Edinson Cavani facts for kids

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Edinson Cavani

Cavani with Uruguay at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Date of birth	(1987-02-14) 14 February 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Salto, Uruguay
Height	1.84 m
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Boca Juniors
Number	10
Youth career
2000–2005	Danubio
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2007	Danubio	25	(9)
2007–2011	Palermo	109	(34)
2010–2011	→ Napoli (loan)	35	(26)
2011–2013	Napoli	69	(52)
2013–2020	Paris Saint-Germain	200	(138)
2020–2022	Manchester United	41	(12)
2022–2023	Valencia	25	(5)
2023–	Boca Juniors	37	(12)
National team
2006–2007	Uruguay U20	15	(11)
2012	Uruguay Olympic (O.P.)	5	(3)
2008–2022	Uruguay	136	(58)
Honours Men's football Representing  Uruguay Copa América Winner 2011 Argentina
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:27, 11 December 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Edinson Roberto Cavani Gómez (born 14 February 1987) is a professional footballer from Uruguay. He plays as a striker for the club Boca Juniors in Argentina. People call him "El Matador," which means "The Bullfighter." Many think he is one of the best strikers of his time.

Cavani started his football journey with Danubio in Uruguay. After two years, he moved to Italy to play for Palermo in 2007. In 2010, he joined Napoli, first on loan, then permanently. He helped Napoli win the Coppa Italia in 2012. He became a top striker in Italy's Serie A league. In 2013, Cavani moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. This was a very expensive transfer at the time. With PSG, he won many titles, including six Ligue 1 championships. He is also the club's second-highest goal scorer ever. In 2020, Cavani signed with Manchester United in England. He then played for Valencia in Spain before joining Boca Juniors in 2023.

Cavani also played for the Uruguay national team. He scored in his first game against Colombia in 2008. He played 136 games for his country and scored 58 goals. Only his teammate Luis Suárez has scored more for Uruguay. Cavani played in four FIFA World Cups and five Copas América. He helped Uruguay win the Copa América in 2011. He was also the top scorer in the South American qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup.

During his career, Cavani has received many awards. He was named in the Serie A Team of the Year three times. He was also the top scorer in Serie A in the 2012–13 season. In France, he was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 2017. He was also the top scorer in Ligue 1 for two seasons. In 2018, he won the Golden Foot award for his great achievements in football.

Club Career Highlights

Starting in Uruguay and Italy

Playing for Danubio and Palermo

Cavani started his football career in Uruguay with Danubio. He played there for two years. After showing his talent at a youth tournament in 2007, big clubs became interested in him.

Cavani playing for Palermo in 2008

On 31 January 2007, Cavani joined Palermo in Italy. He made his first appearance on 11 March 2007. He scored an amazing goal just 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute. This goal helped his team draw the game. After another player left, Cavani became a regular starter for Palermo. He scored 14 goals in the 2008–09 season. This is when he earned his famous nickname "El Matador" because of how calm he was when scoring goals. In April 2010, he signed a new contract with Palermo.

Success with Napoli

Joining Napoli and Becoming a Star

In July 2010, Cavani moved to Napoli. He first joined on a loan deal. Later, Napoli bought him for a total of €17 million. In his first game for Napoli, he scored two goals. This helped Napoli win and move forward in the Europa League. He also scored in his first four league games for Napoli.

Cavani, along with his teammates Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marek Hamšík, became known as "The Three Tenors" by the Italian media. On 15 December, Cavani scored a goal in the 92nd minute against Steaua București. This helped Napoli win 1–0 and get past the group stage of the Europa League. On 9 January 2011, he scored three goals against Juventus in a 3–0 win. He scored another hat-trick against Sampdoria on 30 January. Cavani continued to score many goals. He became Napoli's highest league goal scorer in a single season, with 25 goals in Serie A. On 19 May, he signed a new contract with Napoli until 2016.

Winning the Coppa Italia

On 14 September 2011, Cavani scored the first goal in Napoli's first Champions League game. It was a 1–1 draw against Manchester City. Four days later, he scored three goals against Milan in a 3–1 home win. On 22 November, Cavani scored both goals in a 2–1 win against Manchester City in the Champions League. This helped Napoli move closer to the knockout stage.

Cavani playing against AIK in the Europa League

On 21 February 2012, Cavani scored a goal against Chelsea in the Champions League. Napoli won that game 3–1. On 20 May, Cavani scored a penalty against Juventus in the 2012 Coppa Italia Final. Napoli won the final 2–0. Cavani was the top scorer in the Coppa Italia tournament with five goals.

Top Scorer in Serie A

Cavani started the 2012–13 Serie A season by scoring against his old club Palermo. On 26 September, he scored an amazing three goals against Lazio in a 3–0 win. This helped Napoli stay undefeated.

On 8 November, Cavani scored all four goals for Napoli in a 4–2 win against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the Europa League. On 6 January 2013, he scored another perfect hat-trick against Roma. Cavani finished the season as the top scorer in Serie A with 29 goals. This was a great achievement for him.

Joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)

A Big Move to France

Cavani playing for PSG in 2013

On 16 July 2013, Cavani joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. The transfer fee was around €64 million. This made him the most expensive player ever signed in French football at that time. He joined his former Napoli teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi at PSG.

Cavani played his first game for PSG on 9 August. He scored his first goal for the club on 18 August. It was a late goal that helped PSG draw the game. He also scored his first Champions League goal for PSG on 17 September. He ended the group stage with four goals.

On 19 April 2014, he scored both goals for PSG as they beat Lyon 2–1 in the 2014 Coupe de la Ligue Final. He finished his first season with 25 goals in 43 games.

Winning Many Trophies

Cavani scored a penalty for PSG against Lens on 17 October 2014. He celebrated by pretending to shoot a gun. The referee gave him a yellow card and then a red card for complaining. On 5 November 2014, Cavani scored a goal after just 56 seconds against APOEL. This win helped PSG reach the knockout stage of the Champions League.

In January 2015, Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi were fined and suspended by their coach. This was because they missed a training camp. On 11 April, Cavani scored two goals to help PSG win the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final 4–0. On 8 May, he scored three goals against Guingamp. This helped PSG win the Ligue 1 title. PSG also won the Coupe de France, with Cavani scoring the only goal in the final. This meant PSG won three domestic trophies that season.

On 1 August 2015, Cavani scored in PSG's 2–0 win against Lyon in the 2015 Trophée des Champions. On 21 May 2016, Cavani scored a key goal in PSG's 4–2 win over Marseille. This helped PSG win another three domestic trophies in a row.

Ligue 1 Player of the Year

On 13 September 2016, Cavani scored a very fast goal for PSG in the Champions League. It was after just 44 seconds against Arsenal. On 16 September, he scored four goals in the first half against Caen. This was his first time scoring four goals in a game for PSG. On 30 November, he scored his 100th goal for the club. He became only the fourth player in PSG history to reach this milestone.

Cavani scored in both games against FC Barcelona in the Champions League. On 1 April 2017, he scored two goals in the 2017 Coupe de la Ligue Final. PSG won 4–1 against Monaco. On 15 May 2017, he was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year. This was because he scored 35 goals that season.

Cavani (number 9, next to Zlatan Ibrahimović, number 10) became PSG's all-time top goalscorer in 2018.

Before the 2017–18 season, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé joined PSG. Cavani, Neymar, and Mbappé quickly became a strong attacking trio. Cavani scored in PSG's first three Champions League games that season. On 22 October, Cavani scored a great free kick to help PSG draw 2–2 with Marseille. On 4 November, Cavani scored his 100th goal in two of Europe's top leagues. Only Ibrahimović and Gonzalo Higuaín had done this before him.

Cavani became PSG's all-time top scorer on 27 January 2018. He scored his 157th goal in his 229th game. He passed Zlatan Ibrahimović's record. On 8 May 2018, he scored as PSG won the 2017–18 Coupe de France.

Final Seasons in Paris

On 25 August 2018, Cavani played his first game of the season after an injury. He, Neymar, and Mbappé all scored in a 3–1 win against Angers. On 11 November 2018, Cavani scored three goals against Monaco. In April 2020, PSG were given the 2019–20 Ligue 1 title. This was because the season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 13 June, it was announced that Cavani would leave PSG.

Playing for Manchester United

Debut Season in England

Edison Cavani playing for Manchester United in 2021

On 5 October 2020, Cavani joined Manchester United in England. He was given the famous number 7 shirt. He made his first game in the Premier League on 24 October. On 7 November, Cavani scored his first Premier League goal against Everton. On 29 November, he scored two goals, including the winning goal, in a 3–2 comeback win against Southampton.

On 2 February 2021, he scored in United's record-equalling 9–0 win against Southampton. On 29 April, he scored twice and helped with two more goals in a 6–2 win over Roma. This was in the Europa League semi-finals. He scored two more goals in the second game, helping United reach the final. Cavani won his first Manchester United player of the month award in April.

On 10 May 2021, Cavani extended his contract with Manchester United for another season. On 18 May, he scored a fantastic 40-yard lob goal against Fulham. This was the first goal at Old Trafford with fans since the pandemic started. He won the Premier League Goal of the Month award for this goal. On 26 May, he scored in the 2021 UEFA Europa League Final against Villarreal. However, Manchester United lost the final on penalties.

Final Season in England

For the 2021–22 season, Cavani changed his shirt number to 21. This was the same number he wore for Uruguay. He scored his first goal of the season on 30 October against Tottenham Hotspur. On 22 May 2022, it was announced that Cavani would leave Manchester United.

Moving to Spain and Argentina

On 29 August 2022, Cavani signed a two-year contract with Valencia in Spain. He scored two goals against Elche CF on 15 October and was named Man of the Match. On 29 July 2023, Cavani left Valencia.

On the same day, Cavani joined Boca Juniors in Argentina. He signed a deal until December 2024. Two days later, Boca Juniors officially introduced him as their new player. He made his debut for the club on 9 August 2023.

International Career

Youth and Senior Debut

In January 2007, Cavani played for the Uruguay national under-20 team. He was the top scorer in the tournament with seven goals. This helped Uruguay finish third and qualify for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Cavani (right) with Stijn Schaars of the Netherlands in June 2011

On 6 February 2008, Cavani played his first game for the Uruguayan senior team. He scored a goal in a 2–2 draw against Colombia.

World Cup and Copa América

2010 World Cup and 2011 Copa América

On 22 June 2010, at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Cavani helped set up a goal for Luis Suárez. Uruguay won 1–0 against Mexico and moved to the knockout stage. On 10 July 2010, he scored against Germany in the third-place match. Germany won 3–2.

On 8 October 2010, he scored his first three goals in one game for Uruguay. This was in a friendly match against Indonesia. Cavani was part of the Uruguayan team that won the 2011 Copa América in Argentina. He played in the final, where Uruguay beat Paraguay 3–0. This was Uruguay's 15th Copa América title, a record.

2012 Olympics, 2013 Confederations Cup, and 2014 World Cup

Cavani waiting to take a free-kick at the 2014 World Cup

Cavani was one of the older players chosen for Uruguay at the 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Cavani scored against Brazil in the semi-final. He also scored twice against Italy in the third-place match. Uruguay lost on penalties, but Cavani was named man of the match.

On 13 November 2013, Cavani scored in Uruguay's 5–0 win over Jordan. This helped Uruguay qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In their first game at the World Cup, Cavani scored a penalty against Costa Rica. However, Uruguay lost 3–1. Uruguay was knocked out by Colombia in the round of 16.

Post-World Cup and 2018 World Cup

Cavani was a key player for Uruguay at the 2015 Copa América. In the quarter-finals against Chile, Cavani was sent off. Uruguay lost 1–0 and was eliminated. He also played in the Copa América Centenario the next year.

Cavani was the top scorer in the South American qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with 10 goals. In March 2018, Cavani helped Uruguay win the China Cup. He scored in the semi-final and the final. The final goal was in his 100th game for Uruguay.

Cavani being helped off the field by Cristiano Ronaldo after Uruguay's win over Portugal at the 2018 World Cup

In the 2018 World Cup, Cavani scored Uruguay's final goal in a 3–0 win over Russia. He then scored both goals for Uruguay in a 2–1 win against Portugal in the Round of 16. He got injured in that game and could not play in the quarter-finals. Uruguay lost 2–0 to France in the quarter-finals.

2019 Copa América and Retirement

In March 2019, Cavani was part of the Uruguay squad for the 2019 Copa América. On 16 June, he scored an amazing bicycle-kick goal in a 4–0 win against Ecuador. This was his first goal ever in the Copa América. In the quarter-finals against Peru, his goal was disallowed. Uruguay lost on penalties and was knocked out.

On 30 May 2024, Cavani announced that he was retiring from the national team. His last game for Uruguay was a 2–0 win against Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Style of Play

Cavani striking the ball for PSG in 2014

Edinson Cavani is known as a fast, strong, and skilled forward. He is called "El Matador" because he is very calm when he scores goals. He has a great first touch and moves smartly without the ball. He is also very good at finishing chances. Cavani can score amazing goals with his head and his feet. He works very hard all over the field, even helping his team defend. He is strong in the air and can score acrobatic goals. He is also good at taking free kicks and penalties.

Cavani is also good at creating space for his teammates. Even though he scores many goals, some people say he sometimes misses too many chances. He can play as a main striker or as a supporting forward. A famous football writer, Jorge Valdano, once said that Cavani is a striker who "covers the entire pitch."

Personal Life

Edinson Cavani was born in Salto, Uruguay on 14 February 1987. His parents are Luis Cavani and Berta Gómez. His older brothers, Walter Guglielmone and Christian Cavani, are also professional footballers. Cavani has an Italian passport because his grandparents were from Italy. They moved to Argentina and then to Uruguay. Cavani can speak three languages: Spanish, Italian, and French.

Cavani has two sons, Bautista and Lucas, from his first marriage. He also has a daughter, India, with his girlfriend Jocelyn Burgardt. He is a Christian. When he was a child, Cavani looked up to the Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta. Cavani also enjoys ballet dancing.

Career Statistics

Club

Notes

International

Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cavani goal.

List of international goals scored by Edinson Cavani

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	6 February 2008	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Colombia	1–2	2–2	Friendly
2	3 March 2010	AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland	Switzerland	3–1	3–1	Friendly
3	10 July 2010	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, South Africa	Germany	1–1	2–3	2010 FIFA World Cup
4	11 August 2010	Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon, Portugal	Angola	1–0	2–0	Friendly
5	8 October 2010	Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia	Indonesia	1–1	7–1	Friendly
6				6–1
7				7–1
8	12 October 2010	Wuhan Sports Center Stadium, Wuhan, China	China	2–0	4–0	Friendly
9	30 March 2011	Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland	Republic of Ireland	2–1	3–2	Friendly
10	7 October 2011	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Bolivia	3–1	4–2	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	29 February 2012	Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania	Romania	1–0	1–1	Friendly
12	11 September 2012	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Ecuador	1–1	1–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
13	14 November 2012	PGE Arena Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland	Poland	2–0	3–1	Friendly
14	12 June 2013	Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela	Venezuela	1–0	1–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
15	26 June 2013	Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil	Brazil	1–1	1–2	2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
16	30 June 2013	Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil	Italy	1–1	2–2 (aet)	2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
17				2–2
18	10 September 2013	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Colombia	1–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
19	15 October 2011	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Argentina	3–2	3–2	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
20	13 November 2013	Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan	Jordan	5–0	5–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
21	4 June 2014	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Slovenia	1–0	2–0	Friendly
22	14 June 2014	Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza, Brazil	Costa Rica	1–0	1–3	2014 FIFA World Cup
23	5 September 2014	Sapporo Dome, Sapporo, Japan	Japan	1–0	2–0	Friendly
24	13 November 2014	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Costa Rica	3–2	3–3	Friendly
25	28 March 2015	Stade Adrar, Agadir, Morocco	Morocco	1–0	1–0	Friendly
26	6 June 2015	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Guatemala	2–0	5–1	Friendly
27				3–0
28	12 November 2015	Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador	Ecuador	1–1	1–2	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
29	25 March 2016	Itaipava Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil	Brazil	1–2	2–2	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
30	29 March 2016	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Peru	1–0	1–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
31	27 May 2016	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Trinidad and Tobago	1–1	3–1	Friendly
32				2–1
33	6 September 2016	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Paraguay	1–0	4–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
34				4–0
35	6 October 2016	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Venezuela	2–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
36				3–0
37	15 November 2016	Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago, Chile	Chile	1–0	1–3	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
38	23 March 2017	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Brazil	1–0	1–4	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
39	10 October 2017	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Bolivia	2–1	4–2	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
40	14 November 2017	Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria	Austria	1–1	1–2	Friendly
41	23 March 2018	Guangxi Sports Center, Nanning, China	Czech Republic	2–0	2–0	2018 China Cup
42	26 March 2018	Guangxi Sports Center, Nanning, China	Wales	1–0	1–0	2018 China Cup
43	25 June 2018	Cosmos Arena, Samara, Russia	Russia	3–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup
44	30 June 2018	Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia	Portugal	1–0	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup
45				2–1
46	16 October 2018	Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan	Japan	2–2	3–4	Friendly
47	16 June 2019	Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil	Ecuador	2–0	4–0	2019 Copa América
48	24 June 2019	Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Chile	1–0	1–0	2019 Copa América
49	15 November 2019	Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary	Hungary	1–0	2–1	Friendly
50	18 November 2019	Bloomfield Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel	Argentina	1–0	2–2	Friendly
51	13 November 2020	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Colombia	1–0	3–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
52	24 June 2021	Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá, Brazil	Bolivia	2–0	2–0	2021 Copa América
53	28 June 2021	Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Paraguay	1–0	1–0	2021 Copa América
54	1 February 2022	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Venezuela	3–0	4–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
55	2 June 2022	State Farm Stadium, Glendale, United States	Mexico	2–0	3–0	Friendly
56				3–0
57	11 June 2022	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Panama	1–0	5–0	Friendly
58				2–0

Honours and Awards

Cavani holding the Coupe de la Ligue after PSG's win in 2014

Cavani has won many trophies and received several awards throughout his career:

Danubio

• Primera División: 2006–07

Napoli

• Coppa Italia: 2011–12

Paris Saint-Germain

• Ligue 1: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
• Coupe de France: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20
• Coupe de la Ligue: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20
• Trophée des Champions: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2019–20

Manchester United

• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2020–21

Boca Juniors

• Copa Libertadores runner-up: 2023

Uruguay

• Copa América: 2011

Individual

• South American Youth Championship top goalscorer: 2007 (7 goals)
• Serie A Fan Award: 2010
• Serie A Team of the Year: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
• Coppa Italia top goalscorer: 2011–12 (5 goals)
• Capocannoniere: 2012–13
• Guerin d'Oro: 2012–13
• UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year: 2016–17
• Ligue 1 top goalscorer: 2016–17 (35 goals), 2017–18 (28 goals)
• Coupe de la Ligue top goalscorer: 2013–14 (four goals), 2014–15 (three goals), 2016–17 (four goals)
• Coupe de France top goalscorer: 2014–15 (four goals)
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: September 2016, October 2016
• Trofeo EFE: 2017–18
• ESM Team of the Year: 2016–17
• CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualification top goalscorer: 2018 (ten goals)
• Ligue 1 Best Foreign Player: 2017
• Golden Foot: 2018
• Premier League Goal of the Month: May 2021
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2020–21
• IFFHS Uruguayan Men's Dream Team (Team B)

Images for kids

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  Cavani playing for PSG in the UEFA Champions League in October 2015

See also

In Spanish: Edinson Cavani para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
• List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals