Luís Figo | Football Heroes | Legends of All Time | Infotainment Video - video Dailymotion

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LUÍS FIGO | Sports | Football Heroes |   Video description: This episode of Football Heroes reveals the star footballer Luís Figo along with his achievements, milestones, career, and more. Let's look into the real lives of our favorite football players and their accomplishments. Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo OIH (born 4 November 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan. He won 127 caps for the Portugal national team, a one-time record, and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Figo won the 2000 Ballon d'Or, 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year, and in 2004 Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Figo is one of the few football players to have played for both Spanish rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. His controversial transfer in 2000 from Barcelona to Real Madrid set a world record fee of €62 million. Figo, who was widely regarded as the face of Barcelona along with Rivaldo at that time, had signed a conditional agreement with Florentino Pérez, who at the time was running to become the president of Real Madrid. In short, the agreement stated that if Perez became the president of the club, Figo would sign for them. If Figo refused to leave Barcelona, he would have to pay a penalty fee of 5 billion pesetas (around £22 million or $34 million). If Perez lost the election, Figo would keep 400 million pesetas (around £1.7 million).   About TRENDEST INFOTAINMENT: Welcome to Trendest Infotainment, your ultimate destination for a diverse range of content that educates, entertains, and inspires! From in-depth celebrity biographies and fascinating history videos to the latest in science and technology, we bring you an expansive collection of infotainment videos. Explore the stories of legendary sports personalities, dive into the history of the World Wars, marvel at wildlife documentaries, and enjoy our informative and funny shorts. There’s something for everyone on Trendest Infotainment!  Subscribe now: www.youtube.com/@UCvtG20NOq0X7l7ru-z1yBhw   #Infotainment #Documentaries #HistoryVideos #ScienceAndTech #CelebrityBiographies   Follow Trendest Media:  • YouTube:  1) TRENDEST MOVIES: www.youtube.com/@TRENDEST_MOVIES_ENGLISH  2) TRENDEST KIDS: www.youtube.com/@TRENDEST_KIDS  • Instagram:  TRENDEST INFOTAINMENT: https://www.instagram.com/trendestinfotainment/  • Facebook: TRENDEST INFOTAINMENT: https://www.facebook.com/TrendestInfotainment/  COPYRIGHT:  We hold the proper licenses for all videos published on YouTube. For any questions, please contact: mail@trendest.in  AYA Media Private Limited & TRENDEST Media Private Limited are companies registered under the laws of India and located in the state of Kerala, India.

Transcript

00:00One of the most talented footballers of his era, the thrilling career of Portuguese midfielder

00:22Luis Figo would rival the drama of a good soap opera.

00:30Perhaps unfortunately, his much-documented move from Barcelona to Real Madrid would go

00:35down as one of the most controversial transfers in the history of football.

00:42But in amongst the headlining controversies, Luis was also able to claim his fair share

00:46of silverware, including the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Player of the Year

00:51in 2001.

00:55Luis Filpe Madeira Calheiro was born on November 4, 1972, in the Portuguese city of Almada.

01:05Located on the west coast of the Mediterranean country, Almada is only a short ferry trip

01:10away from Portugal's capital, Lisbon, and is home to over 160,000 residents.

01:18Although other sports are played throughout the country, football, since its introduction

01:22in the late 19th century, is by far the most popular.

01:28Despite coming close to major victories over the years, Portugal has yet to win a major

01:33international tournament.

01:36Luis Figo's incredible football career began at the small Uneo Futebol Clube, located in

01:42the Almada municipality of Coba do Pedado.

01:48While he was there, his prodigious talent was spotted by Sporting Clube de Portugal,

01:52more commonly known as Sporting Lisbon.

01:56Renowned for its football department and ability to mould young athletes into world champions,

02:01Luis could not have been in better hands.

02:04With 18 national championships and 15 national cups to its name, Sporting CP is one of the

02:10most successful clubs in Europe, although they have struggled to find their best form

02:15in recent years.

02:17Upon his arrival at Sporting in the late 80s, Figo didn't disappoint his believers.

02:22He won his first senior cap for the famous Portuguese club at the age of 17, and went

02:27on to appear another 136 times, scoring 16 goals and setting up countless others.

02:35With his deadly crosses and precision passing starting to catch the eye of the big European

02:40clubs, the 5 foot 11 inch attacking midfielder finished up at Sporting in 1995 after six

02:47impressive years.

02:48During his final season with the club, he helped them claim the Cup of Portugal and

02:52the Portuguese Super Cup.

03:00In 1995, Luis Figo was transferred from Sporting CP to Spanish club Barcelona.

03:07There at Camp Nou, under the guidance of coach Johan Cruyff, he joined the likes of Albert

03:12Ferrer and Josep Guardiola.

03:16The transfer hadn't been all smooth sailing for Luis.

03:19After deciding to leave Sporting CP, he'd been all set to play in the Italy's Serie

03:23R, thanks to a bidding war between Juventus and Parma for the Portuguese star.

03:30However, after Luis signed with both clubs, he was banned from being transferred to Italy

03:34for two years.

03:36That left the door open for FC Barcelona, who signed the 23-year-old for around 2.5

03:41million euros.

03:43At Barca, his career really started to kick off, and he played a crucial role in Barcelona's

03:48run of successes between 1986 and 1999.

03:54During that time, the Spanish club won seven titles, including consecutive La Liga crowns,

03:59two Copa del Rey's and the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super

04:05Cup.

04:08Even after appearing 249 times and scoring 47 goals for Barca, he left the club in 2000

04:14via a transfer that shook the foundations of Spanish football.

04:19Given the dramas surrounding his previous transfer, one might have expected his next

04:23move to go a little smoother.

04:25However, Figo's burgeoning ambition persuaded him to make the risky shift to Barcelona's

04:30bitter rivals Real Madrid.

04:33After sealing the transfer deal for a then world record fee of around 42 million euros,

04:39he was given a warm reception at the Estadio Bernabéu.

04:43Focusing on winning more titles, he did his best to block out the taunts and criticisms

04:48of his former Barca supporters, and explained why he joined Spain's most successful club.

04:54I came to this club to earn even more prestige and to have the opportunity to play and win

05:02the European Cup.

05:05His signing was the first of many big-name transfers to boost the ranks of Real Madrid

05:10over the coming seasons.

05:13Then president, Florentino Perez had a dream of creating the most powerful club in history,

05:18with all the world's greatest names playing in the same colours.

05:23Nicknamed the Galacticos, Perez purchased a superstar footballer every summer, breaking

05:28all sorts of transfer records as he went on.

05:33With no limits on price, he bought Zinedine Zidane for around 52 million euros, and the

05:38following summer he added Ronaldo to the ranks.

05:42With so many superstars in the line-up, it became difficult to find a position that suited

05:46all the players.

05:49In the end, they had no choice but to adapt to new positions.

05:57During my career, I have had to adapt myself to different positions, depending on the trainer

06:04and the coach.

06:07I will play wherever my coach thinks is appropriate.

06:14In his first few seasons with Real, Luis continued the great run of success he'd enjoyed at Barcelona.

06:21Despite the success, Perez continued to buy players.

06:29Now that David has joined us, it makes our team even stronger.

06:35And now we have hopes that he would help us to achieve our goals.

06:42With his presence, it will be easier for us to win things.

06:47And that's what's more important.

06:50However, just before Beckham's arrival, Figo and Real had even more to celebrate.

06:59We are celebrating Madridism.

07:03And like any other party, Real Madrid has always found strength in the various titles

07:07that it has achieved.

07:10Because of that, it was declared the best club in history.

07:17And in this sense, we have a great responsibility.

07:21And the players have given all their commitment to this club.

07:27No doubt winning the UEFA Champions League would be the highlight of Figo's time at Real,

07:32where he claimed a total of seven titles.

07:40However, after 239 games, he left Spain for Italy and joined Inter Milan in 2005.

08:00His signing made an immediate impact, with Luis leading his new club to the Serie A title

08:05in 2005-06.

08:06It is a great celebration and a great joy.

08:18I would have been even happier if we would have won the last match.

08:21It would have been wonderful.

08:24This is the fulfilment of a great championship, and it will be a fantastic evening.

08:29The victory brought wild celebrations to the streets of Milan, and the fans couldn't have

08:33been happier.

08:37We have really deserved it, after all these victories.

08:42We too deserve to be happy once in a while, don't we?

08:47The title was the club's first since 1988-1989, and the fans hope they wouldn't have to wait

08:53as long for the next one.

08:55It is a great emotion, let's hope this is just the first one.

09:02But we will win loyally, not by steal.

09:07Luckily for Figo and the fans, the wait was mercifully short.

09:11In his four seasons with Inter, they won four consecutive Serie A titles.

09:18They also took out the Italian Cup in 2006 and the Italian Super Cup in 2005, 2006 and

09:252008.

09:32In 2007, it looked like Figo would be leaving Inter after his contract expired.

09:39There were rumours that he would join Saudi Arabian club Al-Itihad.

09:44The deal never eventuated, and he resigned from Milan.

09:50Then in 2009, he announced his retirement from football.

10:00Luis Figo became a national hero at a young age.

10:04The Portuguese star exploded onto the international scene by winning the FIFA World Youth Championship

10:10in 1991.

10:14His brilliance throughout the tournament won him his first senior cap that same year.

10:20Known as the leader of Portugal's golden generation with Nuno Gomes at close second,

10:24the football legend had to wait until 1996 to play in his first international tournament.

10:35Euro 1996 gave the young star a chance to test his skills against some of the world's

10:40greatest footballing nations.

10:44After going through undefeated in group stage, Portugal were knocked out in the quarter-finals,

10:49and young Figo failed to make an impact.

10:57It wasn't until four years later, at Euro 2000, that he really started to mix it with

11:02the world's best.

11:04In the tournament hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, he was a dominant force in the

11:08side, and along with team-mate Nuno Gomes, he was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament.

11:182002 saw Louis play in his first World Cup.

11:22Unfortunately, however, it was a tournament that he and Portugal would rather forget as

11:27they failed to pass the group stage.

11:34Euro 2004 gave Portugal, the hosts of the tournament, the perfect opportunity to redeem

11:39themselves.

11:41Figo was on top of his game, and Portugal, thanks to a young gun Cristiano Ronaldo, made

11:46it through to the final.

11:48Unfortunately, they lost 1-0 in an epic game against Greece.

11:55Portugal dominated the match with 58% of the possession and with 12 more shots on goal.

12:00However, they couldn't manage to find the back of the net.

12:09Figo's last international tournament would be the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

12:15With high hopes going into the cup, he hoped that a change of jersey might change their

12:19luck.

12:20I hope that the new jerseys will be translated into a victory. I think that's the thought

12:26of all players and all Portuguese.

12:31Portugal finished the tournament in fourth place.

12:34Following the World Cup, after playing 127 times for his country, Louis Figo announced

12:39his retirement from international football.

12:46Off the pitch, Figo has lived most of his life away from the headlines.

12:52He's married to Swedish model Helen Sveden, whom he met in 1996 at a Jacquin Cortes show

12:57in Barcelona.

13:01They have three daughters together, Daniela, born in 1999, Martina, born in 2002, and Stella,

13:07born in 2004.

13:11Currently residing in Milan, he and Helen are expecting their fourth child.

13:19Figo has also been tireless in his charity efforts, raising money for those in need via

13:24celebrity football matches.

13:28Since 2003, he has hosted an annual charity match in his home country.

13:35The Portuguese legend is always grateful for the support of fellow footballers who offer

13:39their time to help out.

13:43I want to thank everyone that collaborated in this event from the beginning. The people

13:50that worked so this was possible. The tireless players that could be here, and the coaches.

14:02In 2010, he took part in a charity match that raised money for those affected by the Haiti

14:07earthquake.

14:08The tragedy, which measured at a catastrophic magnitude of 7.0, hit Haiti on January 12

14:14and left most of the country in ruins.

14:17An estimated 200,000 people were killed by the earthquake, and another 300,000 were injured.

14:23It was also reported that 250,000 homes and 30,000 commercial buildings were severely

14:29damaged by the tremor.

14:31As money was being raised all around the globe, the United Nations Development Program, together

14:35with Portuguese club Benfica, organised the match in late January.

14:41Alongside Figo, stars such as Kaka, Robert Perez, Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry took

14:46to the pitch in a game that ended 3-3.

14:55Throughout his career, Luis Figo has played against and alongside some of the greatest

14:59players of the modern era.

15:01In particular, his time spent at Real Madrid saw the attacking midfielder mix it with the

15:05likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham.

15:10Touted as the next big thing to come out of England, Becks arrived at Real Madrid with

15:14a world of expectation on his shoulders.

15:17After signing with the club in 2003 for an estimated 35 million euros, he and his number

15:2323 shirt immediately became a fan favourite.

15:27Beckham's senior career had started at Manchester United in 1993.

15:32He was instrumental in their rise as a powerhouse club throughout the 1990s, claiming 15 titles

15:38with the Red Devils.

15:39However, on arriving in Spain, he found it difficult to adapt.

15:43I think everyone is trying to be as nice as possible for Beckham, feel and adapt as soon

15:55as possible to a new life and a new club.

15:58So maybe because I speak a little more English, I talk a little more with him, but I think

16:03all the players try to become adapted as soon as possible to a new club and a new life.

16:13Unfortunately, Beck struggled to continue the winning vein of form he'd found at Man U,

16:18winning just the two titles with Real, including the Supercopa de España in 2003 and the La

16:25Liga title in 2006-07.

16:28Cristiano Ronaldo is another superstar that Figo has had the pleasure of calling a team-mate.

16:35Ronaldo's short but brilliant career began like Figo's at Sporting CP.

16:40There he was spotted by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.

16:45Ronaldo was purchased as a replacement for the outgoing Beckham and took little time

16:49to find his feet in the EPL.

16:52National selection followed shortly after, and the deadly combination of Cristiano's

16:56youth and Luis' wisdom was extremely successful.

17:00Sadly, it was also short-lived, as Figo retired from international football in 2006.

17:06I think I made a decision to retire from the national team, so right now I don't think

17:14about that.

17:16I have to support them out on the pitch, so that is my idea and it's more important right now.

17:25However, before his retirement, the pair was largely responsible for Portugal's brilliant

17:29run of form between 2004 and 2006.

17:34Euro 2004 marked the moment that Cristiano Ronaldo proved to the world that he was the

17:39real deal.

17:41Still just a teenager, he dazzled his home crowd, scoring twice in his first international

17:46tournament.

17:47With the brilliant Luis Figo taking Cristiano under his wing, both players were named in

17:51the team of the tournament.

17:55The 2006 World Cup would be Figo's swan song, and the partnership looked set to shine again,

18:00with Ronnie going into the Cup as the second-highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup qualification.

18:06The star pair didn't disappoint, with Portugal starting off the Cup in brilliant form.

18:11They finished undefeated in the group stage, with Ronaldo scoring twice.

18:17In the quarters, they defeated England via a penalty shoot-out, with Ronnie scoring the

18:21winning penalty.

18:22However, in the semi-finals, they lost 1-0 to France, and eventually went down 3-1 in

18:28the third-place play-off against Germany.

18:32Figo was named in the team of the tournament, however Ronaldo missed out.

18:37Despite having a brilliant World Cup, his campaign was marred by an incident involving

18:41Wayne Rooney in the quarter-finals against England.

18:46Following in Figo's footsteps, Ronaldo was transferred to Real Madrid on July 1, 2009,

18:52signing a six-year contract that is estimated to be worth 13 million euros per season.

19:05Rising from humble beginnings in his hometown of Almada to the very top of the world game,

19:10Luis Figo has become one of the best-known footballers on the planet.

19:14Although he's now retired from the game, his brilliance on the pitch will forever be remembered.

19:21Often compared to the great Eusebio, Figo was renowned for being a gentleman both on

19:26and off the field, and his career path provides a shining example for younger players.

19:37With a career spanning more than two decades, the famous right-winger made his fair share

19:41of headlines.

19:42No doubt one of his more famous, or infamous, moments came in 2002, when he returned to

19:48Camp Nou a few seasons after his transfer to Real Madrid.

19:54While both clubs were happy with the move, the Barcelona fans were far from overjoyed

19:59to see their former number one player, the heart and soul of their club, make a pact

20:03with the devil, Florentino Perez.

20:07In fact, when he returned to Camp Nou in the white strip of Real Madrid, a study by a television

20:12station found that the decibels generated by the crowd's whistles and jeers were louder

20:16than an aeroplane taking off.

20:23On his second appearance for Real at Camp Nou, Barcelona's ground almost had to be closed.

20:29All kinds of objects, including a pig's head, were thrown at Figo, who was also taunted

20:34with insults.

20:36One such insult, pesetero, which roughly translates to money-whore, reverberated around

20:41the stadium during the match.

20:43But all these distractions failed to put Figo off his game.

20:49His ability to stay focused marked him as a true champion, and to rub salt into Barcelona's

20:54bleeding wounds, he went on to win the European Player of the Year in 2000, and then the FIFA

20:59World Player of the Year in 2001.

21:03It is this focus and grace under fire that set the perfect example for players like Cristiano

21:08Ronaldo.

21:10It has also won him the respect and admiration of fans across the globe.

21:15During his time at Inter Milan, Figo won the hearts of his Italian fans, who were clearly

21:19devastated when he announced his retirement during May 2009, as Inter won the fourth straight

21:25Serie A title.

21:32During his last match for the Italian club, the crowd gave him a standing ovation, and

21:36he was handed the captain's armband as he made his way onto the pitch.

21:42To top off a memorable career, he scored from a free kick in extra time.

21:47However, it wasn't just the fans who adored him.

21:51Players, officials and the media had a lot of respect for the midfielder.

22:00This is no more apparent than in the numerous accolades he received over his career.

22:06These include being named the Portuguese Footballer of the Year six times, and winning the Ballon

22:10d'Or in 2000.

22:13However, there is no question that being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 was

22:19the pinnacle of his glittering career.

22:24Although he hasn't won any senior international tournaments, his success at club level leaves

22:29one of the best records in football.

22:32He won the league title on eight separate occasions, with three different clubs, and

22:36claimed another 16 trophies, including the UEFA Champions League in 2002.

22:43Alongside his faultless on-field record, his famous generosity off the pitch and willingness

22:47to give back to the fans makes Luis Figo a shining example of his footballing generation.

22:54One of the greatest players ever to come out of Portugal, he has also earned his place

22:59on the list of top players of all time.

23:04With Portugal taking part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, there is no doubt that Figo will

23:09be passing on valuable advice in the locker rooms.

23:24Thank you for watching!

Luís Figo | Football Heroes | Legends of All Time | Infotainment Video

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