Biography
Who is Luís Figo?
Early life and real name
Luís Figo Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo was born in Almada, Portugal, on November 4, 1972. He grew up in the working-class district of Cova da Piedade as the only child of António Caeiro Figo and Maria Joana Pestana Madeira. His parents had moved from Alentejo to Lisbon in the early 1970s.
Before joining the academy of Sporting CP at the age of 12, Luís began his career as a street footballer at Os Pastilhas. During his youth, he also played futsal, which helped him develop skills that benefited his later professional career.
Career highlights
Luís started his senior club career at Sporting CP, making his league debut in April 1990. He won the 1994-95 Portuguese Cup with the club before moving to Spanish giants Barcelona for a fee of £2.25 million. At Barcelona, he won the 1996-97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and successive Primera División titles alongside teammates like Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Patrick Kluivert.
In July 2000, Luís made a controversial transfer to Barcelona's bitter rivals Real Madrid for a world record fee of €62 million. During his time in Madrid, he won the 2001 La Liga title and the 2001-02 UEFA Champions League. He was named the 2000 Ballon d'Or winner and the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year. He later moved to Inter Milan on a free transfer in 2005, winning four Serie A titles before announcing his retirement from football on May 16, 2009.
International career
Luís represented Portugal at various youth levels, winning the 1991 FIFA Under-20 World Championships and Under-16 European Championships alongside players like Rui Costa and João Pinto. He was a key member of Portugal's generation of players known as the Golden Generation.
At the senior international level, Luís earned 127 caps for the Portugal national team and scored 32 goals. He represented his country at three European Championships and two World Cups. He helped Portugal reach the final of Euro 2004, where they finished as runners-up, and also reached the semi-finals at the 2006 World Cup.
Personal life
Luís stands at a height of 180 centimeters. He is married to Helen Svedin, and they have a daughter named Daniela Figo. Outside of football, he is known as a philatelist.
Birthday and age
Luís Figo was born on November 4, 1972, which makes Luís 53 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. Luís shares the date with 26 other famous people.
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