Carles Puyol

Carles Puyol
Puyol at the 2020 Goya Awards
Personal information
Full name Carles Puyol Saforcada[1]
Date of birth (1978-04-13) 13 April 1978 (age 46)[2]
Place of birth La Pobla de Segur, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
1992–1995 Pobla de Segur
1995–1997 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996 Barcelona C 1 (1)
1997–1999 Barcelona B 89 (6)
1999–2014 Barcelona 392 (12)
Total 482 (18)
International career
1995 Spain U18 3 (0)
2000 Spain U21 4 (0)
2000 Spain U23 5 (0)
2000–2013 Spain 100 (3)
2001–2013 Catalonia 6 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
FIFA World Cup
Winner 2010 South Africa
UEFA European Championship
Winner 2008 Austria–Switzerland
Summer Olympics
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Team
FIFA Confederations Cup
Third place 2009 South Africa
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Carles Puyol Saforcada (Catalan: [ˈkaɾləs puˈjɔl səfuɾˈkaðə], Spanish: [ˈkaɾles puˈʝol safoɾˈkaða]; born 13 April 1978) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played his entire career for Barcelona. He mainly played as a centre-back, but he could also play in either full-back position, mostly as a right-back.

Known for his defensive qualities and leadership, Puyol is regarded as one of the greatest defenders and captains of all time.[4][5] His abilities and prowess on the field earned him the nickname of "El Tiburón" ("The Shark") by teammates and fans. He was Barcelona's captain from August 2004 until his retirement in 2014, and appeared in 593 competitive matches for the club. He won 18 major club titles, including six La Liga trophies and three Champions Leagues.[citation needed]

Puyol won 100 caps for Spain, and was part of the squads that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. In the 2010 World Cup semi-final, he scored the only goal of the game against Germany.[6]

  1. ^ "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players: Spain" (PDF). FIFA. 4 June 2010. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Carles Puyol Saforcada". El Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Carles Puyol". FC Barcelona. Archived from the original on 23 November 2006. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Top 10 - Inspirational Captains". beIN SPORTS. Archived from the original on 7 May 2020. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  5. ^ Hosangadi, Aditya (6 May 2020). "20 Best defenders of all time". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Carles Puyol Saforcada – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2017.