Biography
Who is Diego Forlán?
Early life and family
Diego Forlán Forlan was born on May 19, 1979, in Montevideo, Uruguay. He grew up in the Carrasco neighborhood within a prominent footballing family. His father, Pablo Forlan, played for Penarol and Sao Paulo, and represented Uruguay in the 1966 and 1974 World Cups. His grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazzo, had a well-known career with Independiente in Argentina. Growing up, Diego played tennis at the Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club alongside his passion for street football.
In September 1991, his sister Alejandra suffered severe injuries in a car accident that also claimed the life of her boyfriend. The subsequent medical expenses created a financial crisis for the family, which was later alleviated through fundraising efforts led by Diego Maradona. This event shifted Diego's focus heavily toward football, hoping to earn enough to help cover his sister's medical treatment.
Club career highlights
Diego began his youth career in his home country with the Penarol and Danubio academies. In 1997, he moved to Argentina to join Independiente. After scoring 37 goals in 80 league matches, he caught the attention of European scouts. In January 2002, Manchester United signed him for 6.9 million pounds. During his time with the English club, he won both the Premier League title and the FA Cup.
After leaving Manchester United, Diego moved to Spain to play for Villarreal, where he won the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe by scoring 25 goals in his debut season. He later transferred to Atletico Madrid in 2007. With Atletico, he secured another Pichichi Trophy and European Golden Shoe in 2009 after netting 32 goals. He also helped the club win the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010, scoring the decisive goal in the Europa League final.
International career and coaching
Diego enjoyed a distinguished international career representing the Uruguay national team. He scored 36 goals across 112 appearances, playing in three FIFA World Cups and three Copa America tournaments. His standout performance occurred at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he scored five goals and led Uruguay to the semi-finals, earning the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament.
In 2011, he helped Uruguay win the Copa America title, scoring twice in the final and breaking the national appearance record. He later became the first Uruguayan player to reach 100 caps during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Following his retirement as a player, Diego transitioned into management, coaching clubs such as Penarol and Atenas before taking charge of the Uruguay senior and under-20 national teams in 2026.
Birthday and age
Diego Forlán was born on May 19, 1979, which makes Diego 47 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Diego shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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