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Luis Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo was born November 4, 1972, in Almada, Portugal, near the capital Lisbon. Growing up in a rather poor family, Figo displayed his football (European soccer) skills at a young age as a member of a local soccer team called União Futebol Clube Os Pastilhas. By the time he was 10 years old, Figo was honing his skills as a player for Sporting Lisbon (one of Portugal's 3 best teams), where he was already beginning to show his talents on the soccer field. At age 17, he was a European champion (after winning the FIFA World under-16 championship), and a champion yet again at 19, after taking home the FIFA World Under-20 championship.
Following footsteps
With a Portuguese Cup under his belt, Figo continued to play with Sporting until
1995-1996, when he was signed to the Barcelona Football Club. Johan Cruyff brought
the 22-year-old sought-after player to Barca (for $2 million) with the intention
of replacing Michael Laudrup, a tough act to follow. From the days of his 1995
debut for Barcelona, Figo was gradually giving the nation reason to forget Laudrup.
In June of 1996, Figo scored a memorable goal against Portugal, and a year later,
Figo helped Barcelona take home the Spanish Cup, the Super Cup and the European
Cup Winners Cup. 1998 saw the win of the Spanish League, cup double, and the
European Super Cup for Barcelona, as well as the year Figo was named team captain.
A year later, Figo scored seven goals in the season, while he was named fifth
in the "World Player of the Year" poll, losing to teammate Rivaldo.
A cha-ching player
But it was in 2000 that Figo's place in football would change. In what became
his last season with Barcelona, he capped off his time with the club with 30
goals in 172 games. Undoubtedly one of Europe's best players, he also became
the most expensive player in the world, after being transferred for $56 million
to Real Madrid. Real Madrid's midfielder since July 24, 2000, had a memorable
year (besides for breaking a world salary record) by scoring a remarkable goal
against England during the Euro 2000 Finals. Figo started off the decade with
more honors, including the Golden Ball from France Football and runner-up of
Best Player in 2000, as voted by FIFA.
No better winger
Recognized for his passing skills, Figo is revered by fans as one of the world's
greatest wingers, and is even being compared to Real Madrid's all-time best
player, Di Stefano, for his impact on the team. When not scoring goals and dribbling
on the field, Figo is married and has one child, and enjoys spending time with
friends, preferably on the beach. Avid Spanish football fans voted Figo the
best player in Spain for the past 4 years, and he is also known as "The Pride
of Portugal".