Claudio Caniggia facts for kids
Caniggia in 1988
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Claudio Paul Caniggia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 January 1967 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Henderson, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward, winger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1988 | River Plate | 53 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Hellas Verona | 21 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1992 | Atalanta | 85 | (26) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | Roma | 15 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Benfica | 24 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Boca Juniors | 58 | (22) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Atalanta | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Dundee | 21 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Rangers | 50 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Qatar SC | 15 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Wembley | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 359 | (97) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–2002 | Argentina | 50 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Claudio Paul Caniggia (born 9 January 1967) is a retired professional footballer from Argentina. He played as a forward or a winger. Caniggia was famous for his incredible speed on the field.
Caniggia played 50 games for the Argentina national team. He played in three World Cups. He is also one of the few players to have played for Argentina's two biggest rival clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors.
At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Caniggia scored two important goals that helped Argentina get to the final. He also scored two goals at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. During his career, he played for clubs in Argentina, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, and Qatar.
Contents
Club Career
Caniggia started his career at River Plate in Argentina from 1985 to 1988. He then moved to Europe to play in Italy. He played for Hellas Verona and then Atalanta. He had some of his best years at Atalanta, scoring 26 goals in 85 games.
In 1992, he joined Roma. During his time there, he had to take a break from football and was given a 13-month suspension. After his suspension, he joined the Portuguese club Benfica for a year.
Return to Argentina and Move to Scotland
Caniggia returned to Argentina in 1995 to play for Boca Juniors. He played alongside his friend and football legend Diego Maradona. After a few seasons with Boca, he took a year off from football. He later returned to Atalanta in Italy for one season.
In 2000, he moved to Scotland to play for Dundee. He quickly became a star player. His success at Dundee led to a move to one of Scotland's biggest clubs, Rangers, in 2001. He became a fan favorite at Rangers, especially after scoring against their rivals, Celtic, in a cup final.
A Special FA Cup Appearance
In 2012, long after he had retired, Caniggia did something special. He joined Wembley, a small English club, to help them in their FA Cup games. He and other famous retired players like Ray Parlour and David Seaman played for the team. At age 45, Caniggia scored a goal in a 3–2 win for Wembley.
International Career
Caniggia was a star for Argentina's national team. He played in 50 matches and scored 16 goals. He was very good friends with teammate Diego Maradona. The two were known for their great teamwork on the field.
1990 World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy was a big tournament for Caniggia. He scored two very important goals. The first was against Argentina's biggest rival, Brazil. With just 10 minutes left in the game, Maradona passed the ball to Caniggia. He dribbled past the goalkeeper and scored the only goal of the match. This famous goal knocked Brazil out of the World Cup.
In the semi-final against Italy, he scored again. His goal tied the game and sent it to a penalty shootout, which Argentina won. Unfortunately, Caniggia received a yellow card in that game. Because he had another yellow card from an earlier match, he was suspended and could not play in the final. Argentina lost the final to West Germany 1–0.
Other International Successes
Caniggia helped Argentina win the 1991 Copa América. He scored two goals and had four assists in the tournament. He also helped the team win the 1992 Confederations Cup, where he scored in the final.
1994 and 2002 World Cups
At the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Caniggia scored two goals in a match against Nigeria. Argentina was later knocked out of the tournament in the Round of 16.
Caniggia was not chosen for the 1998 World Cup team. However, he made a surprise return to the squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He did not play in any games, but he received a red card for arguing with the referee from the bench in the final group match.
Style of Play
Caniggia was a fast and strong forward with great skill. Before he was a footballer, he was a track and field athlete. This helped him become one of the fastest players in the world. Because of his speed, fans called him El Hijo del Viento ("Son of the Wind") and El Pájaro ("The Bird").
Besides scoring goals, he was also good at creating chances for his teammates. He often played as a winger or a creative forward who would set up other strikers. He was also known for his long, blonde hair, which made him easy to spot on the field.
Personal Life
Caniggia was married to Mariana Nannis, and they have three children. In 2019, he began dating Sofia Bonelli, an Argentine model, and they married later that year.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| River Plate | 1985–86 | Argentine Primera División | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1986–87 | 24 | 3 | – | – | – | 24 | 3 | |||||
| 1987–88 | 28 | 5 | – | – | – | 28 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 53 | 8 | – | – | – | 53 | 8 | |||||
| Verona | 1988–89 | Serie A | 21 | 3 | 9 | 3 | – | – | 30 | 6 | ||
| Atalanta | 1989–90 | Serie A | 31 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 36 | 10 | |
| 1990–91 | 23 | 10 | – | 5 | 0 | – | 28 | 10 | ||||
| 1991–92 | 31 | 8 | 4 | 1 | – | – | 35 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 85 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | – | 99 | 29 | |||
| Roma | 1992–93 | Serie A | 15 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | – | 25 | 9 | |
| 1993–94 | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
| Total | 15 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | – | 25 | 9 | |||
| Benfica | 1994–95 | Primeira Divisão | 24 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 3 | – | 34 | 16 | |
| Boca Juniors | 1995–96 | Argentine Primera División | 29 | 12 | – | – | – | 29 | 12 | |||
| 1996–97 | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||
| 1997–98 | 17 | 5 | – | – | – | 17 | 5 | |||||
| 1998–99 | 12 | 5 | – | – | – | 12 | 5 | |||||
| Total | 58 | 22 | – | – | – | 58 | 22 | |||||
| Atalanta | 1999–2000 | Serie B | 17 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 20 | 2 | ||
| Dundee | 2000–01 | Scottish Premier League | 21 | 7 | – | – | – | 21 | 7 | |||
| Rangers | 2001–02 | Scottish Premier League | 24 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 42 | 9 |
| 2002–03 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 36 | 12 | ||
| Total | 50 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 78 | 21 | ||
| Qatar SC | 2003–04 | Qatar Stars League | 15 | 5 | – | – | – | 15 | 5 | |||
| Career total | 359 | 97 | 35 | 15 | 31 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 433 | 125 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1987 | 6 | 2 |
| 1988 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1990 | 10 | 3 | |
| 1991 | 6 | 2 | |
| 1992 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | 15 | |
Honours
River Plate
- Primera División Argentina: 1985–86
- Copa Interamericana: 1986
Rangers
- Scottish Premier League: 2002–03
- Scottish Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03
- Scottish League Cup: 2001–02, 2002–03
Argentina
- Copa América: 1991
- FIFA Confederations Cup: 1992
- Artemio Franchi Cup: 1993
- Kirin Cup: 1992
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1990
See also
In Spanish: Claudio Caniggia para niños
