Gonzalo Higuaín

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 in the Superclásico derby against Boca Juniors 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 signed Higuaín for €12 million from River Plate. His debut came on 11 January 2007 against Real Betis in the second round of the Copa del Rey in Seville. His first league game came three days later, on 14 January 2007, against Real Zaragoza 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 in the Madrid derby, the equaliser (1–1) at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. 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:…

Early career

Higuaín is one of only three foreign-born players to have played for Argentina in a FIFA World Cup, along with Pedro Arico Suárez and Constantino Urbieta Sosa. He initially rejected calls from both the Argentina 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 in February 2008, and scored two goals on his debut as Argentina won 5–0, though the match was not officially recognized by FIFA as an "A" international match.

2010 FIFA World Cup

Higuaín was selected for Argentina by coach Diego Maradona for the last 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification games against Peru and Uruguay. 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. He scored a hat-trick in Argentina's 4–1 win over South Korea in their second group match, becoming the third Argentinian to score a hat-trick in the World Cup finals after Guillermo Stábile in 1930 and Gabriel Batistuta in 1994 and 1998, and the first player to score a hat-trick in the tournament since 2002. His goal in the 3–1 win over Mexico 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…

Nicknamed El Pipita or Pipa, as was his father Jorge, 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, 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…

Higuaín was born on 10 December 1987 in Brest, France, the son of the Argentine footballer Jorge Higuaín, who was then playing for Stade Brestois 29. He is of Basque-French descent through his grandfather. He left France at the age of ten months and does not speak French, but retains French citizenship. He successfully applied for Argentine nationality in January 2007. Higuaín has two elder brothers, Nicolás, his agent during his career, and Federico, who also played as a professional footballer, and one younger brother, Lautaro.