In his prime, Luís Figo was always the most creative player on the pitch. Thanks to his quickness, elegance, and skill with the ball, Figo thrived in one-on-one situations, often beating his defenders with feints and stepovers. He was also known for his leadership skills and the ability to create goal-scoring opportunities, as evident from his 106 assists in La Liga -- second only to Leo Messi.
Biography:
Figo established himself as the leader of Portugal's "Golden Generation." Alongside players such as Rui Costa and Joao Pinto, Figo led Portugal to victories at U-16 and U-20 European Championships. At club level, he began his career at Sporting CP, where he played until 1995 and a move to Spanish giants Barcelona.
At Barcelona, Figo's career really took off. During the following five years, he played a big part in the club winning a Cup Winners' Cup (1997) and two straight La Ligas (1998, 1999). For his achievements, he won a Ballon d'Or in 2000. He was undeniably the most revered football player in Catalonia of his era, which is why everyone was shocked when Figo accepted the move to Real Madrid the same year.
The signing of Figo was the beginning of Florentino Perez's "Galactico Era," which saw Real Madrid sign a global star every year. Soon after his arrival, Figo was joined by Zidane, Ronaldo, and Beckham. In the first match against his old club, Figo was jeered by the entire Nou Camp, forcing him to put his fingers to his ears. The second game didn't go much better, as the fans were routinely preventing him from taking a corner by throwing numerous objects at him, including a pig's head.
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Despite these incidents, Figo enjoyed a successful career at Real Madrid. In his five years there, he won two La Ligas (2001, 2003) and a UEFA Champions League in 2002. In 2001, he was voted FIFA Player of the Year.
During this time, Figo also made major strides at the international scene. At the Euro 2000, he led Portugal to the semi-finals, where they lost 2-1 on a golden goal from Trezeguet. After a disappointing group stage elimination at the 2002 World Cup, Figo and Portugal bounced back at the Euro 2004. However, they weren't able to clear the final hurdle; in the final match, Greece upset them 1-0.
Internationally, Figo enjoyed his swan song at the 2006 World Cup. With him as the captain, Portugal finished top of their group and sailed past Netherlands and England on their way to the semi-finals. Despite losing to France 1-0, this was still Portugal's best World Cup finish in four decades. The third-place playoff was Figo's last match for Portugal; he finished his career with 32 goals in 127 appearances.
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Stats:
Club football: 577 matches, 93 goals
National team: 127 matches, 32 goals
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Facts:
He is regarded as one of the best Portuguese footballers of all time and one of the best wingers in the history of football.
Although his first team appearances were rare, Figo had a long soccer career ahead of him and by the time he turned 20, he became a regular first team starter for Sporting CP.
Luis Figo was part of the Portuguese Golden Generation which won the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1991.
Barcelona with head coach Johan Cruyff showed interest in Luis Figo eventually signing him for £2.25-$3 million transfer fee. During his time at FC Barcelona, he won many titles.
Figo signed with Real Madrid after being offered the record transfer sum of $46 million for 5 years of his playing services.
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Achievements:
Figo won the 2000 Ballon d’Or, 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year. He was also named by living legend Pele in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players in the year 2004.
Trophies won by Figo include 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.
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