Igor Belanov facts for kids
Belanov in 2012
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 September 1960 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Striker | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1973–1978 | Chornomorets Odesa | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1979–1981 | SKA Odesa | 68 | (16) | ||||||||||
| 1981–1985 | Chornomorets Odesa | 116 | (26) | ||||||||||
| 1985–1989 | Dynamo Kyiv | 121 | (40) | ||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 24 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 1991–1995 | Eintracht Braunschweig | 64 | (21) | ||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Chornomorets Odesa | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Metalurh Mariupol | 5 | (4) | ||||||||||
| Total | 401 | (112) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1985–1990 | Soviet Union | 33 | (8) | ||||||||||
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Honours
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Igor Ivanovich Belanov, born on September 25, 1960, is a former professional footballer from the Soviet Union and Ukraine. He played as a striker, known for his incredible speed and powerful shots.
Belanov became famous playing for Dynamo Kyiv. With them, he won five major titles. In 1986, he won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, which is given to the best football player in Europe. He was the second Ukrainian player to receive this honor. After his time in the Soviet Union, he played for six years in Germany with Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Braunschweig.
He also played for the Soviet Union in one World Cup and one European Championship. In 2014, The Guardian newspaper listed him among the top 100 World Cup footballers of all time. In 2011, he was recognized as a "legend of Ukrainian football."
Contents
Igor Belanov's Football Journey
Playing for Clubs
Early Career and Dynamo Kyiv Success
Igor Belanov was born in Odesa, a city in Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He began his professional football career in his hometown. He played for local teams like SKA Odesa and FC Chornomorets Odesa.
In 1985, Belanov joined one of the biggest clubs in the country, FC Dynamo Kyiv. In his first season, he scored ten goals. That year, Dynamo Kyiv won both the league title and the Soviet Cup.
Belanov was a key player when Dynamo Kyiv won the 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup. This was a big European competition. He scored five goals in the tournament, helping his team win the final 3–0 against Atlético Madrid.
Playing in Germany
In 1989, when he was 29, Belanov moved to Germany. He joined Borussia Mönchengladbach to play in the Bundesliga, Germany's top league. He made his first appearance in November 1989. However, he found it challenging to make a big impact there. He scored only five goals during his time with the club.
Belanov then moved to Eintracht Braunschweig in January 1991. This team played in the 2. Bundesliga, which is Germany's second division. He scored 21 goals for them over three seasons.
Retirement from Football
In 1995, Belanov returned to his home country. He played one season for Chernomorets again. He then played a short time for FC Illychivets Mariupol. He retired from playing football at almost 37 years old.
International Career Highlights
Belanov played 33 matches for the Soviet Union. He scored eight goals for his country. His best performance was at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He scored four goals and helped set up six others. The Soviet team, which had many Dynamo Kyiv players, reached the round of 16. In one game against Belgium, he scored an amazing hat-trick (three goals).
His great performance at the World Cup, along with Dynamo Kyiv's European success, helped him win the European Footballer of the Year award. He also played in the final of UEFA Euro 1988. The Soviet Union played against the Netherlands. The Netherlands won 2–0, and Belanov missed a penalty kick in that game.
How Belanov Played
Igor Belanov was known for being a very athletic player. He was especially famous for his incredible running speed. He also had very powerful shots on goal. Many people considered him one of the fastest sprinters among Soviet footballers. Even without formal sprint training, he was incredibly quick.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing, Igor Belanov became involved in business. He also owned a football school in Odesa, Ukraine, which was named after him. This school helped train young football players.
In 2018, he joined the board for strategic development of the Ukrainian Association of Football. This shows his continued dedication to the sport.
In 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, Belanov joined the Territorial Defence Battalion. He helped defend his hometown of Odesa, showing his bravery and commitment to his country.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| SKA Odesa | 1979 | 32 | 5 | – | – | – | 32 | 5 | ||||
| 1980 | 36 | 11 | – | – | – | 36 | 11 | |||||
| Total | 68 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 16 | ||
| Chornomorets Odesa | 1981 | Soviet Top League | 27 | 6 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 29 | 6 | ||
| 1982 | Soviet Top League | 29 | 2 | 4 | 1 | – | – | 33 | 3 | |||
| 1983 | Soviet Top League | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 28 | 7 | |||
| 1984 | Soviet Top League | 33 | 11 | 5 | 3 | – | – | 38 | 14 | |||
| Total | 116 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 128 | 30 | ||
| Dynamo Kyiv | 1985 | Soviet Top League | 31 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | – | 39 | 13 | |
| 1986 | Soviet Top League | 22 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 14 | |
| 1987 | Soviet Top League | 23 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 37 | 13 | |
| 1988 | Soviet Top League | 27 | 9 | 4 | 1 | – | – | 31 | 10 | |||
| 1989 | Soviet Top League | 18 | 3 | 4 | 1 | – | – | 22 | 4 | |||
| Total | 121 | 40 | 19 | 7 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 161 | 54 | ||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach |
1989–90 | Bundesliga | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 15 | 4 | ||
| 1990–91 | Bundesliga | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 24 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 5 | ||
| Eintracht Braunschweig | 1990–91 | 2. Bundesliga | 9 | 3 | – | – | – | 9 | 3 | |||
| 1991–92 | 2. Bundesliga | 29 | 10 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 30 | 11 | |||
| 1992–93 | 2. Bundesliga | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||
| 1993–94 | Oberliga Nord | 26 | 8 | 1 | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | 31 | 8 | ||
| Total | 64 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 70 | 22 | ||
| Chornomorets | 1995–96 | Ukrainian Premier League | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | 1 | |||
| Metalurh Mariupol |
1995–96 | Ukrainian Second League | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1996–97 | Ukrainian First League | 4 | 4 | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 401 | 112 | 36 | 13 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 462 | 132 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet Union | 1985 | 3 | 0 |
| 1986 | 8 | 6 | |
| 1987 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1988 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | 8 | |
- Scores and results list Soviet Union's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Belanov goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 June 1986 | Estadio Sergio León Chávez, Irapuato, Mexico |  Hungary |
3–0 | 6–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup |
| 2 | 15 June 1986 | Estadio Nou Camp, León, Mexico |  Belgium |
1–0 | 3–4 | 1986 FIFA World Cup |
| 3 | 2–1 | |||||
| 4 | 3–4 | |||||
| 5 | 11 October 1986 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France |  France |
1–0 | 2–0 | Euro 1988 qualifying |
| 6 | 29 October 1986 | Lokomotiv Stadium, Simferopol, Soviet Union |  Norway |
2–0 | 4–0 | Euro 1988 qualifying |
| 7 | 29 April 1987 | Republican Stadium, Kyiv, Soviet Union |  East Germany |
2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 1988 qualifying |
| 8 | 28 October 1987 | Lokomotiv Stadium, Simferopol, Soviet Union |  Iceland |
1–0 | 2–0 | Euro 1988 qualifying |
Honours and Awards
Dynamo Kyiv
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1985–86
- Soviet League: 1985, 1986
- Soviet Cup: 1985, 1987, 1990
- Soviet Super Cup: 1986, 1987
Soviet Union
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 1988
Individual
- Ballon d'Or: 1986
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup top scorer: 1985–86
- Guerin Sportivo All-Star Team: 1986
- World Soccer magazine's Player of the Year: runner-up 1986
- FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot: 1986
- ADN Eastern European Footballer of the Season: 1986
- UEFA European Championship top assist provider: 1988
- The World Cup's top 100 footballers of all time, by The Times
- FourFourTwo The best strikers of the 80s 19th: 2023
- Merited Master of Sports: 1986
- The best 33 football players of the Soviet Union (4): 1985 — No. 3, 1986 — No. 1, 1987 — No. 3, 1988 — No. 3
- FIFA XI: 1991, 1998
- Golden Foot: 2008, as a legend
Images for kids
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A robot for kids.
See also
In Spanish: Íhor Belánov para niños
