Federico Higuaín

Early career

Nicknamed Pipa, Higuaín signed with River Plate as a youngster, playing 5 games and registering no goals. He soon went on loan to Nueva Chicago in the Argentine second division, where he played 77 total games, scoring 29 goals. He also impressed during stints at Godoy Cruz and Colón de Santa Fe. In August 2007, Higuaín signed a three-year contract at Beşiktaş J.K. of the Turkish Süper Lig, for a US$1.65 million fee. He did not settle in Istanbul, with the player calling the move "a mistake." The following February he was loaned to Mexico's Club América for the remainder of the year, where he scored one goal in the league, and one goal in the Copa Libertadores.

Columbus Crew

2012 season

On 27 July 2012, Higuaín joined the Columbus Crew as the team's third-ever designated player, for a then club-record fee of US$650,000. Higuaín later credited former Crew player Guillermo Barros Schelotto with helping convince him to move to the United States, despite his initial reservations about playing in an unfamiliar league. His debut came on 19 August as a substitute against the Houston Dynamo, where he assisted Eddie Gaven's go-ahead goal with a well-placed ball over the top just 13 minutes later. Three days later, he earned his first MLS start against Toronto FC and, in the fourth minute, once again set up a Gaven opener before notching the winning goal himself. The following match saw him score two goals from free kicks in a 4–3 victory over…

A diminutive playmaker with a slender physique, Higuaín was known for his technique, vision, intelligence and "instinctual creativity" on the ball, and his ability to provide assists for his teammates made him capable of playing as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder. Buenos Aires-based journalist Daniel Colasimone has stated that "[h]is role is more to harass opposition defenses with intelligent runs, fine ball control and incisive passing. His hard work on and off the ball, and affable personality made him well-liked wherever he played in Argentina." His coach at Columbus, Gregg Berhalter, said of him in 2018: “The game is about entertainment, and it’s nice to see a guy that the fans can come watch and he can do things they can appreciate [...], but aside from that, you take his work rate and his defensive pressing and those type of elements and he’s a handful." Despite not being a prolific goal scorer, he held an eye for goal from midfield, often succeeding on chipped shots from distance. He was also known to show frequent dissent toward referees, which at times led to a steady accumulation of yellow cards.

Higuaín was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of the Argentine former footballer Jorge Higuaín. Higuaín has three brothers, including Gonzalo, who is a former footballer. He is of Basque descent through his father.

Higuaín holds a U.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.