74th minute against Ajax after he crossed for a Gonzalo Higuaín goal.He walked off the pitch as a second-half substitute to standing ovations in his first two games as a starter at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. His first goal came in a league match against Deportivo de La Coruña on 3 October 2010, in a 6–1 victory. Özil\\'s first Champions League goal with Real came in the 14th minute against Milan on 19 October 2010. On 22 December, he made his debut in the Copa del Rey, scoring once in an 8–0 victory over Levante.He finished the season with 25 assists, the highest for any player in any major European competition that season. Özil\\'s performances for Real Madrid during his first season were praised by media, fans and players.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12: La Liga win ====\\nÖzil began wearing the number 10 shirt for Real Madrid in 2011–12, signalling manager José Mourinho\\'s intent to use the German international as his main playmaker. On 14 August 2011, Özil scored his first goal against Barcelona in El Clásico in the first leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España. On 17 August 2011, he was sent off in the last minute of the second leg of the 2011 Supercopa after an altercation with Barça forward David Villa. Özil expressed his desire to end his football days at the club in an interview with German magazine kicker, saying, \"I\\'d like to end my career at Real Madrid. I know it will be difficult because I have many more years ahead of me and many younger and good players will also be out there, but I want to be part of that future. I know what I\\'m capable of, and I\\'m convinced, I\\'ll stay at Real Madrid many years.\"Özil was on the short-list of the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or award.\\nHe finished atop the La Liga assists chart, with 17 assists. On 2 May 2012, he helped Real Madrid to clinch a record 32nd La Liga title as he assisted Real\\'s first goal and scored the second goal against Bilbao, which Real Madrid later won by 3–0. Eleven days later, Özil scored two goals in the final game of the regular season against Mallorca, once again consolidating his excellent performance with the club. The win made Real the first club in the Spanish top flight to ever reach 100 points in a single season. His fine form with Real Madrid and German national team saw him earn nomination for UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, in which he finished tenth, being the youngest player to feature in the Top 10.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13: Third straight La Liga assist leader ====\\nWith arrival of Luka Modrić before the start of the season, some in the media claimed Özil was unhappy at Real Madrid, but he later rejected such talk and claimed he was happy at the club and looking forward to competing for his place. After the start of the season, he added the Supercopa de España title to his honours. In league play, he provided an important assist to Cristiano Ronaldo who equalised in a 2–2 draw against Barcelona at Camp Nou. On 6 November, Özil scored a crucial 89th-minute free-kick to rescue a draw for Real Madrid and secure a point against Borussia Dortmund. He continued his fine form in the league as he scored another brace against Real Valladolid to rescue Real Madrid in a 3–2 win. He then went on to finish the season with 29 assists, although Real Madrid did not win any silverware except for the Supercopa de España, Özil\\'s performance was praised. At the end of the season, Özil had 26 assists, more than any other player in the leagues.\\n\\n\\n=== Arsenal ===\\nOn 2 September 2013, Özil agreed to join English side Arsenal. Both the fee paid for Özil as well as the contract duration were undisclosed, but they are believed to be around £42.5 million (€50 million) for a five-year deal. The transfer makes him the most expensive German football player of all time. Özil was assigned the number 11 shirt and the centre-attacking midfield role by the team.\\nContract leaks in January 2016, however, have revealed that the record fee was actually broken down to £37.4 million (€44 million) with a further £5.1 million (€6 million) split evenly over six years from July 2014, subject to Champions League qualification. A buy-back option also allows Real Madrid a 48-hour first option on Özil should Arsenal agree a sale for the playmaker to another Spanish club.Özil said of the transfer, \"At the weekend, I was certain I would stay at Real Madrid but afterwards I realised I did not have the faith from the coach or the bosses. I am a player who needs this faith and that is what I have felt from Arsenal, which is why I have joined.\" In Özil\\'s first press conference, he said: \"I would have come here for free, that wouldn\\'t have been a problem.\" Özil additionally stated that Arsène Wenger played an important role in his decision: \"When I spoke to Arsène Wenger on the phone, he was full of respect, and as a player, I need that.\" Several Real Madrid players were dissatisfied with Özil leaving the club, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who said, \"He was the player who best knew my moves in front of goal ... I\\'m angry about Özil leaving.\"\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: Ending the trophy drought ====\\nÖzil made his debut for Arsenal in their league game away to Sunderland on 14 September 2013. He assisted Olivier Giroud\\'s goal in the 11th minute of the match as they went on to win 3–1. Three days after that, he made his Champions League debut for Arsenal against Marseille. Just over three weeks after making his debut for Arsenal, he made his home debut against Stoke City in a 3–1 victory. He was involved in all three goals, with two assists and a free kick which was saved but fell into Aaron Ramsey\\'s path. He scored his first goal for Arsenal, a brilliantly controlled finish from a Ramsey cross, in a 2–0 win against Napoli in the Champions League. On 19 October, he scored his first two Premier League goals during the 4–1 home win against Norwich City. Özil played in all six of Arsenal\\'s games in November. The German playmaker provided the cross for Jack Wilshere\\'s second goal against Marseille and gave further assists for Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini in the 3–0 win over Cardiff City. Özil missed the chance to score his fourth Arsenal goal when he saw his penalty in the win over Marseille saved by Steve Mandanda.In October, Özil was again short-listed for the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or award, along with former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Özil was also featured on the UEFA Team of the Year. Özil began December with two goals in as many games against Hull City and Everton. A minor shoulder injury forced him out of the final game of December in a win against Newcastle United. After the 6–3 defeat at Manchester City in which he made another assist, Özil was involved in an altercation with teammate Per Mertesacker, who was angry with Özil\\'s failure to thank the travelling supporters, an omission for which he subsequently apologised via Facebook.Özil started four of Arsenal\\'s six games in January. The playmaker missed Arsenal\\'s victory over Cardiff City on New Year\\'s Day with a shoulder injury before returning to make a late appearance from the bench against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. The 25-year-old produced a slide-rule pass for Lukas Podolski to score his first goal against Coventry City and provided the ball for Santi Cazorla\\'s goal against Southampton at the end of the month to take his assist tally to 10.\\nFebruary was a difficult month for Özil, as he struggled to reach the heights he showed in his first few months at the club. The German playmaker pulled off a brilliant piece of skill to win a penalty against Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout phase, but his spot-kick was saved by Manuel Neuer. Speaking before the draw with Manchester United, Arsène Wenger spoke about Özil, saying, \"He has done well, he is adapting as well to the Premier League – we have seen it before [that it takes time]. I wouldn\\'t like to put too much pressure on him because he has been a top-class player until now. He didn\\'t have the best of games [at Liverpool] (a 5–1 loss, where Özil was the centre of attention due to a bad performance) but that can happen. He works very hard to adapt to the physical level of the Premier League and for me he is an exceptional player.\"On 8 March, Özil scored his first goal of 2014 in a 4–1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton. Özil was showing signs of old form and started in Arsenal\\'s second leg Champions League last 16 clash with Bayern Munich. He was substituted at half-time, and the reasoning behind it was that Özil had suffered a hamstring injury and will face a month out, missing key fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City.On 20 April, Özil made an instant impact with a lively display against Hull when he returned to the Arsenal team in a 3–0 win. He then returned to goalscoring form with Arsenal\\'s second in their 3–0 win over Newcastle United, and then assisted Olivier Giroud\\'s header. Manager Wenger praised Özil\\'s impact upon his return, saying, \"Mesut Özil is very important for the team. He\\'s been missed while he\\'s been injured. We\\'ve missed some very important players in an important period of the season. We\\'re really pleased to have people like him back in the team and performing at the top level because that\\'s what we need.\"Özil played all three of Arsenal\\'s remaining fixtures during the last month of his debut season in England. The German playmaker came off at half-time in extra-time of Arsenal\\'s 2014 FA Cup Final victory over Hull at Wembley Stadium. Speaking before the FA Cup final, Per Mertesacker praised his compatriot\\'s impact on the side during his first season in England. \"You could see from the start that he is one of the best players in Europe\", said Mertesacker. \"His contributions and assists are vital for any club so we are happy to have him back.\" Özil completed his maiden season at Arsenal with 13 assists and seven goals in all competitions spanning a course of 40 games.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: Second FA Cup victory ====\\nÖzil returned to club training in the middle of August after participating in Germany\\'s 2014 FIFA World Cup win in Brazil. On 23 August, Özil made his first appearance of the season in a 2–2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park. On 27 August, he played a part in Alexis Sánchez\\'s winning goal in the second leg of the Champions League qualification play-off against Beşiktaş, playing a one-two with Jack Wilshere in the build-up to the goal. On 20 September, Özil opened the scoring and assisted Danny Welbeck in a 3–0 victory against Aston Villa at Villa Park. Özil featured in the three following games and started in Arsenal\\'s Champions League group stage victory against Galatasaray, providing an assist for Alexis Sánchez in a 4–1 win. On 8 October, the DFB declared that Özil would be sidelined for between 10 and 12 weeks with a left knee injury obtained during a 2–0 defeat at Chelsea three days prior to the international break. The prognosis would rule him out of the remainder of Arsenal\\'s Champions League group matches, as well as four international fixtures.On 11 January 2015, Özil made his first appearance in three months as a 73rd-minute substitute in a 3–0 win against Stoke City. He scored on his return to the starting line-up in Arsenal\\'s 3–2 win at Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 25 January, latching onto a pass from Tomáš Rosický before scoring Arsenal\\'s second goal. In his first Premier League start of the year, Özil scored once and provided an assist for Olivier Giroud as Arsenal beat Aston Villa 5–0 at home on 1 February. The following week, Özil scored the opening goal in the Gunners\\' 2–1 North London derby defeat to Tottenham at White Hart Lane. He continued his good form by creating both goals in a 2–1 victory over Leicester City on 10 February. He also grabbed a pair of assists two weeks later, in a 2–0 victory against Everton. On 4 April, he scored the second goal for his team in a 4–1 win over Liverpool, which would be his final goal of the season. After a 3–1 win over Hull, manager Arsène Wenger praised him by saying, \"Overall his influence was very strong.\"Özil followed up this goal with two assists for Alexis Sánchez in a 2–1 win against Reading in the 2014–15 FA Cup semi-final on 18 April. Özil started in the 2015 FA Cup Final as Arsenal beat Aston Villa in a commanding 4–0 victory on 30 May, concluding his second season at Arsenal with 5 goals and 9 assists, in 33 appearances across all competitions, and back-to-back FA Cups.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16: Premier League assist leader ====\\nAfter scoring during a pre-season game against Lyon, Özil received praise from his manager, with Wenger calling for him to have his best season yet in Arsenal colours. On 2 August 2015, Özil started for Arsenal in the 2015 FA Community Shield, where the Gunners beat league champions Chelsea 1–0 at Wembley Stadium. A week later, he made his first appearance of the Premier League season in Arsenal\\'s 2–0 opening day defeat to West Ham United.Özil scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season in a 3–0 home victory over Manchester United on 4 October. He had earlier assisted Alexis Sánchez to give the Gunners the lead in the sixth minute of the match. Özil was named man of the match in a 3–0 win at Watford\\'s Vicarage Road on 17 October, supplying assists for Sánchez and Olivier Giroud. On 20 October, Özil scored his first Champions League goal of the season in Arsenal\\'s 2–0 group stage home win over Bayern Munich.He set a new Premier League record being the first player to assist in six consecutive matches when setting up Kieran Gibbs\\' for 1–1 in the derby versus Tottenham on 8 November 2015. He then extended that run to seven straight games with an assist against West Bromwich Albion, before scoring his second Champions League goal of the season in a three-goal victory at home to Dinamo Zagreb. He then scored for the second game in a row when he clipped in the opener in a 1–1 draw at Norwich. Özil continued his run of good form by providing four assists in the next three games, against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Sunderland, helping his team win all three matches. On 28 December 2015, Özil assisted the first goal and scored the second in a 2–0 win against AFC Bournemouth, creating nine scoring chances in total – the most in a single Premier League game by any player during the season.On 24 January 2016, Özil played his 100th game for the Gunners in a 1–0 home defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League. The next Premier League game against Southampton at home on 2 February saw Özil creating 10 chances – beating the previous record, 9 created and held by him during the season. This proved in vain, however, as the match ended 0–0 with the Gunners slumping into fourth as they failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games. He then ended the Gunners\\' barren goal-scoring run in the Premier League with the opener against Bournemouth in a 2–0 away win on 7 February. Özil delivered his 17th assist in the Premier League from a free kick for Danny Welbeck to head in the winner deep into stoppage time as Arsenal came from behind to beat league leaders Leicester City 2–1 on 14 February.After a 2–0 home defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League, Özil scored and assisted in a 3–2 defeat at Old Trafford to Manchester United as the Gunners lost further ground in the title race. Özil started in the 2–1 Watford in the FA Cup, where he set up Danny Welbeck for Arsenal\\'s consolation goal with a backheel assist, and three days later in a 3–1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League as Arsenal crashed out in successive cup competitions in March.Özil assisted Olivier Giroud\\'s second goal in Arsenal\\'s last Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa in a 4–0 home victory as the Gunners finished second ahead of fierce rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. That was Özil\\'s 19th assist of the season in the league, a record only beaten by Thierry Henry with 20 in 2002–03 in Premier League history. Özil ended his third season at Arsenal with 8 goals and 20 assists in all club competitions, which won him the Arsenal Player of the Season award.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17: Third FA Cup win ====\\nÖzil missed Arsenal\\'s opening day defeat to Liverpool, after his excursions at UEFA Euro 2016 meant he was not match-fit. However, he started his first game of the new season for his club in a 1–3 away win at Watford on 28 August, in which he scored his first goal of the campaign, heading in an Alexis Sánchez cross to score Arsenal\\'s third of the afternoon. His second arrived just under a month later, netting a controlled volley in a 3–0 home win against Chelsea. On 15 October, Özil again scored a volley at home, as he recorded the decider in a tense 3–2 win against Swansea. Four days later, in a Champions League home game against Ludogorets Razgrad, Özil assisted Theo Walcott\\'s goal, and scored his first professional career hat-trick, which was concluded after again volleying as Arsenal went on to win 6–0. On 29 October, he registered his first league assist of the season, after Giroud latched onto a corner to score the club\\'s third in a 1–4 win against Sunderland. For his performances, he was awarded the club\\'s Player of the Month award for the month of October.Özil began November by recording his third assist, which came in the North London derby, and was given after his free kick was turned into the net by opposing defender Kevin Wimmer. Özil would then record Arsenal\\'s Goal of the Season on 19 October, as he scored a remarkable solo winner in a nervy 2–3 away win against Ludogorets, which capped a resilient comeback after Arsenal were down by two goals in the opening 15 minutes. He scored the opener in a 1–5 away win against West Ham United on 3 December, and assisted the fourth goal. He repeated his set-up exploits three days later in a Champions League win against Basel, feeding Iwobi from the left for the fourth. He then scored a header in a win against Stoke City a week later, before rounding out the year, Özil assisted the only goal in a home victory against West Brom on 26 December. He registered his first assist of 2017 after placing his corner directly in the path of teammate Mustafi, who headed past Tom Heaton in a 2–1 win against Burnley. Despite an impressive first half to the campaign, Özil would then struggle with muscular problems, and was absent for a number of Arsenal\\'s games.He returned to fitness to star in a 2–2 draw against Manchester City on 2 April, where he assisted the equaliser. He would also break his four-month cold goalless spell after placing a controlled finish in a 3–0 win against West Ham United three days later, while he also assisted the second. He then scored another volley just under two weeks later, in a win against Middlesbrough. He then recorded his ninth assist on 10 May, where he set up Sánchez\\'s opener. In the last three league gameweeks, he scored his final goal of the season against Stoke City, while his final two assists arrived in the following two weeks, against both Sunderland and Everton. Despite the club missing out on the league and Champions League qualification, Özil concluded his fourth season at the club with 12 goals and 13 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions, and featured heavily as he won the 2017 FA Cup.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–19: Contract extension, UEFA Europa League runner-up ====\\nÖzil entered the 2017–18 season in the final year of his contract, and struggled initially, featuring sparsely with knee inflammation. He recorded a goal and an assist in a 5–2 victory over Everton on 22 October, and recorded another assist a week later, against Swansea City. His performance in the North London Derby on 18 November was heavily praised, after creating the first goal. He then scored and assisted twice in a 5–0 victory over Huddersfield to close out November, and scored in back-to-back weeks to close out December, first in a victory against West Ham, and then a scintillating scooped finish in a 3–3 draw against Liverpool.After entering January with six months remaining on his contract, which would allow him to engage in pre-contract negotiations with any club, Özil assisted in a win over Crystal Palace, and also assisted in a loss in the reverse fixture against Swansea City on 30 January. A day later, he re-signed with the club on a three-year extension, keeping him contracted until 2021. It was also reported his salary more than doubled to £350,000 per week, making him the highest-paid player in Arsenal\\'s history.On 15 February, Özil scored in the first knockout round of the Europa League, netting calmly against Östersund. He then gained a brace of assists in the next round, against Milan. On 11 March, he recorded his 50th Premier League assist in a 3–0 win over Watford. In doing so, he became the fastest player to reach 50 assists in the competition, in his 141st appearance, breaking the record previously held by Eric Cantona. He continued his exploits in the Europa League by recording a hat-trick of assists in a victory against CSKA Moscow on 5 April. Persistent injuries limited his involvement in the club\\'s final games of the season, however, Özil ended his fifth season at Arsenal with 5 goals and 13 assists in 35 appearances, and featured heavily in the club\\'s later run and appearance in the 2018 EFL Cup Final.Following the departure of Jack Wilshere, Özil returned to wearing the number 10, for the 2018–19 season. He was also named one of Arsenal\\'s vice-captains. Özil scored his first goal of the season in Arsenal\\'s 2–1 away win over Newcastle on 15 September, and netted again a week later in a 4–2 victory in the UEFA Europa League over Vorskla Poltava. He scored his third goal of the season in a victory over Watford on 28 September. On 22 October, he captained Arsenal for the first time in a 3–1 comeback win over Leicester City. Özil was involved in all three goals, scoring the first, and adding two assists in a man-of-the-match performance.His involvement in the first-team began to falter due to a mix of injuries and a dip in form, but he returned to assist the only goal in a victory in the Europa League against Qarabag on 12 December. Özil was also publicly left out of the first team squad on a few occasions, leading to speculation he could depart Arsenal in the January transfer window. However, no move materialised, and his form continued to suffer, with rumours also circulating of Özil having a fractured relationship with head coach Unai Emery, who publicly questioned the player\\'s motivation. He returned to goalscoring form in a 5–1 home victory against Bournemouth, where he also registered an assist, on 27 February, while his last statistical contribution came in the form of a goal in a loss against Crystal Palace in April. As a result, he registered one of his worst statistical campaigns as an Arsenal player, netting six goals and providing four assists.Despite this, Özil featured in the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final, where, after Arsenal\\'s defeat, Özil reportedly vocalised his frustration with Emery in front of his teammates, and continued to be linked with a move away from north London.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–21: Limited gametime, squad exclusion ====\\nÖzil was given additional time off to start the 2019–20 season, after being the victim of an attempted robbery. He made his season debut on 15 September, in a 2–2 draw against Watford. He was controversially left out of the following Premier League games against Aston Villa and Manchester United, and registered his second appearance of the season in an EFL Cup tie against Nottingham Forest, where he again failed to complete 90 minutes. Özil made his third appearance of the season in an EFL Cup tie defeat against Liverpool in October. He registered his first assist against Liverpool in the same competition at the end of October, and subsequently returning to the league starting lineup for November; he registered his first league assist in a 2–1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in December.\\nÖzil only completed 90 minutes once more in the league for the remainder of the campaign, scoring his first goal of the season in a 4–0 victory over Newcastle United on 16 February 2020. He registered his second league assist against West Ham United on 7 March, but did not feature for the club again following the resumption of competitive football after its suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Özil registered his worst statistical season, as well making the lowest number of appearances in a campaign since the 2007–08 season. It was also reported Özil refused a voluntary 12.5% paycut amid the pandemic, doing so as the club \"[lacked] information and [left] many questions unanswered\" over their use of these wages.Özil was left out of the match-day squads for the first matches of the 2020–21 season and was not included in the club\\'s squad for the Europa League group stage. It was also later confirmed that Özil was omitted from Arsenal\\'s 25-man Premier League squad, leaving him eligible only to play for Arsenal\\'s U-23 squad. Özil released a statement on Twitter in which he said that he was \"deeply disappointed\" but would \"continue fighting for [his] chance\". Some had suggested Özil\\'s omission from the squad was related to his criticism of the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China, from which Arsenal publicly distanced themselves.\\n\\n\\n=== Fenerbahçe ===\\n\\nOn 27 January 2021, Özil moved to Turkish club Fenerbahçe. He joined as a free agent after his contract with Arsenal was terminated six months prematurely, with the player reportedly forgoing part of the £7 million (€7.9 million) owed to him by Arsenal. Although financial terms were undisclosed, Özil signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Fenerbahçe worth a reported £4.5 million (€5 million) a season, and received a £2.6 million (€3 million) signing-on bonus.Özil said he was \"very excited\" to be joining the club and would \"wear the shirt with pride\". Fenerbahçe had wanted to sign Özil for years, and chairman Ali Koç also commended the deal, noting they were unable to sign the player in 2019 due to financial concerns. Özil had stated a desire to represent Fenerbahçe, the team he supported as a child during his career, as well as play in Major League Soccer (MLS), with Özil also engaging in negotiations with D.C. United prior to signing for Fenerbahçe.In his first season, Özil was assigned the number 67 jersey, in reference to the license plate of his ancestral town, Zonguldak, as his recognizable number 10, as well as his previous number 11, were occupied by Mbwana Samatta and Diego Perotti, respectively. On 2 February, he made his Süper Lig debut for Fenerbahçe as a substitute for Mame Thiam in the 77th minute against Hatayspor, which Fenerbahçe won 2–1. Özil missed eight games in his first season, from 4 March until 29 April, after rupturing ankle ligaments and contracting COVID-19. He recorded his first assist for the club on 11 May in a 2–1 loss against Sivasspor, as Fenerbahçe eventually finished third.In his second season, Özil was assigned the number 10 jersey, his recognizable number. On 15 August, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 away victory against Adana Demirspor, also captaining the team for the first time. On 16 September, he scored his first European goal for Fenerbahçe in a UEFA Europa League game against Eintracht Frankfurt. On 21 November, he scored an equaliser in the 31st minute, sprinting from the halfway line to the penalty area, against Galatasaray in the Intercontinental Derby, which Fenerbahçe won 2–1 at Nef Stadium.On 24 March 2022, Fenerbahçe announced that he was excluded from squad, along with his teammate Ozan Tufan. Özil completed his second season at Fenerbahçe with 9 goals and 2 assists in 26 games in all competitions. On 13 July, his contract with Fenerbahçe was mutually terminated.\\n\\n\\n=== İstanbul Başakşehir ===\\nOn 14 July 2022, Özil signed a one-year contract with an option for an additional year with İstanbul Başakşehir. On 21 August 2022, he made his debut for İstanbul Başakşehir in a Süper Lig game against Kayserispor, as a substitute for Berkay Özcan in the 80th minute, which İstanbul Başakşehir won 2–0.Özil left the club and announced his retirement from professional football on 22 March 2023, citing recurrent injuries. Özil made 427 top-flight appearances in his club career.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nEligible to play for either Germany or Turkey, after long consideration, Özil chose to play for his country of birth, Germany. In September 2006, he was called up for the Germany under-17 team. He was a member of the German under-21 team from 2007. On 29 June 2009, Özil was selected the man of the match in a 4–0 win over England during the U-21 European Championship final.He made his debut for the senior side during a friendly match against Norway on 11 February 2009. He scored his first goal for the senior team in his third appearance, another friendly, against South Africa on 5 September in Leverkusen at the BayArena.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 FIFA World Cup ===\\nÖzil was selected for Germany\\'s squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, starting in all of the team\\'s matches. He provided an assist for Cacau\\'s goal to the 4–0 final score against Australia in Germany\\'s first group game. He scored a left-footed half-volley from the edge of the penalty area against Ghana in the final group game, ensuring Germany progressed to the second round as group winners.On 27 June 2010, Özil played in Germany\\'s win over England in the last 16 match, setting up the fourth goal with a cross to Thomas Müller as Germany triumphed 4–1. During the quarter-final match against Argentina, he assisted the second goal for Miroslav Klose with a cross to ensure the 4–0 final score for the Germans. FIFA announced that he was among the ten tournament players nominated for the Golden Ball.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2012 ===\\nÖzil was one of the leading forces in Germany\\'s qualification for UEFA Euro 2012, scoring five times during the campaign as Germany won all ten of its games to top their group. Özil also confirmed his reputation as a decisive passer, as he provided seven assists, more than any European international during Euro 2012 qualification. When asked about his country\\'s chances at Euro 2012, Özil simply replied, \"We have the potential to beat anyone and we have what it takes to win the title.\"On 29 February 2012, Özil was recognised as Germany\\'s best international of the year for 2011 prior to kick-off at a friendly against France in Bremen. Özil\\'s Germany were drawn with the Netherlands, Denmark and Portugal into Group B at Euro 2012, widely touted as the \"Group of Death\".Özil registered two assists, created nine chances, and claimed the Man of the Match award in Germany\\'s 4–2 quarter-final win over Greece. He then scored Germany\\'s only goal (a penalty) in their 2–1 loss to Italy in the semi-finals. His performance at Euro 2012 earned him two Carlsberg Man of the Match Awards. He finished the tournament as the joint-highest assist provider (3) and was named in the Team of the Tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 FIFA World Cup ===\\nÖzil ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as Germany\\'s top scorer with eight goals.Following an injury to Marco Reus in a warm-up game, Özil was moved from his customary number 10 role into the left-winger position for the majority of the tournament. He started all seven of Germany\\'s 2014 FIFA World Cup games, and helped Germany make history by becoming the first European team to win the World Cup in South America. Özil scored the decisive goal in the 119th minute of Germany\\'s 2–1 round of 16 victory over Algeria, a match widely praised as one of the most entertaining of the tournament. Özil then provided an assist for Sami Khedira in Germany\\'s 7–1 semi-final win over Brazil. The goal Özil assisted, with a clever pass, made the score 5–0 to Germany after just 29 minutes. The shocking nature of the 5-goal flurry generated worldwide astonishment.In the final, Özil played 120 minutes before being replaced by Arsenal teammate Per Mertesacker. Germany were crowned World Champions with a 1–0 win. After the trophy was presented to the Germany team, UEFA President Michel Platini asked Özil for his match shirt as a souvenir, and Özil obliged. He concluded the tournament as the leader in passes completed in the final-third (171), was ranked joint-second in chances created (17), behind only Lionel Messi (23), and ranked second overall in possessions won in the final-third (6).\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2016 ===\\nOn 12 June 2016, Özil completed the full 90 minutes of Germany\\'s opening Euro 2016 match against Ukraine which Germany won 2–0. He assisted Bastian Schweinsteiger\\'s goal in the 92nd minute. On 21 June 2016, Özil completed 99% of his passes, created six chances and claimed the Man of the Match award in Germany\\'s win over Northern Ireland. Five days later, Özil started in Germany\\'s 3–0 round of 16 win over Slovakia. In the 13th minute of the match, he had a penalty effort saved by goalkeeper Matúš Kozáčik. On 2 July 2016, Özil scored the leading goal against Italy in the quarter-finals to give Germany a 1–0 advantage, before Italy later equalised through Leonardo Bonucci\\'s penalty. Germany, however, emerged as the victorious side after winning the penalty shoot-out 6–5, despite Özil failing to convert his penalty kick after hitting the goal post.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018 FIFA World Cup ===\\nÖzil was selected by manager Joachim Löw in Germany\\'s final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Despite the national team heavily under-performing as defending champions by being eliminated in the group stages, Özil featured in two of the country\\'s three games, and averaged more chances created per 90 minutes (5.5) than any other player in the competition.\\n\\n\\n=== Retirement ===\\nIn May 2018, Özil, alongside fellow German international İlkay Gündoğan, both of Turkish descent, met with and posed for photographs with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the lead up to the Turkish general election. The photograph was interpreted as a form of political support for Erdoğan and his policies, and caused tensions in Germany, and even prompted accusations that the players lacked loyalty to the nation. The German Football Association (DFB) publicly distanced themselves from public criticism, opting to end the debate, and focus on the upcoming World Cup campaign, in which both Özil and Gündoğan participated.After the nation\\'s World Cup campaign, losing out at the group stage, Özil posted a series of messages on social media on 22 July, in order to clarify the photograph and address the criticisms he had faced. In a lengthy post, he described the photograph as simply \"respecting the highest office of my family\\'s country\", while also adding his conversations with Erdoğan revolved solely around their mutual interest in football. Özil also commented on several media outlets that were using the photograph, where he asserted that the media outlets have selectively criticised him for his Turkish background, noting the relative lack of uproar from the media after Lothar Matthäus met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.He later detailed his core issue with the national team stemmed from his interactions with Reinhard Grindel, the DFB president, accusing him of displaying both racism and disrespect on multiple occasions, while also noting similar incidents with other high-profile German nationals, namely Bernd Holzhauer and Werner Steer. He then retired from the team as a form of protest against members within the Federation in which he perceived had \"racially discriminative backgrounds\". Following the announcement of his retirement, Özil drew support and criticism from the public, former players, and managers; former teammate Per Mertesacker came out in support. Toni Kroos was critical of Özil\\'s statement and responded by saying that \"racism within the national team and the DFB does not exist\". In a 2018 interview with Germany\\'s biggest newspaper Bild am Sonntag, former DFB president Reinhard Grindel said he wished he had stood by Özil in the face of racial abuse. In the years following his retirement, some media outlets continued to highlight how Özil was a victim of the deep rooted racism present in German society. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the German national team covered their mouths prior to kickoff in protest of FIFAs decision to ban the OneLove armband; with the DFB explaining that the protest was meant to uphold values of diversity and mutual respect. They were subsequently criticized and labelled by some as moral hypocrites for previously ignoring and/or failing to uphold values of diversity and mutual respect when Özil was subjected to racial abuse in Germany.\\n\\n\\n== Player profile ==\\n\\n\\n=== Style of play ===\\nA quick, agile, creative and technical player, with good dribbling skills, Özil was a versatile midfielder, who excelled in an advanced playmaking role, as a winger on either flank, or as an attacking midfielder through the centre of the pitch. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he was also deployed in a new role which was later described as a false 10 or central winger, due to his tendency to drift from the centre into a wide position when in possession of the ball; he was also deployed in a more advanced role, where he usually functioned as a second striker, as he often dropped into deeper positions, from which he could link the midfield with the attack and initiate passing moves. He even played as a centre-forward on occasion, seemingly operating as a lone striker, but actually operating false 9 role. An elegant left-footed player, his main attributes were his vision, his control, movement (both on and off the ball), positional sense, finesse, passing range, and accurate crossing ability, as well as his delivery from set-pieces, which allowed him to get into good attacking positions, create chances, and provide many assists for his teammates, or even score goals himself.Due to his creative ability and offensive prowess as a playmaker, Özil was called \"assist-king\" in the media. As of January 2016, Özil had the best ratio of assists per game in the history of the Premier League. Germany under-21 manager Horst Hrubesch once said, \"We in Germany are prone to rave about foreign players. We praise Wayne Rooney to the heavens, likewise Ronaldo or Messi. But we have our own Messi. Our Messi is Özil.\" In the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Belgium, he scored a goal which has been described as a \"work of art\". Germany coach Joachim Löw hails Özil for his \"genius moments\" and his performance without the ball.\\n\\n\\n=== Reception ===\\nFormer Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso described Özil as \"the kind of player you don\\'t find these days\", adding, \"He understands the game, sees things, combines and thrives between the lines, unlocking teams.\" José Mourinho, who coached Özil for a time at Real Madrid said, \"Özil is unique. There is no copy of him – not even a bad copy.\" Assistant coach of the Germany national team Hansi Flick said, \"We are proud to have him in our team. When he has the ball, you can feel the excitement and astonishment among the fans.\" Former Netherlands and Milan forward Ruud Gullit described Özil as a \"technically perfect\" player who has \"total control of the ball\" and a \"great imagination\". Former Germany teammate Phillip Lahm said of Özil \"His vision is probably the best I have ever seen... He is a dream for strikers.\", while Mario Gómez called Özil \"probably the most brilliant footballer we have or ever had\". Despite his reputation as an offensive playmaker, Özil also drew criticism at times for his lack of physicality and his low defensive work-rate off the ball. Despite his success, he was also accused by some in the sport, including Glenn Hoddle, Raymond Domenech and Jonathan Smith, of going missing in important or physical games.His nicknames have included \"der Rabe\" (the Raven, or in Spanish, \"El Cuervo\") – playing on his smart and opportunistic style of play, and at Werder Bremen \"der neue Diego\" (the new Diego), in reference to Brazilian Diego, whose playmaker role he inherited, \"German Messi\" and \"German Zidane\". At Real Madrid, he was supposedly called \"Nemo\", due to his physical appearance – in reference to the clownfish from the animated film Finding Nemo.\\n\\n\\n== Outside football ==\\n\\n\\n=== Personal life ===\\nÖzil is a third-generation Turkish-German, who, in reference to his game, concludes, \"My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part.\" The first language Özil learned was Turkish, and he attended a preschool populated with students of Turkish immigrants. He later attended school at Gesamtschule Berger Feld in Gelsenkirchen. Özil states his ancestors are ethnic Turks from Devrek. However, there are sources that claim Özil\\'s ancestors are ethnic Kurds.Özil is a practising Muslim. He recites from the Quran before his matches. Talking to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel, Özil said, \"I always do that before I go out [on the pitch]. I pray and my teammates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period.\" He observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan, but he has admitted that: \"Because of my job I cannot follow Ramadan properly. I do it only the few days I can, only when I have a free day. But other than that it\\'s impossible, because you have to drink and eat a lot to stay at peak fitness.\" In May 2016, he performed Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca. During a Europa League match in 2018 against Atlético Madrid, an Atlético fan threw a piece of bread at Özil while he was preparing to take a corner. Özil picked up the bread, kissed it, and brought it to his forehead to express gratitude towards the food given to him, a central tenet in Islam. His gesture was later widely applauded throughout the stadium.In 2010, Özil was awarded the Bambi for being a prime example of successful integration within German society.Özil started dating singer Mandy Capristo in 2013. The relationship ended in 2014, following reports of Özil being involved with another woman. In 2015, Özil and Capristo appeared together at the Bambi awards ceremony in Berlin. An Instagram photo uploaded by Özil used the hashtag #OziStoIsBack, suggesting that the couple is back together. However, they broke up in 2017 and Özil began dating former Miss Turkey, Amine Gülşe. They married in 2019, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was a witness during the ceremony. In March 2020, the couple confirmed the birth of their first child, a daughter named Eda. Their second daughter, named Ela, was born in September 2022.In July 2019, Özil and Arsenal teammate Sead Kolašinac were the victims of an attempted carjacking by a pair of armed masked men. A Metropolitan Police spokesman later said Özil and Kolašinac managed to get away unharmed and travelled to a nearby restaurant in Golders Green, where they were \"spoken to by officers\". Footage also circulated on social media which appeared to show Kolašinac chasing off the carjackers. Arsenal commented they reviewed security measures with their players with help from independent experts and the police, which resulted in the pair not being included in Arsenal\\'s Premier League season opener against Newcastle United on 11 August. Later the same day, two men were arrested and charged with a public order offence after becoming involved in an altercation with security staff outside Özil\\'s home. Police noted this incident was unrelated to the car-jacking attempt.\\n\\n\\n=== Philanthropy ===\\nAs part of the BigShoe project, Özil donated his 2014 World Cup winnings, an estimated £240,000, to pay for 23 sick Brazilian children to have medical surgery as a \"personal thank you for the hospitality of the people of Brazil.\"In May 2016, international media covered Özil\\'s visit to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, home to around 80,000 people displaced as a result of the Syrian civil war. Özil toured the camp as well as playing with children, signing autographs and handing out football shirts. After getting married in June 2019, Özil paid for 1,000 children to have surgery in celebration.In 2017, he worked with the charity My Shining Star to make a child cancer patient\\'s dreams come true. He invited the child, Charlie, to be a guest at his private box and in the player\\'s lounge during a game with Sunderland at Emirates Stadium. In 2020, after Arsenal made longterm mascot Jerry Quy redundant, Özil offered to reimburse Arsenal for his salary if they rehired Quy, doing so due to their close friendship.In Ramadan 2021, Özil sent food packages to 41 provinces in Turkey to people in need, in collaboration with the Turkish Red Crescent.\\n\\n\\n=== Activism and advocacy ===\\nIn December 2019, Özil went online to publish a poem denouncing the treatment of Uyghurs in China. It was written over a backdrop of the East Turkestan flag and in it, he also criticised Muslim countries for not speaking out about the Xinjiang internment camps. Arsenal later released a statement distancing itself from the comments. State broadcasters China Central Television and PP Sports responded two days later by removing the match between Arsenal and Manchester City from their schedules, while his likeness was removed from Chinese internet providers and version of eFootball PES 2020. The Chinese Football Association said Özil\\'s comments were \"unacceptable\". Some have suggested Özil\\'s eventual omission from the Arsenal squad was related to such criticism. China\\'s government later stated Özil was \"blinded and misled\", and invited him to visit Xinjiang.In October 2020, he voiced his support for Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, quoting Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on the Azerbaijani–Turkish relations. During his presentation as a Fenerbahçe player, he posed with the Azerbaijani flag.He announced his support for Palestine in the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, also wearing a \"Free Palestine\" T-shirt along with other Fenerbahçe footballers. In October 2021, Özil teamed with the Football Association (FA) and Football for Peace to launch a development center, located at the University of Bradford, to tackle the disparity of British Asians in association football. Quoting his own multiethnic background, Özil stated a desire to \"give [British Asians] an opportunity to be successful on and off the pitch\".\\n\\n\\n=== Media and sponsorships ===\\nIn 2013, Özil signed a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier Adidas. He has appeared in commercials for Adidas Predator boots with other star players such as Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, Thomas Müller and James Rodríguez. One of those adverts, entitled \"Create Your Own Game\", was released in August 2015, in which Özil featured alongside those players. In 2013, Özil launched his own logo.Özil\\'s \"M\" goal celebration – which is in tribute to his young niece Mira – is included in EA Sports\\' FIFA 17.His autobiography, The Magic of the Game / Gunning for Greatness, was released in 2017.\\n\\n\\n=== Business ventures ===\\nÖzil has built a varied business portfolio over the years. He is the boss of his own M10 streetwear firm and esports team. Additionally he has his own chain of coffee shops, a sports clinic and he jointly runs a successful Unity Health supplements laboratory with former Arsenal teammate Mathieu Flamini. He also owns shares in Mexican football club Necaxa as part of an ownership deal which includes other shareholders like actress Eva Longoria and model Kate Upton.\\n\\n\\n=== Controversies ===\\n\\n\\n==== Allegations of tax fraud ====\\nIn December 2016, as part of the release of the Football Leaks disclosure platform, it became known that the Spanish tax authorities had demanded back taxes of €2,017,152 from Mesut Özil. In addition, a fine of €789,963 was imposed on him. According to the information published by Football Leaks, Özil is said to have evaded taxes using offshore shell companies, Swiss accounts and straw men. This alleged tax fraud caused widespread criticism in the German public. In February 2017, Özil paid taxes in the required amount. He appealed the fine. At the beginning of 2018, the Spanish judiciary had not yet made a decision on the fine.\\n\\n\\n==== Alleged support for far-right organization ====\\nIn July 2023 a photo on Instagram was published showing a tattoo with three crescent moons and a howling wolf on Özil\\'s chest, which are symbols of Turkish far-right ultranationalist group Grey Wolves. This group is alleged to be responsible for acts of violence and threats and is banned in France and being monitored by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution due to anti-constitutional efforts.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nScores and results list Germany\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Özil goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nWerder Bremen\\n\\nDFB-Pokal: 2008–09; runner-up: 2009–10\\nUEFA Cup runner-up: 2008–09Real Madrid\\n\\nLa Liga: 2011–12\\nCopa del Rey: 2010–11; runner-up: 2012–13\\nSupercopa de España: 2012Arsenal\\n\\nFA Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2019–20\\nFA Community Shield: 2015\\nEFL Cup runner-up: 2017–18\\nUEFA Europa League runner-up: 2018–19Germany U21\\n\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009Germany\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2014; third place: 2010Individual\\n\\nkicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2008–09\\nkicker Attacking Midfielder of the Year: 2010\\nMost assists in the Premier League: 2015–16\\nGerman Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2012, 2013\\nLaureus Media Award: 2014\\nPFA Fans Player of the Month: April, November & December 2015\\nGerman Football Ambassador Public Award: 2015\\nArsenal Player of the Season: 2015–16\\nkicker Best German Abroad: 2016\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nProfile at Arsenal F.C.\\nMesut Özil at DFB (also available in German) \\nMesut Özil – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nMesut Özil – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nMesut Özil at Soccerbase \\nMesut Özil at kicker (in German)\\nMesut Özil at fussballdaten.de (in German) \\nMesut Özil at BDFutbol \\nMesut Özil at National-Football-Teams.com \\nMesut Özil at Premier League\\nDAVID SILVADavid Josué Jiménez Silva (born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played mainly as a central or an attacking midfielder but also played as a winger or second striker. His passing ability and possession-retaining qualities earned him the nicknames Merlin (reference to the legendary wizard Merlin) and El Mago from his teammates and fans. He is considered one of the greatest midfielders of his generation and one of Manchester City\\'s greatest ever players.\\nSilva spent seven years of his professional career with Valencia, playing from 2004 to 2010, and won the Copa del Rey in 2008. In the summer of 2010, he moved to Manchester City and appeared in over 400 matches for the club, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups. Silva was also named in the PFA Team of the Year three times and is the youngest player to reach 200 wins in the Premier League. He left Manchester City in 2020 after a ten-year tenure and returned to La Liga with Real Sociedad, where he won his second Copa del Rey in 2020. Later on, he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury during preseason training with Real Sociedad, which forced him to retire in July 2023.Silva represented Spain, from his debut for the senior team in 2006 until his international retirement in 2018. He formed a midfield partnership with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta which led to three consecutive international tournament victories – UEFA Euro 2008, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2012. One of 13 Spanish players to have amassed 100 caps, Silva scored 35 goals for Spain, making him the 4th highest goalscorer in their history, and also provided 29 assists, making him the second-highest assist provider in their history.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nDavid Silva was born in Arguineguín, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, to Fernando Jiménez, a former municipal police officer who eventually was responsible for the safety of the Valencia CF stadium and Eva Silva. His father, Fernando, is Spanish (Canarian) while his mother, Eva, is of Japanese descent, claimed by the Canarian media.David Silva began playing football in the youth team of UD San Fernando, near Maspalomas. Originally, he played as a goalkeeper, before becoming a winger and mirrored his game around his footballing idol as a youth, Michael Laudrup. When he was 14, he received an offer to become a youth player at Valencia CF, which he accepted. He stayed in Valencia\\'s youth set-up until he was 17.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Valencia ===\\nA product of Valencia\\'s youth system, Silva made his professional debut in 2004–05, with Segunda División\\'s Eibar, while on loan from Valencia, playing 35 league games and scoring on five occasions. In the following season, he was again out on loan, this time to Celta de Vigo, where he played 34 matches, scoring four goals. After two late substitute appearances, the first in a 2–0 home win over Málaga on 28 August 2005, Silva finished as an undisputed starter as the Galician side reached the UEFA Cup straight from the second-tier.\\n\\nSilva returned to Valencia in the summer of 2006, becoming an automatic first-choice despite his young age of 20. In two seasons combined, he only missed six matches and netted 14 goals, his first league goal coming on 5 November 2006 in a 1–1 draw at Espanyol. In August 2008, he extended his contract by five years, amidst interest of several Premier League teams. He won the Copa del Rey 2008, his first title in Spain.\\nAfter not appearing in the first three months of 2008–09 due to a chronic ankle ailment, Silva returned to the call-ups in mid-December. On 3 January 2009, he scored twice in a 3–1 home win over Atlético Madrid, still contributing with 19 matches (four goals) as the Che qualified for the Europa League.\\nIn the 2009–10 season, Silva scored a career-best eight goals, as Valencia finished in third position and returned to the UEFA Champions League. On 15 April 2010, he scored a brace against Athletic Bilbao for a 2–0 home win, adding three assists in the 4–4 thriller at Werder Bremen for the Europa League\\'s round of 16.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester City ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11: Debut season, ending the trophy drought ====\\nOn 30 June 2010, Manchester City announced that they had reached an agreement with Valencia over the transfer of Silva and that he would join the club on a four-year deal, prior to the start of the 2010–11 season. On 14 July, the Premier League side completed the signing and Silva was awarded the number 21 shirt, the same number he wore for Valencia and when playing for Spain. Manchester City had previously tried to sign Silva and his Valencia teammate David Villa in 2008, but were put off when Valencia quoted a £135 million combined price tag on both players.City manager Roberto Mancini mainly deployed Silva as a winger and later in a trequartista role in his first season. Silva made his Premier League debut on 14 August 2010 in a 0–0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. He scored his first goal for the club on 16 September, eight minutes into the Europa League group match against Red Bull Salzburg. On 17 October, he scored his first league goal in a game against Blackpool, netting City\\'s third goal in a 3–2 away win. He received three consecutive Manchester City Player of the Month awards from October to December 2010.Following his debut season in the Premier League, Silva emerged as one of the league\\'s finest playmakers. Carlos Tevez lauded him as \"the best signing we [Manchester City] have made.\" Silva finished the 2010–11 campaign with four goals and seven assists in 35 league appearances.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12: Premier League win, assist leader ====\\nSilva began the 2011–12 season in fine form, scoring the third goal in City\\'s 4–0 thrashing of Swansea City and was voted man of the match. He also scored the following week against Bolton Wanderers, and was again named man of the match. Silva then set up two of Sergio Agüero\\'s three goals in City\\'s second home game against Wigan Athletic. He was beginning to form a great understanding with the Argentine, with the pair having combined to score three goals already. After a series of magnificent displays from Silva, City boss Roberto Mancini compared him to fellow Spain internationals Xavi and Andrés Iniesta and said that Silva is \"one of the best players in the world.\" On 1 October, Silva was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for his outstanding performances, making it the first time ever that two Manchester City players have won the award in back-to-back months with Edin Džeko winning it the month before.In the first Manchester Derby of the season at Old Trafford, Manchester City won 6–1, with Silva proving, yet again, to be instrumental in the Manchester City attack, scoring the fifth goal, setting up Edin Džeko\\'s second with a chested volley pass through the United defense, and participating in the first two goals with excellent passing to James Milner to assist Mario Balotelli. He was described as having been \"two steps ahead of all the United players\" in the aftermath of the match. On 25 October 2011, in an interview with a Spanish radio station, Silva revealed that he turned down Barcelona and Real Madrid so he could sign for City, and that he wants to stay at the club for years. He commented, \"Madrid and Barcelona are great teams, but I\\'m happy here and I would like to stay here for many years.\" Former City and England defender Earl Barrett said he is almost impossible to stop due to his ability to create space and Andy Cole, who mostly played for Manchester United, has stated that Silva \"is a joy to watch.\"Having done well to cut the gap between them and Manchester United to just three points, City went into April\\'s Manchester Derby knowing that a win would be enough to send them top of the Premier League on goal difference. In a match widely billed as the biggest game in Premier League history, Silva delivered a corner which was headed home by Vincent Kompany for the winner. City triumphed 1–0, and returned to the league summit having been eight points behind their city rivals as recently as the start of that month.On 13 May 2012, with City heading into the final day of the season needing a win over QPR to secure their first top flight title in 44 years, Silva delivered a cross for Edin Džeko to score the equaliser in the 91st minute of the match. In addition to winning his first Premier League medal with Manchester City, he also finished the season on top of the assists table with 15 assists to his name and was one of four City players who made it in the PFA\\'s Premier League Team of the Year.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13: Premier League, FA Cup runner-up ====\\n\\nOn 17 September 2012, Silva signed a new five-year deal at City, committing himself to the Etihad Stadium until 2017.\\nJust six days after signing his new contract, Silva got off the mark in the 2012–13 Premier League season, registering an assist for Joleon Lescott in a 1–1 draw with Arsenal. He followed this up with another assist the following week, as he played in Aguero to score against Fulham at Craven Cottage. He injured himself playing for Spain in October, which meant he had to miss three games for Manchester City. On 11 November, he provided the crucial assist, a lofted through-ball, to striker Edin Džeko, who converted in the 88th minute to steal a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. His first league goal of the season came in a 5–0 thrashing of Aston Villa at home in the very next league match, on 17 November.\\nOn 19 January 2013, Silva scored twice against Fulham at home in a 2–0 win. On 9 March, he scored the fifth and final goal in Manchester City\\'s 5–0 win against Barnsley at the City of Manchester Stadium in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, sealing progression to the semi-finals. Despite missing the clash with Chelsea through injury, City prevailed 2–1 through goals from Aguero and Samir Nasri, leading them to their second FA Cup Final in three seasons. They would face relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic at Wembley. Silva started the match and played the full 90 minutes, but the Blues were rocked by a Pablo Zabaleta red card, with a late Ben Watson header compounding their misery. It was one of the great FA Cup upsets, and ended up costing City boss Mancini his job.In the penultimate Premier League game against Reading, Silva made a superb pass to Džeko which took the entire Reading defense out of the game. Džeko scored, sealing a 0–2 win in City\\'s first match since the sacking of Roberto Mancini. Silva finished the season with four goals and ten assists in 32 league appearances for a City squad that finished runners-up to city rivals Manchester United for the Premier League title.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: Premier League and League Cup double ====\\nThe 2013–14 Premier League season was a tough one for Silva, as numerous injuries limited him to just 27 league appearances. Nonetheless, he did well to maintain his stellar record of goals and assists for Manchester City. On 19 August 2013, Silva scored Manchester City\\'s opening goal of the campaign in a 4–0 win against Newcastle United at the City of Manchester Stadium. He followed this up with an assist in the 3–2 defeat at Cardiff, crossing for Alvaro Negredo to score. On 5 October, Silva began one of his most productive spells in the Premier League. Making his first league start since August following a number of injury setbacks, he assisted Sergio Aguero to score against Everton, before scoring once and setting up another in a 3–1 victory over West Ham. Silva then scored again in the 7–0 home win over Norwich on 2 November, but his good form was curtailed by a calf injury, which ruled him out of City\\'s next six games.\\nHe made his return on 14 December, scoring at home in a 6–3 win over Arsenal, before setting up goals in each of the next two games against Fulham and Liverpool. Silva was also enjoying one of his most productive UEFA Champions League campaigns to date, having managed three assists and a goal in Group D, including a strike in a 3–2 win over champions Bayern Munich in December.\\nCity had also progressed deep into the League Cup, eliminating Leicester and Newcastle to reach the semi-final, where they would face West Ham United. Silva played 73 minutes of the first leg, which City won by a large 6–0 scoreline, meaning he was rested for the return leg (a routine 3–0 win). He was restored to the starting lineup in the final, where goals from Yaya Touré, Nasri and substitute Jesús Navas earned City their first League Cup triumph since 1976.The month of March was a productive one for Silva, as he registered two goals and two assists in the league, along with a slew of excellent performances. He was named Manchester City\\'s Player of the Month for March 2014, after scoring in away matches against Hull City and Arsenal. Silva followed this up with a goal and assist against Liverpool at Anfield, but could not prevent the Blues slipping to a 3–2 defeat. However, following a strong run of form in the final five games of the season, City pipped the Merseysiders to the title, and Silva claimed his second Premier League winners medal to add to the one from 2011–12. He ended the campaign with eight goals and 16 assists in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: Contract extension, Premier League runner-up ====\\nOn 10 August, Silva played in the 2014 FA Community Shield, a match City lost 3–0 to Arsenal. Two days later, he signed a five-year contract extension with City. Like the previous season, on 17 August, Silva scored Manchester City\\'s opening goal of the 2014–15 Premier League season in a 2–0 away win against Newcastle United. Silva then scored against West Brom on Boxing Day.On 21 February 2015, Silva scored a brace against Newcastle United in a 5–0 win. He won the Etihad Player of the Month award for his performances in February. On 4 March, Silva scored in 1–0 win against Leicester City to take him to ten league goals in a season for the first time in his career. Jamie Redknapp described him as a \"maestro\" for his performances for City, while his teammate Edin Džeko called him \"the best player in the Premier League.\"Three days later, City took on Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash. The Blues were largely blown away by Barcelona\\'s immense quality, but the game was marked by an ingenious backheel flick from Silva to Aguero, who scored to pull one back for City.On 19 April, in a 2–0 victory over West Ham, Silva was caught in the face by the elbow of Cheikhou Kouyaté, requiring eight minutes of treatment before being substituted for Samir Nasri. Tests confirmed that he had not fractured his cheekbone.On 10 May, Silva scored a goal in City\\'s 6–0 win over Queens Park Rangers, which resulted in the latter\\'s relegation. He ended the campaign with 12 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, with all 12 strikes coming in the Premier League- a career high.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16: UEFA Champions League semi-final ====\\nIn the opening match of the Premier League season, in a 0–3 win at West Brom, Silva delivered a performance his manager Manuel Pellegrini labelled \"unbelievable\". As well as assisting the team\\'s third goal, a clever backheel flick on Yaya Touré\\'s long range drive sent the ball spinning into the net. After providing another three assists for the team in August (in wins against Chelsea and Watford), Silva was nominated for both of the Manchester City and Premier League Player of the Month Awards for August, winning the former.Silva was injured for most of October and November after picking up an ankle injury, while playing for Spain on 9 October. He made his return, as a 75th-minute substitute, in a 3–1 league defeat of Southampton on 28 November. He netted the opener in the last UEFA Champions League group stage match on 8 December, in a 4–2 home defeat of Borussia Mönchengladbach, which resulted in Manchester City topping their group for the first time. Silva provided another three assists in home victories against Tyne-Wear rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland.Silva warming up before a preseason match against Tottenham in July 2017\\nIn a 4–0 home league win against Crystal Palace on 16 January 2016, Silva scored one, set-up another two goals and played a key pass in the remaining goal. Having started every match of City\\'s League Cup campaign since the quarter-final stage, he started the 2016 Football League Cup Final on 28 February, playing 110 minutes against Liverpool as the match went to extra time. He was replaced 10 minutes from time by Wilfried Bony, and Manchester City went on to defeat the Reds 3–1 on penalties, with Silva winning his second League Cup with the club. He claimed another brace of assists in a 4–0 home defeat of Aston Villa six days later.On 24 February, Silva scored City\\'s second as they beat Dynamo Kyiv 3–1 in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, his second strike of the European campaign. He proceeded to start City\\'s next four games in the competition, as the Blues made their deepest run in history, reaching the semi-finals. However, having started as one of City\\'s brightest players in the semi-final first leg against Real Madrid, Silva was forced off after just 40 minutes due to injury. This caused him to miss the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, and his team suffered in his absence- the Blues were beaten 1–0 on the night and on aggregate. Pellegrini lamented the loss of his main playmaker, asserting that the absence of Silva had crippled his side and hamstrung their ability to create chances.Silva ended the campaign with four goals and 12 assists in 36 matches, a disappointing campaign for him personally, and one in which he missed 22 matches due to a persistent ankle injury, amongst other issues. Nonetheless, it was a trophy-winning season, the ninth major honour of his career.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17: Manchester City Player of the Year ====\\nWith Pep Guardiola arriving as Manchester City\\'s new manager to much fanfare, it was the beginning of a new era for City. Having put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the Blues, the legendary manager stated that one of the reasons he had come to the club was to work with Silva, whom he described as a special player, and one of the best he had ever trained. In Guardiola\\'s first season at the club, Silva scored one goal in a 5–0 win over Steaua București in the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League play-off round. He enjoyed a relatively productive European campaign that season- having provided an assist for Raheem Sterling against Celtic, he later scored the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the group stage. The Blues progressed to the knockout stages where they would face Monaco in the Round of 16, but despite another pinpoint Silva cross to assist Aguero, City crashed out of the tournament on away goals following a 6–6 aggregate draw.In the league, despite a bright opening to the campaign when City stormed to the top of the table, it proved a difficult season for the Blues, as they eventually fell away and ended up finishing third, 15 points behind winners Chelsea. It was a season in transition for the team, who under Guardiola were beginning to implement a distinct footballing philosophy.\\nDespite the team\\'s under-performance, Silva ended the campaign with eight goals and 11 assists in all competitions, and he beat off competition from Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne to be named Manchester City\\'s Player of the Season. It was his second time being recognised as such, following his winning of the award in 2011–12, with the Spaniard fast becoming one of Pep Guardiola\\'s favourites in the City side.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18: Third Premier League and League Cup win ====\\nSilva started the 2017–18 season with yet another display of finesse, providing eight Premier League assists in 14 appearances, which was the highest total for any player in Europe\\'s top five leagues. The 2017–18 season was an especially difficult time for the Spaniard, with his newborn son having been born extremely prematurely. This led to him having to jet back and forth between England and Spain to visit his son and partner in a hospital in Madrid. Despite this, Silva continued to produce excellent performances, and on 30 November 2017, he signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester City keeping him at the club until 2020. On 10 December, Silva scored the winner in a closely fought Manchester Derby at Old Trafford, stabbing the ball past David de Gea from close range.Silva was forced to miss a crucial game against Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium in December, as he was with his son in Spain. In his absence, City delivered a sumptuous performance, smashing Tottenham 4–1 following an urging from manager Pep Guardiola to secure the win for Silva and his partner Yessica. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne held his fingers up to show the number 21, Silva\\'s shirt number, after scoring City\\'s second, in a touching tribute to the Spaniard. Manchester City ended up winning the Premier League with a record 100 point tally, leading to the team being nicknamed The Centurions. The 19 point gap to second-placed Manchester United was also a record winning margin, which stands to this day.\\nSilva also scored in the 2018 EFL Cup Final against Arsenal. For his contributions, Silva was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second time as City won the Premier League. It was the third Premier League title of Silva\\'s career and his second time being named in the PFA Team of the Year, and he finished the season with 10 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19: Four titles in one season ====\\nOn 15 September 2018, in a 3–0 home win over Fulham, Silva scored his 50th Premier League goal in his 253rd appearance in the competition, also making his 350th appearance for Manchester City in the same match. City and Liverpool went head to head in an absorbing title race, which ended up with City pipping the Reds to the title by a single point.It was a remarkable season for the Blues, as they went on to win the Community Shield, League Cup and FA Cup too, with Silva scoring in the final of the latter tournament. In doing this, they became the first club in English football history to win all four domestic honours in a single season. Silva played in 33 of City\\'s 38 league games, registering 10 goals and 14 assists in all competitions as he picked up his second FA Cup, fourth League Cup and fourth Premier League title.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20: Fifth League Cup win, departure, statue ====\\nFollowing the departure of Vincent Kompany in 2019, Silva inherited the club captaincy. On 26 June 2019, Silva announced that he would leave Manchester City at the end of the 2019–20 season. The campaign began with City facing Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley- City won on penalties following a 1–1 draw, with Silva producing a brilliant pass to assist Raheem Sterling for City\\'s goal. On 8 July, he provided two assists, the second of which was his 10th of the season, and scored a free kick as City beat Newcastle United 5–0. With the free kick goal, he reached 150 Premier League goals and assists, which only a few midfielders had done before.On 1 March 2020, City took on Aston Villa in the League Cup final, their third such final in as many years and fifth in seven seasons. The Blues won 2–1, with goals from Sergio Aguero and Rodri, and lifted the trophy for the third time in a row. It was Silva\\'s only trophy as captain of Manchester City, and his fifth League Cup title overall, making him the most decorated player in the competition\\'s 60-year history.\\nOn 26 July 2020, Silva played his final Premier League game for Manchester City, a 5–0 win over Norwich City. He was substituted late on in the match, to applause from all present. Just under a month later, he played his last game in a City shirt, in a disappointing 3–1 defeat to Olympique Lyon in the Champions League quarter-finals, coming on as a late substitute. At the age of 34, Silva ended the campaign with a respectable return of six goals and 11 assists in all competitions, enough to earn himself a third appearance in the PFA Team of the Year despite City\\'s underwhelming season.On 17 August 2020, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak announced plans for a statue of Silva, along with teammates Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany, to be installed at the Etihad Stadium to commemorate his 10-year \"transformational\" contribution at City.\\nThe statues of Silva and Kompany were unveiled on 28 August 2021.\\n\\n\\n=== Real Sociedad ===\\nOn 17 August 2020, Spanish club Real Sociedad announced the signing of Silva on a free transfer, despite reports of a move to Italian side Lazio.Silva made his debut for the club in a 0–0 home draw against Real Madrid, coming on as a substitute in the second half. On 25 October 2020, Silva provided two assists as La Real beat Huesca 4–1 in La Liga. A week later, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 4–1 away win against Celta Vigo. Following his excellent performances for Sociedad, Silva was named in WhoScored\\'s La Liga Team of the Month for November, as well as being named Real Sociedad Player of the Month.On 21 February 2021, Silva once again provided two assists as Real Sociedad defeated Alaves 4–0 in the league. This propelled La Real to 5th in the table, while Silva became the only player to provide two assists in two different La Liga games that season.On 3 April 2021, Silva started in and played 85 minutes of the 2020 Copa del Rey final against local rivals Athletic Bilbao. The match was settled by a 63rd-minute penalty from La Real captain Mikel Oyarzabal, after Cristian Portu had been brought down in the box. Silva was substituted late in the game to a standing ovation from the Sociedad bench, and along with his teammates went on to lift the Copa Del Rey, Real Sociedad\\'s first major trophy since 1987. It was the 16th major honour of David Silva\\'s career, and his second Copa Del Rey title. This final was postponed from a year earlier, so Silva and Carlos Fernández had taken no part in the other rounds played in the 2019−20 season.\\nOn 21 July 2023, Silva ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament. Just 6 days later, on 27 July, he announced his retirement from football aged 37.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nSilva first represented Spain in the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Finland, scoring three goals. In 2006, he became an under-21 international and scored four goals during the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship; this was enough to earn him joint-fourth place in the goal ranking, alongside Italian striker Graziano Pellè.\\nSilva made his senior international debut in the 1–0 friendly home defeat to Romania on 15 November 2006, and continued to receive call-ups to the side after good contributions in his first games. On 22 August 2007, he scored his first two goals for Spain, netting twice in a 3–2 friendly win versus Greece, and was then called up to the squad of 23 for UEFA Euro 2008.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2008 ===\\nSilva started five of Spain\\'s six matches at Euro 2008. In Spain\\'s second group stage match against Sweden in Innsbruck, he assisted Fernando Torres with a pinpoint cross from the edge of the box, with the Liverpool forward scoring the opener in an eventual 2–1 win.\\nIn the semi-finals game versus Russia, Silva scored the third goal for Spain after a quick counter-attack in which Cesc Fàbregas delivered a low cross, and he sent the ball into Igor Akinfeev\\'s goal with his left foot. In the final, he was involved in an incident with Germany\\'s Lukas Podolski. After he pulled Podolski to the ground, the German approached Silva, which resulted in an angry exchange of words and a coming together of heads that the referee decided not to punish. Shortly afterward, Spanish coach Luis Aragonés substituted Silva for Santi Cazorla in an attempt to calm the tensions.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 FIFA World Cup ===\\nAfter appearing regularly during 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, Silva was also picked for the squad for the finals in South Africa. He played in the first match against Switzerland which ended in a 1–0 defeat, then against Germany in the semi-finals, as a late substitute in a 1–0 victory.Spain eventually won their first World Cup title after beating the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time in the final.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying ===\\nOn 11 August 2010, during an international friendly with Mexico, Silva scored two minutes into second-half injury time, ending the game with a 1–1 draw. In a Euro 2012 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 3 September 2010, Silva scored after 62 minutes, in a 4–0 away win. The following month, in the same competition, he scored through a rare header, as the national team downed Lithuania in Salamanca (3–1).In a friendly against Colombia on 9 February 2011, he came off the bench to score the game\\'s only goal with just four minutes remaining, helping Spain to a hard-fought 1–0 win. He scored twice and provided one assist in Spain\\'s 3–1 victory against Scotland in their final match of the Euro 2012 qualifiers. The win saw the Spaniards enter the tournament with a perfect qualifying record by winning all their group games. He scored the first goal in Spain\\'s 2–2 comeback against Costa Rica, a friendly match where he came on as a substitute in the second half with Spain trailing 2–0. He once again scored in a friendly against Venezuela to make the score 2–0 in a match that ended in a 5–0 win. Heading into Euro 2012, he scored in their pre-tournament friendly against China by finishing off a short give and go from Andrés Iniesta in the 84th minute.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2012 ===\\nSilva was a starter in all six matches of Spain\\'s Euro 2012 campaign. In their opening match of the tournament against Italy, he delivered a superb flicked through ball to Cesc Fàbregas, who scored to level the game up at 1–1.\\nIn Spain\\'s second Group C match against the Republic of Ireland, Silva produced one of the performances of the tournament, scoring one and providing two assists in a 4–0 win. His goal was mesmeric, as he left Sean St. Ledger on the floor and beat Stephen Ward before coolly slotting it past former Manchester City teammate Shay Given.In the 14th minute of the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, he headed home a Cesc Fàbregas cross, giving Spain a 1–0 lead.\\nThe match ended 4–0 and concluded the tournament in which Silva scored two goals and made three assists, the best efficiency (goals and assists) of any player at the Euros. He was subsequently named in UEFA\\'s Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament for his performances. He also finished as the joint highest assist provider at the Euros, with three.\\n\\n\\n=== 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup ===\\nSilva was named in Vicente del Bosque\\'s 23-man squad list for Spain\\'s contestation of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, held in Brazil. On 20 June 2013, he scored two goals and assisted one for David Villa in Spain\\'s 10–0 group stage demolition of Tahiti at the Maracanã. Spain would go on to reach the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final, where they were soundly beaten 3–0 by hosts Brazil.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 FIFA World Cup ===\\nSilva was part of Spain\\'s 23-man squad which traveled to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup. With La Roja looking to defend the title they captured four years ago in South Africa, Silva started the opening match against the Netherlands in Bahia. However, they were unable to repeat their success over the Oranje from 2010, and succumbed to a 5–1 loss, despite taking an early lead.Silva started the second group stage game, against Chile, playing the full 90 minutes. However, it was another bad outing for the side, who were soundly beaten 2–0 and eliminated from the tournament.Despite the team\\'s under-performance, Silva was one of the brighter sparks for La Roja, creating seven chances for his team, the most of any Spanish player at the World Cup.\\n\\n\\n=== UEFA Euro 2016 ===\\nEuro 2016 was one of Silva\\'s best outings for the National Team at a major tournament. Starting in all four matches, Silva began the tournament with a show stopping display against the Czech Republic, in which he created six chances for his team- the most of any Spain player in a single match at the tournament. The game ended in a 1–0 victory for the reigning European champions.In the second group game, a clash with Turkey in Nice, Silva was a key cog as Spain produced one of their best performances of the tournament, dispatching the Turks 3–0. Silva was mesmeric throughout, and received a standing ovation from Spain and Turkey fans alike when he was substituted late in the game.\\nSilva played the full 90 minutes in La Roja\\'s third group stage game against Croatia. It was an exceptional display, with the midfielder playing a sublime through ball to teammate Cesc Fàbregas, who squared for Alvaro Morata to score the opener. He later won a penalty, which was missed by Sergio Ramos, as Spain fell to a 2–1 defeat. Despite this, Silva created five chances in the game, the second most of any Spain player in a Euro 2016 match, after himself. Spain were eventually eliminated in the round of 16 by Italy, who beat them 2–0.Silva ended the tournament averaging 3.3 chances created per 90, the third highest at the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== Later years and retirement ===\\nSilva continued his goal scoring record under new boss Julen Lopetegui, scoring 9 times in 12 matches. In May 2018, Silva was named to Spain\\'s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He started all their matches in their World Cup campaign, which eventually ended with a 3–4 penalty shootout defeat to hosts Russia in the Round of 16.\\nAfter the 2018 World Cup, Silva announced his retirement from international football. He ended his international career with 125 caps for Spain, having scored 35 goals. Following his retirement, Silva drew plaudits from many of his former teammates, being described as \"one of the best ever\" and \"one of the most talented players Spain has ever produced, without a shadow of a doubt\" by midfield partners Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. Vicente del Bosque, who led Spain to the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 titles, even went as far as to declare Silva \"Spain\\'s Lionel Messi\".\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\n\\nA talented and agile left-footed player, Silva is known for having an excellent first touch, good dribbling skills, and outstanding technical ability, which, along with his intelligent attacking movements, allow him to retain possession in tight spaces, and to create space for himself and teammates to open up a defence.Silva\\'s composure on the ball, as well as his vision, passing accuracy, ability to read the game, pick a pass, and control the tempo of his team\\'s play have seen him become one of the best players in the world in his position, as well as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history, and earned him the nicknames Merlin (reference to the legendary wizard Merlin) and El Mago. He is also considered one of the greatest midfielders of his generation and one of Manchester City\\'s greatest ever players.Although he primarily serves as a playmaker for his team, he is capable of scoring goals himself as well as creating them, which enables him to be deployed in several offensive roles: he is usually fielded in a free role as an attacking midfielder, where he is given space to roam the pitch, but has also been used as a winger, as a false 9, as a second striker or as a deeper-lying central midfielder.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nDuring December 2017, Silva had been missing games to return to Spain for personal reasons. On 3 January 2018, he said that his newborn son, Mateo, had been born extremely prematurely and was fighting to stay alive. On 11 May 2018, Mateo was reported as healthy and was allowed to come home.\\nSilva is a devout Catholic.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nSpain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Silva goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nValencia\\n\\nCopa del Rey: 2007–08Manchester City\\n\\nPremier League: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19\\nFA Cup: 2010–11, 2018–19\\nFootball League/EFL Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20\\nFA Community Shield: 2012, 2019Real Sociedad\\n\\nCopa del Rey: 2019–20Spain U19\\n\\nUEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2004Spain\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012Individual\\n\\nFIFA U-17 World Championship Bronze Ball: 2003\\nPedro Zaballa Award: 2005\\nPremier League Player of the Month: September 2011\\nMost assists in the Premier League: 2011–12\\nMost assists in the UEFA European Championship: 2012(3, shared with Mesut Özil,Steven Gerrard and Andrey Arshavin)\\nManchester City Player of the Season: 2016–17\\nManchester City Players\\' Player of the Season: 2011–12\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2011–12 Premier League, 2017–18 Premier League, 2019–20 Premier League\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012\\nPremier League Player of the Year by Northwest Football Awards: 2017Orders\\n\\nMedalla de Oro de Canarias: 2010\\nPrince of Asturias Award for Sports: 2010\\nGold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more caps\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website\\nDavid Silva at BDFutbol\\nNational team data at BDFutbol\\nProfile at the Real Sociedad website\\nDavid Silva at Premier League\\nDavid Silva at Soccerbase \\nDavid Silva at National-Football-Teams.com\\nDavid Silva – FIFA competition record (archived)\\nDavid Silva at ESPN FC\\nSilva at Goal.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 September 2011)\\nBASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGERBastian Schweinsteiger (pronounced [ˈbasti̯a(ː)n ˈʃvaɪnʃtaɪɡɐ] ; born 1 August 1984) is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Earlier in his career, he primarily played as a wide midfielder; he later switched to a central midfield role. Former Germany national team manager Joachim Löw has referred to Schweinsteiger as one of the greatest players the country has ever produced.He spent 17 seasons at Bayern Munich, playing in exactly 500 matches across all competitions and scoring 68 goals. His honours at the club include eight Bundesliga titles, seven DFB-Pokal titles, a UEFA Champions League title, a FIFA Club World Cup title and a UEFA Super Cup title. He joined Manchester United in 2015, playing sparingly for 18 months before moving to Chicago Fire. He announced his retirement from playing in October 2019.\\nSchweinsteiger played for the German national team from 2004 to 2016. He is Germany\\'s fourth-most-capped player of all time, having earned 121 caps and scored 24 goals. He was selected in their squads for four European Championships and three World Cups, including their victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Also, in 2014 FIFA World Cup, he was widely regarded as one of the most important contributors in Germany\\'s victorious campaign, playing an especially important role in defending Lionel Messi in the Final. Following Philipp Lahm\\'s international retirement on 2 September 2014, Schweinsteiger was named captain of the national team. He played his last match for Germany against Finland on 31 August 2016, after which he retired from international football.\\nSince his retirement as a player in 2019, Schweinsteiger has worked as an on-air football analyst for German television broadcaster ARD and its weekend programme Sportschau.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Bayern Munich ===\\nSchweinsteiger signed with FC Bayern Munich as a youth team player on 1 July 1998 and rose through the club\\'s youth sides. A talented youth ski racer, he had to decide between pursuing a professional career in skiing or one in football. Having won the German youth championship in July 2002, Schweinsteiger quickly earned a place in the reserves, producing a string of solid third-division displays. He initially earned a reputation for being a rebel off the pitch, making headlines for the wrong reasons but has since settled down.\\nDuring his first appearances in the titular eleven, he played left-back. After just two training sessions with the first team, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld gave Schweinsteiger his debut, at the age of 18, as a late substitute in a UEFA Champions League game against RC Lens in November 2002, and the youngster made an immediate impact, creating a goal for Markus Feulner within minutes. He signed a professional contract the following month and went on to appear in 14 Bundesliga games in 2002–03, helping Bayern to a league and cup double. The next season, he played 26 Bundesliga games. He scored his first Bayern goal against VfL Wolfsburg in September 2003.\\nSurprisingly sent back to Bayern\\'s reserve team by new coach Felix Magath at the beginning of the 2005–06 season despite his international exploits of the summer in the Confederations Cup, Schweinsteiger swiftly returned to play a role in the double-winning campaign and scored in Bayern\\'s Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat at Chelsea.\\nOver the next three seasons, up until the end of 2007–08, Schweinsteiger made 135 appearances in all competitions for Bayern Munich (Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal), scoring 10 goals in the process.\\nOn 15 August 2008, Schweinsteiger scored the first Bundesliga goal of the 2008–09 season. In December 2010, he extended his contract with Bayern until 2016.\\nOn 25 April 2012, Schweinsteiger scored from the last and match-clinching penalty kick against Real Madrid to send Bayern through to the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, where they would face Chelsea. The match, played at Bayern\\'s Allianz Arena, ended 1–1 and went to a penalty shoot-out. With the shoot-out poised at 3–3, Petr Čech tipped Schweinsteiger\\'s shot onto the post, allowing Didier Drogba to seal the title for Chelsea with the next kick.\\nIn the 2012–13 season, Schweinsteiger performed considerably well, continuing his duties as central midfielder along with new signing Javi Martínez. On 6 April 2013, Schweinsteiger scored a backheel flick goal against Eintracht Frankfurt which sealed the Bundesliga title for Bayern. The season ended on a high for Schweinsteiger, as Bayern secured a treble of Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League.\\nSchweinsteiger received the 2013 German player of the year due to his performance for Bayern Munich. He was described by then manager Jupp Heynckes as the best midfielder in the world and Heynckes wanted either Schweinsteiger, Ribéry or Thomas Müller to win the Ballon d\\'Or.He scored an equaliser goal in the match against Manchester United in the first leg of their 2013–14 UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Old Trafford but saw a red card later in that match.He made his 2014–15 season debut in a 4–0 win against 1899 Hoffenheim. He came in for Mario Götze in the 78th minute. On 16 May 2015, with Bayern having already won the league, he scored the opening goal in a 2–1 defeat at SC Freiburg. On 23 May 2015, Schweinsteiger scored on his 500th appearance for Bayern. This proved to be his last match with the club. He transferred to Manchester United on 13 July 2015, having been at Bayern for 17 years.Schweinsteiger was a fan favourite at Bayern and was usually called Fußballgott (football god) by Bayern\\'s fans.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\nOn 13 July 2015, Manchester United completed the signing of Schweinsteiger on a three-year contract for a fee of €9 million (£6.5 million). Manchester United had never before fielded a German in the first team; Markus Neumayr and Ron-Robert Zieler were at the club before him, but neither made it into the first team. Schweinsteiger was given shirt number 23 in pre-season, but switched to 31, which he wore at Bayern, before the official start to the season.Schweinsteiger made his pre-season debut for Manchester United in a friendly match against Club América on 17 July 2015. United defeated the Mexican club 1–0 in Seattle. His Premier League debut came on 8 August, as a 60th-minute substitute for Michael Carrick as the season began with a 1–0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur, being booked eight minutes into his first appearance for a foul on Nacer Chadli. On 28 November he scored his first goal for the club, equalising with a header in a 1–1 draw against Leicester City.On 7 December 2015, Schweinsteiger was punished with a three-match retrospective ban by The Football Association for striking West Ham United\\'s Winston Reid in the throat in their meeting two days earlier.After the arrival of new manager, José Mourinho, Schweinsteiger was demoted and sent to training with the under-23 team. A number of high-profile former teammates have criticised Mourinho\\'s handling of the matter, accusing Mourinho of showing a lack of respect for Schweinsteiger. He returned to first team training towards the end of 2016, and made his first appearance since March when he came on as a late substitute in the EFL Cup quarter-final against West Ham United on 30 November 2016. He made his first start in over a year in a 4–0 win in the FA Cup fourth round home tie against Wigan Athletic on 29 January 2017, in which he scored his first Old Trafford goal for Manchester United with an overhead finish. For his goal, as well as his assist to Marouane Fellaini for the opening goal, he was voted \"Man of the Match\" by the fans.\\n\\n\\n=== Chicago Fire ===\\nOn 21 March 2017, Manchester United allowed Schweinsteiger to join Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire, subject to a medical and a visa being secured. The move was completed on 29 March. A few days later, Mourinho stated that he \"regretted\" the way he had treated Schweinsteiger. On 1 April, Schweinsteiger debuted for Chicago Fire, scoring in a 2–2 home draw against Montreal Impact. By mid-season, he would help guide Chicago to the top of the MLS standings and be voted into the \"MLS All-Star Fan XI\" (along with teammate Nemanja Nikolić) to face Real Madrid at the 2017 MLS All-Star Game in Chicago. After guiding the Fire back into the playoffs after a five-year drought, Schweinsteiger was awarded the contract option of another year in 2018. Schweinsteiger netted a goal and also provided an assist to Alan Gordon\\'s equalising goal in the stoppage time in a 2–2 draw against Toronto FC on 29 April 2018. On 5 August, he scored a long-range goal to level the scoreline after coming on as a substitute in the second half, but his side were defeated in a 2–1 away loss against Real Salt Lake. On 11 July, Schweinsteiger scored a goal in the stoppage time and provided one assist to Aleksandar Katai\\'s goal in a 4–3 home defeat against Philadelphia Union.\\n\\n\\n=== Retirement ===\\nOn 8 October 2019, Schweinsteiger announced his retirement from professional football. A few days after his retirement from active sports in October 2019, the ARD announced that Schweinsteiger would be accompanying live broadcasts of football matches as an expert in Qatar for the next three years up to and including the 2022 FIFA World Cup.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nSchweinsteiger made his international debut in June 2004 in a friendly against Hungary and earned 121 caps before his retirement from international football in 2016. He was part of the Germany squad for every major tournament from UEFA Euro 2004 until Euro 2016.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2004 ===\\nRight after taking part in the under-21s\\' disappointing run at the 2004 European Championships, he was called up for Euro 2004. He set up the opening goal for Bayern teammate Michael Ballack in Germany\\'s 2–1 loss against the Czech Republic.\\n\\n\\n=== 2006 FIFA World Cup ===\\nHe scored his first two international goals on 8 June 2005 against Russia and scored his first goal in a competitive match against Tunisia on 18 June 2005 at the Confederations Cup in Germany. He was called up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup on home soil and shot into prominence at the tournament with his two brilliant long-range strikes in the third-place match against Portugal, which won him the Man of the Match award. The match ended 3–1 with the 21-year-old nearly claiming a hat-trick but his deflected free kick was credited as an own-goal to Armando Petit.\\nAt the age of 22, he had already played 41 matches for the German national team, a record for any German player at the time. This record was soon broken, however, by Lukas Podolski who was capped 44 times at the age of 22. At the same age, Lothar Matthäus (the German all-time record holder with 150 caps) had only played 13 times for the German national team.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2008 ===\\nDuring Euro 2008 qualifiers, he scored two goals en route to a record 13–0 win over San Marino in San Marino. He scored the third goal in Germany\\'s 4–1 win over Slovakia in Bratislava.\\nSchweinsteiger lost his place in the starting 11 when Germany manager Joachim Löw moved striker Lukas Podolski to Schweinsteiger\\'s usual position on the left wing to accommodate the strike partnership of Miroslav Klose and Mario Gómez, and he made two substitute appearances in the group stage. In the second match against Croatia, he was shown a straight red card for reacting to a challenge from Jerko Leko as Germany succumbed to a shock 2–1 defeat. After serving his suspension by missing the game against Austria, he returned to the starting line-up in the quarterfinal against Portugal, as Löw reverted to the old 4–4–2 formation when Gómez was benched after failing to make an impression. Once again he was instrumental in Germany\\'s 3–2 win, scoring one goal and setting up the other two. He also scored his country\\'s first goal in the 3–2 semifinal victory against Turkey. He captained the team for the first time in a friendly against the United Arab Emirates.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 FIFA World Cup ===\\nSchweinsteiger featured often in 2010 World Cup qualifying, playing nine of the 10 games and contributing three goals. He started in Germany\\'s third pre-warm-up game vs. Bosnia on 3 June 2010, and scored two penalties in a 3–1 victory in the space of four minutes, but in the 87th minute he was substituted off for Bayern Munich teammate Toni Kroos.\\n\\nDuring the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Schweinsteiger was charged with replacing the injured Michael Ballack at the centre of midfield. He performed admirably in this role, adding valuable leadership and international experience to a very young German side. He was vital to both the German attack and defence, as was apparent when he was named the Man of the Match after the quarter-final match against Argentina, where he provided two assists while also managing to contain Lionel Messi. Germany subsequently lost to Spain in the semi-finals. Germany was able to rally for a 3–2 victory over Uruguay in the third-place match, and, with Philipp Lahm resting on the bench because of illness, Schweinsteiger served as captain.\\nOverall, Schweinsteiger recorded three assists in seven matches in South Africa, which tied him for the most assists in the finals with Dirk Kuyt, Kaká, Thomas Müller and Mesut Özil. In recognition of his excellent play throughout the tournament, he was chosen as one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Golden Ball, awarded to the most outstanding player of the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2012 ===\\nSchweinsteiger established himself as first choice as defensive midfielder in Germany\\'s qualifying group. He played five matches – once against each opponent: Belgium, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Austria and Turkey – and helped Germany win 10 out of 10 games, scoring once and providing one assist.\\nSchweinsteiger started all five of Germany\\'s matches at the UEFA Euro 2012 finals and assisted both of Mario Gómez goals in the 2–1 Group B win over rivals the Netherlands.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 FIFA World Cup ===\\nSchweinsteiger made five appearances as Germany qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 15 October 2013, he won his 100th cap for the national team in a 5–3 win over Sweden.After making a substitute appearance in the team\\'s second match against Ghana, Schweinsteiger was selected to start in the third group game against the United States. He retained his place in the team for Germany\\'s round of 16 match, a 2–1 win against Algeria. He was instrumental in the World Cup finals against Argentina and led the mid-field with sweeping passes for the German attack. Germany won the World Cup final 1–0 through Mario Götze\\'s 113th-minute goal.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2016 and retirement ===\\nPrior to the start of qualification, Schweinsteiger was appointed as the new captain for Germany after Philipp Lahm\\'s retirement. On 23 March 2016 he sustained damage on his knee while he was training with the German national team which made him miss the rest of the Premier League season but he recovered just in time to be selected for Germany\\'s 27-man provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2016. On 31 May, Schweinsteiger was selected for Germany\\'s final 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016. During this time, Schweinsteiger also took part in a collaboration between the German Football Association and The LEGO Group, who in 2016 released a Europe-exclusive collectible minifigure series, with Schweinsteiger featured as the seventh of sixteen minifigures in the collection.On 12 June 2016, Schweinsteiger scored in stoppage time after coming on late in a 2–0 group stage victory over Ukraine. Nine days later, Schweinsteiger set a new record for German player with the most appearances in a European Championship match. After the tournament, Schweinsteiger announced his retirement from competitive international football, having played in 120 games, scoring 24 goals. One month later, he participated in his last ever international appearance for Germany, against Finland in a friendly match. He was succeeded as captain by Manuel Neuer.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nSchweinsteiger largely operated in the centre, but he was versatile enough to provide an option on the wing, either on the left or right flank. During his years with Bayern, he was regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. Schweinsteiger possessed a fearsome shot from range, as well as excellent crossing and a wicked delivery from set-pieces, while his boundless energy also serves him well. Described as a \"two-way player\" by Nick Amies, he was also used in a variety of other roles, including as a holding midfielder, as an attacking midfielder, in a box-to-box role, as a playmaker, in a deep-lying midfield role, or even as a right-back. A powerful, physical, and elegant player, who also possessed good technique, skill, passing ability, vision, and creativity, Schweinsteiger was known for his ability to control and dictate the flow of his team\\'s play in midfield, build attacks, and create chances for his teammates with his distribution. Dubbed the \"Midfield Motor\", Schweinsteiger was also a superb reader of the game and scored spectacularly due to his good positioning. He was called \"the brain\" of the German national team by coach Joachim Löw, and was also described as a \"midfield mastermind\".Beyond his offensive and creative capabilities, he was also known for his defensive skills, work-rate, and tackling ability. For his performances, he was voted as the best German player of the year in 2013. Jonathan Wilson, when writing for The Guardian during the same year, labelled Schweinsteiger as a type holding midfielder that he described as a \"carrier\" or \"surger,\" namely \"a player capable of making late runs or carrying the ball at his feet.\" During his time with Chicago, Schweinsteiger was also occasionally deployed as a central defender or sweeper in a three-man back-line, in addition to his usual role in midfield, courtesy of his vision and defensive skills; in this deeper role, he was not only given defensive responsibilities, such as marking opposing players, but was also given offensive duties, and was tasked with playing the ball out from the back, retaining possession, advancing into midfield, and controlling the play. Because of Schweinsteiger\\'s wide range of skills, his former Chicago Fire manager, Veljko Paunović, described him upon his retirement in 2019 as \"unique and special,\" also commenting: \"He\\'s a complete player, a total player. In Germany, where they know him even better than us, they call him a \\'Fussballgott\\' [a \"football god,\" in German] because he represents everything.\"\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nSchweinsteiger is a Roman Catholic. He is known to fans as \"Schweini\" or \"Basti\", the latter to distinguish him from his elder brother, Tobias, a professional footballer who also played for Bayern Munich, albeit in the reserve team. Schweinsteiger was in a relationship with model Sarah Brandner from 2007 until July 2014. They lived in Munich together.In September 2014, he began a relationship with Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanovic. The couple married on 12 July 2016 in Venice, Italy. They have two sons, born in 2018 and 2019. In February 2023, the couple announced that they were expecting their third child together.Schweinsteiger was a talented ski racer and is childhood friends with Felix Neureuther.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nScores and results list Germany\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Schweinsteiger goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nBayern Munich Juniors\\nUnder 17 Bundesliga: 2001\\nUnder 19 Bundesliga: 2002Bayern Munich II\\n\\nRegionalliga Süd: 2003–04Bayern Munich\\nBundesliga: 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15\\nDFB-Pokal: 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14\\nDFL-Ligapokal: 2007\\nDFL-Supercup: 2010\\nUEFA Champions League: 2012–13Manchester United\\nFA Cup: 2015–16Germany\\nFIFA World Cup: 2014; third place: 2006, 2010\\nUEFA European Championship runner-up: 2008\\nFIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2005Individual\\n\\nSilbernes Lorbeerblatt: 2006, 2010, 2014\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010\\nFIFA World Cup Most assists: 2010 (3, shared with Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Kaká, and Dirk Kuyt)\\nGermany national team Player of the Year: 2010\\nESM Team of the Year: 2012–13\\nFootballer of the Year in Germany: 2013\\nUEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 2013 (7th place)\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 3rd team: 2013\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2014\\nBambi Award: 2016\\nMLS All-Star: 2017, 2019\\nFC Bayern Munich Hall of Fame: 2018Orders\\n\\n Bavarian Order of Merit: 2018\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website (in German)\\nBastian Schweinsteiger – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nBastian Schweinsteiger – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nBastian Schweinsteiger at DFB (also available in German) \\nBastian Schweinsteiger at Major League Soccer \\nBastian Schweinsteiger at WorldFootball.net \\nBastian Schweinsteiger at fussballdaten.de (in German) \\nBastian Schweinsteiger at kicker (in German) \\nBastian Schweinsteiger at National-Football-Teams.com\\nGIANLUIGI BUFFONGianluigi Buffon (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanluˈiːdʒi bufˈfɔn]; born 28 January 1978), also known as Gigi Buffon, is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances and holds the record for the most appearances in the Serie A.\\nBuffon made his Serie A debut at Parma in 1995, helping Parma to win the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana in 1999. After joining Juventus in 2001, for the world record fee for a goalkeeper of €52.9 million at the time, Buffon won Serie A titles in both of his first two seasons at the club. In his first spell at Juventus enduring 17 years, he won a record nine Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias, and five Supercoppa Italianas. He was the first goalkeeper to win the Serie A Footballer of the Year award, and was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record twelve times. After reaching the 2015 and 2017 UEFA Champions League finals, Buffon was named to the Champions League Squad of the Season on both occasions, and won the inaugural The Best FIFA Goalkeeper award in the latter year. Buffon signed with French club Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 40 in 2018, where he was used in a rotational role with Alphonse Areola; he won the Trophée des Champions and Ligue 1 title in his only season with the team, before returning to Juventus the following year. During the 2019–20 season, Buffon served primarily as a back-up to Wojciech Szczęsny, but still managed to break Paolo Maldini\\'s record of 647 appearances in Serie A, as he won a record tenth top flight title with the club. The following season he continued to serve as a back-up, but started in the Coppa Italia, winning his record sixth title. In June 2021, Buffon returned to his boyhood club Parma, who had been relegated to Serie B for that season, before announcing his retirement from football in 2023 at the age of 45.\\nWith 176 international caps, Buffon is the most capped goalkeeper of all time, the most capped player in the history of the Italy national team, and the third-most capped European international player ever. Buffon also holds the record for most appearances for Italy as captain after he inherited the armband in 2010. Buffon was called up for a record of five FIFA World Cup tournaments (in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014) after making his debut in 1997; he was an unused substitute in the 1998 edition. He was the starting goalkeeper of the squad that won the 2006 tournament, being awarded the Golden Glove as the competition\\'s best goalkeeper. He also represented Italy at four European Championships, at the 1996 Olympics, and at two FIFA Confederations Cups, winning a bronze medal in the 2013 edition of the tournament. Following his performances during the 2006 World Cup, where he kept a record five clean sheets, Buffon won the Yashin Award and was elected to the Team of the Tournament, an honour he also received from UEFA after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2008 and the final of the 2012 European Championship. Buffon retired from international football in 2017, after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup; although he reversed this decision to play in the team\\'s friendlies the following year, he officially confirmed his international retirement in May 2018.\\nBuffon was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world\\'s greatest living players in 2004. He is the only goalkeeper to win the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award, which he achieved after reaching the 2003 Champions League final; he also won UEFA\\'s award for best goalkeeper that year, and was additionally voted into the UEFA Team of the Year on five occasions. Buffon was the runner-up for the Ballon d\\'Or in 2006, and was elected part of the FIFPro World11 three times. He was the first ever goalkeeper to win the Golden Foot Award, and was also named the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper a record five times, alongside Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer. He would go on to be named the best goalkeeper of the 21st century, of the past 25 years and of the decade by the same organisation.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nBuffon was born in Carrara, Tuscany, although he is of Friulian origin, from Latisana. He was born into a sporting family: his mother Maria Stella Masocco was three times Italian champion in shot put and discus throw, his uncle Dante Masocco was a basketball player who played in the Serie A1, his father Adriano also practiced shot put, and his elder sisters Guendalina and Veronica Buffon were professional volleyball players. He is a relative of Lorenzo Buffon, goalkeeper for Milan, Genoa, Inter, Fiorentina and the Italian national team: Lorenzo is Gianluigi\\'s second cousin twice removed.In June 2017, he received honorary citizenship from the city of Latisana.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Parma ===\\n\\n\\n==== 1991–1994: Youth career and early professional career ====\\n\\nDespite offers from Bologna and Milan, Buffon began his career with the Parma youth system in 1991, at the age of 13. During his time in the youth academy, he initially played in several out-field positions, in particular as a midfielder, before switching to his current position of goalkeeper. His idol Thomas N\\'Kono inspired this change of position due to his notable goalkeeping performances for Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup in Italy; as a result, when both of the Parma youth team\\'s keepers suddenly suffered injuries, Buffon was called upon due to his interest, height and physical attributes. He quickly adapted to this role, and within two weeks he had been promoted to first keeper of the Parma youth team. Ermes Fulgoni, the academy\\'s goalkeeping coach, would soon become a mentor to the young goalkeeper.After an initial call-up to train with the first team during the summer of 1994, Buffon was promoted to the senior squad in 1995, and at the age of 17 years, 295 days, he made his Serie A debut for Parma under Nevio Scala, keeping a clean sheet in a 0–0 home draw against eventual Serie A Champions Milan, on 19 November 1995. Buffon made notable saves against Ballon d\\'Or winners Roberto Baggio and George Weah, as well as Marco Simone, throughout the match. Buffon went on to make seven more first team appearances that season as well as one appearance in the Coppa Italia, making his debut in the competition, as Parma were eliminated in the second round. Parma finished in sixth place in Serie A that season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. During his time at Parma, he trained under goalkeeping coach Villiam Vecchi, a person to whom Buffon attributes much of his confidence, development, and success.\\n\\n\\n==== 1996–2001: Making the starting eleven, early success and recognition ====\\nIn the 1996–97 Serie A season, his second full season with the club, Buffon was named as the starting goalkeeper ahead of Luca Bucci, and Alessandro Nista. Parma finished the 1996–97 season as runners-up in Serie A, behind Juventus, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. Buffon conceded 17 goals in 27 appearances, and his consistent performances began to gain attention in Italy. Parma were once again eliminated in the second round of the Coppa Italia and in the first round of the UEFA Cup that season, where Buffon made his European debut in a 2–0 defeat to Portuguese club Vitória de Guimarães on 24 September 1996, aged 18 years, 240 days.In the 1997–98 season, Parma finished in fifth place in Serie A and reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals. Buffon also made his debut in the UEFA Champions League that season: his first appearance came in a 3–1 away win over Widzew Łódź on 13 August 1997, in the first leg of the second qualifying round, aged 19 years, 197 days, while he made his debut in the group stage in a 2–0 home victory against Galatasaray on 1 October later that year, aged 19 years, 246 days; Parma were ultimately knocked out in the first round of the competition, finishing second in their group, behind defending champions Borussia Dortmund. Buffon acquired his nickname \"Superman\" during the course of the season, when he stopped a penalty by Inter striker and Ballon d\\'Or holder Ronaldo. Buffon celebrated the save by showing the Parma fans a Superman T-shirt, which he was wearing underneath his jersey; the nickname was also a reference to Buffon\\'s athleticism, agility and aerial ability.In his fourth season with the club, Buffon won his first European trophy, the UEFA Cup, keeping a clean sheet in the final against Marseille, which ended in a 3–0 win for Parma; he also won the Coppa Italia with the club that season, as Parma defeated Fiorentina on away goals. Parma finished fourth in Serie A, which allowed them to reach the playoff round of the UEFA Champions League, although they were relegated to the UEFA Cup after losing to Rangers. Buffon\\'s performances that season earned him his first Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award, as well as the Bravo Award, the trophy given to the best player under 23 years of age in Europe. He also placed fifth in the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper rankings, and received his first ever Ballon d\\'Or nomination.In the following season, he won his first Supercoppa Italiana title against Serie A champions Milan, and Parma finished fourth in Serie A once again, tied with Inter for the final remaining Champions League spot. Parma lost 3–1 to Inter in the European playoff match. The club was knocked out in the round of 16 of both the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia.In the 2000–01 season, Buffon helped lead Parma to another Coppa Italia Final, in which they were defeated by Fiorentina; but the team suffered a third-round elimination in the UEFA Cup. Parma also finished the season in fourth place for the third consecutive year, which allowed them to go through to the Champions League play-off round. Buffon was voted Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the second time in his career, and he also placed third in the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper award.On 3 July 2001, Buffon was sold to Juventus for a world-record goalkeeper\\'s transfer fee of 100 billion lire, (€51,645,690) (Or €51.956 million including other minor costs that could be capitalised) with part of the transfer fees paid via the transfer of Jonathan Bachini to Parma for an undisclosed fee (which saw Juventus make a capital gain of €10M, i.e. he was sold for equal to or more than €10M).\\n\\n\\n=== Juventus ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2001–2004: Initial dominance ====\\nBuffon transferred from Parma to Juventus on 3 July 2001 for €52.9 million, along with former Parma teammate Lilian Thuram, and was handed the number 1 shirt as the starting goalkeeper, replacing Edwin van der Sar, who was sold to Fulham. Buffon later said that there had been an initial possibility for him to join Roma, but they signed Ivan Pelizzoli instead, and although negotiations were ongoing with Barcelona, he chose Juventus because his father convinced him he would be likely to achieve his ambition of winning the Scudetto. This transfer fee made Buffon Juventus\\' most expensive purchase ever, a record which was broken in 2016 by the acquisition of Gonzalo Higuaín.Buffon made his Juventus debut during the opening match of the 2001–02 Serie A season, on 26 August 2001, keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 home win over Venezia. He kept two more clean sheets until he was beaten by Massimo Marazzina in a 3–2 home win over Chievo on the fourth match-day. He made his Juventus Champions League debut on 18 September, in a 3–2 home win over Celtic. In his first season with Juventus, Buffon appeared in 45 official matches, helping his team to the Serie A title, as Juventus finished the season with the best defence in Italy, with Buffon only conceding 22 goals in 34 Serie A matches. Juventus also finished as runners-up in the Coppa Italia that season to Buffon\\'s former club, Parma; Buffon only made one appearance in the competition. Juventus were eliminated in the second group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Despite coming under criticism in the media for some errors early on in the season, in particular against Chievo, Buffon was awarded his third Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award at the end of the season for his performances throughout the year, and he was nominated for the UEFA Team of the Year for the first time in his career, losing out to Rüştü Reçber.At the beginning of the 2002–03 season, Juventus won the 2002 Supercoppa Italiana against Parma. Buffon had a dominant year, totalling 47 appearances in all competitions, of which 32 were in Serie A. He helped Juventus to the UEFA Champions League Final, only for his team to lose in a penalty shoot-out to Milan after a 0–0 draw at Old Trafford following extra time. Buffon managed to save two penalties, but Milan won the shootout 3–2. Buffon drew praise for making a reaction save from a close-range header by Filippo Inzaghi in the final during regulation time, which he later described as the most difficult save of his career in his 2008 autobiography, and as one of the most beautiful in 2014. Buffon saved a Luís Figo penalty in the second leg of the semi-finals, against defending champions Real Madrid, in Turin. Juventus progressed to the final, winning 4–3 on aggregate. Juventus managed to celebrate their second consecutive Serie A title that season, finishing the season with the best defence yet again, as Buffon conceded only 23 goals in 32 appearances. In 2003, Buffon received the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the fourth time. He also became the only goalkeeper ever to win the now defunct UEFA Most Valuable Player or UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award. He also won the UEFA Best Goalkeeper award, and was elected to the UEFA Team of the Year for the first time. He was also named the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper for the first time in his career. Buffon was also nominated for the 2003 Ballon d\\'Or that season, finishing in ninth place.Buffon began the 2003–04 season with Juventus by defeating Milan on penalties in the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana, with Buffon saving a penalty in the shootout, after a 1–1 draw. Juventus were eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League that season by Deportivo de La Coruña and finished the Serie A season in a disappointing third place, although they managed to reach the Coppa Italia Final. Buffon made his 100th appearance for Juventus that season on 30 September 2003 in a 2–1 away win over Olympiacos in the group stage of the Champions League. He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004, but missed out on the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award, which went to Milan\\'s league-winning goalkeeper Dida. He was once again elected as the Goalkeeper for the UEFA Team of the Year and as the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper. Buffon also received his first ever FIFA World Player of the Year nomination in 2004, finishing in 21st place alongside countryman Paolo Maldini.\\n\\n\\n==== 2004–2006: Calciopoli and relegation ====\\nIn the summer of 2004, Marcello Lippi left Juventus to take charge of the Italy national team and was replaced by Fabio Capello. In his fourth season with the club, Buffon made 38 appearances in Serie A and 48 in all competitions that season as he won his third Serie A title in four years with Juventus, winning once again the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the fifth time in his career. Juventus were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, against eventual winners Liverpool, and in 2005, Buffon was nominated for the UEFA Team of the Year for the fourth consecutive year.In August 2005, Buffon collided with Milan midfielder Kaká during the annual preseason Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi match, suffering a dislocated shoulder that required surgery. Milan loaned backup goalkeeper Christian Abbiati to Juventus as compensation while Buffon recovered. Buffon returned to the Juventus starting line-up in November, but injury again sidelined him until January. He recovered in time to help Juventus win their second consecutive Scudetto and his fourth overall, returning to the starting line-up in January 2006, in a Coppa Italia match against Fiorentina. Juventus were once again knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by runners-up Arsenal, and in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia on away goals to eventual runners-up Roma. Buffon was named IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper for the third time in his career and Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the sixth time. He was also placed second in the 2006 Ballon d\\'Or (the first goalkeeper to do so since compatriot Dino Zoff in 1973) and eighth in the FIFA World Player of the Year Award behind his winning Italy teammate Fabio Cannavaro, and was elected as the starting goalkeeper for both the 2006 FIFPro XI and the UEFA Team of the Year, following his fifth consecutive nomination. Buffon made his 200th appearance for Juventus that season in a 2–0 away defeat at the hands of Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.On 12 May 2006, several players, including Buffon, were accused of participating in illegal betting on Serie A matches. Buffon voluntarily co-operated, allowing himself to be interrogated by Turin magistrates. While admitting that he did place bets on sporting matches (until regulations went into effect in late 2005, banning players from doing so), he vehemently denied placing wagers on Italian football matches. Despite concerns that he had jeopardised his chance of playing for Italy in the 2006 World Cup, he was officially named Italy\\'s starting goalkeeper on 15 May and helped Italy to win their fourth title. Buffon was cleared of all charges by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on 27 June 2007. Following Juventus\\' punishment in the Calciopoli scandal, in which their two most recent Serie A titles were stripped and the squad were relegated to Serie B and penalised with a point deduction, rumours spread that Buffon would be placed on the transfer market. Buffon elected to remain with Juventus, despite the team\\'s relegation, a decision which made him extremely popular with the Juventus fans.\\n\\n\\n==== 2006–2011: Serie B champions, Serie A return and post-Calciopoli struggles ====\\n\\nDuring the 2006–07 Serie B season, Buffon made his debut in the Italian second division in a 1–1 away draw against Rimini on 9 September 2006; later that year, he also received the first red card of his career in a 1–1 away draw against AlbinoLeffe on 18 November. In total he made 37 league appearances throughout the season. After Juventus won the Serie B title, earning promotion to Serie A for the 2007–08 season, Buffon signed a contract extension with Juventus until 2012. In 2007, Buffon was also elected as the goalkeeper for the 2007 FIFPro XI for the second consecutive year, and the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper for a record-breaking fourth time.\\nBuffon was a key player for Juventus in the 2007–08 season, their first back in the top flight, as he helped Juventus to a third-place finish, and Champions League qualification. Juventus lost to runners-up Inter in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. Buffon produced 94 saves in 34 league appearances and was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the seventh time in his career. Buffon was also nominated for the 2008 Ballon d\\'Or for the sixth consecutive time in his career since 2003, and the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. During this season, Buffon began to suffer problems with his back, caused by a herniated disc, which frequently keep him sidelined during the next few seasons. On 10 March 2008, Buffon renewed his contract until 2013, expressing his desire to win everything with the club.In the 2008–09 season, Buffon was once again sidelined by several injuries. From September through January, reserve goalkeeper Alexander Manninger held his position between the sticks, gaining praise for his deputising. Due to recurring injuries, Manninger\\'s performances and Juventus\\' poor form towards the end of the season (as Buffon was seen despondent whilst the team drew with both Lecce and Atalanta), there were further rumours that Buffon was displeased and wanted to part ways with the club. He admitted he was disappointed with the current results, but assured that he had no intention of leaving. After a discussion with management, he said he was reassured about the club\\'s future and signed a contract extension to 2013. Buffon and Juventus finished the season on a high note, with two victories, finishing in second place behind Internazionale. They were knocked out of the Coppa Italia semi-finals by eventual champions Lazio and of the Champions League in the round of 16 by Chelsea. Buffon was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009 for the sixth consecutive season since first being nominated in 2004. Buffon made his 300th appearance for Juventus in a 3–3 home draw against Chievo in 2009.Juventus and Buffon began the 2009–10 season strongly, although the squad suffered a severe dip in form as they were eliminated from the Champions League, finishing third in their group. They were subsequently eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Europa League against Fulham. Juventus were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia to eventual champions Inter, and finished the Serie A season in a disappointing seventh place, only qualifying for the 2010–11 Europa League through the playoff round. Buffon was often sidelined that season, due to several recurring injuries. In 2010, Buffon was voted goalkeeper of the decade by IFFHS.Buffon did not play for the first half of the 2010–11 season as he was recovering from surgery after an injury he endured to his sciatic nerve during the 2010 World Cup, and he was replaced by his new deputy, Marco Storari. Juventus were knocked out of the Europa League group stage, the Coppa Italia in the quarter-finals and finished the Serie A season in seventh place, failing to qualify for Europe, the first time since the 1990–91 season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–2014: New era of dominance in Serie A ====\\nDuring the 2011–12 season under new manager and former club midfielder Antonio Conte, Juventus were once again a dominating force in Serie A. Buffon re-found his form, and made numerous notable saves throughout the season, including stopping a penalty kick from Francesco Totti, which enabled Juventus to capture a crucial draw against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Buffon\\'s fine form at the end of the first half of the season saw elected Juventus\\' Player of the Month in December 2011 by fans. Buffon kept his 15th clean sheet of the season in Juventus\\' victory over rivals Inter in the Derby d\\'Italia; after the match, he was described as \"the best goalkeeper in Italy and probably the World\". Juventus finished the season unbeaten, winning their first Scudetto since the Calciopoli scandal, and qualifying for the 2012–13 Champions League after a two-year absence. Buffon described it as the second highest point of his career, after the 2006 World Cup victory.Playing behind a strong three-man defensive line under Conte\\'s newly established 3–5–2 formation, made up predominantly of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, Buffon obtained a league record of 21 clean sheets in Serie A, and only conceded a personal best of 16 goals from 35 appearances (an average of 0.46 goals per game), as Juventus finished the season with the best defence in Italy, and became the European team with the second-best defence that season, after Porto. Buffon made 81 saves in Serie A that season and his 82% save percentage was the highest of any goalkeeper playing in one of Europe\\'s five major leagues. Buffon was included in the 2011–12 Serie A Team of the Year for his performances. Juventus also made the Coppa Italia final that season, although Buffon did not play in this competition.\\n\\nOn 11 August 2012, Buffon lifted his first trophy as the new Juventus captain, following Alessandro Del Piero\\'s departure as Juventus defeated Napoli 4–2 in extra time in the 2012 Supercoppa Italiana in Beijing. Buffon suffered a minor injury and missed the first Serie A match of the 2012–13 season against Parma on 25 August 2012. He returned to the starting line-up for the next match against Udinese in Udine on 2 September, wearing the captain\\'s armband; Juventus won the match 4–1. On 20 September, in Juventus\\' first Champions League match of the season against defending champions Chelsea, Buffon made his 400th appearance for Juventus; the match ended in a 2–2 away draw. Buffon obtained his first clean sheet of the season in a 2–0 home win against Chievo on 22 September.Buffon was nominated for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or and the 2012 UEFA Team of the Year following his performances throughout the calendar year. He obtained his first Champions League clean sheet, against Nordsjælland, on 7 November, a match which Juve won 4–0 at Juventus Stadium. He also kept clean sheets as Juventus beat defending champions Chelsea 3–0 at home, and Shakhtar Donetsk 1–0 away from home, on Buffon\\'s 100th club appearance in European competitions. Juventus topped their group undefeated, and advanced to the knockout stages for first time since 2008–09.Buffon kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 Coppa Italia win against Cagliari on 12 December, allowing Juventus to progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament. On 16 December, Juventus defeated Atalanta 3–0, allowing Juventus to once again claim the unofficial title of \"Serie A Winter Champions\", with the best defence in Serie A, having only conceded ten goals in 17 matches. This was also Buffon\\'s 20th clean sheet in 2012, the most of any other goalkeeper in Europe. Buffon was voted second in the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper award, behind Iker Casillas, and was named as goalkeeper of the century by the same organisation.\\nOn 23 January 2013, Buffon signed a contract extension with Juventus, keeping him at the club until 2015. On 27 January 2013, Buffon was awarded the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the eighth time in his career. Juventus retained their Serie A title that season, and finished the league with the best defence, as Buffon conceded just 19 goals. The league victory allowed Buffon to lift the Serie A trophy as captain for the first time. Juventus were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia to winners Lazio, and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League to winners Bayern Munich.On 18 August 2013, Juventus began the 2013–14 season by defending their Supercoppa Italiana title, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Juventus defeated Lazio 4–0, with Buffon keeping a clean sheet in the competition for the first time; Buffon was praised for making several saves. On 24 November, Buffon made his 500th appearance in Serie A, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 away win against Livorno. On 6 December, Buffon recorded his seventh consecutive clean sheet, and his ninth of the season; as a result, he bettered his previous personal record of 568 minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A, going 640 minutes without being beaten in the Italian League. Buffon was finally beaten by Maximiliano Moralez in a 4–1 win over Atalanta, after going 745 minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A, and equalling Luca Marchegiani\\'s sixth-best unbeaten streak in Serie A history. Buffon was nominated for the 2013 FIFPro XI and the 2013 Ballon d\\'Or for his performances throughout the calendar year.In 2013, Buffon was once again named the second best goalkeeper in the world by IFFHS, behind Manuel Neuer. His performances earned him the Juventus player of the month award for December 2013. On 16 March 2014, Buffon saved the 20th penalty of his career in a 1–0 away win over Genoa, equalising Dino Zoff\\'s 476 appearances for Juventus as the club\\'s fifth all-time appearance holder. Buffon lifted the Serie A title for the third consecutive year, captaining the team to their 30th league title.During the 2013–14 season, Juventus managed an Italian-record of 102 points, including a Serie A record of 33 victories; Juventus finished with the best defence of the league, yet again. Buffon managed 89 saves and 18 clean sheets in 33 appearances during the Serie A season, and conceded 19 goals. Juventus were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, although they later managed to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League, losing to Benfica. Buffon was chosen as part of the 2013–14 Europa League Team of the Season for his performances throughout the tournament. On 1 July 2014, Buffon signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2017.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: Second Champions League Final and first Coppa Italia with Juventus ====\\n\\nIn the summer of 2014, manager Antonio Conte left Juventus to take charge of the Italy national team, with former Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri called in as his replacement. Juve opened the 2014–15 season with a 1–0 away win over Chievo, with Buffon keeping a clean sheet and saving from Maxi López in the second half. On 27 September, Buffon saved a Germán Denis penalty in a 3–0 away win over Atalanta, helping Juventus to keep their fifth consecutive clean sheet in Serie A. He was eventually beaten by a Francesco Totti penalty in a 3–2 home win over Roma on 5 October after going unbeaten for 616 minutes that season. Including the previous season, Buffon managed to go 801 minutes in total without conceding a league goal; at the time, this record had only been bettered by Dino Zoff and Sebastiano Rossi. On 29 October, Buffon made his 500th appearance for Juventus in a 1–0 away loss to Genoa. On 1 November 2014, Buffon made his 400th League appearance with Juventus (37 of which were in Serie B, and 363 of which were in Serie A), keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 away win over Empoli. On 24 November, Buffon was nominated for the 2014 FIFPro World XI for a record tenth time. He is currently the only goalkeeper to have been nominated for the award every year since its inception in 2005. The same week, Buffon was also nominated for the UEFA Team of the Year.\\nOn 15 December 2014, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the ninth time in his career, and was elected to the 2014 Serie A Team of the Year. On 22 December, Juventus were defeated by Napoli in the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana 8–7 on penalties, following a 2–2 draw after extra time. Although Buffon made several saves during the match, and managed to stop three penalties in the shoot-out, he was unable to prevent his team from losing the title. Buffon placed fourth in the 2014 IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper Award, behind Manuel Neuer, Thibaut Courtois and Keylor Navas; this was the 15th consecutive year in which he had been named as one of the world\\'s top five goalkeepers. On 15 February 2015, Buffon surpassed Gaetano Scirea as the Juventus player with the second most minutes played in Serie A, behind only Giampiero Boniperti. On 2 March 2015, Buffon equalled Scirea as the Juventus player with the third most appearances in Serie A, behind only Boniperti and Del Piero. He later surpassed Scirea on 14 March, making his 378th Serie A appearance with Juventus in a 1–0 away win over Palermo. After keeping a clean sheet in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Monaco on 22 April, Buffon overtook Dida as the goalkeeper with the fourth-highest number of clean sheets in Champions League history, with 36. On 26 April, Buffon made his 528th appearance for Juventus in all competitions, equalling Giuseppe Furino as the player with third-most appearances for the club; he overtook Furino on 29 April. On 2 May, Buffon kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 away win over Sampdoria, as Juventus won their fourth consecutive Serie A title. On 13 May, Buffon produced a man of the match performance as Juventus drew 1–1 with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final, only being beaten by a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty; the result allowed Buffon to progress to his second career Champions League final with Juventus, 12 years after his last appearance. On 20 May, he won his first Coppa Italia title with Juventus, despite not featuring throughout the tournament that season. On 23 May, in his 900th career appearance, Buffon saved a Lorenzo Insigne penalty in a 3–1 home win over Napoli in Serie A.\\nBuffon captained Juventus in the 2015 Champions League final as the Turin club were defeated 3–1 by Barcelona at Berlin\\'s Olympiastadion. Buffon made the most saves throughout the tournament (39), and kept the most clean sheets (6), along with Danijel Subašić, Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen. He was named to the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season for his performances throughout the tournament.On 15 July 2015, Buffon was named to the ten-man shortlist for the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. His save on Dani Alves in the Champions League final was also nominated for the UEFA Save of the Season Award, finishing on a tied third-place in the voting.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16: Fifth consecutive Scudetto and record Serie A unbeaten streak ====\\nOn 8 August, Buffon kept a clean sheet as Juventus defeated Lazio 2–0 in the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana to win the title for a record seventh time. This was also Buffon\\'s record sixth title, and his fifth with Juventus. On 12 August, it was announced that he placed fourth in the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Buffon was named the first Juventus Player of the Month of the 2015–16 season for September by fans after a series of consistent performances. On 21 October 2015, Buffon overtook Alessandro Del Piero\\'s record for most minutes played with Juventus in the 73rd minute of Juventus\\' 0–0 home draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach, in the Champions League group stage. In the return group fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 3 November, he made his 100th Champions League appearance, which ended in a 1–1 draw. On 21 November, he made his 552nd appearance for Juventus in a 1–0 home win over Milan, equalling Scirea as the club\\'s second-highest appearance holder in all competitions, behind only Alessandro Del Piero. The following week, Buffon was nominated for the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year, also making his 100th appearance for Juventus in European Club Competitions in a 1–0 home win over Manchester City on 25 November. The following day, Buffon was included in the Gianluigi Buffon (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanluˈiːdʒi bufˈfɔn]; born 28 January 1978), also known as Gigi Buffon, is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances and holds the record for the most appearances in the Serie A.\\n-player shortlist for the 2015 FIFPro World XI, despite having previously been omitted from the list of candidates for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. On 4 December 2015, Buffon made his 400th Serie A appearance with Juventus in a 2–0 away win over Lazio. For his performances throughout the previous season, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the tenth time in his career on 14 December, and subsequently to the 2015 Serie A Team of the Year. Later that month, he was named one of the three finalists for the Globe Soccer Player of the Year Award. On 6 January 2016, he placed second in the 2015 IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper Award, once again behind Manuel Neuer.\\n\\nOn 28 February 2016, Buffon kept his eighth consecutive clean sheet in Serie A in a 2–0 win over Inter. In the process, he set a new personal best in the top flight, and the outright sixth-best unbeaten streak in the history of the Italian league, after going 746 minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A, overtaking Morgan De Sanctis and Marchegiani. In the following league match against Atalanta on 6 March, he extended his unbeaten record by keeping another clean sheet in a 2–0 away win, also equalling Dino Zoff\\'s and Sebastiano Rossi\\'s league record of nine consecutive clean sheets in Serie A. His unbeaten streak of 836 minutes without conceding a goal was the third best unbeaten streak in Serie A history, behind only Zoff and Rossi, and was also the longest period a goalkeeper has gone without conceding a goal since three points for a win were introduced in Serie A during the 1994–95 season. He overtook Zoff in a 1–0 home victory over Sassuolo on 11 March, achieving a league record 10 consecutive clean sheets, and extended his unbeaten streak to 926 minutes without conceding a goal, only three minutes behind the all-time record holder, Rossi; the last time he had conceded a goal was when he was beaten by Antonio Cassano, in the 64th minute of a 2–1 away win over Sampdoria, on 10 January 2016. Buffon surpassed Rossi\\'s record of 929 minutes by 45 minutes in a 4–1 away win over inter-city rivals Torino on 20 March, also surpassing Gianpiero Combi\\'s Italian league record unbeaten streak of 934 minutes in the process; he set the new all-time record at 974 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal. Andrea Belotti finally ended his goalless streak by beating him from the penalty spot in the 48th minute of the same match.On 24 April, Buffon saved a late penalty from Nikola Kalinić to secure a 2–1 away victory over Fiorentina, his 13th penalty save in Serie A; following Napoli\\'s defeat against Roma the following day, Juventus clinched their record fifth consecutive Serie A title with three games at hand. In addition to his decisive saves and record breaking unbeaten streak, Buffon was praised for his leadership, and his role in motivating the team following their defeat against Sassuolo on 28 October 2015, as Juventus subsequently went on a 25-match unbeaten streak to come back from 12th place after ten matches to win the title. For his key performances in helping Juventus capture the league title, Buffon was named the Juventus Player of the Month for April 2016. On 11 May, Buffon extended his contract until the end of the 2017–18 season. Throughout the 2015–16 season, Buffon had managed to equal his personal best of 21 clean sheets in a single league season, and was voted Juventus\\' Player of the Season.On 18 July, Buffon was included in the ten-man shortlist for the 2016 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, in which he finished sixth.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17: Record sixth straight Scudetto and third Champions League Final ====\\nOn 11 October 2016, Buffon became the first goalkeeper ever to win the Golden Foot Award. Following his performances throughout the year, Buffon was included in the 30-man shortlist for the 2016 Ballon d\\'Or; he placed ninth alongside Pepe in the final ranking. In Juventus\\' fourth Champions League group match of the season on 2 November, a 1–1 home draw against Lyon, Buffon made his 100th Champions League appearance (excluding appearances in qualifying rounds), becoming the 29th player to reach this landmark. On 4 November, he was included in the 23-player shortlist for The 2016 Best FIFA Men\\'s Player Award. On 6 November, Buffon earned his 600th Serie A appearance in a 2–1 away win against Chievo, the fourth player to reach this milestone. His performances saw him earn the Juventus Player of the Month Award for October 2016. On 21 November, Buffon was nominated for the UEFA Team of the Year for the ninth time his career, making him goalkeeper with the most nominations ever, alongside Iker Casillas. On 1 December, Buffon was nominated for the 2016 FIFPro World XI, making him the only player, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, to have been included in the shortlist every year since its inception in 2005. On 23 December, Buffon made his 600th competitive appearance for Juventus in the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana; following a 1–1 draw after extra time, Juventus lost 4–3 to Milan in a penalty shoot-out, although Buffon saved Gianluca Lapadula\\'s initial spot kick. Buffon capped off the year by placing second in the 2016 IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper Award, finishing behind Neuer once again.On 5 January 2017, Buffon was named to the 2016 UEFA Team of the Year, becoming the oldest player ever to be named to the UEFA Team of the Year; this was also the fourth time he had been voted to the UEFA Team of the Year. On 9 January, it was announced Buffon had placed eighth in The 2016 Best FIFA Men\\'s Player Award. On 30 January, Buffon was voted Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the 11th time, and named to the 2016 Serie A Team of the Year. On 17 February, Buffon made his 443rd Serie A appearance for Juventus in a 4–1 home win over Palermo, equalling Giampiero Boniperti as the club\\'s all-time second highest appearance holder in the competition, behind only Del Piero. On 22 February, he made his 100th Champions League appearance for Juventus in the first leg of the club\\'s round of 16 tie against Porto, keeping a clean sheet in the 2–0 away win. On 5 March, Buffon drew level with Totti as the joint third-highest appearance holder in Serie A after making his 612th appearance in the competition in a 1–1 away draw against Udinese. On 19 March, Buffon surpassed Boniperti as the all-time minute holder for a Juventus player in Serie A in the 66th minute of a 1–0 away win over Sampdoria. On 2 April, he equalled Javier Zanetti as the joint-second highest appearance holder of all time in Serie A, with his 615th Serie A appearance in a 1–1 away draw against Napoli. On 3 May, Buffon made his 100th appearance for Juventus in the UEFA Champions League (excluding appearances in the qualifying rounds) in a 2–0 away win against Monaco, in the first leg of the semi-finals of the competition; Buffon became only the second Italian player after Paolo Maldini to make 100 Champions League appearances for a single club, and marked the occasion with a clean sheet, his 47th overall in the competition, making him the goalkeeper with the third-highest number of Champions League clean sheets, alongside Čech, and behind only Casillas (57) and Van der Sar (50). This was the first time Juventus had managed to keep six consecutive clean sheets in a single edition of the tournament, the joint third-best number of consecutive clean sheets in a single Champions League season. On 9 May, Buffon made his 150th UEFA club appearance in a 2–1 home win over Monaco in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, making him the player with the ninth-most appearances in UEFA club matches, alongside Jamie Carragher. Juventus\\' 4–1 win on aggregate saw Buffon reach the third Champions League final of his career; Kylian Mbappé\\'s second-half goal ended Buffon\\'s goalless streak, which saw him set a new personal best of 600 minutes without conceding a goal in the Champions League, and put him fifth on the all-time table, while Juventus\\' overall unbeaten run of 690 minutes was the second-longest in the history of the competition.On 17 May 2017, Juventus won their 12th Coppa Italia title in a 2–0 win over Lazio, becoming the first team to win three consecutive cups. Buffon did not feature, as his usual back-up Neto was the club\\'s starting goalkeeper in the competition. Four days later on 21 May, following a 3–0 win over Crotone, Juventus secured their sixth consecutive Serie A title, establishing an all-time record of successive triumphs in the competition; with his eighth Serie A title, Buffon equalled Virginio Rosetta, Giovanni Ferrari, and Giuseppe Furino as the player with the most Italian league title victories. On 3 June 2017, Juventus entered a second Champions League Final in three years, and the third final for Buffon, but were defeated 4–1 by defending champions Real Madrid. With his third Champions League final defeat, Buffon became the player with the most Champions League final appearances without a Champions League medal, alongside former Juventus teammates Paolo Montero and Alessio Tacchinardi. He was named in the UEFA Champions League squad of the season for the second time, and the tournament\\'s best goalkeeper.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–2018: Final season of first spell with Juventus and seventh consecutive Scudetto ====\\nOn 12 June 2017, Buffon announced that the 2017–18 season would likely be his last with the club. On 4 August, Buffon was named one of the three finalists for the Goalkeeper of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League season award, along with Manuel Neuer and Jan Oblak. On 15 August, Buffon was also listed as one of the three finalists for the 2017 UEFA Best Player of the Year Award, along with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. On 19 August, Buffon made history by saving the first Serie A penalty awarded via VAR in a 3–0 home win over Cagliari in the club\\'s opening league match of the season. On 24 August, he was named the best goalkeeper of the 2016–17 Champions League season, He also placed third in the UEFA Men\\'s Player of the Year Award, with 109 votes. On 23 October, Buffon won the inaugural 2017 Best FIFA Goalkeeper award, and was named to the FIFPro World XI for the third time in his career; he was also nominated for the 2017 Best FIFA Men\\'s Player Award, finishing in fourth place in the voting. On 27 November, Buffon won the Serie A Footballer of the Year award, the first time a goalkeeper has won the award, along with the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the twelfth time, while being named to the Serie A Team of the Year for the fifth time in his career. On 3 December, he equalled Casillas by winning the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper Award for a record fifth time, and on 7 December, he placed fourth in the 2017 Ballon d\\'Or. Following Juventus\\' 1–0 away victory against fellow title contenders Napoli on 1 December, Buffon was ruled out of Juventus\\' final Champions League group match against Olympiacos four days later, after picking up a calf strain in the previous match, an injury which kept him sidelined for almost two months; was replaced by his deputy Wojciech Szczęsny in goal during his absence.On 11 January 2018, Buffon was named to the 2017 UEFA Team of the Year for the fifth time. Buffon returned to action on 30 January 2018, two days after his 40th birthday, keeping a clean sheet and saving a penalty from Alejandro Gómez to secure a 1–0 away win over Atalanta in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals; this was his first Coppa Italia appearance in over five years, while his penalty save was the 30th of his career, excluding those made in shoot-outs, and his first ever in regulation time in the competition. He made his 500th league appearance with Juventus — including both Serie A and Serie B matches — on 9 February, in a 2–0 away win over Fiorentina. After Juventus lost 3–0 to Real Madrid at home in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on 3 April, Buffon helped Juventus keep a 3–0 away lead in the second leg on 11 April, until the 93rd minute when he was sent off for dissent after a confrontation with referee Michael Oliver who awarded an injury time penalty to Real Madrid; Szczęsny was forced to be substituted in, with the resulting penalty kick converted by Cristiano Ronaldo for a final 4–3 aggregate loss. On 9 May, Buffon kept a clean sheet, his 300th clean sheet with Juventus, and his 383rd at club level, in a 4–0 win over Milan in the 2018 Coppa Italia Final; this was Juventus\\' fourth consecutive Coppa Italia title. On 11 May, Buffon was charged by UEFA over post-match comments made about referee Oliver. On 13 May, Buffon won his record seventh straight Scudetto, following a 0–0 draw with Roma in Juventus\\' penultimate match of the season while an unused substitute; with this league victory, he became the first player ever to win nine Serie A titles. On 17 May, with one league match still left, Buffon announced in a press conference that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season. On 19 May, after 17 seasons with the club, Buffon played his 656th and final match with Juventus, the last match of the season at home against Hellas Verona. He started in goal, and was later substituted in the 64th minute by debutant Carlo Pinsoglio as he received a standing ovation with the score 2–0 in favour of Juventus; the match later ended in a 2–1 victory. On 5 June, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body gave Buffon a three-match ban for UEFA competition matches \"for which he would be otherwise eligible\", after his post-match comments about referee Oliver in the season\\'s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid. On 30 June, the final day of his Juventus contract, Buffon bid the club farewell with a post on Twitter:\\n\\n\"Seventeen years in black and white [officially] end today. Seventeen years of friends, team-mates, tears, victories, [defeats,] trophies, words, anger, disappointments, happiness and many, many emotions. I will never forget anything. I will always carry everything with me.\"\\n\\n\\n=== Paris Saint-Germain ===\\nOn 6 July 2018, Buffon signed a one-year contract, with the option for a second year, with Paris Saint-Germain. He made his competitive debut for PSG on 4 August, keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 win against Monaco in the 2018 Trophée des Champions. Buffon made his Ligue 1 debut on 12 August, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 home win over Caen. He was used in a rotational role with Alphonse Areola during the 2018–19 season by manager Thomas Tuchel. After serving a three-match ban in UEFA club competitions, Buffon started for PSG in a 1–1 away draw against Napoli on 6 November, and was beaten by an Insigne penalty; at the age of 40 years and 282 days, he became the second-oldest player ever to make their Champions League debut for a club after Mark Schwarzer, who made his debut in the competition with Chelsea in a 1–0 home victory over Steaua București on 11 December 2013, aged 41 years and 65 days. On 18 December, following an injury to Areola, Buffon played the second half of an eventual 2–1 away win over Orléans in the round of 16 of the Coupe de la Ligue. PSG were eliminated from the competition in the following round after a surprise 2–1 home defeat to Guingamp on 9 January 2019, during which Buffon remained on the bench.On 12 February, Buffon kept his 50th Champions League clean sheet in a 2–0 away win over Manchester United, becoming only the third goalkeeper to reach this milestone after Iker Casillas (57) and Edwin van der Sar (51). He also made his 121st Champions League appearance – excluding qualifying rounds – during the same match, which made him the player with the tenth-most appearances of all time in the competition. In the return leg in Paris on 6 March, Buffon came under criticism in the media for committing an error with the score tied 1–1, after he spilled Marcus Rashford\\'s long-range shot, thus allowing Romelu Lukaku to score from the rebound and send United into the lead; following an injury-time goal from a penalty by Rashford, Manchester United completed a comeback to win the match 3–1, advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals. PSG finished the season as Ligue 1 champions, which saw Buffon win his tenth league title of his career, the most of any Italian player. PSG later lost 6–5 on penalties to Rennes in the 2019 Coupe de France Final, following a 2–2 draw after extra time, although Buffon did not appear during the final.On 5 June, it was confirmed that he was leaving the club after one season.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Juventus ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–2021: record-breaking appearances ====\\nOn 4 July 2019, after a season away from Juventus, Buffon signed a one-year contract with the club. Upon arrival, he was offered the number 1 shirt by Wojciech Szczęsny and the captaincy by Giorgio Chiellini, but he turned them down, saying \"I didn\\'t come back to take something from someone or take it back...I just want to do my bit for the team\". Instead, he chose to wear number 77; the same number he had worn during his final season at Parma, before joining Juventus in 2001. He made his first appearance since his return to the club on 21 September, in a 2–1 home win over Verona in Serie A; this was his 902nd career club appearance, which equalled Paolo Maldini\\'s record as the Italian player with the most career club appearances. On 28 September, he overtook Maldini with his 903rd appearance in a 2–0 home win over SPAL in Serie A.On 30 October 2019, Buffon made his 513th league appearance for Juventus (including Serie B matches) in a 2–1 home win over Genoa in Serie A, equalling Del Piero as the player with the most league appearances for the club. On 11 December, he kept his 51st Champions League clean sheet (excluding those in the qualifying rounds) in a 2–0 away win over Bayer Leverkusen in Juventus\\' final group match of the campaign, equalling Van der Sar as the goalkeeper with the second-most clean sheets ever in the competition, behind only Iker Casillas. On 15 December, he made his 700th Italian league appearance in a 3–1 home win over Udinese; during the same match, he also made his 478th Serie A appearance for Juventus, which saw him equal Del Piero as the player with the most appearances in the competition for the club. On 18 December, in a 2–1 away win over Sampdoria, Buffon made his 479th Serie A appearance for Juventus, surpassing Del Piero\\'s appearance record for the club in the Italian top flight, as well as making his 647th overall Serie A appearance, tying Maldini as the player with the most appearances in the competition.On 13 February 2020, Buffon made nine saves in a 1–1 away draw against Milan in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals. He started in the final against Napoli on 17 June, keeping a clean sheet and making a series of injury-time saves to keep the score tied at 0–0; however, Juventus suffered a 4–2 defeat in the resulting penalty shoot-out, with Buffon unable to save any spot kicks. On 29 June, Buffon signed a new contract with Juventus, extending until June 2021. On 4 July, he made his 648th appearance in Serie A in a 4–1 home win over rivals Torino, overtaking Maldini as the most capped player of all time in the competition, also becoming the most capped player in Europe\\'s top five leagues with 665 appearances, including his 17 Ligue 1 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain during the 2018–19 season.On 17 October, Buffon made his first appearance of the 2020–21 season, starting in a 1–1 away draw against Crotone. On 8 December, Buffon kept a clean sheet by saving seven shots, all of them taken by Messi, in a 3–0 away win over Barcelona in Juventus\\' final group match of the campaign. Buffon became the first goalkeeper to ever record a Champions League clean sheet in four different decades. Messi\\'s seven shots on target were also the most recorded without scoring in the Champions League since the 2002–03 edition. On 11 May 2021, Buffon announced that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season. The following day, Buffon saved Domenico Berardi\\'s penalty in a 3–1 away victory against Sassuolo, becoming the oldest Serie A goalkeeper to do so at the age of 43 years, 103 days. On 19 May, he started in Juventus\\'s 2–1 victory over Atalanta in the 2021 Coppa Italia Final, his final and 685th appearance for the club; after the match, he was given the honour of lifting the title, the sixth of his career, equalling Roberto Mancini as the player with the most title victories.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Parma and retirement ===\\nOn 17 June 2021, after days of speculation following his departure from Juventus, newly relegated Parma announced the return of Buffon through a short video posted on the club\\'s official Twitter account. Upon winning the Coppa Italia in his last season at Juventus, many expected that it was going to be the end of his career. Instead, he announced that he was going to join his boyhood club and this marked 20 years since he left Parma for Juventus in 2001. On 20 August 2021, Buffon made his first appearance, conceding a late equaliser in a 2–2 away draw against Frosinone.On 5 February 2022, following a 0–0 away draw against Benevento in Serie B, Buffon became the first goalkeeper ever in men\\'s association football to keep 500 clean sheets (322 with Juventus, 92 with Parma, 9 with PSG and 77 with Italy). On 28 February, Parma announced Buffon\\'s contract extension until 2024, which would have kept him playing until the age of 46.On 2 August 2023, at the age of 45 and after a 28-year playing career, Buffon announced his retirement from professional football.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth career, early call-ups and Euro 2000 qualification ===\\nBuffon represented Italy at all youth levels, from the under-16 side to the under-23 side, as well as the Olympic side in 1996. With the Italy under-16 side, he reached the final of the 1993 UEFA European Under-16 Championship, saving two penalties and even scoring one himself in the quarter-final shootout victory over Spain, and subsequently saving three penalties – but also missing one himself – in the semi-final shootout victory over Czechoslovakia. With the Italy U-17 side he took part at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Japan. In 1995, he reached the final of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with the Italian U-19 side. He was most notably a member of Italy\\'s 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship-winning squad. Buffon was a member of the Italy squad that won the gold medal for football at the 1997 Mediterranean Games in Bari, on home soil. Buffon currently holds the record for the most clean sheets with the Italy national side.Buffon was awarded his first cap for the senior Italy national team under Cesare Maldini on 29 October 1997, at the age of 19 years and 9 months (19 years, 274 days), as an injury replacement for Gianluca Pagliuca during the first leg of the 1998 World Cup qualification play-off against Russia, in Moscow; with this cap, Buffon became the youngest goalkeeper to feature for Italy post-World War II. This record was beaten by Gianluigi Donnarumma on 1 September 2016. Buffon came on in the 31st minute and made notable saves under snowy conditions in a 1–1 away draw, including an important stop from a Dmitri Alenichev shot, only being beaten by a Fabio Cannavaro own goal. The result helped Italy to qualify for the upcoming World Cup 2–1 on aggregate. He was a member of the squad for the 1998 World Cup finals, initially as the third choice goalkeeper; after an injury to starting goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, Buffon was promoted to second-choice goalkeeper behind Pagliuca, with Francesco Toldo being called up as third-choice, but Buffon did not play a single game in the tournament. Italy were eliminated in the quarter-finals on penalties to hosts and eventual 1998 World Cup champions France.Buffon became the first choice goalkeeper during the Euro 2000 qualifying campaign and was due to start in goal during the finals under manager and former Italy goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff, but he broke his hand while attempting to stop John Carew\\'s goal in a 1–0 defeat against Norway in a warm up game just a few days before Italy\\'s opening match of the tournament against Turkey. His starting place was taken by backup goalkeeper Francesco Toldo, and Christian Abbiati was called up as a replacement third keeper, with Francesco Antonioli being promoted to second goalkeeper. Italy reached the final of the tournament, losing once again to France.\\n\\n\\n=== World Cup and European Championship debut ===\\nFrancesco Toldo\\'s impressive performances at Euro 2000 meant that he retained his place in the first team for the beginning of Italy\\'s 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign. In spite of heavy competition from Toldo, Buffon regained the starting goalkeeping spot for the fourth match of the qualification series, away to Romania, and was the starting goalkeeper for the remaining four matches under Giovanni Trapattoni as Italy qualified with an unbeaten record.\\nBuffon played every minute of Italy\\'s 2002 World Cup campaign, keeping a clean sheet in the opening match against Ecuador, and saving a controversial penalty against co-hosts South Korea in the round of 16, which was not enough to stop the under-performing side from being eliminated by a golden goal in extra time. He also featured in every match at Euro 2004, keeping a clean sheet in his nation\\'s opening 0–0 draw against Denmark, although Italy, despite not losing a match, once again underperformed, and were eliminated in the first round on direct encounters following a three-way, five-point tie with Sweden and Denmark.\\n\\n\\n=== 2006 World Cup champion ===\\n\\nBuffon was once again the first choice goalkeeper under his former Juventus coach and Trapattoni\\'s replacement Marcello Lippi, as Italy finished first in their 2006 World Cup qualifying group. Although his place in Italy\\'s 2006 World Cup was initially in doubt, as he was being investigated for possible involvement in the 2006 Calciopoli scandal, he was later named by Lippi as Italy\\'s starting goalkeeper for the tournament.During the 2006 World Cup finals, Buffon was in excellent form, setting a World Cup record by conceding just two goals in seven matches, and keeping five clean sheets. In addition, he posted a 453-minute scoreless streak, only 64 minutes short of compatriot Walter Zenga\\'s all-time unbeaten record from the 1990 World Cup. The only goals he conceded were not in open play; an own goal by teammate Cristian Zaccardo after a free-kick against the United States in Italy\\'s second match of the group stage, and a Zinedine Zidane penalty in the final against France. In the final, Buffon later made an important save in extra time on a header from eventual Golden Ball winner Zidane, which Buffon later described as the most important save of his career. The match ended 1–1 after extra time and was followed by a penalty shootout in which neither Buffon nor Fabien Barthez saved a spot kick. The lone miss was David Trezeguet\\'s effort which hit the bottom of the crossbar and failed to cross the line, enabling Italy\\'s Fabio Grosso to seal the victory for Italy. Buffon was named Man of the Match in Italy\\'s 1–0 victory over Australia in the round of 16, and later also received the Yashin Award as the best goalkeeper of the tournament, producing 40 saves, and was elected to the Team of the Tournament. Buffon also finished second to compatriot Fabio Cannavaro in the 2006 Ballon d\\'Or and eighth in the FIFA World Player of the Year for his performances that season, and was named in the 2006 FIFPro World XI and the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, Nick Miller of ESPN FC named Buffon\\'s save against Lukas Podolski in Italy\\'s 2–0 victory against hosts Germany in the semi-finals as one of the greatest in World Cup history, placing it at number nine in his list of \"World Cup\\'s greatest ever saves\". In 2019, Diario AS placed the latter save at number eight in their collection of \"The 10 greatest saves of all time\".\\n\\n\\n=== Post-World Cup victory ===\\nBuffon wore the captain\\'s armband for Italy for the first time under manager Roberto Donadoni, in a 2–0 home win over Georgia in a Euro 2008 qualifier, due to the suspension of regular skipper Fabio Cannavaro. He was later named Italy\\'s second acting captain for Euro 2008 after incumbent Cannavaro was ruled out of the tournament due to injury, and as Italy\\'s replacement captain Alessandro Del Piero was frequently deployed as a substitute. He made his first appearance as Italy\\'s captain in the nation\\'s opening fixture of Euro 2008 on 9 June, a 3–0 defeat to the Netherlands. In the second game of the group stage against Romania on 13 June, he saved an 81st-minute penalty from Adrian Mutu to keep Italy\\'s hopes alive following their opening defeat, as the match ended 1–1. Buffon kept a clean sheet against France in the final group game, and garnered praise in the media for a notable save against Karim Benzema, as Italy won 2–0 to advance to the quarter-finals. Italy were eliminated nine days later, when a 0–0 draw after extra time led to a 4–2 penalty shootout loss to eventual champions Spain; Buffon saved one penalty in the shootout and was elected to the Team of the Tournament for his performances.Upon Marcello Lippi\\'s return, Buffon was confirmed as the starting goalkeeper. He played all three group matches during Italy\\'s disappointing 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup campaign in South Africa, in which they finished third in their group in three-way three-point tie. He earned his 100th cap on 14 November 2009 in a friendly match against the Netherlands. He was a key player in Italy\\'s World Cup qualifying campaign as they finished top of their group, undefeated.In the 2010 World Cup, Buffon was replaced at half-time in Italy\\'s 1–1 draw in their opening group stage match against Paraguay after he had a problem with his sciatic nerve. He did not play again in the tournament and was substituted by Federico Marchetti. Reigning champions Italy disappointed and failed to win a match, finishing last in their group with just two points earned. Lippi was dismissed after Italy\\'s premature elimination from the World Cup.\\n\\n\\n=== Italy captain and Euro 2012 runner-up ===\\nAfter the international retirement of Fabio Cannavaro, Buffon became the new captain of the national team under new manager Cesare Prandelli. On 9 February 2011, after recovering from a back injury, Buffon played his first game as Italy\\'s official captain in a 1–1 friendly draw against Germany in Dortmund. On 6 September 2011, after a 1–0 Italy win over Slovenia, Buffon surpassed Dino Zoff and established the new record for most minutes without conceding a goal in European Championship qualifying matches, going 644 minutes without conceding a goal; the win also allowed Italy to qualify for Euro 2012. On 11 October, prior to Italy\\'s 3–0 win in a European qualifier against Northern Ireland, Buffon received a commemorative cap and medal from UEFA to mark his 100th international appearance; regarding his achievement, he commented: \"I feel I\\'m entering the football nobility today and I\\'m happy to celebrate this milestone while still playing\". On 15 November 2011, in a friendly match against Uruguay, Buffon surpassed Zoff\\'s number of caps for Italy (112), putting him behind only the retired former Italian captains Cannavaro and Paolo Maldini; he overtook Zoff in Italy\\'s next friendly match against the United States on 29 February 2012. He was subsequently selected as Italy\\'s starting goalkeeper and captain for Euro 2012 after leading his national side to qualify for the tournament undefeated, only conceding two goals.At Euro 2012, Buffon acted as captain during the entire tournament. He kept a clean sheet against the Republic of Ireland in the third group stage match and against England, saving a crucial penalty from Ashley Cole in the quarter-final shootout, in which he was elected man of the match. In the semi-final match against Germany, Buffon made several important saves, only being beaten by a penalty from Mesut Özil in the 92nd minute. Italy won the match 2–1 and advanced to the final against defending European and World champions Spain, with whom Italy had drawn 1–1 in the opening group stage match, only having conceded three goals; the semi-final victory qualified Italy for the 2013 Confederations Cup, as Spain had previously won the 2010 World Cup. Italy were beaten 4–0 in the final as Spain claimed a record third consecutive major trophy, and their second consecutive European Championship title. Buffon was once again elected to the Team of the Tournament for his performances.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup qualifying and 2013 Confederations Cup ===\\nOn 26 March 2013, in a 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Malta, Buffon earned his 126th cap for Italy, equalling Paolo Maldini\\'s number of caps for the national team. In the same match, Buffon saved a penalty from Michael Mifsud, helping Italy to a 2–0 away win.Buffon was included in the Italian squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil and played in every match of the tournament as captain. On 16 June 2013, he featured in Italy\\'s opening 2–1 win against Mexico, where he was beaten only by a Javier Hernández penalty. In the next game, on 19 June 2013 against Japan, the referee awarded Japan a penalty in the 20th minute of the first half when he declared that Shinji Okazaki had been brought down by Buffon after a misplaced back pass by Mattia De Sciglio; Buffon received a yellow card. The squad\\'s eventual 4–3 win allowed Italy to progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time, where they were to face Spain in a rematch of the Euro 2012 final. After a 0–0 draw, they lost 7–6 in the resulting penalty shootout. Although both Buffon and Spanish counterpart Iker Casillas had managed to keep a clean sheet throughout the match, neither goalkeeper was able to stop a penalty in the shootout; the lone miss, by Leonardo Bonucci, was hit over bar. In the third-place match, Italy defeated Uruguay 3–2 in the penalty shootout after a 2–2 deadlock following extra time. Buffon saved three penalties; those taken by Diego Forlán, Juventus teammate Martín Cáceres and Walter Gargano.On 6 September 2013, Buffon earned his 135th cap for Italy in the 2014 World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria. This cap put him at only one cap from record appearance holder Fabio Cannavaro. Buffon kept a clean sheet for Italy in the 1–0 win and was praised for making several saves, earning the man of the match award. The win allowed Italy to move seven points clear in their qualifying group. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture against the Czech Republic, at Juventus Stadium in Turin on 10 September 2013, Buffon equalled Cannavaro as the Italian national team record appearance holder, with 136 caps. Italy won the match 2–1, allowing them to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as top of their group, with two games at hand; this was the first time that the Italian squad had done so. On 11 October 2013, in a 2–2 World Cup qualifier draw against Denmark, Buffon surpassed Cannavaro, becoming the sole record appearance holder for Italy, with 137. On 2 January 2014, Buffon was awarded the 2013 Pallone Azzurro award, which is given to the Italy national side\\'s best player of the year.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup ===\\n\\nOn 12 May, Buffon was named in Italy\\'s 31-man preliminary World Cup squad by Cesare Prandelli, and on 31 May, he was named the starting goalkeeper and captain in the final squad. Italy were placed in Group D, in the so-called \"group of death\", or \"group of champions\", with Costa Rica, England and Uruguay. Buffon became the third player to be part of five World Cup squads, tying the records held by Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal and German footballer Lothar Matthäus. Due to an ankle injury suffered in training, Buffon was not selected to start in Italy\\'s first match of the World Cup against England on 14 June 2014; he was replaced by Salvatore Sirigu. Andrea Pirlo captained the team in his absence, as Italy won the match 2–1.In Italy\\'s next group match, which ended in a 1–0 loss to Costa Rica, he captained his national side for the first time at a World Cup, the fourth World Cup in which he appeared. In Italy\\'s final group game against Uruguay, Buffon saved shots from Luis Suárez and Nicolás Lodeiro, as Italy were reduced to ten men following Claudio Marchisio\\'s controversial red card. Buffon was eventually beaten in the 81st minute by a Diego Godín header, moments after Luis Suárez\\'s bite on Giorgio Chiellini. Buffon was voted man of the match for his performance. Italy finished in third place in their group, and were eliminated in the group stage for a second consecutive World Cup.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2016 ===\\nBuffon made his first appearance for Italy under new manager Antonio Conte on 9 September 2014, captaining his team in their opening European Championship qualifying match against Norway in Oslo. He kept a clean sheet as Italy won the match 2–0. On 12 June 2015, Buffon became the first player to appear in 50 UEFA competitive international matches in Italy\\'s 1–1 away draw against Croatia in a European qualifying match. Buffon saved an early Mario Mandžukić penalty, but was taken off at half time and replaced by Salvatore Sirigu due to an injury. He made his 150th appearance for Italy on 6 September 2015, keeping a clean sheet in a home 1–0 win over Bulgaria, his 62nd clean sheet at the international level. Italy qualified for Euro 2016 on 10 October in a 3–1 win over Azerbaijan.After the Euro qualification, Buffon stated that Euro 2016 would be the final European Championship of his career, but expressed his intentions to retire only after the 2018 World Cup, which would see him play up to the age of 40. On 31 May 2016, Buffon was named the captain of Conte\\'s 23-man Italy squad for Euro 2016. In Italy\\'s first game of the tournament on 13 June, Buffon kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory over Belgium. This was Buffon\\'s 14th appearance at the European Championships, making him Italy\\'s out-right most capped player of all time in the tournament, after overtaking Maldini, Del Piero and Cassano; with his fourth tournament appearance, he also equalled Del Piero for the most UEFA European Championships played in by an Italian player. He kept another clean sheet in a 1–0 win over Sweden in Italy\\'s second group fixture on 17 June, which allowed his nation to top the group and advance to the second round, although he was later booked in injury time for time-wasting. Due to a bout of fever, Buffon was rested in Italy\\'s final group match on 22 June, a 1–0 defeat against the Republic of Ireland, and was replaced by deputy Salvatore Sirigu. He returned to the starting line-up for his nation\\'s round of 16 fixture against Spain on 27 June, making a crucial injury time save on Gerard Piqué to earn his third consecutive clean sheet of the tournament, as Italy avenged their Euro 2012 final defeat with a 2–0 victory over the defending champions. After a 1–1 draw following extra time in Italy\\'s quarter-final fixture against Germany on 2 July, Buffon saved one penalty in the resulting shoot-out, although the reigning World Cup champions would ultimately emerge victorious following a 6–5 shoot-out loss. His one on one save to deny Mario Gómez in regulation time was later nominated for the UEFA Save of the Season Award. By the end of the following month, his nominated save on Gómez finished third with 14% of the votes.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, retirement and brief return ===\\nOn 6 October 2016, Buffon made his 164th appearance for Italy in a 1–1 draw against Spain in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match in Turin, under manager Gian Piero Ventura, making him the joint eighth-most capped international player of all time with Cobi Jones, and the second-most capped active international player, behind only Iker Casillas. On 15 November 2016, Buffon won his 167th Italy cap in their friendly 0–0 draw in Milan against Germany, equalling the European international appearance record jointly held by Iker Casillas and Vitālijs Astafjevs, and making him the most capped active international player in the world alongside Casillas. On 1 January 2017, Buffon was awarded the 2016 Pallone Azzurro Award, as Italy\\'s best international player throughout the calendar year, becoming the first player to win the award more than once. On 24 March, Buffon made his 1,000th career appearance, keeping a clean sheet (his 426th overall for club and country) in a 2–0 home over Albania in a World Cup qualifier, becoming the eighteenth player to reach this milestone; in the process, he also became the sole most capped European player at international level, with his 168th appearance for Italy, and the joint fifth-most capped male international footballer of all time, alongside Iván Hurtado.On 2 September, Buffon made his 170th international appearance in a 3–0 away defeat to Spain in a World Cup qualifier; he later extended his European international appearance record with his 172nd appearance for Italy on 6 October, in a 1–1 home draw against Macedonia in a 2018 World Cup qualifier, making him the fourth-most capped male international footballer of all time, ahead of Egyptian striker Hossam Hassan (169 caps), and behind only Egyptian midfielder Ahmed Hassan (184 caps), Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea (178 caps), and Mexican defender Claudio Suárez (177 caps).Buffon\\'s 175th international appearance came on 13 November, in the second leg of the World Cup play-offs against Sweden, at the San Siro Stadium in Milan. Although he kept a clean sheet in the 0–0 draw, Italy\\'s 1–0 away loss in the first leg on 10 November saw Sweden advance on aggregate, meaning that Italy had failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years. Although he had originally intended to retire after competing in the 2018 World Cup, following the match and Italy\\'s failure to qualify the tournament, an emotional and tearful Buffon communicated his retirement from international football, stating: \"I\\'m not sorry for myself but all of Italian football. We failed at something which also means something on a social level. There\\'s regret at finishing like that, not because time passes. There is certainly a future for Italian football, as we have pride, ability, determination and after bad tumbles, we always find a way to get back on our feet.\"He later confirmed his international retirement on social media, tweeting from the national team\\'s official account: \"We are proud, we are strong, we are stubborn. We will pick ourselves up as we have always done. I am leaving a national team set-up that will know how to pick itself up again. Best wishes to everybody, and especially to those with whom I have shared this beautiful journey.\" After winning the Serie A Footballer of the Year Award later that month, Buffon hinted that he could possibly play for Italy again, stating: \"I took a break from the national team. I\\'m of a certain age, so it\\'s right for me to take a pause. With the way I am though, both for Juventus and for the national team I have always considered myself a soldier, so I could never desert a possible call in the future if needed. Even at 60, if there were a total absence of goalkeepers and they asked me to come back, I\\'d be there, because I have in me the concept of nation.\"On 17 March 2018, despite Buffon\\'s initial decision to retire, he was called up for Italy\\'s March friendlies against Argentina and England by caretaker manager Luigi Di Biagio. When asked why he had accepted a call-up after initially announcing his international retirement, he responded: \"I\\'m a consistent person, who feels a great sense of responsibility, that alone is enough to explain my presence. In addition, I\\'ve always been an unifying element in the national set-up, and I\\'d like my presence to be seen in this way. The young lads will grow, some already have, and from tomorrow they\\'ll get their chance,\" and \"I am here for Astori [a former international teammate of Buffon\\'s who had recently died from a heart attack] as well, it\\'s another reason why I wanted to be here.\" On 23 March, Buffon started in goal for Italy for the 176th time, in a friendly against Argentina, and also surpassed Cannavaro to become the record appearance holder as Italy captain, with 80; Italy were defeated by Argentina 2–0. On 17 May 2018, Buffon announced in a press conference with Juventus that he would not return to the national team for its May and June friendlies.\\n\\n\\n== Player profile ==\\n\\n\\n=== Style of play and reception ===\\n\\nSince his emergence as a precocious talent in his youth, Buffon was renowned for his consistent performances throughout his career, and received praise from managers, players, as well as both present and former goalkeeping colleagues, for his concentration and calm composure under pressure, as well as his work-rate, and longevity. Regarded as one of the best players ever in his position, he was often considered to be the archetype of the modern goalkeeper, and has been cited by many other subsequent goalkeepers as a major influence and role model. He was described as \"an agile, strong, and commanding shot-stopper, who is hugely experienced at the highest level\" and \"an accomplished and well respected keeper\" with an \"[e]xcellent positional sense, courage, power and class\".Buffon was praised for his athleticism, his \"outstanding shot-stopping\", his acrobatic dives, and his quick reflexes, as well as his ability to produce decisive saves, despite being a tall, large and physically imposing goalkeeper. Although he at times was criticised for not being particularly adept at stopping penalties, he was also proven to be effective in this area, as demonstrated by his penalty-saving record; with sixteen saves, he has stopped the joint-fifth-highest number of penalties in Serie A history, alongside Giuseppe Moro.\\n\\nIn his prime, Buffon was a talented, complete, brave, aggressive, and often instinctive and frenetic goalkeeper, who was recognised for his speed, prowess, and anticipation when coming off his line in one on one situations, as well as his confidence, goalkeeping technique, reactions, and ability to get to ground quickly to collect, parry, or even challenge for the ball with his feet; when playing in teams that relied upon high defensive lines and a zonal marking system, he often functioned as a sweeper-keeper, frequently rushing out of his area to clear the ball or face opponents who had beaten the offside trap. He was also highly regarded for his handling, aerial ability, and command of the area on high balls; however, throughout his career, Buffon was occasionally accused by pundits of being overly cautious on crosses and of not always coming out to collect them, and also drew criticism for preferring to punch the ball out to his teammates at times rather than holding on to it.Although not as adept with the ball at his feet as the newer generation of goalkeepers that emerged in his later career, Buffon also possessed good footwork, as well as reliable distribution, which enabled him to adapt to more contemporary systems requiring goalkeepers to play with their feet more frequently and be involved in the build-up of plays. His confidence in possession allowed him to play the ball out from the back on the ground to his defenders and start swift counter-attacks, as well as find his teammates further up the pitch or out on the wing with deeper kicks with his right foot. In his youth, his ball skills even occasionally led him to take on opponents, whenever he was put under pressure by on-running strikers.\\n\\nAfter struggling with a series of injuries between 2008 and 2010, Buffon effectively adapted his style of goalkeeping to the physical effects of ageing, while also modifying his diet and training regime, and as a result, developed into a less spectacular, but more efficient, calm, and reflective goalkeeper; despite the loss of some of his physical strength, explosiveness, speed and mobility, he continued to excel at the highest level due to the consistency of his performances, as well as his positioning between the posts, tactical intelligence, decision-making, and his ability to read the game and organise his defence. In contrast with his goalkeeping style in his early career, Buffon often preferred to position himself in deeper areas closer to his line in his later career, particularly in one-on-one situations, in order to increase the distance between himself and his opponent, giving himself more time to assess situations and parry the ball. In addition to his goalkeeping abilities, Buffon was singled out for his charisma, strong mentality, discipline in training, vocal presence in goal, and leadership, and was described as \"a key dressing room personality\".\\n\\n\\n=== Legacy ===\\nBuffon is widely regarded by players, pundits and managers as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and by some in the sport as the greatest ever. In the introduction of his 2008 autobiography, Numero 1 (Number 1), Roberto Perrone describes him as: \"the greatest goalkeeper in the world, one of the four or five that will always live on in the memory of world football\". In 2012, he was voted the 20th best footballer in the world by The Guardian, finishing as the second-highest ranked goalkeeper, behind Iker Casillas. Buffon was awarded the Nereo Rocco Prize on 2 September 2014, which is given to a footballer in recognition of their career. In 2015, France Football rated him as one of the ten best footballers in the world over the age of 36. In 2016, he was named the greatest goalkeeper in history by the same magazine. Later that year, he was also voted the UEFA Champions League\\'s greatest goalkeeper of all time in an official UEFA online Twitter poll. In 2015, UEFA ranked Buffon as the third-best player ever not to have won the Champions League, while in 2019, FourFourTwo placed Buffon at number two behind only Ronaldo in their list of \"The 25 best players never to win the Champions League\". In May 2020, Sky Sports ranked him as the fourth-best player ever to have not won the Champions League or European Cup, and he was also voted the \"Greatest Goalkeeper Ever\" by users of Eurosport.com.\\n\\n\\n=== Attire ===\\nAlthough when he started his career it was more common for goalkeepers to wear long-sleeved jerseys, Buffon was always known for wearing short-sleeves throughout his entire career, even during the winter months; when asked in a 2017 interview with FourFourTwo why he preferred to wear short sleeves, he commented: \"I really don\\'t know why. It\\'s just something that I\\'ve always done, right from the time I first started playing in goal. It always felt good. And now look: lots of goalkeepers do it. I\\'ve started a fashion.\" When asked again about his goalkeeping attire in a 2018 interview with L\\'Équipe\\'s magazine Sports et Style, he stated that he first cut the sleeves off of his goalkeeping kit as a youngster, \"for convenience and to feel more comfortable\", also adding that he \"feel[s] more when the ball touches [his] forearms\".\\n\\n\\n== Outside of professional football ==\\n\\n\\n=== Personal life ===\\nBuffon was born into a family of Italian athletes on 28 January 1978. His mother, Maria Stella, was a discus thrower and his father, Adriano, was a weightlifter. Following their athletic retirement, they subsequently worked as P.E. school teachers. Buffon\\'s two sisters, Veronica and Guendalina, played volleyball for the Italian national volleyball team, and his uncle, Dante Masocco, was a basketball player in Serie A1, who also represented the national team. Former Milan, Inter, and Italy goalkeeper Lorenzo Buffon is also a cousin of Gianluigi Buffon\\'s grandfather. Buffon is Catholic.Buffon married Czech model Alena Šeredová in June 2011, although they had been in a relationship since 2005. They have two children, Louis Thomas (born in 2007 and named after Buffon\\'s idol Thomas N\\'Kono) and David Lee (born in 2009 and named after Van Halen singer David Lee Roth). In May 2014, Buffon announced that he had separated from his wife after three years of marriage. He was soon romantically linked to Italian sports pundit, journalist and television host Ilaria D\\'Amico. In 2015, Buffon announced that the couple were expecting a child together. On 6 January 2016, the couple announced the birth of their son Leopoldo Mattia. In the summer of 2017, the pair became engaged. Prior to his relationship with and marriage to Šeredová, Buffon had also previously been engaged to a sprinter from the Italy national athletics team, Vincenza Calì.On 14 November 2008, Buffon released the Italian edition of his autobiography, Numero 1 (Number 1), which was written in collaboration with writer and Corriere della Sera journalist Roberto Perrone. In his autobiography, he revealed that he had suffered with bouts of depression during the 2003–04 season, following Juventus\\' penalty shoot-out defeat in the 2003 Champions League final, and due to Juventus\\' negative performance that season. In 2013, he elaborated that, between December 2003 and June 2004, he regularly visited a psychologist, but refused to take medication, and he overcame his depression prior to Euro 2004. In January 2019, he further revealed that he had even suffered from panic attacks due to his depression during his early career with Juventus, and that he even missed a game as a result.Buffon suffers from spheksophobia, as he is allergic to wasp stings.In his youth, Buffon supported a number of clubs, including his hometown club Carrarese, along with Genoa, and German side Borussia Mönchengladbach; up until the age of seven, he also supported Juventus, while between the ages of eight and twelve, he was a fan of Inter – due to his admiration for manager Giovanni Trapattoni – as well as Pescara, Como, Avellino, and Campobasso, before eventually supporting Genoa. He was a member of the ultras of Carrarese, specifically the \"Commando Ultrà Indian Tips\", and to this day, he still has the group\\'s name printed on his goalkeeping gloves.\\n\\n\\n=== AIC ===\\nOn 7 May 2012, Buffon was elected vice-president of the Italian Footballers\\' Association (AIC); this was the first time an active footballer had held this position.\\n\\n\\n=== FIGC ===\\nAfter retiring from professional football, Buffon was appointed by the FIGC as the head of delegation of the Italy national team on 5 August 2023, a position last held by the late Gianluca Vialli.\\n\\n\\n=== Media and endorsements ===\\nBuffon was sponsored by German sportswear company Puma during his career, wearing Puma gloves and Puma King football boots, and has appeared in Puma commercials. Buffon has also featured in Pepsi commercials, including an advertisement for the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, where he lined up alongside several other footballers, including David Beckham, Raúl and Roberto Carlos, in taking on a team of sumo players. In 2009, Buffon, an avid poker player and gambler, was hired by PokerStars to endorse their products.Buffon was featured on the cover of the Italian edition of Konami\\'s PES 2008, alongside global coverstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Buffon also features in EA Sports\\' FIFA video game series, and was named alongside Manuel Neuer, Iker Casillas and Petr Čech in the Ultimate Team Best Goalkeepers in FIFA 14.In 2011, he featured in a commercial for Italian mineral water company Ferrarelle.In 2016, Buffon was chosen as the new face of Amica Chips. The following year, he was instead chosen as the new face of Head & Shoulders in Italy.Throughout the 2017–18 season, Buffon appeared in the Netflix docu-series First Team: Juventus.In May 2018, Buffon announced his partnership with the video game World of Tanks. Late that same year, he also featured in a commercial for Birra Moretti.In December 2019, Buffon announced his collaboration with the Spanish clothing and accessories retailer Kimoa, which is owned by Spanish race car driver Fernando Alonso, to release four different limited edition models of sunglasses, which represent four European cities associated with Buffon\\'s football career and achievements: Berlin (the location of the victorious 2006 World Cup final), Moscow (the city in which he made his international debut and won the UEFA Cup), Paris (the city in which his former club PSG is based), and Turin (the city in which his club at the time, Juventus, is based).In January 2020, Buffon made a cameo appearance in the music video for \"Ti saprò aspettare\" by Biagio Antonacci, where he coaches a children\\'s football team against Antonacci as the opposing coach. In the last scene, Buffon takes a shot on Antonacci as goalkeeper, with the video intentionally stopping before the ball is either scored or saved.\\n\\n\\n=== Business ===\\nOn 16 July 2010, Buffon became a share-holding partner of his hometown club Carrarese; he initially owned 50% of the club\\'s shares, along with Cristiano Lucarelli and Maurizio Mian. On 10 June 2011, he acquired an additional 20% of the club\\'s shares. On 6 July 2012, Buffon become the sole shareholder of Carrarese through his family\\'s company, Buffon & co. In May 2015, Buffon stated that he would be stepping down from his position as the owner of Carrarese at the end of the 2014–15 season; in July, he sold 70% of Carrarese\\'s shares to the Italian real estate developer Raffaele Tartaglia, who took control of the club, although Buffon still remained with the club as a minority shareholder. After continuing to struggle with financial difficulties, the club officially declared bankruptcy on 11 March 2016.On 30 May 2011, he joined the board of directors of the Italian textile company Zucchi Group S.p.A., with a share of 19.4%. Despite the company\\'s financial difficulties, in 2015, Buffon, who had by then acquired 56% of the company\\'s shares, had reportedly invested €20 million in order to save the company from bankruptcy. In late December, Zucchi was acquired by a French investment fund, Astrance Capital, which took control of Buffon\\'s company GB Holding, under an agreement to restructure Zucchi Group\\'s debt, while Buffon was allowed to retain a 15% share in the company.In 2017, Buffon launched his own brand of wine under the name \"Buffon #1\".\\n\\n\\n=== Philanthropy ===\\nBuffon is also known for his charity work. In addition to his other charitable endeavours, after every match he auctioned off his personalised captain\\'s armband for charity.In 2012, Buffon joined the \"Respect Diversity\" Programme, through UEFA, which aimed to fight against racism, discrimination and intolerance in football.On 1 September 2014, Buffon, along with many current and former footballing stars, took part in the \"Match for Peace\", which was played at Rome\\'s Stadio Olimpico, with the proceeds being donated to charity.In October 2019, Buffon was named a UN Goodwill Ambassador for the World Food Programme.\\n\\n\\n=== Politics ===\\nPrior to the 2013 Italian general election, Buffon publicly endorsed the prime minister at the time, Mario Monti. Buffon was one of over 80 Italian celebrities to sign a petition in favour of the 2016 Italian constitutional referendum promoted by the Democratic Party under then prime minister Matteo Renzi.\\n\\n\\n=== Controversy ===\\nWhile at Parma, Buffon\\'s decision to wear the number 88 shirt, rather than his previous number 1 shirt, for the 2000–01 season caused controversy in Italy. Buffon claimed to be unaware of the number\\'s neo-Nazi connotations, stating that 88 represented \"four balls\", which are symbols of the character and attributes of a person. He stated that they were meant to signify his need for these attributes after his injury prior to Euro 2000, and that they also represented his \"rebirth\". He subsequently offered to change numbers, choosing the squad number 77 instead.In September 1999, Buffon faced heavy criticism and severe disciplinary sanctions for bearing the Italian fascist slogan Boia chi molla (\"Who gives up is a scoundrel\") handwritten on a T-shirt under his goalkeeping jersey, which he wore and showed during media interviews after a match against Lazio. Buffon publicly apologised, stating that it was a stupid and naïve gesture because he was completely ignorant of the slogan\\'s neo-fascist connotations, stating that he had first encountered the slogan written on a boarding school desk, and was unaware of its far right-wing association and, in particular, its use with the neo-fascists in Reggio Calabria during the Reggio revolt in the early 1970s. He declared that he merely intended to use the slogan to spur on his teammates and the fans, as Parma had previously encountered some disappointing results.In 2000, Buffon risked a four-year prison sentence for falsifying a high school accounting diploma in order to enroll for a law degree at the University of Parma, and ultimately paid a 6,350,000 Lire fine in 2001; he later described the incident as his biggest regret in life, stating that it had been a dishonest gesture.On 12 May 2006, during the height of the Calciopoli scandal, Buffon was accused of illegally betting on Serie A matches, which initially put his place in Italy\\'s 2006 World Cup squad at risk. Buffon was formally interrogated and admitted placing bets on sporting matches until players were forbidden from doing so in October 2005, but denied ever placing wagers on Italian football matches. He was cleared of all charges in December 2006. Following Italy\\'s 2006 World Cup victory celebrations at Circus Maximus in Rome in July, he attracted further controversy when he displayed a banner he had received from the crowd, with the writing \"Fieri di essere italiani\" (\"Proud to be Italian\"), as well as a Celtic cross, a symbol adopted by neo–Nazis into the 21st century; Buffon later stated that he had not seen the symbol.On 11 April 2018, in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg away to Real Madrid, Juventus needed a 3–0 win to force extra time, which was the scoreline when, deep into second-half stoppage time, referee Michael Oliver awarded a penalty to Real Madrid. Buffon was sent off for dissent after a confrontation with Oliver; Juventus were eliminated from the Champions League as the resulting penalty kick was converted by Cristiano Ronaldo.Buffon\\'s post-match comments made about Oliver drew much media attention and controversy:\\n\\n\"I know the referee saw what he saw, but it was certainly a dubious incident. Not clear-cut. And a dubious incident at the 93rd minute when we had a clear penalty denied in the first leg, you cannot award that at this point. The team gave its all, but a human being cannot destroy dreams like that at the end of an extraordinary comeback on a dubious situation. Clearly you cannot have a heart in your chest, but a bag of rubbish. On top of that, if you don\\'t have the character to walk on a pitch like this in a stadium like this, you can sit in the stands with your wife, your kids, having your drink and eating crisps. You cannot ruin the dreams of a team. I could have told the referee anything at that moment, but he had to understand the degree of the disaster he was creating. If you can\\'t handle the pressure and have the courage to make a decision, then you should just sit in the stands and eat your crisps.\"\\nOn 11 May, Buffon was charged by UEFA over post-match comments made about referee Oliver, and later, on 5 June, the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body gave Buffon a three-match ban for UEFA competition matches \"for which he would be otherwise eligible\". Buffon later issued an apology, stating:\\n\\n\"If I saw the referee again, I would give him a hug and say that he should have taken more time with that decision. With the feelings, emotions and disappointment of the situation, I behaved in a way that was not usual for me. After that match, I went beyond the limits with the things I said about the referee and I apologise for that.\"\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nParma\\nCoppa Italia: 1998–99\\nSupercoppa Italiana: 1999\\nUEFA Cup: 1998–99Juventus\\nSerie A: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20\\nSerie B: 2006–07\\nCoppa Italia: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21\\nSupercoppa Italiana: 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2020\\nUEFA Champions League runner-up: 2002–03, 2014–15, 2016–17Paris Saint-Germain\\n\\nLigue 1: 2018–19\\nTrophée des Champions: 2018Italy U21\\n\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1996\\nMediterranean Games: 1997Italy\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2006\\nUEFA European Championship runner-up: 2012Individual\\n\\nBravo Award: 1999\\nSerie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017\\nUEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: 2002–03\\nUEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2002–03\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2016, 2017\\nESM Team of the Year: 2002–03, 2016–17\\nBest European Goalkeeper: 2003, 2016, 2017\\nBallon d\\'Or: Second place 2006\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper: 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2017\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper: Runner-up 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper: 3rd place 2001, 2005, 2018\\nFIFA 100\\nFIFA World Cup Yashin Award: 2006\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006\\nSerie A \"Fan\" Award: 2006, 2007\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI: 2006, 2007, 2017\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012\\nSports Illustrated Team of the Decade: 2009\\nESPN World Team of the Decade: 2009\\nIFFHS Best Goalkeeper of the Decade 2001–2010\\nIFFHS Best Goalkeeper of the Decade 2011–2020: 2nd\\nIFFHS Best Goalkeeper of the 21st Century 2001–2020\\nIFFHS Best Goalkeeper of the Past 25 Years: 1987–2012\\nIFFHS All Time World\\'s Best Goalkeeper: 1987–2020\\nSerie A Team of the Year: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017\\nAIC Legend Special Award: 2023\\nPallone Azzurro: 2013, 2016\\nUEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2013–14\\nPremio Nereo Rocco: 2014\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15, 2016–17\\nUEFA Ultimate Team of the Year substitute (published 2015)\\nFrance Football World XI: 2015\\nGianni Brera Award for Sportsman of the Year: 2015\\nJuventus MVP of the Year: 2015–16\\nUEFA Euro All-time XI (published 2016)\\nPremio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare \"Gaetano Scirea\": 2016\\nGolden Foot: 2016\\nSerie A Footballer of the Year: 2016–17\\nThe Best FIFA Goalkeeper: 2017\\nUEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season: 2016–17\\nIFFHS Men\\'s World Team: 2017\\nGazzetta Sports Awards Man of the Year: 2017\\nJuventus Greatest XI of All Time: 2017\\nFourFourTwo best goalkeeper of the 21st century: 2019\\nBallon d\\'Or Dream Team (Silver): 2020\\nIFFHS All-time Men\\'s B Dream Team: 2021Records\\n\\nMost appearances in Serie A: 657\\nSecond-most appearances for Juventus in all competitions: 685, behind Alessandro Del Piero, 705\\nMost appearances for Juventus in Serie A: 489\\nMost appearances for Juventus in Italian League matches (includes Serie A and Serie B): 526\\nMost appearances for Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana: 8\\nMost appearances for Juventus in the UEFA Champions League: 117 (including 4 in the qualifying rounds)\\nMost appearances for Juventus in UEFA club competitions: 126\\nSecond-most appearances for Juventus in international club competitions: 126, behind Alessandro Del Piero, 130\\nJoint-most appearances for Juventus in Serie B: 37, alongside Federico Balzaretti and Alessandro Birindelli\\nMost all-time minutes played for Juventus in all competitions: 61,412\\nMost all-time minutes played for Juventus in Serie A: 43,549\\nMost career club appearances by an Italian player: 975\\nMost appearances in Europe\\'s top five leagues: 674 (657 in Serie A and 17 in Ligue 1)\\nMost appearances for Italy senior team: 176\\nMost all-time minutes played for Italy senior team: 15,251\\nMost appearances for Italy in FIFA World Cup qualification matches: 39\\nJoint second-most appearances for Italy in UEFA European Championship matches: 17, alongside Giorgio Chiellini, and behind Leonardo Bonucci, 18\\nMost appearances for Italy in UEFA European Championship qualifying matches: 41\\nMost appearances for Italy in UEFA European Championship (final tournament and qualifying matches): 58\\nJoint-most appearances for Italy in FIFA Confederations Cup matches: 8, alongside Giorgio Chiellini and Riccardo Montolivo\\nMost appearances as captain for Italy senior team: 80\\nMost goalkeeper appearances as captain for Italy senior team: 80\\nMost appearances by a goalkeeper at the UEFA European Championship: 17\\nJoint-fewest goals conceded in a single FIFA World Cup edition by a starting World Cup winning goalkeeper: 2 goals in 7 appearances at the 2006 World Cup, alongside Iker Casillas in 2010 and Fabien Barthez in 1998\\nJoint-fewest goals conceded in a single UEFA European Championship edition (at least 3 matches played): 1 goal in 4 appearances at Euro 2016, alongside Iker Casillas in 2012, Thomas Myhre in 2000 and Dino Zoff in 1968\\nJoint-most clean sheets in a single World Cup edition: 5 at the 2006 World Cup, alongside Iker Casillas in 2010, Oliver Kahn in 2002, Fabien Barthez in 1998 and Walter Zenga in 1990\\nLongest consecutive run without conceding a goal in a single Serie A season: 974 minutes in 2015–16\\nMost consecutive clean sheets in a single Serie A season: 10 in 2015–16\\nJoint-most clean sheets in a single Serie A season: 21 in 2011–12 and 2015–16\\nLongest consecutive run without conceding a goal in the qualifying stages of the UEFA European Championship: 644 minutes in 2010 and 2011\\nOne of only eight players to take part in five FIFA World Cups: 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014\\nMost clean sheets by an individual goalkeeper in all-time: 501\\nMost clean sheets for Italy senior team: 77 (second-most clean sheets in international football)\\nMost clean sheets for Italy at the FIFA World Cup: 6\\nMost clean sheets for Italy at the UEFA European Championship: 8\\nMost clean sheets for Italy at the FIFA Confederations Cup: 1\\nMost clean sheets for Italy in FIFA World Cup qualification matches: 21\\nMost clean sheets for Italy in UEFA European Championship qualifying matches: 23\\nMost clean sheets in Serie A: 299\\nMost clean sheets by a goalkeeper in men\\'s association football: 505\\nThird-most clean sheets in the UEFA Champions League: 53 (excluding 3 in the qualifying rounds), behind Iker Casillas, 57 (excluding 2 in qualifying) and Manuel Neuer, 54 (excluding 2 in qualifying)\\nSecond most clean sheets kept in a single UEFA Champions League season: 8 (2016–17 season)\\nMost appearances in the UEFA Champions League by an Italian player: 124 (excluding 8 in the qualifying rounds)\\nJoint sixth-most appearances in UEFA club competitions: 167 (124 in the UEFA Champions League, 8 in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds and 35 in the UEFA Cup/Europa League)\\nThird-longest consecutive run without conceding a goal in the UEFA Champions League: 690 minutes in 2016–17, behind Ederson, 706, and Jens Lehmann, 853\\nThird-most appearances by a goalkeeper in the UEFA Champions League: 132 (including 8 in the qualifying rounds), behind Iker Casillas, 181 (including 4 in qualifying rounds) and Manuel Neuer, 133 (including 2 in the qualifying rounds)\\nThird-most appearances by a goalkeeper in UEFA club competitions: 167, behind Iker Casillas, 188, and Pepe Reina, 183\\nMost UEFA Champions League final appearances without a victory: 3, alongside Paolo Montero\\nMost penalties saved for Italy senior team: 5\\nJoint-most penalties saved in shoot-outs at the UEFA European Championship: 3, alongside Iker Casillas, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Unai Simón\\nJoint third-most penalties saved in the UEFA Champions League (excluding shoot-outs): 4 (out of 13), alongside Manuel Neuer (out of 11), and behind Iker Casillas, 7 (out of 23) and Petr Čech, 5 (out of 11)\\nThird-most senior international appearances by a European footballer: 176, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, 200 and Sergio Ramos, 180\\nNinth-most men\\'s senior international appearances: 176\\nSecond-most appearances in UEFA European Championship (final tournament and qualifying matches): 58, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, 64\\nOnly goalkeeper to ever win the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year Award: 2003\\nMost Serie A titles won by a player: 10 (all with Juventus)\\nThird-most consecutive Serie A titles: 7, alongside Stephan Lichtsteiner and Claudio Marchisio, behind Andrea Barzagli, 8 and Giorgio Chiellini, 9\\nJoint-most Supercoppa Italiana titles: 6 (1 with Parma and 5 with Juventus), alongside Dejan Stanković\\nJoint-most Coppa Italia titles: 6 (1 with Parma and 5 with Juventus), alongside Roberto Mancini\\nMost Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year awards: 13\\nJoint-most IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper Awards: 5, alongside Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer\\nMost Top 3 IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper Awards: 14 (first place 5 times, second place 6 times and third place 3 times)\\nMost Pallone Azzurro Awards: 2\\nFourth-most expensive goalkeeper of all time: €52 million, behind Kepa Arrizabalaga, €80 million, Alisson, €72.5 million and André Onana, €52.5 million\\nMost titles won with Juventus: 21\\nSecond-oldest player to appear in Serie A: 43 years, 104 days, behind Marco Ballotta, 44 years, 38 days\\nSecond-oldest goalkeeper to appear in the UEFA Champions League: 42 years, 315 days, behind Marco Ballotta, 43 years, 252 days\\nHe also has the second highest number of clean sheets (420) since 2000s among all goalkeepers.(2000-2020)Orders\\n\\n CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: 2006 4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2006\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 1000 or more official appearances\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== Bibliography ==\\nGianluigi Buffon, Roberto Perrone, Numero 1, Milan, Rizzoli, 2007, ISBN 978-88-17-02438-9 (Number 1). (in Italian)\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nPSG official profile\\nGianluigi Buffon at Soccerway\\nProfile at legaseriea.it Archived 13 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine (in Italian)\\nProfile at aic.football.it (in Italian)\\nGianluigi Buffon at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)\\nFIGC official profile (in Italian)\\nProfile at Italia1910.com (in Italian)\\nGianluigi Buffon – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nGianluigi Buffon – UEFA competition record (archive)\\nLUIS SUAREZLuis Alberto Suárez Díaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlwis ˈswaɾes]; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed \"El Pistolero\" (\"The Gunman\"), he is regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of the greatest strikers of all time. Individually, he has won two European Golden Shoes, an Eredivisie Golden Boot, a Premier League Golden Boot and a Pichichi Trophy. He has also scored over 500 career goals for club and country.Suárez began his senior club career at Nacional in 2005. At age 19, he signed for Groningen, before transferring to Ajax in 2007. There, he won the KNVB Cup and the Eredivisie. In 2011, Suárez signed for Premier League club Liverpool, and won the League Cup in his first full season. Having established a strike partnership with Daniel Sturridge, he equalled the goalscoring record for a 38-game Premier League season and won his first European Golden Shoe in 2014. That summer, Suárez moved to Barcelona in a transfer worth £64.98 million (€82.3 million adjusted for inflation), making him one of the most expensive players of all time.\\nDubbed MSN, Suárez was part of a dominant trio alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, winning the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in his first season. In his second season, he won the Pichichi Trophy and his second European Golden Shoe, becoming the first player since 2009 to win both awards other than Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. He also led La Liga in assists, becoming the first player to do so in both goals and assists in league history. With Barcelona, Suárez won ten additional trophies, including three La Liga titles and three Copas del Rey. He signed for Atlético Madrid in 2020, winning his fifth La Liga title in his second season.At international level, Suárez is Uruguay\\'s all-time leading goalscorer, and formerly held the title of highest scorer in CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers before being surpassed by teammate Lionel Messi. He has represented his nation at four editions of the FIFA World Cup and four editions of the Copa América, as well as the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was named in the 2010 World Cup All-Star Team and won the 2011 Copa América, where he was awarded Best Player. Outside of his football credentials, Suárez has been a source of controversy throughout his career, including a goal-line handball against Ghana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, biting opponents on three occasions, accusations of diving, and racial incidents.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth ===\\nSuárez lived his early years at the Cerro neighbourhood in Salto, where he played youth football at Sportivo Artigas. At age seven, he moved with his family (parents and six brothers) to Montevideo, where he played youth football at Urreta. When he was a child, a car ran over his foot, breaking the fifth metatarsal bone. In spite of the injury, he continued to play.\\n\\n\\n=== Nacional ===\\nSuárez joined local side Nac\\'s youth team at age 14. At age 16, Suárez headbutted a referee after showing his discontent following a red card, although a sports editor claimed he \"accidentally fell into the referee\". One night, he was caught drinking and partying, prompting his coach to threaten he would never play unless he started playing football more seriously. In May 2005, at age 18, Suárez made his first-team debut against Atlético Junior in the Copa Libertadores. He scored his first goal in September 2005 and helped Nacional win the 2005–06 Uruguayan league with 10 goals in 27 matches.Suárez was found by a group of scouts from the Dutch club Groningen when they were in Uruguay to scout another player. As they watched, he won and converted a penalty and scored a \"wonder goal\" against Defensor. After watching only that match, the scouts approached Suárez and said they wanted to buy him, and after the season, Groningen paid Nacional €800,000 for him. Suárez was thrilled to go to Europe because his then girlfriend, and now wife, Sofía Balbi, had moved to Barcelona; they had maintained a long-distance relationship for a year and he wanted to move closer to her.\\n\\n\\n=== Groningen ===\\nSuárez was 19 years old when he joined Groningen. Initially, Suárez struggled because he could not speak Dutch or English, and he played on the second team to adjust to the Dutch game. His teammate and fellow Uruguayan, Bruno Silva, and his teammate Rùfson, helped him settle into living in the Netherlands and playing for a new team. He worked hard to learn Dutch and his teammates respected him for his efforts with the language. Suárez scored goals for Groningen, but he also had disciplinary problems; in one five-game stretch in January 2007, he scored four goals but received three yellow cards and one red card. Suárez especially made his mark in a 4–3 home win over Vitesse, when with ten minutes to go he subsequently won a penalty and scored two goals. Suárez ended with 10 goals in 29 league appearances to help Groningen finish eighth in the 2006–07 Eredivisie. He also scored in a 4–2 loss to Serbian club Partizan in his European debut on 14 September 2006.Ajax saw potential in Suárez and offered Groningen €3.5 million for him, but Groningen rejected the offer. Suárez was upset and brought his case to the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB)\\'s arbitration committee to try to facilitate the sale. The arbitration committee ruled against him on 9 August 2007, but that same day, Ajax increased their offer to €7.5 million and Groningen accepted.\\n\\n\\n=== Ajax ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2007–09: Development and breakthrough ====\\nOn 9 August 2007 Suárez signed a five-year contract with Ajax, for a transfer fee of €7.5 million, and made his club debut in the UEFA Champions League qualifier against Slavia Prague. He scored one goal in his Eredivisie debut for the club and two goals in his home debut at the Amsterdam Arena. Ajax finished second in the league table in the 2007–08 season and Suárez scored 17 goals in 33 league appearances, setting up a blossoming striking partnership with league top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.During the 2008–09 season, Ajax head coach Marco van Basten noted how Suárez played an important role in many of Ajax\\'s goals, but Van Basten was also upset by the number of yellow cards Suárez received. Suárez was suspended for one match because he was given his seventh yellow card of the season against Utrecht in a 2–0 win. He was also suspended after a half-time altercation with teammate Albert Luque over a free kick. Ajax ended the season in third place. Suárez scored 22 goals in 31 league matches and finished second in scoring tables, one goal behind Mounir El Hamdaoui of AZ. Suárez was also named Ajax Player of the Year.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10: League top goal scorer, Eredivisie winner ====\\nBefore the 2009–10 season, Martin Jol replaced Van Basten as head coach. After the departure of Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen to Arsenal, Jol named Suárez team captain. Suárez started scoring goals early in the season with a hat-trick in a 4–1 win against RKC Waalwijk. He had a number of multiple-goal matches throughout the season, including four in wins over Slovan Bratislava in the UEFA Europe League play-off round, VVV-Venlo and Roda JC. He scored three in the first half in another win over VVV-Venlo and six against WHC Wezep in the KNVB Cup as Ajax won by a club-record margin of 14–1.Suárez scored two goals in the second leg of the KNVB Cup final and finished as the tournament\\'s top scorer. Ajax won the Cup final 6–1 on aggregate over Feyenoord, but they finished second in the league behind Twente.Suárez ended the season as the Eredivisie\\'s top scorer with 35 goals in 33 matches, and had 49 goals in all competitions. He was named Ajax Player of the Year for the second straight year and Dutch Footballer of the Year.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11: First biting incident ====\\nSoon after Suárez returned from his World Cup campaign, he scored his 100th goal for Ajax in a 1–1 home draw against PAOK in a UEFA Champions League qualifier. This put him in an elite group of players, including Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, to score 100 or more goals with the club. Suárez continued his scoring run with a hat-trick against De Graafschap in a 5–0 win.On 20 November 2010, Suárez bit PSV\\'s Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during a 0–0 draw. Ajax suspended him for two matches and fined him an undisclosed amount, which the club said they would donate to a \"good cause\". The Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf branded Suárez the \"Cannibal of Ajax\". The KNVB increased Suárez\\'s suspension to seven league matches. Suárez apologized for his actions through a video he uploaded to his Facebook page.\\n\\n\\n=== Liverpool ===\\n\\n\\n==== Transfer ====\\nDuring the suspension, Ajax were in contact with other European clubs interested in Suárez. On 28 January 2011, they accepted a €26.5 million (£22.8 million) offer for Suárez from Premier League club Liverpool. Despite leaving while suspended, Suárez departed Ajax on good terms, and he was given a farewell sendoff after an Ajax match. During the sendoff, an Ajax coach spoke to him and the crowd and said how the club wished he could stay longer; the crowd applauded their agreement and fireworks followed. Ajax ended the 2010–11 season as Eredivisie champions and Suárez was given a winner\\'s medal for his 7 goals in 13 appearances.On 31 January 2011, Suárez signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with Liverpool until 2016, and was the club\\'s most expensive signing (£22.8 million) until the arrival of Andy Carroll (£35 million) a few hours later. Suárez requested the number seven shirt, which had been worn by Liverpool legends Kenny Dalglish, his new manager, Kevin Keegan, and Peter Beardsley\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12: Early seasons ====\\nSuárez made his Liverpool debut on 2 February against Stoke City at Anfield in a 2–0 win; he came on as a substitute and scored Liverpool\\'s second goal in front of the Kop in the 79th minute. He was one of Liverpool\\'s best players during his partial season and helped Liverpool go from 12th in the league in mid-January to finish sixth. He finished the 2010–11 season with four goals in 13 games.After winning the Player of the Tournament at the 2011 Copa América, Suárez had a disappointing 2011–12 season by his standards. Liverpool finished in eighth place and Suárez scored 11 league goals. On 26 February, Liverpool won the League Cup, defeating Cardiff City in a penalty shootout. On 28 April, Suárez scored his first Liverpool hat-trick in a 3–0 win against Norwich City at Carrow Road. He finished sixth for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or.\\n\\n\\n==== Racial abuse incident ====\\nThe season was marked by an incident in which Suárez was found guilty by a three-man panel from The Football Association (FA) of racially abusing Patrice Evra during a match against Manchester United in October; he was issued an eight-match suspension and a £40,000 fine. Suárez disputed this decision.After a 1–1 draw against Manchester United on 15 October 2011, Suárez was accused of racially abusing Evra, and the FA opened up an investigation into the incident. Suárez wrote on his Twitter and Facebook pages that he was upset by the accusation and denied the claims. On 16 November, the FA announced it would charge Suárez with \"abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour contrary to FA rules\", including \"a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra\". Liverpool later released a statement announcing Suárez would plead innocent, adding they would \"remain fully supportive\" of him. On 20 December, the FA concluded a seven-day hearing, handing Suárez an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine for racially abusing Evra.In their next meeting in February, during the pregame handshakes, Suárez avoided shaking Evra\\'s hand, for which Suárez and Dalglish were later forced to apologise. Suárez was also banned for one match for making an obscene gesture towards Fulham fans.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13: Return and individual success ====\\nOn 7 August 2012, Suárez signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool. On 26 August, he scored his first goal of the 2012–13 season in a 2–2 draw with champions Manchester City at Anfield. On 29 September 2012, Suárez scored a hat-trick in Liverpool\\'s Premier League fixture away at Norwich City for the second consecutive season.\\nOn 6 January 2013, Suárez handled the ball before scoring the decisive goal in Liverpool\\'s 2–1 win over Mansfield Town from the Conference National in an FA Cup third round match. Liverpool\\'s manager Brendan Rodgers defended his player by claiming \"it\\'s not his job to own up\", while Mansfield manager Paul Cox said he felt \"a little bit gutted\" by the \"instinctive\" handball, but admitted he would have accepted a goal scored like that by one of his players.On 19 January, Suárez scored his seventh goal in three matches against Norwich, as Liverpool cruised to a 5–0 home league victory. The following week, Suárez captained Liverpool for the first time for the FA Cup fourth round match against Oldham Athletic; Liverpool lost 2–3. On 2 March, Suárez scored a hat-trick against Wigan Athletic, leading Liverpool to a dominant 4–0 victory at the DW Stadium. In so doing, he became only the third Liverpool player to score 20 Premier League goals in a single season after Robbie Fowler and Fernando Torres. On 10 March, Suárez scored his 50th goal in all competitions since joining the Reds by scoring the opener in a 3–2 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur, ending Spurs\\' 12-match unbeaten run. He was also named man of the match for his performance after he won the decisive penalty which Steven Gerrard converted.\\nAt the end of the season, Suárez was one of six players named on the shortlist for PFA Players\\' Player of the Year. Suárez finished second in the final ballot behind Gareth Bale of Tottenham and was named in the PFA Team of the Year. He was second-top goalscorer in the Premier League for 2012–13 with 23 goals and Liverpool\\'s top scorer in all competitions with 30 goals. On 28 May 2013, he was named as Liverpool\\'s player of the season after receiving 64% of votes in a poll of the club\\'s supporters.\\n\\n\\n==== Second biting incident ====\\nOn 21 April 2013, during a 2–2 draw with Chelsea in a Premier League match at Anfield, Suárez bit Branislav Ivanović; this was the second time Suárez had bitten an opponent. It was not noticed by the officials, and Suárez scored an equalizer in injury time. The bite prompted UK Prime Minister David Cameron to call on the FA to take a hard line with Suárez: the FA charged him with violent conduct and he was fined an undisclosed sum by his club. Contrary to claims from Suárez, Ivanović did not accept an apology. Suárez accepted the violent conduct charge but denied the FA\\'s claim the standard punishment of three matches was clearly insufficient for his offence. A three-man independent panel appointed by the FA decided on a ten-game ban for Suárez, who did not appeal the ban; the panel criticized Suárez for not appreciating \"the seriousness\" of the incident when he argued against a long ban. The panel also wanted to send a \"strong message that such deplorable behaviours do not have a place in football\", while noting that \"all players in the higher level of the game are seen as role models, have the duty to act professionally and responsibly, and set the highest example of good conduct to the rest of the game – especially to young players\".On 31 May 2013, Suárez said he would be seeking an exit from Liverpool in the summer, citing excessive media attention on his family as a reason for wanting to leave. On 6 August, after Liverpool had rejected a bid of £40,000,001 for the player from Arsenal, Suárez reiterated his wish to leave Liverpool and said Liverpool had previously promised to allow him a transfer if the club failed to qualify for the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League. The following day, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said Liverpool had not broken any promises to Suárez and that the player had shown \"total disrespect\" for the club. After this incident, the British press reported that Suárez had been instructed to train away from the Liverpool first-team squad by Rodgers. On 8 August, Liverpool owner John W. Henry stated that Suárez would not be allowed to leave the club.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: European Golden Shoe and departure ====\\nOn 14 August, Suárez reversed his position about wanting to leave the club, with reports stating he wanted to stay at the club and that he was possibly going to sign a contract extension, citing the support from Liverpool supporters as the reason for his unexpected turnaround. Suárez returned to first-team training two days later after \"offer[ing] contrition\" to his teammates but reportedly not apologizing to his manager. On 25 September, Suárez returned to the Liverpool team after his suspension to make his first appearance of the 2013–14 season in a League Cup third round tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford, losing 1–0. On 29 September, Suárez made his first Premier League appearance of the season, scoring twice as Liverpool defeated Sunderland 3–1 at the Stadium of Light. On 26 October, he scored his fourth Premier League hat-trick, his first at Anfield, in a 4–1 defeat of West Bromwich Albion.On 4 December, Suárez scored four goals against Norwich City in a 5–1 home win. He became the first player in Premier League history to score three hat-tricks against the same club, and took his scoring record against Norwich to 11 goals in 5 matches. On 15 December, Suárez captained Liverpool for the first time in a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur. He both scored and assisted twice as the team recorded a 5–0 win at White Hart Lane to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to two points. The following day, Suárez was named the Football Supporters\\' Federation Player of the Year for 2013. On 20 December, Suárez signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Liverpool.On 1 January 2014, by scoring in a 2–0 home win over Hull City, Suárez became the first Liverpool player to score 20 or more goals in successive Premier League seasons since Robbie Fowler in 1994–95 and 1995–96. He equaled Andy Cole\\'s Premier League record for the earliest date to reach the 20-goal mark, but set a new record low of 15 matches. His strike partnership this season with Daniel Sturridge has earned them a nickname \"SAS\", i.e., Sturridge and Suárez.On 1 March, Suárez made his 100th Premier League appearance, scoring in a 3–0 win over Southampton at St Mary\\'s Stadium. In the following fixture, he scored his 25th league goal of the season as Liverpool defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time since 2009 by a convincing three-goal margin. On 22 March, Suárez scored his sixth Premier League hat-trick, and third of the season, in a 6–3 win over Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium. On 30 March, he broke Robbie Fowler\\'s club record of 28 goals in a Premier League season in a 4–0 home win against Tottenham which took Liverpool top of the league with six matches remaining. On 20 April, he scored in a 3–2 win at Norwich to become the first Liverpool player to score 30 league goals in a season since Ian Rush in 1986–87. This also made him the seventh player to score 30 goals in a Premier League season, following Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Kevin Phillips, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie.On 18 April, Suárez was named as one of the six players nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season. On 27 April, he won the award, becoming the first non-European to win the award. On 5 May 2014, Suárez was named as the Football Association Writers Player of the Year. He finished the season with 31 goals in 33 matches, winning the Premier League Golden Boot, with Sturridge as runner-up, as Liverpool came second in the league and returned to the UEFA Champions League. Suárez also won the Barclay\\'s Premier League Player of the Season award. As the Premier League\\'s top scorer with 31 goals, he also shared the European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo.\\n\\n\\n=== Barcelona ===\\n\\n\\n==== Signing and suspension ====\\nOn 11 July 2014, Suárez agreed with Barcelona on a five-year contract for an undisclosed transfer fee, however, according to a leaked document by Football Leaks, the fee was £64.98 million (€82.3 million adjusted for inflation), making him one of the most expensive players in world football history. Barça confirmed Suárez would wear the number 9 shirt for the 2014–15 season.Suárez missed the first part of the season after being found guilty of biting Italian player Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. As part of the suspension, he was banned from all \"football-related activities\", including training for Barcelona, for four months (until 26 October). He was also banned from entering any stadium, even as a spectator, during the same period. On 24 July, Suárez and his lawyers filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and requested the sanctions be reduced or the suspension to be lifted. The parties were heard at a hearing at the CAS offices in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 8 August. Six days later, the CAS confirmed the ban imposed by FIFA against Suárez, who remained suspended from football for four months, as well as a nine-match ban in internationals, the first of which was served in Uruguay\\'s round of 16 match against Colombia in the 2014 World Cup. However, the CAS removed the player\\'s \"football-related activities\" ban and he was allowed to train with Barcelona. As a result of this ban, Suárez was banned from participating in the 2015 Copa América.\\nThe CAS permitted Suárez to play in friendly matches, and he made his Barcelona debut on 18 August against Club León of Mexico at the Camp Nou, replacing Rafinha for the final 14 minutes of an eventual 6–0 win in the Gamper Trophy. Fellow forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar had already been substituted off by the time Suárez took to the pitch.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: MSN trio and treble winner ====\\nSuárez made his competitive debut for Barcelona on 25 October, starting in attack with Messi and Neymar away to Real Madrid in El Clásico. Although he set up Neymar for the opening goal in the fourth minute, Suárez was substituted in the second half and Barcelona lost 3–1. He scored his first goal for the club on 26 November in a 4–0 win at APOEL in the UEFA Champions League group stage. On 20 December, he scored his first league goal for the club in his eighth La Liga match, contributing to a 5–0 home win against Córdoba.\\nOn 24 February 2015, Suárez scored twice as Barça defeated English champions Manchester City 2–1 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie. On 4 March, he scored in Barcelona\\'s 3–1 Copa del Rey semi-final win over Villarreal to qualify the club for its 37th Spanish Cup final. On 8 March, Suárez scored twice in a 6–1 home win over Rayo Vallecano. On 22 March, Suárez scored the winning goal for Barcelona in the 2–1 victory over Real Madrid at Camp Nou. In the post-match press conference, his coach Luis Enrique lauded Suárez, saying, \"Very few players can score a goal like he did, and that is why we signed him. He can decide games. He\\'s a pure scorer, who needs very little to finish.\"On 15 April, Suárez scored two goals in a 3–1 UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. He nutmegged PSG defender David Luiz twice before scoring both goals. On 2 May, he scored his first hat-trick for the club, in 8–0 win at Córdoba. On 12 May, Suárez set up both of Neymar\\'s goals in the second leg of Barcelona\\'s UEFA Champions League semi-final tie as they went on to win 5–3 on aggregate against Bayern Munich. Suárez scored in the Champions League final against Juventus on 6 June in Berlin, putting the team back into the lead in an eventual 3–1 win by converting the rebound after Gianluigi Buffon saved from Messi. The win sealed a treble for the team.Suárez ended his first season at Barcelona with 25 goals and 20 assists in all competitions. The Barcelona attacking trio of Messi, Suárez and Neymar, dubbed \"MSN\", ended with 122 goals, the most in a season for an attacking trio in Spanish football history.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16: Second European Golden Shoe, domestic success ====\\nSuárez opened the 2015–16 season by scoring and assisting a goal in Barcelona\\'s 5–4 extra time victory over Sevilla in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup, on 11 August 2015. On 25 October, he scored his first hat trick of the season, as Barcelona beat Eibar 3–1. The following week, Suárez scored in a 2–0 away win against Getafe after being assisted with a backheel from Sergi Roberto, his 300th career goal. On 21 November, Suárez scored twice in Barcelona\\'s 4–0 away win against Real Madrid. On 17 December, Suárez scored all three goals as Barcelona defeated Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande 3–0 in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final in Yokohama, Japan, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in the competition\\'s history. He then scored twice in Barcelona\\'s 3–0 win over Argentine club River Plate in the final, finishing the tournament as top scorer with five goals and being named the best player of the competition. On 17 January 2016, Suárez scored a hat trick against Athletic Bilbao, in a game that ended 6–0 for Barcelona.\\nOn 3 February 2016, Suárez scored four goals in a 7–0 Copa del Rey win against Valencia. On 16 February, he recorded his 3rd hat trick of the LaLiga Campaign, netting 3 against Celta Vigo in Barcelona\\'s 6–1 win. On 16 March, he scored an acrobatic goal as Barcelona beat Arsenal 3–1 in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. On 5 April, he scored both of Barcelona\\'s goals in a 2–1 comeback victory over Atlético Madrid during their first leg of the quarter-finals, though Barcelona were still eliminated from the competition following defeat in the second leg. On 20 April, Suárez again scored four times in a match, as well as assisting three further goals for teammates, as Barça won 8–0 away at Deportivo La Coruña in La Liga. Three days later, he scored another four goals in a 6–0 home win over Sporting Gijón, becoming the first player to score four times in back-to-back matches in the history of La Liga. On 30 April, Suárez became only the second player in the history of the club to reach the milestone of 35 goals in a single league season.On the final day of the 2015–16 La Liga season, Suárez scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 victory at Granada, securing a second consecutive Spanish championship for Barça and registering 40 league goals for the season to win his first Pichichi Trophy and a second European Golden Shoe. Suárez also became the first player since 2009 other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win both the Pichichi and the Golden Shoe in a season. Fourteen of his goals came in his last five matches. Suárez also led the league in assists, tied at 16 with Messi, becoming the first player ever to lead La Liga in both goals and assists. On 22 May, Suárez suffered a right hamstring injury during Barcelona\\'s 2–0 victory over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey Final. The club confirmed after the match that he would likely miss at least part of the upcoming Copa América Centenario with his national team. For Uruguay, Suárez also previously missed part of the 2014 World Cup and the entire 2015 Copa América through suspension. Suárez ended the season with 59 goals and 22 assists. The front three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar finished with 131 goals, breaking the record they had set the previous year for most goals by an attacking trio in a single season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17: Third consecutive Copa del Rey ====\\nSuárez opened the 2016–17 season by scoring a goal in Barcelona\\'s 2016 Supercopa de España first leg match against Sevilla as they recorded a 2–0 away victory. In the first match of the 2016–17 La Liga season, Suárez scored a hat-trick in a 6–2 victory against Real Betis, also claiming his first free kick goal for Barcelona. Suárez made his 100th Barcelona appearance in a 1–2 defeat at home to Alavés. Though unable to score, Suárez still claimed the distinction of having more goals and assists in his first 100 matches in Spain than both Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi; Suárez contributed 88 goals and 43 assists in his first 100 matches for Barcelona, compared to Ronaldo\\'s 95 goals and 29 assists, and Messi\\'s 41 goals and 14 assists.Suárez opened his Champions League account for the season with two goals in a 7–0 win defeat of Celtic on 13 September; this was followed by another goal three days later in a 5–1 La Liga win at Leganés.On 3 December, Suárez opened the scoring with a second half header in El Clásico, though Real Madrid scored a late equalizer and the match ended in a 1–1 draw. Later on 18 December, Suárez scored a brace as well as provided an assist as Barcelona won 4–1 against Espanyol in Derbi barceloní. On 11 January 2017, Suárez scored his 100th goal for Barcelona in a Copa del Rey round of 16 match against Athletic Bilbao.During the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid, on 1 February, Suárez dribbled his way through opposing defence from his own half to score Barcelona\\'s first goal in a narrow 2–1 victory. On 7 February, Suárez scored and was later sent off for a second yellow in Barcelona\\'s semi-final second leg match of the Copa del Rey against Atlético for a foul on Koke, his first red card for the club, meaning he would miss the final. In an interview after the match, Suárez expressed his disdain with the referee\\'s decision, and his desire for the club to appeal it. Barcelona would go on to win the final despite Suárez\\'s absence, lifting the cup for a third straight season.On 8 March, Suárez opened the scoring with a third-minute header in Barcelona\\'s famous 6–1 victory over PSG in the Champions League round of 16 second leg, also later winning a penalty which Neymar converted for his side\\'s fifth goal. Barcelona won 6–5 over PSG on aggregate, overcoming a 0–4 deficit suffered in the first leg, and achieved the biggest second leg comeback in Champions League history.Suárez finished the season with 37 goals and 16 assists. Meanwhile, the attacking trio of Messi, Suárez and Neymar ended with 111 goals in their final campaign together.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18: Domestic double and record unbeaten streak ====\\nOn 23 September 2017, Suárez scored in Barcelona\\'s 3–0 win over Girona, in the first ever Catalan derby for the opposition. On 14 October, Suárez maintained Barcelona\\'s undefeated start to the La Liga season with a late header against Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. He scored twice against Leganés in a 3–0 win at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque on 18 November. On 2 December, Suárez scored Barcelona\\'s second goal in a 2–2 draw with Celta de Vigo. A week later, on 10 December, Suárez and Messi scored again as Barcelona won 2–0 against Villarreal. On 17 December, Suárez scored two against Deportivo La Coruña in a 4–0 win. Less than a week later, he opened the scoring for Barcelona in a 3–0 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu. His goal at El Clásico was the 400th goal of his professional career.Following the midseason break, Suárez scored twice in a 4–2 comeback win at Real Sociedad on 14 January 2018. A week later, on 21 January, he scored a brace as well as assisted twice in Barcelona\\'s 5–0 win against Real Betis. He scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 home win over Girona on 24 February. On 4 April, Suárez scored during a 4–1 victory over AS Roma in the first leg of Champions League quarter-final, though Roma would end up mounting a comeback, knocking Barcelona out in the second leg.On 14 April, Suárez scored as Barcelona defeated Valencia 2–1 to secure the longest unbeaten streak in La Liga history, at 39 games. On 21 April, Barcelona won their fourth consecutive Copa del Rey title, beating Sevilla 5–0 in the final in Madrid, with Suárez scoring twice. On 29 April, Suárez set up all three of Messi\\'s goals in a 4–2 victory over Deportivo La Coruña, winning his third league title with Barcelona. A week later, Barcelona held on for a dramatic 2–2 draw at home to Real Madrid on 6 May, to extend their unbeaten streak in the league; Suárez and Messi scored the goals for Barça. Barcelona\\'s record league unbeaten streak came to an end after 43 games, following a 4–5 loss to Levante in the penultimate game of the season on 13 May. Barcelona mounted a comeback after trailing 1–5, with both Suárez and new club record signing Philippe Coutinho scoring a brace each, but they couldn\\'t find an equalizer. Suárez finished the season with 31 goals and 17 assists in total, and his 12 La Liga assists made him league\\'s top assist provider for the third consecutive season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19: Back-to-back La Liga triumph ====\\nSuárez scored twice for Barcelona in an 8–2 win over newly promoted Huesca on 2 September 2018. A week later he scored in their 2–1 victory at Real Sociedad, as the club made it four wins out of four in La Liga. On 28 October, Suárez scored a hat-trick in a 5–1 home win over Real Madrid in El Clásico. He became only the second Barcelona player after Messi to score a league hat-trick in the Clásico over the last twenty years. A week later, on 3 November, Suárez scored twice to lead a 3–2 comeback victory over Rayo Vallecano.On 13 January, Suárez scored twice and assisted Messi\\'s goal in Barcelona\\'s 3–0 victory over Eibar, helping his team to a 5 points lead on top of the league table. On 27 February, Suárez again scored twice against Real Madrid during a 3–0 victory in the second leg of 2018–19 Copa del Rey semi-final. On 27 April 2019, Barcelona secured a second consecutive La Liga title, and Suárez\\'s fourth league title with the club. However, Suárez scored only one goal in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League; this came on 1 May, as he netted Barcelona\\'s opener in their 3–0 win over Suárez\\'s former club Liverpool in the first leg of the semi-finals. However, Barcelona would go on to lose the second leg 0–4 at Anfield on 7 May, being eliminated and squandering a three-goal first leg lead in the competition for the second consecutive season. Suárez ended the season with 25 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20: Final season for Barcelona ====\\nOn 15 September, after coming off of a calf injury that he suffered during the first game of the 2019–20 league campaign, Suárez opened his scoring account by netting a brace in a 5–2 victory over Valencia as a 60th-minute substitute. On 2 October, he scored two goals in a 2–1 comeback win over Inter Milan in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage. Four days later, he opened the scoring in a 4–0 league victory over Sevilla with a bicycle kick.On 7 December, he scored a curving backheel goal in a 5–2 victory over Mallorca, being lauded by many as one of the goals of the season. Three days later, Suárez captained Barcelona for the first time as he came off of the bench to set up Ansu Fati\\'s late goal in a 2–1 win over Inter during the final match of Barcelona\\'s Champions League group. On 12 January 2020, Barcelona confirmed that Suárez would have to undergo a surgery which could see him out for four months, after suffering a knee injury during their defeat against Atlético in the Supercopa de España. By scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win over Espanyol on 9 July, Suárez took his tally to 195 goals with Barcelona, surpassing László Kubala to become the third all-time top scorer in the club\\'s history.On 8 August, having missed the first leg due to injury, Suárez scored from the penalty spot during Barcelona\\'s 3–1 win over Napoli in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, as they advanced to the quarter-finals to play Bayern Munich in a single-legged match. On 14 August, Suárez scored his side\\'s second goal as Barcelona suffered a historic 2–8 defeat against Bayern, the club\\'s worst defeat in nearly seventy years that capped a first trophyless season since 2007–08.\\n\\n\\n=== Atlético Madrid ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21: Debut season and fifth La Liga title ====\\nAfter becoming Barcelona head coach on 19 August 2020, Ronald Koeman informed Suárez he was no longer wanted, and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu had also left him off a list of players he considered not for sale in the aftermath of the 8–2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League earlier that month. On 23 September 2020, after failing to join Juventus and amid accusations that he cheated his way to obtain an Italian citizenship, Suárez signed a two-year contract with Atlético Madrid.On 27 September, Suárez made his debut for the club, scoring two goals and providing Marcos Llorente with an assist in a 6–1 victory against Granada. On 25 November, Suárez\\'s backheel goal against Mallorca, which he scored on 7 December 2019, was nominated for the 2020 FIFA Puskás Award, eventually finishing in second behind a goal scored by Tottenham Hotspur\\'s Son Heung-min. On 3 January 2021, Suárez scored a 90th-minute winner against Alavés, a feat which saw him overtake Radamel Falcao\\'s record for a player\\'s best start with Atlético this century; his eleven goals contributions (nine goals and two assists) in his first twelve La Liga matches surpassed Falcao\\'s nine goals and one assist over the same period in 2011.\\nOn 21 January, Suárez scored a brace, including a last-minute penalty, in a 2–1 win over Eibar. This meant that he had managed to hit double figures in goals in each of his past ten league campaigns. Three days later, he scored Atlético\\'s second goal in a 3–1 comeback victory over Valencia, taking his league tally to twelve goals in fifteen games, the joint-most in La Liga. This feat meant Suárez had accomplished the best start for a player at a new club in the league since Cristiano Ronaldo\\'s move to Real Madrid (13 goals in 15 appearances in 2010). On 31 January, Suárez scored another two goals in a 4–2 victory over Cádiz, also netting his first free kick goal for the club. He then scored an additional brace on 8 February, in Atlético\\'s 2–2 draw against Celta Vigo.On 7 March, Suárez scored the opener against Real Madrid in the Madrid Derby, his first goal in five matches, though Atlético conceded late as the match ended in a 1–1 draw. On 21 March, Suárez headed in the match-winner to score his 500th senior career goal as Atlético edged a 1–0 victory over Alavés. On 16 May, the penultimate matchday of the La Liga season, Suárez scored a crucial winner in the dying minutes of his side\\'s 2–1 comeback victory over Osasuna, recording his twentieth goal of the season and ensuring that Atlético remained on top of the table. On 22 May, the final matchday of the league season, Suárez scored the winning goal in a 2–1 comeback away at Real Valladolid, leading his club to a victory that would ultimately hand them their first La Liga title in seven years. Suárez finished his debut season as Atletico\\'s top scorer with 21 goals.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22: Second season and departure ====\\nSuárez scored during his first league start of the season against Villarreal, although he suffered a bruise and had to be taken off, resulting in a 2–2 draw. On 21 September, Suárez scored both of Atletico\\'s goals in a 2–1 comeback victory over Getafe. On 28 September, Suárez scored an injury time penalty during a 2–1 comeback away win against AC Milan in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League group stage. O 2 October, Suárez both scored and assisted as Atletico defeated Barcelona 2–0 in La Liga, though he did not celebrate netting against his former club. Suárez scored another brace on 24 October, as he led Atletico to a 2–2 draw against Real Sociedad after trailing by two goals. On 2 April, he scored two goals against Alaves in a 4–1 win. Following the result he reached a tally of 11 league goals for the season; the tenth consecutive season in domestic leagues he reached double figures in his career.\\nOn 15 May 2022, after the last home match this campaign for Atlético, the team announced Suárez\\'s departure at the end of the season, where he was given a farewell as well as a standing ovation as fans unfurled a giant banner reading \"Thank you Lucho for making us champions.\" Later on, the club also honored Suárez by presenting an illustration of his figure across the main mural at the museum of Wanda Metropolitano Suárez again ended the season as Atletico\\'s top scorer with 13 goals.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Nacional ===\\nOn 26 July 2022, Suárez announced that he had reached a pre-agreement with his boyhood club Nacional ahead of a free transfer to the club, which was confirmed the following day. He made his second debut for El Bolso on 2 August, in a Copa Sudamericana 1–0 defeat to Atlético Goianiense, at the Parque Central. Four days later, he scored the final goal in a 3–0 league home win over Rentistas.On 31 October, during the Championship finals, Suárez had a Man of the Match performance where he scored twice to lead his team to a 4–1 victory against Liverpool Montevideo, making Nacional 2022 Uruguayan Primera División Champions. He ended the season with eight goals and three assists in 14 league games.\\n\\n\\n=== Grêmio ===\\nOn 31 December 2022, Grêmio announced Suárez would join the club on a two-year contract. Suárez was presented on 4 January at Arena do Grêmio in front of 30,000 fans. He made his debut on 17 January 2023 in a match against São Luiz for the 2023 Recopa Gaúcha. Suárez scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 win.On 8 April, Suárez won his second title for Grêmio: the Campeonato Gaúcho. Suárez scored a penalty goal against Caxias at the second leg of the 2023 Campeonato Gaúcho finals, thus beating Caxias 2–1 on aggregate.In late June, rumours began to circulate that Suárez might retire before the end of his contract due his extensive knee injuries. On 21 June in a press conference, Grêmio president Alberto Guerra announced that Suárez \"gives himself almost daily injections and special treatments, he is in constant pain. It is serious. Suarez has the possibility of being fitted with a prosthesis.\" However, on the next day, Grêmio played against América Mineiro, resulting in a 3–1 victory with a decisive performance by Suárez; with one goal, one assist and multiple plays and goal attempts. In the post-match press interview, Grêmio\\'s vice-president Paulo Caleffi denied any rumors and Suárez himself mocked the rumors in social media.In July, rumours resurfaced that Suárez still had knee issues and wished to leave early, starting negotiations with Grêmio\\'s board. After various rumours on media, Suárez revealed on a press conference together with Grêmio\\'s vice-president Antônio Brum that he would shorten his contract to the end of 2023. He cited that his knee issues were particularly exacerbated with the long and intense schedule of the Brazilian league.On 9 November 2023, Suárez scored his second hat-trick for Grêmio, as they beat leaders Botafogo away 4–3 after trailing 3–1.He finished the Campeonato Brasileiro with 17 goals and 11 assists, totaling 28 goal contributions in 33 games. He was the leader in goal participation in the competition, leading Grêmio to be the runner-up in the championship. In December, Suárez was elected Best Player of the Brasileirão and awarded the Bola de Ouro by ESPN Brazil.\\n\\n\\n=== Inter Miami ===\\nIn the summer of 2023, plans were made for Suárez to join Inter Miami for a reunion with Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. However, his contract with Grêmio did not allow him to join the club. In October, Inter Miami\\'s head coach, Gerardo Martino, said that the club was planning on the possible arrival of Suárez in 2024, having an analysis of the 2024 season with and without Suárez. By November, multiple reports indicated that Suárez was set to join Inter Miami on a one-year deal with an option for a further year. On 22 December 2023, Inter Miami officially announced Suárez would join the club for the 2024 season.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nSuárez was invited to play for Uruguay in the qualifying rounds for the 2007 U-20 World Cup, but his club, Groningen, did not release him to play. He did play in the tournament finals, and he scored two goals in four appearances. His goals came in a group stage draw against Spain and in the Round of 16 against the United States, but the U.S. won 2–1 and Uruguay was eliminated from the tournament.Suárez made his senior debut for Uruguay on 8 February 2007 in a 3–1 win against Colombia. He was sent off in the 85th minute after receiving a second yellow card for dissent. Suárez played in 19 of 20 games in 2010 World Cup qualifying and the\\ninter-confederation play-offs and scored five goals.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 FIFA World Cup ===\\nIn June 2010, Óscar Tabárez named Suárez to Uruguay\\'s 23-man World Cup squad. Uruguay began the tournament with a 0–0 draw against France. In the second match, a 3–0 win over South Africa, Suárez drew a penalty and assisted Álvaro Pereira\\'s stoppage time goal. In the final match of the group stage, he headed in a goal off a pass from Edinson Cavani and was named Man of the Match in a 1–0 win over Mexico. Uruguay won Group A and advanced to the knockout stage.During the round of 16 against South Korea, Suárez scored both goals in a 2–1 win. His second broke a tie in the 80th minute when he dribbled around a defender and curled a \"spectacular shot\" in off the far post; Suárez was again named Man of the Match. This win put Uruguay through to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1970. In the quarter-final against Ghana, the score was 1–1 at the end of regulation and the match went into extra time. Late in extra time, Ghana sent a free-kick into the box, and Suárez blocked Stephen Appiah\\'s shot on the goal line. He then blocked Dominic Adiyiah\\'s goal bound header with his hands, committing a professional foul to save what would have been the game winner and was sent off. Asamoah Gyan hit the crossbar with the ensuing penalty kick and Suárez, who had stopped to watch, celebrated the miss before heading down the tunnel. Uruguay won the shootout 4–2 and advanced to the semi-finals.After the match, Suárez said, \"I made the save of the tournament.\" He said he had no alternative, was acting out of instinct, and would do it again if it helped his team win. Ghana head coach Milovan Rajevac said the play was an \"injustice\" and Suárez was labelled a villain and a cheater. Others viewed him as a hero. Due to the automatic suspension that accompanies a red card, Suárez sacrificed himself in the semi-final for the unlikely chance the penalty would be missed, and his team would later win.While Suárez was suspended for the semi-final match for his red card against Ghana, Uruguay \"lacked a second striker [alongside Diego Forlán] of cunning and movement\" and lost 3–2 to the Netherlands. Suárez returned for the third place game against Germany; he was booed almost every time he had the ball because of his handball in the Ghana match. He assisted Cavani on Uruguay\\'s first goal, but Uruguay lost 3–2. During the tournament, Suárez played 543 minutes in six appearances and scored three goals.\\n\\n\\n=== 2011 Copa América ===\\nIn the 2011 Copa América, Suárez scored in Uruguay\\'s opening game, a 1–1 draw with Peru. In their next game, he provided the assist for Alvaro Pereira\\'s goal in a 1–1 draw with Chile. Uruguay finished second in their group and advanced to the knockout round with a win, 1–0 against Mexico, and two draws, against Peru and Chile. In the quarter-finals, Uruguay drew with tournament hosts Argentina 1–1 after regulation and extra time. Uruguay won the shootout 5–4 and Suárez converted his penalty. Suárez scored both goals in Uruguay\\'s 2–0 semi-final win over Peru and was named Man of the Match. In the final, Suárez scored the opening goal and set up Diego Forlan\\'s second goal as Uruguay defeated Paraguay 3–0 for their record 15th Copa América title. Suárez scored four goals and provided two assists during the tournament and was named MVP of the Tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2012 Summer Olympics ===\\nOn 9 July 2012, Suárez was selected for the Uruguay Olympic football team alongside Liverpool teammate Sebastián Coates to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games. In the first pre-tournament warm-up game against Chile on 11 July, Suárez scored a hat-trick for Uruguay as they came from 0–2 down to win 6–4 in a thrilling match.As one of Uruguay\\'s three overage players, Suárez was named as captain for the Olympic Games. After an opening win over the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay were defeated by Senegal and Great Britain and eliminated at the first round. Suárez failed to score during the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2013 Confederations Cup ===\\nSuárez was selected in the Uruguay squad to play in Brazil at the 2013 Confederations Cup. He scored a curling free-kick from 30 yards (27 m) in a 2–1 defeat to Spain in their opening match at Recife on 16 June. He then scored twice after appearing as a substitute in Uruguay\\'s 8–0 win over Tahiti, making him the Uruguay national team\\'s all-time top-goalscorer with 35 goals, surpassing his teammate Diego Forlán. Uruguay were eventually eliminated in the semi-finals, losing 2–1 to Brazil in Belo Horizonte.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 FIFA World Cup, third biting incident ===\\nSuárez ended the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign as top scorer in the South American section with 11 goals in 14 matches. In November 2013, Uruguay defeated Jordan 5–0 on aggregate in an intercontinental play-off to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.On 22 May, Suárez underwent emergency surgery on his left knee. He was confined to a wheelchair for a time, leading to rumours he would be unable to participate in the World Cup. He was named as a substitute for Uruguay\\'s first match, a 3–1 defeat to Costa Rica, but did not play in the match. Suárez started Uruguay\\'s second match against England and scored both of the team\\'s goals in a 2–1 win at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo.For Uruguay\\'s final group match against Italy on 24 June, Uruguay needed a win to advance to the knockout stage while Italy only needed a draw. Around the 79th minute and with the score at 0–0, Suárez clashed with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini while waiting for a cross. Replays showed that Suárez lunged at Chiellini and bit his shoulder (Chiellini showed bite marks), followed by Suárez falling and clutching his face. The controversial incident made headline news around the world. As the Italian players protested to Mexican referee Marco Antonio Rodríguez for not penalizing Suárez for the bite, Uruguay won a corner and scored. The match would finish 1–0 to Uruguay as they qualified for the knockout stage and eliminated Italy.Two days later, on 26 June, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, banned Suárez for nine international matches, effective immediately, meaning he would take no further part in the World Cup. The ban ruled him out of 2015 Copa América as well. It was the longest such ban in World Cup history, exceeding the eight-match ban handed to Italy\\'s Mauro Tassotti for breaking the nose of Spain\\'s Luis Enrique at the 1994 World Cup. He was also banned from taking part in any football-related activity (including entering any stadium) for four months and fined CHF100,000. The seven-member FIFA panel studied the incident from 34 camera angles and rejected Suárez\\'s defense that the bite was as a result of an accidental collision, instead finding the bite was \"deliberate, intentional and without provocation... with the intention of wounding [Chiellini] or at least of destabilizing him\". The severity of the penalty was due to the fact it was Suárez\\'s third biting offence, as well as what FIFA saw as a lack of remorse. Soon after the suspension was announced, online gambling firm 888poker cancelled its sponsorship deal with Suárez. With Suárez banned, Uruguay lost their next match 0–2 to Colombia and were eliminated from the World Cup.On the same day the ban was announced, the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said it would appeal the suspension. Suárez\\'s lawyer said that \"we don\\'t have any doubts\" of a European-based campaign against Suárez. Various Uruguayan individuals defended Suárez, questioning if he had actually bitten Chiellini, and criticized the severity of his ban, including President of Uruguay José Mujica, who labelled the ban \"fascist\" and called FIFA \"a bunch of old sons of bitches\"; AUF president Wilmar Valdez; Uruguay captain Diego Lugano; and Uruguay head coach Óscar Tabárez, who resigned from two FIFA posts in protest of the ban. The Uruguayan media were also noted to have been in a defiant and defensive mood. For non-Uruguayan parties, Chiellini, who was bitten, called the ban \"excessive\", while international players\\' union FIFPro called for Suárez to \"receive all the support he needs\" and that the \"focus should be on the rehabilitation and serious treatment\" of Suárez.Six days after the incident, on 30 June, Suárez apologized to Chiellini through Twitter and vowed never to repeat the incident, while writing that the \"physical result of a bite\" occurred in a collision with Chiellini. Chiellini responded through Twitter indicating all was forgotten and his hope that FIFA would reduce Suárez\\'s suspension.On 3 July, the AUF appealed Suárez\\'s ban, but it was rejected by FIFA on 10 July. With Suárez\\'s ban not preventing him from transferring to another club, it was announced on 11 July that Suárez had agreed to move to Barcelona. Days before the transfer, Suárez\\'s apology to Chiellini had been praised by various Barcelona club individuals. Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the apology was \"honorable\", sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta welcomed Suárez as being \"humble enough to admit an error\" while new signing Ivan Rakitić commended Suárez\\'s \"character and strength\".\\n\\n\\n=== Copa América Centenario and 2018 FIFA World Cup ===\\nOn 25 March 2016, after over a year of international absence for Uruguay, Suárez scored an equalizer against Brazil in Recife for a 2–2 draw in the qualification process for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Suárez was included in Uruguay\\'s 23-man squad for the Copa América Centenario, although a hamstring injury sustained in the Copa del Rey final on 22 May put his place in the team in jeopardy. Although he remained in the squad, he missed both of his national side\\'s opening group losses to Mexico and Venezuela, which resulted in a first-round elimination from the tournament. He was once again left on the substitutes\\' bench in Uruguay\\'s final 3–0 group win over Jamaica on 13 June.Suárez scored twice on 10 October 2017 as Uruguay won 4–2 at home to Bolivia in their final World Cup qualifying match, thus securing their place for the tournament in Russia, as well as becoming the joint all-time leading scorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 21 goals, alongside Argentina\\'s Lionel Messi, overtaking the previous record which was held by Hernán Crespo. In March, Uruguay won the 2018 China Cup, and Suárez scored his 50th international goal with a penalty against the Czech Republic in the semi-finals, winning it himself when fouled by goalkeeper Jiří Pavlenka. He won his 100th cap on 20 June 2018 in Uruguay\\'s second group match at the World Cup, scoring the only goal against Saudi Arabia at the Rostov Arena in Rostov-on-Don to advance the nation into the last 16, for which Suárez was given man of the match. In the final group game on 25 June, Suárez was again named the man of the match as he scored Uruguay\\'s opener with a free kick into the bottom corner in a 3–0 win over hosts Russia. In the Round of 16 match against Portugal on 30 June, he set-up Cavani\\'s opening goal in an eventual 2–1 victory. Uruguay were eliminated from the tournament following a 2–0 defeat to France in the quarter-finals on 6 July.\\n\\n\\n=== 2019–2020: Qualifiers and Copa América upset ===\\nIn March 2019, manager Tabárez included Suárez in the final 23-man Uruguay squad for the 2019 Copa América in Brazil. On 16 June, he scored the third goal in a 4–0 win over Ecuador in the team\\'s opening group match of the tournament, also setting up the opener scored by Nicolás Lodeiro.In the quarter-finals against Peru on 29 June, he had a goal disallowed by VAR for offside, and was subsequently the only player to miss his spot-kick in the resulting penalty shoot-out, following a 0–0 draw after regulation time, which saw Uruguay eliminated from the competition.On 8 October 2020, Suárez scored the first goal of the South American 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, becoming the first player ever to score the opening goal three times (after his 2010 and 2014 strikes) in the competition\\'s history.\\n\\n\\n=== 2021–present: Copa América and 2022 World Cup ===\\nOn 22 June 2021, Suárez scored in a 1–1 draw against Chile in Uruguay\\'s second group match of the 2021 Copa América in Brazil. However, Uruguay lost against Colombia in the quarter-finals on penalties after a goalless draw.On 2 December 2022, in Uruguay\\'s final group match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar against Ghana, Suárez assisted Giorgian de Arrascaeta\\'s second goal of the match to give Uruguay a 2–0 win; however, group rivals South Korea scored a late goal to win 2–1 against already-qualified Portugal, advancing from the group stage instead of Uruguay having scored four goals to Uruguay\\'s two (both teams were tied at 4 points and a 0 goal difference).\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nSuárez creates goal scoring chances with his powerful shot, and has \"remarkable technical ability\" according to his FIFA profile. Known for his direct running at players, Suárez has a particular penchant for nutmegging opponents (putting the ball through their legs). Liverpool fans (accompanied with a banner) used to say he was so good, \"he could nutmeg a mermaid\". Often regarded by many as one of the best strikers of all time, Suárez is a prolific goal scorer, having the rare distinction of being the leading scorer in three top-flight European leagues, a feat only matched by Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo. An accurate finisher with either foot, despite being naturally right-footed, he is capable of scoring from both inside and outside the penalty area.Harry Redknapp said that Suárez could play anywhere – as the target man or behind as a second striker. Uruguay head coach Óscar Tabárez called Suárez \"a great forward, an elite player among forwards in the world\", and Liverpool coach Kenny Dalglish said, \"he\\'s intelligent, he\\'s had a fantastic education at Ajax\". Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge said his abilities allow him to get into a position to score and evade defenders. Meanwhile, Thierry Henry called Suárez the best striker in the world, stating, \"He has everything. He\\'s in your face, he\\'s arrogant- in a good way, he can volley it, he can score headers. He has vicious side to his game and I will not call it cheating. He knows how to score goals.\"Suárez has been praised for his work rate, movement, and his quickness that allows him to attack from the outside; as such he occasionally played as an inverted winger on the left flank during his time with Ajax. Additionally, Suárez has a liking for often executing dummies (going around the defenders with a fake-out) within his style of dribbling. During his time in Barcelona, he was known for constantly scoring through volleys or half-volleys. Suárez also gained a reputation for consistently scoring acrobatic goals, often shooting off balance, or in air, or with overhead bicycle kicks. Moreover, he is an accurate free kick taker, and has also been known to take penalties.He also creates many scoring opportunities for his teammates with his vision and great passing abilities, as is reflected in his numbers of assists, among the very highest within the stat\\'s recorded history. Former Liverpool captain, Steven Gerrard, lauded Suárez\\'s unselfish playstyle within his autobiography, stating how that \"It\\'s a rare combination, to be a miraculous footballer who is willing to use his gifts to selflessly assist and create goals for a teammate\", as well as further writing, \"He scores goals. He creates goals. He\\'s hard and horrible to play against. You\\'ve got a chance of beating anyone in the world with Luis Suárez in your team\".In addition to being a prolific player, Suárez has often been praised for his strong mentality and desire to win. Former Liverpool teammate, Jordan Henderson dubbed Suárez as a \"warrior\", claiming that his attitude inspired confidence among his teammates. Meanwhile, Gerrard eulogized his drive to succeed, stating \"Luis played to win a five-a-side training session like he was chasing the Champions League or the World Cup. If his team lost a kickaround he went home angry; he always needed to win that badly\". Atletico Madrid coach, Diego Simeone hailed Suárez for the \"desire and energy\" he brought to the club. Suárez, himself, has stated that he\\'s the kind of player who would \"kill himself just to prevent a throw-in at the 90th minute.\" in his autobiography.Former Ajax coach Marco van Basten criticized Suárez for his tendency to receive yellow cards. Van Basten said he had a tense relationship with Suárez, although he conceded that \"Luis is unpredictable, he\\'s hard to influence but that makes him special.\" At times, Suárez can be dominant but fail to convert his efforts into goals. Despite his weaknesses, Suárez\\'s leadership stood out to Ajax management.\\n\\n\\n== Controversies ==\\nSuárez has been widely accused of diving. His manager, teammates and various analysts have commented that this reputation for simulation has caused referees not to award him legitimate penalties. In January 2013, Suárez admitted to diving against Stoke City in an October 2012 match. This led his manager Brendan Rodgers to comment his actions were \"unacceptable\" and that he would be dealt with \"internally\" by the club. During the 2018 World Cup game against Portugal, after collisions with Portuguese players, Suarez twice acted like he had a head injury despite his head having been untouched.Suárez is infamous for biting opponents on multiple occasions. In a Group D matchup at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Suarez was shown to have bitten Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, resulting in FIFA suspending Suarez from all football activities for 4 months. While playing for Liverpool, Suarez bit Chelsea player Branislav Ivanović in a Premier League match, and was punished with a ten match ban. In an earlier incident while playing for AFC Ajax he was caught biting PSV Eindhoven player Otman Bakkal and was suspended for seven games. Suárez has also been accused of stamping on opponents in the Premier League and the UEFA Europa League.Due to his diving, biting, stamping, and other antics, Suárez has been frequently labelled as a pest and a cheat. In December 2013, Spanish football website El Gol Digital ranked Suárez at fifth in its list of the world\\'s dirtiest footballers.\\n\\n\\n== Media and sponsorship ==\\nSuárez had a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier Adidas, before switching to rivals Puma in 2018. Suárez starred in a 2014 advert for Beats with other global football stars including Neymar and Thierry Henry, with the theme of \"The Game Before the Game\" and the players\\' pre-game ritual of listening to music. In Uruguay, Suárez has also appeared in advertisements for Abitab, Antel, Cablevisión, Garnier, Pepsi and Samsung.Suárez features in EA Sports\\' FIFA video game series: as a result of Suárez\\'s ban for his bite on Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup, players in FIFA 15 were unable to select Suárez until his ban ended on 26 October.Active on social media, Suárez has over 40 million Instagram followers as of May 2020, the most for a person from Uruguay.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nSuárez was born in Salto, Uruguay to Sandra Diaz and Rodolfo Suárez, the fourth of seven boys. His older brother, Paolo Suárez, is a retired professional footballer, who last played for Isidro Metapán in El Salvador.\\nSuárez moved with his family to Montevideo when he was seven, and his parents separated when he was nine. In Montevideo, he developed his football skills on the streets, while also taking up work as a street sweeper at the age of 15. In 1998, aged 11 he appeared as a contestant on children\\'s game show Aventujuegos, with his team winning: his episode was brought up in a 2011 episode of chat show Noche de Locura and he was surprised the footage had been kept.The contrast between his life in Europe and the poverty he left behind has been cited as contributing to his periodic aggression on the field, as well as being a possible explanation for the more forgiving attitudes of the Uruguayan public and press towards such cases, compared to Europe. Besides his native tongue, Suárez is able to speak Dutch and English.\\nSuárez is of mixed race and has a black grandfather. The matter of ethnicity was raised in reporting on the Patrice Evra incident, where use by his grandmother, Lila Piriz, of \"mi negrito\" as a sobriquet has been offered to explain Suárez\\'s repeated use of \"negro\" over the two-minute altercation; the FA judged his evidence unreliable, issuing him an eight-match ban. His mother also supported the claim Suárez made that using the word was not racist in Uruguay. She said it was \"normal\", and that it was \"a word people use with their friends. It\\'s like calling someone fat, thin or whatever.\"Suárez began dating Sofía Balbi at age 15 in Montevideo; the Balbi family moved to Barcelona in 2003, and Suárez\\'s focus on football strengthened as a result as he wanted to follow them to Europe to join Sofía again. Suárez married her in 2009, and the couple have a daughter (born 2010) and two sons (born 2013 and 2018). He has a tattoo of his daughter\\'s name Delfina on his wrist which he kisses as part of his goal celebration – this celebration routine is featured in EA Sports\\' video game FIFA 15 as \"Kiss The Wrist\". In 2014, Suárez joined Barcelona, allowing him to live closer to Sofía\\'s family. On the move, Suárez said, \"[Liverpool] did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife\\'s family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right.\" In 2014, Suárez released his autobiography, Crossing the Line – My Story.Suárez, who is married to an Italian citizen, was eligible to take a B1 Italian Language exam and flew to Perugia in September 2020 to take the test and gain Italian citizenship. Though obtaining the results of the language exam and approval of citizenship takes several months and several years respectively to be processed, Suárez reportedly got his language exam results within hours and would have his citizenship approved in several weeks. The Italian media had noted that this led to accusations of special treatment against Suárez, especially as Italian laws had been changed in 2018 to make obtaining citizenship by marriage more difficult. In September 2020, an investigation was launched over accusations that he had cheated his way into gaining Italian citizenship.It is known that Suárez has used his experience and knowledge to mentor new Uruguayan footballing talents, most notably Darwin Núñez.Suárez is a devout Catholic Christian.\\n\\n\\n=== Pandora Papers ===\\nHe is among the 13 sports personalities mentioned in the Pandora Papers published by the International Consortium Of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 6 December 2023.\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\nAs of match played 21 November 2023\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nNacional\\n\\nUruguayan Primera División: 2005–06, 2022\\nTorneo Clausura: 2005–06, 2022Ajax\\nKNVB Cup: 2009–10\\nEredivisie: 2010–11Liverpool\\nFootball League Cup: 2011–12Barcelona\\nLa Liga: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19\\nCopa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18\\nSupercopa de España: 2016, 2018\\nUEFA Champions League: 2014–15\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2015\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2015Atlético Madrid\\n\\nLa Liga: 2020–21Grêmio\\n\\nCampeonato Gaúcho: 2023\\nRecopa Gaúcha: 2023Uruguay\\n\\nCopa América: 2011Individual\\n\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010\\nDutch Footballer of the Year: 2009–10\\nEredivisie Golden Boot: 2009–10\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Top Division Goalscorer: 2010, 2014, 2016\\nCopa América Best Player: 2011\\nCopa América Team Of The Tournament: 2011\\nPremier League Player of the Month: December 2013, March 2014\\nEuropean Golden Shoe: 2013–14, 2015–16\\nPremier League Player of the Season: 2013–14\\nPremier League Golden Boot: 2013–14\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2012–13 Premier League, 2013–14 Premier League\\nPFA Fans\\' Player of the Year: 2013–14\\nPFA Players\\' Player of the Year: 2013–14\\nFWA Footballer of the Year: 2013–14\\nFSF Player of the Year: 2013–14\\nTrofeo EFE: 2014–15, 2020–21\\nTrofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2020–21\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16\\nUEFA La Liga Team of The Season: 2015–16, 2016–17\\nESM Team of the Year: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16\\nFIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2015\\nFIFA Club World Cup Golden Boot: 2015\\nFIFA Club World Cup MVP of the Final Match Trophy: 2015\\nLa Liga Pichichi Trophy: 2015–16\\nLa Liga Best World Player: 2015–16\\nLa Liga Player of the Month: May 2016, December 2017, October 2018, December 2019\\nFIFA FIFPro World11: 2016\\nAjax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 2008–09, 2009–10\\nLiverpool Player of the Season: 2012–13, 2013–14\\nLiverpool Players\\' Player of the Season: 2013–14\\nLiverpool Goal of the Season: 2013–14\\nBarcelona Player of the Season (Trofeo Aldo Rovira): 2015–16\\nUruguayan Primera División Team of the Season: 2022\\nIFFHS Uruguayan Men\\'s Dream Team\\nCampeonato Gaúcho Team of the Year: 2023\\nBola de Ouro: 2023\\nBola de Prata: 2023\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of top international men\\'s football goalscorers by country\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 50 or more international goals\\nList of international goals scored by Luis Suárez\\nList of footballers with 500 or more goals\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nLuis Suárez at the Inter Miami CF website\\nLuis Suárez at Major League Soccer \\nLuis Suárez at Premier League\\nLuis Suárez – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nLuis Suárez – UEFA competition record (archive)\\nSERGIO RAMOSSergio Ramos García (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseɾxjo ˈramos ɣaɾˈθi.a]; born 30 March 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Sevilla. Widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, he is known for his tackling skills, aerial abilities and leadership. He is best known for his sixteen seasons spent playing for Real Madrid, winning four UEFA Champions League titles whilst at the club, along with two UEFA European Championships and the 2010 FIFA World Cup with the Spain national team.Born at the gates of Seville, Ramos emerged through Sevilla\\'s youth academy and spent two seasons with the senior side, before moving to Real Madrid in the summer of 2005. He went on to become a mainstay for the club, winning 22 major honours including five La Liga and four UEFA Champions League titles, and becoming one of La Liga\\'s top goalscorers from a defensive position. He played a crucial part in the build-up to all four UEFA Champions League wins, being named in the competition Squad of the Season each time. He also scored the crucial equaliser in the 93rd minute of the 2014 UEFA Champions League final, additionally scoring the opener in the 2016 final. Out of contract, he signed for French club Paris Saint-Germain in July 2021, spending two seasons at the club and winning Ligue 1 twice, before returning to Sevilla.\\nInternationally, Ramos represented Spain at four World Cups and three European Championships. He won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012, being named to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2010, and the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament in 2012. He made his first appearance for Spain at the age of 18 and, in 2013, he became the nation\\'s youngest player to ever reach 100 caps. Ramos currently holds the record as the most capped player in the history of the Spain national team and is his country\\'s ninth-highest all-time goalscorer. He also holds the record of most international victories for Spain with 131 matches won.\\nRamos has been named to the FIFPro World11 eleven times; a record for a defender, and the third-most all-time. He has also been elected to the UEFA Team of the Year nine times, also a record for a defender and the third-most of any player. Additionally, Ramos has been named La Liga\\'s Best Defender a record five times, and to the La Liga Team of the Season in 2015–16.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Sevilla ===\\nBorn in Camas, Seville, Andalusia, Ramos started playing at Camas CF by the age of 6, then he began his career at local side Sevilla, emerging through the club\\'s youth system alongside Jesús Navas and Antonio Puerta. He made his first-team – and La Liga – debut on 1 February 2004, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute for Paco Gallardo in a 0–1 away loss against Deportivo La Coruña.In the 2004–05 season, Ramos appeared in 41 games as Sevilla finished sixth and qualified to the 2005–06 UEFA Cup, scoring in home fixtures against Real Sociedad (2–1) and Real Madrid (2–2). In the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, he scored his first continental goal, heading to conclude a 2–0 win over C.D. Nacional at the Ramon Sánchez Pizjuán in the first round (4–1 aggregate).\\n\\n\\n=== Real Madrid ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2005–09: Record transfer and early days ====\\nIn the summer of 2005, Ramos was purchased by Real Madrid for €27 million, a record for a Spanish defender. He was the only Spanish player brought in during Florentino Pérez\\'s first stint as Real\\'s president.\\nAt the club, Ramos was assigned the number 4 shirt, previously worn by Fernando Hierro. On 6 December 2005 he netted his first goal for the Merengues, in a 2–1 UEFA Champions League group stage loss at Olympiacos.During his first seasons, Ramos played as centre back, being also used as an emergency defensive midfielder on occasion. However, with the arrival of Christoph Metzelder and Pepe in the 2007–08 season, he was again relocated to right back. In his first four seasons at Real Madrid, Ramos displayed a goalscoring instinct unusual to many defenders, netting more than 20 goals overall. He also received the first nine of his 24 red cards for the club, including four in his debut season. His first red card came after two bookable offences in a 1–0 away loss to Espanyol on 18 September 2005.During the 2006–07 season, Ramos scored five goals, including one in a 3–3 El Clásico draw with Barcelona, as Real Madrid won a record 30th league title.On 4 May 2008, he assisted Gonzalo Higuaín in the 89th minute against Osasuna in an eventual 2–1 away win, the match that sealed the club\\'s 31st league championship. On the final day of the season, he scored twice in a 5–2 home win against already relegated Levante: one through a header, and another an individual effort; these goals taking his league tally for the 2007–08 season to five.On 24 August 2008, Ramos scored in the 2008 Supercopa de España second leg against Valencia, making the score 2–1 in an eventual 4–2 and 6–5 aggregate win. The victory came despite Real Madrid playing with only nine men for a long period of time after Rafael van der Vaart and Ruud van Nistelrooy were sent off. Although Ramos experienced a slight dip in form during the early part of the 2008–09 season, he returned to his best and on 11 January 2009, scoring an acrobatic volley in a 3–0 triumph at Mallorca. He continued his scoring run the following week in a 3–1 home win against Osasuna.Ramos was named in both FIFA and UEFA\\'s 2008 Team of the Year, adding the FIFPro Team of the Year 2007–08 accolade. He also finished 21st in the European Player of the Year nomination for 2008.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–14: Breakout and team mainstay ====\\nAt the start of the 2009–10 season, Ramos was appointed as one of Real Madrid\\'s four captains. Because Pepe had suffered a serious knee injury during this campaign, Ramos was often deployed as central defender. He scored four goals in 33 league matches; and, on 21 February 2010 he played his 200th official match for the Los Blancos against Villarreal (150 in the first division). Despite these personal highlights, Real Madrid finished the campaign without picking up any silverware.\\n\\nIn Real Madrid\\'s 5–0 loss at Barcelona on 29 November 2010, Ramos was sent off after kicking Lionel Messi from behind, then pushing Carles Puyol in the ensuing melée. After this ejection, he equalled Fernando Hierro\\'s previous record of ten red cards at the club, despite having played in 264 fewer games. On 20 April 2011, Ramos started in the season\\'s Copa del Rey final, a 1–0 win against Barcelona in Valencia. In the subsequent victory procession, while celebrating on the top of the club\\'s bus, he accidentally lost hold of the cup, which fell under the wheels of the vehicle; the trophy was dented as a result.On 12 July 2011, Ramos extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2017. The following 25 April, in the Champions League semi-finals\\' second leg against Bayern Munich, he missed his penalty shootout attempt as Real Madrid lost 3–1; the league campaign ended with them winning, with a record 100 points, after a four-year wait and he was the player with most balls recovered in his team, third overall.On 9 January 2013, Ramos was sent off for a second bookable offense midway through the second half of an eventual 4–0 home win over Celta Vigo in the 2012–13 Copa del Rey. He subsequently received a four-match suspension, after it was revealed he also insulted referee Miguel Ángel Ayza Gámez. The following month, mere minutes after scoring the second goal at home against Rayo Vallecano and less than 20 minutes into the first half, he received two yellow cards within one minute in the eventual 2–0 home success, taking his red card tally with Real Madrid alone to 16; and 12 in the league.In late February/early March 2013, due to the absence of Iker Casillas due to injury, Ramos captained Real to back-to-back wins over Barcelona in just four days: he netted the 2–1 home winner in the second game, heading home after a corner kick.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: Red card record and La Décima ====\\nOn 14 December 2013, Ramos received a club record 18th red card for Real Madrid in a 2–2 draw at Osasuna, but the suspension was later lifted.His 19th red card came in a 4–3 home defeat to Barcelona, on 23 March 2014. On 26 April, Ramos scored a header against Osasuna in La Liga at the Bernabéu, in a counter-attack which he began with a strong tackle. It was his first goal in La Liga in six months, since his volley against Levante on match-day 8. On 29 April 2014, Ramos scored two headers in four minutes in a 4–0 away win against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with the tie ending with a 5–0 aggregate score and Madrid\\'s qualification to the final for the first time in twelve years. Ramos\\' brace against Bayern (4 minutes) was the fastest brace in UEFA Champions League semi-final history at the time. On 4 May, Ramos scored in the 2–2 draw with Valencia at home in La Liga with another header, scoring in back-to-back league games. Just three days later, Ramos scored his first free-kick for a 1–1 draw away to Valladolid, having scored in three consecutive La Liga matches and scoring four consecutive matches for Real Madrid for the first time. On 24 May, in the Champions League final against Atlético Madrid, he headed home in the 93rd minute to tie the game 1–1, and Real Madrid went on to win 4–1 in extra-time to claim \\'La Decima\\', their tenth trophy in the competition; he was also chosen by fans as Man of the match. Ramos ended 2013–14 with 7 goals, which made it his highest scoring season for Real Madrid at the time.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–20: Sustained success and captaincy ====\\nRamos started 2014–15 season on 12 August 2014 by playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win against Sevilla to win their first trophy of the season, the UEFA Super Cup. He then played the two-legged Supercopa de España final against Atlético Madrid with Los Blancos losing 2–1 on aggregate. Ramos scored his first goal of the season on 31 August in week two of La Liga, a header in a 4–2 away loss against Real Sociedad. Ramos scored his 50th Real Madrid goal which came off his knee on 8 November against Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabéu in La Liga as Real Madrid won 5–1.He scored in both the semi-final and the final of the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup and was voted the Player of the Match in both as Real Madrid won the tournament in Morocco. Ramos was also voted the player of the tournament, winning the Golden Ball.\\nRamos agreed a new five-year contract with Real Madrid in August 2015, tying him to the club until 2020. He was also made captain after the transfer of Casillas to Porto. On 8 November Ramos scored his first goal of the season away to Sevilla. In scoring with an overhead kick he was forced to be substituted due to landing on his injured left shoulder.On 20 December 2015, Ramos captained Madrid to a 10–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, the club\\'s highest scoring La Liga victory in 55 years. The following 13 March, he received his 20th red card for Real Madrid in a 2–1 win over Las Palmas, having earlier scored the game\\'s opening goal with a header from an Isco corner kick. On 2 April 2016, he returned from suspension in a 2–1 victory against Barcelona at Camp Nou, where he was again sent off, receiving his 21st red card and fourth in a Clásico fixture.Real Madrid reached the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final, where they faced Atlético Madrid. Ramos once again scored in a final, putting Real ahead in the first half. At the time, he was just the fifth player to score in two different Champions League Finals after Raúl, Samuel Eto\\'o, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. After a second-half equalizer from Atlético, he then scored a penalty in the shoot-out which resulted in Real Madrid winning 5–3; thus, he lifted his first UEFA Champions League trophy as a captain. According to author Michael Cox, he also notably \"tipped the balance of the game toward Real Madrid\" by tripping Yannick Carrasco up and stopping a three-on-one counter in stoppage time, with 30 seconds remaining and the score 1–1. He was named man of the match by UEFA after the game. By winning the final, Real Madrid earned the right to play against the winners of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, Sevilla, in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup. Ramos ended the 2015–16 season with three goals in 33 games which was his lowest goal tally and the fewest matches he played in any season at Real Madrid till then, due to ongoing injuries.\\n\\nRamos started in the 2016 UEFA Super Cup in Trondheim, scoring Real Madrid\\'s equalizing second goal of the match in the 93rd minute, and hence bringing the game into extra-time. Real Madrid were the eventual 3–2 winners, with Ramos being named man of the match. On 3 December 2016, he scored his fourth Clásico goal, an equalizer against Barcelona in a 1–1 draw at the Camp Nou in the 90th minute, extending Madrid\\'s unbeaten run to 33 games. One week later, he scored another late goal, this time in the 92nd minute, to help Madrid claim a 3–2 victory against Deportivo La Coruña.On 15 January 2017, Ramos scored an own goal late in the game against Sevilla which levelled the scores at 1–1. Eventually Real Madrid lost the match 2–1 in stoppage time, thus ending their unbeaten streak at 40 matches. A week later, he scored both goals in a 2–1 win over Málaga, registering his 50th goal in La Liga. On 11 February, in a 3–1 victory against Osasuna, Ramos played his 500th match with the club. In the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg, Ramos scored an important equalizing header against Napoli in a 3–1 away win as Real Madrid qualified to the quarter-final after winning 6–2 on aggregate. On 12 March, Ramos scored another late header winner for Real Madrid, this time against Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu in a 2–1 win, taking his goal tally to 10 for the season – scoring double digit goals in a season for the first time in his career. Ramos\\' winner put Real Madrid back at the top of the La Liga table. On 23 April, Ramos was sent off for the 22nd time in his Real Madrid career and fifth time in an El Clásico, after a straight red card for a two-footed challenge on Lionel Messi during a Barcelona counter-attack in their 3–2 home defeat. Real Madrid won their 33rd La Liga title, giving Ramos his fourth league title overall and first as captain. They went on to win their first league and European Cup double since 1957–58 season, as the team defeated Juventus in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final. This also made Ramos the first player to captain a team to back-to-back European Cups in the UEFA Champions League era. His ten goals in 2016–17 made it his then-highest scoring season.\\nOn 20 August 2017, in Real Madrid\\'s first game of the 2017–18 La Liga, he received his 23rd career red card. It was his 18th in La Liga, a joint highest record. He went on to break that record, seeing his 19th La Liga red in a 0–0 draw with Athletic Bilbao. Ramos scored his first goal of the season on 13 September in the Champions League, scoring a bicycle kick against APOEL on match-day 1. In La Liga, Ramos scored four goals, including two penalties – against Leganes and Sevilla. During the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, he made eleven appearances, while scoring one goal, when Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall Champions League title. Ramos\\' performance in the final, however, was met with criticism; a challenge on Mohamed Salah resulted in the Egyptian dislocating his shoulder and missing the rest of the game, and he hit Liverpool keeper Loris Karius in the head with his elbow, the goalkeeper later being diagnosed with concussion. Ramos later denied that he intentionally hit Karius, saying that Virgil van Dijk pushed him into Karius. Ramos became the first player to captain a team to three consecutive Champions League triumphs, having now lifted the Champions League in every season as captain.Ramos began the 2018–19 season scoring a penalty in an eventual 4–2 loss to Atlético Madrid in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup. Taking the penalty ensured Ramos would be the team\\'s new penalty taker with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. On 26 August 2018, Ramos scored another penalty in Real Madrid\\'s 4–1 away win against Girona, making him the only player along with Lionel Messi to score in each of the last 15 La Liga seasons. One week later, Ramos scored his third penalty of the season, against Leganes in a 4–1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu – his first goal at home since March 2017.On 20 October 2018, Ramos played his 400th La Liga match for Real Madrid in a 2–1 loss at home to Levante, becoming only the tenth Real Madrid player to reach this milestone. After a run of poor results and the sacking of Julen Lopetegui, Ramos scored his first goal for Real Madrid in two months through a Panenka, against Real Valladolid in Santiago Solari\\'s first 2018–19 La Liga game in charge of Los Blancos. Two weeks later, on 11 November, Ramos scored another Panenka against Celta Vigo – making them the 25th different team he scored against in La Liga. This was Ramos\\' third Panenka from his last four penalties, with the inventor of the penalty, Antonín Panenka, saying Ramos was the best \\'imitator\\' of his penalty technique. With five goals in the first three months of the season, Ramos had his best goal-scoring start to a season at Real Madrid. In the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, Ramos played in both Real Madrid\\'s semi-final against Kashima Antlers and the final against Al Ain. Ramos scored a header in the final as Real Madrid won 3–1 to claim their third consecutive FIFA Club World Cup. Ramos became the first player to lift three consecutive FIFA Club World Cups while also becoming the first defender to score in two Club World Cup Finals.On 9 January 2019, Ramos scored a penalty in the Copa del Rey game against Leganés, which was his 100th career goal, excluding 2 goals for Sevilla\\'s reserve team. To celebrate the goal, Ramos chose to show the number 100 with his fingers. On 24 January, Ramos scored a brace against Girona in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg in a 4–2 home win. It was Ramos\\' fourth brace for Real Madrid and his first in the Copa del Rey. Three days later, Ramos scored his 10th goal of the campaign with a header against Espanyol in a 4–2 away win, which was also his 60th La Liga goal. With ten goals to his name, Ramos equalled his highest-scoring season at Real Madrid which he set in 2016–17.On 6 February 2019, Sergio Ramos was playing in the Clásico for the 40th time. Three days later, in the Madrid Derby against Atlético Madrid, Ramos scored his eighth penalty of the season and his 11th goal in all competitions – making it his best goal-scoring season at Real Madrid. Four days later, in the 2–1 Champions League Round of 16 first leg away win over Ajax, Ramos became just the seventh player to play 600 matches for Real Madrid. In the match against Ajax, Ramos was booked for what seemed to be a needless challenge in the 90th minute. The booking meant that Ramos would miss the second leg against Ajax at the Santiago Bernabéu due a suspension of accumulating yellow cards. This sparked controversy after Ramos hinted to journalists in a post match interview that the yellow card was deliberate, which violates UEFA\\'s rules. Two and a half weeks later, UEFA opened a disciplinary investigation regarding this matter and decided to give Ramos a two-game ban, meaning he will also miss both the Champions League Round of 16-second leg against Ajax and the quarter-final first leg were Real Madrid to qualify. Due to Real Madrid\\'s elimination by Ajax, the suspension carried onto the next season and Ramos missed the first Champions League game of the 2019–20 season against Paris Saint-Germain.On 17 February, Ramos played his 601st match for Real Madrid, against Girona in La Liga, equalling the record of Real Madrid legends Fernando Hierro and Paco Gento. Ten days later, Ramos played in his 41st El Clásico, in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg at home. This was Ramos\\' 602nd match for Real Madrid, taking up to him fifth in Real Madrid\\'s all-time appearances list. On 2 March, Ramos played in the La Liga El Clásico at the Bernabéu, making him equal the all-time record of Paco Gento, Manolo Sanchís and Xavi by playing in 42 Clasicos. On 5 March, Real Madrid were eliminated from the Champions League by Ajax after being thrashed 4–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu (aggregate 5–3 for Ajax). Ramos did not feature due to being suspended after forcing a yellow card in the first leg, thus facing criticism for doing so. Moreover, Ramos faced even more criticism as he was caught with a camera crew in the stands, filming for his new Amazon Prime documentary. Ramos took to his Twitter and Instagram accounts to discuss the controversy surrounding his actions in which he admitted forcing the yellow card against Ajax in the first leg \\'was an error and I take the blame 200%\\'. Regarding filming the documentary, Ramos claimed there were \\'certain commitments\\' made prior and he did not imagine the game would pan out as it did. Ramos picked up a calf injury at the start of April which saw him miss the rest of the campaign and the final eight La Liga matches.\\nRamos\\' first goal of the season was a header in his first Champions League match of the campaign, against Club Brugge on 1 October at home. The goal came at a vital time as Real Madrid were 2–0 down by half-time but were able to make a comeback after another header by Casemiro. This was also Ramos\\' first Champions League goal in two seasons. On 30 October, Ramos scored from the penalty-spot in a 5–0 home victory over Leganés, continuing his run of scoring in 16 straight La Liga seasons, again equalling Messi. One week later, on 6 November, Ramos scored his first penalty in the Champions League, which came against Galatasaray in a 6–0 home win. It was another \\'Panenka\\' style penalty and also meant that Ramos scored in two Champions League group matches in the same season for the first time. On 18 December, Ramos played in his 43rd El Clasico, claiming the all-time appearance record for this historic fixture.On 12 January 2020, Ramos scored the winning penalty in a shoot-out against Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa de España final in Jeddah as Real Madrid won 4–1 on penalties after a 0–0 draw after extra time. This was the first time in Ramos\\' career that he scored a winning penalty in a shoot-out. The 2020 Supercopa title was Ramos\\' 21st trophy with Real Madrid. A month later, Ramos scored another header in La Liga, this time away to Osasuna as Real Madrid won 4–1 to maintain top position in the table. Ramos\\' goal at El Sadar meant that he had scored in 20 different La Liga stadiums. This was Ramos\\' first La Liga goal of 2020, meaning he was the only player to score in La Liga in each of the last 17 calendar years – dating back to 2004.On 26 February 2020, Ramos equalled the record of red cards received in the UEFA Champions League. With four red cards, he shares the unwanted record with Zlatan Ibrahimović and Edgar Davids. This dismissal came in a 2–1 home defeat to Manchester City in the Round of 16 first leg, for a tactical foul on City striker Gabriel Jesus. Four days later, Ramos featured in Real Madrid\\'s 2–0 win over Barcelona at home in La Liga to leapfrog them into first place. This was Ramos\\' 21st consecutive Clasico in all competitions and his 30th in La Liga with Real Madrid.When La Liga restarted after a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ramos scored in Real Madrid\\'s first game back against Eibar on 14 June at the Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium in a 3–1 win. He also scored the first goal at this stadium in its inaugural match in May 2006. Ramos\\' goal began with him winning the ball back from Eibar\\'s attack a few meters outside Madrid\\'s own penalty area and ran 70 meters across the pitch to find the pass from Eden Hazard to score his first La Liga goal from open play in over five years. On 21 June, Ramos scored a penalty for Real Madrid in their 2–1 win against Real Sociedad at the Anoeta, which was the 20th consecutive penalty he converted for club and country (including shoot-outs). Three days later, Ramos scored a free-kick against in a 2–0 win over Mallorca at the Alfredo di Stefano to become La Liga\\'s all-time highest scoring defender with 68 goals, surpassing Ronald Koeman\\'s 67 with Barcelona. Ramos\\' free-kick was also his eighth La Liga goal of the season, making it his most prolific league campaign to date and his tenth in all competitions – hitting double figures for a third season. On 28 June, Ramos featured in the 1–0 away league win against Espanyol, heading the ball down right outside the Espanyol penalty area to Karim Benzema who eventually assisted Casemiro to score the winner right before half-time. This was Ramos\\' 645th match for Madrid, moving him up to fourth in the club\\'s all-time most appearances list joint with Santillana. On 2 July, Ramos scored his fifteenth consecutive penalty for Real Madrid in the 79th minute which proved to be the winner in a narrow 1–0 home win against Getafe – opening up a four-point advantage at the top of La Liga. This was Ramos\\' ninth league goal of the season – equaling the record set by Argentine international defender Ezequiel Garay in 2006-07 while playing for Racing Santander for a defender with the most goals in a single La Liga season. The penalty against Getafe meant that Ramos had equalled his best goal scoring season (11 goals) which was set last season. Ramos had now scored in four out of six of Madrid\\'s matches since the restart, more than any other player. Moreover, the goal was his 100th career club goal, and his 70th in La Liga. The win over Getafe was Ramos\\' 450th La Liga appearance as a Real Madrid player, becoming just the fifth player to reach this milestone. Three days later, he scored another penalty – his 22nd in a row, and his tenth goal of the season in La Liga – in a 1–0 away win over Athletic Bilbao. He also became the first centre-back to score 10 goals in a La Liga season since Fernando Hierro during the 1993–94 season. On 19 July, Ramos scored his eleventh league goal in Real Madrid\\'s last La Liga game of the season against Leganes in an eventual 2–2 draw, making it his most prolific season in White with 13 goals across all competitions. At the end of the season, Ramos won his fifth league title with Los Blancos and Real Madrid\\'s 34th overall.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21: Final season at Real Madrid ====\\nOn 27 September 2020, Ramos opened his goal count for the season after netting the winning goal against Real Betis from the penalty spot at Benito Villamarín in a 3–2 league win. One month later on 24 October in El Clasico, Ramos earned and converted a penalty at the Camp Nou in a 3–1 league win – this was his 25th consecutive penalty goal for both club and country (including shoot-outs). Ramos\\' fifth El Clasico goal equaled the record of Ronald Koeman (who was in the other dugout as manager) as the defenders with the most goals in this historic fixture. This was also Ramos\\' 31st consecutive La Liga Clasico, meaning he has not missed one since joining Los Blancos in 2005 – equalling Raúl and Paco Gento as the players who played in the most league Clasicos. Three days later, Ramos played his first Champions League match of the season against Borussia Mönchengladbach, assisting Casemiro\\'s 93rd minute equaliser in a 2–2 draw. This was Ramos\\' 16th Champions League campaign with Real Madrid, equalling the record of club legend, and former captain and teammate Iker Casillas. On 31 October, Ramos became just the 10th player to play 500 La Liga matches (461 for Real Madrid and 39 for Sevilla), as Madrid beat Huesca 4–1 at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. On 3 November, Ramos scored his 100th goal for Real Madrid in all competitions, in a 3–2 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League.On 14 January, Ramos reportedly took four pain killer injections to his left knee to play against Athletic Bilbao in the 2020–21 Supercopa de España semi-final which Real Madrid went on to lose 2–1. This was the last match Ramos would play before opting for a mid-season surgery for the first time in his career for a torn meniscus in his left knee. He was expected to be out for two months and to return in early April, but after a speedy recovery, Ramos started against Elche on 13 March – just over a month after he went under the knife. Real Madrid\\'s 2–1 win over Elche was Ramos\\' 334th La Liga win (315 with Real Madrid and 19 with Sevilla), equalling the record of Iker Casillas as the players with second–most wins in the Spanish top flight – only behind Messi. Four days later, Ramos played in a Champions League round of 16-second leg for the first time in three years as Real Madrid went on to defeat Atalanta 3–1 at the Alfredo di Stefano (5–3 on aggregate) and qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time since their last Champions League winning campaign in 2018. Ramos scored his 19th consecutive penalty for Madrid in the 60th minute which killed the game, before coming off as a substitute. This was Ramos\\' 15th Champions League goal, equalling Gerard Piqué and former teammate Iván Helguera as the second highest scoring defenders in the history of the competition – with only former teammate Roberto Carlos ahead of them. Due to an injury, Ramos missed his first El Clásico since joining Los Blancos, putting an end to a streak of playing in 31 consecutive league Clásicos. He later missed the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool, as he tested positive for COVID-19, although he was also injured. On 5 May, in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea, his side lost 2–0 and were eliminated from the competition; however, he then sustained an injury in his left hamstring which forced him to miss the rest of the season; this meant he had played his last game for Real Madrid. Ramos played just 21 matches for Los Blancos in 2020–21, making it his most injury-riddled season, after having played at least 33 matches in each of his previous 15 campaigns at the club.On 16 June, Real Madrid announced that Ramos would leave the club after 16 years. During his farewell event on the next day, Ramos, who had initially asked for a two-year offer, mentioned that he accepted a one-year contract renewal with a salary reduction; however, the offer had expired without his knowledge.\\n\\n\\n=== Paris Saint-Germain ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22: Various injuries and Ligue 1 title ====\\nOn 8 July 2021, it was announced that Ramos had signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He chose to wear the number 4 jersey, with Thilo Kehrer switching to the number 24 shirt. Ramos remarked: \"I am quite superstitious about it and I love the number 4 because I have worn that number since the start of my career and it has followed me throughout my career and my life, bringing with me much luck and many victories.\" During the medical examination required to complete the signing, the medical staff at PSG were reported to be impressed by his seriousness and physique, whilst the medical results were noted to be excellent and incredible. The staff compared Ramos\\' physique to that of a 25-year-old (he was 35 at the time).Due to a series of injury problems, Ramos made his first appearance in a match day squad for Paris Saint-Germain ahead of a Champions League group stage game against Manchester City on 24 November 2021. He made his debut four days later in a 3–1 league victory over Saint-Étienne. On 23 January 2022, Sergio scored his debut goal for the club, helping PSG to beat Reims 4–0 in a home league match. Ramos won the 2021–22 Ligue 1 in his first season at the club.\\n\\n\\n==== 2022–23: Last season at PSG ====\\nPSG started the 2022–23 season by winning the 2022 Trophée des Champions in Tel Aviv, in which Ramos scored a goal in a 4–0 win over Nantes. On 6 September 2022, he made his Champions League debut with Paris Saint-Germain in a 2–1 win over Juventus. On 2 June 2023, Ramos announced that he would be leaving PSG at the end of the season, following the expiration of his contract. One day later, he opened the score in a 2–3 defeat against Clermont, in his last appearance for the club, as Paris Saint-Germain won their record 11th Ligue 1 title.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Sevilla ===\\nOn 4 September 2023, Ramos returned to his boyhood club Sevilla after 18 years, by signing a contract until the end of the season. On 17 September, he made his second debut for Sevilla in a 1–0 win over Las Palmas at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium. Three days later, he made his Champions League debut with Sevilla in a 1–1 draw against Lens. On 21 October, Ramos played against his former club Real Madrid for the first time since he left in 2021, in a La Liga match that ended in a 1–1 draw at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, helping secure a point from the match. On 29 November, he scored his first goal for Sevilla following his return in a 3–2 home defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, which also marked the 1000 appearance in professional football. He also managed to reach his 16th goal in the latter, equaling the most goals by defenders set by Roberto Carlos and Gerard Piqué. On 12 December, he broke the record, by scoring his 17th goal with a Panenka-style penalty in a 2–1 away defeat against Lens.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== 2002–2006: Youth level and early international career ===\\nIn 2004, Ramos became an instant hit for Spain\\'s under-19, for whom he played six international matches. During the 2004 U19 Euro, Ramos was a key figure for Spain as he started in four out of five of their matches on the way to winning their second U19 European Championship, including scoring a decisive penalty in the Semi-final penalty-shoot out against Ukraine. On 26 March 2005, in a 3–0 friendly win over China in Salamanca, he first appeared for the senior side at only 18 years and 361 days of age, making him the youngest player to play for the national team in the last 55 years. He held this record until 1 March 2006, when it was broken by Cesc Fàbregas in a friendly match against Côte d\\'Ivoire.On 12 October 2005, Ramos scored his first two international goals in a 6–0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He was selected for the final stages in Germany and, after the international retirement of Real Madrid teammate Míchel Salgado, became the undisputed first-choice right-back. Despite wearing the number 4 jersey for Real Madrid, Ramos admitted he wears the number 15 for Spain in memory of his close friend and former Sevilla teammate Puerta, who died in August 2007 and made his Spain debut wearing No. 15.\\n\\n\\n=== 2008–2012: Spain\\'s Golden Generation ===\\nThroughout Spain\\'s UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, Ramos was a regular member of the starting eleven as the national side finished first in its group, above Sweden. He scored two goals, including one in a 3–1 away win over Denmark, in 11 appearances. In the tournament\\'s final stages, Ramos played in all matches and minutes, except the 2–1 group stage win against Greece. In the final, his pass nearly set up Marcos Senna\\'s first international goal, but the latter missed his opportunity by inches. During the celebrations after the 1–0 defeat of Germany, he wore a T-shirt in honour of his late friend Puerta.Ramos was selected in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, as Spain finished in third. On 3 June 2010, he captained Spain for the first time, in a 1–0 friendly win over South Korea in Innsbruck, Austria.At the 2010 World Cup, held in the same country, Ramos played every minute of the tournament as a right back, helping Spain keep five clean sheets and reach the final, which they won 1–0 against the Netherlands; he topped the tournament\\'s Castrol Performance Index with a score of 9.79. Despite playing at right-back, he also completed more solo runs than any other player in the tournament, 31.\\nRamos returned to the heart of the defence for Euro 2012. When asked about his role change, he replied: \"I have adapted and feel comfortable in the middle, but I am a World and European champion at right-back\". He played all the games in Poland and Ukraine alongside Barcelona\\'s Gerard Piqué and, in the semi-finals against Portugal, he converted his penalty shootout attempt in an eventual 4–2 win (0–0 after 120 minutes), scoring for the eventual champions in Panenka-style. On 1 July, Ramos won his third trophy with the Spanish senior National Team as they thrashed Italy 4–0 in the final. Ramos\\' performances during the Euro earned him a place in the Team of The Tournament. Ramos wore another T-shirt during Spain\\'s Euro 2012 celebrations to pay homage to his late friend Puerta.\\n\\n\\n=== 2013–2019: Assuming the captaincy ===\\nOn 22 March 2013, Ramos celebrated his 100th cap by opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw with Finland in Gijón for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He became the youngest European player ever to reach that figure in the process, surpassing Germany\\'s Lukas Podolski. In June, Ramos contested in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, starting every match as Spain lost to the hosts in the final. He captained the side for their second group game, a 10–0 win over Tahiti at the Maracanã, which is the biggest win of his career. On 30 June, he missed a penalty kick in the 3–0 Confederations Cup Final loss to Brazil.Ramos was selected for his third World Cup in 2014. He played the full 90 minutes of each of the team\\'s matches in Brazil, each with a different partner in central defence, as the reigning champions were eliminated from the group stage.\\nIn February 2016, Ramos won the Luis Aragonés Award by Marca which distinguished him as the best player of the national team in the past year. With David de Gea selected ahead of Iker Casillas in Spain\\'s starting line-up, Ramos captained the team at UEFA Euro 2016. On 21 June 2016, he had a penalty kick saved by Danijel Subašić in a 2–1 loss to Croatia. Spain finished their Euro group as runners-up and crashed out in the Round of 16 against Italy.On 23 March 2018, days before turning 32, Ramos earned his 150th cap for Spain in a 1–1 friendly draw with Germany in Düsseldorf. Only Iker Casillas had previously reached the mark for the team.Ramos was included in the Spain squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and would go into his fourth tournament, and first World Cup as Captain after Iker Casillas missed out. He played in all three of Spain\\'s Group stage matches as they topped the \\'Group of Death\\' ahead of European Champions Portugal. In the Round of 16 against Russia, Ramos believed he scored the opening goal but it was later credited as an Sergei Ignashevich own goal. The match ended 1–1 after extra time and was decided on penalties (4–3) as the hosts eliminated La Roja. Ramos scored Spain\\'s fourth penalty but it wasn\\'t enough as teammates Koke and Aspas both had their penalties saved.\\nWith new coach Luis Enrique, Ramos retained captaincy of the national team. He played in all four of Spain\\'s 2018–19 UEFA Nations League group matches, becoming the nation\\'s top scorer in the group with three goals – scoring once against England and twice against Croatia. Spain finished second in their UEFA Nations League Group, which saw them miss out on the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals. In March 2019, Ramos scored the winner in Spain\\'s first UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match against Norway through another Panenka penalty in a 2–1 win. This was his tenth penalty of the season, scoring them all. It was also his fifth consecutive match scoring for Spain, which is a personal record. Spain manager Enrique hailed Ramos as a \\'unique player in history\\' after the match.\\n\\n\\n=== 2019–2021: Record caps for Spain ===\\nIn the second Euro 2020 qualification match, away to Malta, Ramos did not score for the first time in six matches for Spain – failing to extend his scoring streak. However, the match ended 2–0 to Spain which was his 121st win with La Roja, equaling the all-time record of Iker Casillas. On 7 June 2019, Ramos broke the record of most international victories with 122, following a 4–1 victory against the Faroe Islands, scoring Spain\\'s opening goal in the process. Three days later, ahead of the match against Sweden, Ramos received a plaque from the Spanish Football Federation to commemorate his record. The match ended with a 3–0 win for Spain, where he scored the first goal and extended his tally to 123 international victories. On 5 September 2019, Ramos scored from a penalty kick his 21st international goal to open the score in Spain\\'s 2–1 away win over Romania in a Euro 2020 qualifier, which made him the joint 10th top scorer in the history of the national team, alongside Míchel. On 8 September, Ramos won his 167th cap for Spain in a 4–0 home win over the Faroe Islands in a Euro 2020 qualifier; with this appearance, he equaled Iker Casillas as Spain\\'s most capped player of all time. On 12 October 2019, he became the nation\\'s sole most capped player.On 6 September 2020, Ramos scored a brace in a 4–0 win over Ukraine for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, reaching 23 international goals and equaling Alfredo Di Stéfano as Spain\\'s eighth-highest all-time goalscorer. On 14 November 2020, in a 1–1 draw against Switzerland, he made his 177th appearance for Spain and overtook Gianluigi Buffon\\'s record for the most international caps received by a European player.Ramos made his last international appearance on 31 March 2021 as an 86th-minute substitute in a 3–1 home 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying victory against Kosovo.\\n\\n\\n=== 2021–2023: Squad exclusions and retirement ===\\nRamos was excluded from the squad for UEFA Euro 2020, following an injury-plagued season. His omission marked the first major tournament since Euro 2004 where he was not called for the national team, ending a run of featuring in ten consecutive tournaments. A year and a half later, he was excluded from the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.Ramos announced his retirement from international football on 23 February 2023 at the age of 36, having not appeared for his country in nearly two years, after new coach Luis de la Fuente told him he would no longer be selected.\\n\\n\\n== Player profile ==\\n\\n\\n=== Style of play ===\\nRegarded as one of the best defenders in the world, and of all time, Ramos is a physically strong player who excels in the air due to his elevation, eye for goal, and heading accuracy, making him a goal threat on set-pieces; he is also a competent and aggressive tackler. In addition to his defensive skills and goal scoring ability, he is gifted with pace, and is comfortable on the ball, possessing good technical ability, as well as good distribution, passing, and crossing ability, which allows him to carry the ball forward, switch the play with long balls, or play out from the back on the ground. According to Spanish sports newspaper Marca, FIFA\\'s official records confirmed that in 2015, Ramos was clocked at a sprinting speed of 30.6 kilometers per hour, making him one of the fastest footballers in the world at the time. He is also an accurate penalty taker, and is known for often using the Panenka technique when taking them. He has also been known to take free kicks, courtesy of his ability to bend the ball and his powerful striking ability from distance.Ramos has earned plaudits for his leadership, athleticism, technical prowess, and his ability to excel both offensively and defensively, as well as his versatility, which allows him to be deployed as a centre-back and as a full-back; in his youth, he often played as a right-back, while he later established himself as a centre-back as his career progressed. Due to his wide range of skills, his former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has compared him to legendary defender Paolo Maldini; he went on to describe him as \"the best defender in the world at the moment\" in 2014, a view which was echoed by Giorgio Chiellini in 2020. Ramos has also occasionally been deployed as a central or defensive midfielder, in particular under Ancelotti during the 2014–15 season. Ramos has been praised for his decisive performances in important games, most notably for Real Madrid, due to his tendency to score crucial goals for his team, and is considered by several pundits to be one of the most reliable performers in high-pressure situations. However, despite his ability as a defender, his tactical sense, consistency, and concentration from match to match have been questioned at times by pundits and other footballing figures, who have accused him of being too impulsive in his challenges or prone to occasional defensive errors throughout the course of a season.Ramos is also often criticised in the media for using excessive, reckless force while playing, as well as for his lack of discipline and tendency to pick-up an excessive number of unnecessary cards; he has also been accused of diving.\\n\\n\\n=== Disciplinary record ===\\nRamos holds multiple disciplinary records, for Real Madrid, in the Champions League, La Liga, El Clásico, and in the Spain national team.Ramos holds the record for most carded player in La Liga, with 191 cards. His 171 yellow cards surpass Alberto Lopo, the former record holder for La Liga yellow cards. The remaining 21 are red cards, making Ramos the most sent-off player in La Liga as well. His La Liga card record is higher than any other player\\'s in the major European leagues, making him the most booked player in all major European top divisions.In the Champions League, Ramos has amassed 40 yellow cards and 4 red cards (3 of which were straight red cards), making him both the most-carded player and joint-most red-carded player in Champions League history.Lastly, Ramos also holds the record for being the most carded player in the history of the Spanish national team, with 24 yellow cards.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nRamos entered in a relationship with journalist/presenter Pilar Rubio in September 2012. This was confirmed by both at the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. They have four sons together. On 16 July 2018, Ramos and Rubio got engaged. The couple married in his hometown of Seville on 15 June 2019.Ramos has been described as a \\'family person\\' and has a close relationship with his siblings and parents. Rene, Ramos\\'s brother, is currently his football agent. Ramos is a fan of bullfighting and he is a personal friend of matador Alejandro Talavante. He celebrated victories for both club and country by playing with a matador\\'s cape. Ramos is also a keen horse aficionado, owning a stud farm in his native Andalusia specifically dedicated to the breeding of the Andalusian horse. Ramos\\' horse, \\'Yucatán SR4\\' became a World Champion in 2018. \\nIn addition, Ramos and wife Rubio are avid art collectors.In June 2014, Ramos was appointed as an ambassador for UNICEF Spain.\\n\\n\\n=== Body art ===\\nRamos has more than 42 tattoos, including Jesus and Mary, Star of David in honour of his grandmother, Nena, who gave a pendant of the same design to his mother; in addition, he also has tattoos of a lion, wolf, dreamcatcher, map of Spain, Native American chief, hamsa, FIFA World Cup and Champions League trophies, his family members, among others.\\n\\n\\n=== Amazon Prime documentary ===\\nIn January 2019, Amazon Prime and Ramos himself announced they will release an eight-episode documentary series on Ramos\\' life on and off the pitch known as El Corazón de Sergio Ramos (The Heart of Sergio Ramos). This would be the first ever time the public would see the personal side of Ramos and his family. On 5 March, during Real Madrid\\'s Champions League Round of 16 second leg match, Ramos was suspended and watched the match from his VIP area in the stands. His reactions were filmed by the Amazon Prime crew. This sparked controversy as Real Madrid lost the match and were eliminated from the Champions League, though Ramos suggested on his social media networks that there were \"certain commitments made and it never remotely went through my head that the game could have turned out as it did\".Due to the success of his first docu-series with Amazon, Ramos announced in June 2020 via his social media accounts that Amazon Prime will be releasing another documentary known as La Leyenda Sergio Ramos (The Legend of Sergio Ramos), which highlights his career\\'s most defining moments. It was released in Spain in April 2021 and will be released world-wide in June and consists of six episodes.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 11 February 2024\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\nScores and results list Spain\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ramos goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nReal Madrid\\nLa Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2019–20\\nCopa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14\\nSupercopa de España: 2008, 2012, 2017, 2019–20\\nUEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018Paris Saint-Germain\\n\\nLigue 1: 2021–22, 2022–23\\nTrophée des Champions: 2022Spain U19\\nUEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2004Spain\\nFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012\\nFIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013; third place: 2009Individual\\n\\nLa Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2005\\nFIFA FIFPro World11: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010\\nLa Liga Best Defender: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012\\nFIFA Confederations Cup Dream Team: 2013\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18\\nFIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2014\\nFIFA Club World Cup top scorer: 2014\\nUEFA Ultimate Team of the Year: 2015\\nLa Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16\\nUEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2016–17, 2019–20\\nESM Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2016–17\\nUEFA Champions League Defender of the Season: 2017, 2018\\nIFFHS Men\\'s World Team: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020\\nIFFHS World Team of the Decade: 2011–2020\\nIFFHS UEFA Team of the Decade: 2011–2020\\nIFFHS World\\'s Highest Scoring Defender of the Decade: 2011–2020\\nIFFHS World\\'s Highest Scoring Defender of the 21st century: 2001–2020\\nCastrol Performance Index: 2010 FIFA World Cup Castrol Index Winner\\nCastrol Performance Index: UEFA Euro 2012 Castrol EDGE Index Winner\\nLuis Aragones Award: 2016\\nBallon d\\'Or Dream Team (Bronze): 2020\\nL\\'Équipe Team of the Year: 2020\\nL\\'Équipe Team of the Year (Fan Vote): 2020\\n11Leyendas Jornal AS: 2021\\nGlobe Soccer Awards \"Best Defender of All Time\"\\n\\n\\n== Discography ==\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with the most official appearances\\nList of Real Madrid CF records and statistics\\nList of La Liga players (400+ appearances)\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nProfile at the Paris Saint-Germain F.C. website\\nSergio Ramos – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nSergio Ramos – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nSergio Ramos at BDFutbol \\nNational team data at BDFutbol\\nSergio Ramos at National-Football-Teams.com\\nVINCENT KOMPANYVincent Jean Mpoy Kompany (French pronunciation: [vɛ̃sɑ̃ kɔ̃pani]; Dutch pronunciation: [vɪnsɛnt kɔmpani]; born 10 April 1986) is a Belgian professional football manager and former player who played as a centre back and is the current manager of Premier League club Burnley. He most notably played for Manchester City for eleven seasons, where he was captain for eight of them and became widely regarded as one of the league\\'s greatest centre backs. He also represented the Belgium national team for 15 years, seven as captain.\\nKompany began his professional career at Anderlecht; having graduated from their youth system, he was with the club for three seasons as a first team player before moving to Bundesliga club Hamburg in 2006. In the summer of 2008, he completed a transfer to Premier League club Manchester City, where he established himself as an integral part of the squad and was regarded as one of the bargain buys of the revolutionised City era, blossoming into one of the league\\'s best centre backs. In the 2011–12 season he was awarded the captaincy of City, leading his club to win the Premier League that season, their first league title in 44 years. Kompany was included in the Premier League Team of the Year for two years in a row in 2011 and 2012 as well as being included in the 2014 team, and won the Premier League Player of the Season in 2012. Kompany went on to win 11 more trophies at City and made 360 appearances.Kompany earned 89 caps for Belgium in a fifteen-year international career, having made his debut in 2004 at the age of 17. He was part of their squad that came fourth at the 2008 Olympics as well as going to the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018, coming a best-ever third at the latter. He served as captain from 2010.\\nIn 2019, when his contract expired after 11 years at City, Kompany returned to Anderlecht as player-manager. A year later, he announced his retirement from professional football and became the first-team manager. In 2022, he was hired by Burnley, winning the EFL Championship in his first season.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Anderlecht ===\\nBorn in Uccle, Brussels, Kompany started his career at Anderlecht at the age of 17, winning several awards including the Belgian Golden Shoe and the Belgian Ebony Shoe. Although several top European sides immediately showed interest, the player and his entourage decided to first develop a few more years at Anderlecht. \"Don\\'t you worry, I will stay here,\" he told Berend Scholten at UEFA.com. \"At the moment the zeros in my contract are not so important. If I wanted to leave, I would have been gone already.\"In late 2003, Kompany was a target for Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to cover the long-term suspension of defender Rio Ferdinand. Ferguson attended Anderlecht\\'s trip to Celtic in the Champions League group stage so that he could watch Kompany, but was instead impressed by Celtic midfielder Liam Miller and signed him. Additionally, Kompany\\'s mother would not let him transfer until he had finished his education.\\n\\n\\n=== Hamburg ===\\nOn 9 June 2006, however, it was announced that Kompany had been acquired by Hamburger SV for a fee of €10 million, as a replacement for fellow Belgian Daniel Van Buyten. In his debut season for Hamburg, he managed only six Bundesliga starts for the club before suffering an achilles injury in November that ruled him out for the rest of the season. Despite his lack of involvement in the season, he was selected in a 30-man provisional squad for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.Kompany scored on 29 July 2007 in a 4–0 win (5–1 aggregate) over Moldova\\'s FC Dacia Chișinău in the last round of the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Hamburg won the title via being the Intertoto team that advanced furthest in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester City ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–11 ====\\nOn 22 August 2008, Premier League club Manchester City signed Kompany from Hamburg on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut two days later in a 3–0 home win against West Ham United, playing the entire match. On 28 September, Kompany scored his first goal in City\\'s 2–1 away defeat by Wigan Athletic. During his early time at Manchester City, Kompany played as a defensive midfielder.On 19 October 2009, Kompany signed a new five-year deal with City that would keep him at the club until 2014. He scored his second league goal for the club in a 2–0 home win against Portsmouth and his third in a 6–1 win against Burnley at Turf Moor.\\nKompany was handed the number 4 jersey for the 2010–11 season after previous wearer Nedum Onuoha moved on loan to Sunderland. On 25 April, Kompany again continued to captain the side in the absence of striker Carlos Tevez against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, playing the full 90 minutes alongside Lescott in a 1–0 victory. On 16 April, Kompany captained Manchester City\\'s victory over main rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium; City won the game 1–0. Later that day, he was named in the PFA Team of the Year alongside teammate Tevez.In the 2011 FA Cup Final Kompany started and finished the match, a 1–0 victory over Stoke City which delivered Manchester City\\'s first major trophy for 35 years. At the end of the 2010–11 season, in which City qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time, manager Roberto Mancini praised Kompany as \"incredible\", and called him one of the top defenders in Europe, with the potential to be number one in the world.He finished the season winning the club\\'s Supporter\\'s Player of the Year and Player\\'s Player of the Year awards, clocking up 50 appearances in all competitions including 37 Premier League starts.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–14 ====\\nKompany was firmly installed as club captain for the 2011–12 season, with Tevez having expressed publicly his desire to leave the club. The opening fixture on 7 August 2011 was the Community Shield, which ended in a 3–2 defeat to rivals Manchester United despite City holding a two-goal lead at half-time.On 30 April 2012, Kompany scored a header from a David Silva corner in the Manchester derby; the game finished 1–0 to City and put them in first place ahead of Manchester United on goal difference with only two games of the season remaining. On 11 May 2012, Kompany was named Barclays Player of the Season for his outstanding performance in the Premier League, the first time the award was won by a City player.On 13 May, the final day of the Premier League season, Kompany led the team against Queens Park Rangers which ended in a dramatic 3–2 win, securing the league title for the club for the first time since 1968. QPR midfielder Joey Barton attempted to headbutt Kompany during the match. On 25 July, Kompany signed a six-year contract with Manchester City, the longest of its kind in the club\\'s history.\\nAfter winning the curtain-raising 2012 FA Community Shield 3–2 against Chelsea (Kompany lifting the trophy at the unfamiliar venue of Villa Park), the 2012–13 season was something of a disappointment for the club as they finished bottom of their Champions League group, placed second in the league (but far behind winners Manchester United) and lost the FA Cup Final 1–0 to Wigan Athletic. Kompany played in that final, but had missed part of the league campaign due to injury, with Mancini citing his absence as a major factor in the failure to retain the title.On 2 March 2014, Kompany captained the Manchester City team that won the League Cup Final, beating Sunderland 3–1. On 11 May, he scored Manchester City\\'s second goal in a 2–0 win against West Ham United as the club won the 2013–14 Premier League title.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–19 ====\\nDuring 2014–15, Kompany accumulated 33 appearances in all competitions, but the club could only finish runners-up in the league and were eliminated from the domestic and continental cups at early stages, also losing out in the Community Shield. In April 2015, he suffered a muscular injury during the Manchester derby which ended his campaign early, and this would prove to be the start of a long spell of recurring injuries (mainly muscular strains) for a player who had already endured a number of physical problems since his arrival in England.After scoring in the team\\'s opening two Premier League fixtures, Kompany suffered a strain to his calf in the opening weeks of the 2015–16 season and lasted just minutes into his comeback match in December. in February 2016, he was fit to take part in the League Cup Final in which City defeated Liverpool, and was named man of the match; however in May he was again forced off in the early stages of the Champions League semi-final, finishing on 22 appearances and subsequently missing Euro 2016 with Belgium.\\nHaving returned to the first team in October 2016, on 9 November Kompany withdrew from international duty with discomfort, and on 22 November he sustained a knee injury. At that time, an analysis showed that he had suffered 37 injuries since joining Manchester City in 2008 and had missed over two years (878 days) in that eight-year period. By April 2017 he had recovered, and scored in a victory over Tottenham Hotspur, commenting on his issues that \"The main thing is self-belief and experience\". Manager Pep Guardiola kept Kompany in the team for the FA Cup semi-final, and he played the entirety of the match which went to extra time; City lost the tie to eventual winners Arsenal, finishing 2016–17 without a trophy. Kompany appeared just 15 times during the campaign, although his continued importance to the team was evidenced by the fact he would always return to the starting line-up as soon as he was fit.\\nKompany played in eight league matches for Manchester City during the first portion of 2017–18, suffering further strains during the period, before withdrawing minutes into an away fixture against Newcastle on 27 December; Guardiola\\'s responses in the press conferences suggested he was losing patience with the situation. He returned to the team on 3 February 2018, completing the 90 minutes of a 1–1 draw away to Burnley while Aymeric Laporte, the club\\'s new record signing in the same position, remained on the bench throughout. On 25 February, he scored Manchester City\\'s second goal of a 3–0 victory over Arsenal in the 2018 EFL Cup Final, and was named man of the match. he eventually managed 17 league starts as Manchester City won the title with a record 100 points.On 6 May 2019, Kompany scored Manchester City\\'s only goal during a 1–0 victory over Leicester City with his first goal from outside the box for the club. The result put the club one point ahead at the top of the 2018–19 Premier League table, and they retained the title by the same margin six days later. Kompany had already lifted the EFL Cup again in February 2019 after a penalty shootout victory over Chelsea. He played the whole of the 2019 FA Cup Final, a 6–0 victory over Watford as the club completed an unprecedented domestic treble (plus the Community Shield).\\nOn 17 August 2020, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak announced plans for a statue of Kompany at the Etihad Stadium, along with teammates Sergio Aguero and David Silva, to commemorate his \"transformational\" contribution at City. The statues of Kompany and Silva were unveiled on 28 August 2021.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Anderlecht ===\\nOn 19 May 2019, it was announced that Kompany would be leaving Manchester City to become player-manager of his first club Anderlecht. With two defeats, two goalless draws, six goals conceded and three scored, the Brussels-based club had endured their worst opening start to a league campaign since the 1998–99 season. On 22 August, Kompany decided to step down managerial duties on the pitch, to focus primarily on being a player. Head coach Simon Davies would become in charge of tactical changes and substitutions, while Kompany would be given the captain\\'s arm band.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nKompany made his international debut for Belgium at the age of 17 on 18 February 2004, starting in a 2–0 home loss to France.The Royal Belgian Football Association called up Kompany to the 2008 Olympics. Initially, Hamburg decided not to let him go as the Olympics was not an official FIFA tournament. After a dispute, Hamburg decided to release him under the condition that he returned after Belgium\\'s first two group games. The first game was against Brazil where he was sent off in a 1–0 loss, and as a consequence his tournament was over as the red card would rule him out of Belgium\\'s second group game. Kompany decided against returning to Germany in hope of playing the last group game to help his country qualify for the knockout stages. Hamburg maintained their stance that he had to return, and the Belgian FA decided to release him. He later came on as a substitute in the opening game for Hamburg against Bayern Munich.In November 2009, Kompany fell out with the Belgium manager Dick Advocaat. Before the friendly match with Qatar, Kompany received permission to attend his grandmother\\'s funeral as long as he returned to the team hotel before 6 pm that evening. He did not return until nearly midnight and Advocaat removed him from the squad altogether, although on 24 February 2010 he was recalled for the friendly against Croatia.\\nOn 19 May 2010, Kompany captained Belgium for the first time and scored his first international goal in the 90th minute for a 2–1 friendly win over Bulgaria at the King Baudouin Stadium. After 34 minutes of Belgium\\'s 2–1 World Cup qualifier win against Serbia in June 2013, Kompany suffered concussion and facial injuries, including a broken nose and cracked eye-socket, in a collision with goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković. After receiving first aid on the touchline, he played out the remainder of the match.On 13 May 2014, Kompany was named in the Belgium squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He captained the Red Devils in their first World Cup match in 12 years, a 2–1 win against Algeria in Belo Horizonte. Injuries sustained during the season caused him to miss UEFA Euro 2016.\\nAt the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Kompany featured in five of his nation\\'s seven matches, playing every minute in the knockout phase as they advanced to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champions\\nFrance, overcoming England to finish third, their highest ever placing in the competition.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nKompany was described as one of the best defenders in world football, and in the history of the Premier League; he was recognised to be an intelligent and physically strong centre back, with excellent aerial ability, mobility, and leadership qualities, as well as good technique and distribution. He was also a very accurate tackler, with strong positional sense, and excelled at reading the game and anticipating his opponents.Kompany initially played as a central or defensive midfielder before being moved to a centre-back role. Despite his ability, he often struggled with injuries throughout his career.\\n\\n\\n== Managerial career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Anderlecht ===\\nOn 17 August 2020, it was announced that Kompany would be the head coach at Anderlecht for the next four seasons, after retiring from professional football on the same day. He made his debut six days later in a 1–1 home draw with Mouscron, conceding the equaliser in added time. In the Belgian Cup, the team reached the semi-finals before a 2–1 elimination by Genk in March. The league campaign ended with qualification for the play-offs, in which they came fourth and made the UEFA Europa Conference League.In August 2021, Kompany\\'s Violets were eliminated from the Conference League qualifiers 5–4 on aggregate by Dutch club Vitesse. The team did one round better in the cup than before, losing the final on penalties to Gent on 18 April, and came third in the league.\\n\\n\\n=== Burnley ===\\nOn 14 June 2022, Kompany was appointed manager of EFL Championship club Burnley on a deal of undisclosed length, following the club\\'s relegation from the Premier League. On his debut on 29 July, he won 1–0 at Huddersfield Town with a goal by debutant Ian Maatsen. An impressive October where his side picked up five wins and three draws in an unbeaten month, saw Kompany awarded the EFL Championship Manager of the Month award, finishing the month on top of the table. He won the award for a second time for December, a 100% record ensuring that Burnley finished the calendar year top of the league. He won the award for a second consecutive perfect month, finishing the month seventeen points clear of third-place. Kompany also won the Manager of the Month award for February 2023 after having gained 14 points from 6 matches.Burnley secured promotion to the Premier League, with seven matches left, after a 2–1 away win over Middlesbrough on 7 April 2023. On 23 April, Kompany was named Championship manager of the season. His side then beat Blackburn Rovers on 25 April to win the division title. He signed a new contract on 7 May 2023, tying him to Burnley until 2028. On the next day, Burnley won 3–0 against Cardiff City to finish the season with 101 points; hence, they managed to win their final matchday for the first time after six seasons and to be the first club to break the 100-point barrier since Leicester City in 2013–14, with only three defeats in 46 matches.On Kompany\\'s debut as a Premier League manager on 11 August 2023, his side lost 3–0 at home to reigning champions Manchester City. Will Unwin of The Guardian wrote that the performance \"showed more than enough that Kompany and his players will be in the Premier League for the long term\".On 23 December 2023, Burnley won 2–0 against Fulham. This removed Burnley from the lowest three teams in the league. The match was also notable as the first in the Premier League where a woman was the referee. Kompany was reported as saying, \\'I am happy to be part of this moment\\'.\\n\\n\\n== Charity work ==\\nKompany is an official FIFA ambassador for registered charity SOS Children. Of Congolese heritage, Kompany represents his father\\'s native Congo, and has invested and engaged in projects which aim to provide an education and safe living accommodation for children living in poverty.In March 2013, Kompany bought the Belgian third division club FC Bleid as a \"social commitment towards the youngsters of Brussels\", with the intention of offering disadvantaged youngsters the opportunity to use sport as a vehicle for self-improvement.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nKompany\\'s father, Pierre, is a Congolese immigrant to Belgium and serves as his agent. In October 2018, Pierre was elected the mayor of Ganshoren, making him the first black mayor in Belgium. His late mother, Jocelyne, was Belgian and Kompany described her as a \"socialist, borderline communist\". His brother, François Kompany, spent most of his career in the Belgian second tier, having earlier been on the books of Macclesfield Town. Kompany also has an older sister. Among his friends are former Chelsea goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay and former Manchester United defender Floribert N\\'Galula, both of whom he consulted about his move to England before joining Manchester City.Kompany married his Mancunian girlfriend, Carla Higgs, a lifelong Manchester City supporter on 11 June 2011 and together they have a daughter born in 2010, and two sons, born in 2013 and 2015.Kompany has a number of pastimes and interests which keep him occupied outside of football. He has an interest in politics and graduated with an MBA at Manchester Business School in 2018 after several years of study. Kompany has been characterized as \"erudite\" and \"eloquent\".In April 2014, Kompany opened two new sports bars in Belgium by the name of Good Kompany, one at the Grand-Place in Brussels and the other at the Groenplaats in Antwerp. However, Kompany closed down both bars within a year of their opening. At the time of their closure, Kompany was quoted as saying \"I regret this decision. We had enough customers, turnover was good, but not enough to cover the costs. So that\\'s where it ends. Lesson 1 in business: investments are always a risk. You win some, you lose some.\"\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nBelgium score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kompany goal\\n\\n\\n== Managerial statistics ==\\nAs of match played 10 February 2024\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\n\\n\\n=== Player ===\\nAnderlecht\\n\\nBelgian First Division: 2003–04, 2005–06Hamburger SV\\n\\nUEFA Intertoto Cup: 2007Manchester City\\n\\nPremier League: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19\\nFA Cup: 2010–11, 2018–19;\\nEFL Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19\\nFA Community Shield: 2012, 2018Belgium\\n\\nFIFA World Cup third place: 2018Individual\\n\\nMan of the Season (Belgian First Division): 2003–04, 2004–05\\nBelgian Golden Shoe: 2004\\nBelgian Young Professional Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2005\\nBelgian Professional Footballer of the Year: 2004–05\\nBelgian Ebony Shoe: 2004, 2005\\nBest Belgian Player Abroad: 2010\\nThe Best Golden Shoe Team: 2011\\nManchester City Official Supporter\\'s Player of the Year: 2010–11\\nManchester City Player\\'s Player of the Year: 2010–11\\nManchester City Goal of the Season: 2018–19\\nPremier League Player of the Season: 2011–12\\nPremier League Hall of Fame: 2022\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2010–11 Premier League, 2011–12 Premier League, 2013–14 Premier League\\nESM Team of the Year: 2011–12\\nAlan Hardaker Trophy: 2016, 2018\\nBBC Goal of the Season: 2018–19\\nIFFHS All-time Belgium Men\\'s Dream Team\\nRBFA 125 Years Icons Team: 2020\\nFWA Tribute Award: 2020\\n\\n\\n=== Manager ===\\nAnderlecht\\n\\nBelgian Cup runner-up: 2021–22Burnley\\n\\nEFL Championship: 2022–23Individual\\n\\nEFL Championship Manager of the Month: October 2022, December 2022, January 2023, February 2023\\nEFL Championship Manager of the Season: 2022–23\\nLMA Championship Manager of the Year: 2022–23\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nVincent Kompany profile at the Burnley F.C. website\\nVincent Kompany at Soccerbase \\nVincent Kompany at National-Football-Teams.com \\nVincent Kompany at the Royal Belgian Football Association\\nVincent Kompany – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nVincent Kompany – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nVincent Kompany at Soccerway\\nGERARD PIQUEGerard Piqué Bernabeu (born 2 February 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. He is considered to be one of the best defenders of his generation.Initially a talented student athlete at Barcelona\\'s La Masia academy, Piqué began his professional career with Manchester United in 2004. He returned to Barcelona in 2008 and helped the club win trebles in 2008–09 and 2014–15. He appeared in 616 competitive matches for the club and won 31 major club titles, including nine La Liga trophies and three UEFA Champions League titles. He is one of only four players to have won the Champions League two years in a row with different teams, the others being Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa and Samuel Eto\\'o.\\nPiqué also represented Spain 102 times, making his debut on 11 February 2009. He played an integral role on the Spanish teams that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He retired from the national team after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early life and career ===\\nGerard Piqué Bernabeu was born on 2 February 1987 in Barcelona, Catalonia. He started his career playing for FC Barcelona\\'s youth teams as a defensive midfielder, but before he signed his first professional contract with the club, he decided to join Manchester United. The Premier League club did not pay a fee for Piqué as he was too young to have a professional contract.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\nPiqué made his debut for Manchester United in October 2004, as a centre-back, a 67th minute replacement for John O\\'Shea in a 3–0 League Cup victory at Crewe Alexandra. He made his full debut in January 2005 in a 0–0 FA Cup draw with Exeter City. Piqué made his Premier League debut on 15 October 2005, again as a substitute for O\\'Shea, in a 3–1 win over Sunderland. His first league start came on 29 March 2006 against West Ham United at Old Trafford, playing at right-back, as Gary Neville was unavailable due to injury.His performances, most notably in the reserve team, earned him a new contract, which he signed in February 2005, to run until the summer of 2009. On 4 August 2006, however, La Liga club Real Zaragoza secured Piqué on a season-long loan. The terms of the loan required Piqué to feature in at least 20 games for the Aragonese club, which he did, as he made 22 first team appearances in a successful spell, alongside Argentine Gabriel Milito, either as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder.On 5 May 2007, it was announced that Piqué would be staying at Old Trafford for the following season. Manager Alex Ferguson had intended to assess Piqué\\'s form at La Romareda on 6 May, prior to a meeting where the two parties would discuss Piqué\\'s future prospects with the club. However, Ferguson was unable to attend because of airline difficulties.Piqué\\'s return to Old Trafford saw him make nine league appearances during the 2007–08 season. In his first start in the UEFA Champions League, a 4–0 home win against Dynamo Kyiv on 7 November 2007, Piqué scored the first of Manchester United\\'s four goals in that match. In doing so, he became the 450th player to score at least one goal for the club. His second goal for the club also came in the Champions League, in an away match with Roma on 12 December 2007.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Barcelona ===\\nOn 27 May 2008, Piqué signed a four-year contract with Barcelona, with a €5 million buy-out clause. Barcelona paid a £5 million fee for the player. He expressed his joy at re-signing with his boyhood club, although he admitted he had enjoyed his spell at Manchester United:\\n\\nI am very happy to be back, I didn\\'t think I would be here again but this is very good for me. Manchester United is a great club and I enjoyed winning things. To play with world class players has helped me and now I want to continue this at Barça.\\nPiqué\\'s first goal for Barcelona came in the club\\'s 5–2 2008–09 UEFA Champions League group stage win at Sporting CP on 26 November. His first domestic goal for the club followed two months later, on 29 January 2009, in a Copa del Rey match against local rivals Espanyol. The goal, which came from a corner kick in the 57th minute, turned out to be the game winner in a 3–2 victory for Barcelona. On 2 May, Piqué scored Barcelona\\'s sixth goal in a 6–2 El Clásico win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.On 13 May, he picked up the first trophy of his Barcelona career as he helped his club to a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey Final. Three days later, Barcelona clinched the 2008–09 La Liga title after Real Madrid lost 3–2 to Villarreal, with two games left in the season. On 27 May, Piqué played against his former club Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League Final, which Barcelona won 2–0 in Rome, completing a historic treble and becoming the first Spanish club to achieve this feat.On 19 December 2009, Piqué was in the Barcelona team which beat Argentine club Estudiantes 2–1 in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Final at Abu Dhabi to complete an unprecedented sextuple. Piqué assisted Pedro\\'s 89th minute equalising goal which took the match to extra-time. On 26 February 2010, Piqué signed a contract extension to keep him at Barcelona until at least summer 2015. On 28 April, Piqué scored in Barcelona\\'s 1–0 Champions League semi-final second leg victory against Inter Milan, though his team went out 3–2 on aggregate.On 7 December 2010, Piqué captained his first match for Barcelona, a 5–0 victory against Russian club Rubin Kazan at Camp Nou in the last Champions League group stage match, in the absence of regular captain Carles Puyol and vice-captain Xavi. On 28 May 2011, Piqué played in his second Champions League Final. Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3–1 at Wembley Stadium to lift the UEFA Champions League for the second time in three seasons.On 18 December 2011, Piqué started in Barcelona\\'s 4–0 victory against Brazilian club Santos in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final at Yokohama.On 20 May 2014, Piqué signed a contract extension with Barcelona, keeping him at the club until 2019.On 6 June 2015, Piqué started for Barcelona in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, as the club won its fifth European Cup/Champions League title by beating Juventus 3–1 at Berlin\\'s Olympiastadion. This made Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup, and European Cup twice. Piqué, Xavi, Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Dani Alves, and Pedro are the only players to have been a part of both treble-winning teams.On 20 December 2015, Piqué played in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Final against Argentine club River Plate in Yokohama, with Barcelona winning 3–0.On 18 January 2018, Piqué extended his contract again, this time until 2022. On 25 August 2019, he played for a full 90 minutes in a 5–2 win against Real Betis, his 500th game for the club.On 20 October 2020, Piqué signed a contract extension that would keep him at the club until 20 June 2024, setting his buy-out clause at €500 million. On 3 March 2021, Piqué scored a last-minute header in the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Sevilla, tying the aggregate score to send the game to extra time. Barcelona won the game 3–0 in extra time and advanced to the 2021 Copa del Rey Final, which the team won.On 3 November 2022, Piqué announced that he would retire following Barcelona\\'s La Liga match against Almería on 5 November. Starting as captain, he was substituted off to a standing ovation in the 84th minute of Barcelona\\'s 2–0 win. The Barcelona players were wearing special shirts for the game with \"SEMPR3\" printed on the front and Piqué\\'s name and number on the back; \"sempre\" means \"always\" in Catalan, with Piqué\\'s shirt number three replacing the last \"e\". La Liga president Javier Tebas stated he had no doubt that Piqué would one day return and become a \"great president of Barcelona.\" Piqué was still on the squad list, named as a substitute, for the final match before 2022 FIFA World Cup, away against Osasuna on 8 November; he was given a straight red card from the bench at half time after arguing with the referee over the second-yellow red card given to teammate Robert Lewandowski in the first half.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth teams ===\\nPiqué was a member of the Spain under-19 team that won the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Poland. In a 2–1 final win against Scotland, Piqué put in a strong performance in defence and also contributed in attack, hitting the crossbar with a header and providing the assist for striker Alberto Bueno to score Spain\\'s second goal.Subsequently, he played in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, starting all six of Spain\\'s matches and scoring a goal in the team\\'s come-from-behind 4–2 victory over Brazil in the round of 16. However, Piqué missed the deciding penalty in the shoot-out against the Czech Republic, and Spain was eliminated at the quarter-final stage.\\n\\n\\n=== Senior side ===\\nOn 6 February 2009, Piqué was called up to the senior squad for the friendly against England on 11 February. He played the entire match in a 2–0 win, in Seville. In his second match as an international on 28 March 2009, he was called up as a replacement for injured teammate Carles Puyol and he scored the only goal in Spain\\'s victory in the 2010 World Cup qualifier against Turkey at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. Four days later, he started in Istanbul in a 2–1 win, also in the group stage. Piqué made his tournament debut for Spain at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, starting in four of the team\\'s five matches as La Roja finished in third place.Piqué was Spain\\'s first-choice centre-back at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, playing alongside Puyol. He started all seven matches as Spain won the tournament, defeating the Netherlands 1–0 in the final. Piqué\\'s partnership with Puyol saw Spain concede only twice in seven World Cup matches and keep four consecutive clean sheets in the knockout stage. In Spain\\'s 1–0 group stage defeat to Switzerland, just before Gelson Fernandes scored the only goal of the game, Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok tumbled over Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas and accidentally kicked Piqué in the face, knocking him over and leaving him with a deep cut beside his right eye.Piqué played every minute of Spain\\'s UEFA Euro 2012 campaign, partnering Sergio Ramos in the centre of defence. He successfully converted the team\\'s third penalty in a semi-final shoot-out win over Portugal. In the final, Spain recorded a fifth consecutive clean sheet in a 4–0 win over Italy. Piqué was one of three Spanish defenders included in UEFA\\'s Team of the Tournament as La Roja conceded only one goal in six matches.At the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Piqué was the third of Spain\\'s seven successful takers in a 7–6 shootout win over Italy at the semi-final stage. On 30 June 2013, Piqué was sent off during the final against Brazil. He received a straight red card in the 68th minute for a violent tackle on recently signed Barcelona teammate Neymar. The match finished 3–0 to Brazil, ending Spain\\'s world record 29 match unbeaten run in competitive internationals.In Spain\\'s opening group game of UEFA Euro 2016 on 13 June, Piqué scored his fifth goal for his country, a late header in a 1–0 victory against the Czech Republic.In Spain\\'s second group match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 20 June, a 1–0 win against Iran, Piqué made his 100th international appearance.On 11 August 2018, Piqué announced his retirement from international football.On 25 March 2019, Piqué won his 10th cap for Catalonia in a friendly match against Venezuela, a few months after he had retired from the Spanish national team and led the team to a 2–1 victory.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nPiqué was a modern and commanding defender, who combined strength and tackling ability with good technique and passing. Due to his height and physical attributes, he was good in the air. Although he was primarily deployed as a centre-back, he was a tactically versatile player who was capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, a position in which he was initially deployed in his youth; he was also deployed as a sweeper on occasion, showing similarities to German legend Franz Beckenbauer, thus earning the sobriquet \"Piquénbauer\". He was also occasionally known to use his height as an additional attacking threat by advancing into more offensive positions, often functioning as an auxiliary striker, particularly if his team were trailing late on during matches. His ball-playing ability and capacity to read the game enabled him to form an effective central-defensive partnership with the more physical Carles Puyol, both with Barcelona and Spain. Despite his talent in his youth, he was initially accused by certain pundits of being error-prone defensively, and has been criticised on occasion for his inconsistency and lack of pace. Considered to be one of the best defenders in world football by pundits, in 2018, Piqué\\'s former defensive partner Puyol described him as \"the best centre-back in the world\" due to his personal development as a player in terms of his intelligence, leadership, positional sense, composure, and anticipation.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nPiqué was raised in a Catalan family. His father, Joan, is a businessman, and his mother, Montserrat, is the director of a spinal injuries hospital in Barcelona. He has a younger brother, Marc. His grandfather, Amador Bernabeu, is a former vice-president of FC Barcelona. During the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, he was seen by many as one of the public faces of the pro-independence movement, voting and tweeting his support in Catalan. He subsequently faced backlash from some Spanish fans for his support of the Catalan independence referendum.From 2011 to 2022, Piqué was in a relationship with Colombian singer Shakira. They met when he appeared in the music video for her single \"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)\", the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Piqué and Shakira share the same birthday, ten years apart. They have two sons together, named Milan (born on 22 January 2013) and Sasha (born on 29 January 2015). In June 2022, the couple confirmed in a joint statement that they were separating. Piqué has been in a relationship with Clara Chía Martí since 2022.Piqué was the face of Mango\\'s men\\'s line HE for four consecutive campaign seasons between 2011 and 2012. In 2012, he lent his voice to the Catalan version of The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! as the Pirate King.\\n\\n\\n=== Media and business interests ===\\nPiqué is the founder and president of Kosmos Holding (Kosmos Global Holding S.L.), a sports and media investment group he founded with Hiroshi Mikitani (founder and chairman of Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten, Inc.), Edmund Chu, Nullah Sarker, and Mike Evans. Kosmos struck a deal with the International Tennis Federation for a 25-year, $3 billion partnership to transform the Davis Cup and generate substantial revenues for global tennis development. In August 2018, U.S. billionaire Larry Ellison publicly stated his support of Kosmos and his intention to invest in the Kosmos-ITF partnership. In January 2023 however, the International Tennis Federation removed Piqué and Kosmos from the partnership.Piqué is the owner of Spanish second division football club FC Andorra, which he bought in December 2018 through his firm Kosmos Holding. On 21 May 2022, the team was promoted to the Segunda División after beating already relegated UCAM Murcia 1–0 at home, thus ascending to the second tier for the first time in their history. In July 2019, Piqué took over a majority stake in another Spanish football club – Gimnàstic Manresa. The acquisition was completed through Kosmos.In December 2020, Piqué invested in the fantasy football game Sorare. Kosmos bought the Spanish broadcasting rights for the 2021 Copa América in a partnership with streamer Ibai Llanos, and in 2021 he and Ibai founded and became co-owners of the esports team KOI. The esports team later acquired a majority interest in Rogue, which resulted in Piqué\\'s team competing in the League of Legends European Championship. As of 11 November 2022, he is president and owner of the Kings League, a new format football league in Barcelona, made up of teams whose owners are content creators from Twitch, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.\\n\\n\\n=== Philanthropy ===\\nIn 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Piqué (along with teammates, including Lionel Messi) committed to a 70% salary cut throughout the crisis. They further committed to donating to the salaries of all employees at the club during the state of emergency.\\n\\n\\n=== Tax fraud ===\\nOn 10 July 2019, Piqué was ordered by a Spanish court to pay €2.1 million to the tax authorities following his conviction for image rights fraud. He had been convicted by Spain\\'s National Court in 2016 for faking the sale of his image rights to his Kerad Project company to evade taxes from 2008 to 2010.\\n\\n\\n=== Poker tournament results ===\\nOn 27 August 2019, Piqué took part in the EPT Barcelona €25,000 Single-Day High Roller Event. He finished in second place and won a prize of €352,950.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nSpain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Piqué goal\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nManchester United\\n\\nPremier League: 2007–08\\nFootball League Cup: 2005–06\\nFA Community Shield: 2007\\nUEFA Champions League: 2007–08Barcelona\\nLa Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23\\nCopa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21\\nSupercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018\\nUEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2015\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015Spain\\nFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2012\\nUEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2006Individual\\n\\nLa Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2008–09\\nLa Liga Best Defender: 2009–10\\nLa Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16\\nUEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2014–15\\nUEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2016–17\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016\\nFIFA FIFPro World11: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016\\nESM Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16\\nFootballer of the Year in Catalonia: 2019Decorations\\n\\nGold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nGerard Piqué – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nGerard Piqué – UEFA competition record (archive)\\nPHILIPP LAHMPhilipp Lahm (German pronunciation: [ˈfɪlɪp ˈlaːm]; born 11 November 1983) is a German former professional footballer who played as a full-back. Considered by many to be one of the greatest full-backs of all time, Lahm was the longtime captain of Bayern Munich, having led them to numerous honours including the 2013 UEFA Champions League as part of the Treble. He is also a former captain of his national team, which he led to win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, before retiring from international football.Lahm was included in the World Cup team of the tournament in 2006, 2010, and 2014, and the UEFA Team of the Tournament in 2008 and 2012 and in the UEFA Team of the Year 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early career ===\\nLahm developed into a professional football player within the Bayern Munich Junior Team. He joined the team at the age of 11 after a youth coach, Jan Pienta, had scouted him several times while he was playing for the local youth team in his hometown Gern, Munich. He was already considered very talented; one of his coaches, Hermann Hummels, even stated that \"If Philipp Lahm will not make it in the Bundesliga, nobody will anymore.\" He twice won the Bundesliga youth title, the second time as captain of his team, and then was introduced into the B team at the age of 17. His former amateur coach Hermann Gerland considers Lahm to be the most talented player he has ever coached and made him the captain of the B team during his second season. Up to this point Lahm played as a defensive midfielder, right midfielder or right full-back.On 13 November 2002, Lahm made his debut for the Bayern Munich first team as a 92nd-minute substitute in a 3–3 draw with RC Lens in the group stage of the Champions League. However, since Willy Sagnol and Bixente Lizarazu were established as Bayern\\'s first choice full-backs, and the club\\'s midfield was also well-staffed, Lahm made no further appearances during the 2002–03 season and was loaned to VfB Stuttgart for the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons to gain first team experience in the Bundesliga.\\n\\n\\n=== VfB Stuttgart (loan) ===\\nLahm was originally signed as a back-up for Andreas Hinkel, who played as right back, but coach Felix Magath moved him to the left back position, on which he toppled the German international Heiko Gerber. He made his Bundesliga debut on the first day of the season 2003–04 against Hansa Rostock as he came in as a substitute left back in the 76th minute for midfielder Silvio Meissner. He made his first professional start as a left back on the fourth matchday as a 63rd-minute substitute for Gerber and his first game over the full 90 minutes followed on the sixth matchday against Borussia Dortmund. Thereafter he established himself as a regular left back for Stuttgart. On 29 September 2003, Lahm made his first Champions League appearance as a starter against Manchester United. On 3 April 2004, he scored his first ever Bundesliga goal in a 5–1 away win for Stuttgart against VfL Wolfsburg. During the 2003–04 season Lahm appeared for Stuttgart in 31 Bundesliga and seven Champions League matches overall and came second in the election for the Germany Footballer of the year.\\nDuring his second season in Stuttgart, Lahm had substantially more difficult time. After the Euro 2004 tournament and the resulting shorter vacation and pre-season training, he had difficulties getting off the ground and also in conforming with the tactics and system of the new coach Matthias Sammer. However, he still made 16 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart before the Christmas break, 14 of them over the full 90 minutes, and six appearances in the UEFA Cup. In January 2005, Lahm suffered a stress-fracture in his right foot and was thus sidelined for four months, making his comeback on 9 April 2005, against FC Schalke 04. Only around five weeks later, he was injured again, this time suffering a torn cruciate ligament which ended his season and simultaneously his career in Stuttgart.\\n\\n\\n=== Bayern Munich ===\\nIn July 2005, Lahm returned to Bayern Munich. However, the torn cruciate ligament he had suffered just before his return forced him to start his professional time at FC Bayern on rehabilitation. He returned to the field at the end of November, playing twice for the B team and thereafter making his first professional Bundesliga appearance for Bayern in November 2005 against Arminia Bielefeld. During the 2005–06 season he appeared for Bayern 20 times in the Bundesliga and thrice in the Champions League, contending over field-time evenly with Bixente Lizarazu.\\n\\nDuring the 2006–07 season, Lahm played in all of Bayern\\'s 34 Bundesliga games and in nine of the ten Champions League games and was only substituted twice, mainly because he was the only left back in the team but also due to his sufficiently solid performances during a season that was one of the worst for Bayern in many years. On 20 August 2006, in Bayern\\'s first away match of the season, a 2–1 win over VfL Bochum, he scored his first goal for the club.\\nFor the 2007–08 season, Bayern bought the German international left back Marcell Jansen and Lahm was supposed to revert to right, both to accommodate Jansen and to replace French right back Willy Sagnol. Due to injuries (both his and Jansen\\'s) he still mainly ended up playing left for Bayern and remained left for the end of the season, although he expressed his wish to play on right several times during the year 2008. During the whole season there were various rumors suggesting that Lahm would leave Bayern in the summer of 2008 to join FC Barcelona and the transfer seemed to be almost a done deal. However, on 16 May 2008 FC Bayern signed a new contract with Lahm. His new contract kept him in Munich through 20 June 2012.Lahm had his most prolific goalscoring season in 2008–09, scoring three times in the Bundesliga and once in the DFB-Pokal. However, the season was a poor one for Bayern, leading to the sacking of head coach Jürgen Klinsmann after less than a year in charge.\\nOn 8 November 2009, Lahm was given the highest fine in the history of Bayern Munich to date (estimated to be over €25,000) after giving an unauthorised interview in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. He criticised the transfer policy of the club and the lack of game philosophy and strategic planning. Back in May 2008 Lahm had turned down lucrative offers from Manchester United and F.C. Barcelona to stay with Bayern as club president Uli Hoeneß promised to build a team that could challenge in Europe. This incident drew mixed reactions from fans and the media, both local and foreign, with some saying that Lahm should have kept his opinions to himself and others praising him for his honesty. Although he was fined and heavily criticised by the club, he kept his place in the Bayern starting lineup and went on to have a good season.\\nDuring the 2009–10 season under the new coach Louis van Gaal, Lahm was able to play in his preferred position as a right back. After some difficulties in early games he played one of his best seasons ever, forming an excellent partnership on the right wing with Arjen Robben, scoring one goal and giving 12 assists in all of his games. Lahm was also chosen as vice-captain by Van Gaal, and played full-time in all of Bayern\\'s competitive matches apart from the first-round game in the DFB-Pokal. Bayern went on to win the league and cup double and reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, where Lahm played 90 minutes as right-back as they lost to Inter Milan 2–0.\\nAfter the departure of captain Mark van Bommel in January 2011, Lahm was made the new captain for the remainder of the 2010–11 season and eventually named club captain.On 19 May 2012, Lahm captained Bayern in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Chelsea at the Allianz Arena. He scored the team\\'s first penalty in the shootout but Bayern finished as runner-up for the second time in three seasons.In the 2012–13 season, Lahm captained Bayern to an historic treble of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League. In the final of the Champions League on 25 May 2013, Lahm helped his side to a 2–1 victory over fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund at historic Wembley Stadium in London. After the game, he revealed how happy he was at winning the title, saying \"It\\'s incredible – a huge joy and huge relief. The pressure was enormous after losing in the Champions League final twice.\"From the start of the 2013–14 season, under new manager Pep Guardiola, Lahm was utilised as a defensive midfielder. Guardiola said of Lahm: \"[He] is perhaps the most intelligent player I have ever trained in my career. He is at another level.\" That season brought a new milestone for Lahm and the club, as he captained Bayern to a record 24th Bundesliga title and the earliest league championship in Bundesliga history, retaining the title with seven games to spare, which beat the mark set by the club in the previous season.In June 2014, Lahm signed a new contract keeping him at Bayern until 2018. On 18 October, he scored the first brace of his career in a 6–0 defeat of SV Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga. On 26 April 2015, Bayern were confirmed as Bundesliga champions for the third consecutive season, giving Lahm the seventh league championship of his career.On 28 April 2015, Lahm was one of four Bayern players to miss in a 2–0 penalty shootout defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-final.Leading up to the 2015–16 season, Bayern head coach Pep Guardiola stated that Lahm could return to his role at fullback with the arrivals of Arturo Vidal and Joshua Kimmich.\\nOn 24 February 2016, Lahm made his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance in a 2–2 draw with Juventus in Turin. He equaled Kahn\\'s record \"in Germany\" of 103 matches on 13 April 2016. The 2015–16 season ended with Lahm captaining Bayern to a fourth consecutive Bundesliga title; the first time a team had won four back-to-back championships in the competition\\'s history.On 4 February 2017, Lahm made his 500th appearance for FC Bayern in a 1–1 Bundesliga draw with Schalke 04. Three days later, Lahm confirmed that he would be retiring at the end of the 2016–17 season. He had rejected an offer from the club to become a sporting director.On 20 May 2017, Lahm, along with teammate Xabi Alonso, made their final career appearances before retiring, Lahm captaining Bayern as they ended the season as champions for the fifth consecutive year. He was substituted in the 87th minute and received a standing ovation from the Allianz Arena crowd in a 4–1 win over SC Freiburg. It was confirmed on 19 July that Manuel Neuer would succeed Lahm as team captain.Lahm entered Bayern Munich\\'s Hall of Fame on 27 May 2017; he won eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League while playing for the club.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth teams and Euro 2004 ===\\nLahm started his international career in the U19 national team. He was part of the team that won silver for Germany in the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship playing in all games in the final tournament and scoring a crucial goal in the 90th minute (2–3) against England in a game that ended 3–3. Afterwards he played a few U20 and U21 matches for Germany before impressing Rudi Völler enough to hand the youngster his debut on 18 February 2004, at 20 years of age. His first game was a 2–1 win over Croatia, where he played the full 90 minutes and was chosen as the man of the match by German football magazine Kicker. He was also part of Germany\\'s team in UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal and played full 90 minutes in all three games. Although Germany did not make it past the group stage, Lahm\\'s performance was considered very promising and many German papers saw this as the sole positive aspect in Germany\\'s lack of accomplishment in the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2006 FIFA World Cup ===\\nLahm missed more than a year of international football between January 2005 and March 2006 due to injuries (stress-fracture on foot and a torn cruciate ligament), including the 2005 Confederations Cup, but after his recovery he immediately made it back to the starting line-up. Even though he injured his elbow in a friendly game right before the 2006 FIFA World Cup and thus had to wear a special cast on his left arm, Jürgen Klinsmann still chose him as first option for the left back position. He scored the first goal in the opening game of the World Cup in Germany against Costa Rica in the sixth minute, cutting inside the area and launching a right foot shot into the top-right corner of the net. He was awarded Man of the Match for his performance in the second group game against Poland. He was also the only German player to play the complete 690 minutes of the World Cup and was also elected to the All Star Team of the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2008 ===\\nDuring UEFA Euro 2008 he was in Germany\\'s starting line-up in all games and was only substituted in the final after getting a cut needing stitches on his foot. Lahm started the tournament as a right back but replaced the under-performing Jansen as left back midway through the second game. On 25 June 2008, he scored the winning goal of the Euro 2008 semi-final against Turkey in the 90th minute. He described this as the most important goal of his career and although he was elected Man of the Match, he himself did not consider this as well-deserved. On 29 June 2008 – in the Euro 2008 final against Spain – on 33 minutes Xavi played a piercing ball through the German defence and a lack of communication between Lahm and German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann allowed Fernando Torres to net the decisive goal in the game; Spain prevailed 1–0 to win its second European Championship title in 44 years.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 FIFA World Cup ===\\nLahm was ever present during Germany\\'s 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign and was the only player to play every single minute.\\nFollowing the withdrawal of regular captain Michael Ballack from the 2010 FIFA World Cup squad due to injury, Lahm was chosen to captain the team at the upcoming tournament. On 13 June 2010, he captained the national team in the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Australia, becoming the youngest player to captain a German side in a World Cup tournament. The team advanced all the way to the semi-finals, where they were defeated by Spain 1–0. Lahm did not play in the third-place (bronze) match against Uruguay due to an infection, so in his absence Bastian Schweinsteiger captained the team which won 3–2.Lahm\\'s captaincy would later become permanent, when coach Joachim Löw announced that Ballack would not be considered to play for Germany anymore.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2012 ===\\nCaptain Lahm\\'s solid defending helped Germany win all ten qualification matches for UEFA Euro 2012, and he also provided one assist each for Mesut Özil and Mario Gómez. He was an ever-present in the German defence that attracted praise from a variety of sources. Germany won all three group games against Portugal, Netherlands, and Denmark. Lahm scored the opening goal in their 4–2 victory over Greece in the quarter-finals. Germany was eliminated 2–1 by Italy in the semi-finals.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup and retirement ===\\nOn 6 September 2013, Lahm was awarded his 100th cap for the Germany national team in a 3–0 win over Austria during qualification for the 2014 World Cup.On 16 June 2014, Lahm started for Germany in central midfield in their first match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a 4–0 defeat of Portugal in Salvador, and remained in the position for the other two group games and the round of 16 match against Algeria.\\nLahm reverted to right back for the quarter-final against France, and remained there in Germany\\'s 7–1 victory over Brazil in the semi-final. On 11 July 2014, Lahm was named on the 10-man shortlist for FIFA\\'s Golden Ball award for the tournament\\'s best player.On 13 July 2014, Lahm led Germany to a World Cup victory, a 1–0 win against Argentina in the final, the fourth time Germany have won the competition and the first for a reunified Germany. Fritz Walter, Franz Beckenbauer, and Lothar Matthäus had skippered West Germany to the World Cup title.On 18 July 2014, Lahm, at the age of 30, announced his retirement from international football. He had scored five goals in 113 appearances. On 2 September 2014, Bastian Schweinsteiger succeeded Lahm as captain of the Germany national team.\\n\\n\\n=== Germany Euro 2024 ===\\nOn 8 December 2017, Lahm was named honorary ambassador for Germany\\'s bid to host the UEFA Euro 2024. Lahm was a UEFA Euro 2020 ambassador and later became the tournament director for UEFA Euro 2024. In August 2022, Lahm criticised the awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar, citing human rights violations in the country and claimed that he would boycott the tournament.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play and reception ==\\nAlthough Lahm is right-footed, he was able to play on both sides of the pitch due to his tactical intelligence, crossing ability, and versatility. He played as a left-back for much of his early career before switching to right-back later on. He often cut from the flank to the inside of the pitch to either shoot and/or pass. In particular, he was renowned for his pace, technique, stamina, and precise tackling abilities, as well as his small stature, which earned him the nickname the \"Magic Dwarf\"; despite his size and playing role, he was described in 2010 by Matthew Scianitti of CBC Sports as having \"deceptive strength and impressive shooting skills,\" which allowed him to assist his teams both offensively and defensively. During his time under manager Pep Guardiola, Lahm also occasionally played as a central or defensive midfielder, in a pivot role in a 3–4–3 formation, which has been likened to that of a metodista (\"centre-half,\" in Italian football jargon), due to his ability to dictate play in midfield and act as a playmaker by starting attacks in addition to assisting his team defensively by winning back possession. Owing to his positioning, tactical sense, and tackling ability despite his small stature, as well as his wide range of skills, such as ability to read the game, leadership qualities, consistency, and ability on the ball, he is widely regarded by pundits as one of the best full-backs of all time. Guardiola once described Lahm as \"perhaps the most intelligent player\" he had ever coached.During their time together at Bayern Munich, Lahm also formed an efficient partnership with winger Arjen Robben along the right flank. Robben\\'s improved defensive work–rate at the club allowed him to track back and cover for Lahm\\'s overlapping runs.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nLahm is known as a private person who maintains a low-profile outside of football; his best friend Andreas Ottl was the only footballer present at his wedding to Claudia Schattenberg. The couple have a son, Julian, and a daughter, Lenia. A Munich native, Lahm is a lifelong Bayern fan and served as a ball boy at the Olympic Stadium.Lahm is involved in many charity campaigns and events. In June 2007, FIFA announced that Lahm and Owen Hargreaves would visit South Africa in advance to support the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although Hargreaves never managed to take part in the trip due to injury, Lahm and Germany national teammate Piotr Trochowski visited the country taking time not only to visit the 2010 FIFA World Cup organizers but also to visit a local SOS Children\\'s Village and to take part in the Kick-AIDS event.Lahm has established a foundation, Philipp Lahm-Stiftung, to support underprivileged children and is also an official ambassador representing \"FIFA for SOS Children\\'s Villages\". In addition he was an ambassador of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 World AIDS Day. He has also taken part in a campaign against speeding and various others such as Bündnis für Kinder, a campaign against child abuse.Lahm was awarded a Tolerantia-Preis on 20 September 2008, due to his outstanding contribution against intolerance and homophobia in sports, particularly in football. He also stated that it\\'s a \"pity that being gay in football is still a taboo subject\" and he would have no problem with a homosexual teammate and is \"not afraid of homosexuals\". However, Lahm does not advise footballers to publicly admit to being homosexual, because of the abuse they would suffer.\\n\\n\\n== Autobiography ==\\nIn August 2011 at age 27 Lahm released his autobiography, Der feine Unterschied: Wie man heute Spitzenfußballer wird (The Subtle Difference – How to Become a Top Footballer), reviewing his football career and personal experiences, the general football environment, football in the social context and the effectiveness of different coaching and training methods. The number-one bestselling book received extensive media attention in Germany, and has been criticized for parts in which Lahm discerningly analyzed his former coaches\\' work; among the critics were Rudi Völler (himself criticized by Lahm in the book) and Ottmar Hitzfeld.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nScores and results list Germany\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lahm goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nBayern Munich\\nBundesliga: 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17\\nDFB-Pokal: 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16\\nDFL-Ligapokal: 2007\\nDFL-Supercup: 2010, 2012, 2016\\nUEFA Champions League: 2012–13\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2013\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2013Germany\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2014, third place: 2006, 2010\\nUEFA European Championship runner-up: 2008, semi-finals: 2012U-19 Germany\\n\\nUEFA European Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2002Individual\\n\\nSilbernes Lorbeerblatt: 2006, 2010, 2014\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2006, 2010\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010\\nFIFA World Cup Castrol Index All Star Team: 2014\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012\\nESM Team of the Year: 2013, 2014\\nFIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2013\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI: 2013, 2014\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 2nd team: 2015\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 3rd team: 2016\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2017\\nUEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2013–14\\nFIFA Ballon d\\'Or: 6th place 2014\\nUEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (published 2015)\\nUEFA European Championship All-time XI (published 2016)\\nFootballer of the Year in Germany: 2017\\nHonorary citizen of Munich: 2019\\nBallon d\\'Or Dream Team (Bronze): 2020\\nIFFHS World team of the decade 2011–2020\\nIFFHS UEFA team of the decade 2011–2020\\nIFFHS All-time Europe Men\\'s Dream Team: 2021\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website\\nThe Philipp Lahm Foundation for Sport and Education (archived 13 December 2013)\\nPhilipp Lahm at fussballdaten.de (in German)\\nPhilipp Lahm at WorldFootball.net\\nPhilipp Lahm at National-Football-Teams.com\\nWILLIAN BORGESWillian Borges da Silva (born 9 August 1988), known mononymously as Willian, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left winger or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Fulham.\\nWillian started his career at Corinthians, before joining Shakhtar Donetsk in August 2007 for a fee of €14 million. In his six years at the club, he won honours including four Ukrainian Premier League titles and the UEFA Cup in 2009. In 2013, he briefly signed for Anzhi Makhachkala before joining Chelsea for £30 million, winning the Premier League and League Cup in his second season in England.\\nWillian made his debut for Brazil in 2011 and has since represented his country at the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2015 Copa América, the Copa América Centenario, and the 2019 Copa América, a tournament Brazil won on home soil.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Corinthians ===\\nWillian started playing futsal at 6 years old in his hometown Ribeirão Pires. In 1998, he joined the Corinthians youth system. In 2005, aged 17, he was already part of the squad that won the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior. He was also among the Corinthians loanees that briefly played for Grêmio Mauaense in the 2005 Campeonato Paulista Série A3.In 2007, Willian started playing for the Corinthians first team, where he wore the number 10. He made five league appearances during his first season with the senior side as Corinthians finished mid-table. His breakthrough came with Corinthians in the following campaign, featuring in 11 league matches, scoring twice, and made 29 appearances in all competitions for the club. Although they were 13th when Willian was sold, they ended up finishing 17th in the Série A and were relegated for the first time in club history.\\n\\n\\n=== Shakhtar Donetsk ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2007–08 season ====\\nOn 23 August 2007, Willian signed a five-year contract with Shakhtar Donetsk for a transfer fee of €14 million. Willian\\'s debut for the club came in a 2–1 league victory over Chornomorets Odesa on 15 September. He came on as a 57th-minute substitute, replacing fellow Brazilian Jádson. His first goal for the club came on 31 October in a 4–1 victory over Arsenal Kyiv in the Ukrainian Cup. He made his European debut in a 3–0 Champions League defeat to Italian side A.C. Milan on 6 November, coming on as a 73rd minute replacement for Răzvan Raț. He ended his first season with 31 total appearances, 28 of which came in the league, he scored 3 league goals. He helped Shakhtar to a Vyshcha Liha and Ukrainian Cup double. They won the league by three points over Dynamo Kyiv and also beat them 2–0 in the 2008 Ukrainian Cup Final.\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–09 season ====\\nHe played in the Super Cup penalty shoot-out victory over Dynamo Kyiv on 15 July, being replaced by Brandão after 46 minutes. On 27 August, he scored a goal in a 3–1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League. On 1 November, he scored his first league goal for Shakhtar in a 3–1 win against Zorya Luhansk. On 16 November, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv. He scored the goal of the match in a 1–0 victory against Chornomorets Odesa on 25 April.Willian played in Shakhtar\\'s UEFA Cup Final 2–1 extra time victory against Werder Bremen, helping Shakhtar to lift the last UEFA Cup title before it was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League. He made 52 appearances in the 2008–09 season, scoring eight goals. He appeared in all but one league match, scoring five goals, and also netted a goal in a Ukrainian Cup round of 16 tie against Zakarpattia Uzhhorod, which Shakhtar won 4–1.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10 season ====\\nWillian\\'s first goal of the season came in a 6–1 Ukrainian Cup round of 32 victory against Dniester Ovidiopol on 15 August. He made an appearance in Shakhtar\\'s 1–0 extra time defeat to Spanish side Barcelona in the UEFA Super Cup on 28 August, being replaced by Julius Aghahowa in the 90th minute of the match. On 17 September, he netted the second goal in a 4–1 win against Belgian side Club Brugge in a group stage match in the Europa League. He ended the season with 7 goals in 39 appearances, including 22 appearances and five goals in the league. He helped Shakhtar to victory in the Ukrainian Premier League. They finished the league with 77 points, six ahead of nearest rivals Dynamo Kyiv.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11 season ====\\nWillian started the season with a goal in Shakhtar\\'s emphatic 7–1 victory against Tavriya Simferopol in the Super Cup on 4 July. He followed that up on 10 July with the second goal in the first league match of the season, a 2–0 victory over Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih. On 15 August, he netted the only goal in a 1–0 victory against Karpaty Lviv, scoring in first half stoppage time. He also scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Illichivets Mariupol on 29 August. On 8 March, he scored two goals in a Champions League last 16 tie against Roma, with Shakhtar winning 3–0 on the night and progressing to the quarter-final after winning 6–2 on aggregate. He played in the 2–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv in the Ukrainian Cup Final on 25 May, being replaced by Alex Teixeira after 77 minutes. He ended the season with eight goals from 43 appearances, including 23 league appearances and three league goals. Shakhtar retained their league title with a score of 72 points, seven points ahead of second placed team, Dynamo Kyiv. They added the Ukrainian Cup and Super Cup titles to clinch a domestic treble.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12 season ====\\nThe following season, Willian played the full 90 minutes in the Super Cup match against Dynamo Kyiv on 5 July, however Shakhtar lost the match 3–1. On 19 October, he scored the opening goal in a 2–2 draw with Zenit Saint Petersburg in the Champions League. He scored the second goal in a 2–1 win over Illichivets Mariupol on 10 March. On 6 May, he played the full match in a 2–1 extra time victory against Metalurh Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup Final. He finished the season with six goals, five in the league, from 37 appearances, 27 of which came in the league. Shakhtar secured the Ukrainian Premier League title for the third year in a row and the Ukrainian Cup title for a second time in a row.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13 season ====\\nShakhtar opened the season with a 2–0 win against Metalurh Donetsk in the Super Cup, however Willian failed to make the squad for the match. He had to wait until the fourth league match of the season, on 6 August, before making his first appearance of the season in a 4–0 win against Volyn Lutsk. He replaced goalscorer Alex Teixeira after 46 minutes. On 19 August, he scored his first goal and made two assists in a comprehensive 5–1 victory against Chornomorets Odesa. Willian scored both of Shakhtar\\'s goals in their 3–2 loss against European champions Chelsea in the group stage of the Champions League on 7 November.\\n\\n\\n=== Anzhi Makhachkala ===\\nOn 31 January 2013, Willian moved to Anzhi Makhachkala for a fee thought to be in the region of €35million. He originally chose to wear the number 10, however due to UEFA restrictions that states a player must wear a number used in the Champions League for the remainder of the season, he was forced to wear the number 88 he had chosen at Shakhtar. After moving to Russia, Willian said he was happy to join Anzhi and wished Shakhtar Donetsk great success in the future. On his debut, Willian sustained an injury against Newcastle United in a Europa League match. He scored his only Anzhi goal on 14 April 2013 in a 3–0 victory against Volga Nizhny Novgorod.In August 2013, following financial restructuring, Anzhi chose to transfer their whole squad, including recent signing Willian.\\n\\n\\n=== Chelsea ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14 season ====\\nOn 25 August 2013, English Premier League club Chelsea agreed a deal to sign Willian for a fee of £30 million, subject to a work permit hearing on 28 August 2013. The deal was made official on 28 August 2013 and Willian signed a five-year contract, receiving the number 22 shirt. Although regulations usually state that non-EU players must be regular internationals, Willian was given a work permit despite only having two caps at the time, as an FA panel deemed that if he were not a Brazilian, he would have been a regular international and therefore would have had more caps.Prior to signing for Chelsea, Willian had attracted interest from Chelsea\\'s London rivals Tottenham. He completed a medical at Tottenham before meeting with Chelsea, which caused confusion as to which club he would sign for. Willian claims Chelsea was his first preference, and he would have only signed with Tottenham if the deal with Chelsea fell through.Willian made his debut on 18 September against Basel in the Champions League in a 2–1 home defeat. After featuring in wins against Swindon Town and Steaua București in the League Cup and Champions League respectively, he made his league debut on 6 October away to Norwich City, and scored in a 3–1 win. He scored his second Chelsea goal on 1 January 2014 in a 3–0 victory at Southampton. On 27 April 2014, Willian scored in Chelsea\\'s 2–0 away victory against Liverpool.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15 season ====\\nWillian scored his first goal of the new Premier League season in a 3–0 win over Aston Villa on 27 September. On 25 November, he scored his first Champions League goal for the club in a group stage match against Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen.In extra time in a League Cup semi-final against Liverpool on 28 January 2015, he took the free-kick which was headed in by Branislav Ivanović to put Chelsea into the final. On 1 March, Willian was selected to start against Tottenham in the 2015 League Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, a match which Chelsea won 2–0 to win the trophy for the fifth time.Willian ended the 2014–15 season having appeared in 36 of Chelsea\\'s 38 league matches as the club won its fifth league title.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16 season ====\\nOn 16 September, Willian scored directly from a free kick to open the scoring as Chelsea defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv in the club\\'s first game of the Champions League group stage. He went on to score from free kicks in the team\\'s next three matches; Premier League matches against Newcastle United and Southampton and a 2–1 loss at Porto in the Champions League. On 4 November, Willian scored his fifth free-kick of the season to give Chelsea a 2–1 win over Dynamo Kyiv, and 20 days later he recorded a sixth in a 4–0 triumph at Maccabi, making him Europe\\'s top free-kick scorer of the season.On 9 December, Willian scored his fifth Champions League goal of the season in a 2–0 victory over Porto in Chelsea\\'s final group match, ensuring the team qualified for the knockout stage as group winners. He was subsequently named by UEFA as one of the top XI players of the Champions\\' League group stage.On 13 May 2016, Willian was named Chelsea\\'s Fans\\' Player of the Year and Players\\' Player of the Year for 2015–16.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17 season ====\\nOn 12 July 2016, Willian signed a new four-year contract. On 27 August 2016, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win over newly promoted Burnley.On 22 April 2017, Willian scored twice in Chelsea\\'s 4–2 FA Cup semi-final victory over rivals Tottenham at Wembley Stadium.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18 season ====\\nOn his 200th appearance for Chelsea, Willian scored twice and won two penalties as the Blues beat Qarabağ 4–0 at Baku National Stadium on 22 November. The win guaranteed the team progression into the knockout stages of the Champions League. In his next appearance, Willian came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal of the season, to rescue a point for Chelsea in a 1–1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19 season ====\\nWillian scored his first goal of the season, coming off the bench to complete a 4–1 come-from-behind win at home to Cardiff City on 15 September. Prior to this, he had won a penalty that Eden Hazard converted for his hat trick. On 27 January, Willian, on his 550th club appearance, netted a brace in a 3–0 home win against Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the FA Cup. The first goal was his 50th for Chelsea.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20 season ====\\nIn August 2019, Willian became Chelsea\\'s new number 10 for 2019–20 season, taking over from Eden Hazard. He scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 home league win over Brighton & Hove Albion on 28 September. In the next fixture, Willian scored the winning goal on his 300th Chelsea appearance, a 2–1 away win against Lille in the Champions League. He scored a double to beat Tottenham 2–0 away from home on 22 December.Willian scored twice in a 2–3 league defeat to West Ham United on 1 July 2020. In doing so, Willian became the first player to score a Premier League goal in every calendar month. He scored in his third consecutive game from the penalty spot in Chelsea\\'s next league match, a 3–0 win over Watford; the goal meant Willian had scored nine league goals which was his highest league total in a Chelsea shirt.On 9 August, Willian released an open letter about his departure from the club on Twitter.\\n\\n\\n=== Arsenal ===\\nOn 14 August 2020, Willian signed for Premier League club Arsenal on a three-year contract. On 12 September, Willian made his debut for the club against Fulham, recording two assists, as Arsenal won 3–0. On 28 February 2021, Willian registered an assist in a 3–1 win over Leicester City in the Premier League, which was his first goal/assist contribution in the league for Arsenal since November 2020. On 9 May, Willian scored his only goal for Arsenal in a 3–1 home league win over West Bromwich Albion, sealing the Baggies\\' relegation to the EFL Championship.Just after a year at the club, which Willian described as \"the worst time that he had lived as a professional\", on 30 August 2021, Arsenal announced he had left the club by mutual consent and confirmed that Willian was set to re-join his boyhood club, Corinthians.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Corinthians ===\\nOn 30 August 2021, Corinthians announced the return of Willian to the club on a deal running until December 2023. He rescinded his contract in mid-August 2022 after complaining about virtual threats during his last months in the club.\\n\\n\\n=== Fulham ===\\nOn 1 September 2022, Willian signed for Fulham on a one-year contract. On 23 October, Willian scored his first goal for Fulham, their third goal in a 3–2 away win at Leeds United. His second goal came on 12 January 2023, against his former club Chelsea, the first goal in Fulham\\'s historic 2–1 win over their West London rivals, also meaning Fulham had won 4 top flight games in a row, for the first time since April 1966.On 19 March 2023, in the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United, Willian received a red card for using his hand to block a shot from Jadon Sancho in the 70th minute, after a VAR check. During the VAR check, Fulham manager Marco Silva was given a red card for arguing with the referee. And after referee Chris Kavanagh gave Willian a red card, Aleksandar Mitrović pushed Kavanagh resulting in Mitrović receiving a red card as well. Despite leading 1–0 before the red cards, Fulham would ultimately be eliminated after a 3–1 defeat.In July 2023 Fulham confirmed Willian had signed a new one-year deal with the club, keeping him at Craven Cottage through the 2023–24 Premier League season.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nAs a member of the under-20 Brazil team, Willian made his debut in the 2007 South American Youth Championship against Chile on 7 January 2007, which Brazil went on to win. In 2007, he was also selected for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, but Brazil were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Spain.On 10 November 2011, Willian made his senior debut for Brazil in a friendly match against Gabon. On 16 November 2013, he scored his first international goal in a 5–0 win over Honduras in Miami, Florida.On 7 May 2014, Willian was selected as part of the 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He came on at half-time in extra time of the round of 16 match against Chile in Belo Horizonte for his Chelsea teammate Oscar, and took a penalty in the shootout which he put wide of the goal, although Brazil nonetheless advanced.At the 2015 Copa América, Willian assisted Roberto Firmino\\'s decisive goal in the 2–1 win over Venezuela in Santiago, a result which sent Brazil into the quarterfinals as group winners.On 5 May 2016, he was named by Brazil manager Dunga among the 23-man list for the Copa América Centenario to be held in the United States.In May 2018, he was named in Tite\\'s final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.On 7 June 2019, he received a late call-up for the 2019 Copa América to replace the injured Neymar.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nA fast, agile, and technically gifted player, Willian is known for his quick feet, acceleration, and explosive style of play, which allows him to dribble past opponents at speed whilst keeping close control of the ball which is typically a Brazilian style. He has also been known to pull off feints and tricks, such as the elastico, in order to confuse and beat defenders. He primarily plays as a winger, and his high stamina, vision and creativity enables him to link-up play between the deeper midfielders and the forwards, and create goalscoring chances. During the 2015–16 season, while at Chelsea, he showed his prowess at direct free-kicks, with almost all his goals coming from set pieces. He improved the statistics of his attacking game due to which he was called Chelsea\\'s top performer of the season.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nWillian is Afro-Brazilian and is married to Vanessa Martins. They have twin daughters, Valentina and Manuella. Like many Brazilian footballers, Willian is a devout Christian.In April 2016, Willian was named in the Panama Papers.On 13 October 2016, Willian\\'s mother, Dona Zezé, died at the age of 57. During the game against the Premier League champions, Leicester City, his teammates Diego Costa and Eden Hazard dedicated their goals to Willian and his mother. Along with his teammates, his manager, Antonio Conte, also dedicated their victory to Willian and his family.In 2018, Willian and his teammate David Luiz acquired Babbo, an Italian restaurant located in Mayfair, London.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 10 February 2024\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of match played 15 November 2019As of match played 15 November 2019. Scores and results list Brazil\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Willian goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nShakhtar Donetsk\\n\\nVyshcha Liha/Ukrainian Premier League: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12\\nUkrainian Cup: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12\\nUkrainian Super Cup: 2008, 2010\\nUEFA Cup: 2008–09Chelsea\\n\\nPremier League: 2014–15, 2016–17\\nFA Cup: 2017–18; runner-up: 2016–17\\nFootball League/EFL Cup: 2014–15; runner-up: 2018–19\\nUEFA Europa League: 2018–19Brazil U20\\n\\nSouth American Youth Football Championship: 2007Brazil\\n\\nCopa América: 2019Individual\\n\\nUkrainian Premier League Best Player: 2010–11\\nUEFA Champions League Team of the Group stage: 2015–16\\nChelsea Player of the Year: 2016\\nChelsea Players\\' Player of the Year: 2016, 2017–18\\nPremier League Goal of the Month: January 2018, February 2023\\nChelsea Goal of the Season: 2017–18\\nUEFA Europa League top assist provider: 2018–19\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nProfile at the Fulham F.C. website\\nWillian at Soccerbase \\nWillian at UAF and archived FFU page (in Ukrainian)\\nMARCO REUSMarco Reus (German pronunciation: [ˈmaʁkoː ˈʁɔʏs]; born 31 May 1989) is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Germany national team.\\nReus spent his youth career at Borussia Dortmund, prior to leaving for Rot Weiss Ahlen. He joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2009, and had his most successful season in 2012, scoring 18 goals and providing 12 assists in the Bundesliga to help Borussia Mönchengladbach secure a place in the following season\\'s UEFA Champions League. Reus returned to his hometown club Borussia Dortmund at the end of that season, helping the club reach the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final in his first season. With Dortmund, Reus won three DFL-Supercups (in 2013, 2014 and 2019), the DFB-Pokal in 2017 and 2021. He has scored over 150 goals for the club, and is one of only three players to have reached 100 Bundesliga goals and assists each. He has been voted German Footballer of the Year twice, as well as Bundesliga Player of the Season on three occasions.\\nReus has 48 caps with the Germany national team. He missed the 2014 FIFA World Cup which Germany won, UEFA Euro 2016, UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but played in UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early years ===\\nReus was born in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. He began to play football for his hometown club Post SV Dortmund in 1994 and joined the youth ranks of Borussia Dortmund in 1996. He played for Borussia Dortmund until he left for the U-19 team of Rot Weiss Ahlen in the summer of 2006. During his first year there, he played as an attacking midfielder and was featured in six games for the club\\'s second team, which played in the Westphalia league at the time. He scored a goal in each of his first two games. The following year, he was able to break into Ahlen\\'s first team, which played in the German third division at the time. He featured in 16 games that season, two of which he started. His only goal came on the last matchday, where he played the full 90 minutes for the first time that season, and propelled the team to promotion into the 2. Bundesliga. In 2008–09, as a 19-year-old, he had his definitive breakthrough as a professional football player, playing 27 games and scoring four goals.\\n\\n\\n=== Borussia Mönchengladbach ===\\nOn 25 May 2009, Reus signed a four-year contract with Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach. On 28 August, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a game against Mainz 05 after a 50-metre solo run, and since then became a prolific goalscorer for his club under Lucien Favre.\\nOn 20 August 2010, Reus scored his first Bundesliga brace in an eventual loss against Mainz 05.\\nAt the start of the 2011–12 season, Reus began the season in fine form, scoring 10 goals in his first 13 matches, including his first ever Bundesliga hat-trick in a 5-0 trashing against Werder Bremen on 19 November. His contract with Gladbach was set to expire in 2015 and reportedly had a buy-out clause of €18 million. Reus mentioned that his role model was Tomáš Rosický.\\n\\n\\n=== Borussia Dortmund ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13 season ====\\nOn 4 January 2012, Reus signed with his former club Borussia Dortmund for a €17.1 million transfer fee on a five-year deal. He spoke about his transfer saying, \"I\\'ve made the decision to take the next step forward in the coming season. I\\'d like to play for a club who can challenge for the league title and guarantee me Champions League football. I see this chance in Dortmund.\" Reus officially re-joined Dortmund on 1 July.\\nIn Reus\\'s league debut with Dortmund on 24 August, he scored a goal as his new side completed a 2–1 win over Werder Bremen. On 29 September, Reus scored two goals for Dortmund in a 5–0 rout of his former club Mönchengladbach, pushing the champions to the top of the Bundesliga table through six games.On 3 October, in Reus\\'s second ever Champions League appearance, he opened the scoring as Dortmund earned a 1–1 draw away to Manchester City. He then opened the scoring for the German champions in their 2–2 draw with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on 6 November, netting on a spectacular volley after a kick-down from teammate Robert Lewandowski. In Dortmund\\'s following Champions League match, on 21 November, Reus scored Dortmund\\'s first goal in a 4–1 defeat of Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena, securing qualification for the Round of 16 as Group D winners.On 16 February 2013, Reus scored a hat-trick, netting all the goals in Dortmund\\'s thumping of Hessian side Eintracht Frankfurt. On 9 April 2013, Reus scored an injury time goal which was a vital one in the stunning injury time comeback against Malaga in the quarter final leg 2 of UEFA Champions League. Dortmund won the match by 3-2 and progressed on to the next round where they defeated Real Madrid 4–3 on aggregate to reach the final. On 11 May, Reus scored a late brace against VfL Wolfsburg to help Dortmund draw the match after being two goals down. In the final against Bayern Munich, he managed to earn a penalty for Dortmund after he was fouled by Dante. İlkay Gündoğan managed to score from the penalty, but Bayern went to win the trophy due to a late goal by Arjen Robben.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14 season ====\\nOn 27 July 2013, in the 2013 DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich, Reus netted the game\\'s opening goal and later rounded off the scoring, as Borussia Dortmund claimed a 4–2 victory to lift the trophy. On 18 August, Reus converted a penalty kick which rounded off the scoring as Dortmund defeated Eintracht Braunschweig 2–1 at the Signal Iduna Park in the second game of Dortmund\\'s 2013–14 league campaign. He then scored a brace against SC Freiburg, one from the penalty spot, and started the season hitting impressive form. Reus had confirmed he would be Dortmund\\'s penalty taker for the season, though despite winning a penalty against 1860 Munich in the DFB Pokal, he allowed teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in taking the penalty which propelled the Borussia-based club into the next round of the competition. On 1 November, Reus scored a goal for Dortmund in a 6–1 league win against VfB Stuttgart.On 25 February 2014, Reus scored a goal in a 4–2 win for Dortmund against Zenit Saint Petersburg in the first leg of the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League. On 29 March, he then scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win for Dortmund against Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. On 8 April, Reus scored twice in Dortmund\\'s second leg 2–0 win against Real Madrid, though Dortmund were eventually knocked out of the competition after losing 3–2 on aggregate. Reus finished the season with 23 goals and 18 assists in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15 season ====\\nIn the second match of the 2014–15 Bundesliga against FC Augsburg, Reus scored one goal and helped set up another. Dortmund went to win the match by 3–2. In September 2014, he was diagnosed with an ankle injury. On 22 October, having returned from injury, Reus contributed a goal and assist in their 4–0 Champions League group stage away win against Galatasaray. On 1 November, he scored the only goal for Dortmund in their 2–1 away loss against their rivals Bayern Munich.Despite prior injury concerns, Reus started Dortmund\\'s match away to SC Paderborn on 22 November and scored to put them 2–0 up. He was stretchered off in the second half, however, after which Paderborn equalised for a final score of 2–2. The injury ruled him out until January 2015. On 10 February, Reus signed a contract extension with Dortmund, keeping him at the club until 2019.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16 season ====\\nOn 5 August 2015, Reus scored a goal in Borussia Dortmund\\'s 5–0 win against Wolfsberger AC to advance into the 2015–16 Europa League play-off round. On 15 August, he then opened the 2015–16 league campaign with a goal and an assist in a 4–0 home win against his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach. On 28 August, he scored a hat-trick in their 7–2 home win against Odds BK to qualify for the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League.On 20 April 2016, Reus was one of three goalscorers as Borussia won 3–0 away at Hertha BSC in the semi-final of the DFB-Pokal. He finished the 2015–16 season with total of 23 goals and 8 assists in 43 appearances. Around this time, Reus became part of a collaboration between the German Football Association and The LEGO Group, who in May 2016 released a Europe-exclusive collectible minifigure series, with Reus featured as the thirteenth of sixteen minifigures in the collection.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17 season ====\\nAfter being sidelined due to injury, Reus made his return on 22 November 2016. He scored twice and assisted once in a historic 8–4 Champions league group stage win against Legia Warsaw. Reus took the game ball for it was originally a hat-trick game by him. On 3 December, he assisted three goals in their 4–1 win against his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach. Four days later, Reus scored in a 2–2 draw against Real Madrid; Dortmund subsequently advanced to the round 16 as the winners of Group F, ahead of Madrid. On 10 December, Reus continued his goalscoring form with a late equaliser in Dortmund\\'s 1–1 draw with 1. FC Köln.During the 2017 DFB-Pokal Final, Reus suffered a partial cruciate ligament tear and was substituted at halftime. Dortmund went on to win the match, giving Reus his first major trophy. The initial prognosis suggested that he would miss \"several\" months.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18 season ====\\nOn 10 February 2018, Reus recovered from the ligament damage and made his return against Hamburg in the Bundesliga. Reus scored his first goal since his return from injury and the only goal in the match against his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach in a 1–0 victory. Reus scored Dortmund\\'s only goal in two consecutive matches against Augsburg and RB Leipzig in which both the matches ended in a 1–1 draw. On 9 March, Reus extended his contract with the club until 30 June 2023. On 21 April, Reus scored twice in a 4–0 win over Bayer Leverkusen, where he also missed a penalty. On 29 April, Reus scored a 19th-minute goal in Dortmund\\'s 1–1 draw with Werder Bremen. On 12 May, Reus scored the only goal for the team in Dortmund\\'s 3–1 loss to Hoffenheim. Reus finished the season with 7 goals in 15 appearances in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19 season ====\\nPrior to the start of the 2018–19 season, Reus was made club captain by incoming coach Lucien Favre. On 21 August 2018, Reus scored the winning goal in extra time to help his side earn a 2–1 victory over SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the DFB-Pokal first round match. Reus scored a 90th-minute goal which was his 100th Bundesliga goal as Dortmund defeated RB Leipzig with a 4–1 victory. On 27 September, he scored two goals including his 100th goal for Borussia Dortmund across all competitions in a 7–0 victory over 1. FC Nürnberg.On 10 November 2018, he scored back to back goals in the second half of Der Klassiker against Bayern Munich as Dortmund came from behind to win the match 3–2. The game kept Dortmund on top of the Bundesliga table, 7 points ahead of Bayern Munich. Reus ended the season with 21 goals and 14 assists in all competitions, and was voted the 2019 Germany Footballer of the year.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–present ====\\nBy February 2020, Reus had 26 appearances in all competitions, in which he scored 12 goals. However, a muscle injury kept him out for the rest of the season.\\nOn 6 April 2021, Reus scored in a 1–2 loss to Manchester City in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, to become Dortmund\\'s all-time Champions League top scorer with 18 goals. On 13 February 2022, Reus scored his 150th goal for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions in a 3–0 win at Union Berlin.\\nOn 3 March 2023, Reus scored in a 2–1 victory over RB Leipzig, to become the joint second all-time goalscorer for Borussia Dortmund along with Michael Zorc with 159 goals. On 18 March, he scored a brace in a 6–1 win over 1. FC Köln, to reach his 150th Bundesliga goal, and to become the lone second top scorer for his club with 161 goals, only behind Alfred Preissler with 177 goals. On 27 April, Reus signed a one-year contract extension to 2024. On 6 July 2023, Reus announced that he would step down as club captain for the 2023–24 season.On 4 November 2023, Reus played in his 400th match for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions in Der Klassiker against Bayern Munich, to be the sixth player to achieve this milestone, only behind Michael Zorc, Mats Hummels, Roman Weidenfeller, Stefan Reuter and Lars Ricken. The game ended in a 4–0 loss to Dortmund, although Reus was praised for his performance.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nOn 11 August 2009, Reus made his Germany under-21 debut in a friendly match against Turkey. On 6 May 2010, he earned his first call-up to the senior team for a friendly match against Malta on 14 May. On 11 May, he withdrew from the squad due to a leg injury picked up in the last game of the season against Bayer Leverkusen. On 7 October 2011, he made his debut against Turkey. He scored his first goal for the team on 26 May 2012 in a 5–3 defeat to Switzerland. On 22 June, he scored in the UEFA Euro 2012 quarter-final against Greece, his first start for Germany in the tournament.Reus established himself as a regular member of Joachim Löw\\'s side in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, scoring five goals and registering three assists in six matches. He was named in Germany\\'s squad for the World Cup finals, but was ultimately forced to withdraw after suffering an ankle injury in the team\\'s 6–1 warm-up win against Armenia on 6 June. Reus made his international comeback in Germany\\'s first post-World Cup friendly against Argentina on 3 September 2014. However, the world champions were defeated 4–2 by the side they had beaten in the World Cup final two months earlier.During qualification for UEFA Euro 2016, Reus made four appearances, scoring once in a 2–0 defeat of Georgia in Tbilisi but was not selected for the tournament after suffering a groin injury.On 2 June 2018, Reus made his return to international duty after two years in a friendly match against Austria, which ended in a 2–1 loss for Germany. Reus was included in Joachim Löw\\'s 23-man final squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 4 June. On 17 June, Reus made his first World Cup appearance during their opening match against Mexico as a substitute by replacing Sami Khedira in the 60th minute, but the match ended in a 1–0 loss for Germany. On 23 June, Reus scored an equalizing goal and his first World Cup goal in the second half as Germany defeated Sweden with 2–1 victory in their second group stage match to resurrect their World Cup hopes. He also provided an assist to Toni Kroos\\'s late winning goal in that match and was named Man of the Match. However, his side were knocked out from the tournament after losing 2–0 to South Korea in their last group stage match on 27 June.In May 2021, Reus announced his decision to not participate in the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 due to post-season fatigue.In November 2022, Reus was exempt from Hansi Flick\\'s 2022 FIFA World Cup squad reportedly as a result of an ankle injury, which he had failed to recover from in time.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nReus is renowned for his versatility, speed, agility, technical skills, intelligence, and shooting ability; however he is also known for his proneness to injury. In 2012, Franz Beckenbauer spoke about Reus, along with Mario Götze, saying, \"...as a classic duo there is nobody better than the prolific Reus and Götze.\" Reus was voted the Footballer of the Year (Germany) in 2012 and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2013. In 2013, he was ranked as the fourth best footballer in Europe by Bloomberg. Although he is highly regarded for his attacking movement, powerful finishing with either foot in open play, timing, and eye for goal, as well as his accuracy from set pieces, Reus is also a hard-working player and a precise passer, who possesses good vision, which enables him to create chances and provide assists to teammates, in addition to scoring goals himself. As such, Reus is a versatile forward, who is capable of playing in several offensive positions, and has been deployed as a second striker, in a central role as an out-and-out striker (although this is not his favoured position), as a winger on either flank (although he favours the left side, as it allows him to cut inside onto his stronger right foot), and also in a central attacking midfield role as a number 10.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nReus is named after the Netherlands legend, Marco van Basten. According to Reus, his parents were originally going to name him \\'Dennis\\' but thanks to Van Basten\\'s famous volley goal against Soviet Union in the final of Euro 1988 they decided to name him Marco.Reus dated Carolin Bohs in 2009. They broke up in 2013 but remain close friends. Reus started dating German model Scarlett Gartmann in December 2015. Together they had their first child in March 2019 and got married later the same year. They welcomed their second child in January 2024. \\nReus has said that, if he was not a professional football player, he would be a pilot.Reus was the cover athlete of FIFA 17, after being voted in by a fans\\' poll organized by Electronic Arts.In March 2020, Reus and his wife, Scarlett, donated €500,000 to people and smaller businesses in need in his hometown of Dortmund during the COVID-19 pandemic.\\n\\n\\n=== Legal issues ===\\nIn December 2014, Reus was fined €540,000 for driving without a valid licence, which constitutes a felony in Germany. The fine was based on his then monthly salary of €180,000. He had been driving for years with a fake Dutch licence, a felony in its own right, and has been issued with speeding tickets on at least five occasions since 2011 without authorities knowing that he was not legally licensed. The felony charges for using a counterfeit licence were later dropped, causing some controversy and raising questions from politicians whether his celebrity status had been a reason for a milder sentence. When convicted, Reus said, \"The reasons I did it are something I cannot really understand.\" Prior to his conviction, he had appeared in commercials for cars and petrol. In August 2016, Reus confirmed that he now has a driver\\'s licence.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 9 February 2024\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of match played 11 November 2021As of match played 11 November 2021\\nGermany score listed first, score column indicates score after each Reus goal\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nRot Weiss Ahlen\\nRegionalliga Nord: 2007–08Borussia Dortmund\\nDFB-Pokal: 2016–17, 2020–21\\nDFL-Supercup: 2013, 2019\\nUEFA Champions League runner-up: 2012–13Individual\\n\\nBundesliga Player of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19\\nBundesliga Breakthrough of the Season: 2011–12Bundesliga top assist provider: 2013–14 \\nBundesliga Player of the Month: September 2018, November 2018, December 2018Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19\\nkicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2018–19\\nFootballer of the Year in Germany: 2012, 2019\\nGermany national Player of the Year: 2018\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2013\\nUEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2013–14\\nBorussia Dortmund Player of the Year: 2013–14\\nGoal of the Month (Germany): January 2012, June 2012, September 2012\\nESM Team of the Season: 2018–19\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nProfile at the Borussia Dortmund website\\nGerman national team profile (in German)\\nMarco Reus at fussballdaten.de (in German) \\nMarco Reus at Soccerway \\nMarco Reus – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nMarco Reus at National-Football-Teams.com \\nMarco Reus – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nKicker profile (in German)\\nBundesliga profile\\nFRANCK RIBERYFranck Henry Pierre Ribéry (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃k ʁibeʁi]; born 7 April 1983) is a French former professional footballer who primarily played as a winger, preferably on the left side, and was known for his pace, energy, skill, and precise passing. While with Bayern Munich, he was regarded as one of the best players in the world. The previous talisman of the French national team, Zinedine Zidane, once referred to Ribéry as the \"jewel of French football\".Ribéry\\'s career began in 1989 as a youth player for local hometown club FC Conti Boulogne. He left the club after seven years to join professional outfit Lille, but departed the club after three years after having difficulties adjusting. In 1999, Ribéry joined US Boulogne, where he played for two years. After spending two more years in the amateur divisions with two clubs (Alès and Brest), Ribéry earned a move to Ligue 1 club Metz in 2004. After six months with the club, Ribéry moved to Turkey in January 2005 to join Galatasaray, where he won the Turkish Cup. After six months at Galatasaray, he departed the club in controversial fashion in order to return to France to join Marseille. Ribéry spent two seasons at the club, helping the Marseillais reach the final of the Coupe de France in back-to-back seasons.\\nIn 2007, Ribéry joined German club Bayern Munich for a then club-record fee of €25 million. With Bayern, he won nine Bundesliga titles (at the time a Bundesliga record), six DFB-Pokal, one UEFA Champions League and one FIFA Club World Cup, which include five doubles and one treble, amounting to a then club record of 24 titles over twelve seasons. His form for Bayern in the club\\'s 2012–13 treble winning season saw him nominated alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on the three-man shortlist for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. During his long spell at Bayern, Ribéry was also known for his fruitful partnership with fellow winger Arjen Robben—together they were affectionately referred to by the nickname Robbery. He left Bayern in summer 2019, and subsequently joined Italian side Fiorentina, while Robben retired from football.\\nBetween 2006 and 2014, Ribéry played for the France national team 81 times. He played at two FIFA World Cups (2006 and 2010) and two UEFA European Championships (2008 and 2012). Individually, Ribéry is a three-time winner of the French Player of the Year award and also won the German award of Footballer of the Year, becoming the first player to hold both honours. He has also been named to the UEFA Team of the Year and declared the Young Player of the Year in France. In 2013, Ribéry won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. In 2013, he was also ranked fourth in The Guardian\\'s list of the best players in the world.He is currently in charge as a technical collaborator of Italian Serie A club Salernitana, which was also his final club as a player.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\n\\nRibéry was born on 7 April 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais and raised in a low-income neighbourhood on the fringes of the city. When he was two years old, he and his family were involved in a car accident in his hometown, colliding with a lorry; he suffered serious facial injuries that resulted in more than one hundred stitches and which left two long scars down the right side of his face, and another across his brows. Prior to joining Stade Brestois in 2003, he worked as a construction worker with his father, which Ribéry referred to as a \"learning experience\".\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early career ===\\nRibéry began his football career at age six playing in the youth section of amateur club FC Conti de Boulogne-sur-Mer. After a seven-year stay, in 1996, he joined professional outfit Lille, who were playing in the second division. While at Lille, Ribéry excelled athletically, but developed academic and behavioural problems, which led to Lille releasing him. In 2012, during a press conference ahead of Bayern Munich\\'s Champions League tie against his former club Lille, Ribéry explained that he was released from the Lille academy after suffering a broken elbow and that Lille officials had previously wanted to drop him from the academy for being \"too small\".After leaving Lille, Ribéry returned to his hometown joining the biggest club in the city, US Boulogne. After spending a year in the reserves, he was promoted to the senior team. Ribéry only made four appearances in his debut season as Boulogne, who were playing in the CFA, the fourth division of French football, earned promotion to third-tier Championnat National. In his second season with the club, Ribéry appeared in 25 league matches converting five goals. Although Boulogne finished 17th, which meant a return to the fourth division, Ribéry\\'s solid performances earned him a move to fellow National club Olympique Alès. In his only season at the club, Ribéry made 18 appearances scoring only one goal.Ribéry left the club in March due to problems with salary payments. In April 2003 he was put on trial by SM Caen during a friendly match against Laval. He also had an unsuccessful trial with Guingamp. Following the season, despite finishing safe, Alès were relegated to the Division d\\'Honneur, the sixth division of French football, by the DNCG after the club declared bankruptcy. In June Ribery signed with Stade Brest, another Championnat National club. At Brest, Ribéry established himself as a premier player in the league appearing in 35 league matches scoring three goals. Ribéry\\'s performance and the team as a whole led to the club finishing second in the league, thus earning promotion to Ligue 2.Despite his success with Brest, Ribéry sought to play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. His dream came to fruition when Metz\\'s manager Jean Fernandez took a liking to him and recruited him on a free transfer. Ribéry only spent half a season at Metz, but impressed earning the UNFP Player of the Month in August 2004. He scored his only league goal for Metz on 6 November in the team\\'s 1–1 draw with Toulouse. His stellar play on the right side of midfield led to Metz supporters comparing him to Robert Pires, a former Metz player. After negotiations on an extension ended in a stalemate, Ribéry relocated to Turkey. There he joined Galatasaray, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract on 1 February 2005.\\n\\n\\n=== Galatasaray ===\\nAt Galatasaray, Ribéry was brought in by manager Gheorghe Hagi and appeared in 14 league matches as the club finished in third-place position. While playing for the club, Galatasaray supporters nicknamed him \"Ferraribery\", in reference to his quick acceleration with the ball at his feet and also \"Scarface\" due to a large scar located on the right side of his face. In the Turkish Cup, Ribéry was instrumental in the club\\'s 5–1 thrashing of rivals Fenerbahçe in the competition\\'s ultimate match. He scored the opening goal in the 16th minute and also assisted on another goal. Ribéry was later substituted in the 52nd minute with Galatasaray leading 3–1. The trophy was Ribéry\\'s first major honour.\\n\\n\\n=== Move to Marseille and CAS ruling ===\\nOn 15 June 2005, Ribéry announced that he would be returning to France joining Ligue 1 club Marseille on a five-year contract, plus reuniting with former manager Jean Fernandez. The move was considered surprising to Galatasaray as Ribéry had three years remaining on his contract after the club paid Metz €2 million to make the loan move permanent on 30 March. Ribéry argued that he had not been paid his wages by the club and asked FIFA, the sport\\'s governing body, to invalidate his contract. He also confirmed that, at one point during the season, he was threatened with a baseball bat by his former agent and a Galatasaray director. A day after announcing his move, Galatasaray officials and manager Eric Gerets blasted the player for betraying the club and also announced their intent to ask FIFA to probe the situation.In July 2005, FIFA ruled in favour of Ribéry and dismissed Galatasaray\\'s claims of the player being at fault. In response, the Turkish club announced their decision to challenge FIFA\\'s ruling by appealing to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport. On 25 April 2007, their appeal was dismissed by the court, who declared in a statement that Ribéry had terminated his contract with the Turkish club at the end of the 2004–05 season on just grounds, and that Galatasaray was therefore not entitled to any compensation. Galatasaray had sought €10 million in compensation from Marseille.\\n\\n\\n==== 2005–06 season ====\\nUpon his arrival, Ribéry was handed the number 7 shirt and made his debut on 30 July 2005 in a 2–0 defeat to Bordeaux collecting a yellow card. On 17 September, he scored his first goal for the club in their 2–1 victory over Troyes. Two weeks later, Ribéry netted goals in back-to-back matches in victories over his former club Metz and Nice. On 19 November, Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over Nantes. The goal, scored from almost 35 metres (1,400 in) out, was later voted the goal of the season by supporters.In the Coupe de France, Ribéry performed well scoring a double against Le Havre and scoring the opening goal in Marseille\\'s 3–1 semi-final victory over Rennes. The win pushed Marseille through to the 2006 final, where they faced Le Classique rivals Paris Saint-Germain, which merited Ribéry his second consecutive cup final appearance. Unfortunately, Marseille faltered losing 2–1 to the Parisian club. In Europe, Ribéry scored two goals in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Italian club Lazio and Spanish outfit Deportivo de La Coruña. In the UEFA Cup, he scored one goal converting it in the second leg of Marseille\\'s Round of 32 tie with Premier League club Bolton Wanderers. Ribéry was later named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year.\\n\\n\\n==== 2006–07 season ====\\nFollowing Ribéry\\'s success internationally at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a bidding war occurred in order to obtain his services with English club Arsenal initially offering €15 million for the player. However, Arsenal would be trumped by Spanish club Real Madrid, who offered €30 million for the Frenchman, according to Marseille directors. Rivals Olympique Lyonnais also sought Ribéry\\'s services, with president Pape Diouf accusing Jean-Michel Aulas of tapping-up Ribéry after it was discovered that the Lyon chairman visited the France national team and Ribéry himself during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Diouf later threatened to report Aulas to the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) for his actions. He went as far as to accuse Ribéry\\'s former agent, Bruno Heiderscheid, of badly advising the player. Marseille continued to declare him off-limits with nearly four years remaining on Ribéry\\'s contract. On 11 August 2006, Ribéry confirmed his intention to remain with the club for the 2006–07 season.\\nRibéry\\'s now heightened popularity saw increased speculation from writers and supporters that Marseille would finally win their first league title since the 1991–92 season. He began the 2006–07 campaign on a high note, scoring in the club\\'s second match of the season against Auxerre in a 3–0 victory. On 11 November 2006, Ribéry suffered a serious groin injury in Marseille\\'s 1–0 loss to Lille. The resulting injury meant Ribéry was out for a number of weeks, returning following the winter break. On his return in January, Ribéry netted two goals in another win over Auxerre. The following month, Ribéry suffered a fractured foot in a match against Toulouse. The injury required him to miss four league matches, as well as a Coupe de France match. In April 2007, Ribéry finished the league season by scoring in back-to-back weeks against Sochaux in a 4–2 win and Monaco in another victory.In the Coupe de France, Marseille again reached the final with Ribéry, for the second straight season, putting them there scoring the game-winning goal in a 3–0 semi-final win over Nantes. In the final, Marseille were heavy favourites over Sochaux, a team they had completely dominated just 12 days prior. However, Sochaux recorded an upset victory defeating Marseille 5–4 on penalties after the match ended 2–2 following extra time. Ribéry\\'s final match with Marseille was a 1–0 win over Sedan on the final match day of the season. The victory secured second place for Marseille and was their best finish since finishing runner-up to Bordeaux during the 1998–99 season. Following the season, Ribéry was awarded the French Player of the Year by French sports publication France Football. The honour ended the four-year reign of Thierry Henry.\\n\\n\\n=== Bayern Munich ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2007–08 season ====\\nOn 7 June 2007, German club Bayern Munich announced that they had reached an agreement with Marseille for the transfer of Ribéry, with the player agreeing to a four-year deal and Bayern paying Marseille a then club-record €25 million. Ribéry was given the number 7 shirt, which was freed up due to the retirement of midfielder Mehmet Scholl at the end of the previous season. He made his team debut one month later, scoring twice in an 18–0 friendly drubbing of Munich youth side FT Gern. Ribéry made his competitive debut for Bayern on 21 July 2007 against Werder Bremen in the first round of the Premiere Ligapokal, scoring twice and also assisting on another in a 4–1 victory. In the semifinals, he netted an early goal in a 2–0 win over defending champions VfB Stuttgart. Due to an injury, Ribéry was unable to play in the final, which Bayern won.\\n\\nRibéry scored his first league goal for the club on 18 August in a 4–0 triumph over Bremen converting a penalty in the 31st minute. He went scoreless in the league for almost two months before scoring a goal and providing the assist on Bayern\\'s other goal in a 2–1 win over VfL Bochum. A month later, Ribéry recorded this feat again, providing the assist on the opening goal scored by Miroslav Klose and scoring the game winning goal in a 2–1 win over VfL Wolfsburg. In the German Cup, he recorded two goals and provided four assists in five matches Bayern contested. He netted his first goal in the competition on 27 February 2008 in Bayern\\'s win over inner-city rivals 1860 Munich, with Ribéry converting the lone goal, a penalty, in the final minute of extra time. In the semi-finals, Ribéry scored the opening goal in Bayern\\'s 2–0 win over Wolfsburg, which resulted in the club qualifying for the final against Borussia Dortmund. In the DFB-Pokal final, Ribéry assisted on Luca Toni\\'s opener in the 11th minute in a match Bayern won 2–1, thus claiming their 14th cup title.In the UEFA Cup, Bayern reached the semi-finals, with Ribéry scoring three goals in the competition, including one in the Germans\\' comeback win over Spanish club Getafe in the quarter-finals. In total, Ribéry appeared in 46 matches scoring 16 goals and assisting on 17 goals as Bayern won the league and cup double. For his efforts, on 8 June 2008, Ribéry was named the 2007–08 Footballer of the Year (Germany). He was also named French Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–09 season ====\\nDue to tearing ligaments in his ankle at Euro 2008, Ribéry began the season with Bayern on 24 September 2008 in a DFB-Pokal match against 1. FC Nürnberg, appearing as a substitute in the 65th minute. He made his league debut three days later and, after a month of play, scored his first goal of the season in Bayern\\'s 4–2 comeback win over VfL Wolfsburg. Following the match, Ribéry scored in five-straight league matches, with the club going undefeated in that span. On 10 December, Ribéry capped the 2008 portion of the season by scoring a goal and providing assists on the other two in Bayern\\'s 3–2 victory over Lyon in the Champions League. For his performances throughout 2008, Ribéry finished third behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the Onze d\\'Or. He was shortlisted by the French magazine France Football for the 2008 Ballon d\\'Or award, won by Cristiano Ronaldo.\\nRibéry\\'s 2009 debut saw Bayern earn a 5–1 German Cup win over VfB Stuttgart, with the player scoring and also providing an assist. On 24 February 2009, he scored a double in the club\\'s 5–0 win over Sporting CP in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash. Bayern were later eliminated 5–1 on aggregate by Spanish champions Barcelona in the next round, with Ribéry scoring a consolation goal in the second leg in a 1–1 draw at the Allianz. In the league, Bayern failed to defend their Bundesliga title, despite suffering defeat only twice in their final 13 matches, losing out to Wolfsburg. Ribéry ended the season with 36 total appearances scoring 14 goals and providing 19 assists.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10 season ====\\n\\nFollowing the 2008–09 season, constant speculation began to surface regarding Ribéry\\'s availability on the transfer market. Despite Bayern president Uli Hoeneß, executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and new manager Louis van Gaal declaring that Ribéry would not be sold, numerous media outlets declared that English clubs Chelsea and Manchester United, Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid, and Italian outfit Inter Milan had strong interest in the player, with many of the clubs willing to offer as much as €65 million for his services. In order to quell the interest, Hoeneß declared that Ribéry would leave for nothing less than €100 million.Ribéry began the 2009–10 season struggling with tendonitis in his left knee, but was healthy enough to start the season scoring his first goal in a 5–1 victory against rivals Borussia Dortmund, converting a free kick. The goal was notable in part due to Ribéry\\'s celebration afterward; following his conversion, Ribéry ran across the field eluding several celebratory teammates and enthusiastically jumped into his manager Louis van Gaal\\'s awaiting arms. The mutual show of admiration ended speculation by the media of the two having a poor relationship. In early October, the tendinitis began to affect his play, which resulted in Ribéry missing the rest of the year, as well as France\\'s World Cup playoff tie with the Republic of Ireland.On 23 January 2010, Ribéry returned to the team, making an appearance as a substitute in the club\\'s 3–2 league win over Werder Bremen. Ribéry\\'s first goal of the new year came on 10 February scoring in Bayern\\'s 6–2 DFB-Pokal victory over SpVgg Greuther Fürth. On 31 March, he scored the equalising goal in Bayern\\'s 2–1 first leg win over English club Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals after converting a free kick, which deflected off of striker Wayne Rooney before going into the net. In the club\\'s ensuing match, Ribéry scored the opening goal in the team\\'s 2–1 victory over Schalke 04.\\nOn 20 April, Ribéry was sent off by referee Roberto Rosetti in the club\\'s first leg Champions League semi-final against Lyon after being adjudged to have committed serious foul play on Lyon striker Lisandro López. The expulsion resulted in Ribéry missing the second leg in Lyon, which Bayern won to advance to the UEFA Champions League final. On 28 April, Ribéry was handed a three-match suspension by UEFA\\'s Control and Disciplinary Body for assault. The suspension meant that Ribéry would miss the final. Following the ruling, Bayern Munich announced their intent to appeal the suspension. On 5 May, the club\\'s appeal was heard by the UEFA Appeals Body, which upheld Ribéry\\'s ban meaning he would not only miss the final on 22 May, but also the next UEFA club competition fixture for which he is eligible. Immediately after the ruling, however, Bayern responded by announcing their intention of appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.On 15 May, Ribéry scored the third goal in Bayern\\'s 4–0 win over Werder Bremen in the 2009–10 edition of the DFB-Pokal final. Two days later, Ribéry\\'s appeal was heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was dismissed meaning he was officially ruled out of the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan on 22 May. Bayern Munich lost the match 2–0. On 20 May, it was announced by German newspaper Bild that Ribéry had agreed to a new five-year contract with Bayern Munich and would sign the contract upon his arrival in Madrid to watch his teammates contest the Champions League final. On 23 May, the day after the final, the club officially confirmed the agreement. The new deal tied Ribéry to the club until 2015 and, though there is uncertainty regarding the annual salary, it has been speculated that the new deal pays him an annual salary of €10 million a year, the highest annual salary ever awarded to a player in the club\\'s history.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11 season ====\\nRibéry began the 2010–11 season healthy for the first time since his debut season with the club. He was among the first World Cup players to arrive to pre-season training and made his season debut on 16 August 2010 in Bayern\\'s 4–0 victory over Germania Windeck in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. In the match, Ribéry scored his first goal of the season. Four days later, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Bastian Schweinsteiger, in the team\\'s opening league match against VfL Wolfsburg. On 21 September, Ribéry was forced to leave the team\\'s 2–1 win over 1899 Hoffenheim after suffering an ankle injury. The injury was discovered to be serious and Ribéry was ruled out for four weeks.Despite the initial diagnosis, Ribéry missed two months and returned to the team on 14 November in a league match against 1. FC Nürnberg. A week later, Ribéry was criticised by manager Louis van Gaal for his performance in a friendly match against SpVgg Unterhaching, which was organised to help Ribéry and other injured first-team players regain full fitness. Though Van Gaal was disappointed in several of his players\\' performances, he singled out Ribéry, stating, \"he [Ribéry] didn\\'t make any effort and showed no commitment.\" Ribéry did, however, remain in contention to appear in the team\\'s next league match against Bayer Leverkusen. He subsequently appeared in the match as a substitute in the 61st minute. On 8 December, Ribéry scored a double in a 3–0 victory over Swiss club Basel in the Champions League.On 15 January, in Bayern\\'s first league match following the winter break against Wolfsburg, Ribéry suffered a lower leg injury in the first half as a result of a tackle by Brazilian midfielder Josué. Initial media reports described the injury as serious with Ribéry possibly having to undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments. After further medical analysis, however, the injury was only reduced to a sprain and Ribéry subsequently missed two weeks. He returned to the team on 5 February in a league match against 1. FC Köln. On 12 February, Ribéry assisted on two goals in a 4–0 win over 1899 Hoffenheim.Following the team\\'s 3–1 league win over Mainz 05 on 19 February, Ribéry embarked on a streak in which he charted a statistical output in Bayern\\'s next five league matches. On 26 February, he assisted on the team\\'s only goal in its 3–1 defeat against rivals Borussia Dortmund. In the next match, against Hannover 96, he repeated his feat from the previous match assisted on an Arjen Robben goal in another defeat. On 12 March, Ribéry had arguably his best performance of the season after scoring a goal and providing three assists in a 6–0 hammering of Hamburger SV. In Bayern\\'s following match against SC Freiburg, he assisted on the team\\'s opening goal, scored by Mario Gómez, and then netted the game-winning goal two minutes from time in a 2–1 win. Against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 2 April, Ribéry assisted on the only goal of the match, which was converted by Robben. The streak ended in the team\\'s 1–1 draw with 1. FC Nürnberg on 11 April. Six days later, Ribéry scored the final goal in a 5–1 sweeping of Bayer Leverkusen.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12 season ====\\nPrior to the start of the 2011–12 season, Ribéry suffered an ankle injury during a pre-season training session, which resulted in the player being carried from the training ground by members of the club\\'s medical team. Despite the player himself fearing he may have torn ligaments in the ankle, after an examination, club doctors revealed that the injury was not as serious as first thought, and Ribéry missed only one competitive match, a 3–0 DFB-Pokal away win over Eintracht Braunschweig on 1 August 2011. Ribéry made his season debut a week later in Bayern\\'s opening league match of the season, playing the entire match in a 1–0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the following week, he assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Luiz Gustavo, in a win over VfL Wolfsburg. Ribéry scored his first goal of the campaign in the team\\'s next league match against Hamburger SV. Bayern won the match 5–0. Following the international break, on 10 September, he scored a double and assisted on a goal in a 7–0 home victory over SC Freiburg. A week later, Ribéry assisted on both team goals in a shutout win over Schalke 04.\\nFollowing the October international break, Ribéry manufactured another statistical output after scoring and assisting on two goals in a 4–0 win over Hertha BSC. On 29 October, he scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win over FC Augsburg. In the UEFA Champions League, Ribéry scored his first goal in the competition on 22 November against Spanish club Villarreal in the group stage. He scored one goal in each half to give Bayern a 3–1 win, which allowed the club progression to the UEFA Champions League knockout phase. On 3 December, Ribéry scored another set of goals in a 4–1 win against Werder Bremen. The league win re-inserted Bayern back into first-place position in the league after momentarily losing the spot in late November. After failing to score a goal in two months, on 8 February 2012 Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–0 win over VfB Stuttgart in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal. The goal resulted in Ribéry scoring in every official competition Bayern Munich has participated in since he joined the club in 2007.\\nOn 26 February, Ribéry scored two goals in a shutout win over Schalke 04. Two weeks later, in a 7–1 thrashing of 1899 Hoffenheim, he scored another goal and assisted on goals scored by Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben and Mario Gómez. In the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal, Ribéry scored the second goal in the team\\'s 4–2 extra time win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. The win took Bayern Munich to its 18th German Cup final. On 17 April, Ribéry scored Bayern\\'s opening goal in its 2–1 first leg victory over Spanish club Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Two days after the match, it was reported by German publication Sport Bild that Ribéry was involved in a dressing room fight during half-time of the Madrid match with Arjen Robben. The report stated that \"a clear-the-air meeting was held\" and Ribéry was \"said to have apologized and accepted a fine for his actions\". In the team\\'s ensuing match against Werder Bremen, Ribéry appeared as a substitute and scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute. On 12 May 2012, Ribéry scored in the 2012 DFB-Pokal Final, as Bayern lost 5–2 against rivals Borussia Dortmund. In extra time of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, he was subbed out after sustaining an injury from a tackle by Didier Drogba. Bayern eventually lost in a penalty shootout.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13 season ====\\nRibéry started the 2012–13 season by winning the 2012 DFL-Supercup against Borussia Dortmund on 12 August 2012. He scored two goals in a 2–0 victory over Hoffenheim on 6 October. Ribery scored a late minute goal against BATE Borisov in the Champions League, but the match ended a 3–1 loss for Bayern. On 20 October, Ribery provided hat-trick of assists in a 5–0 win over Fortuna Düsseldorf. On 18 December, Ribéry was shown a straight red card after slapping Augsburg\\'s midfielder Koo Ja-cheol during the DFB Pokal round of 16 match, but that did not stop his side from winning the match 2–0. He was given two-match suspension in the Pokal causing him to miss the quarter-final match against Borussia Dortmund and the semi-final match against VFL Wolfsburg even though his side won both of the matches and made it through to the final.Ribéry also won the Champions League with Bayern Munich in an all-German final against Dortmund. He provided the assist to Arjen Robben who then scored the match-winning goal in the Champions League final. He completed the continental treble with Bayern after also winning the 2012–13 Bundesliga and 2013 DFB-Pokal against VfB Stuttgart. Ribéry also had the most assists with 15 assists in the Bundesliga.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14 season ====\\nOn 10 August 2013, Ribéry provided one assist to his teammate Arjen Robben in their first Bundesliga game of the season as they won the game with a 3–1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Ribéry scored his first header in a 2–0 victory over 1. FC Nürnberg on 24 August. On 29 August, Ribéry won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. On 30 August, Ribéry scored a 47th-minute goal against Chelsea in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup as his side won the UEFA Super Cup title for the first time in their club\\'s history after winning in the penalty shoot-out.On 21 December, Ribéry was awarded the Golden Ball for being the best player of the tournament after his side won the FIFA Club World Cup title for the first time in club\\'s history by beating Raja Casablanca 2–0 victory in the final. On 13 January 2014, he placed third in the 2013 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. On 7 February, Ribéry suffered burst blood vessel in his buttock which kept him out of the pitch for two weeks. On 25 March, he scored in a 3–1 win over Hertha BSC as Bayern were confirmed as Bundesliga champions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15 season ====\\nOn 18 October 2014, Ribéry made his return after suffering from a knee injury as a substitute in the 61st minute in a 6–0 home victory over Werder Bremen. Ribéry scored each goal in both the matches against A.S. Roma in the UEFA Champions League group stage, Bayern won 7–1 in the first match and 2–0 in the second match. He made an impressive performance and scored a goal in his first start for the club since April 2014 in a 3–1 victory over Hamburger SV in the DFB-Pokal on 30 October. Ribéry scored his 100th goal for Bayern and the only goal of the match in 1–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on 6 December. The goal happened in his 287th competitive match for Bayern. In January 2015, he suffered another injury which was muscle injury in training and missed only three matches against VfL Wolfsburg, Schalke 04 and VfB Stuttgart. On 27 March, Ribéry then suffered an ankle injury in a 7–0 home victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League 2nd leg match of the Round of 16 tie and was sidelined for the remaining of the season. He scored nine goals and provided seven assists in this season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16 season ====\\nOn 2 December 2015, Ribéry trained with the first team for the first time since his injury in March 2015. On 5 December, he made his first appearance since his ankle injury as a substitute coming in for Robert Lewandowski and also scored a goal after six minutes of his appearance, but that didn\\'t stop Bayern from losing 3–1 to Borussia Mönchengladbach. It was also his 300th competitive appearance for Bayern Munich. He made his 200th Bundesliga appearance in a 1–0 win over 1. FC Köln on 19 March 2016. On 2 April, Ribéry scored a bicycle kick goal for Bayern Munich to beat Eintracht Frankfurt with a 1–0 victory. He finished the season with two goals and three assists.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17 season ====\\nRibéry extended his contract with Bayern Munich by another year to June 2018, on 27 November 2016. On 17 September, Ribéry was involved in all Bayern\\'s goal as he provided three assists to Robert Lewandowski, Xabi Alonso and Rafinha\\'s goals to beat FC Ingolstadt 04 with a 3–1 victory. In the middle of the season, he suffered a thigh injury which kept him out from the pitch for almost four weeks. He made his comeback in a 3–0 DFB-Pokal quarter-final victory over Schalke 04 on 2 March 2017. Ribéry scored five goals and provided seventeen assists in this season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18 season ====\\nRibéry started the season by winning the DFL-Supercup as Bayern defeated their arch-rival Borussia Dortmund 5–4 on penalties. On 1 October 2017, he sustained a knee injury in a 2–2 draw to Hertha BSC. On 2 December, Ribéry made his return to the pitch in a 3–1 victory over Hannover 96 and made a record for Bayern Munich\\'s most Bundesliga appearances by a non-German with 235th appearance, overtaking former Bayern player and current sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić who had 234 appearances. He made another record of most competitive appearances by any non-German player for Bayern with 366 appearances in a 1–0 victory over 1. FC Köln, surpassing Hasan Salihamidžić\\'s 365 appearances. Ribéry scored twice in a 6–0 home victory over Hamburger SV on 10 March 2018. On 7 May 2018, Ribéry again extended his contract with Bayern, until June 2019. He ended the season with six goals and five assists.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19 season ====\\nRibéry played his first competitive match of the season and won the DFL-Supercup as Bayern defeated Eintracht Frankfurt with a 5–0 victory. On 1 September, Ribéry made his 250th Bundesliga appearance in a 3–0 victory over VfB Stuttgart. On 27 November, Ribéry scored his first goal of the season in a 5–1 win against Benfica in the Champions League.On 5 May 2019, Bayern Munich announced that Ribéry would be leaving the club at the end of the season, with a testimonial match set for 2020. On 18 May 2019, Ribéry won his ninth Bundesliga title with Bayern. With his ninth Bundesliga title, Ribéry became Bundesliga\\'s all-time record champion (since surpassed by David Alaba and Thomas Müller). On 25 May 2019, Ribéry won his sixth DFB-Pokal as Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final. Ribéry came on as a substitute in the 87th minute and made history as this was his eighth DFB-Pokal final appearance. No other player has played in as many DFB-Pokal finals. Ribéry finished his career at Bayern with a club record 24 titles.\\n\\n\\n=== Fiorentina ===\\nIn August 2019, Ribéry signed with Italian side Fiorentina on a free transfer. He made his debut for the club on 24 August, coming on as a late substitute in a 4–3 home loss to Napoli in the opening game of the 2019–20 Serie A season. He scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 away draw against Atalanta on 22 September. In October 2019, he received a three-match ban after pushing a match official.\\n\\n\\n=== Salernitana ===\\nOn 6 September 2021, Ribéry signed for Salernitana, agreeing on a one-year contract with an automatical renewal in case the club succeeded in keeping its Serie A status by the end of the season. Appointed as team captain, Ribéry played only 23 league games due to recurring injuries.\\nAs Salernitana escaped relegation by the final day of the season, Ribéry\\'s contract was automatically extended by one more year. In the following 2022–23 season, Ribéry only managed to play 36 minutes in a game against Roma as he regularly struggled with a recurring knee injury, thus leading to rumours regarding his possible immediate retirement.On 20 October 2022, Ribéry terminated his contract with Salernitana and announced his retirement.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nPrior to representing the senior team, Ribéry was ever present with the France under-21 team earning his first selection on 3 September 2004 in a 1–0 victory over Israel in qualifying for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. Ribéry scored his first under-21 goal five days later in a 1–0 friendly win over Slovakia. On 15 November 2005, he scored an important goal against England during the qualification playoffs as France defeated them 3–2 on aggregate to advance to the finals. Ribéry, however, missed the competition after earning selection to coach Raymond Domenech\\'s pre-World Cup squad. In total with the under-21s, Ribéry made 13 appearances scoring two goals.Ribéry earned his first cap with the senior team in a 1–0 victory over Mexico on 27 May 2006 appearing as a substitute in the 74th minute for striker David Trezeguet. His solid performances in the friendly matches ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup led to his inclusion in the team for the competition. Ribéry appeared in all seven matches France contested, starting six. On 27 June, he scored France\\'s opening goal in the team\\'s 3–1 Round of 16 win over Spain after receiving a through ball from Patrick Vieira, which allowed the winger to dribble past an oncoming Iker Casillas and shoot into the empty net. He played in the final where France lost to Italy on penalties. Ribéry\\'s only shot on goal came in extra time and he was later replaced by Trezeguet.Following the retirement of Zinedine Zidane, it was expected that Ribéry would succeed him and become the national team\\'s talisman. He went scoreless for almost a year and a half before converting a penalty shot against England on 26 March 2008 at the Stade de France. Following the goal, Ribéry paid tribute to legendary French commentator Thierry Gilardi, who had died a day earlier. At Euro 2008, France performed below expectations, with Ribéry appearing in all three group stage matches as France suffered early elimination. On 17 June 2008, in the team\\'s final group stage match against Italy, Ribéry ruptured a ligament in his left ankle in just the 8th minute of play. Ribéry returned to the team on 11 October 2008 in a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Romania, scoring the team\\'s opening goal in a 2–2 draw. On 28 March 2009, Ribéry scored the only goal away to Lithuania. Three days later, he completed this feat again, this time at the Stade de France, netting the winner in the 75th minute following an assist from André-Pierre Gignac.\\n\\nOn 11 May 2010, Ribéry was named to Domenech\\'s 30-man preliminary squad to participate in the 2010 World Cup and his second World Cup overall. He was later named to the 23-man team to compete in the competition. Ribéry appeared in all three group stage matches. Following the team\\'s opening match against Uruguay, Ribéry was criticised for his performance by former international Just Fontaine, who questioned Ribéry\\'s leadership ability. It was later reported by the media that Ribéry and striker Nicolas Anelka purposely \"froze-out\" midfielder Yoann Gourcuff. Anelka was later dismissed from the team after reportedly having a dispute in which obscenities were passed, with Domenech during half-time of the team\\'s 2–0 loss to Mexico.\\nOn 20 June, an emotional Ribéry appeared alongside Domenech on TF1\\'s football show Téléfoot to dispel rumours associated with the team and to also apologise to supporters for the national team\\'s performance over the past two years, stating, \"We [France] are suffering at the moment,\" and, \"I would like to say sorry to the whole country.\" The following day, the team boycotted a training session in response to Anelka\\'s expulsion and, on 21 June, returned to training without incident. In the team\\'s final group stage match against the hosts South Africa, Ribéry assisted on the team\\'s only goal of the competition, scored by Florent Malouda. France, however, lost the match 2–1, which resulted in the team\\'s elimination from the competition. On 6 August, Ribéry was one of five players summoned to attend a hearing held by the Disciplinary Committee of the French Football Federation (FFF) in response to the team\\'s strike held at the World Cup. On 17 August, he received a three-match international ban for his part in the incident. Ribéry did not attend the hearing due to his parent club\\'s objection.On 17 March 2011, Ribéry was called up to the national team by new manager Laurent Blanc for the first time since the 2010 World Cup. He had been eligible to return to the team since October 2010 after serving his three-match suspension, but due to injuries, Ribéry missed three call-ups. On 21 March, after arriving to Clairefontaine ahead of the team\\'s matches against Luxembourg and Croatia, Ribéry attended a personal press conference in which he apologised for his behaviour overall during the 2010 calendar year. He made his return to the team on 25 March in the team\\'s match against Luxembourg and responded by assisting on the team\\'s second goal, scored by Yoann Gourcuff, in its 2–0 win. In his first match at the Stade de France since his participation at the World Cup, against Croatia, Ribéry appeared as a substitute and was subject to jeers from some section of supporters, though other parts of the stadium chanted his name.After appearing regularly in qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012, on 29 May 2012, Ribéry was named to the squad to participate in the competition. Two days prior, he scored his first goal for France in over three years in a 3–2 friendly comeback win over Iceland. On 31 May, Ribéry scored the game-winning goal in a 2–0 win against Serbia. Four days later, he capped off the trio of lead-in friendly matches ahead of the European Championship by scoring the opening goal in a 4–0 shutout win over Estonia.Ribéry was included in France\\'s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but on 6 June, coach Didier Deschamps confirmed that he would miss the tournament through injury. Shortly afterwards, in August 2014 Ribéry retired from international football. He cited the reasons for his retirement as \"purely personal\".\\n\\n\\n== Style of play and personality ==\\nRibéry primarily played as a winger and was described as a player who was \"fast, tricky, and an excellent dribbler who had great control with the ball at his feet\". Despite being predominantly right-footed and utilised as a right-sided midfielder during his development years in France, since establishing himself as an international and at Bayern Munich, Ribéry personally admitted that his preference was to play on the left wing, even going as far as to state, \"My place is on the left\" when asked at a February 2010 media session while on international duty. Although he was often played on the left wing domestically, Ribéry struggled to establish himself as a left winger at the international level with France due to the presence of left-footed dominant players such as Florent Malouda. Ribéry declared that he was best utilised on the left side because \"that is where I am most free and I am the best in my head\". Playing on the left also allowed Ribéry to use his \"bursts of acceleration and weaving runs\" to effectively cut inside, which allowed him to take on opponents, exploit spaces, and give him the options of either shooting on goal with his stronger foot or delivering a decisive pass. Ribéry was also capable of playing in the centre of the field as an attacking midfielder, where his vision, precise passing, technique, and playmaking skills were best exhibited; he was also deployed as a central midfielder on occasion. Despite predominantly playing on the wing, Ribéry was known to be an excellent assist provider: during his twelve seasons with Bayern Munich, he amassed 124 assists in the Bundesliga; moreover, he averaged double-digits in assists every year beginning with his final season at Marseille. In addition to his skills, eye for goal, and playing ability, he also drew praise in the media over his defensive work-rate, tenacity, mentality, and energetic playing style.\\nRibéry was described as a provocateur on the field of play, with UEFA referring to him as \"a crowd-pleaser – one of those rare breed of footballer capable of enjoying his talents while expressing them\", due to his trickery, artistry, and creativity on the ball. During the 2006 World Cup, he was mentored by national team playmaker Zinedine Zidane. While boasting him as \"the jewel of French football\", Zidane also praised Ribéry as a person, declaring, \"Franck just loves life. He\\'s the kind of player that makes an impression every time he plays. He’s bound to become an important figure in the world of football.\"Ribéry\\'s on-field personality was often matched off-field as he was often referred to as a \"joker\" and \"prankster\" by club and international teammates. The midfielder has stated that humour is very important, admitting, \"It\\'s important to always be smiling, to wake up and feel good. We (footballers) have a great job, we like what we do and we have fun.\" His more notable stunts include driving a tractor on field during one of his last matches with Marseille; in his debut season with Bayern, emptying a bucket of water over former club goalkeeper Oliver Kahn from the roof of the club\\'s training centre; and, during the 2008–09 winter break, commandeering the team bus while in Dubai and crashing it.Ribéry, however, also struggled with injuries throughout his career. Since his first season at Bayern in which he appeared in 46 of the club\\'s 54 competitive matches, Ribéry struggled with minor and serious injuries that resulted in the player failing to appear in over 40 matches in subsequent seasons; the midfielder passed the 40-match barrier in the 2011–12 season after failing to in the previous three campaigns. Ahead of the 2008–09 season, he tore ligaments in one of his ankles while on international duty and, during the 2009–10 season, struggled with tendinitis in his left knee. In the next season, Ribéry suffered an ankle injury, which resulted in the midfielder missing two months, despite the initial diagnosis ruling him out for four weeks. He later suffered a similar ankle injury at the start of the 2011–12 season. Ribéry, himself, has admitted that injuries led to most of his five-year career at Bayern being difficult, stating in July 2011, \"The last two years (2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons) have been more difficult, partly because I kept picking up injuries. The important thing for me now is to avoid any more injuries\".\\n\\n\\n== Coaching career ==\\nIn October 2022, just after his retirement as an active footballer, Ribéry agreed to stay at Salernitana as a technical collaborator to head coach Davide Nicola. He was confirmed on his role also under new head coach Paulo Sousa. In October 2023, Ribéry obtained a UEFA B coaching licence.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nRibéry\\'s younger brothers, François and Steeven, are also football players. François played for many amateur clubs in France, among others for Bayonne in the Championnat National. Steeven played for Bayern\\'s reserve team for two years.Ribéry\\'s wife, Wahiba, is a French national of Algerian descent and the couple have three daughters named Hiziya, Shahinez and Keltoum Chérifa, and two sons named Seif el Islam and Mohammed. Ribéry is a convert to Islam, following which, he adopted the name Bilal Yusuf Mohammed.\\n\\n\\n=== Commercial promotions ===\\nSince establishing himself as an international, Ribéry has been involved in numerous promotional campaigns. He is sponsored by American sportswear company Nike and regularly wears Nike Mercurial Vapors. He appeared in several television advertisements for Nike and, during the 2007–08 Bundesliga season, starred in a one-off television show called The Franck Ribéry Show, which aired on Direct 8 in France. The show, sponsored by Nike, acted as a variety show with Ribéry appearing in several sketches. Ribéry features in EA Sports\\' FIFA video game series. For the 2008–09 season, he appeared on the French cover of FIFA 09 alongside international teammate Karim Benzema, and was the ninth-highest rated player in FIFA 15.On 25 May 2010, a 27 by 30 metres (89 ft × 98 ft) billboard of Ribéry was officially unveiled in his home city of Boulogne-sur-Mer ahead of the 2010 World Cup. The billboard paid tribute to a similar billboard that was erected for Zinedine Zidane in his home city of Marseille during his career. The construction of the billboard was initially suspended due to possible image ramifications associated with Ribéry\\'s alleged relationship with an underage prostitute.However, the Regional Council of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, which initially opposed the billboard, agreed to allow construction of the billboard. The billboard was a project of Ribéry\\'s sponsor Nike and was on display for the duration of the 2010 World Cup. More recently, he was one of several international superstars featured in Nike\\'s \"The Last Game\", a five-minute animated ad made during the run-up to the 2014 World Cup that went viral.He appeared in the music video for \"Même pas fatigué !!!\" by Magic System and Khaled. The single released in 2009 stayed seven weeks at number one in SNEP French Singles Chart.\\n\\n\\n=== Controversies ===\\nOn 18 April 2010, it was first reported by French television service M6 that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients of a prostitution ring that was being operated inside a Paris nightclub, with some of the women possibly being underage. The report also stated that two of the players were already questioned as witnesses by judge André Dando and a group of magistrates. The report described the two players as being one who \"is a major player in a big foreign club\" and that the other \"plays in the championship of France Ligue 1\". Later that day, the players were discovered to be Ribéry and Karim Benzema. During his interview with Dando, Ribéry reportedly admitted to having had a relationship with a prostitute, but did not know that she was a minor at the time the relationship began.On 29 April 2010, the country\\'s Secretary of State for Sports Rama Yade, after refusing to publicly comment on the case in its infancy, declared that any player placed under investigation should not represent the France national team. The following day, a judicial source confirmed that Ribéry would not be placed under official investigation, if at all, before the start of the 2010 World Cup. On 20 July, Ribéry was questioned by Paris police and, following questioning, was indicted by judge Dando on the charge of \"solicitation of a minor prostitute\". In November 2011, prosecutors asked for the cases against Ribéry and Benzema to be dropped, saying that the players were not aware that the escort, identified as Zahia Dehar, was 16 years old when they had paid to have sex with her.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n1.^ Includes the French League Cup, German League Cup, German Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nSource:\\nInternational goalsFrance score listed first, score and result columns indicate score after each Ribéry goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nGalatasaray\\nTurkish Cup: 2004–05Marseille\\n\\nUEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005Bayern Munich\\nBundesliga: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19\\nDFB-Pokal: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19\\nDFB-Ligapokal: 2007\\nDFL-Supercup: 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018\\nUEFA Champions League: 2012–13\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2013\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2013France\\nFIFA World Cup runner-up: 2006Individual\\n\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: August 2004, October 2005, November 2005, April 2006\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2006\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Goal of the Year: 2006\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2006\\nEtoile d\\'Or: 2006\\nOnze de Bronze: 2006, 2008\\nFrench Player of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2013\\nFootballer of the Year in Germany: 2008\\nESM Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2012–13\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2008, 2013\\nUEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 2012–13\\nUEFA Super Cup Man of the Match: 2013\\nkicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2007–08, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14\\nUEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2011–12\\nBundesliga top assist provider: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13\\nBundesliga Player of the Year: 2012–13\\nThe kicker Man of the Year: 2013\\nGlobe Soccer Best Footballer of the Year: 2013\\nFIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2013\\nFIFA Club World Cup Most Valuable Player of the Final: 2013\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI: 2013\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 5th team: 2014\\nFIFA Ballon d\\'Or: Third place 2013\\nDFB-Pokal top assist provider: 2016–17\\nSerie A Player of the Month: September 2019\\nFiorentina Player of the Season: 2019–20\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nFranck Ribéry at the French Football Federation (in French)\\nFranck Ribéry at the French Football Federation (archived) (in French)\\nFranck Ribéry – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French\\nFranck Ribéry at L\\'Équipe Football (in French) \\nFranck Ribéry – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nFranck Ribéry – UEFA competition record (archived)\\nFranck Ribéry at Lega Serie A (archived)\\nMANUEL NEUERManuel Peter Neuer (German pronunciation: [ˈmaːnu̯eːl ˈnɔʏ.ɐ, -ɛl -]; born 27 March 1986) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Germany and captains Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential goalkeepers in the history of the sport, Neuer has been described as a \"sweeper-keeper\" because of his playing style and speed when rushing off his line to anticipate opponents, going out of the penalty area. He was named the best goalkeeper of the decade from 2011 to 2020 by IFFHS.Neuer started his career at Schalke 04 where he won the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Ligapokal, and was appointed club captain in 2010. In 2011, he signed for Bayern Munich and has since won 28 trophies, including eleven Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Champions League titles in 2013 and 2020, both as part of trebles, being the only goalkeeper in history to achieve the European treble twice, additionally winning the second as club captain. In 2014, Neuer finished third in the voting for the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or award behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He was awarded the Best European Goalkeeper a record five times, and the IFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper a joint-record five times, alongside Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas. He was also named the Best FIFA Goalkeeper in 2020.\\nHe has set numerous records in the Bundesliga. He has the most clean-sheets recorded, with 223. He also holds the most clean-sheets in a season, with 21. Further, he is the fastest to 100 clean-sheets, doing so in 183 games. He is the only goalkeeper in Bundesliga history with more than 100 appearances to have conceded fewer goals than games played.Neuer was selected as Germany\\'s number one goalkeeper for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. During the group stages, he only conceded a single goal. He provided the assist for Miroslav Klose\\'s opening goal against England as Germany won 4–1. Four years later, Neuer won the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany as well as the Golden Glove award for being the best goalkeeper in the tournament. He was also named in its All-Star Team and Dream Team.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Schalke 04 ===\\nNeuer played for Schalke 04 II during 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08 and 2008–09. Neuer progressed through every age group at his hometown club, Schalke 04, and signed professional terms in 2005. Neuer did not make any first team appearances during the 2005–06 season. However, he was on the bench several times and won the 2005 DFL-Ligapokal as an unused substitute. He made his Bundesliga debut with Schalke when he came on as a substitute for the injured Frank Rost on matchday 2 of the 2006–07 season. The 20-year-old eventually won the starting position when Rost was surprisingly dropped for the clash against Bayern Munich. Neuer managed to secure a 2–2 draw against the defending champions. He made 27 league appearances during the 2006–07 season. Despite his young age, he was widely tipped to be a potential successor to his former idol Jens Lehmann in the future for the Germany national team.\\nNeuer started the 2007–08 season by playing in three matches in the German League Cup. On 5 March 2008, in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League against Porto, he almost single-handedly kept Schalke in the game with several saves, forcing the game into penalties. He then saved penalties from Bruno Alves and Lisandro López to help Schalke advance to the quarter-finals. He was shortlisted for the 2007–08 UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year award; he was the youngest as well as the only Bundesliga goalkeeper on the list. He was one of only three Bundesliga players to play every minute in the 2007–08 season. He finished the season by making 50 appearances in all competitions.In the 2008–09 season, Schalke finished eighth in the league table and missed out on a Europa League spot. However, his showing at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship sparked interest from Bayern Munich, with Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge declaring interest in signing the young goalkeeper. Schalke\\'s new manager Felix Magath, however, insisted that Neuer would play for Schalke in the next season. In November, he was the only German goalkeeper in the list of five nominated goalkeepers for the UEFA Team of the Year.Neuer finished the 2009–10 season with 39 appearances.For the 2010–11 season, Neuer was appointed captain and led the team to its first Champions League semi-final appearance to play against Manchester United. He also won the DFB-Pokal in his final season with the club, as Schalke defeated MSV Duisburg 5–0. On 20 April 2011, he announced that he would not be extending his contract with Schalke, which was set to expire at the end of the 2011–12 season. He received criticism from Schalke fans, who were disappointed with him leaving for a rival club. Neuer finished the season with 53 appearances.\\n\\n\\n=== Bayern Munich ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–13: Transfer and treble winner ====\\nOn 1 June 2011, Neuer made his move to Bayern Munich and signed a five-year contract that lasted until June 2016. Following initial hostility from Bayern fans towards Neuer, as some fans were unhappy about Bayern buying a Schalke keeper, a round-table discussion between Bayern and group of supporters\\' representatives took place on 2 July 2011. Among other things, it was decided that Neuer would be regarded as a full member of Bayern Munich, who should be treated with due respect. Furthermore, hostility towards him should cease. In the first weeks at Bayern, after a 0–0 draw with 1899 Hoffenheim, Neuer broke the Bayern Munich record for most competitive clean sheets in a row, having gone over 1,000 minutes without conceding, beating the record formerly held by Oliver Kahn.On 25 April 2012, Neuer saved penalty kicks from both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká and helped Bayern through the 2011–12 Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid. Following the match, Neuer revealed that he studied the way Ronaldo took his penalties. Neuer told in a press interview: \"I always prepare myself for such situations. Our goalkeeping coach, Toni Tapalović, showed me on his laptop before the match how Ronaldo usually takes his penalties. I learned that Ronaldo prefers to send the ball low to his left. In the penalty shoot-out, I was convinced that he would aim for his favourite spot.\"Bayern went on to progress to the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Chelsea, which also went to a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw. Neuer took and scored the third penalty for Bayern and also saved the first penalty taken by Juan Mata, but could not save the rest of the penalties as Munich lost the trophy 4–3 on penalties in their home stadium, the Allianz Arena. Neuer finished the season with 53 appearances.Neuer started the season by winning the 2012 DFL-Supercup. In the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League knockout phase, Neuer posted four clean sheets in a row versus both Juventus and Barcelona. In the 2013 Champions League Final against Borussia Dortmund, Neuer posted eight saves en route to Bayern\\'s fifth Champions League title. The game featured several saves from both keepers, and Neuer won the duel against Roman Weidenfeller having only conceded once to İlkay Gündoğan on a penalty shot. Neuer finished the season with 31 Bundesliga appearances, five German Cup appearances, 13 UEFA Champions League appearances, and a German Super Cup appearance.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–16: Ballon d\\'Or nomination, domestic success ====\\nNeuer started the season by losing in the 2013 DFL-Supercup to Borussia Dortmund. For the 2013 UEFA Super Cup, on 30 August 2013, he saved the last and decisive penalty which saw Bayern Munich win the match against Chelsea, taking some revenge for the lost 2012 UEFA Champions League final. In the FIFA Club World Cup, Neuer played against Guangzhou Evergrande in the semi-final and Raja Casablanca in the final. Neuer was announced as the 2013 World Goalkeeper of The Year on 7 January 2014. On 9 February, Bayern faced Arsenal in the Champions League knockout phase and Neuer saved the penalty from Mesut Özil in the first half. Bayern went on to win the game 2–0 away. On 2 May 2014, Neuer extended his contract until the summer of 2019. Neuer finished the season with 31 Bundesliga appearances, five German Cup appearances, 12 UEFA Champions League appearances, one German Super Cup appearance, one UEFA Super Cup appearance, and two FIFA Club World Cup appearances for a total of 52 appearances.\\nNeuer won the Footballer of the Year prize, was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year, and finished third in the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. Neuer started the season by losing the 2014 DFL-Supercup to Borussia Dortmund. On 30 January 2015, Neuer started on matchday 18, where Bayern lost to VfL Wolfsburg 4–1. This was the first league match since joining Bayern in 2011 where he had given up four goals in a match. The last time Bayern had conceded four goals in a match was against Wolfsburg on 4 April 2009. On 28 April 2015, Neuer was one of four Bayern players to miss in a 2–0 penalty shootout defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-final. Neuer finished the season with 32 Bundesliga appearances, five German Cup appearances, 12 UEFA Champions League appearances, and one German Super Cup appearance for a total of 50 appearances.\\nThe 2015–16 season commenced with the DFL-Supercup, where Neuer started for Bayern against VfL Wolfsburg in a match which ended in a 1–1 draw. Wolfsburg won the subsequent shootout. On 20 April 2016, Neuer extended his contract with Bayern until 2021. Neuer finished the season with 34 Bundesliga appearances, five German Cup appearances, 11 UEFA Champions League appearances, and one German Supercup appearance for a total of 51 appearances.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–20: Club captain and second treble ====\\nNeuer\\'s season began with a 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund at the 2016 DFL-Supercup as FC Bayern won the title for the first time in three years, and he kept a clean sheet in the Bundesliga opener as FC Bayern grabbed a 6–0 win over Werder Bremen. In January 2017, he was voted into the FIFA Team of the Year alongside fellow German and former Bayern teammate Toni Kroos. Neuer conceded twice in FC Bayern\\'s matches against Arsenal as the Bavarians beat the English team with an impressive 10–2 aggregate in the round of 16 of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League. Neuer was then praised for his performance in their first game of the quarterfinals against Real Madrid, although Bayern lost 1–2 to the Spanish club. During the second leg, he suffered a left foot fracture that ended his season abruptly as Bayern lost 4–2 in a controversial match. Bayern ended the season as Bundesliga champions. In addition to playing in the DFL-Supercup, Neuer played in 26 Bundesliga matches, four German Cup matches, and nine Champions League matches.\\nOn 19 July 2017, it was announced that Neuer would become the new captain for both Bayern and the Germany national team following Philipp Lahm\\'s retirement. Neuer played his first game of the season on Bundesliga matchday 2 after recovering from a foot injury that occurred in April during a Champions League game versus Real Madrid. On 13 September 2017, Neuer made his 100th European appearance in a Champions League match as his side won 3–0 over Anderlecht. It was announced in September that Neuer would be ruled out until January 2018 after another fracture to the same foot again. After series of delays on his comeback, he finally rejoined team training with Bayern Munich on 20 April 2018 after seven months away, although he had begun goalkeeping-specific training in early April. Neuer was included in the matchday squad for the first time since his injury in the DFB-Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt but he was an unused substitute. Neuer finished the season with three Bundesliga matches and a Champions League match.On 12 August 2018, Neuer captained his side in the first competitive match of the season as Bayern won the 2018 DFL-Supercup by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt with a 5–0 victory. On 24 August, Neuer played his first Bundesliga game in 341 days when he captained Bayern in a 3–1 victory season opener against Hoffenheim. On 14 April 2019, Neuer sustained a torn muscle fibres in his left calf in a Bundesliga match against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Due to the injury, Neuer missed six matches for Bayern in the closing stages of the season.On 18 May 2019, Neuer won his seventh consecutive Bundesliga title as Bayern finished two points above Dortmund. A week later, Neuer returned from injury and won his fifth DFB-Pokal as Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final. Neuer finished the season with 26 Bundesliga matches, 3 German Cup matches and 8 Champions League matches. Neuer\\'s 2019–20 started with a 2–0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup on 3 August 2019. On 21 May 2020, Neuer signed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until 2023. On 23 August, Neuer won the Champions League for the second time, his first as Bayern captain, keeping a clean sheet as his team won 1–0 over PSG. He was widely praised for his performance. He finished the season with 33 Bundesliga appearances, six German Cup appearances, and 11 UEFA Champions League appearances.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–24: The Sextuple and new records ====\\nOn 24 September 2020, Neuer saved a one-on-one chance from Sevilla\\'s Youssef En-Nesyri in the 87th minute in the 2020 UEFA Super Cup, which Bayern Munich won 2–1 after extra-time. Six days later, Neuer won the German Super Cup. On 21 October 2020, Neuer reached his 200th clean sheet with Bayern in 394 matches in a 4–0 win over Atlético Madrid in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League. His record surpassed Sepp Maier (199 clean sheets in 651 games), with only Oliver Kahn (247 clean sheets in 632 matches) ahead of Neuer. On 28 August 2021, Neuer had his 205th clean sheet in Bundesliga in 441 matches, breaking Oliver Kahn\\'s record of 204 clean sheets in 557 matches.Neuer\\'s 300th Bundesliga victory came in his 447th Bundesliga game on 23 October 2021. Bayern won the Bundesliga during the 2021–22 season with three games to spare. After the season, Neuer extended his contract with Bayern Munich until 2024. In the beginning of the 2022–23 season, he kept clean sheets in all his three matches in the Champions League, and four in 12 Bundesliga appearances. On 10 December 2022, Neuer announced that he broke his leg during a ski trip at Roßkopf on Spitzingsee in Bavaria, which would force him to miss the rest of the season.On 28 October 2023, Neuer played for the first time in 350 days, in a match which ended in an 8–0 victory over Darmstadt. A month later, he extended his contract with Bayern Munich until 30 June 2025. On 12 January 2024, in a 3–0 win over Hoffenheim, Neuer played his 500th match for FC Bayern to go level with Bastian Schweinsteiger in tenth place in the club\\'s all-time appearance rankings.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth ===\\nAfter progressing through the youth teams, Neuer made his Germany under-21 debut on 15 August 2006 against the Netherlands. He won the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with Germany in Sweden and kept a clean sheet in the 4–0 win in the final against England.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 World Cup ===\\nNeuer was called up on 19 May 2009 to the senior German squad for a tour of Asia. He made his debut on this tour in a match against the United Arab Emirates on 2 June. He played in the November friendly against the Ivory Coast that ended 2–2. Although he took responsibility for the first goal conceded, manager Joachim Löw refused to blame him and instead commended him for doing his best.The death of keeper Robert Enke in November 2009 saw him elevated to second choice goalkeeper behind René Adler. Adler, however, suffered a serious rib injury which ruled him out of the upcoming 2010 World Cup; Neuer became Germany\\'s first choice goalkeeper ahead of Tim Wiese and Hans-Jörg Butt for the tournament.Neuer was selected as Germany\\'s number one goalkeeper for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. During the group stages, he only conceded a single goal, a close range shot by Milan Jovanović in the match against Serbia. He provided the assist for Miroslav Klose\\'s opening goal against England, winning 4–1. In the same match, England\\'s Frank Lampard had a goal disallowed after his shot hit the crossbar and bounced past the goal line. Controversially, Neuer admitted that he knew it was a legitimate goal, but acted in a way to make the referee doubt this. He played in all of Germany\\'s World Cup matches apart from the third-place game against Uruguay, when Hans-Jörg Butt was rewarded with a spot in the starting lineup.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2012 ===\\nNeuer played every minute of every match in the qualification campaign for UEFA Euro 2012, helping Germany to secure ten wins out of ten games and top their group. After Germany\\'s 3–1 away win against Turkey, he was especially praised for his \"sensational\" performance. He retained a close range volley shot by Hamit Altıntop, and then he quickly threw the ball to the halfway line into the feet of Thomas Müller, who immediately provided the assist for Mario Gómez\\'s opening goal. Neuer then set up the second goal; under pressure by Turkish attackers, he fired a precise long range kick to Mario Götze deep in the opponent\\'s half, who then found Müller on the edge of the opponent\\'s penalty box to score. Neuer started all three of Germany\\'s matches in the oft-dubbed \"Group of Death\", Group B. He kept a clean sheet against Portugal while also conceding one goal each to the Netherlands and Denmark. Germany went on to win Group B; they were the only team in the tournament to win all of their group stage games. He finished group play posting two saves against Portugal, three against the Netherlands and three again against Denmark.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup ===\\nNeuer\\'s \"sweeper-keeper\" playing style distinguished him from other starting goalkeepers in the 2014 World Cup. This was credited with allowing his teammates to press deep in their opponents\\' half; in addition, Neuer\\'s willingness to come out and challenge opposing attackers caused them to miss shots. Neuer\\'s outfield roaming, which had made him the team\\'s \"11th man\", has been attributed to the coaching he received from Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola.After keeping clean sheets in group matches against Portugal and the United States, Neuer had an outstanding performance in a 2–1 win against Algeria after extra time in the round of 16, when he had to play as a sweeper-keeper to defend their counter-attacks. He recorded his third clean sheet of the World Cup in the 1–0 quarter-final defeat of France. This was his 22nd clean sheet overall in his 50th appearance for die Nationalmannschaft. In the semi-finals, Neuer conceded a late goal as his team routed hosts Brazil 7–1.On 13 July, in the FIFA World Cup Final against Argentina, Neuer was not heavily tested, but he nonetheless commanded his penalty area well, challenging attacking runs by Gonzalo Higuaín and Rodrigo Palacio that caused them to shoot wide of the net. Early in the second half, Neuer punched the ball clear before colliding with Higuaín at the edge of the box. Argentina finished the match without a shot on goal, despite several good chances, including a Higuaín goal disallowed for offside. Germany ultimately defeated Argentina 1–0 thanks to a Mario Götze goal in extra time. Neuer won the Golden Glove award for the tournament\\'s best goalkeeper. Neuer also finished the tournament with 244 completed passes, more than outfield players like Lionel Messi (242), Wesley Sneijder (242), and Thomas Müller (221).\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2016 ===\\nOn 31 May 2016, Neuer was selected for Germany\\'s final 23 man squad for UEFA Euro 2016. During the tournament, Neuer did not concede any goals during Germany\\'s three group games against Ukraine, Poland and Northern Ireland. He also kept a clean sheet in the round of 16 against Slovakia. During the quarter-finals, on 2 July 2016, he finally conceded a goal against Italy from a Leonardo Bonucci penalty kick; Neuer established a new record by not conceding a goal in a major tournament for 557 minutes. The previous record-holder was his compatriot Sepp Maier, who did not concede a goal for 481 minutes. A 1–1 draw after extra-time saw the match go to a penalty shoot-out, in which Neuer helped Germany to a 6–5 victory by saving two spot kicks, including one from Bonucci. Neuer was named Man of the Match for his performance.During this time, Neuer was a part of a collaboration between the German Football Association and The LEGO Group, who in May 2016 released a Europe-exclusive collectible minifigure series, with Neuer featured as the second of sixteen minifigures in the collection.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018 World Cup ===\\nPrior to the start of qualification, on 1 September 2016, Neuer was named new captain of the national team, following Bastian Schweinsteiger\\'s retirement from international football. On 15 May 2018, Neuer was selected in Germany\\'s 27-man preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup even though he had not played a match since fracturing his foot for a second time in September 2017. Neuer made his first appearance since his injury on 2 June, in a 2–1 friendly defeat to Austria in Klagenfurt. On 4 June, Neuer was selected in the final 23-man squad for the World Cup. On 17 June, Neuer captained his side for the first time in the World Cup in their opening match in which they lost 1–0 to Mexico. On 23 June, Neuer made several saves as his side defeated Sweden with a 2–1 victory in their second group stage match, which kept the Germans from being knocked out of the World Cup. However, his side were knocked out of the tournament after losing 2–0 to South Korea in their last group stage match.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2020 ===\\nOn 11 June 2019, in Germany\\'s UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying 8–0 victory over Estonia, Neuer kept the 37th clean sheet of his international career, breaking a record set by Sepp Maier. On 19 May 2021, Neuer was selected for the squad for the UEFA Euro 2020.On 7 June 2021, he achieved his 100th cap with the national team in a friendly match against Latvia, becoming the first German goalkeeper to reach that milestone.UEFA began investigating Neuer for wearing rainbow-coloured captain\\'s armband at the Euros to commemorate Pride month. They later confirmed it did not breach tournament rules against making on-field political statements.\\n\\n\\n=== 2022 World Cup ===\\nNeuer was called up to Germany\\'s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Hence, he became the first German goalkeeper to feature in four consecutive World Cups. On 1 December, he made his 19th World Cup appearance, breaking the previous record for goalkeepers, including both Sepp Maier and Brazil\\'s Cláudio Taffarel of 18 appearances. Despite a 4–2 win over Costa Rica in the last group stage match, Germany failed to progress from the group stage for a second consecutive World Cup as they finished third on goal difference after Japan pulled an upset 2–1 win over Spain.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nConsidered by some in the media to be the current best goalkeeper in the world, and one of the greatest goalkeepers both of his generation and of all time, Neuer is widely regarded as a \"complete\" and modern goalkeeper. He is regarded by some pundits to be the best goalkeeper of the modern era, with Peter Staunton of Goal.com labelling him as \"the best goalkeeper since Yashin,\" who is currently the only goalkeeper ever to have won the Ballon d\\'Or.A tall, large, athletic, and physically strong player, Neuer has earned critical acclaim from former players and pundits for his speed, stamina, composure, concentration, consistency, and mentality, as well as for being able to adapt to any given situation on the pitch. He is particularly known for his exceptional reflexes, shot-stopping abilities (with both his arms and legs), agility, speed, and footwork, as well as his handling, capacity to read the game, and ability to come out to collect crosses, which enables him to command his area effectively. When the situation demands, he will also often essentially fill the role of a sweeper when opposing players have beaten the offside trap or his team\\'s defensive line by quickly rushing out of goal to anticipate opponents and clear the ball; his skill, speed and decision-making in this area enables his teams to maintain a high defensive line. Because of his unique playing style, Neuer has been described as a \"sweeper-keeper\", and has been credited with revolutionising the role of the goalkeeper in modern times. He has also been praised by pundits for his positioning between the posts, as well as his ability in one-on-one situations; furthermore, he is effective at stopping penalties, and has also been known to take and score them in shoot-outs.A former outfield player in his youth, in addition to his goalkeeping ability, Neuer has also been praised for his excellent ball control and for his accurate distribution of the ball with both his hands and feet; his long throwing range and ability to kick the ball into deep areas with either foot enables him to play the ball out on the ground or create plays or launch swift counter-attacks from the back. Regarding his technical skills on the ball in comparison to other players in his role, Neuer has stated that he could play in the German third division as a centre-back if so desired. Due to his authoritative leadership and vocal presence in goal, he also excels at communicating with his defenders and organising his team\\'s defensive line. In 2015, Gianluigi Buffon described Neuer as the best goalkeeper of his era in the air.Despite the praise for his style of play and role in the development of the goalkeeper position in football, Neuer has also received criticism in the German media for his reflex-like objection to attacking moves in his box regardless of whether they violate rules or not. In particular, his tendency to instantaneously raise his arm to alert the referee has led to the creation of the German word Reklamierarm (roughly translated: arm of objection) in German media.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nNeuer was born in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. He attended Gesamtschule Berger Feld, like many other footballers, such as Mesut Özil. His brother Marcel is currently a football referee in the Verbandsliga. He received his first football when he was two, and he had his first game on 3 March 1991, 24 days before his fifth birthday. Neuer\\'s hero and idol as a child was fellow German and former Schalke goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.Neuer is Catholic, and lends his support to a Gelsenkirchen-based Catholic social action group which campaigns against child poverty and a Gelsenkirchen-based youth club run by the Amigonians.Neuer started a charity foundation for children, named the Manuel Neuer Kids Foundation. In November 2011, he won €500,000 for charity in a celebrity edition of Wer wird Millionär?, the German version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Neuer was in a relationship with Kathrin Gilch until 2014. In 2015, Neuer started a relationship with Nina Weiss. On 21 May 2017, Neuer and Weiss married in Tannheim, Austria, in a civil ceremony, which was followed by a church wedding in the Cathedral of Santissima della Madia in Monopoli, Italy, on 10 June. The couple separated in early 2020, and Neuer started dating Anika Bissel, a handball player born on June 11, 2000 in Erlangen. In October 2023, reports stated that she would miss the rest of the season with ESV 1927 Regensburg due to pregnancy.After an erroneous translation of his statement \"it would be good if a professional football player came out because it would help others to do the same\", a South American publication concluded that he was gay, which was taken up by many other media outlets and has since been widely believed in some Latin American countries. Mexico were fined for their fans\\' homophobic chants when Neuer had the ball during a World Cup match in 2018.In November 2022, Neuer revealed that he had to undergo three surgeries on his face in order to treat skin cancer, which later urged him to work with Angelique Kerber to promote sun cream. In December 2022, Bayern Munich announced that he had suffered a fracture of his lower right leg while skiing and would not be able to play for the rest of the season.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 10 February 2024\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of match played 1 December 2022\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nSchalke 04\\nDFB-Pokal: 2010–11\\nDFL-Ligapokal: 2005Bayern Munich\\nBundesliga: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23\\nDFB-Pokal: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20\\nDFL-Supercup: 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022\\nUEFA Champions League: 2012–13, 2019–20\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2013, 2020\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2013, 2020Germany U21\\n\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2009Germany\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2014; third place: 2010Individual\\n\\nFritz Walter Medal U19 Silver: 2005\\nkicker Goalkeeper of the Year: 2006–2007, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22\\nFootballer of the Year in Germany: 2011, 2014\\nGermany national team Player of the Year: 2020\\nESM Team of the Season: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship All-time Dream Team\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020\\nIFFHS World\\'s Best Goalkeeper of the Decade: 2011–2020\\nBest European Goalkeeper: 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020\\nIFFHS Men\\'s World Team: 2020\\nFIFA FIFPro World 11: 2013, 2014 2015, 2016\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020\\nUEFA Champions League Final Fan\\'s Man of the Match: 2013\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2019–20\\nUEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season: 2019–20\\nThe Best FIFA Men\\'s Goalkeeper: 2020\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010\\nFIFA World Cup Golden Glove: 2014\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2014\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014\\nAIPS Athlete of the Year: 2014\\nAIPS Europe Athlete of the Year – Frank Taylor Trophy: 2014\\nBundesliga Team of the Season: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21, 2021–22\\nkicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2010–11, 2019–20, 2020–2021\\nBallon d\\'Or Dream Team (Silver): 2020\\nIFFHS World Team of the Decade: 2011–2020\\nIFFHS UEFA Team of the Decade: 2011–2020Orders\\n\\n Silbernes Lorbeerblatt: 2010, 2014\\n Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia: 2019\\n Bavarian Order of Merit: 2021\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website (in German)\\nManuel Neuer at FC Bayern Munich\\nManuel Neuer at DFB (also available in German) \\nManuel Neuer – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nManuel Neuer – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nManuel Neuer at kicker (in German) \\nManuel Neuer at fussballdaten.de (in German) \\nManuel Neuer at National-Football-Teams.com \\nManuel Neuer at Soccerway \\nManuel Neuer at ESPN FC\\nASHLEY COLEAshley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is an English football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a left-back, most notably for Arsenal and Chelsea. Cole is considered by many critics and fellow professional players as one of the best defenders of his generation, one of the greatest English players of all time as well as one of the greatest left-backs in the history of the sport. Born in Stepney, London, Cole began his youth career at Arsenal and made his full debut for the club in November 1999, going on to make 228 appearances and scoring nine goals for the North London club. With Arsenal he won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and was an integral member of the \"Invincibles\" team of the 2003–04 season, who went the entire league season undefeated. Cole also made an appearance in Arsenal\\'s first UEFA Champions League final in 2006; the club lost 2–1 to Barcelona.\\nIn August 2006, after a protracted transfer saga, Cole completed a move to rival club Chelsea, with whom he won further honours, including the Premier League in the 2009–10 season, four FA Cups, one Football League Cup and one UEFA Champions League. He was released by Chelsea at the end of the 2013–14 season. With seven winners\\' medals, Cole has won the FA Cup more times than any other player in history, and is one of two players to have won the Double with two clubs, along with Nicolas Anelka.Cole was an England international from 2001 to 2014, playing at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups, as well as Euro 2004 and Euro 2012. He was voted England Player of the Year in 2010. When he retired from international football in 2014, he had won 107 caps, making him England\\'s most-capped full-back.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nCole\\'s father, Ron Callender, is from Barbados. He left the family after seven years of marriage and later moved to Australia. Cole and his younger brother Matthew were brought up by their mother Sue Cole, going to Bow School in Tower Hamlets.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Arsenal: 1999–2006 ===\\nCole started his career by joining his local club, Arsenal, whom he had supported as a child. At the age of 18, on 30 November 1999, he made his first team debut in the League Cup fourth round against Middlesbrough; Arsenal lost 1–3 on penalties after the match ended 2–2 at the end of extra time at the Riverside Stadium. On 25 February 2000, he signed his first professional contract. His Premier League debut came on 14 May 2000 against Newcastle United, as part of an experimental side that lost 4–2 away on the final day of the season. Before he fully broke into the Arsenal side, he spent part of the 1999–2000 season on loan at Crystal Palace, where he played 14 league matches and scored one goal, a long-range half-volley against Blackburn Rovers. When Sylvinho, Arsenal\\'s established left-back, suffered an injury in the autumn of the 2000–01 season, Cole took the opportunity to establish himself in the first team and remained first-choice even after the Brazilian\\'s recovery.With Arsenal, he won the FA Premier League twice (in 2002 and 2004), and the FA Cup three times (in 2002, 2003 and 2005, scoring in the penalty shootout in the final of the latter). Although injured for much of the 2005–06 season, he recovered in time to play in Arsenal\\'s UEFA Champions League final defeat to Barcelona at the end of the season. In total he made 228 first-team appearances for the Gunners, scoring nine goals.\\nCole had a very good season in 2004–05. He was a regular at left-back for both England and Arsenal despite Gaël Clichy\\'s claim for a place in the first team squad. Cole scored his first goal of the season in the seventh game in a tough trip to Manchester City in which he scored the opening and only goal to give Arsenal an important win. He scored his second goal in a 3–1 away win to Aston Villa, scoring Arsenal\\'s third in only the 28th minute.\\n\\n\\n=== Transfer saga: 2005–2006 ===\\nCole was found guilty of making contact with league rivals Chelsea over a possible move, without informing Arsenal. He was fined £100,000 by the Premier League on 2 June 2005 for a tapping-up meeting at a hotel in January 2005. Cole, his agent Jonathan Barnett, the Chelsea manager José Mourinho and chief executive Peter Kenyon, and agent Pini Zahavi were present at the meeting. An appeal in August 2005 did not reject the guilty verdict, but his fine was reduced to £75,000. Chelsea were also fined £300,000 and Mourinho was fined £200,000, reduced on appeal in August 2005 to £75,000. Barnett\\'s licence was suspended for 18 months and he was also fined £100,000.On 18 July 2005, Cole signed a one-year extension to his contract with Arsenal, but just a year later departed from the club in acrimonious circumstances. On 15 July 2006, Cole launched a verbal attack on Arsenal; in his autobiography, he claimed that the Arsenal board had treated him as a \"scapegoat\" and that they had \"fed him to the sharks\" over the tapping-up affair while Arsenal, from their part, insisted that they were legally obliged to punish Cole for his illegal contact with Chelsea. Cole was deliberately left out of Arsenal\\'s 2006–07 team photograph, fuelling press speculation that he would leave.\\nOn 28 July 2006, Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein confirmed that Arsenal and Chelsea had been in \"civil talks\" about the player. Chelsea insisted they would not raise their £16 million bid for Cole, but Arsenal held out for at a higher valuation of £25 million. Negotiations continued throughout August and looked to be heading for deadlock, but eventually Cole signed for Chelsea on 31 August for a fee of £5 million, with William Gallas being transferred from Chelsea to Arsenal as part of the same deal. The deal was closed after the transfer window had officially ended, and was not confirmed until an hour and a half after the deadline had passed. The move angered Arsenal fans, who dubbed him \"Cashley\" and waved fake £20 notes with Cole\\'s face on them at him when the two clubs faced each other on 10 December 2006.Arsenal had offered Cole a longer contract to stay at the club, but he had been left \"trembling with anger\" when they offered him wages of £55,000 per week. His wage increased to £120,000 a week when he signed a new contract in September 2009.\\n\\n\\n=== Chelsea: 2006–2014 ===\\nCole was given the number 3 shirt at Chelsea, and made his first appearance for the club as a substitute for Wayne Bridge in their 2–1 win over Charlton Athletic on 9 September. He issued a public statement concerning his transfer saying he \"forgave\" Arsenal for how he felt he was treated during his time there.On 31 January 2007, Cole suffered a serious knee injury in the 3–0 victory over Blackburn Rovers in a Premier League game at Stamford Bridge, although after a scan it was revealed to be not as bad as first thought, with Chelsea optimistic that he would return before the end of the 2006–07 season. Cole did indeed make a return at the end of the season, playing in the last twelve minutes of the 2007 FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium against Manchester United. Chelsea emerged victorious 1–0 after extra-time with a goal scored by Didier Drogba, to win the 2007 FA Cup.\\nCole was reportedly one of the players upset when José Mourinho was relieved of his position as Chelsea manager. He was dropped in favour of Wayne Bridge for the 2008 Football League Cup final, which Chelsea lost 2–1 to Tottenham Hotspur. However, Cole scored his first Chelsea goal in Chelsea\\'s very next game, on 1 March 2008, the fourth goal in a 4–0 away victory against West Ham United. On 19 March 2008, Cole was involved in a controversial incident in a Premier League game against Tottenham at White Hart Lane where he performed a high tackle on Tottenham\\'s Alan Hutton. Referee Mike Riley gave Cole a yellow card, a decision which was judged as too lenient by some analysts. Cole allegedly also \"turned his back on the referee\" and the episode renewed debate in the media over the game\\'s rules on dissent towards officials.\\nAfter starting Chelsea\\'s first six games in the league, Cole scored his third, fourth and fifth Chelsea goals at home to Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland respectively. On 2 September 2009, he signed a new four-year deal which will contract him to Chelsea until 2013.\\nOn 10 February 2010, he suffered a fractured left ankle in the 2–1 defeat against Everton that kept him out of action for three months. He eventually made his return against Stoke City, a game which Chelsea won 7–0. Cole scored a goal against Wigan Athletic on the last day of the Premier League in an 8–0 win as Chelsea claimed the title. He then played in the 2010 FA Cup final, where Chelsea beat Portsmouth to give Cole the second league and cup double of his career. He started all 38 league games for Chelsea in the 2010–11 season, and was awarded the Chelsea F.C. Player\\'s Player of the Year award for the second time.\\n\\nIn the 2011–12 season, Cole won the seventh FA Cup of his career after Chelsea beat Liverpool 2–1 in the 2012 FA Cup final. In the Champions League semi-finals against Barcelona, Cole was pivotal in Chelsea\\'s 1–0 victory which included a goal-line clearance that denied Barça an away goal. Cole also received praise for his role in the final against Bayern Munich on 19 May 2012, both for his defending, and for scoring in the decisive penalty shoot-out as Chelsea won the club\\'s first European Cup.Cole scored his first goal for over two years against Stoke City on 22 September 2012, proving to be the winner. On 1 December 2012, Cole made his 350th Premier League appearance, in a 3–1 away loss to West Ham United.On 22 January 2013, Cole signed a one-year extension to his contract with Chelsea. Cole again helped the club win a European title during the 2012–13 season, playing in a 2–1 victory over Benfica in the 2013 UEFA Europa League final on 15 May.During the 2013–14 season, Cole was dropped from the Chelsea team, with César Azpilicueta replacing him as the club\\'s first choice left-back in the month of November. Cole captained the team on the last match day against Cardiff City in a 2–1 away win which turned out to be his last in a Chelsea shirt. On 23 May 2014, after the end of the season, he was included on the list of players released by Chelsea. Cole\\'s contract expired on 30 June 2014.\\n\\n\\n=== Roma ===\\nOn 7 July 2014, Cole signed a two-year deal with Roma. He made his competitive debut on 30 August in their first game of the Serie A season, playing the full 90 minutes of a 2–0 win over Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico. On 19 January 2016, Cole terminated his contract with Roma with one year of his contract remaining.\\n\\n\\n=== LA Galaxy ===\\nCole signed with LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer on 27 January 2016. On 24 February, he made his debut in a goalless home draw against Santos Laguna in the CONCACAF Champions League; on 6 March, he made his league debut in the first game of the 2016 season, playing the full 90 minutes of a 4–1 win over D.C. United at the StubHub Center. Manager Bruce Arena praised Cole and fellow veteran new signing Nigel de Jong after the result. On 1 May, he was sent off for a second booking in a 1–1 draw at Sporting Kansas City. Cole was ejected following a clumsy tackle on Benny Feilhaber after being cautioned just 32 seconds earlier. He received his second dismissal of the season on 25 June in the match against San Jose Earthquakes. Cole had been booked for a reckless tackle and as emotions were high, a melee ensued. The referee deemed Cole\\'s reaction worthy of another booking and as a result he received his marching orders for the second time in eight league games.On 7 August 2016, Cole scored his first goal for the Galaxy, a last-minute equaliser in a 2–2 home draw against the New York Red Bulls. His team qualified for the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, where they lost the Western Conference semi-finals to the Colorado Rapids on penalties. Cole\\'s attempt was saved by Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard, and after the game he apologised publicly to his long-time England teammate Steven Gerrard, who was playing his final professional match for the Galaxy that night.In his second season in California, Cole saw another red card on 23 August 2017 after 18 minutes of a 2–0 loss at Columbus Crew SC for a foul on Pedro Santos. He played 29 matches for the Galaxy, scoring once in a 6–2 home loss to Real Salt Lake, as the team came dead last and missed out on the play-offs for the first time since 2008.Head coach Sigi Schmid named Cole as captain ahead of the 2018 season. The Galaxy missed the play-offs again. He was released by LA Galaxy at the end of their 2018 season.\\n\\n\\n=== Derby County ===\\nOn 21 January 2019, Cole joined Championship side Derby County, reuniting with manager Frank Lampard who was his teammate at Chelsea and with England. He signed a contract until the end of the 2018–19 season. He was released at the end of the season. On 18 August 2019, Cole officially announced his retirement.\\n\\n\\n== Coaching career ==\\nCole became a coach at Derby after retiring from playing, and later followed Frank Lampard to Chelsea where he was an academy coach.On 27 July 2021, Cole was named as assistant coach of the England U21s alongside head coach Lee Carsley, combining his duties with his role at Chelsea\\'s academy.\\nOn 3 February 2022, Cole joined Everton as a first-team coach, again joining up with Frank Lampard who had recently been appointed as manager.On 23 January 2023, Cole left Everton as a result of Frank Lampard leaving the club.When Wayne Rooney was appointed manager of EFL Championship club Birmingham City in October 2023, Cole joined his staff as a first-team coach.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nCole has played for England at youth and senior levels. He was capped for the England U-20 team at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship alongside Stuart Taylor, Peter Crouch, Andrew Johnson and Matthew Etherington. However, the team finished bottom of their group, suffering three defeats without scoring any goals. He also made four appearances for England under-21s, scoring once.\\nAfter just four appearances for the Under-21s, Cole was fast-tracked into the England senior team and Sven-Göran Eriksson handed Cole his senior international debut against Albania, on 28 March 2001. He played for England at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, UEFA Euro 2004 (where he was named as one of four England players in the all-star squad for the tournament) and UEFA Euro 2012.\\nCole was also an ever-present for England in the 2006 World Cup; in their second round match against Ecuador he made a crucial block, deflecting Carlos Tenorio\\'s shot onto the crossbar. The match ended with England winning 1–0, but the team were knocked out on penalties by Portugal in the quarter-finals. By the end of 2008, Cole had achieved 68 caps for England, all of which were starting appearances.He made his 79th appearance for England on 12 June 2010 in the 1–1 draw against the United States in the 2010 World Cup Group stage match. He beat the record of 79 caps by a black English international (John Barnes, who appeared for England from 1983 to 1995) when he played against Algeria later that month. He has played more internationals without scoring than any other outfield player in England history. He won his 86th cap against Montenegro in October 2010, and alongside Kenny Sansom, Cole is now England\\'s most-capped full-back in history, an achievement which helped him pick up the England Player of the Year award for 2010, as voted for by fans. On 6 February 2013, he earned his 100th cap as England beat Brazil 2–1 at Wembley.On 11 May 2014, he announced his retirement from international football after being omitted from the England squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\n\\nCole\\'s game incorporates an attacking approach to his play, which supports his teams\\' forward play. As a youth, he \"always liked scoring goals and attacking\", but grew to love the role of defending, as being a left-back was the only opportunity of breaking into the seniors. Prior to his inclusion in the Arsenal first team, Cole studied the conduct of fellow defender Nigel Winterburn to improve his play; Winterburn concurrently offered pointers to improve his positioning. He modelled his game on Brazilian Roberto Carlos: \"He\\'s got natural talent, but I think if you train hard enough you can be nearly as good as that.\"Liam Brady described Cole as a player with \"great character and determination\" and his former teammate Sylvinho noted that one of Cole\\'s qualities was being competent: \"Ashley does not need people saying, \\'Do this\\' or \\'Go there\\'. He knows, he knows.\" The rapid progress made by Cole in his debut season for Arsenal \"surprised\" Wenger and prompted him to make the defender his first pick. Sylvinho, the player displaced, commented that Wenger\\'s belief in Cole helped him to develop as a player: \"He spoke to [Cole] and said: \\'After Silvinho you can play left-back. You are one of the best left-backs at the club and one day will be one of the best in the world.\\'\" Cole\\'s link-up play with winger Robert Pires and main striker Thierry Henry in a 4–4–2 formation effectively made him \"a wing-back or winger playing in a back four\" because Arsenal\\'s game emphasised attacking football.Under José Mourinho at Chelsea, Cole\\'s attacking threat was restrained, meaning it allowed the player to focus more on defending and marking. This was a \"side of his game\" Cole improved the most according to Winterburn, given he was criticised in the past for being caught out of position. The arrival of Luiz Felipe Scolari however ensured Cole made forward runs in the opposition\\'s half; Aston Villa manager Martin O\\'Neill believed the liberation of Cole was a sign that he was \"back playing to his very best\".Cole is renowned for making timed goal-line clearances and \"cutting out danger\". In a league match against Tottenham Hotspur in December 2002, he made two notable clearances, which demonstrated to him that his defensive game had improved. He also made two goal line clearances in Chelsea\\'s 2011–12 Champions League winning campaign. The first was against Napoli, in a 3–1 round-of-16 first leg defeat, and the second in Chelsea\\'s semi-final first leg 1–0 win against Barcelona. Both were vital as Chelsea went on to win the ties with a margin of one goal on aggregate, eventually lifting the Champions League. Cole is said to have a \"mean streak\", and has been labelled a \"dirty player\", something which he himself and his former coaches have strongly denied.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nCole began a relationship with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Tweedy in September 2004, when they were living in the same block of flats in London; they married on 15 July 2006 in Wrotham Park, Hertfordshire. In January 2008, the couple almost separated after allegations were made that Cole had affairs with three other women. He, however, disputed the allegations and the couple stayed together. It was announced on 23 February 2010 that the couple would separate following new allegations of adultery. Three months later, it was announced that Cheryl was filing for divorce. They officially divorced on 3 September 2010. Cole has a son (born 2016) and a daughter (born 2018) with the Italian model Sharon Canu.In 2006, Cole sued the News of the World and The Sun newspapers for libel after they printed allegations that he was involved in a \"homosexual orgy\". Both papers retracted the allegations. The same year, Cole released an autobiography titled My Defence, which sold 4,000 copies in the first six weeks of release. Cole\\'s former teammate, Jens Lehmann, criticised Cole for writing an autobiography when he was 25.Cole has had a couple of minor brushes with the police. On 4 March 2009 he was held after swearing in front of a police officer outside a South Kensington nightclub. He was taken to a police station and issued with an £80 fixed penalty notice before being released. On 4 January 2010, Cole was convicted of a speeding offence committed on 17 November 2009. He was recorded exceeding the speed limit by doing 104 mph in a 50 mph zone on the A3 road in Kingston upon Thames, a residential stretch. His defence at Kingston Magistrates\\' Court, opposing the charge in his absence, argued unsuccessfully that the police speed gun was faulty. Cole also claimed that his actions were excuseable because he was trying to evade the paparazzi. On 29 January he was fined £1000 and disqualified from driving for four months.On 27 February 2011, Cole accidentally shot Tom Cowan, a 21-year-old sports science student on work experience at Chelsea, with a .22 calibre air rifle from only five feet away at the club\\'s Cobham Training Centre, apparently unaware that the rifle was loaded. Cole formally apologised to Cowan, and discussed the incident with Chelsea officials.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nArsenal\\n\\nPremier League: 2001–02, 2003–04\\nFA Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05; runner-up: 2000–01\\nFA Community Shield: 2002, 2004\\nUEFA Champions League runner-up: 2005–06Chelsea\\n\\nPremier League: 2009–10\\nFA Cup: 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12\\nFootball League Cup: 2006–07; runner-up: 2007–08\\nFA Community Shield: 2009\\nUEFA Champions League: 2011–12; runner-up: 2007–08\\nUEFA Europa League: 2012–13Individual\\n\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2002–03 Premier League, 2003–04 Premier League, 2004–05 Premier League, 2010–11 Premier League\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2004\\nUEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2010\\nChelsea Players\\' Player of the Year: 2008–09, 2010–11\\nChelsea Goal of the Season: 2009–10 vs Sunderland\\nEngland Player of the Year: 2010\\nPremier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12):Fantasy Teams of the 20 Seasons (Public and Panel choice)\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nAshley Cole – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nAshley Cole at Soccerbase\\nWAYNE ROONEYWayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of Birmingham City. Widely considered one of the best players of his generation, Rooney is the record goalscorer for Manchester United, and was the record goalscorer for the England national team from 2015 to 2023. He has also made more appearances for England than any other outfield player. Rooney spent most of his playing career as a forward, but was also used in various midfield roles.\\nRooney joined the Everton youth team at the age of nine and made his professional debut for the club in 2002 at the age of 16. He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club before moving to Manchester United for £25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window, where he won 16 trophies and became the only English player, alongside teammate Michael Carrick, to win the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup. He scored 253 goals for United in all competitions, making him the club\\'s top goalscorer of all time; his 183 Premier League goals for United is the third-most scored by a player in that competition for any single club, behind only Harry Kane (188 goals for Tottenham Hotspur) and Sergio Agüero (184 goals for Manchester City). Rooney\\'s 208 Premier League goals make him that competition\\'s third-highest scorer of all time. He also has the third-highest number of assists in the Premier League, with 103.Rooney made his senior international debut for England in February 2003, aged 17, and is England\\'s youngest-ever goalscorer. He played at UEFA Euro 2004 and scored four goals, briefly becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship. Rooney later featured at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups, and was widely regarded as his country\\'s best player. He has won the England Player of the Year award four times, in 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015. With 53 goals in 120 international caps, Rooney is England\\'s second-most-capped player (behind Peter Shilton) and second-top goalscorer.\\nRooney won the PFA Players\\' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year awards for the 2009–10 season, and he has won the Premier League Player of the Month award five times throughout his career. He came fifth in the vote for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or, and he was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for 2011. He won the Goal of the Season award by the BBC\\'s Match of the Day poll on three occasions, and his February 2011 bicycle kick against city rivals Manchester City won the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards Best Goal award.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nWayne Mark Rooney was born in the Croxteth area of Liverpool on 24 October 1985, the son of Jeanette Marie (née Morrey) and Thomas Wayne Rooney. He is of Irish descent through his father, and was brought up as a Roman Catholic with his younger brothers Graham and John. He and his brothers attended Our Lady and St Swithin\\'s Primary School and De La Salle School. John also later became a footballer. Rooney grew up supporting Everton. He admired Brazilian striker Ronaldo, with Rooney stating that \"as an out-and-out forward [Ronaldo] was probably the best\".\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Everton ===\\n\\n\\n==== Youth squads ====\\nRooney began playing for Liverpool Schoolboys and scored 72 goals in one season, a record which stood until May 2010. At the age of nine, Rooney played for Copplehouse boys\\' club in the local Walton and Kirkdale junior league and scored 99 goals in his final season before being spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton. Rooney joined Everton at age nine, and was the Everton mascot for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool as an 11-year-old. In the 1995–96 season, he scored 114 goals in 29 games for Everton\\'s under-10s and 11s, and by the age of 15, he was playing for the under-19s. He scored eight goals in eight games during Everton\\'s run to the FA Youth Cup Final in 2002. This included one goal in the final defeat against Aston Villa and, upon scoring, he revealed a T-shirt that read, \"Once a Blue, always a Blue.\" Rooney was included in Everton\\'s first team squad for their training camp in Austria in the summer of 2002 and scored his first senior goal in a 3–1 friendly victory over SC Weiz on 15 July.\\n\\n\\n==== First team breakthrough ====\\n\\nRooney was an unused substitute in Everton\\'s 1–0 away win over Southampton on 20 April 2002. He made his senior debut on 17 August in a 2–2 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur, starting the match and assisting the first goal by Mark Pembridge. He became the second-youngest first-team player in Everton history behind Joe Royle. In that match, he was booed by the Spurs fans who shouted \"Who are ya?\" whenever he touched the ball. His first senior goals came on 2 October when he scored twice in a 3–0 away win over Wrexham in the second round of the League Cup. These goals meant that Rooney was Everton\\'s youngest-ever goalscorer at the time.On 19 October, five days before his 17th birthday, Rooney scored a last-minute winning goal against Arsenal. The goal ended Arsenal\\'s 30-match unbeaten run, and also made Rooney the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, a record that has since been surpassed by James Milner and James Vaughan. He scored in a 1–0 away win over Leeds United 15 days later.In December, Rooney was named 2002\\'s BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. Six days after claiming the award he scored the winning goal against Blackburn Rovers in a 2–1 home win. His first career red card came on Boxing Day in a 1–1 away draw against Birmingham City for a late challenge on Steve Vickers. In January 2003, Rooney signed his first professional contract, which made him one of world football\\'s highest-paid teenagers. Rooney\\'s first goal of 2003 came on 23 March, netting Everton\\'s only goal in a 2–1 loss at Arsenal. In April, he scored a goal in Everton\\'s 2–1 home win over Newcastle United, before hitting a last-minute winner against Aston Villa in another 2–1 home win. He ended his debut season with eight goals in 37 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees.Rooney scored his first goal of the 2003–04 season in a 2–2 away draw against Charlton Athletic on 26 August 2003. He did not find the net again until December when he scored in a 2–1 away win over Portsmouth, and a 3–2 home win over Leicester City. His final goal of 2003 came on his 50th league appearance, netting in a 1–0 home win over Birmingham City on 28 December. On 21 February 2004, Rooney scored two goals in a Premier League game for the first time in a 3–3 away draw against Southampton. He scored the sole goal in a 1–0 win over Portsmouth on 13 March, before scoring in a 1–1 away draw against Leicester City one week later. He scored his final goal of the season in a 1–1 away draw against Leeds United on 13 April.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2004–2007: Adapting to the Red Devils ====\\nIn July 2004, Everton offered Rooney a new five-year contract valued at £50,000 per week, the most lucrative ever offered by the club. Amidst increasing speculation linking Rooney with a transfer, Everton chairman Bill Kenwright admitted the club\\'s financial situation meant a transfer would \"revitalise\" the club. Everton rejected a bid of £20 million from Newcastle, and Rooney submitted a transfer request on 27 August, with Moyes saying he would not leave unless the club got the right price for him. He ultimately signed for Manchester United at the end of the month after an initial £20 million deal was reached, with an additional £7 million in contingency payments, with Rooney signing a five-year contract. It was the highest fee ever paid for a player under 20 years old; Rooney was still only 18 when he left Everton. Sir Alex Ferguson, then manager of United, said that \"There were plenty of eyebrows raised\" when he persuaded the club\\'s board of directors to sanction \"a multi-million pound\" move to try to sign Rooney from Everton. In an appearance on United\\'s official podcast in 2020, Rooney revealed Everton had wanted him to sign for Chelsea to ensure a bigger transfer fee, while the mooted transfer to Newcastle would have seen a clause put in place for him to leave after a year to join United.\\n\\nRooney was given the number 8 shirt upon his arrival at Old Trafford. He made his United debut on 28 September in a 6–2 home win over Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Champions League, scoring a hat-trick and laying on an assist. These goals made Rooney the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League aged 18 years 335 days. His first season with Manchester United, however, ended without winning a trophy as they could only manage a third-place finish in the league, and failed to progress to the last eight of the Champions League. United had more success in the cup competitions, but were edged out of the League Cup in the semi-finals by a Chelsea side who also won the Premier League title that season. Rooney\\'s second goal in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough on 29 January 2005, a volley hit with the outside of his right foot from the edge of the 18-yard box, was named BBC Goal of the Season. A goalless draw with Arsenal in the FA Cup final was followed by a penalty shoot-out defeat. Rooney was United\\'s top league scorer that season with 11 goals, and was credited with the PFA Young Player of the Year award.\\nIn September 2005, Rooney was sent off in a goalless Champions League match against Villarreal of Spain for sarcastically clapping the referee, who had booked him for an unintentional foul on an opponent. His first trophy with United came in the 2005–06 League Cup, and he was also named man of the match after scoring twice in the final as United won 4–0 against Wigan Athletic. His club finished the season as Premier League runners up, with their title hopes ended in late April when they lost 3–0 away to champions Chelsea. Rooney sustained a broken metatarsal in that game after a tackle from Paulo Ferreira. Rooney scored a total of 16 goals in 26 Premier League games in the 2005–06 season.Rooney was sent off in the 2006 Amsterdam Tournament match against Porto on 4 August 2006 after hitting Porto defender Pepe with his elbow. He was punished with a three-match ban by the FA, following their receipt of a 23-page report from referee Ruud Bossen that explained his decision. Rooney threatened to withdraw the FA\\'s permission to use his image if they did not revoke the ban, although the FA had no power to make such a decision.\\nDuring the first half of the 2006–07 season, Rooney endured a ten-game scoreless streak before scoring a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers. He subsequently signed a two-year contract extension the following month that tied him to United until 2012. In April 2007, Rooney scored and provided an assist for Chris Eagles in a crucial 4–2 league win for Manchester United at his former club Everton, a game that also became notable for Rooney\\'s response to fans that once cheered him.\\n\\n\\'Once a Blue, always a Blue\\'. Wayne Rooney\\'s infamous t-shirt was supposed to declare his love for Everton but later fuelled the feeling of betrayal felt by some Everton supporters after his transfer to Manchester United. The boos rang out as loud as ever when Rooney and co. took on Everton at Goodison Park. On 50 minutes, with Everton 2–0 up, it seemed the home fans would have the last laugh. However, United fought back and levelled before Rooney tapped in at the far post with 11 minutes to go – and promptly kissed the badge of his United shirt.\\nIn the same month, Rooney scored two goals in an 8–3 aggregate Champions League quarter-final win over Roma and two more in the same competition at the end of April, in a 3–2 semi-final first leg victory over AC Milan. Rooney collected his first Premier League title winner\\'s medal at the end of the 2006–07 season. He scored 14 league goals that season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2007–2010: The number 10 shirt ====\\nIn June 2007, Rooney was given squad number 10, last worn by Ruud van Nistelrooy. Rooney reasoned that he always loved that number. He fractured his left metatarsal in United\\'s opening-day goalless draw against Reading on 12 August, the same injury he had suffered to his right foot in 2004. After being sidelined for six weeks, he returned and scored in United\\'s 1–0 Champions League group stage win over Roma on 2 October. Rooney was again injured on 9 November, hurting his ankle during a training session and missing an additional two weeks. His next match after injury was against Fulham on 3 December, in which he played 70 minutes. Rooney missed ten games and finished the 2007–08 season with 18 goals (12 of them in the league), as United clinched the Premier League. In the Champions League\\'s first-ever all-English final, United defeated league rivals Chelsea to win another trophy.\\nRooney played in 2008 UEFA Super Cup where United lost to Zenit Saint Petersburg and was unable to make an impact. On 4 October 2008, in an away win over Blackburn, Rooney became the youngest player to make 200 Premier League appearances. On 18 December, Rooney scored twice in the 5–3 semi-final victory over Japanese club Gamba Osaka in the FIFA Club World Cup, and, after scoring the winning goal as United beat LDU Quito 1–0 in the final in Yokohama, was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament. On 14 January after scoring 54 seconds into the 1–0 win over Wigan, Rooney limped off with a hamstring injury in the eighth minute. On 25 April 2009, Rooney scored his final league goals of the season against Tottenham; United scored five goals in the second half to come from 2–0 down to win 5–2; Rooney scored two goals, set up two and provided the assist that led to the penalty for United\\'s first goal. On 27 May, Rooney played against Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League Final in Rome, with United losing 2–0. Rooney ended the season with 20 goals in all competitions. Once again, he managed 12 goals in the league.Rooney scored in the 90th minute of the season-opening 2009 Community Shield, although United lost the game to Chelsea on penalties. He then scored the only goal of the first league game of the 2009–10 season against Birmingham City, taking his overall United tally to 99. On 22 August, he became the 20th Manchester United player to score 100 goals for the club, when he found the net twice in a 5–0 away win at Wigan. On 29 August, United played Arsenal at Old Trafford. Rooney scored a goal from the penalty spot to level the game after Andrey Arshavin had put the Gunners ahead. The game finished 2–1 to Manchester United after Abou Diaby scored an own goal. On 28 November 2009, Rooney scored his first hat-trick for three years in a 4–1 away victory against Portsmouth, with two of the goals being penalties. On 27 December 2009, he was awarded Man of the Match against Hull City. He was involved in all the goals scored in the game, hitting the opener and then giving away the ball for Hull\\'s equalising penalty. He then forced Andy Dawson into conceding an own goal and then set up Dimitar Berbatov for United\\'s third goal which gave them a 3–1 victory. On 30 December 2009, Rooney scored another goal as United beat Wigan 5–0 in their final game of the decade.\\nOn 23 January 2010, Rooney scored all four goals in Manchester United\\'s 4–0 win over Hull; three of the goals came in the last ten minutes of the match. This was the first time in his career that he registered four goals in a single match. On 27 January 2010, he continued his scoring run by heading the winner in the second minute of stoppage time against derby rivals Manchester City. This gave United a 4–3 aggregate win, taking them into the final; it was his first League Cup goal since netting two in the 2006 final. On 31 January 2010, Rooney scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 3–1 win over Arsenal for the first time in the league at Emirates Stadium, notably his first Premier League goal also came against Arsenal. On 16 February 2010, Rooney hit his first European goals of the season, scoring two headers in the 3–2 away win against Milan in Manchester United\\'s first ever win against them at the San Siro. On 28 February 2010, he scored another header against Aston Villa (his fifth consecutive headed goal) which resulted in Manchester United winning the League Cup final 2–1. In the second leg of United\\'s European tie against Milan, Rooney scored a brace in a resounding 4–0 home victory, taking his tally of goals that season to 30. He then added two more to his tally five days later at Old Trafford, in a 3–0 league win over Fulham.On 30 March, during United\\'s Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, Rooney crumpled when he twisted his ankle in the last minute, hobbling off while Bayern were producing the buildup that led to their second goal. There were fears that he had received serious ligament damage or even a broken ankle, but it was announced that the injury was only slight ligament damage, and that he would be out for two to three weeks, missing United\\'s crunch match with Chelsea and the return leg against Bayern the following week. The team list for second leg yielded a massive surprise when Rooney was given a starting place in the United line-up. Despite a 3–0 lead by the 41st minute, Bayern snatched a goal back and United were later forced down to 10 men after Rafael was sent-off. Bayern won the match after netting a second away-goal and Rooney was substituted after re-damaging his ankle. On 25 April, Rooney was named the 2010 PFA Players\\' Player of the Year.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–2011: Ambition dispute ====\\nOn 28 August 2010, Rooney scored his first goal of the season as he netted a penalty in a 3–0 home win over West Ham United. In October, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson stated at a press conference that Rooney wanted to quit the club. This came after a period of dispute as to the extent of Rooney\\'s ankle injury, where Rooney had refuted Ferguson\\'s claim that the injury was the reason Rooney had been dropped to the bench. Rooney and his representatives released a statement regarding his decision to leave the club, insisting it was not down to money but ambition. Following this statement, Rooney made a dramatic U-turn and agreed a new five-year contract at Manchester United until June 2015.\\n\\nRooney made his return to the first team as a substitute against Wigan on 20 November. Four days later, he returned to the starting line-up and scored a penalty in a 1–0 away win over Rangers in the Champions League. He missed a penalty in a 1–0 home win over Arsenal on 13 December. His first goal of the season from open play came on 1 January 2011 in a 2–1 away win over West Bromwich Albion. On 1 February, Rooney scored twice and provided an assist for Nemanja Vidić in a 3–1 home win over Aston Villa. On 12 February, Rooney scored an overhead bicycle kick in the 78th minute of the Manchester derby, which proved to be the winning goal in a 2–1 win over Manchester City. After the match, Rooney said it was the best goal of his career, before Sir Alex Ferguson described the strike as the best goal he had ever witnessed at Old Trafford. The acrobatic strike from 10 yards out would win Rooney his third BBC Goal of the Season award, and it was shortlisted for the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year (ultimately won by Neymar). Two weeks later, he scored the third goal in a 4–0 away win over Wigan, before opening the scoring in a 2–1 away loss to Chelsea on 1 March. Rooney scored the second goal in a 2–0 home win over Arsenal in an FA Cup tie on 12 March.\\nOn 2 April, United came from two goals down as Rooney scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–2 away win over West Ham. This was his fifth hat-trick for Manchester United, whilst the second goal was his 100th in the Premier League for the club. He became the third Manchester United player to score 100 Premier League goals, joining Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. During Rooney\\'s celebrations following his third goal, he swore into a pitchside camera and was subsequently charged by the FA for using offensive language. Rooney accepted the charge, but not the automatic two-match ban which was handed to him. He appealed against the length of the suspension, calling it \"excessive\", but failed to overturn the ban, which ruled him out of the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on 16 April. The following game on 6 April saw Rooney score in a 1–0 away win against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. He followed this goal up with another strike in the semi-final first leg against German side Schalke 04 on 26 April, scoring the second of a 2–0 away win. This was the first time Rooney had returned to the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen since his sending off during the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Portugal.On 14 May 2011, Rooney scored a penalty for United to equalise in a 1–1 draw against Blackburn at Ewood Park in the penultimate game of the Premier League season – enough to secure a record 19th top division title for United, and giving Rooney his fourth Premier League title winner\\'s medal.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–2013: Divisional success ====\\nRooney started the season with a goal in the first league game at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion. Rooney played a one-two with Ashley Young before a sharp turn and finish from outside the box which found the bottom corner of the goal. He also scored in the second game of the season, at home to Tottenham Hotspur, when he headed in a Ryan Giggs cross. In late August, Rooney scored his 150th goal for United, the first of a hat-trick, helping to beat Arsenal 8–2. Rooney won man of the match, scoring two free kicks, a penalty, and also contributing an assist for Nani. On 10 September, Rooney scored another hat-trick in a 5–0 away win over Bolton Wanderers on 10 September, becoming only the fourth player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in consecutive games. These goals brought him level with Bobby Charlton on seven United hat-tricks, joint fourth on the all-time list behind Denis Law, Jack Rowley and Dennis Viollet. After the fallout from his red card against Montenegro on international duty, Rooney was left out of the starting line-up against Liverpool on 15 October 2011. He returned to action on 18 October 2011, where he scored two goals in the Champions League group stage match against Oțelul Galați and surpassed his former teammate Paul Scholes as the highest-scoring Englishman in Champions League history.\\nOn 10 December, Rooney ended an eight-game goal drought with a brace against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 4–1 win at Old Trafford. On 18 December, Rooney continued his goalscoring form, heading home the opening goal against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road; it was Manchester United\\'s quickest of the season so far, as Rooney turned home Antonio Valencia\\'s cross after just 52 seconds. On 21 December, Rooney scored his 130th Premier League goal in his 300th Premier League appearance against Fulham at Craven Cottage with a long-range effort that crashed in off the inside of the post in a 5–0 win.On 8 January, Rooney scored two goals in the 3–2 win over Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium in the FA Cup third round. With these goals, Rooney passed Mark Hughes in United\\'s all-time top goalscorers table, moving up to seventh place overall with 164 goals. On 14 January, Rooney made a big contribution to his team in a 3–0 home win against Bolton. Although he missed a penalty, he did create two goals by assisting Paul Scholes for the first goal and Danny Welbeck for the second. On 5 February, Rooney scored twice from the penalty spot as United came back from a 3–0 deficit to draw 3–3 in a Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. On 11 February 2012, Rooney marked his 500th senior career game by scoring two goals as Manchester United beat rivals Liverpool 2–1 at Old Trafford. This was also his 350th game for United in all competitions. On 4 March, Rooney scored the first goal in a 3–1 away win against Tottenham at White Hart Lane and passed Joe Spence in Manchester United\\'s all-time top goalscorers table, moving up to sixth place overall with 169 goals. He scored another brace in his next game, against Atletico Bilbao in the UEFA Europa League. On 11 March, Rooney scored the two goals that brought United the victory against West Brom in a 2–0 home win. On 15 March, Rooney scored in the second leg of the Europa League tie against Athletic Bilbao in Bilbao despite United losing 2–1 on the night and 5–3 on aggregate. In the final day of the season, Rooney put United ahead against Sunderland. Their rivals for the Premier League title, Manchester City, were losing 2–1 in their game going into injury time, so Rooney\\'s winner looked like it would seal the title. However, Manchester City scored twice in injury time, the clincher a 94th-minute winner from Sergio Agüero, to take the trophy.Despite starting the opening game of the 2012–13 season against Everton, Rooney was dropped to the bench for the second game against Fulham in favour of new signing Robin van Persie. After coming on for Shinji Kagawa in the 68th minute, Rooney suffered a severe gash to his right leg caused by Fulham\\'s Hugo Rodallega that kept him out for four weeks. He made his comeback on 29 September in a 3–2 loss against Tottenham. Rooney scored his first goals of the season in a 4–2 league win at home to Stoke City on 20 October, where he reached his 200th club goal. On 7 November, he scored his first Champions League goal of the season, scoring a penalty in a 3–1 win against Braga. He scored twice and provided an assist in a 4–3 win against Reading on 1 December. He scored a brace in the Manchester derby at the City of Manchester Stadium on 9 December 2012 which United won 3–2. On 16 January, he scored a goal against West Ham in the FA Cup. A fortnight later, he scored twice in a 2–1 win against Southampton. He continued to score goals in FA Cup consecutive matches against Fulham and Chelsea. On 12 May, Sir Alex Ferguson announced, after United\\'s 2–1 win against Swansea City, that Rooney had handed in his transfer request, a match in which Rooney also requested not to play.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–2015: Post-Fergie years ====\\nOn 5 July 2013, new United manager David Moyes announced that Rooney was not for sale, after speculation that Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain were among the clubs looking to sign him. On 17 July 2013, Chelsea confirmed that they had made a bid for Rooney the previous day, thought to be in the region of £20 million, however it had been rejected by Manchester United. He suffered a head gash in training on 31 August after a collision with Phil Jones which kept him out of the match against Liverpool. He scored his first goal of the season with a free-kick in a 2–0 win against Crystal Palace. On 17 September, Rooney scored twice in a 4–2 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, marking his 200th goal for United in the process. On 22 September, Rooney scored a late consolation goal from a free-kick in the 4–1 loss in the Manchester derby against Manchester City. He scored a brace against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in a 2–2 draw on 1 December. He scored his 150th league goal for the club with a volley against Hull City on 26 December as United came back from 2–0 deficit to win the match 3–2; he also provided assists for the other two goals. On 21 February 2014, Rooney signed a contract extension with Manchester United, which will keep him at Old Trafford until 2019. Rooney provided one assist to Robin van Persie as Manchester United defeated Olympiacos in the second leg of Champions League round of 16 tie. On 22 March 2014, Rooney scored two goals for United at West Ham, moving him to third place on the club\\'s all-time scoring list with 212 career goals. Rooney ended the season as both the top scorer and assist for Manchester United in the league with 17 goals and 10 assists. He also had the most assists in the 2013–14 Champions League with eight, beating second-placed Ángel Di María who had six.\\n\\nAfter the departure of Nemanja Vidić from Manchester United in July 2014, Rooney was named club captain by new manager Louis van Gaal ahead of the 2014–15 season. On the opening day of the Premier League season on 16 August, Rooney scored a bicycle kick to equalise against Swansea, although United eventually lost 1–2. On 27 September 2014, Rooney became the third highest Premier League goalscorer, moving ahead of Thierry Henry with 176 goals after he netted a goal in a 2–1 victory against West Ham. In the same match, he was sent off for a foul on Stewart Downing and received a three-game suspension. On 22 November 2014, Rooney scored for United in a 2–1 win against rivals Arsenal, their first away win of the season. He continued to score in the following match, in a 3–0 win over Hull City. On 14 December, he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win over rivals Liverpool. On 26 December, Rooney scored two goals against Newcastle United, a match which his side won 3–1 – United\\'s 50th successive Boxing Day match. For his performances, Rooney was voted as United\\'s Player of the Month for December. During the season, Rooney was often deployed as a midfielder by Van Gaal.On 16 February 2015, in an FA Cup match against Preston North End, Rooney was the subject of criticism for having dived to get a penalty; United would go on to win the match 3–1. Replay seemed to have shown that Rooney had not come in contact with the goalkeeper. England manager Roy Hodgson, however, defended Rooney, saying that he was forced to take evasive action. Rooney later apologised for his behaviour, saying, \"that was my chance to get a penalty. I had to use that.\" The penalty was also Rooney\\'s first goal in 2015, ending a goalless run. On 28 February 2015, he scored a brace in a 2–0 victory over Sunderland, thus becoming the first player to score more than 10 goals in 11 successive seasons. On 15 March, Rooney scored the third goal in a 3–0 win over Tottenham. Rooney was Manchester United\\'s top goalscorer for the 2014–15 campaign, but his tally of 14 was the lowest by a leading scorer since 1982. United\\'s goal total of 62 was also its second-worst in the Premier League era.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–2017: Final years and exit ====\\nOn 26 August 2015, Rooney ended an 878-minute scoreless streak by scoring a hat-trick in a 4–0 win (7–1 aggregate) over Belgian side Club Brugge in the second leg of their Champions League play-off. It was his first treble in European competition since his United debut against Fenerbahçe in 2004. He netted in a 3–0 win away to Everton on 17 October, putting him on 187 Premier League goals, joint second with Andy Cole and behind only Alan Shearer. After an injury-related absence, Rooney returned to the starting line-up on 19 December, making his 500th Manchester United appearance in a 2–1 home loss to Norwich City.On 2 January 2016, Rooney scored in a 2–1 win over Swansea to move ahead of Cole as the Premier League\\'s second top scorer of all time, and with 238 he surpassed Denis Law in United\\'s top scorers of all time, behind only Bobby Charlton\\'s 249. Fifteen days later, he scored the only goal in a win against Liverpool at Anfield, his 176th league goal for United, taking Thierry Henry\\'s record for most goals for one club in the Premier League. After being ruled out since 13 February due to a knee injury, Rooney returned to the starting line-up in a 1–0 home win over Aston Villa on 16 April. On 21 May, Rooney captained Manchester United in the 2016 FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace. He played the full 120 minutes in central midfield, winning the competition for the first time in his career after a 2–1 extra time victory at Wembley Stadium.\\nOn 7 August 2016, Rooney set up Jesse Lingard\\'s opening goal in Manchester United\\'s 2–1 victory over Leicester City in the 2016 FA Community Shield, lifting his second title as the club\\'s captain. On 6 November 2016, Rooney became only the third player ever to achieve 100 Premier League assists, setting up both of Zlatan Ibrahimović\\'s goals in a 3–1 away win against Swansea City. On 24 November, Rooney overtook Ruud van Nistelrooy to become Manchester United\\'s all-time leading scorer in European competitions with 39 goals, opening the scoring in a 4–0 home win over Feyenoord in the Europa League.On 7 January 2017, Rooney scored against Reading in the third round of the FA Cup to equal Bobby Charlton as Manchester United\\'s top goalscorer of all time. Rooney\\'s goal was his 249th in 543 games for Manchester United, reaching the landmark in 215 matches and four seasons quicker than Charlton. On 21 January 2017, Rooney finally surpassed Charlton to become the outright leading scorer for Manchester United after scoring his 250th goal for the club and the equaliser from a free kick against Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium in the game\\'s final minutes to secure a 1–1 draw. On 29 January, prior to playing his part in the 4–0 triumph in the FA Cup fourth round against Wigan Athletic, Rooney was presented with a commemorative Golden Boot to acknowledge him becoming the club\\'s all-time leading goal scorer. It was presented by Charlton whose record Rooney broke. On 14 May 2017, in a 2–1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on the last day of the Premier League season, Rooney had the distinction of scoring the final goal at Spurs\\' White Hart Lane stadium. In his last game for Manchester United, Rooney came on as a substitute as United beat Ajax 2–0 to win the UEFA Europa League. He finished his Manchester United career as the all-time top scorer for the club with 253 goals, winning five Premier League titles and each of the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup.\\n\\n\\n=== Later career ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–2018: Brief return to Everton ====\\nAfter much speculation over the previous few months, it was confirmed on 9 July 2017 that Rooney would return to his boyhood club, Everton, on a two-year contract, after Manchester United allowed him to leave on a free transfer. Rooney was assigned the number 10 shirt for the 2017–18 campaign. He made his first official appearance on his return to the club in a 1–0 win over MFK Ružomberok in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round first leg on 27 July. He scored on his second Everton league debut on 12 August, when his club beat Stoke City 1–0 at Goodison Park. Nine days later, Rooney scored his 200th Premier League goal in a 1–1 away draw against Manchester City, becoming the second player to reach this landmark, Alan Shearer being the first. On 29 November, Rooney scored his first hat-trick for Everton in 4–0 win over West Ham; his third goal was a strike from inside his own side\\'s half of the field – over 60 yards from goal – scoring as goalkeeper Joe Hart left the penalty area to clear the ball.In a 3–1 win against Swansea City on 18 December, Rooney scored a penalty and provided the assist for Gylfi Sigurðsson\\'s goal, which put him ahead of Frank Lampard as the player with the third-highest amounts of assists in the Premier League, with 103. He appeared on Sky Sports\\' Monday Night Football as a pundit in February 2018, garnering praise from The Guardian writer Sachin Nakrani for being \"articulate, intelligent, insightful and honest\". On the show he named Anfield, home of Manchester United\\'s rivals Liverpool, as his hardest test, with Rooney stating \"I never enjoyed playing there\".\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–2020: Relocation to MLS ====\\nOn 28 June 2018, Rooney signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with D.C. United of Major League Soccer, and was given the number 9 jersey. He officially completed his move to the Washington-based team when the US mid-season transfer window opened on 10 July.Rooney made his debut for D.C. United on 14 July, coming on for Darren Mattocks in the 59th minute of a 3–1 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps; provided the assist for Paul Arriola\\'s second goal, which gave D.C. a 3–0 lead. Rooney\\'s debut came on the unveiling of Audi Field, D.C. United\\'s new home stadium. Rooney was named captain after three games by manager Ben Olsen, with the consent of former captain Steve Birnbaum. His first goal for the club came on 28 July in his first game with the armband, slotting past his former Manchester United teammate, goalkeeper Tim Howard, securing a 2–1 win over the Colorado Rapids at Audi Field; he left the game with a broken nose after a clash of heads with Axel Sjöberg.After putting in positive performances for D.C. United, including a last-ditch tackle and pass for the game-winning goal against Orlando on 12 August, and helping them to a play-off spot, he was named \\'MLS Player of the Month\\' for the month of October 2018. His team made the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs but were knocked out at home to the Columbus Crew SC in the first round, in which his attempt in the penalty shootout was saved by Zack Steffen. At the end of the 2018 MLS campaign, he was named as D.C. United\\'s MVP and golden boot winner, having scored 12 goals in 21 matches.On 16 March 2019, Rooney notched his first hat-trick for D.C. United in a 5–0 home win over Real Salt Lake, also contributing an assist, and later in the season he scored his 300th career goal at club level in a 2–1 away defeat to Houston Dynamo. On 27 June, Rooney scored from inside his own half for the third time in his career with a match-winning strike from 10 yards behind the halfway line to lob Orlando City goalkeeper Brian Rowe. He played his final match for the club on 19 October, in a 5–1 away defeat to Toronto FC, in the first round of the playoffs. He ended his time in the MLS with 23 goals and 15 assists in 48 regular-season appearances.\\nHe had a total of 25 goals in 52 appearances (all competitions) for D.C. United.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–2021: Player-manager role at Derby County and retirement ====\\nOn 6 August 2019, with two years left on his contract with D.C. United, Rooney agreed a deal to return to England as a player-coach with EFL Championship side Derby County in January 2020. Rooney was instantly named captain and his debut came on 2 January as he started and assisted the first goal in a 2–1 win against Barnsley. Rooney scored six goals in twenty four appearances, including the deciding goals in a 2–1 victory against Reading and a 1–0 win at Preston North End, as Derby finished the season in 10th.\\nRooney\\'s first goal of the 2020–21 season came in the fourth match as his 87th-minute free kick proved the difference in 1–0 win away to Norwich City. It was Derby\\'s first win of the season and took the club out of the bottom three after opening the campaign with three successive defeats. Results did not improve however, with manager Phillip Cocu leaving by mutual consent after a 1–0 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers. Rooney in particular came under criticism for his performances in the opening stages of the season. It was announced on 26 November that Rooney, who had replaced Cocu as part of a four-man interim management team, would take sole control of the side for the upcoming match against Wycombe Wanderers and had removed himself from the playing squad, admitting that it was \"possible\" he had played his final game. On 15 January 2021, he retired from playing after being appointed permanent manager of Derby.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early international career and Euro 2004 ===\\nRooney was eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, through his Irish paternal grandparents. In 2015, he confirmed that he had rejected an approach from Ireland at the age of 16, describing himself as \"English through and through\".Rooney became the youngest player to play for England when he earned his first cap in a friendly defeat against Australia at the Boleyn Ground on 12 February 2003 at 17 years and 111 days, coming on at half-time as manager Sven-Göran Eriksson fielded a different team in each half. On 6 September of that year, aged 17 years and 317 days, he became the youngest player to score for England, equalising in a 2–1 away victory over Macedonia in a UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying match.His first tournament action was at UEFA Euro 2004, in which he became the youngest scorer in competition history on 17 June 2004, when he scored twice in England\\'s second group match against Switzerland, which ended in a 3–0 victory; however, this record was topped by Swiss midfielder Johan Vonlanthen four days later. Rooney added two more goals in the competition in England\\'s final group match on 21 June, a 4–2 win over Croatia, but subsequently suffered an injury in the quarter-final match against hosts Portugal on 24 June, and England were eliminated on penalties. After scoring four goals in four matches, Rooney was named in UEFA\\'s Team of the Tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2006 and 2010 World Cups ===\\nFollowing a foot injury in an April 2006 Premier League match, Rooney faced a race to fitness for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. England attempted to hasten his recovery with the use of an oxygen tent, which allowed Rooney to enter a group match against Trinidad and Tobago and start the next match against Sweden. However, he never got back into game shape and went scoreless as England bowed out in the quarter-finals, again on penalty kicks.\\nRooney was red-carded in the 62nd minute of the quarter-final for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho as both attempted to gain possession of the ball. Rooney seemed to be pulled back by Carvalho, and then trod on his opponent\\'s groin as the Chelsea defender was on the floor trying to win the ball, an incident that occurred right in front of the Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo.Portugal winger (and Rooney\\'s Manchester United teammate) Cristiano Ronaldo protested his actions, and was in turn pushed by Rooney. Elizondo sent Rooney off, after which Ronaldo was seen winking at the Portugal bench. Rooney denied intentionally targeting Carvalho in a statement on 3 July, adding,\\n\\nI bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but I\\'m disappointed that he chose to get involved. I suppose I do, though, have to remember that on that particular occasion we were not teammates.\\nElizondo confirmed the next day that Rooney was dismissed solely for the infraction on Carvalho. Rooney was fined CHF5,000 for the incident.Rooney top scored for England in their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with nine goals; one behind the UEFA section\\'s overall top goalscorer, Theofanis Gekas of Greece. On 14 November 2009, Rooney captained England for the first time in a pre-tournament friendly with Brazil.Rooney was given the England number 10 shirt by manager Fabio Capello ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. During the tournament, England drew 0–0 in their second group match against Algeria on 18 June, and the England players were booed off the pitch by their supporters; Rooney was at the centre of controversy when he criticised the England fans for booing the team after the match, and subsequently apologised for his actions. Rooney went scoreless throughout the tournament, and England were eliminated in the second round, following a 4–1 defeat to Germany on 27 June.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2012 ===\\nThe Euro 2012 qualification campaign went well for England, as they qualified at the top of their group, winning five and drawing three games. Rooney scored three goals, one against Switzerland and two against Bulgaria. In the last qualifier against Montenegro (2–2), Rooney was sent off for a tackle on Miodrag Džudović in the 74th minute. It was anticipated that Rooney would miss at least one match in the opening round of the first phase at UEFA Euro 2012. After the game, Rooney sent a personal letter to UEFA in which he apologised and expressed regret for the tackle on Džudović which earned him the red card.Despite the letter, UEFA punished Rooney with a three-game ban, meaning that he could not play in any of the group stage matches. After UEFA\\'s announcement, Džudović stated that he believed the sentence for Rooney was too severe and that he would defend him if needed. He later asked the UEFA to pardon Rooney. The FA then decided they would appeal to UEFA against the ban. On 8 December 2011, after the FA had appealed the ban, UEFA reduced the sentence to two matches. This meant that Rooney missed the matches against France and Sweden. He was able to play in the final match of the group stage against Ukraine on 19 June 2012, scoring the only goal of the game, allowing England to progress to the quarter-finals. England were eventually knocked out in the quarter-finals against Italy, who, after a scoreless 120 minutes, won 4–2 on penalties, although Rooney was able to net his spot-kick. After another international tournament in which the English media criticised Rooney\\'s performances, Fabio Capello claimed Rooney \"only plays well in Manchester.\"\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup ===\\nOn 12 October 2012, Rooney became England\\'s fifth-highest goalscorer of all time after scoring his 30th and 31st international goals in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against San Marino. Rooney captained England for the first time in a competitive match in the same game. On 6 February 2013, Rooney scored in a 2–1 win against five-time world champions Brazil at Wembley in a friendly. In March, he scored goals against San Marino and Montenegro in World Cup qualifying, before scoring against Brazil again in a 2–2 draw on 2 June, in the official re-opening of the refurbished Maracanã Stadium. On 11 October 2013, Rooney became England\\'s all-time top goalscorer in competitive internationals when he scored his 27th competitive goal in a 4–1 World Cup qualifier against Montenegro. Rooney ended the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign as England\\'s top scorer with seven goals.At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Rooney started in England\\'s first group match against Italy, setting up Daniel Sturridge\\'s temporary equaliser, in a 2–1 loss. In England\\'s second 2014 World Cup group match against Uruguay at the Arena Corinthians, Rooney scored his first ever goal at a World Cup finals with a 75th-minute equaliser in a 2–1 loss. England drew their final group match 0–0 against Costa Rica, and were eliminated from the World Cup, finishing last in their group; despite playing a part in both of England\\'s goals, Rooney was criticised by English pundits for his performance in the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2016 ===\\nFollowing Steven Gerrard\\'s international retirement after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Roy Hodgson named Rooney as England\\'s new captain. On 3 September 2014, in the first match of his captaincy, Rooney scored a penalty against Norway to give England a 1–0 friendly win. Later on, he showed his leadership qualities by calling player-only meetings in September 2014 to reflect on the players\\' performance and discuss how they could do better as a team. Rooney said,\\n\\nObviously the manager gives us our game plan, but because we don\\'t spend that much time together as a team we need to know and feel confident in what we\\'re doing as a team together. In the meetings, you\\'re having the players speak up who wouldn\\'t normally speak up when coaches are there.\\nOn 15 November 2014, Rooney won his 100th England cap against Slovenia in a Euro 2016 qualifying match, scoring a penalty to equalise in a 3–1 win. In another qualifier away to the same opponents on 14 June 2015, Rooney scored the winner with four minutes remaining for a 3–2 victory, his 48th international goal putting him joint second in England\\'s list alongside Gary Lineker, and one behind Bobby Charlton. In his 106th England appearance, he equalled Charlton\\'s record of 49 goals (also in 106 matches) on 5 September 2015 by scoring a penalty against San Marino. On 8 September 2015, Rooney broke Charlton\\'s England goalscoring record, netting his 50th international goal from a penalty in a Euro 2016 qualifying match against Switzerland, at Wembley, in his 107th appearance for England, also equalling Ashley Cole as his country\\'s fifth-highest capped player; this was also his 300th professional career goal.In England\\'s opening match of UEFA Euro 2016 against Russia at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille on 11 June, Rooney was selected to start in central midfield and was named man of the match by the BBC after a 1–1 draw. On 27 June, he scored the opening goal against Iceland in the round of 16 from a penalty in the 4th minute. However England would eventually lose the match 2-1 which subsequently eliminated them from the tournament.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018 World Cup qualification and retirement ===\\nOn 4 September 2016, Rooney earned his 116th appearance for England in 1–0 away win over Slovakia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, making him the nation\\'s most-capped outfield player of all time, and England\\'s second highest appearance maker behind Peter Shilton. A few days earlier, he had confirmed that he would retire from international football after the finals in Russia. In March 2017, Rooney had been left out of the England squad by England boss Gareth Southgate. Following Rooney\\'s return to Everton in July, which saw him put on a string of impressive performances, Southgate wanted to recall Rooney back to the England squad for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. However, Rooney announced his early retirement from international football with immediate effect on 23 August 2017, snubbing Southgate\\'s recall.On 4 November 2018, it was confirmed that Rooney would come out of international retirement to play one final match for the England national football team against the United States at Wembley Stadium on 15 November. This was in order to promote The Wayne Rooney Foundation, a newly formed charity; consequently, the match was called the \"Wayne Rooney Foundation International\". He came on in the 58th minute of England\\'s eventual 3–0 home win, ending his international career with 120 appearances.\\n\\n\\n== Managerial career ==\\nIn August 2020, Rooney was announced as the manager for the England team at Soccer Aid 2020, assisted by Sam Allardyce and goalkeeper coach David Seaman.\\n\\n\\n=== Derby County ===\\nAfter a poor start to the 2020–21 season saw Derby County bottom of the Championship table – their lowest position for 12 years – Derby boss Phillip Cocu was sacked, and Rooney was appointed as part of a four-man interim coaching staff alongside Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker on 14 November 2020. His debut a week later saw Derby lose 1–0 at Bristol City to leave them at the foot of the table and three points from safety, though Rooney said he could guarantee that the side would \"get better (and) get out of the situation we\\'re in and... start winning games.\" Following a \"painful and chastening\" 3–0 defeat to Middlesbrough it was announced that Rooney would take sole control of the side for the next match and had removed himself from the playing squad, with Rooney making clear his desire to take the role full time. Rooney started sole charge with The Rams in 24th, six points adrift of safety and on a run of four consecutive defeats; after improving Derby\\'s form enough to get them out of the relegation zone he was appointed as permanent manager on 15 January.By mid-February 2021, having accrued 31 points from a possible 54 in his 18 games in sole charge, taking Derby up to 18th in the league and eight points clear of the relegation zone, Rooney was feted by the press for \"convincing the doubters\" and found himself as 25/1 outsider for the Celtic job following the resignation of Neil Lennon. Following this, however, form faltered badly with just one win from fourteen leaving Derby firmly in trouble, with Rooney\\'s side being criticised for their poor game management and sloppy defending and suggestion that Rooney came across \"as a manager who’s accepted defeat, who’s surrender [sic] himself to whatever results might come his way\" and should be replaced. Others defended Rooney, saying that though he had made mistakes, particularly in making \"too many changes to personnel and shape/tactics\" he had not been helped by injuries and too many players who had \"been inconsistent (and) unable to maintain form both during a game and from game to game.\" However, at the last match of the season, Derby County drew 3–3 at home with Sheffield Wednesday to barely avoid relegation.Incurring 21 points of deductions, Derby were relegated to League One at the end of the 2021–22 season, having spent almost the entire season in administration. With Derby still in administration going into the League One season, Rooney resigned as manager on 24 June 2022.\\n\\n\\n=== D.C. United ===\\nOn 12 July 2022, Rooney was announced as head coach for his former club, MLS side D.C. United. He replaced outgoing manager Hernán Losada, on a contract to the end of the 2023 season.Rooney won 2–1 at home to Orlando City on his debut on 31 July 2022, and picked up 9 points from the 14 last games of the season as his team ranked last in the Eastern Conference.At the end of the 2023 regular season, on 8 October, Rooney and the club agreed to mutually part ways, after United failed to qualify for the playoffs for a second straight season.\\n\\n\\n=== Birmingham City ===\\nOn 11 October 2023, Rooney made his return to English football as he was appointed manager of EFL Championship club Birmingham City on a three-and-a-half year contract. He was appointed by American new owners Shelby Compannies Limited, and replaced the sacked John Eustace at the sixth-placed club. Rooney brought his former teammates Ashley Cole and John O\\'Shea into his coaching staff.On his debut ten days later, Rooney\\'s team lost 1–0 at Middlesbrough, managed by his former United and England teammate Michael Carrick. He earned one point from his first five games, seeing his team fall to 18th in the table. Rooney earned his first victory as Birmingham manager with a 2–1 defeat of bottom side Sheffield Wednesday on 25 November 2023.On 2 January 2024, Rooney was sacked by the club after winning just twice in 15 matches, leaving Birmingham in 20th position. Both before and after his tenure at St Andrew\\'s, Rooney was likened to Gianfranco Zola, who was appointed by new owners in 2016 in place of the less recognisable Gary Rowett and oversaw a decline in results.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nRegarded as one of the best players of his generation, Rooney was a creative, energetic forward who combined technical skill with strength and physicality, while also excelling in the air despite being 5 feet 9 inches (1.76 m) tall. He was a versatile attacker, capable of playing anywhere along the front line; although his preferred role was as a striker. Rooney was also used as a supporting forward, or even as a winger. As his pace and movement declined as he entered his thirties, he was deployed in deeper, more creative roles, as an attacking midfielder, as a deep-lying playmaker, or even as a central or box-to-box midfielder, in particular under former manager Louis van Gaal, due to his vision, range of passing, runs forward from midfield, and team-work. He was also occasionally deployed as a false attacking midfielder, and as a false 9 throughout his career.A prolific goalscorer in his prime at Manchester United, Rooney was a powerful striker of the ball and an accurate finisher, capable of scoring both inside and outside the penalty area, as well as from volleys. His ball striking ability saw him score from inside his own half for Manchester United, Everton, and D.C. United. He was praised for his work-rate and stamina by players, managers and the media, and was highly regarded for his dedication and willingness to press opponents when possession had been lost in order to win back the ball and start attacking plays. While not known to be particularly prolific from free kicks, he also often took set pieces and penalties throughout his career, although his record from the spot was somewhat inconsistent.Due to his precocious displays as a teenager, Wayne Rooney was given the nicknames \"Wazza\" (a reference to former England international Paul \"Gazza\" Gascoigne, who was also a gifted player troubled by off-field issues), \"The Wonder Boy\", \"the new Pelé\", and \"the white Pelé\". Rooney was a fast, agile player in his youth; however, several injuries throughout his career, in addition to weight issues, affected his speed and mobility as his career progressed, which led to some in the game accusing him of not quite living up to his full potential. He was warned about his fitness on numerous occasions by his manager Alex Ferguson, who said of Rooney, \"He is very stocky, he is going to have to train well all the time.\" Former Manchester United fitness coach Mick Clegg, stated, \"Wayne didn\\'t see the importance of the gym really. He\\'d say \\'I\\'m here to play football.\" Rooney was criticised for his behaviour and aggression on the pitch at times, which led him to pick up unnecessary bookings.Formerly the all-time leading goalscorer for the England national team, Rooney is viewed as one of England\\'s greatest players. In 2017, Gareth Southgate said: \"You\\'ve got very good players and then there are top players. In my time in the England setup, Paul Gascoigne, Paul Scholes and Rooney just had that little bit more than all the others. And we are talking high‑level people there, players like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and David Beckham.\"\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nIn addition to Everton, Rooney also supports Celtic. He is also a supporter of the Leeds Rhinos rugby league club. Rooney, originally a boxer, still pursues the sport recreationally for stress relief. A friend of boxer Ricky Hatton, in 2007 he carried one of Hatton\\'s belts into the ring in his world light-welterweight title fight against José Luis Castillo in Las Vegas. The decision of Hatton (a Manchester City fan) to have a Manchester United striker carry the belt prompted threats of a boycott among the many Manchester City supporters who made up Hatton\\'s fanbase. Hatton responded, \"Nobody hates United more than me. Just because I don\\'t support his team doesn\\'t mean I can\\'t admire what he has done.\" Rooney has a number of tattoos, including one of a Celtic cross on his arm.\\n\\n\\n=== Family ===\\nRooney met his wife, Coleen (née McLoughlin), while both were at secondary school. They married on 12 June 2008 after six years of dating. He has a tattoo of the words \"Just Enough Education to Perform\", the title of an album by his favourite band, the Stereophonics; Coleen arranged for the group to play at their wedding reception. The wedding ran into some controversy with the Catholic Church. The couple held a religious ceremony at the Abbey of Cervara, a converted monastery near Genoa, despite being warned by the local bishop\\'s office against the plan. The bishop\\'s office told the Rooneys that La Cervara is deconsecrated and not suitable for a wedding. It suggested a different church, five miles away. Nevertheless, the couple ignored the advice and Father Edward Quinn, their local Catholic priest from Croxteth, presided over the ceremony. Coleen\\'s favourite pop band Westlife also sang at the wedding reception.The couple have four sons: Kai Wayne (born 2 November 2009), Klay Anthony (born 21 May 2013), Kit Joseph (born 24 January 2016), and Cass Mac (born 15 February 2018). Kai Rooney signed with Manchester United in 2020, becoming a second-generation player for the Red Devils.In 2004, Rooney admitted to soliciting prostitutes in Liverpool, while dating his then-girlfriend. \"I was young and stupid. It was at a time when I was very young and immature and before I had settled down with Coleen.\" In April 2006, Rooney was awarded £100,000 in libel damages from tabloids The Sun and News of the World, who had claimed that he had assaulted Coleen in a nightclub. Rooney donated the money to charity.Rooney\\'s younger brother, John Rooney, is also a professional footballer who plays for Macclesfield. Rooney\\'s cousin, Tommy Rooney, played for Macclesfield Town in 2004. Another cousin, Jake Rooney, is also a professional footballer for Derby County.\\n\\n\\n=== Commercial interests ===\\nRooney has endorsement deals with Nike (he is the face of their T90 Laser IV boots), Nokia, Ford, Asda, and Coca-Cola. He appeared on seven consecutive UK-version covers of Electronic Arts\\' FIFA video game series from FIFA 06 to FIFA 12. His \"knockout\" goal celebration – a tongue in cheek celebration by Rooney inspired by getting knocked down by a teammate in his home – appears in FIFA 18. He has featured in Nike commercials, including Write the Future directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu in 2010 where he is knighted, and a tabloid shows his face carved into the Cliffs of Dover with the headline \"JUST ROO IT!\". In October 2010, Rooney was dropped by Coca-Cola from an advertising campaign following issues surrounding his private life. In 2012, Rooney\\'s reported income of US$32.6 million listed him as the world\\'s fifth highest-paid footballer, following Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Samuel Eto\\'o.In July 2011, jerseys with Rooney\\'s name and number (Rooney, 10) were the best-selling sports product under the auspices of the Premier League – taking over top spot from Liverpool striker Fernando Torres (Torres, 9) and becoming the first United player to top the list since Cristiano Ronaldo\\'s number 7 jersey in 2008. During the 2009–10 season, Manchester United sold between 1.2 million and 1.5 million shirts and it is estimated that of that, Rooney\\'s name was printed on several hundred thousand. The account is taken from official jerseys sales across the globe, not just in England.On 9 March 2006, Rooney signed the largest sports book deal in publishing history with HarperCollins, who granted him a £5 million advance plus royalties for a minimum of five books to be published over a 12-year period. The first, My Story So Far, an autobiography ghostwritten by Hunter Davies, was published after the 2006 World Cup. The second publication, The Official Wayne Rooney Annual, was aimed at the teenage market and edited by football journalist Chris Hunt. His third book, My Decade in the Premier League, was published in September 2012.In July 2006, Rooney\\'s lawyers went to the United Nations\\' World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to gain ownership of the Internet domain names waynerooney.com and waynerooney.co.uk, both of which Welsh actor Huw Marshall registered in 2002. Three months later, the WIPO awarded Rooney the rights to waynerooney.com.\\n\\n\\n=== Social media ===\\nIn October 2014, Rooney became the first Premier League footballer to reach 10 million followers on social networking site Twitter. That same month, Rooney was the fifth most-followed footballer (and sixth most-followed sportsperson) globally on Twitter. In terms of top UK Twitter individuals, Rooney ranked at number 9 in October 2014.\\n\\n\\n=== Paul Stretford controversy ===\\nIn July 2002, while Rooney was with Everton, agent Paul Stretford encouraged Rooney and his parents to enter the player into an eight-year contract with Proactive Sports Management. However, Rooney was already with another representation firm at the time, while Stretford\\'s transaction went unreported to the FA, and he was thus charged with improper conduct. Stretford alleged in his October 2004 trial that he had secretly recorded boxing promoter John Hyland and two other men threatening and attempting to blackmail him for an undisclosed percentage of Rooney\\'s earnings.Stretford\\'s case collapsed due to evidence that conflicted with his insistence that he had not signed Rooney, and on 9 July 2008, he was found guilty of \"making of false and/or misleading witness statements to police, and giving false and/or misleading testimony\". In addition, the contract to which Stretford had signed Rooney was two years longer than the limit allowed by the FA. Stretford was fined £300,000 and given an 18-month ban as a football agent, a verdict he appealed.Stretford left Proactive in 2008 and took Rooney with him. Proactive later sued Rooney, claiming £4.3 million in withheld commissions. In July 2010, Proactive was awarded £90,000 as restitution.\\n\\n\\n=== David Moyes ===\\nOn 1 September 2006, then-Everton manager David Moyes sued Rooney for libel after the tabloid newspaper the Daily Mail published excerpts from Rooney\\'s 2006 autobiography that accused the manager of leaking Rooney\\'s reasons for leaving the club to the press. The case was settled out of court for £500,000 on 3 June 2008, and Rooney apologised to Moyes for \"false claims\" he had made in the book regarding the matter.\\n\\n\\n=== Allegations of infidelity ===\\nHelen Wood claims Rooney paid £1,000 for a threesome with her and Jennifer Thompson in a Manchester hotel while his wife was five months pregnant. It was reported his solicitors unsuccessfully tried to fight the allegations when they first surfaced in early August 2010.\\n\\n\\n=== Legal issues ===\\n\\n\\n==== Drink-driving conviction ====\\nOn 1 September 2017, Rooney was arrested in Wilmslow by Cheshire police after being caught driving over the prescribed alcohol limit. He appeared at Stockport Magistrates\\' Court on 18 September and pleaded guilty to drink driving. Rooney was fined £170 by the court and banned from driving for two years, and was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work as part of a twelve-month community order; Everton fined him two weeks\\' wages, which was in the region of £300,000.\\n\\n\\n==== Intoxication and profanity arrest ====\\nOn 16 December 2018, Rooney was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport in Loudoun County, Virginia, charged with public intoxication and use of profanity in public. He was released without bail on a personal recognizance bond, then fined $25 plus $91 in costs without going to court.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\n\\n\\n=== Managerial ===\\nAs of match played 1 January 2024\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nManchester United\\n\\nPremier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13\\nFA Cup: 2015–16\\nEFL Cup: 2005–06, 2009–10, 2016–17\\nFA Community Shield: 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016\\nUEFA Champions League: 2007–08\\nUEFA Europa League: 2016–17\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2008England U17 \\n\\nUEFA European Under-17 Championship Bronze: 2002Individual\\n\\nUEFA European Under-17 Championship Golden Player: 2002\\nPFA Players\\' Player of the Year: 2009–10\\nPFA Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06\\nPFA Fans\\' Player of the Year: 2005–06, 2009–10\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2005–06 Premier League, 2009–10 Premier League, 2011–12 Premier League\\nFWA Footballer of the Year: 2009–10\\nSir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2005–06, 2009–10\\nManchester United Players\\' Player of the Year: 2009–10\\nManchester Goal of the Season: 2009–10 (v Arsenal, 31 January 2010), 2010–11 (vs. Manchester City, 12 February 2011), 2013–14 (vs. West Ham, 22 March 2014 )\\nBBC Young Sports Personality of the Year: 2002\\nBravo Award: 2003\\nGolden Boy Award: 2004\\nUEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2004\\nFIFPro Young Player of the Year: 2004–05\\nPremier League Hall of Fame: 2022\\nPremier League Player of the Season: 2009–10\\nPremier League Player of the Month: February 2005, December 2005, March 2006, October 2007, January 2010\\nMost assists in the Premier League: 2006–07 (shared)\\nEngland Senior Men\\'s Player of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015\\nFIFA Club World Cup Most Valuable Player of the Final: 2008\\nFIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2008\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI: 2011\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2013\\nFIFA FIFPro World XI 5th team: 2014, 2015\\nPremier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12): Best Goal (vs. Manchester City, 12 February 2011)\\nAlan Hardaker Trophy: 2006\\nPremier League Goal of the Month: November 2017\\nFWA Tribute Award: 2017\\nMLS Player of the Month: October 2018\\nMLS Best XI: 2018\\nD.C. United MVP: 2018\\nD.C. United Golden Boot Winner: 2018\\nMLS All-Star: 2019,\\nMLS All-Star Coach: 2023\\nGlobe Soccer Awards Player Career Award: 2022Records\\n\\nManchester United all-time top scorer: 253 goals\\nEngland national team 2nd all-time top scorer: 53 goals\\nEngland national team 2nd-most goals in competitive matches: 37 goals (in competitive matches)\\n2nd-Most Premier League goals scored for one club: 183 goals for Manchester United\\nMost Premier League away goals scored: 94 goals\\nMost Premier League seasons reaching double figures in goals: 12\\nYoungest player to start a competitive match for England: 17 years 160 days\\nYoungest player to score a goal for the England national team: 17 years 317 days (v FYR Macedonia, 6 September 2003)\\nManchester United all-time top scorer in UEFA club/European competitions: 39 goals\\nManchester United all-time top scorer in FIFA Club World Cup/International Competitions: 3 goals\\nMost goals scored by an English player in the UEFA Champions League: 34 goals\\nMost goals scored by an English player in the FIFA Club World Cup: 3 goals\\n3rd-highest Premier League all-time top scorer: 208 goals\\n3rd-highest Premier League all-time assist-provider: 103 assists\\nOnly footballer to have scored at least 200 Premier league goals and provided at least 100 Premier League assists\\n2nd-Most capped England international: 120 caps\\nMost capped outfielder for the England national football team: 120 caps\\nAll-time top goalscorer in Manchester derby: 11 goals\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 50 or more international goals\\nList of footballers with 100 or more Premier League goals\\nList of top international football goalscorers by country\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nWayne Rooney at Premier League\\nWayne Rooney at Soccerbase \\nWayne Rooney – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nWayne Rooney – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nWayne Rooney at Major League Soccer\\nJUAN MATAJuan Manuel Mata García (born 28 April 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder, but can also play as a winger. Currently a free agent, he most recently played for J1 League club Vissel Kobe.\\nA graduate of Real Madrid\\'s youth academy, Mata played for Real Madrid Castilla in 2006–07, before joining Valencia in the summer of 2007. He became an integral part of the club\\'s midfield, making 174 appearances over the course of four seasons and winning the Copa del Rey. In 2011, Mata signed for English club Chelsea for a fee believed to be in the region of €28 million and established himself as the team\\'s focal player. In his first two seasons, he won the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Europa League.\\nDespite Mata\\'s stature at the club, he fell out of favour at Chelsea under newly appointed manager José Mourinho and was sold to Manchester United in January 2014, for a fee of £37.1 million. He made 285 appearances over nine seasons at United, winning the Europa League and FA Cup again as well as the EFL Cup and FA Community Shield. He joined Galatasaray after his contract with United expired in the summer of 2022, where he won the first league title of his career.\\nMata debuted for Spain in 2009 and played at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, his first senior tournament. In September 2009, Mata scored his first goal for the senior team, against Estonia, securing the nation a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and was part of Spain\\'s World Cup-winning squad. In 2011, he resumed playing in the under-21 side, helping Spain win the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Denmark. He won the Golden Player award and was part of the Team of the Tournament. Mata returned to the senior squad for UEFA Euro 2012 and, after coming on as a substitute, scored Spain\\'s fourth goal in the final as Spain defeated Italy 4–0 to retain their title as champions of Europe.\\n\\n\\n== Early life ==\\nMata was born in Burgos, Castile and León. He inherited his name from his father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodríguez, who was also a footballer, playing as a forward for nearby Burgos CF in the 1980s and early 1990s. Mata was raised in his father\\'s home town of Oviedo, Asturias. His father later acted as Mata\\'s agent, becoming FIFA-registered in the process. In his spare time, Mata enjoys table tennis, a sport he played as a child.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early career ===\\nMata started his football career at Real Oviedo in 2000, where his father spent part of his career, before joining Real Madrid\\'s youth academy, La Fábrica, in 2003 at the age of 15. After appearing for their Cadete A team, he then swiftly progressed through the junior teams, Juvenil C and finally Juvenil A. In his last campaign (2005–06), he scored two goals in the league and three more in the Copa de Campeones, including the winner in the final against Real Valladolid, adding another three in the Copa del Rey Juvenil.\\nSwitching to Real Madrid Castilla in 2006–07, Mata was given the number 34 shirt in the first team, while wearing number 28 in Castilla. In spite of Castilla\\'s final Segunda División relegation, he finished the season as the side\\'s second best scorer with nine, behind striker Álvaro Negredo, who registered 18.\\n\\n\\n=== Valencia ===\\nMata had a release clause at Real Madrid during his last season at the club, and eventually agreed to sign for fellow La Liga side Valencia CF in March 2007, with the contract starting on 30 June 2007.\\nBenefitting from constant injuries to Vicente and the ostracism to which then-manager Ronald Koeman condemned Miguel Ángel Angulo, Mata gradually carved a niche in Valencia\\'s first eleven. On 20 March 2008, he scored twice in the Copa del Rey semi-final match against FC Barcelona to help Valencia reach the final against Getafe CF where, on 16 April, he scored the opener in a 3–1 win. During that first season, he was voted the team\\'s Best Young Player by fans and players alike.\\nIn the 2008 Spanish SuperCup, Mata scored against his former club Real Madrid in a 3–2 first leg win, but Valencia lost 5–6 on aggregate after a 2–4 away loss in the second game. He started 2008–09 well, scoring in the opener against RCD Mallorca in a 3–0 win. He also scored the only goal of the game against CA Osasuna, latching on to a long ball from David Villa.On 25 September 2008, Mata proved to be growing in efficiency, as he set up two of his teammate\\'s goals in a 2–0 away win over Málaga CF. Three days later, he put in a superb performance against Deportivo de La Coruña, scoring one and creating the other three, in a 4–2 home victory.Towards the end of the campaign, Mata managed to score two very important late goals for Valencia: the first, the 3–2 winner at Sporting de Gijón, and the second a penalty against Sevilla FC at home, to put Valencia 2–1 up (specialist Villa had already been replaced due to injury) in an eventual 3–1 success. He achieved impressive stats during the season, finishing with 11 successful strikes and 13 assists, behind just Barcelona\\'s Xavi as the league\\'s best.\\nIn the following two seasons, Mata was an ever present offensive figure for Valencia, scoring 17 goals in 68 league games combined, with the club achieving back-to-back third-league places. On 10 April 2011, he scored two in a 5–0 home win against Valencian neighbours Villarreal CF. On 9 May, England-based Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué reported interest from several Premier League clubs.\\n\\n\\n=== Chelsea ===\\n\\n\\n==== Transfer ====\\nOn 21 August 2011, Valencia announced they had agreed a £23.5 million fee for the transfer of Mata to Premier League club Chelsea, subject to a medical. On 24 August 2011, Mata signed a five-year deal with Chelsea. He revealed that compatriot Fernando Torres helped persuade him to move to Stamford Bridge, saying \"Fernando got me excited about the thought of coming here. He said it would be good for me here, and that me and him together could be good. I also talked to my family and friends about it as well.\"On 26 August 2011, Yossi Benayoun offered Mata his number 10 shirt. The Israeli captain said, \"I decided to give Mata the number 10 – his favourite. For me, it\\'s just a number, not my lucky 15.\" (Florent Malouda wore number 15 for Chelsea at the time.) Mata wore number 10 for Valencia and for Spain\\'s under-21s in the summer, and expressed his gratitude to Benayoun. \"It is a very important number to me so I\\'m pleased to be wearing it. I want to thank Yossi,\" he said. Mata followed on from Chelsea players Joe Cole, Mark Hughes, Ian Hutchinson, and Terry Venables in adopting the number 10 shirt.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–13: European success ====\\nMata made his debut for Chelsea against Norwich City on 27 August 2011, where he came on as a 68th-minute substitute for Florent Malouda and scored the club\\'s third goal in the 11th minute of stoppage time. Chelsea went on to win the match 3–1. He started his first game for his new club in their next fixture on 10 September away to Sunderland, helping Chelsea secure a 1–2 win. On 14 September, Mata made his UEFA Champions League debut for Chelsea and scored in stoppage time to help his side defeat Bayer Leverkusen 2–0.On 29 October 2011, Mata assisted Chelsea\\'s 6,000th league goal with an in-swinging cross which was headed in by Frank Lampard. In the same game, Mata scored with a spectacular 25-yard strike in a 3–5 home defeat to London rivals Arsenal. On 26 November, Mata set up the first two goals which were scored by John Terry and Daniel Sturridge and also scored the third goal himself in a 3–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was awarded the Man of the Match in a 0–3 away win at St James\\' Park for his performance against Newcastle United.On 6 December 2011, during Chelsea\\'s decisive Champions League match against former club Valencia CF, Mata created two assists for both of Didier Drogba goals. The game ended in a 3–0 win, which resulted in Chelsea qualifying first from their group. On Boxing Day, Mata scored his side\\'s only goal in a 1–1 draw at Stamford Bridge against Fulham. Mata scored Chelsea\\'s first goal of their FA Cup campaign in a 4–0 win over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge.\\nIn an FA Cup fourth round tie with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, Mata scored his side\\'s only goal from the penalty spot in a 0–1 victory. On 5 February 2012, Mata scored against Manchester United in a 3–3 draw. On 21 February, Mata scored his side\\'s only goal in their 1–3 defeat away at Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.After the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo as interim first-team coach, Mata was played as a central attacking midfielder rather than being played on the left wing. Mata scored and had a penalty saved by Colin Doyle in the FA Cup fifth round replay against Birmingham City at St Andrew\\'s, which Chelsea won 2–0, helping them into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. He continued his trait of scoring in each round; this run, however, ended against Leicester City in the quarter-final, which Chelsea nonetheless won 5–2. On 7 April, Mata scored his 11th goal of the season against Wigan Athletic, giving the Blues a 2–1 victory over the Latics and kept alive Chelsea\\'s fight for a Champions League spot.On 15 April, in Chelsea\\'s 5–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium, Mata scored a controversial goal and assisted Ramires and Florent Malouda for their goals, adding to his statistics in the 2011–12 FA Cup with four goals and three assists. Mata started in both legs of Chelsea\\'s Champions League semi-final clash with reigning champions FC Barcelona, helping his side to an unexpected 3–2 win on aggregate. and set up a final clash with Bayern Munich on 19 May.Mata provided two assists to fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres in the 6–1 thrashing of West London rivals Queens Park Rangers on 29 April, bringing his tally to 13 Premier League assists on the season. Mata assisted the first goal in the FA Cup final, which Ramires scored, as Chelsea beat Liverpool 2–1 at Wembley, with Mata picking up the Man of the Match award. On 10 May, Mata was rewarded for his consistent form throughout his first Chelsea season by the fans voting him the club\\'s Player of the Year, following on from Chelsea legends such as Dennis Wise and Gianfranco Zola, whom he had been compared to on various occasions.\\nIn the 2012 UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich on 19 May, Mata assisted Didier Drogba\\'s headed equaliser from a corner kick in the 88th minute. The match went on to extra time and penalties, with Mata taking Chelsea\\'s first, which Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer saved. Chelsea, however, went on to win 4–3 in the penalty-shootout, lifting their first Champions League title. Mata finished his first season at Stamford Bridge with 573 passes, creating 66 chances and completing 61 successful crosses, which all contributed to Chelsea\\'s cup-double winning season. He finished the Premier League season with 14 assists – second highest in the league after Manchester City\\'s David Silva – and six goals.Mata missed all of Chelsea\\'s pre-season games as he was playing for Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, but he returned to play in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Manchester City and was substituted after 74 minutes for Daniel Sturridge. Mata assisted his first goal of the season on 22 September 2012 against Stoke City, providing a great flick to Ashley Cole, which turned out to be the winning goal as Chelsea won 1–0. He scored his first goal of the season in the 2012–13 Football League Cup third round against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the game finishing 6–0 to Chelsea. Four days later, he scored his first Premier League goal of the season, assisting Fernando Torres for the opener and then scoring directly from a free-kick in a 2–1 away win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.\\nMata scored Chelsea\\'s first and third goal in the Champions League as Chelsea beat Nordsjælland 0–4 away in Farum, Denmark. He later provided two assists in Chelsea\\'s 4–1 rout of Norwich City, sending Eden Hazard through on goal and later flicking a delightful ball for defender Branislav Ivanović to volley in. In a London Derby game against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 20 October, Mata scored twice and provided an assist for Daniel Sturridge in a 2–4 victory for Chelsea, where he also earned Man of the Match honours. He next scored in a Premier League match with a beautiful free kick against Manchester United. Chelsea, however, lost the match 3–2 after a late controversial goal from Javier Hernández. Mata went on to win the Premier League Player of the Month award for October after scoring three league goals.After manager Roberto Di Matteo was sacked following a 3–0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League, Mata scored the first goal of new, interim manager Rafael Benítez\\'s reign at Chelsea against West Ham United, although Chelsea suffered a 3–1 defeat in this game. He scored again in Chelsea\\'s win over Nordsjælland in a Champions League game, but Chelsea still failed to advance to the knockouts despite a 6–1 win at home. He added to his tally of goals and his collection of fine performance at Sunderland in a 1–3 Chelsea win. After this game, Chelsea traveled to Japan for the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup. Here, too, Mata continued his top form by scoring Chelsea\\'s first goal in the tournament against Monterrey in the semi-final, helping them on their course to the final with a 1–3 victory. The tournament, however, ended in disappointment as Chelsea were beaten 1–0 by Brazilian club Corinthians in the final. The team put the defeat behind them by completing an 8–0 routing of Aston Villa, a game in which though Mata did not score a goal, but nevertheless played a very influential part.On 22 December 2012, Mata signed a contract extension with Chelsea which tied him up with the club until 2018. On Boxing Day, Chelsea traveled to Carrow Road to face Norwich City, where both Manchester United and Arsenal had suffered defeats earlier in the season. Mata scored a brilliant goal in the 38th minute, taking a pass from Oscar into his stride and launching an unstoppable shot into the goal from 25 yards out. The goal turned out to be the winner. Then, on 5 January, Mata provided assists for new acquisition Demba Ba and Branislav Ivanović to help Chelsea win 1–5 against Southampton in the third round of the 2012–13 FA Cup. A week later, he forced an own goal from Jonathan Walters by putting in a tight corner and earned a penalty which Frank Lampard converted. Chelsea went on to win the game 0–4, which was Stoke\\'s first home defeat of the season.\\nMata scored his eighth goal of the season in the Premier League against Arsenal in a 2–1 home win.On 3 March 2013, Mata made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Chelsea in a 1–0 win over West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge. On 14 March, Mata scored an opening goal in Chelsea\\'s Europa League 3–1 (3–2) win against Steaua București. On 19 April, Mata was nominated for PFA Players\\' Player of the Year in recognition of his contribution to Chelsea\\'s season in all competitions. The PFA\\'s decision was based on his \"ability to not only create goals but also score them himself\" and saw him nominated alongside teammate Eden Hazard. He also scored an 87th-minute winner against Manchester United, a crucial one for Chelsea\\'s Champions League qualification hopes.On 15 May, Mata gave a fine performance in the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final against Portugal\\'s Benfica, assisting Branislav Ivanović\\'s injury time winner from a corner kick. The next day, he was awarded Chelsea\\'s Player\\'s Player of the Year award. He modestly gave the credit to the whole of the squad, saying that, \"he felt proud to play for Chelsea,\" and thanked his teammates. He was also awarded Chelsea\\'s Player of the Year for the second successive season. On winning his second award of the night, he said, \"I feel so happy. It\\'s my second season here and winning the trophy two years in a row is amazing for me. I just want to say thank you to all the supporters and all my teammates.\"\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14: Mid-season departure ====\\nUnder new Chelsea manager José Mourinho, Mata spent a lot of time on the bench. Mourinho preferred Oscar as a playmaker, and suggested Mata needed to adapt to a wider position and to working harder defensively. On 28 September 2013, Mata came on as a half-time substitute against Tottenham Hotspur to assist John Terry to score an equaliser in a 1–1 draw, but his appearances in the first team remained infrequent. On 29 October, he scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 League Cup victory at London rivals Arsenal.Mata struggled to secure a regular first-team place under Mourinho as he had started just 11 of Chelsea\\'s 22 Premier League matches. Mata scored 33 goals and provided 58 assists in 135 appearances over two-and-a-half seasons with Chelsea.\\n\\n\\n=== Manchester United ===\\n\\n\\n==== Transfer ====\\nOn 24 January 2014, Mourinho said Chelsea had accepted a transfer offer from Manchester United and he allowed Mata to travel to Manchester to undergo a medical, after the player said he was \"really happy to go\". Manchester United confirmed later in the day that a transfer fee had been agreed, but that the deal was still contingent on Mata agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. The transfer was completed the following day, with Manchester United paying Chelsea a then club record fee of £37.1 million (€46 million), with Mata signing a contract until the summer of 2018.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15: Debut season and individual success ====\\nHe made his debut against Cardiff City on 28 January and provided one assist in the 2–0 home victory. Mata scored his first goal for United in a 4–1 win over Aston Villa on 29 March 2014. He also went on to score two goals against Newcastle United in a 4–0 away victory, two more against Norwich City after coming off the bench in another 4–0 win, and the only goal in a 1–1 draw against Southampton in the final match of the season.Mata ended the season having scored six goals for Manchester United, all in the Premier League, since he was cup tied and unable to play in the Champions League and other cup competitions due to his participation in the tournaments with Chelsea earlier in the season.Mata began the new season in fine form. He scored the only goal in Manchester United\\'s second game of the Premier League season, a 1–1 draw against Sunderland at Stadium of Light, following it up with a goal against Queens Park Rangers in a 4–0 thumping, which was also Louis van Gaal\\'s first competitive win in charge of United. He was later dropped to the bench for the following two matches, making cameo appearances against Leicester and West Ham, with van Gaal preferring an attacking trinity of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and new signing Radamel Falcao in both games.\\nFollowing Rooney\\'s sending off and suspension due to a foul on Stewart Downing in the match against West Ham, Mata was reinstated to the starting lineup, and he started the next match against Everton, a 2–1 win at Old Trafford in which he provided the assist for Ángel Di María\\'s goal. Mata later scored winning goals in home games against Crystal Palace and Stoke City, the former after coming on as a second-half substitute. He made his return to the starting line-ups for the first time, in a 3–0 win over Tottenham but was substituted in the 77th minute for Andreas Pereira. On 22 March 2015, Mata scored a brace, including a bicycle kick, in a 2–1 victory over Liverpool, a performance which he rated as his best for Manchester United. His second goal against Liverpool was also voted as Premier League Goal of the Month in March 2015. His inspired performances led to him being named as Manchester United\\'s Player of the Month for March.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16: FA Cup win ====\\nMata, just as he had in the previous campaign, had a fine start to the season, getting an assist in the second game of the campaign against Aston Villa, which helped maintain his side\\'s impressive record at Villa Park. September was a month to remember for Mata as he scored two goals and made two assists in just three games, as Manchester United claimed wins against Liverpool, Southampton, and Sunderland. As a result, Mata was crowned the club\\'s Player of The Month.Mata was made captain for the home game against Watford on 2 March and scored a free kick, which was also the match-winner. On 6 March, in a 1–0 defeat to West Brom, Mata received his first career red card after obtaining two yellow cards in the space of three minutes. Mata assisted an Anthony Martial goal against West Ham in the final game at the Boleyn Ground; however, United lost 3–2, ending their chances of beating Manchester City for fourth-place.On 21 May 2016, Mata scored for United in the FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace, leveling the score at 1–1 just three minutes after Jason Puncheon\\'s 78th-minute goal. Mata was substituted in the 90th minute and replaced by Jesse Lingard, who would score the winning goal for United in extra time.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17: UEFA Europa League, League Cup wins ====\\nAt the beginning of the summer, Mata was reunited with his former Chelsea manager and the person who sold him to Manchester United, José Mourinho. On 7 August 2016, Mata was selected to be on the bench in the FA Community Shield. Mata replaced Jesse Lingard in the second half, then was substituted in added time for Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Although there were reports about tensions between the player and manager, after the match, Mata stated that there were no tensions between him and Mourinho. He started in the opening match of the season against AFC Bournemouth and scored Manchester United\\'s first Premier League goal of the season with a tap-in after Simon Francis\\' error. After José Mourinho dropped captain Wayne Rooney, Mata served as the stand-in captain in the 0–0 draw against Burnley on 29 October 2016.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–20: Later years and contract extension ====\\nMata scored his third brace of his Manchester United career, scoring both goals in a Boxing Day fixture against Leicester City. However, his efforts were cancelled out by a late equaliser from Harry Maguire which saw the match finish 2–2. Mata finished the season with three goals in 40 appearances for the Red Devils, as United finished second in the Premier League and lost in the 2018 FA Cup Final against his former club, Chelsea.\\nMata scored United\\'s first goal of the season in a friendly against Club América on 19 July 2018. Mata\\'s first competitive goal came in the 3rd minute of United\\'s League Cup exit to Derby County on 25 September 2018. On 6 October, Mata scored United\\'s first goal in a 3–2 comeback win over Newcastle United. Later, on 7 November 2018, Mata scored the equaliser from a free kick in another late comeback 2–1 win over Juventus in a Champions League group stage fixture. Mata also scored in a 4–1 win over Fulham on 8 December 2018, before scoring his final goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against his former club Chelsea on 28 April 2019.On 19 June 2019, it was confirmed that Mata had signed a new two-year contract with Manchester United, keeping him at the club until June 2021 with the option of a further year. This ended months of speculation over his future.Mata\\'s first goal of the 2019–20 season came from the spot in 4–0 win over AZ in United\\'s final Europa League group stage game. Mata later scored the only goal in January in an FA Cup third round replay against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Mata then scored in United\\'s final game before the temporary suspension of football due to the COVID-19 pandemic in a 5–0 victory over LASK.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21 season ====\\nAfter scoring against Luton and Brighton in the third and fourth round of the League Cup respectively, Mata received praise for his performance in a comeback 4–1 win against Newcastle United in the Premier League on 17 October 2020. Whilst not scoring he provided an assist for Maguire\\'s equaliser as well as being involved in the build up for all other goals. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær described his game as \"fantastic\" while Sky Sports said United\\'s win was \"largely thanks to [Solskjær\\'s] decision to turn to Mata\". On 23 May 2021, he scored his only Premier League goal of the season in a 2–1 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22 season ====\\nOn 2 July 2021, Mata signed a contract extension with Manchester United, keeping him at the club for another year. After having made twelve appearances throughout the whole 2021-2022 campaign, the last of which during the team\\'s last league fixture against Crystal Palace (on 22 May 2022), Mata left the club at the end of the season following his contract expiration. The Spaniard\\'s time at Old Trafford came to an end after eight years, a total amount of 285 appearances and 51 goals and four trophies won with the club.\\n\\n\\n=== Galatasaray ===\\nOn 8 September 2022, he signed a one-year contract with Turkish Süper Lig team Galatasaray, with the option to extend the deal by a further year. He made his debut on 24 September, in a friendly match against Istanbulspor and showed an impressive performance. He scored his first Süper Lig goal on 28 October after coming on as a second-half substitute against Fatih Karagümrük.Mata won the 2022–23 title, with a 4–1 away win against Ankaragücü on 30 May 2023 securing the title two weeks before the end of the season, the 23rd championship in club history.On 1 July 2023, it was announced that he left Galatasaray and a thank you message was published.\\n\\n\\n=== Vissel Kobe ===\\nOn 3 September 2023, J1 League club Vissel Kobe announced the signing of Mata, handing him the club\\'s number 64 shirt. Mata made just one appearance for the club, coming on as a substitute for the final ten minutes of a 2–0 away loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima on 16 September; however, he still received a medal as Vissel Kobe were crowned J1 League champions that season. On 6 January 2024, Mata\\'s contract with Vissel Kobe expired and he left the club.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nMata represented Spain from 2004 to 2016 at under-16, under-17, under-19, under-20, under-21, Olympic and senior levels.He helped Spain win the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where he was a key player. He finished the championship second to his teammate Alberto Bueno (five goals) as top goal scorer of the competition, with four in five matches.On 1 February 2007, under-21 coach Iñaki Sáez included him on his squad for the friendly against England, alongside Real Madrid teammates Roberto Soldado, José Manuel Jurado, Sergio Sánchez, Miguel Torres, Esteban Granero and Antonio Adán, at just 18 years and 10 months.\\nOn 14 November 2008, Vicente del Bosque called Mata up to the senior team to play in a friendly against Chile. He did not leave the bench in a 3–0 home win. On 28 March 2009, he finally made his debut, playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkey, a 1–0 win in Madrid. He came on as a substitute for teammate David Villa in the 63rd minute.\\nIn June 2009, Del Bosque included Mata for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the youngster\\'s first senior tournament. He started in the second group match against Iraq and came on as a substitute for Albert Riera in the semi-final loss to the United States.\\n\\nOn 9 September 2009, Mata scored his first goal for the senior team, as the 3–0 win against Estonia secured a place in the World Cup in South Africa. He followed this up with the winner against Armenia on 10 October, scoring a penalty to steal a 2–1 win. Picked for the final stages, he appeared once for the eventual champions, replacing Fernando Torres for the final 20 minutes of the 2–0 group stage win against Honduras.\\nIn 2011, the following summer, he returned to the under-21 side as a senior squad member and helped Spain win the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Denmark. Mata himself was included in UEFA\\'s Team of the Tournament and named as the tournament\\'s Golden Player.\\nMata returned to the senior squad for UEFA Euro 2012 and, after coming on as a substitute, scored Spain\\'s fourth goal in the final as Spain defeated Italy 4–0 to retain their title as champions of Europe.Mata was included in Spain\\'s squad for the 2012 Olympic football tournament as one of their three designated overage players. Spain, however, failed to score in any of their opening three matches and were eliminated at the group stage.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\n\\nIn addition to his favoured playmaking role through the centre of the pitch behind the forwards, Mata is also comfortable playing on either wing; he has also been used as a second striker on occasion. He makes up for a lack of pace with his control, technique, passing, creativity, and vision, which allows him to link-up with teammates and register many assists, in addition to scoring goals. A diminutive player, standing at 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), he lacks significant physical strength, heading ability, or aerial prowess, but is quick, agile, and nimble in his movements. Predominantly left footed, he is also a well-known free kick specialist. However, he has drawn criticism at times in the media over his limited defensive skills and work-rate.\\n\\n\\n== Business interests ==\\nIn November 2012, along with fellow Premier League players Santi Cazorla and Michu, Mata bought shares in former club Real Oviedo, who were struggling to raise €2 million to stay afloat in the Spanish third division.Mata and his father Juan Manuel Mata were part-owners of Tapeo and Wine, a Spanish restaurant on Deansgate in Manchester city centre, which opened in 2016 and closed in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. Mata and his father felt that authentic Spanish food options in Manchester were insufficient and so wanted to create their own restaurant. At the time, both Manchester managers, Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho were regular patrons.In August 2017, Mata announced in an article for The Players\\' Tribune that he was pledging one percent of his salary to a pledge-based charitable movement named Common Goal, and called for other football players to do the same.In 2023, Mata joined the investment group of the Alpine racing team of Formula One.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 16 September 2023\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of match played 15 November 2016As of match played 15 November 2016. Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Mata goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nValencia\\nCopa del Rey: 2007–08Chelsea\\n\\nFA Cup: 2011–12\\nUEFA Champions League: 2011–12\\nUEFA Europa League: 2012–13\\nFIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2012Manchester United\\n\\nFA Cup: 2015–16; runner-up: 2017–18\\nEFL Cup: 2016–17\\nFA Community Shield: 2016\\nUEFA Europa League: 2016–17; runner-up: 2020–21Galatasaray\\n\\nSüper Lig: 2022–23Vissel Kobe\\n\\nJ1 League: 2023Spain U19\\nUEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2006Spain U21\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2011Spain\\nFIFA World Cup: 2010\\nUEFA European Championship: 2012\\nFIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013; third place: 2009Individual\\n\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2011\\nUEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011\\nPremier League Player of the Month: October 2012\\nPFA Team of the Year: 2012–13 Premier League\\nChelsea Player of the Year: 2012, 2013\\nChelsea Players\\' Player of the Year: 2013\\nManchester United Goal of the Season: 2014–15 (vs. Liverpool, 22 March 2015)\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website \\nJuan Mata – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nJuan Mata – UEFA competition record (archive) \\nJuan Mata at BDFutbol\\nTHOMAS MULLERThomas Müller (German pronunciation: [ˈtoːmas ˈmʏlɐ]; born 13 September 1989) is a German professional footballer who plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the German national team. He has been deployed in a variety of attacking roles – as an attacking midfielder, second striker, centre forward, and on either wing. Regarded as one of the best players of his generation, he has been praised for his positioning, teamwork, stamina, and work-rate, and has shown consistency in both scoring and creating goals.A product of Bayern\\'s youth system, Müller has represented the club ever since. With Bayern he has won a record twelve Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals, eight DFL-Supercups, two UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup. He made his first-team breakthrough in the 2009–10 season after Louis van Gaal was appointed as the main coach; he played almost every game as the club won the league and cup double and reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League final. After scoring as Bayern lost the 2012 UEFA Champions League final, Müller scored 23 goals in the 2012–13 season as Bayern won a historic treble; the league title, cup and Champions League. He broke the Bundesliga record for assists by providing 21 in a season (a record in the top five leagues jointly held with Lionel Messi in La Liga) and scored 14 goals as Bayern won a second treble in the 2019–20 season.\\nMüller earned a call-up to the Germany national team in 2010. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he scored five goals in six appearances as Germany finished in third place. He was named the Best Young Player of the tournament and won the Golden Boot as the tournament\\'s top scorer, with five goals and three assists. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup he played a major role in helping the team win the trophy, scoring five goals and receiving the Silver Ball as the tournament\\'s second-top player and the Silver Boot as the second-top goalscorer, and was also named in the World Cup All-Star XI and in the Dream Team. Müller is the most decorated German footballer in history, with 33 trophies.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early career ===\\nMüller played as a youth for TSV Pähl, and at the age of 10 he made the 50-kilometre (31 mi) journey to join local Bundesliga side Bayern Munich in 2000. He progressed through the youth system and was part of the team that finished runner-up in the Under 19 Bundesliga in 2007. Growing up, his favorite player was Giovane Élber.\\n\\n\\n=== Bayern Munich ===\\nHe made his debut for the reserve team in March 2008 when he replaced Stephan Fürstner in a Regionalliga match against SpVgg Unterhaching, in which he scored. He made two more Regionalliga appearances in the 2007–08 season, while continuing to play for the under-19 team. The following season, Bayern\\'s second string qualified for the newly formed 3. Liga, and Müller established himself as a key player – he played in 32 out of 38 matches and scored 15 times to make him the league\\'s fifth top scorer.\\n\\n\\n==== 2008–09 season ====\\nMüller became involved in the first-team under then manager Jürgen Klinsmann; he appeared in pre-season friendlies, and made his full debut on 15 August 2008, when he came on as a substitute for Miroslav Klose for the last ten minutes of a Bundesliga match against Hamburger SV. Despite Müller feeling that his performance did not go well, he made three more Bundesliga appearances that season and made his Champions League debut on 10 March 2009 when he was substituted on in the 72nd minute for Bastian Schweinsteiger in a 7–1 win over Sporting CP. He scored Bayern\\'s last goal as they won the tie 12–1 on aggregate.In February 2009, Müller signed his first contract for the senior team, a two-year deal effective from the 2009–10 season, along with reserve teammate Holger Badstuber.\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10 season ====\\n\\nMüller was prepared to be loaned or even transferred away to find first-team football, but when Louis van Gaal was appointed manager, both Müller and Badstuber became fixtures in the Bayern first team from the start of the season. In the first few matches, Müller was a regular substitute, and on 12 September 2009, he was brought on against Borussia Dortmund and scored two goals in a 5–1 victory. Three days later, he scored another brace in a 3–0 Champions League victory over Maccabi Haifa. He rounded off September by being named the Bundesliga Player of the Month and earned praise from his namesake, legendary former Bayern and Germany striker Gerd Müller. After the Haifa match, Müller was in the starting XI for almost every match, only missing one match, a Champions League match against Bordeaux, for which he was suspended, because he was sent off in an earlier match against the same team.In February 2010, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern Munich through 2013. During the second half of the season, Müller continued to be a regular first-team starter, usually playing in a central striking role due to the availability of other wide players Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben. In April 2010, he scored the second goal in a 2–1 win against title rivals Schalke 04, and in the penultimate league match of the season, he scored the first hat-trick of his career, in a 3–1 win over VfL Bochum which effectively secured the German title for Bayern. The title was confirmed a week later with a 3–1 win at Hertha BSC, a match which Müller started.For the season, he played in all 34 Bundesliga matches, starting 29, and recorded 13 goals and 11 assists. Bayern and Müller were back in Berlin the following week, to face Werder Bremen in the final of the DFB-Pokal. Müller started the match and Bayern won 4–0 to complete the domestic double. Müller scored four goals and made two assists during the competition, which made him its leading scorer for the season. Bayern\\'s season ended in pursuit of a first treble, in the 2010 Champions League Final against Inter Milan at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. It was not to be, however, as they lost 2–0, with both goals coming from Diego Milito. Müller was in the starting line-up and had a key chance just after half-time, with Bayern 1–0 down, but his shot was saved by Júlio César. Müller felt particularly disappointed by this defeat, but he ended his first season as a first-team player with 52 matches played and 19 goals in all competitions.In a poll conducted by the sports magazine kicker, he was voted by his fellow professionals as the best newcomer of the 2009–10 season and was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season. Müller credits Van Gaal for having had the biggest part to play in his rise to success – the coach arrived with a reputation for promoting youth team players, particularly at Ajax, and consistently gave Müller his chance in the first-team, going as far to say \"Müller spielt bei mir immer\" (\"with me, Müller will always play\"). Müller, in return, described Van Gaal as \"a genius technician\" who makes players \"improve every time\".\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11 season ====\\n\\nMüller returned from his post-World Cup break to sign another contract extension, this time extending his stay at Bayern until 2015. As with all of Bayern\\'s World Cup participants, he missed much of pre-season, and his first match back was the Supercup against Schalke 04 on 7 August. He was named in the starting 11, and scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win. Two weeks later he scored the opening goal of Bayern\\'s league season in a 2–1 home win against VfL Wolfsburg.Müller played in every match of the first half of the season, usually as a starter, but as the team struggled for results, Müller was unable to match the previous season\\'s goalscoring exploits, being dropped to the bench, and even receiving a telling off from Louis van Gaal after missing an easy chance in a 2–0 defeat against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in August. He was philosophical about this dip in form, though, and after eight league games without a goal, he scored in a 4–1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt on 27 November; He followed that by scoring in consecutive league and cup wins against VfB Stuttgart three weeks later. These goals took his tally to eight goals in all competitions and included a spectacular goal to open the scoring in a 2–0 Champions League victory against Roma on 15 September.As his team was on its winter break, Müller was left to reflect on what he described as \"an almost unbelievable first year as a pro\". Müller began the second half of the season in good form, but was involved in an altercation with teammate Arjen Robben, who was angered when Müller showed his displeasure at a poor free-kick Robben took during a 3–1 win at Werder Bremen. Müller again played in every game of the season and scored 19 goals (12 in the league), but the season was less successful for Bayern, as they finished third in the league, and were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal in the semi-finals by Schalke 04 and in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League by Inter Milan; Bayern had won 1–0 at the San Siro, and Müller scored 31 minutes into the second leg to make it 3–1 on aggregate, but Inter levelled the score at 3–3 in the 88th minute to go through on the away goals rule. Müller\\'s mentor Van Gaal was increasingly criticised for inflexibility in tactical, transfer and selection policy, and ultimately lost his job, being replaced with Jupp Heynckes.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12 season ====\\n\\nIn Bayern\\'s first DFB-Pokal game Müller was awarded the man of the match after earning two penalties which were converted by Mario Gómez and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Müller then added a third in the closing stages to secure a 3–0 victory over Eintracht Braunschweig. It took Müller five matches for him to get his first league goal; he scored it against Schalke 04 in Bayern\\'s 2–0 win. Müller then scored in Bayern\\'s next home game in the early stages of the match, which they went on to win, 3–0. On 26 November 2011, Müller netted the opener on the half-hour in Bayern\\'s 6–0 thrashing of FC Ingolstadt, giving him his second DFB-Pokal goal. Müller was on the short-list of this year\\'s FIFA Ballon d\\'Or award. On 10 and 15 January, in Bayern\\'s warm up friendlies, Müller scored three goals in two games, a brace against the India national team (which Bayern then went on to win 4–0) and one goal in Bayern\\'s other 4–0 victory over Rot-Weiß Erfurt. Müller provided two assists in Bayern\\'s win over VfB Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal.\\nOn 11 February, Bayern played 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Müller ended a goal drought lasting since 24 September 2011 with a header in their 2–0 victory. On 31 March 2012, Müller played his 100th Bundesliga game against 1. FC Nürnberg. On 19 May 2012, Müller scored the opening goal in the 83rd minute of the Champions League final against Chelsea with a powerful header, before being substituted for defender Daniel Van Buyten moments later. Bayern, however, then conceded a late equaliser, and would go on to lose the final on penalties. Müller stated post match how dissatisfied he was about the amount of time he had spent on the bench recently, although also expressed his desire to stay at Bayern in spite of this. During the season, Müller had scored seven goals in 34 league matches, two goals in five German Cup matches, and two goals in 14 Champions League matches.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13 season ====\\n\\nMüller\\'s first Bundesliga goal of the season came over 2. Bundesliga champions SpVgg Greuther Fürth in Bayern\\'s 3–0 victory on 27 August 2012. On 2 September, he netted a brace as Bayern thrashed southern rivals VfB Stuttgart, 6–1, in front of 71,000 at the newly expanded Allianz Arena. Müller helped Bayern achieve a record-breaking start to the league season, when he netted a brace over newly promoted Fortuna Düsseldorf on 20 October in their 5–0 victory, recording Bayern\\'s eighth successive win. Three days later, he scored his first Champions League goal of the season, netting from the penalty spot, as Bayern defeated Lille 1–0 at the French side\\'s newly built Grand Stade Lille Métropole.On 13 December, after his good run of form in the first half of the Bundesliga season, Müller pledged his allegiance claiming he was at home in Munich and that, \"There is no club to step up from when you leave FC Bayern... there almost is no better club.\" Six days later, he signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him at the Allianz Arena until 2017. At the winter break in the Bundesliga, he had nine goals and seven assists in 16 league appearances and a further three goals in the Champions League; this gave him a total of 13 goals halfway through the season, including his strike against Borussia Dortmund in Bayern\\'s win in the 2012 DFL-Supercup. Müller scored his first goal in Bayern\\'s second game back from the break in a 2–0 away win over VfB Stuttgart. Müller tapped in his fifth goal of the Champions League campaign on 2 April, completing a 2–0 first leg defeat of Juventus in the quarter-finals, ending the Italian club\\'s 18-match unbeaten record in Europe.On 23 April 2013, Müller scored two goals and gave an assist in a 4–0 win against Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals at the Allianz Arena. In the return fixture, Müller scored a header as Bayern won 3–0 to hand Barcelona their biggest ever aggregate defeat in the Champions League, with a 7–0 scoreline across the two matches. Müller then went on to play an important role in Bayern\\'s 2–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the final. On 1 June, Müller scored a penalty in the final of the 2012–13 DFB-Pokal. Bayern won the cup 3–2 to complete an historic treble. Müller scored 23 goals overall in the season (including all competitions), netting 13 in the Bundesliga, one in the Pokal, and an impressive eight in the Champions League, he also added one in the 2012 DFL-Supercup which Bayern won 2–1.\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14 season ====\\n\\nMüller began the 2013–14 season under new manager Pep Guardiola by playing in the German Super Cup. On 5 August, Müller scored a hat-trick as Bayern won 5–0 in the team\\'s 2013–14 DFB-Pokal first-round game against Schwarz-Weiß Rehden. In Bayern\\'s opening 2013–14 Bundesliga fixture, Müller missed a penalty for the first time. Seconds later, the save from the penalty flicked the hand of Álvaro Domínguez which resulted in another penalty which David Alaba converted. After this, Müller stated, \"I am still happy to take penalties, but I think David Alaba is the main man for spot kicks for now.\" He played in the UEFA Super Cup.On 25 September, against Hannover 96 in the second round of the DFB-Pokal, Müller scored twice taking his cup tally to five goals in just two games. On 28 September, Müller scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg, giving him his first goal in the 2013–14 Bundesliga. Müller scored his first 2013–14 UEFA Champions League goal of the campaign and Bayern defeated Manchester City 3–1 at the City of Manchester Stadium on 2 October. He later played in the FIFA Club World Cup final which ended in a 2–0 win over Raja Casablanca.On 17 May 2014, Müller scored Bayern\\'s second goal in a 2–0 extra-time defeat of Borussia Dortmund in the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final, giving die Roten the tenth league and cup double in their history. Müller finished as the tournament\\'s top scorer with eight goals in five appearances. He finished the season by scoring 13 goals in 31 league matches, eight goals in five DFB-Pokal matches, and five goals in 12 Champions League matches.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15 season ====\\n\\nAfter the 2013–14 season, Müller signed a new contract keeping him at Bayern until 2019 and rejected a contract offer from Manchester United. Müller played in the DFL-Supercup, which was Bayern\\'s first match in the 2014–15 season. Bayern lost the match 2–0. His first goal of the season was against Preußen Münster in the DFB-Pokal on 17 August 2014. Then in the opening match of the Bundesliga, on 22 August 2014, Müller scored the opening goal of Bayern\\'s Bundesliga season against VfL Wolfsburg. Bayern went on to win the match 2–1.On 11 March 2015, Müller scored two goals against Shakhtar Donetsk in a 7–0 win to draw level with former teammate Mario Gómez as the top-scoring German player in UEFA Champions League history. He subsequently became the leader when he scored in a 6–1 win against Porto on 21 April 2015. He finished the season with 13 goals in 32 league matches, a goal in five DFB-Pokal matches, and seven goals in ten Champions League matches.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16 season ====\\n\\nMüller started the season by playing in the DFL-Supercup against VfL Wolfsburg. He started the league season with two goals against Hamburger SV, a goal against 1899 Hoffenheim, two goals against Bayer Leverkusen, and a goal against FC Augsburg in the first four matchdays. He had scored from the penalty spot against Bayer Leverkusen and Augsburg. He failed to score in his next three Bundesliga matches. He failed to convert a penalty shot against Mainz 05 on matchday seven. His next Bundesliga goal came when he scored two goals against Borussia Dortmund on matchday eight. One of the goals was scored from the penalty spot. His goalscoring continued in other competitions. He scored two goals against Wolfsburg in the second round of the DFB-Pokal, and in Champions League, two goals against Olympiacos, two goals against Arsenal, and a goal in the return leg against Olympiacos. In scoring in the home win over Olympiacos, Müller became the youngest player to win 50 UEFA Champions League games, beating the record of Lionel Messi by 14 months.On 9 December 2015, Müller came on as a 46th-minute substitute for Franck Ribéry in a 2–0 win against Dinamo Zagreb. He failed to convert his penalty shot in the match and finished the group stage with five goals from six appearances. On 18 December 2015, Müller signed a new contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until 2021. On 19 December 2015, Bayern defeated Hannover 96 1–0 with a goal from the penalty mark from Müller. Bayern went on winter break after the match. Müller finished the first half of the league with 14 goals from 17 appearances. This includes scoring five goals from the penalty mark in six opportunities. He had scored 21 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions up until the winter break.On 12 March 2016, Müller scored a brace in a 5–0 victory over Werder Bremen. Four days later, with Bayern trailing Juventus 1–2 in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, he scored a 91st-minute equaliser before Bayern won in extra time 4–2 (6–4 aggregate). On 19 April 2016, Müller scored both goals in Bayern\\'s 2–0 defeat of Werder Bremen in the DFB-Pokal semi-final. His first goal of the match was his 150th for the club in all competitions. On 3 May 2016, Müller had a penalty kick saved by Jan Oblak in the Champions League semi-final second leg at home to Atlético Madrid. The match ended in a 2–1 win for Bayern but the team was knocked out on the away goals rule. He finished the season by scoring 20 goals in 31 league matches, 4 goals in 5 German Cup matches, and 8 goals in 12 Champions League matches. He didn\\'t score in the German Super Cup. With 32 goals in all Competitions, this was Müller\\'s most prolific season to date.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17 season ====\\n\\nPrior to the start of the season, Müller became a part of a collaboration between the German Football Association and The LEGO Group, who in May 2016 released a Europe-exclusive collectible minifigure series, with Müller featured as the ninth of sixteen minifigures in the collection. Müller started the season by winning and scoring in the 2016 German Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund on 14 August 2016. In the league, Müller did not score for 999 minutes until he scored during a home game against VfL Wolfsburg in the 76th minute. He finished the 2016–17 season by scoring five goals in 29 Bundesliga appearances, no goals in three German Cup appearances, and three goals in nine Champions League appearances. Müller also provided 12 assists in the Bundesliga.Several German football experts like Lothar Matthäus blamed manager Carlo Ancelotti for Müller\\'s struggles in front of the goal. Ancelotti often preferred Thiago Alcântara as the player playing behind the striker, Müller\\'s prime position. Müller was often benched for the important matches in Europe and in the Bundesliga.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18 season ====\\n\\nMüller started the 2017–18 season by playing in the 2017 German Super Cup. He played in the opening 67 minutes before being replaced by Kingsley Coman. His first goal of the season was against Mainz on matchday four of the Bundesliga. On 21 January 2018, he scored two goals against Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, with his second goal in the match being his 100th in the competition.On 20 February 2018, Müller scored two goals against Beşiktaş in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. On 17 April 2018, Müller scored a hat-trick in Bayern\\'s 6–2 defeat of Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal semi-final. Overall, Müller scored eight goals and provided 14 assists in 29 league matches. He finished the season with 15 goals in 45 matches in all Competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19 season ====\\n\\nMüller started the 2018–19 season by starting in the German Super Cup. Müller scored in the first two matchdays in the Bundesliga season. He scored in the second round of the German Cup against SV Rödinghausen. He scored two goals against Fortuna Düsseldorf in the Bundesliga on 24 November 2018. On 12 December 2018, Müller played his 105th Champions League match in a match against Ajax and therefore leveling former club legend Philipp Lahm as the record appearance holder in the Champions League at Bayern. In that same match, Müller was sent off for the first time in his career for a straight red card. This resulted in a two-match suspension. On 15 December 2018, Müller made his 300th Bundesliga appearance for Bayern against Hannover 96.On 18 May 2019, Müller won his seventh consecutive Bundesliga title as Bayern finished two points above Dortmund with 78 points. It was Müller\\'s eighth Bundesliga title. A week later, Müller won his fifth DFB-Pokal as Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final. He finished the season with 9 goals in 45 matches in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20 season ====\\n\\nOn 2 November 2019, Müller made his 500th competitive appearance for Bayern, becoming the 10th Bayern player to reach this mark since the club\\'s promotion to the Bundesliga in 1965. The following month, he became the first-ever player to register 11 assists in the first half of a Bundesliga season, achieving the new record in his side\\'s 2–0 win over Wolfsburg. On 7 April 2020, Müller pegged a contract extension keeping him at Bayern until 2023. He recorded his 20th assist of the Bundesliga season in an away match against Bayer Leverkusen on matchday 30, breaking the record for most assists in a season, previously held by Kevin De Bruyne and Emil Forsberg. He provided another assist in an away match against Wolfsburg on Matchday 34, to finish off the season with a record of 21 assists.On 14 August, Müller scored a brace and assisted another in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against Barcelona, which ended in an 8–2 win. Later on, Bayern won 1–0 over Paris Saint-Germain in the final, which marked the club\\'s sixth Champions League title and Müller\\'s second Champions League title. He finished the season by scoring 8 goals in 33 league matches, two goals in six German Cup matches, and 4 goals in 10 Champions League matches.\\n\\n\\n==== 2020–21 season ====\\n\\nOn 18 September 2020, Müller scored his first goal of the season, and provided one assist, in an 8–0 win over Schalke 04. He later managed to win the UEFA Super Cup and DFL-Supercup to be his 27th trophy of his club career; hence, he became the most decorated player in German history, breaking the previous record of 26 trophies won by his former Bayern teammate Bastian Schweinsteiger. On 11 February 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19 and went into quarantine; hence, could not play in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup Final. However, Bayern went on to win the final 1–0 against Mexican side Tigres UANL which completed their continental sextuple.Müller won his ninth consecutive Bundesliga title as Bayern finished the league in first place with 78 points, 13 points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund. It was Müller\\'s 10th Bundesliga title. He finished the season by scoring 15 goals in 46 matches in all Competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22 season ====\\n\\nOn 17 August 2021, Müller scored his first goal of the season, and provided one assist, in a 3–1 away win against Borussia Dortmund in the 2021 DFL-Supercup. On 19 November, Müller made his 600th appearance for Bayern in a 2–1 loss to Augsburg, becoming the fourth overall appearance maker behind Sepp Maier, Gerd Müller and Oliver Kahn. On 8 December, Müller scored his 50th goal in the UEFA Champions League against Barcelona in a 3–0 win, becoming only the 8th player in the competition\\'s history to do so. Müller played his 400th match in the Bundesliga on 17 December, scored one goal and assisted another in a 4–0 win over Wolfsburg.On 23 April 2022, following a 3–1 win against Dortmund in Der Klassiker, Bayern won their 10th consecutive Bundesliga title, in the process, making Müller the player with the most Bundesliga title wins in history with 11. On 3 May, Müller extended his contract with Bayern, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2023–24 season.\\n\\n\\n==== 2022–23 season ====\\n\\nOn 1 April 2023, Müller scored a brace in a 4–2 win over Dortmund as Bayern regain top position in the league. Eventually, Bayern won their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title on goal difference ahead of Dortmund; meanwhile, Müller extended his record by winning his 12th league title overall.\\n\\n\\n==== 2023–24 season ====\\n\\nOn 18 August 2023, Müller came off the bench in the 84th minute in a 4–0 away win over Werder Bremen in the opening match, in which he managed to participate in 16 Bundesliga seasons to become the first player to achieve this feat at the club. On 20 September, he featured in a 4–3 win over Manchester United in the opening match of the Champions League, to become the third player to reach 100 wins in the competition, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas ahead of him.On 19 December 2023, Müller extended his contract with Bayern until 30 June 2025. On 3 February 2024, he became the first player to reach 500 wins with Bayern in a 3–1 league victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\nMüller represented Germany at various youth levels, starting with the under-16s in 2004. In August 2009, he was called up to the under-21 team for his debut in a 3–1 friendly defeat against Turkey. He earned six caps for the under-21s and scored one goal, the eighth in an 11–0 thrashing of San Marino.In October of the same year, Müller\\'s regular appearances for Bayern\\'s first team caused Germany national team manager Joachim Löw to publicly consider him for a call-up, despite initial reluctance from the Bayern Munich board; the following month, Müller was named in the squad for a friendly against the Ivory Coast. However, this coincided with the death of national team goalkeeper Robert Enke, which led to the cancellation of a match against Chile the same week. With less opportunity to try out new players, and with the under-21 team facing crucial qualifiers for the 2011 European Championship, Löw and under-21 manager Rainer Adrion felt that Müller was needed at the under-21 level, and Müller was called back into the under-21s.He was back in the senior squad for its next get-together, a training session in Sindelfingen in January 2010, and was named in the squad for the following match, a friendly against Argentina in March. He made his debut in this game in the starting XI at the Allianz Arena, his home stadium with Bayern. He was substituted in the 66th minute for fellow debutant Toni Kroos as Germany lost 1–0.\\n\\n\\n=== 2010 World Cup ===\\nMüller was named in Germany\\'s provisional 27-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup along with seven other Bayern Munich players. Despite suffering a scare when he fell off his bicycle at the team\\'s training camp in South Tyrol, Müller only received superficial injuries and made the final cut for the tournament when the squad was reduced to 23 players. He was allocated the number 13, normally worn by injured captain Michael Ballack, and previously worn by Müller\\'s eponym Gerd Müller. He earned his second international cap in the final warm-up match before the World Cup when he came on as a half-time substitute for Piotr Trochowski in a 3–1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. He started the first game of Germany\\'s World Cup campaign and scored the third goal – his first internationally – in a 4–0 win over Australia, winning Germany\\'s goal of the month award in the process. He played in all Germany\\'s group games, as they finished top of Group D; he scored twice and assisted once in the 4–1 victory over England in the round of 16. In the third minute of Germany\\'s 4–0 quarter-final win against Argentina, he opened the scoring with his fourth tournament goal. However, he picked up his second booking of the tournament in the first half, for a handball and was suspended for the semi-final defeat against Spain. Müller said that he felt far more nervous during the Spain game than any he was able to play. He returned to the team for the third-place playoff against Uruguay and scored the first goal, his fifth of the tournament, as Germany won 3–2 to take the bronze medals. The team\\'s success was a culmination of a series of changes made after the national team\\'s failure at Euro 2000. The Germans emphasized a more open, attack-minded style not previously associated with Germany, and included prominent young players, including Müller, Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil.With five goals Müller ended as joint top goalscorer of the tournament. He earned the Golden Boot with these goals and his three assists. He also won the Best Young Player Award over fellow nominees André Ayew of Ghana and Giovani dos Santos of Mexico. For both awards, he succeeded a German teammate, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, respectively, from 2006.In October 2010, he was named on the shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d\\'Or award along with four of his Germany teammates. Reflecting on his World Cup success, Müller said \"I basically got lucky, I hit form at just the right time\".\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2012 ===\\nMüller started all ten of Germany\\'s qualifiers for Euro 2012, as the team qualified for the finals with a 100% record. Müller provided assists for seven goals, three of which came in a 6–2 win over Austria in September 2011 which secured Germany\\'s qualification for the finals with two games to spare. He scored three times in the campaign, two goals coming in a 4–0 win over Kazakhstan in March 2011, the third in a 3–1 win over Turkey in October of the same year.Müller was included in Joachim Löw\\'s squad for Euro 2012, where the Germans were knocked out in the semi-finals by Italy.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup ===\\nMüller scored his first World Cup qualifying goals on 22 March 2013, getting Germany\\'s opener and final goal in a 3–0 away win over Kazakhstan. He also scored in the 3–0 victories over Austria and the Faroe Islands to give him four goals in Germany\\'s successful qualification campaign.On 16 June 2014, in Germany\\'s opening match of the 2014 World Cup, Müller scored the first hat-trick of the tournament and was named man of the match in a 4–0 win against Portugal. In addition, he was also the target of Pepe\\'s headbutt in the 37th minute, which resulted in the Portuguese defender being sent off. He denied that he had \"overplayed\" the situation leading to the red card. On 26 June, Müller scored the only goal of the final group match against the United States to help the Germans win Group G and dispelled fear of collusion between German coach Joachim Löw and American coach Jürgen Klinsmann to play to a result that benefited both Germany and the US as had occurred in 1982.On 8 July, Müller scored Germany\\'s opening goal in their 7–1 semi-final defeat of Brazil. This was Germany\\'s 2,000th goal in its history, and put Müller level with Helmut Rahn\\'s tally of ten World Cup goals. Müller also became only the third player to score at least five goals in each of his first two World Cups (after Teófilo Cubillas and teammate Miroslav Klose).On 11 July, Müller was named on the ten-man shortlist for FIFA\\'s Golden Ball award for the tournament\\'s best player. After playing all 120 minutes of Germany\\'s final 1–0 victory against Argentina, Müller received the Silver Boot as the tournament\\'s second-top goalscorer with five goals, and was also named in the World Cup All-Star XI, having played a major role in his team\\'s World Cup triumph.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2016 ===\\nMüller featured in nine of ten matches during Germany\\'s qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring nine goals as Germany topped their qualifying group to qualify for Euro 2016.Müller started in all six matches that Germany played at the Euro 2016 finals. In their quarter-final match against Italy, Müller\\'s shot was the first one to be saved in the penalty shoot-out during the tournament. This was also the first time Germany failed to score in a shoot-out since Uli Stielike missed in the 1982 World Cup. Germany would still end up winning the shoot-out 6–5, however. Müller\\'s poor run of form throughout the tournament hindered Germany\\'s chances, and they would be eliminated by hosts France in the semi-finals. Müller exited the competition without adding a goal to his name at the European Championship.\\n\\n\\n=== 2018 World Cup ===\\nMüller was selected in Germany\\'s final 23-man squad by manager Joachim Löw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Müller played in all three matches for Germany against Mexico, Sweden and South Korea. Müller started against Mexico and Sweden, but came on as a substitute against South Korea. Müller did not manage to score a goal as Germany crashed out of the World Cup at the group stage for the first time since 1938.\\n\\n\\n=== Exclusion from national team ===\\nOn 5 March 2019, national team coach Joachim Löw confirmed that he would plan without Müller for the foreseeable future, along with his club teammates Jérôme Boateng and Mats Hummels. Müller said after the decision that he was \"angry and surprised\" why Löw decided to drop him and his Bayern teammates. However, after Löw later admitted in March 2021 that he was considering reversing his decision and allowing the previously barred players to partake in the upcoming UEFA Euro 2020, Müller insisted he was \"definitely ready\" to return to international duty, stating his desire to win another title with Germany.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to the team and Euro 2020 ===\\nOn 19 May 2021, Müller, along with Hummels, was included in Germany\\'s final 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2020, ending a period of over two years of exclusion from the national team. In the Euro 2020 round of 16, Müller missed a one-on-one chance against England when the score was 1–0 for the latter; however, England went on eventually to beat Germany 2–0. Hence, Müller played 15 matches in the European Championship without scoring any goals.\\n\\n\\n=== 2022 World Cup ===\\nIn November 2022, he was selected in the final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Müller played in all three matches for Germany against Japan, Spain and Costa Rica, but failed to find the net as Germany were eliminated in the group stage for the second time in a row.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nMüller\\'s role can be described as an attacking all-rounder, a versatile player who is able to play in a variety of offensive positions. As he came through the youth system, he was seen primarily as a midfielder, but since breaking into the first-team he has been used in more attacking roles. Bayern Munich usually plays a 4–2–3–1 formation, and Müller is most often part of the three attacking midfielders behind the central striker. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the centre for Bayern, but has also played on the right wing, especially for Germany. He has been used in a central attacking role as an out-and-out striker on occasion, or even as a second striker.Although he lacks physical strength, Müller has been praised for his maturity, technique, awareness, tactical intelligence, finishing and positioning. He has been particularly noted for his composure; former Germany manager Joachim Löw said he is \"impervious to pressure\" and former Bayern manager Louis van Gaal said he has tremendous mental strength. A consistent scorer and creator of goals, Müller has been lauded in the media for his intelligent movement off the ball and ability to time his attacking runs; he describes himself as a player who can find gaps in the opposition defence but not particularly good at dribbling or one-on-ones. Müller describes this role as Raumdeuter, a term which translates, literally, to \"space interpreter\" (cf. Traumdeuter, \"dream interpreter\"). During the 2014 World Cup, Germany manager Joachim Löw stated that Müller \"is a very unorthodox player and you can\\'t really predict his lines of running, but he has one aim and that is \\'how can I score a goal?\\'\". In addition to his offensive capabilities, Müller has also been praised by pundits for his teamwork, stamina, and defensive work-rate. Former Bayern assistant coach Hermann Gerland gave him the nickname Radio Müller for his loud and frequent comments on the pitch and in the dressing room.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\nMüller was born in Weilheim in Oberbayern, Bavaria. He grew up in the nearby village of Pähl, which became the centre of media attention during his World Cup exploits. His parents are Klaudia and Gerhard, and he has a brother, Simon, who is two and a half years younger.Müller married his long-time girlfriend Lisa Trede, a semi-professional equestrienne who works on a farm, in December 2009 after being engaged for two years. In June 2011, he became an ambassador for YoungWings, a charity that helps children who have suffered bereavement or trauma.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 10 February 2024\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of match played 21 November 2023As of match played 12 September 2023. Scores and results list Germany\\'s goal tally first.Notes\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nBayern Munich\\nBundesliga: 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23\\nDFB-Pokal: 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20\\nDFL-Supercup: 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022\\nUEFA Champions League: 2012–13, 2019–20; runner-up: 2009–10, 2011–12\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2013, 2020\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2013, 2020Germany\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2014; third place: 2010Individual\\n\\nFIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 2010\\nFIFA World Cup Best Young Player: 2010\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010\\nFIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 2014\\nFIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 2014\\nFIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2014\\nFIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2014\\nWorld Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2010\\nBravo Award: 2010\\nVDV Bundesliga Newcomer of the Season: 2010\\nDFB-Pokal Top Scorer: 2010, 2014\\nBavarian Order of Merit: 2019\\nUEFA Super Cup Man of the Match: 2020\\nUEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2019–20\\nBundesliga Team of the Season: 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21\\nBundesliga Player of the Month: January 2022\\nVDV Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2009–10, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2020–21\\nkicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2012–13, 2015–16, 2019–20, 2020–21\\nBayern Munich Player of the Season: 2021–22\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\nList of men\\'s footballers with 100 or more international caps\\nList of one-club men in association football\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website (in German)\\nProfile at the FC Bayern Munich website\\nThomas Müller at DFB (also available in German) \\nThomas Müller at fussballdaten.de (in German) \\nThomas Müller at Soccerway \\nThomas Müller at National-Football-Teams.com \\nThomas Müller – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nThomas Müller – UEFA competition record (archive)\\nMARIO GÖTZEMario Götze (German pronunciation: [ˈmaːʁi̯o ˈɡœtsə]; born 3 June 1992) is a German professional footballer who plays for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt and the Germany national team. Although his favoured position is that of a playmaker, Götze has also played as a left winger or false nine forward.He played for Borussia Dortmund between 2009 and 2013, winning the Bundesliga title in 2010–11 and the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2011–12, and was a member of the team which reached the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. In April 2013, a €37 million bid from Bayern Munich triggered a release clause in Götze\\'s contract, making him the second-most expensive German player at the time, behind Mesut Özil. He spent three seasons with the club where he won a further three league titles, two DFB-Pokal trophies and a winners\\' medal in each of the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He then returned to Dortmund in 2016, where he added another DFB-Pokal title and a DFL-Supercup to his name.\\nGötze was first selected for the Germany national football team in 2010, at the age of 18. He was included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2012 and, two years later, scored the winning goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Borussia Dortmund ===\\n\\n\\n==== Early career ====\\nGötze is a product of Dortmund\\'s youth academy, first entering the club as an eight-year-old. He made his Bundesliga debut on 21 November 2009 in a scoreless draw against Mainz 05, coming on as a substitute for Jakub Błaszczykowski in the 88th minute. During the winter break of the 2009–10 Bundesliga season, Dortmund manager Jürgen Klopp promoted Götze to the first team. He finished the 2009–10 season with five appearances. Götze took his chance and was an important player in Dortmund\\'s Bundesliga-winning squad of the 2010–11 season. He finished 2010–11 season with eight goals in 41 appearances. In 2010, German Football Association\\'s then technical director Matthias Sammer described Götze as \"one of the best talents Germany has ever had.\"He played in the 2011 German Super Cup\\' losing to Schalke 04. In January 2012, Götze was diagnosed with a hip injury; cartilage in Götze\\'s hip had inflamed under stress.\\nOn 27 March 2012, Götze signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund, keeping him at Dortmund until 2016. His contract, however, contained a release clause from the club, triggered by a fixed transfer fee of at least €37 million. Götze spoke about his contract extension, saying, \"Everyone knows how comfortable I feel in Dortmund. The club are far from finished with their recent resurgence. And I want to be part of this development.\"In April 2012, Götze made the squad for the first time since his hip injury but was an unused substitute against rivals Schalke 04. He played his first game since his hip injury when he came on as a substitute against Borussia Mönchengladbach.\\nGötze won the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in 2012 as Dortmund set a Bundesliga record by earning the most points in a season with 81, a record later broken by Bayern Munich in 2012–13. Götze also won the DFB-Pokal with Dortmund (5–2) against rivals Bayern Munich in 2012. Götze finished the season with seven goals in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–13 season ====\\nGötze kicked off his season by losing the 2012 German Super Cup. On the first day of the 2012–13 season, he came on as a substitute and scored the winner against Werder Bremen in a 2–1 win for Dortmund. On 19 December, he netted a hat-trick, powering Dortmund to a 5–1 defeat of Hannover 96 in the third round of the DFB-Pokal.\\n\\nGötze provided an assist and netted a goal in Dortmund\\'s 3–0 second leg defeat of Shakhtar Donetsk on 5 March 2013, completing a 5–2 aggregate victory over the Ukrainian champions as Dortmund progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The result meant that Dortmund had advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years. Götze was ruled out of the final against Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium, London, as he suffered thigh injury against Real Madrid in the second leg of the semi-final, which his side lost 2–0 but still progressed to the final through an aggregate score of 4–3. His Dortmund side lost the final 2–1 after a late Arjen Robben goal sealed Bayern\\'s victory.\\nIn his final season at Dortmund, Götze formed a formidable partnership with German teammate Marco Reus. Götze also managed to score 16 goals in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n=== Bayern Munich ===\\n\\n\\n==== Signing ====\\nOn 23 April 2013, it was announced that Götze was moving on 1 July 2013 to rivals Bayern Munich after the team had triggered Götze\\'s release clause of €37 million. The transfer made Götze the most expensive German player of all time. Mesut Özil eventually broke the record later in the summer, transferring to Arsenal for €50 million. Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp claimed that the reason behind Götze\\'s transfer to Bayern was the playmaker\\'s wish to play under manager Pep Guardiola, formerly of Barcelona. Klopp admitted his annoyance at the timing of the announcement of Götze\\'s move, as it was barely 36 hours before Dortmund\\'s Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid. Klopp later said that Dortmund had no chance of convincing Götze to stay with Dortmund, as he claimed, \"He [Götze] is a Pep Guardiola favourite.\"\\n\\n\\n==== 2013–14 season ====\\nOn 11 August 2013, Götze made his Bayern Munich debut, coming on as a substitute for Mitchell Weiser in the 60th minute. Götze netted two goals to help Bayern get a 4–1 win against Hungarian champions Győri ETO in a friendly match. He made his league debut for the club in a Bundesliga home match against 1. FC Nürnberg on 24 August, which Bayern won 2–0. On 19 October, Götze came on as a substitute and made two assists to help Bayern from a one-goal deficit to get a 4–1 win against 1. FSV Mainz 05.On 23 October, Götze scored his first competitive goal for Bayern in a 5–0 Champions League group stage win over Viktoria Plzeň at the Allianz Arena. He also assisted Bastian Schweinsteiger in the game. On 26 October 2013, Götze came on as a substitute for Toni Kroos in the 25th minute and scored his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern Munich with a header in a 3–2 win against Hertha BSC. On 2 November, he made his return to starting line-up in a 2–1 away win for Bayern against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. On 23 November, Götze came off the bench and scored the first goal of a 3–0 away victory over former club Borussia Dortmund. He did not celebrate the goal out of respect to Dortmund. In the team\\'s next fixture against CSKA Moscow, Götze scored the second goal of 3–1 away win in the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League group stage. On 7 December, Götze helped Bayern by netting a goal in the closing minute, as well as assisting Thomas Müller, in a dominant 7–0 away victory over Werder Bremen. On 17 December, Götze scored a long-range goal in the 47th minute against the AFC champion Guangzhou Evergrande, helping Bayern win 3–0 and advance to 2013 FIFA Club World Cup Final, where he came on as an 80th-minute substitute. Bayern won the match 2–0.On 24 January 2014, Götze started as a \"false 9\" and scored his first goal in the second half of the season against Borussia Mönchengladbach, a 2–0 Bayern victory. On 25 March, he scored in a 3–1 win over Hertha BSC as Bayern were confirmed as Bundesliga champions. On 3 May 2014, he scored a brace and assisted two in their 4–1 away win against Hamburger SV. On 17 May, he played the full 120 minute match against former club Borussia Dortmund in 2014 DFB-Pokal Final. Bayern won 2–0 in extra time to win their second major title in the season. Götze\\'s debut season with Bayern has yielded a mixture of success and frustration, scoring 15 goals.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014–15 season ====\\nAfter helping Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Götze began the 2014–15 season on 13 August 2014, coming on as substitute in a 2–0 loss against Borussia Dortmund in 2014 DFL-Supercup. On 17 August, he opened his scoring account in their first 2014–15 DFB-Pokal win against SC Preußen Münster. On 22 August, he started and played for 62 minutes in their 2–1 home season opener victory against Wolfsburg. On 23 September, he scored twice in Bayern\\'s 4–0 home win against SC Paderborn.On 18 October, Götze netted another brace in their 6–0 home win against Werder Bremen. On 28 October, FIFA announced that Götze is included in the 23-man shortlist for 2014 FIFA Ballon d\\'Or. On 22 November, he scored a stylistic long range goal in their 4–0 win against Hoffenheim, later voted Bundesliga goal of the week. On 14 February 2015, Götze scored his third brace of the season and assisted one in their dominating 8–0 win against Hamburger SV.On 28 April 2015, Götze was one of four Bayern players to miss in a 2–0 penalty shootout defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal semi-final. In May 2015, Franz Beckenbauer criticised Götze for poor performances and lack of determination in playing. After a couple of weeks, Götze\\'s teammate Arjen Robben backed him up for all the negative criticism. \"You need to make certain experiences as a player,\" the Netherlands international said. \"How you cope with certain situations also makes you strong as a player. Criticism can be good for your development too. You need to fight through the situation.\" He finished the season with 15 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions.\\n\\n\\n==== 2015–16 season ====\\nOn 1 August 2015, he started his season by coming on as a substitute in the 84th minute. On 9 August 2015, Götze scored with a goal in Bayern\\'s 3–1 DFB-Pokal win over FC Nöttingen. In the next four games, he struggled to make a significant impact in the squad. On 16 September, Götze, coming on as a substitute in 79th minute, scored the second goal against Olympiacos in the 2015–16 Champions League as his club earned a 3–0 away win. After the game, Bayern coach Pep Guardiola praised Götze for his performance.On 22 September 2015, Götze assisted the last goal in Bayern\\'s 5–1 win against Wolfsburg. On 29 September, Götze was a threat throughout the whole game and he scored a goal against Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb. Bayern earned a 5–0 win. On 4 October, Götze scored and assisted a goal against Borussia Dortmund to help Bayern to a 5–1 victory. He scored six goals in 21 appearances during the 2015–16 season.\\n\\n\\n=== Return to Borussia Dortmund ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–17 season ====\\nOn 21 July 2016, Götze confirmed his return to Dortmund on a four-year contract. He also stated that he regretted his decision to join Bayern Munich three years before. On 11 September 2016, Götze played his official comeback in 1–0 loss against RB Leipzig. Despite the loss, he was praised for his promising return. Three days later, he scored his first goal for Dortmund since his return to his boyhood club, with his previous goal in a competitive game for the club coming in the 6–1 Bundesliga win over Greuther Furth in April 2013. He scored the opener of the historic 6–0 away win against Legia Warszawa in the Champions League group stage.After a long time of re-adapting to the Dortmund system, Götze managed to find his form when their side faced Bayern Munich on 20 November 2016. Götze assisted the only goal of the game, and earned a 1–0 victory. Almost a month later, he scored his first Bundesliga goal since his return to Dortmund in a 2–2 draw against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. In February 2017, Götze was dropped from the Dortmund team with a mystery illness, identified in media reports as myopathy, a metabolic disease which can cause fatigue and weight gain. The illness was said to explain some of Götze\\'s fitness problems over the previous several seasons with Bayern and on his return to Dortmund. He finished the season with two goals in 16 appearances.\\n\\n\\n==== 2017–18 season ====\\nAfter his absence due to metabolic illness, Götze returned to the field on 14 July 2017 where Dortmund successfully defeated Urawa Reds 3–2 in a friendly match. On 19 August 2017, he made his first start in seven months in a 3–0 away win against VfL Wolfsburg to start their 2017–18 Bundesliga season; he assisted a goal, and played industriously. After the match, Dortmund\\'s coach Peter Bosz hailed Götze\\'s performance, but stated that he needs to be careful with his midfielder in order to gain full recovery. He finished the season with two goals in 32 appearances.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–19 season ====\\nOn 9 February 2019, Götze scored his 50th career Bundesliga goal when he netted in a 3–3 draw with Hoffenheim and in doing so extended his record of never having lost a match which he extended to 43 matches.\\n\\n\\n==== 2019–20 season ====\\nOn the opening day of the 2019–20 Bundesliga campaign, Götze made his 200th competitive appearance for Dortmund, coming on as a second-half substitute for Reus in a 5–1 win over Augsburg.On 23 May 2020, Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc stated that Götze would leave the club at the end of the season. His last appearance for the team was in a 1–0 defeat against Bayern Munich, three days later after his decision to leave. He bid farewell to the club at the Westfalenstadion prior to Dortmund\\'s final match against 1899 Hoffenheim.\\n\\n\\n=== PSV ===\\nOn 6 October 2020, Götze joined PSV on a free transfer, signing a two-year deal. Götze scored on his PSV debut, a 3–0 away win at PEC Zwolle on 18 October.On 21 July 2021, Götze scored twice against Galatasaray in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie. On 7 August, Götze scored in a 4–0 Johan Cruyff Shield win over rivals Ajax, in turn helping to end Ajax\\'s 17 game unbeaten streak.On 6 September 2021, Götze signed a new contract with PSV, keeping him at the club until 2024.\\n\\n\\n=== Eintracht Frankfurt ===\\nOn 21 June 2022, Götze signed a three-year contract with Eintracht Frankfurt.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early international career ===\\nAfter ascending through several youth teams, Götze was called up for his first senior match for Germany against Sweden, on 17 November 2010. He made his debut that day, coming on in the 78th minute in a goalless draw, substituting for his Dortmund teammate Kevin Großkreutz and becoming the youngest German international since Uwe Seeler. Götze and André Schürrle, who came on simultaneously, are the first two German players to be born in reunified Germany. He made his second appearance for the national team in a friendly match against Italy on 9 February 2011.\\nGötze\\'s first goal for Germany was against Brazil on 10 August 2011; at 19 years and 68 days, he became the joint-youngest goalscorer for the Germany national team in the post-war era along with Klaus Stürmer, who scored on debut against France on 16 October 1954. He was included in the 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2012 on 28 May 2012. Götze made his tournament debut in a 4–2 victory after coming on as a substitute in the 80th minute against Greece.\\n\\n\\n=== 2014 World Cup ===\\nGötze contributed four goals in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, and was named in Germany\\'s squad for the tournament finals. Götze was named in the starting line-up against Portugal in the team\\'s opening match, winning the penalty kick for Germany\\'s opening goal on his World Cup debut. In the team\\'s second match, he scored the opening goal and was named the Man of the Match in a 2–2 draw with Ghana. Götze played just 14 minutes in the 1–0 win against the United States, half of the Round of 16 win against Algeria and seven minutes in their quarter-final 1–0 win over France. He did not play in Germany\\'s record-breaking 7–1 victory against Brazil in the semi-finals.In the World Cup final against Argentina, German Manager Joachim Löw substituted 36-year-old Miroslav Klose after 88 minutes with Götze and told him, \"Show the world you are better than Messi and can decide the World Cup.\" Götze scored the only goal of the match in the 113th minute, controlling André Schürrle\\'s cross on his chest before volleying the ball into the net, giving Germany their fourth World Cup. He became the first substitute to score a World Cup winning goal, and the youngest player to score in a World Cup Final since fellow German Wolfgang Weber in 1966, who was also 22. Götze was also named the Man of the Match.\\n\\n\\n=== Euro 2016, hiatus and 2022 World Cup ===\\nGötze featured at UEFA Euro 2016, appearing in four matches of Germany\\'s semifinalists campaign. Having started every group game, he played just over 20 minutes in the knockout phase. Pundits widely criticised his performances for being nondescript. During this time, Götze also took part in a collaboration between the German Football Association and The LEGO Group, who in May 2016 released a Europe-exclusive collectible minifigure series, with Götze featured as the fifteenth of sixteen minifigures in the collection.In the lead up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he played in a friendly against France in November 2017 after a one-year absence from the national team, but ultimately did not make the squad for the final tournament.On 10 November 2022, Götze was named in Germany\\'s 2022 FIFA World Cup squad by Manager Hansi Flick. The selection was met with surprise, as it marked his return to the national side after five years.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nGötze is capable of playing as either a left or right winger, attacking midfielder and also as a \"false 9\". Götze was considered to be one of the best young players in the world, possessing speed, technique, dribbling skills and playmaking capabilities. In his first stint at Dortmund, under manager Jürgen Klopp, Götze often played different roles in the team\\'s 4–2–3–1 formation. Following the departure of fellow playmaker Shinji Kagawa in 2012, during the 2012–13 season, Klopp assigned Götze as central attacking midfielder. For Germany, Götze\\'s talent has been used by German coach Joachim Löw in the \"false 9\" role. In more recent seasons with Dortmund, coach Lucien Favre has also used Götze in this role.In 2010, the German Football Association\\'s then-Technical Director Matthias Sammer described Götze as \"one of the best talents Germany has ever had.\" One year later, German football legend Franz Beckenbauer described Götze as \"German Messi\" for his speed and style of play. However, Götze\\'s pace deteriorated before the peak age of an average professional footballer, and this was seen as one of the reasons for his second departure from Borussia Dortmund. In 2012, Franz Beckenbauer spoke about Götze, along with Marco Reus, saying, \"...as a classic duo there is nobody better than the prolific Götze and Reus.\"\\n\\n\\n== Outside football ==\\n\\n\\n=== Personal life ===\\nGötze was born in Memmingen, Bavaria to parents Jürgen and Astrid Götze. His father is a professor at the Dortmund University of Technology. His older brother Fabian is currently a free agent, having left Dortmund\\'s youth system in 2010. Their younger brother, Felix, currently plays for Rot-Weiss Essen.Götze has been in a relationship with German lingerie model Ann-Kathrin Brömmel since July 2012. The couple were engaged in 2017 and married in May 2018. They had a son in 2020 and a daughter in 2023. Götze is Christian.\\n\\n\\n=== Health problems ===\\nIn early March 2017, it was reported that Götze had been suffering from a metabolic disorder. The health condition was later found out to be myopathy, a muscular disorder which affects the fibres in the muscles, meaning they do not function correctly.\\nSpeaking about discovering the health condition Götze released a statement via the Borussia Dortmund official website which read, \"I\\'m currently undergoing treatment and will do everything in my power to be back in training and helping my team to achieve our common goals as soon as possible\".\\n\\n\\n=== Sponsorship ===\\nIn 2011, Götze signed a sponsorship kit deal with sportswear and equipment supplier Nike. He appeared in an advert for the Nike Green Speed II alongside Eden Hazard, Theo Walcott, Raheem Sterling, Christian Eriksen and Stephan El Shaarawy in November 2012. In March 2014, Götze was one of the first players to wear Nike Magista boots.Götze appeared as part of a Galaxy XI in an advertisement for South Korean company Samsung alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao and Iker Casillas in a team managed by German football legend Franz Beckenbauer. On 14 August 2014, Konami announced that they had featured Götze on the front cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2015.\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 26 January 2024\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nAs of match played 25 March 2023Scores and results list Germany\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Götze goal.\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nBorussia Dortmund\\nBundesliga: 2010–11, 2011–12\\nDFB-Pokal: 2011–12, 2016–17\\nDFL-Supercup: 2019\\nUEFA Champions League runner-up: 2012–13Bayern Munich\\nBundesliga: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16\\nDFB-Pokal: 2013–14, 2015–16\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2013\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2013PSV Eindhoven\\nKNVB Cup: 2021–22\\nJohan Cruyff Shield: 2021Eintracht Frankfurt\\nDFB-Pokal runner-up: 2022–23Germany U17\\n\\nUEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2009Germany\\n\\nFIFA World Cup: 2014Individual\\n\\nBallon d\\'Or: 2014 (15th place)\\nUEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Golden Player: 2009\\nUEFA European Under-17 Football Championship Team of the tournament: 2009\\nFritz Walter Medal: U17 Gold Medal 2009\\nFritz Walter Medal: U18 Gold Medal 2010\\nBundesliga Young Player of the Year: 2010–11\\nkicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2010–11, 2012–13\\nVDV Newcomer of the Season: 2010–11\\nGolden Boy: 2011\\nGoal of the Month (Germany): July 2014\\nGoal of the Year (Germany): 2014\\nSilbernes Lorbeerblatt: 2014\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nOfficial website (in German)\\nMario Götze at fussballdaten.de (in German) \\nMario Götze at Soccerway \\nMario Götze at National-Football-Teams.com \\nMario Götze – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nMario Götze – UEFA competition record (archive)\\nKARIM BENZEMAKarim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. Regarded as one of the best strikers of all time, he is a creative forward known for his technical skills, vision and versatility on the field, Benzema is Real Madrid\\'s all-time second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider. He won 24 trophies with Real Madrid, including four La Liga, three Copa del Rey, and five UEFA Champions League titles.\\nBorn in Lyon to parents of Algerian descent, Benzema began his career with hometown club Lyon in 2005, contributing sporadically to three Ligue 1 title wins. In 2008, he was named the league\\'s Player of the Year and in the Team of the Year having finished as the league\\'s top goalscorer and winning his fourth league title and first Coupe de France. In 2009, Benzema was the subject of a then-French record football transfer when he joined Real Madrid in a deal worth €35 million. After struggling to establish himself in his debut season, he eventually achieved a consistent goalscoring rate with the club, notably being part of a highly rated trio alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale — dubbed \"BBC\" — who were integral to four Champions League wins from 2014 to 2018.\\nFollowing Ronaldo\\'s departure in 2018, Benzema transitioned from the false 9 position into a sole striker. He was named in the La Liga Team of the Season for five consecutive years from 2018 to 2023, won La Liga Best Player twice and the Pichichi Trophy for the first time in 2022. Benzema finished as Champions League top scorer as he won his fifth title in 2022, and subsequently captained the club in his final season before signing for Al-Ittihad the following year.\\nA French international, Benzema won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and made his senior debut for France in 2007, at age 19. He earned 97 caps, including scoring in three and appearing in four major tournaments, and ranks as France\\'s sixth-highest all-time top goalscorer. Benzema was controversially left out of the squad for the 2010 World Cup and did not play for France for over five years after being implicated in a blackmailing scandal in 2015; he later returned to the squad before announcing his international retirement in December 2022. He has been named French Player of the Year by France Football four times. For his performances in 2021 and 2022, Benzema was awarded the UEFA Player of the Year and the Ballon d\\'Or, becoming the fifth French player to have won the Ballon d\\'Or. At 34 years and 302 days old, he is the third-oldest winner of the award.\\n\\n\\n== Club career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Early career ===\\nBenzema began his football career at his hometown club Bron Terraillon at the age of eight. While at the club, he was nicknamed \"Coco\" by friends and, after scoring two goals in an under-ten match against the Lyon youth academy, began attracting attention from the biggest club in the city. According to Serge Santa Cruz, who was president of Bron Terraillon in the 1990s, Lyon officials had visited him directly in an attempt to sign the youngster; however, Santa Cruz refused. After talking with Benzema\\'s father, the club allowed the player to undergo a trial with Lyon. Following the trial, Benzema officially joined Lyon and was inserted into the club\\'s academy.\\n\\n\\n=== Lyon ===\\nBenzema quickly ascended up the youth categories in the academy. He served as a ballboy during Lyon senior team matches and performed well in school being described as a student who was \"discreet and respectful\". At under-16 level, Benzema scored 38 goals in the Championnat National des 16 ans, the domestic league for under-16 youth players in France. Ahead of the 2004–05 season, Benzema was promoted to the club\\'s reserve team, which was playing in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Despite only playing with the team during the autumn campaign, he scored a team-high ten goals as the Lyon reserve team finished second in its group.\\n\\n\\n==== 2004–2007: Breakthrough and three league titles ====\\nBenzema was called up to the senior team for the first time under manager Paul Le Guen during the break leading up to the second half of the season. As is customary with new players arriving at Lyon, the young striker had to stand up and speak to his new teammates, which at that time included the likes of Michael Essien, Sylvain Wiltord, Florent Malouda and Eric Abidal. While speaking, Benzema was subjected to jokes and laughter, which prompted the youngster to declare, \"Do not laugh, I\\'m here to take your place.\" He made his professional debut on 15 January 2005 against Metz, appearing as a substitute for Pierre-Alain Frau. Lyon won the match 2–0 as Benzema provided the assist of the second goal scored by Bryan Bergougnoux. He signed his first professional contract the same month, agreeing to a three-year deal. After making three more appearances as a substitute, on 2 April Benzema made his first professional start in a 1–0 win over Lens. He finished the campaign with six appearances as Lyon won their fourth-straight league title.\\nBenzema began the 2005–06 season under the tutelage of new manager Gérard Houllier. Under Houllier, he struggled for meaningful minutes due to the presence of newly signed Brazilian striker Fred, as well as Sylvain Wiltord. Benzema made his season debut on 2 October 2005 in a league win over Rennes, appearing as a substitute. On 6 December, he made his UEFA Champions League debut in Lyon\\'s final group stage match against Norwegian club Rosenborg. On his competition debut, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 win. A month later, Benzema scored his first professional double in a 4–0 win over Grenoble in the Coupe de France. On 4 March 2006, Benzema scored his first professional league goal against Ajaccio in a 3–1 win.Benzema began earning more playing time in the 2006–07 season and made his competitive season debut in the 2006 Trophée des Champions against Paris Saint-Germain. In the French Supercup, Benzema converted a penalty which drew the match at 1–1. Lyon later won the league curtain-raiser 5–4 on penalties. Benzema opened the league campaign on a quick note scoring in the team\\'s first match of the season against Nantes. Three weeks later, on 26 August 2006, Benzema appeared as a substitute and scored two goals in a 4–1 away win over Nice. He also converted two goals in the Champions League group stage against Romanian outfit Steaua București and Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv. After appearing regularly during the autumn campaign, on 10 November, Benzema suffered a severe thigh injury. The injury resulted in the striker missing three months of action before returning in February 2007. Benzema failed to score a goal until the final league match of the season against Nantes as Lyon recorded its sixth consecutive league title.\\n\\n\\n==== 2007–2009: Club talisman ====\\nFor the 2007–08 season, with Florent Malouda, John Carew and Sylvain Wiltord all departing from the club, Benzema switched to the number 10 shirt and was inserted into the lead striker role. After forming a special relationship with new manager Alain Perrin, he responded with 31 goals in 51 games. He topped the league with 20 goals, scored four goals in the Champions League, one in the Coupe de la Ligue and totaled six goals in six Coupe de France matches, helping Lyon win their first ever double. Some of his more dazzling performances that season included a hat-trick against Metz on 15 September, an equalizing goal in the 90th minute from a free kick against Derby du Rhône rivals Saint-Étienne, and a goal against Lens that was nominated for goal of the season by fans.\\nIn the Champions League, Benzema scored an important double against Rangers at Ibrox Stadium on the last match day of the group stage. The 3–0 victory assured Lyon progression to the knockout rounds. In the knockout rounds, Lyon faced Manchester United and Benzema continued to score, this time it was from outside the penalty box in the first leg match which ended in a 1–1 draw and United eventually won the tie 1–2 on aggregate. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and players praised Benzema for his performance. Lyon club president Jean-Michel Aulas later accused Ferguson of tapping-up Benzema.On 13 March 2008, Benzema extended his contract with Lyon until 2013 with a one-year extension option. After signing his new contract, Benzema became one of the highest paid footballers in France. For his efforts that season, he was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, selected to the Team of the Year and awarded the Trophée du Meilleur Buteur for being the league\\'s top scorer. He won the 2008 Bravo Award given to the most outstanding young footballer playing in Europe, and was also shortlisted by France Football for the 2008 Ballon d\\'Or award, eventually won by Cristiano Ronaldo.\\nBenzema got off to a good start for the 2008–09 season, scoring twice in Lyon\\'s opening league match against Toulouse. The following three weeks, he scored goals against Rhône-Alpes rivals Grenoble and Saint-Étienne and scored a goal against Nice, converting a penalty in the dying seconds. Lyon won all three matches. As a result of his early goals, Lyon club president Jean-Michel Aulas quelled the many transfer rumors surrounding Benzema by placing a €100 million price tag on the striker. He was also nominated alongside Franck Ribéry to be featured on the French cover of the video game FIFA 09.\\nHe scored his seventh goal of the league on 29 October, scoring in the 2–0 win over Sochaux. Benzema scored again the following weekend in a 2–0 win over Le Mans. He was among the top scorers in the Champions League group stage, scoring five goals, a double against Steaua București, two goals in two matches against Fiorentina, and a goal against the eventual group winners Bayern Munich on the final match day.Following the winter break, Benzema endured a rough patch going scoreless the first three games before recording his 11th goal of the season against Nice in a 3–1 victory. Two weeks later, he scored his 12th goal against Nancy in a 2–0 victory. The next nine matches, both Benzema and Lyon\\'s form dwindled losing four matches, drawing three and winning only two with Benzema scoring only two goals in that stretch, both of them against Le Mans in a 3–1 victory. The bad form resulted in Lyon losing their grip on first-place position and eventually falling out of the title race, thus ending their streak of seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles. Benzema was a part of four of those title runs.\\nDespite losing the title, Benzema got back on track scoring his 15th and 16th goals of the season on 17 May in a 3–1 away victory over rivals Marseille, the first goal being a penalty. He scored his 17th goal the following weekend against Caen in a 3–1 victory moving him into third place among Ligue 1 top scorers.\\n\\n\\n=== Real Madrid ===\\n\\n\\n==== 2009–10: Transfer and adapting to Spain ====\\nOn 1 July 2009, it was announced that Lyon had reached an agreement with Spanish club Real Madrid for the transfer of Benzema. The transfer fee was priced at €35 million with the fee rising to as much as €41 million based on incentives. On 9 July, Benzema successfully passed his medical and signed his contract, a six-year deal, later that afternoon. He was presented officially as a Real Madrid player later that night at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, similarly to the previous signings of Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo. Benzema made his Real Madrid debut on 20 July in the club\\'s opening pre-season friendly against Irish team Shamrock Rovers in Dublin, appearing as a half-time substitute. He scored the lone goal in the club\\'s 1–0 win, scoring in the 87th minute. On 24 August, Benzema netted two goals in Real Madrid\\'s 4–0 victory over Norwegian club Rosenborg in an annual friendly tournament organized for the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy. The goals brought his total tally in the pre-season with Real Madrid to five, making him the joint top scorer alongside fellow striker Raúl.Benzema made his league debut for Madrid on 29 August 2009 against Deportivo La Coruña. He started the match, but was substituted out in the second half as Madrid won 3–2. A month later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–0 victory against newly promoted Xerez. After missing the mid-week match against Villarreal, against Tenerife at the weekend, Benzema scored his first double for Madrid in a 3–0 home victory. He made his Champions League debut for the club on 30 September in a group stage tie against Marseille. After failing to score a goal in the month of October, in the team\\'s first match in November against Italian club Milan in the Champions League, Benzema scored the opener to give Madrid a 1–0 lead. His goal was later cancelled out by a Ronaldinho penalty.\\nIn late November, Benzema began appearing mainly as a substitute as manager Manuel Pellegrini preferred Gonzalo Higuaín in the lead striker role. To coincide with his benching, the striker was also being criticized by the Spanish media for his under-performance and difficulties settling in the country as he had not yet begun learning the Spanish language. He was even declared the \"new Anelka\" by a Marca blogger, referring to former Real Madrid striker Nicolas Anelka who had a tumultuous year at the club before being sold. Benzema was defended by his compatriot Zinedine Zidane, who admitted \"after two months, I was also criticized\" and that Benzema was \"a talented player and talented players in Madrid must win\".On 5 December, Benzema appeared as a substitute for Rafael van der Vaart and scored the third goal in a 6–0 romp of Almería. The day after the match against Almería, Benzema responded to the criticism by stating, \"I am totally integrated and very happy at Real Madrid\", and, \"Yes, I have improved my adaptation. I have a new home and I\\'m learning Spanish to understand myself better with my teammates.\" After nearly a month coming off of the bench, he started alongside Higuaín away to Valencia on 12 December. A week later, Benzema returned to the bench. Following an injury to Higuaín in early January 2010, Pellegrini inserted Benzema back into the starting lineup. After failing to score in his first two starts in the absence of Higuaín, against Deportivo La Coruña on 30 January, he scored a double in an important 3–1 away win. Following the return of Higuaín, Benzema was relegated back to a substitute\\'s role and finished the campaign by making eight consecutive appearances off the bench. Included in one of those appearances was his final goal of the season against Athletic Bilbao in a 5–1 win.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010–11: First-team mainstay ====\\nAhead of the 2010–11 season, Benzema switched to the number 9 shirt as Real Madrid were under the tutelage of new incoming manager José Mourinho. The striker immediately drew the ire of Mourinho who declared to reporters during a pre-season media session that \"Benzema must understand that he is extremely talented, but that in itself is not enough\", while also stating that \"[Madrid] need a striker who is sparky, not one that is listless\". Mourinho sentiments were later echoed by incoming France national team coach Laurent Blanc who acknowledged that Benzema was \"not used to working\". Blanc also stated that the striker needed to shed weight in order to fulfill his potential.Due to Mourinho preferring Ronaldo and Higuaín as his forwards, Benzema began the campaign as a substitute coming off the bench in the team\\'s opening league match of the season against Mallorca. Following the September international break, he made his first start in a 1–0 win over Osasuna. On 21 September, Benzema made a substitute appearance and scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 home win against Espanyol. Afterwards, the striker failed to score a domestic goal for nearly two months.\\nOn 10 November, Benzema scored his second goal of the campaign against Real Murcia in the 2010–11 edition of the Copa del Rey. In late November, Benzema was inserted into the starting eleven following a severe back injury to Higuaín, along with the team\\'s lack of senior strikers. In his first match since being inserted into the starting lineup permanently, he scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a group stage fixture against Dutch club Ajax. In Madrid\\'s final group stage tie against Auxerre, Benzema scored his first hat trick for the club in a 4–0 win. The first goal he scored was Real Madrid\\'s 300th goal in the Champions League era. Two weeks later, Benzema converted another hat trick, this time in an 8–0 thrashing of Levante in the Copa del Rey. In late January, for the first time in his Real Madrid career, Benzema scored goals in back-to-back matches. On 23 January, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win at home against Mallorca. Three days later, Benzema repeated his efforts scoring the only goal in a win over Sevilla in the first leg of the team\\'s Copa del Rey semi-final tie. Real Madrid later advanced to its 37th Copa del Rey final in club history after beating Sevilla 2–0 in the second leg.Following the arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor on loan, Benzema went unused in two consecutive league matches in February 2011. He returned to the starting lineup on 19 February and embarked on a run in which he scored ten goals in eight matches. Included in those ten goals were doubles in three straight matches against Málaga, Racing Santander and Hércules, as well as a goal in the first leg of Madrid\\'s Round of 16 tie against former club Lyon. The strike against his hometown club was the 100th goal of his professional career, and also the first goal for Real Madrid at the Stade de Gerland in six years, though despite the honours associated with netting the goal, Benzema did not celebrate out of respect for his former club.\\nOn 19 March, he scored the opener in the El Derbi madrileño as Real Madrid went on to win the match 2–1. Despite his form, Benzema appeared in only one of the four highly anticipated matches against El Clásico rivals Barcelona, in which the two clubs met in the league, the 2011 Copa del Rey Final and the Champions League knockout stage. In between those clashes, on 23 April 2011, Benzema scored a goal in a 6–3 win over Valencia. On 30 April, he scored a goal in the team\\'s 3–2 loss to Real Zaragoza. It was the only match of the campaign that Real Madrid lost, in which Benzema scored. To close out the campaign, Benzema scored another double in an 8–1 win over Almería. He finished the campaign second on the team behind Ronaldo with 26 goals as Real Madrid captured the Copa del Rey giving Benzema his first honour with the club. For his performances during the campaign, particularly during the second half, Benzema was praised by Mourinho, club officials Florentino Pérez and Emilio Butragueño, as well as national team manager Laurent Blanc.\\n\\n\\n==== 2011–12: First La Liga championship ====\\nPrior to the start of the 2011–12 season, Benzema, taking the advice of compatriots Blanc and Zidane, ventured to Merano, Italy, to attend a high performance clinic where he underwent treatment to reduce his weight. The spell at the clinic was ultimately a success after the striker arrived at pre-season 8 kilograms (18 lb) lighter. While at the clinic, Benzema also underwent physical training to build up his muscle mass. The striker was impressive in the pre-season scoring eight goals in seven matches. His performances during the pre-season resulted in Mourinho naming him the starting lead striker for the new campaign. Mourinho was later credited with Benzema\\'s transformation, but denied full responsibility and, instead, gave credit to the striker himself.In the second leg of the 2011 Supercopa de España against Barcelona, and with Madrid trailing 4–3 on aggregate late in the match, Benzema scored the equalizing goal to even the tie at 4–4. However, six minutes later, a Lionel Messi strike gave Barcelona the supercup. In the team\\'s second league match of the season against Getafe, Benzema scored a double in a 4–2 victory. After going goalless in three consecutive league matches, he scored his third league goal of the campaign against Rayo Vallecano in a 4–2 win. In the team\\'s ensuing match against Ajax in the Champions League, Benzema scored Madrid\\'s third goal in a 3–0 home win. In the club\\'s next Champions League match against Lyon, Benzema scored again by netting the opener in a 4–0 win against Lyon.\\nIn November 2011, Benzema scored five goals; three in the league and two in Europe. In the league, he converted his three goals in wins over Osasuna and Valencia, while he scored his two Champions League goals in a 6–2 group stage win over Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. On 10 December 2011, Benzema scored the opener in Madrid\\'s 3–1 defeat to Barcelona in the El Clásico. The goal, scored just 21 seconds into the match, was the fastest goal ever scored in a match between the two rivals. Three days after his record-breaking goal, for his performances during the 2011 calendar year, Benzema was named the France Football French Player of the Year, beating out Barcelona defender Eric Abidal and Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. He became only the second French player based in Spain to win the award, and also the second Real Madrid player to capture it. Zidane was the first to achieve both honorable mentions. Benzema expressed gratitude at winning the award, stating, \"It is a pleasure to win an individual trophy. When I see the previous winners – Zidane, Henry and other major players – it makes me proud to join them on the list.\" In the team\\'s next match after winning the award, against Sevilla, Benzema assisted two goals in a 6–2 triumph.Benzema opened the 2012 portion of the campaign in positive form. He scored goals against Granada and Málaga. Benzema scored against the latter club in the Copa del Rey in each leg of the Round of 16. The 4–2 aggregate win advanced Real Madrid to the quarter-finals where the club faced Barcelona. After failing to score in the first leg, which ended 2–1 in favour of Barça, in the second leg on 25 January 2012, Benzema scored his third goal of the season against the Blaugrana, but Madrid failed to win the tie losing 4–3 on aggregate. On 12 February, Benzema scored his first league goal in over a month against Levante. A week later, he scored a double in a 4–0 shutout of Racing Santander. On 24 March, Benzema scored two goals in a league win over Real Sociedad. The two goals made him the top French scorer in La Liga history surpassing Zidane. Three days later, Benzema scored another double in a 3–0 first leg away win over Cypriot team APOEL in the Champions League quarter-finals. On 29 April, Benzema put in a masterful performance scoring two goals and assisting another in a 3–0 win over Sevilla. The double was his seventh of the season and allowed Madrid to close in on its first Primera Division title in four years. Los Blancos captured their 32nd league title the following week cruising to a 3–0 win over Athletic Bilbao. Benzema appeared as a second-half substitute in the match.\\n\\n\\n==== 2012–2016: Sustained continental success ====\\nOn the first matchday of the Champions League, Benzema scored an equalizer against Manchester City in 3–2 win at Santiago Bernabéu. On 4 October 2012, Benzema scored a bicycle kick goal off a cross by Kaká in a 4–1 win against Ajax in Amsterdam. On 18 December, one day before his 25th birthday, his fine form saw him earn the award for best French footballer of 2012, for the second year running. On 2 March 2013, Benzema opened the scoring against Barcelona in the league game at the Santiago Bernabéu. Real went on to win the game 2–1, the second time they beat Barcelona in a week.\\nAhead of the 2013–14 season, Benzema became part of a trio alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and newly signed Gareth Bale — dubbed BBC. Benzema started the season by scoring in a 2–1 win over Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu. After four matches without scoring (two with Real Madrid and two with France), he returned to goal-scoring form by netting twice in a 6–1 away win over Galatasaray in Champions League. On 18 January 2014, he scored his 100th goal for Madrid in a 5–0 victory at Real Betis. On 23 March, Benzema scored two goals against fierce rivals Barcelona in El Clásico at the Bernabéu from two crosses by Ángel Di María, taking his goal tally in La Liga to 17 goals, though Barcelona won the match 4–3.\\nBenzema was part of Real Madrid\\'s starting eleven in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final on 16 April at the Mestalla Stadium, and assisted Di María\\'s opening goal before Gareth Bale hit the winner for Madrid in a 2–1 victory. One week later, on 23 April, Benzema scored the only goal of the game to win the first leg of a Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, 1–0. The club went on to win the final in May. Real Madrid\\'s attacking trio of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, dubbed \"BBC\", finished the season with 97 goals.On 6 August 2014, Real Madrid announced that Benzema had signed a new five-year deal that will keep him at the club until 2019. On 12 August 2014, Benzema played the whole 90 minutes in Real Madrid\\'s 2–0 win against Sevilla in Cardiff to claim the UEFA Super Cup. On 16 September, Benzema scored Real Madrid\\'s 1,000th goal in European competition after netting a goal in a 5–1 victory over Basel in the first match of the Champions League group stage. He scored the winning goal in Real Madrid\\'s 2–1 away victory against Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League after coming on as a second-half substitute. The next weekend, he scored a brace in the 5–0 victory against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. In 2014, Benzema won France Football\\'s award for French Player of the Year for the third time; only Thierry Henry has won this award on more occasions.Benzema was chosen as La Liga Player of the Month for October 2014, with his manager Carlo Ancelotti winning the equivalent award. He scored three of Real Madrid\\'s 13 goals of the month, in which they won three matches and only conceded just one goal. On 8 December 2015, Benzema scored a hat trick in an 8–0 thrashing against Malmö. On 20 December, he scored another hat trick in a 10–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano. He was a regular starter when the team won the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–2018: European threepeat and second league title ====\\nIn December 2016, Benzema was called up in Real Madrid\\'s squad for 2016 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. In the semi-final match against América on 15 December, Benzema scored in the last moments of the first half, helping the team to progress in the final by winning 2–0. In the final three days later against Kashima Antlers, Benzema opened the score in the ninth minute, and also assisted Ronaldo\\'s second goal, as Real Madrid won 4–2 in extra time after the regular time finished 2–2 to claim their second title. It was Benzema\\'s tenth title with Real Madrid, and finished the competition as joint-second topscorer with two goals in two matches.On 15 February 2017, in the first leg of 2016–17 UEFA Champions League round of 16 against Napoli, Benzema scored Real Madrid\\'s first goal in an eventual 3–1 home win, which was his 51st goal in this competition, overtaking Thierry Henry on the list of all-time Champions League top scorers. It was his first goal in six matches and for this performance he was voted Man of the Match. He was a regular starter, and scored the last goal of the season which gave him eleven for the campaign, when Madrid won the 2016–17 La Liga and the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League.On 20 September 2017, Benzema signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2021. Later, on 6 March of the following year, Benzema made his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance by playing in the 2–1 win at Parc des Princes against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of 2017–18 UEFA Champions League round of 16 as Real Madrid progressed to the next round 5–2 on aggregate. Benzema played his 400th match in all competitions for Real Madrid on 31 March in the 3–0 win at Las Palmas, captaining the team and netting the second goal with a penalty. On 1 May, Benzema scored twice in a 2–2 draw against Bayern Munich in the return leg of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League semi-final, as Real progressed to the final on a 4–3 aggregate. On 26 May, Benzema scored the first goal of the match in 2018 UEFA Champions League Final by intercepting Loris Karius\\'s throw in a 3–1 victory over Liverpool, when Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall Champions League title.\\n\\n\\n==== 2018–2021: Club talisman, third league title and the return of Zidane ====\\nWith the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in July 2018, Benzema became Real Madrid\\'s new goal-getter – scoring 30 goals in all competitions in 2018–19 as the club\\'s top scorer for the campaign. His prominence in Real Madrid\\'s squad significantly increased.On 7 November 2018, Benzema scored a brace in the 5–0 win at Viktoria Plzeň in the UEFA Champions League group stage, reaching the 200th goal milestone with the club, becoming only the seventh Madrid player to achieve the feat. He scored three goals in six matches, all of them against Plzeň, helping Real Madrid topping Group G. Later, on 13 February of the following year, in the first leg of the competition\\'s round of 16, Benzema scored the opener of a 2–1 away win over Ajax, reaching 60 Champions League goals, becoming only the fourth player to do so.Benzema scored Madrid\\'s first competitive goal of the 2019–20 season on 17 August in the 3–1 away win over Celta Vigo in the opening La Liga match. Later, on 6 November, he scored a brace in Madrid\\'s 6–0 crushing of Galatasaray, achieving two new milestones: he become the second player after Lionel Messi to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons and also the third Madrid player to score 50 goals in the competition. His performances were praised by manager Zinedine Zidane, who called him a legend and also compared him with Cristiano Ronaldo. Three days later, in the next league match, he scored a first-half brace in a 4–0 win at Eibar, overtaking Ferenc Puskás as the club\\'s sixth all-time goalscorer in La Liga with 157 goals from 323 appearances. In February 2020, Benzema extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2022. On 1 March, he made his 500th appearance for Real Madrid in a 2–0 home win over Barcelona in El Clásico, becoming the fourteenth player in the club\\'s history to achieve this milestone. At the end of the season, Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga, while scoring over 20 goals.\\nWhen La Liga restarted after a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Benzema scored a brace against Valencia in Real Madrid\\'s second game back at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium on 18 June – his first goals at Madrid\\'s new temporary home ground. Benzema\\'s brace saw him surpass Ferenc Puskás as Real Madrid\\'s fourth All-Time Top Scorer with 304 goals.On 16 July, Benzema\\'s brace against Villarreal secured Real Madrid\\'s 34th La Liga title, after a 2–1 win at the Di Stefano – their 10th consecutive league win after the lockdown. On 7 August, Benzema scored Madrid\\'s only goal at the Etihad as they went crashing out of the Champions League to Manchester City (2–4 on aggregate) to end the campaign. For the second consecutive season, Benzema finished as the club\\'s top scorer with 27 goals in all competitions.\\nBenzema opened his goal account for 2020–21 on 4 October, away to Levante in La Liga, netting his 250th goal for Real Madrid in all competitions. On 27 October, he scored an acrobatic over-the-head goal in a 2–2 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach at Borussia-Park in the Champions League, to become the second player in history after Lionel Messi to score in 16 consecutive Champions League seasons. On 9 December, he scored a brace in a 2–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach to send Real Madrid to the Champions League knockout stages as group winners. On 21 April, Benzema scored a brace and assisted another in a 3–0 away win at Cádiz, which meant he scored against all 35 teams he has played against in La Liga.\\n\\n\\n==== 2021–22: Vice-captaincy, fourth league title, UCL top scorer and Ballon d\\'Or ====\\nWith the departure of Sergio Ramos to PSG, Benzema was promoted as Real Madrid\\'s vice-captain for the 2021–22 season under Ancelotti. On 14 August, Benzema scored a brace against Alaves as Los Blancos kicked off the league season with a 1–4 away win to sit at the top of the table. Benzema\\'s first half volley was the first official goal under Ancelotti in his second stint. Six days later, Benzema signed a contract extension with Real Madrid, keeping him at the club until 2023.Benzema scored his first hat-trick in three seasons in a 5–2 win over Celta Vigo on 12 September as Madrid returned to the Bernabeu for the first time since March 2020. Wearing the armband, Benzema was the first Madrid captain to score a hat-trick since Raul in 2008. One week later, Benzema and Vini Jr would combine twice in the last few minutes against Valencia at the Mestalla to complete a comeback to earn Madrid their first win at the Mestalla in four seasons. On 22 September, Benzema scored a brace and provided another two assists in a 6–1 win over Mallorca at the Bernabeu. Benzema\\'s brace allowed him to become only the fourth Madrid player in history to score 200 La Liga goals after Di Stefano, Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo. On 28 September, Benzema became the first the player in history to score in 17 consecutive Champions League seasons after scoring his first penalty in the competition in a 1–2 home loss against Sheriff in the group stage.On 22 October, Benzema scored Madrid\\'s 1000th Champions League goal at the Bernabéu against Shakhtar Donetsk. In the process, Benzema scored his 291st and 292nd goals for the club, making him their fourth highest all-time top scorer, overtaking Santillana. With his goal against Sevilla in La Liga on 28 November, he became the highest French goalscorer in club football matches, overtaking Thierry Henry. On 8 January, Benzema scored his 300th goal for Madrid, converting a penalty in a 4–1 win at home in La Liga against Valencia.\\nOn 9 March, he scored a hat-trick within 17 minutes in a remarkable comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16. At the age of 34, Benzema became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League era. With the three goals, Benzema brought his tally to 309, overtaking Alfredo Di Stéfano as Real Madrid\\'s third-highest all-time goalscorer. On 14 March, Benzema scored a brace in a La Liga match against Mallorca and broke Henry\\'s record, becoming all-time top French goalscorer with 413 goals. On 6 April, he scored another hat-trick in the Champions League in a 3–1 away win over Chelsea in the first leg of the quarter-finals. Benzema became only the second player (after Cristiano Ronaldo) to score back-to-back hat-tricks in successive Champions League knockout matches. One week later in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu, Benzema scored a 96th minute header in extra time which proved pivotal, as Madrid lost to Chelsea 2–3 on the night but qualified for the semi-finals 5–4 on aggregate.On 30 April 2022, he helped Real clinch their 35th Spanish title with a goal in a 4–0 win against Espanyol at the Bernabéu. On 4 May, he scored a decisive goal from the penalty spot in extra time in the second leg against Manchester City and helped Real Madrid reach their 17th European Cup final. By the end of the 2021–22 La Liga season, Benzema won his first Pichichi Trophy with 27 goals in 32 matches. On 28 May, he won his fifth Champions League title after a 1–0 win over Liverpool in the final, and finished the tournament as top scorer with 15 goals in total. On 31 May, Benzema was named the inaugural Champions League player of the season. On 13 August, he was nominated for the Ballon d\\'Or, widely considered a favourite to win it. In recognition of his performances that season, Benzema was awarded the Ballon d\\'Or on 17 October.\\n\\n\\n==== 2022–23: Captaincy, all-time second top scorer and departure ====\\nWith the departure of Marcelo, Benzema was promoted to captain as the most senior member of the squad. By scoring in the 2022 UEFA Super Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt on 10 August 2022, Benzema brought his tally to 324 goals, overtaking Raúl as Real Madrid\\'s all-time second-highest goalscorer.On 2 April 2023, Benzema scored a hat-trick in 6 minutes and 30 seconds in a 6–0 win over Real Valladolid, to become the third fastest hat-trick scorer in his club\\'s history in La Liga, only behind Pahiño who netted three goals in 4 minutes in 1950 and Fernando Hierro who scored them in 6 minutes in 1992. Just three days later, he scored a back-to-back hat-trick in a 4–0 away victory against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, to become the second Real Madrid player to achieve this feat in El Clásico after Iván Zamorano in 1995 and the second Real Madrid player to score a hat-trick at the Camp Nou after Ferenc Puskás in 1963. On 6 May, Benzema was part of the team that won against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final.On 4 June, Real Madrid confirmed that Benzema would depart from the club following the conclusion of the 2022–23 season. Benzema was given a rapturous reception by Madrid fans in his last game against Athletic Bilbao, in which he scored. Benzema was substituted for Luka Modric in the 74th minute, leaving the field to an ovation from the Madrid supporters.\\n\\n\\n=== Al-Ittihad ===\\nOn 6 June 2023, Saudi Professional League club Al-Ittihad announced the signing of Benzema on a free transfer. Two days later, Al-Ittihad formally presented him as their new signing at an elaborate ceremony. This event, hosted at the King Abdullah Sports City, was attended by a large number of fans. He scored a goal and provided an assist on his debut on 27 July in a 2–1 victory over Espérance de Tunis during the Arab Club Champions Cup.\\n\\n\\n== International career ==\\n\\n\\n=== Youth ===\\nBenzema is a former France youth international having earned caps at all levels for which he was eligible, excluding the under-16 team. He is a member of the group, commonly known in France as the Génération 1987, a youth class that produced current internationals Hatem Ben Arfa, Jérémy Ménez and Samir Nasri, alongside himself. Benzema was the last of the four to make his youth international debut under coach Philippe Bergeroo and officially joined the team ahead of the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship that was played on home soil. In the competition, he appeared in two matches. On his tournament debut, Benzema scored the opening goal in a 3–1 win over Northern Ireland. His lone other appearance in the competition was in a 1–0 group stage win over Spain as France went on to win the tournament defeated the same team in the final.Benzema was a regular starter in the team at under-18 level. He made his debut with the team at a local tournament in the Czech Republic. Benzema scored his first goal at under-18 level in the competition against Poland in the team\\'s final group stage match. In the final against the hosts, he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win as France were declared champions of the competition. On 30 September 2004, Benzema was one of three goalscorers in France\\'s 3–0 away win over Norway. In the team\\'s next match against Russia, he scored a double in a 3–1 victory. Due to France winning the 2004 U17 European title, the under-18 team was allowed participation in the 2005 Meridian Cup. Benzema was called up to the team for the competition and played in all four matches, scoring a tournament-high five goals as France were crowned champions of the tournament. He opened the tournament by scoring two goals in a 7–0 victory over Cameroon. After going scoreless in the team\\'s next match against Sierra Leone, Benzema responded by scoring a goal in a shutout victory over Nigeria and netting another double in a 4–1 win against Egypt. On 19 May 2005, in the team\\'s final match of the season against Slovakia, Benzema scored all four goals in a 4–1 victory. He finished the under-18 campaign with 18 appearances and a team-high 14 goals and was, subsequently, praised by Bergeroo who, following the campaign, declared that Benzema was \"quite efficient\".The foursome of Benzema, Ben Arfa, Ménez and Nasri returned to international play together for under-19 duty. The four were joined by Issiar Dia, Blaise Matuidi and Serge Gakpé with the objective of winning the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. The team opened the campaign with two friendly matches against Norway. Over the course of the two matches, Benzema scored one goal, which came in the first match, a 4–0 win. In the first round of qualification for the UEFA-sanctioned tournament, he scored his only goal in the final group match against Austria. France won the match 2–0, which resulted in the team progressing to the Elite Round. In the ensuing round, France were placed in a relatively easy group alongside Scotland, Bulgaria, and Belarus. In the opening group game against Bulgaria, Benzema scored a double converting a penalty and scoring in play as France won 4–0. Both of his goals were scored within a minute of each other. After surprisingly drawing 0–0 with Belarus, France faced Scotland in the final group stage match. Benzema opened the scoring in the 11th minute, but his goal was cancelled out by Steven Fletcher in the second half. The match ultimately finished 1–1 and, despite finishing the round undefeated, France were eliminated after being beaten on points by the Scots.Benzema made his under-21 debut for Les Espoirs under coach René Girard in the team\\'s first match following the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship against Belgium. He started the match and was replaced at half-time by Yoann Gourcuff. He featured in qualification matches for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and appeared as a starter and substitute in the first leg and second leg, respectively, of the team\\'s surprising defeat to Israel in the qualifying playoffs. Despite still being eligible to represent the under-21 team until 2009, his appearance in the second leg defeat to Israel was Benzema\\'s last with the team and he finished his under-21 career with five appearances and no goals. Prior to representing France at senior international level, Benzema was courted by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) who sought for the player to represent Algeria at senior international level. In December 2006, the striker was approached by former federation president Hamid Haddadj and then-national team coach Jean-Michel Cavalli, but turned down the invitation citing his desire to continue his international career with France. Benzema later told French radio station Radio Monte Carlo \"Algeria is my parents\\' country and it is in my heart, but football-wise, I will only play for the French national team\".\\n\\n\\n=== Senior ===\\n\\n\\n==== Euro 2008 ====\\nBenzema was called up for the first time to the senior national team by Raymond Domenech on 9 November 2006 for the team\\'s friendly match against Greece that would be played on 15 November. Benzema described the call-up as \"a reward\", while also stating \"I am pleased, of course, me and my family. A (the senior national team), is the national team\\'s highest honor\". Two days before the match, he was forced to withdraw from the team due to a thigh injury, which he suffered while playing domestically for Lyon. After failing to make the squad for the team\\'s February 2007 match against Argentina, Benzema returned to the team in March for a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Lithuania and a friendly against Austria. After failing to appear in the qualifier, he made his international debut on 28 March 2007 against Austria. Benzema appeared as a half-time substitute for Djibril Cissé and scored the only goal of the match after a free-kick from Samir Nasri. On 13 October, Benzema scored a double in a 6–0 win against the Faroe Islands. After appearing regularly in the team for the rest of the 2007–08 season, he was named to the 23-man squad to participate in UEFA Euro 2008.\\nBenzema made his debut in the competition on 9 June 2008 in the team\\'s opening match against Romania. Benzema started the match, but was substituted out for Nasri in the second half after a frustrating performance. The match finished 0–0 and Benzema was, subsequently, criticized by the French media for his performance with newspaper Le Point declaring that Benzema was \"unrecognizable\" and that he \"symbolized the impotence of France in the attack\". The newspaper also cited his lack of international experience for his subdued performance. In the team\\'s next group game against the Netherlands, Benzema played no part in the 4–1 defeat. He returned to the team in its final group game against Italy and was given a place in the starting lineup. However, France lost 2–0 and were eliminated from the competition.In November 2008, Benzema, among several other young players in the team, was accused of being insolent during the team\\'s campaign at the European Championship. The accusation came from international teammate William Gallas who inserted the charge in his autobiography. Though most of Gallas\\' accusations were directed at Nasri, during the competition, it was reported by newspaper Le Parisien that several of the national team players described Benzema as \"arrogant\" and that the striker was scolded by midfielder Claude Makélélé following the team\\'s loss to the Netherlands.\\n\\n\\n==== 2010 World Cup omission ====\\nDespite the reports from after Euro 2008, Benzema remained a regular in the team and, ahead of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, switched to the number ten shirt after previously wearing the number nine. In the team\\'s first match following its elimination from Euro 2008, Benzema scored a goal in a 3–2 friendly win over Sweden in Gothenburg. Two months later, he scored another goal in a 3–1 victory against Tunisia at the Stade de France. On 5 June 2009, Benzema converted the only goal of the match, a penalty shot, in a 1–0 win over Turkey at the Stade de Gerland, his home stadium. He scored his first World Cup qualification goals in victories over the Faroe Islands and Austria in October 2009. His cap against Austria would be his last of the Domenech era as he failed to make France\\'s preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup. Domenech cited Benzema\\'s struggle for form with his new club Real Madrid, rather than his alleged involvement in a sex scandal as his reason for leaving the striker out. Prior to the list being unveiled, Benzema informed Radio Monte Carlo that if he was not selected he would be \"very disappointed, but not killed\" and \"I will support the France team no matter what\".\\n\\n\\n==== Euro 2012 ====\\nFollowing the World Cup, Benzema returned to the national team under the reign of new coach Laurent Blanc. Blanc, an admirer of Benzema, sought to build the attack around the striker and, after going almost a year without representing France, Benzema made his return to the team in its 2–1 defeat to Norway in Oslo. Alongside Gourcuff, Benzema led the team in scoring in qualifying for UEFA Euro 2012, netting three. He scored his three goals in wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg, and Albania. On 17 November 2010, Benzema scored the opening goal in France\\'s 2–1 win over England at Wembley Stadium. In the team\\'s next match against Brazil in February 2011, he scored the only goal for France in a 1–0 win. After appearing regularly in qualifying for Euro 2012, on 29 May 2012, Benzema was named to the squad to participate in the competition. On 5 June, in the team\\'s final warm-up friendly ahead of the European Championship, Benzema scored two goals in a 4–0 shutout win over Estonia. At Euro 2012, Benzema started the team\\'s opening match against England, which ended in a 1–1 draw. In the team\\'s ensuing group stage match against Ukraine, he assisted both the goals in a 2–0 win.\\n\\n\\n==== 2014 World Cup ====\\nOn 11 October 2013, Benzema scored his first goal for the France national team since June 2012 in a friendly against Australia, thus ending a scoring drought for his national team which had lasted 1,222 minutes. In that match played at the Parc des Princes in Paris, which France won 6–0, Benzema scored France\\'s sixth and final goal in the 50th minute after turning home Franck Ribéry\\'s left-wing cross. In the second leg of the 2014 World Cup qualification play-off against Ukraine held on 19 November 2013 at the Stade de France, Benzema scored France\\'s second goal in the 34th minute to level the aggregate score at 2–2. Benzema scored his goal when he side-footed home after a huge scramble in the Ukrainian penalty box, although he was shown on television replays to be offside by almost one metre when the ball took a final touch off Mathieu Valbuena\\'s chest. Benzema had four minutes earlier been denied a legitimate goal, the offside flag wrongly raised when he turned in Ribéry\\'s low cross into the net with his torso a metre from the Ukrainian goal-line. Ukraine had won the first leg of the play-off 2–0 in Kyiv just four days earlier. France would eventually win the second leg 3–0 to advance to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil with a 3–2 aggregate scoreline.On 6 June 2014, Benzema was named in France\\'s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, making his debut in the tournament. In the team\\'s first match, a 3–0 win against Honduras in Porto Alegre on 15 June, he scored a goal in each half, the first from a penalty kick. He also took part in the team\\'s second goal, when his shot rebounded off the post and was fumbled over the goal-line by Honduran goalkeeper Noel Valladares for an own goal, the first World Cup goal given by goal-line technology. He was named by FIFA as man of the match for his performance. In the second group fixture, he scored and had a penalty saved in a 5–2 defeat of Switzerland, as Les Bleus all but secured qualification to the knockout stage. France were later knocked out by eventual winners Germany in the quarter-final stage of the tournament.\\n\\n\\n==== 2016–2020 exclusion ====\\nAfter last featuring for France in a 4–0 win against Armenia on 8 October 2015, French Football Federation announced on 13 April 2016 that Benzema would not be picked for Euro 2016 tournament on home soil. This happened after a blackmailing affair involving fellow French team player Mathieu Valbuena (see §Controversies and legal issues). He responded on 1 June 2016 in Marca, in an interview entitled \\'Benzema: \"Deschamps folded due to pressure from France\\'s racist element\"\\'.Benzema was also left off the roster for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Directing his frustration at FFF president Noël Le Graët, Benzema later tweeted: \"Mr Le Graët, with all due respect, you\\'ve lost an opportunity to remain silent. I\\'ve discovered your true face, and this isn\\'t the one that said he appreciated me and wouldn\\'t discuss the subject of team selections!\"In November 2019, Benzema replied to Le Graët\\'s comments that his career with France was over, by saying: \"If you think I\\'m done, let me play with one of the other countries I am eligible for and we\\'ll see\".\\n\\n\\n==== Return to the squad, Nations League victory and retirement ====\\nOn 18 May 2021, following speculation from the media, Benzema was officially included in France\\'s 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020, his first call-up to the national team in over five years. He made his first appearance since his return on 2 June, in a 3–0 home win over Wales, in a friendly warm-up match before the final tournament, during which he missed a penalty, but was later also involved in the final goal scored by Antoine Griezmann. On 23 June 2021, he scored a brace in a 2–2 draw against Portugal, to be his first goals in the European Championship. He subsequently scored another brace in France\\'s round-of-16 match against Switzerland, where France were knocked out of the tournament on penalties after a 3–3 draw. With four goals in as many games, Benzema won the Euro 2020 bronze boot.In the 2021 UEFA Nations League semi-final on 7 October, Benzema scored France\\'s first goal in the second half as they came from behind to defeat Belgium 3–2. He overtook Zidane in the France scoring records as he scored his 32nd goal for Le Blues to become the 6th top scorer in their history. In the Final three days later, he scored the temporary equaliser as France went on to clinch the title for the first time with a 2–1 victory over Spain; he was named \"Player of the Match\" by UEFA for his performance in the final. With two goals, he was the joint–top scorer of the Nations League Finals, along with Spain\\'s Ferran Torres and teammate Kylian Mbappé, who won the top scorer trophy due to having also provided two assists – Benzema won the bronze boot due to playing more minutes than Torres. The Nations League was Benzema\\'s first trophy with France\\'s senior team and his 27th of his career, making him the most decorated Frenchman in football history.On 13 November 2021, Benzema scored his first goals in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers with a brace in an 8–0 win over Kazakhstan as France booked their place for Qatar 2022. His brace saw him over-take David Trezeguet to become Les Bleus\\' fifth all-time top scorer with 35 goals. Although he was included in France\\'s final squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, on 19 November, the French Football Federation stated that Benzema would be forced to miss the tournament due to a thigh injury. Despite not taking part in the tournament, Benzema was still awarded the silver medal as he was not replaced by another player unlike Christopher Nkunku, who was replaced by Randal Kolo Muani. On 19 December, Benzema announced his retirement from the national team.\\n\\n\\n== Style of play ==\\nGenerally known for both his finishing and playmaking, Benzema is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time. He is a creative, skillful, quick, agile, and prolific forward, who is good in the air and capable of playing off the shoulders of the last defender, and has been described as an \"immensely talented striker\" who is \"strong and powerful\" and \"a potent finisher from inside the box\" with either foot, as well as his head, despite being naturally right footed. He is considered to be one of the best strikers of his generation, with his Real Madrid manager Ancelotti describing him \"the best striker in the world\" in 2021.An atypical number 9, although he is usually deployed as a centre forward, and can operate as an out-and-out striker, Benzema is also capable of playing in several other offensive positions, and has been used on the wing, or even as a playmaker behind the main striker, either in the number 10 role as an attacking midfielder, or as a deep-lying forward. In addition to his goalscoring, Benzema is known for his willingness and ability to drop into deeper or wider positions, and either link-up play with midfielders, or use his strength and technical ability to hold up the ball with his back to goal to provide assists for teammates, courtesy of his vision, creativity, passing, and eye for the final ball; his playing style led one commentator to describe him as a \"nine and a half\". Highlighting his prolific goalscoring and his creative abilities, Benzema ranks as Madrid\\'s all-time second-highest goalscorer and top assist provider, with 328 goals and 104 assists respectively.During his time at Madrid, Benzema has also been praised by pundits for his work-rate and tactical intelligence off the ball, as well as his positional sense and attacking movement as a forward, which often draws opposing defenders out of position, and in turn creates spaces for his teammates; as such, he formed a strong offensive partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo during the latter\\'s time with the club. Indeed, Benzema\\'s movement drew defenders away and created space for Ronaldo to make attacking runs into the centre of the area from the left wing, which essentially saw the Frenchman act as a false 9. Following Ronaldo\\'s departure in 2018, he took on a new role as the club\\'s main striker, playing with his back to goal less frequently, and instead receiving the ball facing the goal and taking more touches inside the penalty area; in this position, he also often drifted out wide onto the left flank, while he was able to utilise his control and touch on the ball effectively to create goalscoring opportunities for himself inside the box. The positional change saw an increase in his goalscoring output for the club and an improvement in his shooting, for which he had occasionally come under criticism from the press in the past, as demonstrated by the variety of his goals, his conversion rate, and his clinical finishing with his feet as well as his head; however, in addition to taking over the role of the team\\'s main goalscorer, he also still continued to serve as link-up player for the team\\'s front line by creating chances for his teammates.\\n\\n\\n== Personal life ==\\n\\nBenzema was born in Lyon to French nationals of Algerian descent. His grandfather, Da Lakehal Benzema, lived in the village of Tigzirt, located in the northern town of Aït Djellil in Algeria before migrating to Lyon, where he eventually settled in the 1950s. Benzema\\'s father, Hafid, was born in Tigzirt, while his mother, Wahida Djebbara, was born and raised in Lyon; her family originated from Oran. Benzema is the third youngest in the family and grew up with eight other siblings in Bron, an eastern suburb of Lyon. His younger brothers Gressy and Sabri are also footballers. The former plays at the amateur level with Vaulx-le-Velin in the Division d\\'Honneur, the sixth division of French football, while the latter plays in the youth academy of a club in the family\\'s hometown of Bron.On 3 February 2014, his then-girlfriend Chloé de Launay gave birth to their daughter Mélia in Madrid. On 5 May 2017, his girlfriend Cora Gauthier gave birth to their son Ibrahim. A practicing Muslim, Benzema observes fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. He has spoken about his faith saying: \"My faith helps me to be focused every day. It brings me benefits and it\\'s my strength for me, my family, as well as for my work – for literally everything.\" In October 2023, Benzema expressed solidarity with the victims of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.Benzema has been dating American model Jordan Ozuna since 2022, and confirmed their relationship on Instagram. Ozuna is the mother of Benzema\\'s fourth child. In 2023, Ozuna converted to Islam.Since evolving internationally, Benzema has participated in numerous advertising campaigns. He was chosen as an ambassador of the American video game publisher Electronic Arts for the FIFA series. He has signed several sponsorship contracts, notably with the Korean automobile manufacturer Hyundai, the French telephone operator SFR and its subsidiary BuzzMobile, the French bank LCL and the sports betting company bwin. Benzema is sponsored by Adidas. In 2017, his documentary film Le K Benzema was released. In 2020, Benzema started his own YouTube channel, uploading videos of his everyday life, as well as interviews and fan Q&As. In 2022, Benzema was named official ambassador of the Fendi Faster sneaker line.\\n\\n\\n=== Controversies and legal issues ===\\nOn 6 December 2006, he told RMC about his possible selection for the Algerian team: \"It\\'s my parents\\' country, it\\'s in my heart. But well, from a sporting perspective, it\\'s true I\\'ll play in the French team. I\\'ll always be available for the French team [...] It\\'s more for the sporting side, because Algeria is my country, you see, my parents come from there. France, on the other hand ... it\\'s more of a sport thing, that\\'s it.\" Benzema drew some criticism for these comments, as well as for his reluctance to sing the French national anthem, \"La Marseillaise\", before each match with the national team.On 18 April 2010, French television channel M6 reported that four members of the French national team were being investigated for their roles as clients in a prostitute ring operated inside of a Paris nightclub, with some of the women possibly being underage. The players were eventually revealed to be Franck Ribéry, Sidney Govou, Hatem Ben Arfa and Benzema. Benzema was alleged to have had a sexual rendezvous with a prostitute when she was 16 years of age, an act Benzema denied through his lawyer. On 20 July, Benzema was questioned by Paris police and indicted on the charge of \"solicitation of a minor prostitute\". In November 2011, prosecutors asked for the cases against Ribéry and Benzema to be dropped, saying that the players were not aware that the escort, identified as Zahia Dehar, was 16 years old. However, the case did go on to trial. In January 2014, the judge in the case dropped the charges against both Ribery and Benzema saying there was lack of sufficient evidence that the pair knew the prostitutes were underaged.On 4 November 2015, Benzema was arrested by French police for his alleged part in blackmailing fellow France international player Mathieu Valbuena over the alleged recording of a sex-tape on a mobile phone. During the investigation over the blackmail plot, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls stated, \"A great athlete should be exemplary. If he is not, he has no place in the France team. There are so many kids, so many youngsters in our suburbs that relate to great athletes. They wear the blue jersey, the colours of France, which are so important in these moments.\" On 10 December 2015, the president of the FFF Noël Le Graët announced the provisional suspension of the striker from the French team until a new development in the affair. On 17 February 2016, the judicial review was lifted by the investigating judge who allowed Benzema to get in touch again with Valbuena. On 11 July 2017, the Court of Cassation issued a judgment in which it invalidated a decision of the Court of Appeal of Versailles, which had validated the procedure by which Benzema had been indicted for complicity of attempted blackmail. This decision was made on the basis of contesting the legality of the phone calls recording by the police, and the judgement did not disprove the veracity of the blackmail attempt on Valbuena by Benzema. On 7 January 2021, the public prosecutor\\'s office in Versailles announced that Benzema would face trial for his alleged involvement in the blackmail attempt. On 24 November 2021, Benzema was found guilty of conspiring to blackmail Valbuena with a sex tape. The judge gave him a one-year suspended sentence and fined him €75,000. His lawyers said they will appeal his conviction. He was sentenced in this case in June 2022 to a one-year suspended sentence and a fine of £63,000, after having abandoned the appeal procedure. Benzema\\'s lawyer indicated their intention to appeal the verdict.In March 2020, during an Instagram livestream with YouTuber and internet personality Mohamed Henni, Benzema made controversial remarks about French player Olivier Giroud, who replaced Benzema in the France national team. He called Giroud \"karting\" while he referred to himself as \"Formula 1\". On 10 March 2023, France head coach Didier Deschamps stated in an interview with Le Parisien that he had told Benzema following his injury prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup that there was \"no emergency\" and that he could \"organize his return\" from injury with the team manager. Deschamps then claimed that Benzema made the decision to leave the France team himself, saying \"when I woke up, I learned that he had left\". However, Benzema responded on his Instagram story by reposting the Deschamps statement in the interview with the caption \"but what audacity\". He posted a further story of French Snapchat personality Ritchie repeating the phrase \"liar, you are a liar\".\\n\\n\\n== Career statistics ==\\n\\n\\n=== Club ===\\nAs of match played 26 December 2023\\n\\n\\n=== International ===\\nScores and results list France\\'s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Benzema goal\\n\\n\\n== Honours ==\\nLyon\\nLigue 1: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08\\nCoupe de France: 2007–08\\nTrophée des Champions: 2006, 2007Real Madrid\\nLa Liga: 2011–12, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22\\nCopa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14, 2022–23\\nSupercopa de España: 2012, 2017, 2019–20, 2021–22\\nUEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22\\nUEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022\\nFIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022France U17\\n\\nUEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2004France\\n\\nUEFA Nations League: 2020–21\\nFIFA World Cup runner-up: 2022Individual\\n\\nBallon d\\'Or: 2022\\nMarca Leyenda Award: 2023\\nUEFA Men\\'s Player of the Year: 2021–22\\nGolden Player Man Award: 2022\\nOnze d\\'Or: 2020–21, 2021–22\\nFrench Player of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2021\\nUEFA Champions League Player of the Season: 2021–22\\nUEFA Champions League top goalscorer: 2021–22\\nFIFA FIFPRO World 11: 2022\\nLa Liga Player of the Season: 2019–20, 2021–22\\nLa Liga Best Player (voted by Marca fans): 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22\\nTrofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2019–20, 2021–22\\nPichichi Trophy: 2021–22\\nUEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2011–12\\nUEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2020–21, 2021–22\\nIFFHS Men\\'s World Team: 2022\\nGlobe Soccer Awards Men\\'s Player of the Year: 2022\\nLa Liga Team of the Season: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23\\nUEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2019–20\\nBravo Award: 2008\\nLigue 1 top scorer: 2007–08\\nCoupe de France top scorer: 2007–08\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: January 2008, April 2008\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2007–08\\nUNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2007–08\\nUNFP Best French Player Playing Abroad: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023\\nGolden Lion for the best Lyon sportsman: 2007, 2008\\nFrench Rookie of the Year: 2006\\nÉtoile d\\'Or: 2007–08\\nLa Liga Player of the Month: October 2014, June 2020, March 2021, September 2021, April 2022\\nSupercopa de España top scorer: 2021–22, 2022–23\\nReal Madrid Player of the Season (voted by supporters): 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22\\nAS Player of the Year: 2021\\nKicker Player of the Season: 2022\\nMadrid Sports Press Association Award (APDM)\\nESM Team of the Year: 2020–21, 2021–22\\nL\\'Équipe\\'s Team of the Year: 2020, 2021, 2022\\n2005 UEFA–CAF Meridian Cup top scorer\\nUEFA European Championship Bronze Boot: 2020\\nUEFA Nations League Finals Bronze Boot: 2021\\nUEFA Nations League Finals Goal of the Tournament: 2021\\nMember of Guinness World Records 2021: Player with the most consecutive seasons in the UEFA Champions League (qualified for and played in the competition without interruption since 2005)\\n\\n\\n== See also ==\\nList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances\\n\\n\\n== Notes ==\\n\\n\\n== References ==\\n\\n\\n== External links ==\\n\\nKarim Benzema at the French Football Federation (in French) \\nKarim Benzema – FIFA competition record (archived) \\nKarim Benzema – UEFA competition record (archive)\\n'" ] }, "metadata": {}, "output_type": "display_data" } ], "source": [ "### displaying the fetched data\n", "display(content)" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": 7, "metadata": { "id": "z0moGu-evTLK" }, "outputs": [], "source": [ "### importing langchain modules for setting up the FAISS vectorstore\n", "from langchain.text_splitter import CharacterTextSplitter\n", "from langchain.vectorstores import FAISS\n", "from langchain.embeddings import HuggingFaceEmbeddings" ] }, { "cell_type": "code", "execution_count": 8, "metadata": { "colab": { "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/", "height": 496, 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secret in all of your notebooks.\n", "Please note that authentication is recommended but still optional to access public models or datasets.\n", " warnings.warn(\n" ] }, { "data": { "application/vnd.jupyter.widget-view+json": { "model_id": "876a514b39904c2a8d1a24f84228450a", "version_major": 2, "version_minor": 0 }, "text/plain": [ "modules.json: 0%| | 0.00/349 [00:00