Luís Figo

portuguese football player

Madeira and the second or paternal family name is Caeiro Figo. In this portuguese name, the first or maternal family appoint isand the second or parental family name is Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo OIH ( portuguese pronunciation : [ luˈiʃ ˈfiɣu ] ; born 4 November 1972 ) is a portuguese go to bed professional football player who played as a midfielder for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He won 127 caps for the Portugal national team, a erstwhile criminal record that has since been bettered by Cristiano Ronaldo and João Moutinho. He is considered one of the best portuguese footballers of all time.

Reading: Luís Figo

Renowned for his creativity and ability to get past defenders as a winger, Figo is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] His 106 assists are the second-most in La Liga history, behind Lionel Messi. [ 4 ] He won the 2000 Ballon d’Or, 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year, and in 2004 Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 number of the world ‘s greatest live players. [ 5 ] Figo is one of the few football players to have played for both spanish equal clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. His controversial transfer in 2000 from Barcelona to bitter rivals real Madrid set a global phonograph record fee of €62 million. [ 6 ] Figo had a successful career highlighted by several trophy wins, including the portuguese Cup, four La Liga titles, two spanish Cups, three spanish Super Cups, one UEFA Champions League title, one UEFA Cup Winners ‘ Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, four Serie A titles, one italian Cup and three italian Super Cups. At external grade, he scored 32 goals for Portugal, representing the state at three european Championships and two World Cups, helping them reach the final examination but coating as runner-up at Euro 2004 .

early years [edit ]

The only child of António Caeiro Figo and Maria Joana Pestana Madeira who moved from Alentejo to Lisbon in the early 1970s, Figo grew up in the propertyless district of Cova district attorney Piedade, Almada. He began his career as a street football player at U.F.C. Os Pastilhas, before joining the academy of Sporting Clube de Portugal at the age of 12. [ 7 ] In his young, Figo played futsal from which he learned a lot of skills that helped him late in his career. [ 8 ]

Club career [edit ]

Sporting CP [edit ]

Figo started his career at Sporting CP, making his league debut on 1 April 1990 during the 1989–90 season as a substitute for Marlon Brandão in a 1–0 home win against Marítimo. [ 9 ] [ 10 ] On 7 December 1991, Figo scored his first base finish against Torreense in the 1991–92 temper, equalising as Sporting won 2–1. He won his first aged international detonator in 1991. Prior to that, he won the 1991 FIFA Under-20 World Championships and Under-16 european Championships with Portugal junior sides alongside Rui Costa and João Pinto. He was besides a significant character of Portugal ‘s “ Golden Generation “. In his concluding temper at Sporting he won the 1994–95 portuguese Cup. [ 11 ]

Barcelona [edit ]

In 1995, Figo looked poised to join one of the big clubs of Europe, but a dispute between italian clubs Juventus and Parma, with Figo having signed contracts with both clubs, resulted in an italian biennial transfer banish on him. finally, Figo made a motion to spanish giants Barcelona for a £2.25 million fee, being loaned back for the remainder of the season due to a principle prohibiting portuguese players from signing for alien clubs outside a fixed period. This dominion had prevented Figo from joining English club Manchester City, where he had been recommended by his former Sporting coach Malcolm Allison for a fee of around £1.2 million. [ 12 ] It was with Barcelona that Figo ‘s career in truth took off, winning the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners ‘ Cup, starring aboard Ronaldo, followed by consecutive Primera División titles where he was region of a formidable fire which included Rivaldo and Patrick Kluivert. In sum, Figo appeared 172 times in the league for Barcelona, scoring 30 goals. He was revered in Barcelona because his presence in a Barcelona shirt had given to Catalonia a sense of external approval. [ 13 ]

real Madrid [edit ]

Figo ‘s 2000 Ballon d’Or. He received the award for his displays throughout the year for Barcelona and then Madrid. In July 2000, Figo made a surprising and controversial €62 million move to Barcelona ‘s bitterness rivals real Madrid. [ 14 ] Real Madrid met the bargain out clause in Figo ‘s shrink at Barcelona, a new populace record fee, and his arrival at Madrid signalled the beginning of Florentino Pérez ‘s Galáctico era of ball-shaped stars signed by the golf club every class. [ 15 ] Figo became the new concentrate of the Barcelona–Real Madrid competition, with Barcelona fans feeling betrayed by his transfer and turned against him. [ 15 ] His move to Madrid was meaning due to his status as a asterisk player at Barcelona, reliable and always committed to the cause as a team drawing card. [ 15 ] One of his Barcelona teammates stated, “ Our plan was simple : give the ball to Luís. He never, ever obscure ”. [ 15 ] Although now wearing the whiten shirt of Real Madrid, he won the Ballon d’Or award in November 2000, largely for what he did for Barcelona where he became the best in the world. [ 15 ]

By the moment or third corner I turned to Luís Figo and said : ‘Forget it, mate. You ’ re on your own ‘. I used to offer Luís the luck to take the short corner, drawing up close to him near the touchline, but not this time. Missiles were raining down from the stands : coins, a tongue, a looking glass whiskey bottle. Johnnie Walker, I think. Or J & B. Best to keep away. short-change corners ? No thanks .

—Real Madrid teammate Michel Salgado on the vitriol aimed at Figo from Barcelona fans at the Camp Nou, 23 November 2002. [ 15 ]
When Figo returned to Barcelona for the first time in a real Madrid shirt on 21 October 2000, the randomness at Camp Nou was deafening. [ 15 ] There were banners hung around the stadium with words like “ Traitor ”, “ Judas ”, “ Scum ”, and “ mercantile ”. [ 15 ] Figo was mercilessly taunted throughout, and when he came out of the burrow and ran onto the discipline the jeers of about 98,000 Barcelona fans escalated, with a visibly shocked Figo putting his fingers to his ears. [ 13 ] [ 15 ] When El Clásico started, each time Figo got the ball the noise rose with insults and missiles flying such as oranges, bottles, cigarette lighters and mobile phones. [ 15 ] The unconstipated corner taker for Madrid, Figo did not take any corners at the Camp Nou to avoid being in near proximity to the fans. [ 15 ] Barcelona were triumphant, winning 2–0, and Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez stated after the match, “ The atmosphere got to us all. ” [ 15 ] Madrid defender Iván Campo commented ,

“ That night when Figo first gear went rear was incredible. I ’ ve never heard anything like it. Luís did n’t deserve that. He ‘d given his all for Barcelona. It was built up before : ‘a double-crosser ’ second coming, ‘ the media said. No, Luís Figo is coming, one of the greats for you. That night hurt him, you could see. His head was bowed and he was thinking : ‘bloody hell, I was here concluding season … ‘ But my durable emotion was admiration : you ’ ve got balls. ” [ 15 ]

In his first temper with Madrid, Figo won the 2001 La Liga title, scoring 14 goals in all competitions. For his performances at Real, he received the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year. [ 11 ] He would be joined at the golf club by Zinedine Zidane in the center of 2001, and in the follow season Madrid won the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League. [ 11 ] He missed two fixtures against Barcelona through injury and pause. [ 16 ] Figo ‘s second game rear at the Camp Nou, on 23 November 2002, produced one of the define images of the Barcelona–Real Madrid competition. [ 15 ] There was no polarity of the hate or the pain settling, and every time he came within crop of the Barcelona fans, beer cans, lighters, bottles and golf balls flew. [ 15 ] Figo commented, “ I was worried that some lunatic might lose his head. ” [ 15 ] This time, Figo had decided that he would take corners, american samoa well as throw-ins, and midway through the second half Madrid won a corner. Amid a shower of flying objects, it took Figo two minutes to take it. [ 15 ] Another corner followed on the other side, and as Figo walked across, he slowed to pick up the missiles and as he prepared to take the corner he moved off some of the debris while giving an dry thumbs-up and beamish. [ 15 ] Every fourth dimension he began his runup to take the corner, another projectile would land which was repeated over and over, until the referee Luis Medina Cantalejo suspended the game for about 20 minutes. [ 15 ] During the break in play, the defining effigy of the competition, a devour ‘s head, was picked up on camera, which was in among the debris near the corner flag. [ 17 ] Figo would spend five seasons at Madrid, with his final examination success being the 2003 La Liga title. In April 2013, Figo was named by the sports newspaper Marca as a member of the “ Best extraneous football team in Real Madrid ‘s history “. [ 18 ]

Inter Milan [edit ]

Luís Figo in 2009. He spent four seasons at Inter from 2005 to 2009. Figo left Real Madrid to join the italian club Inter Milan in the middle of 2005 on a release transfer after his abridge with Madrid had expired. This mean that Figo would last be able to play for a golf club in Italy, something he had the gamble to do before his act to Barcelona, but was scuppered due to a dispute between the two clubs interested, Juventus and Parma. During the middle of 2008, Figo ‘s compatriot José Mourinho joined Inter as coach. This has been said to please Figo, as he would have respective Portuguese teammates during the end of his stay at Inter. On 16 May 2009, Figo announced his retirement from football, the same day Inter won the 2008–09 title, and re-confirmed this on 30 May ; his final examination game was on 31 May against Atalanta at the San Siro. At Javier Zanetti ‘s insistence, Figo captained the side for his last match. He received a standing ovation from the herd as he was substituted by Davide Santon. The free-kick he scored in extra time against Roma during the Supercoppa Italiana was his most memorable here and now in Italy. [ 19 ] [ 20 ]
Figo ‘s number 7 Inter jersey future to Ronaldo ( total 10 ) and Zamorano ( one plus eight ) in the San Siro museum Figo said, “ I am leaving football, not Inter. ” He was interviewed by Inter Channel after his stopping point game against Atalanta and besides said, “ I hope to be able to help this club to become even greater besides after my retirement. I will surely work for Inter in the future on the club board. I never imagined that I was going to remain here for such a long time. What I will never forget is the love that I have received since my beginning day here from my teammates and president Massimo Moratti. I will never forget it ; Inter has given me the chance to start a victorious hertz with some extraordinary people. ” [ 21 ] Figo was on the sidelines when Inter won the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League on 22 May 2010 .

International career [edit ]

early international career [edit ]

Figo as captain of Portugal in 2005 The leader of Portugal ‘s “ golden generation ”, Figo won a FIFA World Youth Championship in 1991, the lapp year he made his aged debut against Luxembourg on 16 October 1991, in a friendly match that ended 1–1 when he was alone 18 years old. His inaugural goal equalised in a 2–1 friendly victory over Bulgaria in Paris on 11 November 1992. Figo scored three goals in eight qualifying games for UEFA Euro 1996, as his country reached the continental tournament for the first time in 12 years. In the concluding group game at the tournament, against Croatia at the City Ground in Nottingham, Figo opened a 3–0 victory with a fourth-minute strike ; the result sent Portugal into the quarter-finals as group winners ahead of their opponents. [ 22 ]

euro 2000 and 2002 World Cup [edit ]

Figo featured in all ten of Portugal ‘s qualifiers for the following european Championship, scoring three times in the work. On 12 June 2000, in their open game of the tournament in Eindhoven, he scored Portugal ‘s first goal as they came from behind to beat England 3–2, again advancing as group winners to be eliminated in the semi-finals. [ 23 ] He was rested by Humberto Coelho for the final group match against Germany in Rotterdam, breaking a chain of 32 consecutive international appearances. [ 24 ] His entirely hat-trick for the national team came on 15 August 2001, when he netted all of the goals in a 3–0 friendly victory over Moldova at the Estádio de São Luís in Faro. [ 25 ] With six goals in nine matches, Figo helped Portugal qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup ; on 2 June 2001, in the qualifier against the Republic of Ireland at Lansdowne Road, he served as captain for the first meter on his 74th cap and scored the equalizer for a 1–1 draw. [ 24 ] In their beginning World Cup since 1986, Portugal suffered group stage elimination while Figo failed to score a finish .

euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup [edit ]

On 18 February 2004, Figo earned his hundredth hood in a 1–1 friendly draw with England at the Estádio Algarve, playing as captain despite regular skipper Fernando Couto being in the starting line-up. [ 26 ] Later that year at the European Championship on home territory, he captained the side after Couto was dropped. [ 27 ] He announced his retirement from international football following the Euro 2004 concluding upset-defeat by Greece due to an alleged rift between him and national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, although this was denied. [ 28 ] In June 2005, he reversed his decisiveness and returned for the 2006 World Cup qualifying wins against Slovakia and Estonia under Scolari. [ 29 ]
Figo playing against Mexico at the 2006 World Cup

manner of play [edit ]

Figo is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, [ 32 ] and one of the greatest portuguese players of all time. [ 33 ] At his physical top out, Figo was a quick, elegant, highly adept musician with close control, acceleration, and a dribble ability that allowed him to frequently take on and beat defenders in one on one situations. [ 32 ] [ 34 ] He would often employ feints to beat opponents, such as stepovers. [ 35 ] [ 36 ] Although naturally right-footed, [ 37 ] he was capable of using either infantry. [ 38 ] Figo was normally deployed as a winger in his early career, [ 39 ] where he was capable of providing several assists, [ 40 ] due to his ability to provide curling crosses to teammates from the right flank, [ 34 ] [ 41 ] [ 42 ] or cut inside, drift onto the left, or link-up with midfielders, and create goalscoring opportunities. [ 34 ] [ 43 ] He has made the second-most assists in La Liga history behind Lionel Messi. [ 4 ] As he lost pace and mobility with old age as his career advanced, he was deployed in a playmaking function as an attacking midfielder, in particular during his time with Inter, where he excelled with his vision, intelligence and varied passing ability. [ 35 ] [ 44 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ] Although he chiefly served as a creative player, he was besides capable of contributing offensively with goals due to his mighty strike ability from distance, [ 32 ] angstrom good as his accuracy from free-kicks and penalties. [ 35 ] In summation to his football ability, Figo was besides highly regarded for his leadership throughout his career. [ 35 ]

Media [edit ]

Figo on stage at the Web Summit in November 2016 Figo has appeared in commercials for the sportswear company Nike. [ 47 ] [ 48 ] In 1996, he starred in a Nike commercial titled “ good v Evil ” in a gladiatorial game set in a Roman amphitheater. Appearing aboard football players from around the global, including Ronaldo, Paolo Maldini, Ian Wright, Eric Cantona, Patrick Kluivert and Jorge Campos, they defend “ the beautiful game “ against a team of demonic warriors, before it culminates with Cantona striking the ball and destroying evil. [ 47 ] [ 49 ] In a global Nike advertise campaign in the runup to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, Figo starred in a “ secret tournament “ commercial ( branded by Nike as “ Scorpion KO ” ) directed by Terry Gilliam, appearing aboard football players such as Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Francesco Totti, Roberto Carlos and japanese star Hidetoshi Nakata, with erstwhile player Eric Cantona the tournament “ referee ”. [ 50 ] [ 51 ] Figo features in EA Sports ‘ FIFA video recording game series ; he was named in the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 14. [ 52 ] In 2015, the arcade bet on company Konami announced that Figo would feature in their football video recording plot Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 as one of the fresh myClub Legends. [ 53 ] In 2018, Figo was added as an icon to the Ultimate Team in FIFA 19. [ 54 ] He has besides taken part in several irani television receiver shows such as Navad television during the 2018 World Cup draw, together with Hamid Estili and erstwhile Hamburg player Mehdi Mahdavikia. [ 55 ]

FIFA presidency campaign [edit ]

On 28 January 2015, Figo announced his intention to run against incumbent Sepp Blatter for the military position of FIFA president of the united states. [ 56 ] [ 57 ] [ 58 ] His endorsers included José Mourinho and David Beckham. [ 59 ] In his manifesto, Figo mentioned his hold for expanding the World Cup to 48-team finals tournaments, and promised greater investment in grassroots football and national federations. [ 59 ] Considered an outsider compared to Blatter and the other two candidates [ 59 ] – Michael van Praag and Prince Ali of Jordan – Figo withdrew from the election campaign on 21 May, stating that he did not want to be given “ absolute office ”. [ 60 ]

personal liveliness [edit ]

Luís Figo in Madrid Figo is married to Swedish exemplar Helen Svedin. They have three daughters – Daniela ( born in 1999 ), Martina ( born in 2002 ), and Stella ( born in 2004 ). [ 61 ] Along with his countryman, former Portugal home team director and former youth team coach Carlos Queiroz, Figo was briefly joint seat holder for A1 Team Portugal, in A1 Grand Prix, during the 2005–06 season. [ 62 ] He owns an upscale barroom in the Algarve region of Portugal. Figo is an ambassador for the Stop TB Partnership in the competitiveness against tuberculosis. [ 63 ] He works close with Inter Milan, serving as an ambassador for the club at functions across Europe. [ 64 ] [ 65 ] He is besides a circuit board member of the Inter Campus jacob’s ladder project run by Inter Milan. [ 66 ] Figo is the founder of Network90, a private members ‘ network locate for the Professional Football Industry. [ 67 ] Figo is eloquent in five languages : Portuguese, Spanish, English, italian and french. [ 68 ] He has besides congratulated his wife on her birthday on Instagram in Swedish, although he has never spoken the lyric in media appearances. [ 69 ]

career statistics [edit ]

club [edit ]

International [edit ]

Appearances and goals by national team and year[70][71][72]

National team
Year
Apps
Goals

Portugal

1991
3
0

1992
7
1

1993
5
0

1994
5
2

1995
6
1

1996
9
2

1997
7
2

1998
6
0

1999
9
4

2000
13
6

2001
9
9

2002
10
0

2003
10
3

2004
11
1

2005
7
0

2006
10
1

Total
127
32

Scores and results list Portugal’s goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Figo goal.

Honours [edit ]

Sporting CP [ 73 ]
Barcelona [ 73 ]
Real Madrid [ 73 ]
Inter Milan [ 73 ]
Individual
Orders