Gonzalo Higuaín

Gonzalo Higuaín was born on December 10, 1987, in Brest, France. His father, an Argentinian professional footballer with Stade Brestois 29, returned to Argentina with his family when he was 10 months old. In 1997, he joined the youth academy of River Plate, one of the best Argentinian clubs in history.

Blessed with great speed, the Argentinian is formidable at finishing off plays. He began his career in the 2004/05 season, then showed his potential the following season. Showing immense potential, he proved decisive on October 8, 2006, against Boca Juniors, scoring twice. Higuaín was then considered one of the greatest prospects of his generation in Argentina.

The player was signed during the winter transfer window of the 2006/07 season by Real Madrid. In Spain, he was used as a right winger, where he demonstrated excellent qualities, particularly thanks to his speed. Still far from being a scoring machine, it wasn't until the 2008/09 season that the 20-year-old finally established himself in the Merengue squad, putting in a blistering season, scoring 24 goals and providing 12 assists in 44 games. He then established himself as a full-time center forward.

The 2009/10 season was a season of explosiveness. The player was formidable, scoring 29 goals and providing 8 assists in 40 games. He also scored two league goals against Atlético Madrid, one in the first leg and one in the second leg. He finished second in the Spanish league with 27 goals behind Lionel Messi.

From the 2010/11 season onward, the Argentinian's time at Real Madrid became complicated. A herniated disc sidelined him for no less than three months. At the same time, he was forced into competition with Karim Benzema. On April 23, 2011, he had arguably one of the best performances of his entire career against Valencia CF in the Spanish league, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

The 2011/12 season seemed to bring him back to life. He achieved impressive statistics while remaining highly competitive in his position. In total, he appeared in 54 matches, scoring 26 goals and providing 13 assists in 2,649 minutes of play, which is roughly the equivalent of 29 full matches. He then became one of the most effective players in the world.

In the summer of 2013, after seven years in Madrid, he decided to join SSC Napoli for €40 million, including bonuses. Within a fine Neapolitan team, the player shone and established himself at the forefront of the Italian attack. He gradually gained momentum:

2013/14: 46 matches, 24 goals and 12 assists

2014/15: 58 matches, 29 goals and 11 assists

During his seasons with Napoli, one thing stood out: he became decisive in high-stakes matches, scoring regularly in the Champions League and Europa League. Then came the best season of his career, the 2015/16 season. The player, who was now slower and much more of a fox in the box, was among the strongest finishers of the decade. He appeared in 42 matches, scoring 38 goals and providing three assists. 36 of which were in the Italian league alone, the all-time record in Serie A.

Considered one of the best players in the world, he was transferred to Juventus for around €90 million. Juventus was looking to win the Champions League again and was looking for a decisive striker. He didn't hesitate to leave the Neapolitan club, and was then seen as one of the biggest traitors in the history of SSC Napoli.

In his first season in Turin, the player had a great season. He scored 32 goals and provided four assists in 55 matches. He scored a decisive brace in the Champions League semi-finals against AS Monaco and reached the final of the prestigious competition, but his performance in the final was criticized despite an assist. He only touched the ball 27 times, won only two of his eight duels, and lost 11 balls. Juventus lost the match 4-1 to Real Madrid.

It was then, already at the age of 30, that the player seemed to be gradually losing his football. He continued to play for Juventus without regaining his stratospheric level of the 2015/16 season. He was loaned to AC Milan and then to Chelsea FC, two major failures. And in 2020, at the age of 32, he left Europe to join the USA and quietly finish his career at Inter Miami.

Regarding his international career, Gonzalo Higuaín is often criticized for this. Competing with Sergio Agüero, he is often compared to the latter, who is much less technical. Gonzalo is used as a pivot, a point that will be heavily criticized on numerous occasions during major matches.

A starting player for Argentina since 2009, he scored in his first match against Peru. He then went straight to the 2010 World Cup, where he played four matches and scored four goals. He also had one of his best performances for Argentina against South Korea: three goals, one dribble, 36 touches of the ball, 88% pass completion, and two fouls won. His adventure ended in the quarterfinals against Germany.

Starting again at the 2014 World Cup, he scored only one goal and provided one assist in seven matches. His tournament was disastrous, with one bad game after another. In the final, he missed countless chances and was heavily criticized by his country's fans, who lost the final 1-0 to Germany.

A substitute at the 2015 Copa America, he still scored two goals, but lost another final. And at the 2018 World Cup, he again had three completely bad games, ending his international career with this final failure. He still has more than respectable statistics with Argentina with 31 goals scored and 14 assists in 75 matches.

- Serie A top scorer in 2016 (36 goals)

- Serie A Team of the Year in 2014, 2016 and 2017

- UEFA Europa League Squad of the season in 2014 and 2015

-ESM Team of the Year in 2016

- Forward of the "Ideal Team of America" ​​in 2006

- FIFA FIFPro World XI 4th ​​team in 2016

- Juventus MVP of the Year in 2017 and 2018

- MLS Comeback Player of the Year in 2022

Homepage