Gonzalo Gerardo Higuaín (; born 10 December 1987) is an Argentine former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...
who played as a
striker. Nicknamed ''El Pipita'' or ''Pipa'', Higuaín was a prolific striker, known for his eye for goal, strong physique, and offensive movements.
Higuaín started his career with Argentine club
River Plate, before a transfer to
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
in January 2007 for €12 million. His time in Spain saw him win several domestic honours, including three
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Banco Santander, Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaL ...
titles, and score 107 goals in 190 league appearances. He joined Italian side
Napoli for €40 million in July 2013, where he won the
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
during his first season. In the
2015–16 season, he scored 36 league goals, winning the ''
Capocannoniere'' title and equalling
Gino Rossetti's 87-year-old record for goals in an Italian top-flight season. As a result of his goal scoring exploits in Naples, Italian champions
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
signed him for €90 million in 2016, becoming
one of the highest football transfers of all-time and highest ever transfer for an Italian club. He won domestic doubles in his first two seasons with Juventus, also reaching the
2017 Champions League final with the club. In 2018, he was loaned to
AC Milan, and later to English side Chelsea in January 2019, where he won the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
, before returning to Juventus in the summer of that year, adding another Serie A title to his trophy cabinet the following season. After a move to
Inter Miami
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF or simply Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. Established in 2018, the club began play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the 202 ...
in 2020, Higuaín announced his plans to retire from football at the end of the 2022 season.
Higuaín made his full international debut for
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
in 2009; he represented the country at three
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has ...
s and three
Copa América
The Copa América ( en, America Cup) or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship (''Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol'' in Spanish and ''Campeonato Sul-Americano de Futebol'' in Portuguese), is the t ...
tournaments, helping them to second-place finishes at the
2014 World Cup, the
2015 Copa América, and the
Copa América Centenario
The Copa América Centenario ( pt, Copa América Centenário, french: Coupe Amerique Centennaire, en, Centennial Cup America; literally ''Centennial America Cup'') was an international men's association football tournament that was hosted by the ...
in 2016. After no longer being called-up following Argentina's round-of-16 exit at the
2018 World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
, he announced his retirement from international football in March 2019. In total, he earned 75 caps for his nation, scoring 31 goals.
Early life
Higuaín was born on 10 December 1987 in
Brest, France
Brest (; ) is a port city in the Finistère department, Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French ...
, the son of the Argentine footballer
Jorge Higuaín, who was then playing for
Stade Brestois 29
Stade Brestois 29 or simply Brest, is a French football club based in Brest. It was founded in 1950 following the merger of five local patronages, including Armoricaine de Brest, founded in 1903.
In its early years, the club made a rapid ris ...
. He is of
Basque descent through his father. He left France at the age of ten months and does not speak French, but retains
French citizenship
French nationality law is historically based on the principles of ''jus soli'' (Latin for "right of soil") and ''jus sanguinis'', according to Ernest Renan's definition, in opposition to the German definition of nationality, ''jus sanguinis'' ( ...
in addition to his
Argentine nationality, which he successfully applied for in January 2007.
Higuaín has two elder brothers, Nicolas and
Federico Federico (; ) is a given name and surname. It is a form of Frederick, most commonly found in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.
People with the given name Federico
Artists
* Federico Ágreda, Venezuelan composer and DJ.
* Federico Aguilar Alc ...
, the latter of whom also plays as a professional footballer, and one younger brother, Lautaro.
Club career
River Plate
Higuaín started playing in the youth teams and made his debut with
River Plate in a 2–1 defeat against
Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) on 29 May 2005. On 12 February 2006, he scored his first league goal in a 3–1 victory over
Banfield. Higuaín ended the
2005–06 season with 5 goals in 12 appearances.
Following his
brace
Brace(s) or bracing may refer to:
Medical
* Orthopaedic brace, a device used to restrict or assist body movement
** Back brace, a device limiting motion of the spine
*** Milwaukee brace, a kind of back brace used in the treatment of spinal c ...
in the ''
Superclásico''
derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...
against
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine sports club headquartered in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its professional football team which, since its promotion in 1913, has always played in th ...
on 8 October 2006, River Plate manager
Daniel Passarella declared that Higuaín had an "enormous future" and was "destined for superstardom". By the end of
that season, he scored 10 goals in 17 league matches.
Real Madrid
2006–07 season
In December 2006, Spanish club
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
signed Higuaín for
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
12 million from River Plate. His debut came on 11 January 2007 against
Real Betis
Real Betis Balompié, known as Real Betis () or just Betis, is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1907, it plays in La Liga. It holds home games at the Estadio Benito ...
in the second round of the
Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footb ...
in
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Penins ...
. His first league game came three days later, on 14 January 2007, against
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. (), commonly referred to as Zaragoza, is a football club based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, that currently competes in the Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league system. Zaragoza holds its home games at L ...
at home. Higuaín was involved in the creation of numerous scoring chances and in the assistance for the only goal, which earned Madrid the victory. His first goal with Real came on 24 February when the team faced
Atlético Madrid
Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based i ...
in the
Madrid derby, the equaliser (1–1) at the
Vicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium ( es, Estadio Vicente Calderón ) was the home stadium of Atlético Madrid from its completion in 1966 to 2017, with a seating capacity of 54,907 and located on the banks of the Manzanares River, Manzanares, in the A ...
. During his first season at the
Bernabéu, however, Higuaín raised some doubts over his performance due to his overall lack of goals.
2007–08 season
During the
2007–08 season, Higuaín played inconsistently, although he finished strongly at the end of the season: He first scored a last minute goal to earn his team a victory in a 2–1 comeback against
Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna (, ''Osasuna Athletic Club''), or simply Osasuna, is a Spanish professional football club in Pamplona, Navarre. Founded on 24 October 1920, the club currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at the 23,576-capacity El ...
, which allowed Real Madrid to be mathematically crowned Liga champions for the second consecutive year. Four days later, he scored the third goal of a 4–1 thrashing of
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
in ''
El Clásico''. The goal was scored just 57 seconds after he came off the bench.
2008–09 season
In the
2008–09 season, Higuaín was offered the chance to be a starter due to a serious injury suffered by
Dutch striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (anglicised to Van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He is currently the coach of PSV Eindhoven.
A former footballer, Van Nistelrooy is often consi ...
. In August 2008, Higuaín scored the winner in Madrid's victory over
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
in the
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España or the ''Spanish Super Cup'' is a super cup tournament in Spanish football. Founded in 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2019–20 by four teams: the winners and runners-up of ...
. Shortly afterwards, he scored all four goals in a 4–3 win against
Málaga
Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most po ...
. Because of this, he started to gain international recognition and became one of the leading goalscorers of La Liga, alongside his Barcelona counterpart
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils (; born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian football administrator and former player who is the current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation from 11 December 2021. In his prime, Eto'o was regarded by pundits as one of ...
. On 21 April 2009, Higuaín played very well in the match against
Getafe and scored the decisive goal in the last minute, giving Real Madrid a 3–2 victory which enabled the team to keep close to
Pep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola Sala (; born 18 January 1971) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of club Manchester City. He is considered one of the greatest managers of all time and holds the ...
's Barcelona in the league table. Throughout the season, Higuaín was regarded as one of the most promising talents in world football in the wake of spectacular games and last-minute goals. He ended the season with 22 league goals and 24 in all competitions, around as many as established football stars including
Diego Forlán,
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez (; born 3 December 1981) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Villa is regarded by pundits as one of the best forwards of his generation, and one of the best Spanish strikers of all time. ...
and
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry (born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, and former player who is an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Considered one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best player ...
.
2009–10 season
The
2009–10 season saw Higuaín become Real's top goalscorer with 27 league goals, 29 in total, being at the same time the La Liga's second-top goalscorer, behind only
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the g ...
and surpassing Swedish international
Zlatan Ibrahimović, as well as his Madrid teammate
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pl ...
. This season included him scoring his first two goals in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
and his second
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three w ...
for the club.
2010–11 season
In June 2010, Real Madrid extended Higuaín's contract until 2016. On 23 October 2010, he scored Real Madrid's 5,200th league goal, coming against
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. (), also known as Racing de Santander () or simply Racing, is a football club based in Santander, Cantabria, Spain, that currently competes in Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish league sys ...
in a 6–1 thrashing by ''Los Blancos''. On 4 November of the same year, Higuaín scored the club's 700th goal in the Champions League.
During the first weeks of December 2010, Higuaín was diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disc, and Real's medical staff suggested that he should have it operated. On 5 January 2011, Real Madrid announced he would finally undergo surgery at the Department of Neurological Surgery of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
's
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine under the command of Dr. Richard G. Fessler,
M.D. The surgery took place on 11 January, and Higuaín was discharged from the hospital the next day following a successful operation. He was expected to spend at least four months away from the field in the recovery process: two months spent to recover from the surgery and another two to train with the team, although he was able to make an early comeback. On 23 April 2011, Higuaín scored a hat-trick against
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...
in a 6–3 away win at the
Mestalla Stadium, giving him eight goals in eight matches against Valencia. Higuaín also assisted two other goals for
Karim Benzema
Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains La Liga club Real Madrid. A creative and prolific forward, Benzema is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time. ...
and
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (; born 22 April 1982), commonly known as Kaká () or Ricardo Kaká, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In his prime as a playmaker at AC Milan, a period marke ...
in that same match.
2011–12 season
On 2 October, Higuaín scored his first hat-trick of the season against Espanyol in a 4–0 away win, following it 13 days later with another in a 4–1 win against Betis.
Higuaín scored to put Madrid up 3–1 in a 4–1 win against local rivals Atlético Madrid in the Madrid derby on 26 November. On 31 March 2012, he scored his 100th Real Madrid goal in a match against Osasuna, also adding a second goal to make it Real's 100th goal for the
2011–12 La Liga season. In the league-winning season, he scored 22 goals, more than his teammate
Karim Benzema
Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains La Liga club Real Madrid. A creative and prolific forward, Benzema is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time. ...
, and proved to be a vital player for his team.
2012–13 season
On 29 August 2012, Higuaín scored the opener in an eventual 2–1 win against Barcelona in the second leg of the
2012 Supercopa de España
The 2012 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match-up that took place on 23 and 29 August 2012 between the champions of 2011–12 La Liga, Real Madrid, and the winner of the 2011–12 Copa del Rey, Barcelona. Barcelona and Real ...
, which secured Real Madrid its first title of the season.
Higuaín scored first league goal in the season opener against Valencia CF, his favourite opponent; he netted the opening goal in the 10th minute in an eventual 1–1 home draw. He scored again in the next match, a 2–1 loss to
Getafe CF
Getafe Club de Fútbol (), or simply Getafe, is a professional football club based in Getafe, a city in the Community of Madrid. The team competes in La Liga, the highest tier of the Spanish football system. The club's home stadium (owned and o ...
at
Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, which marked Real Madrid worst league start in 39 years.
In Real's away match to
Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...
on 28 October 2012, Higuaín scored twice and provided two assists in a 5–0 victory. On 23 February 2013, he scored his 100th La Liga goal as he scored an 88th-minute winner to secure a 2–1 defeat of
Deportivo de La Coruña
Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña (), Deportivo or simply Dépor, is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. They currently play in the Primera División RFEF – ...
.
On 1 June 2013, following the end of the team's last match of the season, a 4–2 home win over Osasuna, Higuaín, who scored the opening goal, confirmed that he would be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season, after seven years.
Napoli
Due to Higuaín's availability in the summer of 2013, several high-profile clubs, such
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
and
Napoli, were keen to sign him. Higuaín was at the centre of much transfer speculation, with many newspapers linking him to a move to Premier League side Arsenal, before Napoli's president
Aurelio De Laurentiis
Aurelio De Laurentiis (born 24 May 1949) is an Italian film producer through his company, Filmauro, and the owner of Italian football clubs Napoli (of which he is also chairman) and Bari.
He is the nephew of film producer Dino De Laurentiis ...
said that Higuaín, along with
Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
goalkeeper
Pepe Reina, had passed their medicals and that the Argentine had signed a five-year deal with the
Italian club, with Higuaín joining for
€
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
40 million. On 27 July, Napoli confirmed the signing of Higuaín, with the Argentine being assigned the
number 9 shirt.
2013–14 season
On 10 August 2013, Higuaín played his first match as a starter in a pre-season friendly against
Benfica, scoring his first goal for the club in a 2–1 win. On 25 August, he made his
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
debut in a 3–0 defeat of
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...
on the opening day of the
2013–14 season. A week later, he opened his goalscoring account in a 4–2 win away at
Chievo. He followed this up with goals in Napoli's next two fixtures: wins over
Atalanta
Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily kno ...
at home and
AC Milan at the
San Siro
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy, which is the home of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. It has a seating capacity of 80,018, making it one of the largest stadiums ...
.
On 18 September, Higuaín scored in Napoli's opening
Champions League fixture, a 2–1 victory over
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
at the
Stadio San Paolo. He went on to score in home wins over
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
and Arsenal,
but Napoli failed to qualify from the
group stage despite winning four of their six matches.
[
On 12 February 2014, Higuaín scored two goals in Napoli's 3–0 defeat of ]Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
* Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
in the semi-final of the Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
, taking the team to the final with a 5–3 aggregate victory. On 13 April, he scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 4–2 win over Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
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, demographics1_title2 ...
. Higuaín won his first trophy with the club on 3 May, playing for 70 minutes in the 3–1 success versus Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
in the final of Coppa Italia. He concluded his first season in Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
by scoring 24 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions.
2014–15 season
On 26 October 2014, Higuaín scored his first three league goals of the season in a 6–2 home win over Hellas Verona. In the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana
The 2014 Supercoppa Italiana was the 27th edition of the Supercoppa Italiana, Italian football supercup, played on 22 December 2014 at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar. It was held between 2013–14 Serie A champions, Juventus, and the ...
against Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
in Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor, it is home to m ...
, Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
, on 22 December, Higuaín equalised twice, forcing extra time and then a penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
, in which he was one of the scorers in a Napoli victory.
Higuaín scored a hat-trick, including a penalty, on 12 March 2015, as Napoli came from behind to defeat Dynamo Moscow 3–1 in the first leg of the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
.
In the final game of the league season – and also the last under Napoli manager Rafael Benítez – Higuaín scored twice, but also missed a penalty, as Napoli lost 4–2 to Lazio, who took the last Champions League place at their expense.
2015–16 season
On 8 November 2015, Higuaín recorded the 200th goal of his club career, the only goal of the match in a victory over Udinese; this was his ninth goal of the league season and his seventh consecutive home game with a goal. Three weeks later, he scored both goals – including one after 64 seconds – in a 2–1 win over Inter which put Napoli in first place in the league for the first time in 25 years.
Higuaín scored twice in Napoli's 3–1 win over Sassuolo on 16 January 2016 to extend the team's lead to four points; his second goal of the game was his 20th of the campaign. He scored his 30th goal of the Serie A season in a 3–1 away defeat to Udinese on 3 April, although he was sent off later during the match. In the following days, the Serie A issued a four-match ban against Higuaín; a one-game ban for his two yellow cards, one for "protesting against the match officials", one for "misconduct against an opponent" and one for appearing to push referee Massimiliano Irrati, as well as a €
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and unilaterally adopted by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists o ...
20,000 fine. On 15 April, following an appeal on his ban, it was reduced to three matches.
On 14 May, Higuaín scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over Frosinone
Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of the ...
in the final match of the season to win the '' Capocannoniere'' with 36 total goals, equaling Gino Rossetti's record set in 1928–29. No other player in the league surpassed 20 goals for the season, with the league's second-topscorer being Paulo Dybala with 19.
Juventus
2016–17 season
After a month of transfer speculation, on 26 July 2016, Higuaín transferred to rivals Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
for a fee of €90 million paid in two installments, making him the most expensive South American footballer of all time (until Neymar
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), known as Neymar, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team. A prolific goalscorer and renowned ...
's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
in 2017); his transfer fee was the highest ever paid by an Italian team (until Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pl ...
's transfer to Juventus in 2018) and also the highest of a player transferring within any domestic league (until Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is renowned for his dri ...
's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2018). Three days after his move, Higuaín stated that his reason for moving to Juventus was because of his relationship with Napoli's chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis
Aurelio De Laurentiis (born 24 May 1949) is an Italian film producer through his company, Filmauro, and the owner of Italian football clubs Napoli (of which he is also chairman) and Bari.
He is the nephew of film producer Dino De Laurentiis ...
.
On 20 August, Higuaín scored the winning goal on his Juventus debut in their opening match against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
of a 2–1 home win. On 10 September, he scored a brace in a 3–1 home win over Sassuolo. On 29 October, he scored the winning goal against his former team, Napoli, but did not celebrate his goal, in a 2–1 home win. On 5 April 2017, Higuaín scored twice against Napoli in the 2016–17 Coppa Italia
The 2016–17 Coppa Italia, also known as TIM Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 70th edition of the national cup in Italian football.
Juventus successfully defended its title by defeating Lazio 2–0 in the final, becoming the first team to w ...
second semi-final leg to put Juventus through to the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
5–4 on aggregate, in spite of a 3–2 away loss. The following week, he became the first player to score more than 20 goals in his debut season for Juventus since John Charles
William John Charles (27 December 1931 – 21 February 2004) was a Welsh footballer who played as a centre-forward or as a centre-back. Best known for his first stint at Leeds United and Juventus, he was rated by many as the greatest all-ro ...
and Omar Sívori had managed the same feat during the 1957–58 Serie A
The 1957–58 Serie A season was won by Juventus.
Teams
Hellas Verona and Alessandria had been promoted from Serie B.
Final classification
This season was influenced by the ''Belfast disaster''. Following the defeat of the Italian national foo ...
season, when he scored a brace against Chievo. On 15 April, Higuaín scored both goals in a 2–0 away win against Pescara, which included his 200th league goal in Europe. On 3 June, Higuaín started in the Champions League Final, but Juventus were defeated 4–1 by defending champions Real Madrid; he set up Mario Mandžukić's temporary equaliser in the first half.
2017–18 season
On 28 October 2017, Higuaín scored both goals in a 2–0 away win over Milan; his first goal was his 100th goal in Serie A, making him only the second player after Zlatan Ibrahimović to score over 100 goals in two of the top European leagues in the past 20 seasons.
Higuaín played a decisive role in Juventus's 4–3 aggregate win over Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
. In the first leg, held in Turin on 13 February 2018, he scored both of his side's goals in the opening ten minutes, with his second of the night coming from the penalty spot, although he later also missed another penalty right before half time, which drew criticism in the Italian media, in spite of his positive overall performance; following a comeback from Tottenham, however, the match eventually ended in a 2–2 draw. In the return leg, on 7 March, he helped Juventus come from behind to win the match 2–1 at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
, first scoring the equaliser, before setting up the match winner scored by Dybala three minutes later, thus sealing Juventus's place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
2018–19 season: Loans to AC Milan and Chelsea
On 2 August 2018, Higuaín was signed by AC Milan on a season-long loan deal. As per the official statement of Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
, Milan would pay a loan fee of €18 million to Juventus in the 2018–19 season; also Milan would have the option to outright buy Higuaín the following season for €36 million.
On 23 January 2019, English club Chelsea signed Higuaín on a loan deal for the remainder of the 2018–19 season, reuniting him with manager Maurizio Sarri, whom he played under at Napoli during the 2015–16 season. Five days later, he made his debut in a 3–0 win against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...
in the fourth round of the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
at Stamford Bridge. On 30 January, he made his league debut in a 4–0 away loss against AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a r ...
. On 2 February, he scored his first goals for Chelsea, a brace in a 5–0 home win over Huddersfield Town.
2019–20 season: Return to Juventus
On 1 July 2019, Higuaín returned to Juventus as Chelsea declined to extend his loan; thus, he was once again reunited with manager Maurizio Sarri, who had recently joined the club. Although he previously wore the number 9 shirt at Juventus, he was instead handed the number 21 shirt ahead of the 2019–20 season. He scored his first goal of the season in a 4–3 home win over his former club Napoli in Serie A on 31 August.
On 17 September 2020, he mutually terminated his contract with Juventus.
Inter Miami
On 18 September 2020, Higuaín signed for Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
club Inter Miami
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF or simply Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. Established in 2018, the club began play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the 202 ...
. On his debut, he missed a penalty and then started a fight as Miami fell to a 3–0 defeat to the Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Union compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the club began playing in 2010 ...
. On 7 October, Higuaín scored his first goal for Miami, a late free kick in their 2–1 win against the New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
. Higuaín retired at the end of Inter Miami's 2022 MLS season; his last game was in the first round of the MLS playoffs, ending in 3–0 away loss to New York City FC
New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in New York City that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), the highest level of American soccer, as a member of the league's Eastern Conference. The club is co-owned b ...
.
International career
Early career
Higuaín is one of only three foreign-born players to have played for Argentina in a FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has ...
, along with Pedro Arico Suárez and Constantino Urbieta Sosa
Constantino Urbieta Sosa (12 August 1907 – 12 December 1983) was a Paraguayan-Argentine footballer that played as a midfielder.
Born in Asunción, Urbieta started his career in Club Nacional before playing for Argentine clubs C.A. Tigre, God ...
. He initially rejected calls from both the Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
and France national teams, stating at the time he had not yet decided which country he would play for, before ultimately choosing Argentina. Higuaín was called up by the Argentina Olympic squad for a friendly match against Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...
in February 2008, and scored two goals on his debut as Argentina won 5–0, though the match was not officially recognized by FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
as an "A" international match.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Higuaín was selected for Argentina by coach Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona (; 30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the F ...
for the last 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification games against Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
and Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
. He scored his first goal on his full debut, a 49th-minute strike during a 2–1 win over Peru on 10 October 2009. Following Argentina's qualification, Higuaín was included in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
. He scored a hat-trick in Argentina's 4–1 win over South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
in their second group match, becoming the third Argentinian to score a hat-trick in the World Cup finals after Guillermo Stábile
Guillermo Stábile (17 January 1905 – 26 December 1966) was an Argentine professional football player and manager who played as a centre forward. At club level, Stábile won two national championships with Huracán and played in Italy and Fran ...
in 1930
Events
January
* January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...
and Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta (; born 1 February 1969) is an Argentine former professional footballer. During his playing career, Batistuta was nicknamed Batigol () as well as El Ángel Gabriel (; Spanish for ''Angel Gabriel''). Regarded as one of the ...
in 1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...
and 1998, and the first player to score a hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three w ...
in the tournament since 2002. His goal in the 3–1 win over Mexico
Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
in the second round took him to a total of four, sending him clear as the second-top goalscorer in the competition.
2011 Copa América
Higuaín was a member of Sergio Batista
Sergio Daniel "Checho" Batista (; born 9 November 1962) is an Argentine football manager and former international player.
As a footballer he played as a midfield for Argentinos Juniors, River Plate, Nueva Chicago, Tosu Futures and All Boys. ...
's Argentine squad for the 2011 Copa América
The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América 2011 Argentina, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South Americ ...
on home soil, making one substitute appearance and one start in the group as Carlos Tevez was preferred at centre forward; Argentina advanced in second place behind Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...
. He started against Uruguay in the quarter-finals in Santa Fe, and equalised in the 17th minute by heading Lionel Messi's cross past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
Néstor Fernando Muslera Micol (; born 16 June 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Turkish club Galatasaray, whom he captains, and the Uruguay national team.
He is considered one of the finest goalkeeper ...
; he later had another goal disallowed for offside. Higuaín scored in the penalty shoot-out
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
after his shot had hit both posts, but Argentina lost the shoot-out 4–5.
2011–2014: 2014 World Cup qualifying
On 8 October 2011, Higuaín scored a hat-trick and assisted one goal in a 4–1 win against Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
. On 2 June 2012, he scored the second goal in their 2014 World Cup qualifying match and assisted one goal in Argentina's 4–0 victory over Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
.
On 7 September 2012, Higuaín scored the second goal in their 2014 World Cup South American qualifier match and assisted one goal in Argentina's 3–1 victory over Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to t ...
. Then, on 11 September, Higuaín scored the equalizer for Argentina in a 1–1 draw with Peru in Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
.
On 22 March 2013, Higuaín scored twice as Argentina beat Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
3–0 to make him top scorer in the South American section of World Cup qualifying with nine goals. He ended the 2014 qualifying campaign as the joint third-top scorer in CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL, , or CSF; es, Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol; pt, Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol) is the continental governing body of football in South America (apart from Guyana, Surina ...
, alongside Radamel Falcao
Radamel Falcao García Zárate (born 10 February 1986) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Rayo Vallecano and often captains the Colombia national team. Nicknamed "''El Tigre''" (Spanish for ''The Ti ...
and behind Messi and Luis Suárez.
2014 World Cup
Higuaín was named by manager Alejandro Sabella
Alejandro Javier Sabella (; 5 November 19548 December 2020) was an Argentine football player and manager. Born in Buenos Aires, he began his playing career with River Plate in his home country before moving to England in 1978 to play for Sheff ...
in Argentina's 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup in May. After appearing as a half-time substitute in Argentina's 2–1 defeat of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
at the Maracanã Stadium
Maracanã Stadium ( pt, Estádio do Maracanã, standard Brazilian Portuguese: , local pronunciation: ), officially named Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho (), is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The stadium is part o ...
on 15 June, Higuaín exchanged passes with Messi to assist his captain for the winning goal. He was named in the starting line-up for the team's second match against Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
in Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...
on 21 June, which ended in a 1–0 victory to Argentina. On 5 July, he scored the only goal of the match in the 1–0 quarter-final
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
victory over Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
. In the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
against Germany on 13 July, Higuaín shot wide on a one-on-one chance against Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after being gifted an errant, headed back-pass from Toni Kroos, and had a goal disallowed for offside, as Germany eventually won the match 1–0 in extra time.
2015 Copa América
With Sergio Agüero
Sergio 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 play ...
preferred as the lone centre-forward in a three-man Argentine attack, Higuaín made his first start of the 2015 Copa América in the final group match, against Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...
in Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune on Zona Central, Chile, central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located within ...
. Winning his 50th cap, he scored the only goal of the game in the 11th minute when set up by Ángel Di María, sending Argentina through to the quarter-finals as group winners. On 30 June, he scored the final goal of Argentina's 6–1 win over Paraguay in the semi-finals, two minutes after coming on in place of Agüero. On 4 July, Higuaín was one of two Argentina players to fail to convert their kicks in a penalty shootout loss to Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
in the 2015 Copa América Final
The 2015 Copa América Final was the final match of the 2015 Copa América, an international football tournament organized by CONMEBOL that was played in Chile.
The match was held on 4 July 2015 in Santiago's Estadio Nacional, and contested by ...
, blasting his attempt over the crossbar; during regulation time he had previously been provided with a late goalscoring opportunity, but failed to convert Ezequiel Lavezzi
Ezequiel Iván Lavezzi (; born 3 May 1985) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward. During his career, his most important attributes were his pace, hardworking style of play, technique, creativity, and dribbling ab ...
's low cross.
Copa América Centenario
At the Copa América Centenario
The Copa América Centenario ( pt, Copa América Centenário, french: Coupe Amerique Centennaire, en, Centennial Cup America; literally ''Centennial America Cup'') was an international men's association football tournament that was hosted by the ...
in 2016, Higuaín was named to Gerardo Martino
Gerardo Daniel "Tata" Martino (born 20 November 1962) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player.
Martino played mostly for Newell's Old Boys in his native Rosario. He holds the record of appearances with the team playing ...
's 23-man Argentina squad, and was selected as his team's starting centre forward. On 18 June, he scored twice in the team's 4–1 quarter-final defeat of Venezuela. Three days later, he once again scored two goals as Argentina defeated the hosts United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
4–0 in the semi-final. He played in the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
against Chile eight days later, a repeat of the previous year's final, as the ''Albiceleste'' once again lost in a penalty shootout following a 0–0 draw after extra time. Following the match, Higuaín once again came under criticism in the media for squandering a one on one opportunity for the third consecutive final with Argentina.
2018 World Cup
During Argentina's troublesome qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
in Russia, Higuaín managed only one goal in nine appearances, and eventually lost his place in the team's starting line-up. In May 2018, however, Higuaín was included in Jorge Sampaoli
Jorge Luis Sampaoli Moya (; born 13 March 1960) is an Argentine football coach who is currently manager for Sevilla of La Liga. Sampaoli started out as a youth player and eventually switched to management after a severe injury.
Sampaoli start ...
's final 23-man Argentina squad for the tournament. He appeared in all three group matches for Argentina, but went scoreless throughout the competition, and did not feature in the round of 16 match against eventual champions France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
on 30 June, which saw Argentina eliminated from the World Cup following a 4–3 defeat.
National team retirement
On 28 March 2019, in an interview with Fox Sports Argentina, Higuaín announced his retirement from international football, where he defended himself, commenting: "My era with the Selecc �n is over, now I will be watching the team from the outside, which I'm sure will make many people happy. So now that you can stop worrying if I'm here or not. I spoke to (Coach Lionel) Scaloni and told him my point of view. This is my decision and I think it will do me good. I want to enjoy more time with my family and I see they suffer when I am so roundly criticised. I am happy with the decision I have made. I played almost 8 years in the team, it's a lot, even if people don't take dimension." In total, he made 75 senior appearances for Argentina, scoring 31 goals. His final international appearance came in Argentina's 2–1 win over Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
on 26 June 2018, in their final group match of the 2018 World Cup, at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg.
Style of play
Nicknamed ''El Pipita'' or ''Pipa'', as was his father Jorge
Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker".
The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...
, who was also a footballer, Higuaín was a hardworking right-footed striker and a prolific goalscorer. He was known in particular for his great striking ability with either foot in the last 25 yards, as well as his opportunism and clinical finishing inside the penalty area, while his height, eye for goal, and strong physique made him a dangerous aerial presence in the box. A well-rounded striker, he also possessed good technical skills, and an ability to drop deep, link-up with teammates, hold up the ball, and lay it off to other players. His intelligent offensive movement off the ball and pace in the final third of the pitch made him an offensive threat during counter-attacks, and also allowed him to lose his markers and get on the end of passes, or create space for his teammates with his attacking runs. Although he mainly played as an out-and-out striker (which led him to be described as a "poacher" in the media earlier on in his career), because of his team-play and ability to build attacks or provide assists for teammates, he also operated in a deeper, more creative role on occasion, acting as a false nine
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
, or even as a second striker. His playing style earned him comparisons with compatriots Hernán Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta.
Despite his impressive scoring record, Higuaín was often criticised in the media for failing to deliver in the most important of matches for both club and country. Notable examples include poor performances in cup finals and crucial UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
and UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
matches during his tenures at Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus, as well as notable missed chances for the Argentina national team in the 2014 World Cup Final, the 2015 Copa América Final
The 2015 Copa América Final was the final match of the 2015 Copa América, an international football tournament organized by CONMEBOL that was played in Chile.
The match was held on 4 July 2015 in Santiago's Estadio Nacional, and contested by ...
and the Copa América Centenario Final
Copa or COPA may refer to:
COPA
COPA may refer to:
* Computer Operator Programming Assistant. trade of ITI
* Child Online Protection Act, a former U.S. law to protect minors from certain material on the internet
* Canadian Owners and Pilots Asso ...
. Moreover, Higuaín's record from the penalty spot
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
With ...
was inconsistent throughout his career; in his early career, he was generally an accurate penalty taker, however his ability from spot kicks deteriorated as his career progressed.
Endorsements
Higuaín, along with global cover star Lionel Messi, featured on the Italian cover of EA Sports
EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network ...
' multi-platform video game ''FIFA 15
''FIFA 15'' is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. It was released on 23 September 2014 in North America, 25 September in Europe and 26 September in the United King ...
''.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Higuaín goal.''
;Notes
Honours
Real Madrid
*La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Banco Santander, Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaL ...
: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
*Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footb ...
: 2010–11; runner-up 2012–13
*Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España or the ''Spanish Super Cup'' is a super cup tournament in Spanish football. Founded in 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2019–20 by four teams: the winners and runners-up of ...
: 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
Napoli
*Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
: 2013–14
*Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana ( en, Italian Super Cup) is an annual association football, football match contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season. If the same team wins both the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles ...
: 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
Juventus
*Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20
*Coppa Italia: 2016–17, 2017–18; runner up 2019–20
*UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
runner-up: 2016–17
Chelsea
*UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
: 2018–19
*EFL Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by t ...
runner-up: 2018–19
Argentina
*FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has ...
runner-up: 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
*Copa América
The Copa América ( en, America Cup) or CONMEBOL Copa América, known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship (''Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol'' in Spanish and ''Campeonato Sul-Americano de Futebol'' in Portuguese), is the t ...
runner-up: 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
Individual
* Serie A top scorer: 2015–16
* Serie A Team of the Year: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17
*UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
Squad of the season: 2013–14, 2014–15
* ESM Team of the Year: 2015–16
*Forward of the "Ideal Team of America": 2006
* FIFA FIFPro World XI 4th team: 2016
*Juventus MVP of the Year: 2016–17, 2017–18
* MLS Comeback Player of the Year: 2022
References
External links
Higuaín at La Liga
*
Statistics
at Guardian Stats Centre
*
Futbol360 profile
Sportepoch profile
Profile at FutbolPunto with maps and graphs
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higuain, Gonzalo
1987 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Brest, France
Citizens of Argentina through descent
Argentine footballers
Argentina international footballers
Argentina youth international footballers
French footballers
Association football forwards
Club Atlético River Plate footballers
Real Madrid CF players
S.S.C. Napoli players
Juventus F.C. players
A.C. Milan players
Chelsea F.C. players
Inter Miami CF players
Argentine Primera División players
La Liga players
Serie A players
Premier League players
Major League Soccer players
UEFA Europa League winning players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
2011 Copa América players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
2015 Copa América players
Copa América Centenario players
2018 FIFA World Cup players
Footballers from Brittany
Argentine people of Basque descent
Argentine sportspeople of Spanish descent
French people of Argentine descent
Sportspeople of Argentine descent
French people of Basque descent
French people of Spanish descent
French emigrants to Argentina
Argentine expatriate footballers
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Expatriate footballers in Italy
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
Designated Players (MLS)