Igor Belanov facts for kids
Belanov in 2012
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Igor Ivanovich Belanov | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 September 1960 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | 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) | |||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||
| 1985–1990 | Soviet Union | 33 | (8) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||
Igor Belanov (born September 25, 1960) is a famous former footballer from the Soviet Union and Ukraine. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals.
Igor Belanov became very well-known while playing for Dynamo Kyiv. With this team, he won five major titles. He also won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award in 1986. This award is given to the best male football player in the world. He was the second Ukrainian player to win it, after Oleh Blokhin in 1975. After his time in Ukraine, he played for six years in Germany for Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Braunschweig.
Belanov also played for the Soviet Union in one World Cup and one European Championship. In 2014, The Guardian newspaper included him in their list of the top 100 World Cup footballers of all time. In 2011, he was named one of the "legends of Ukrainian football." More recently, in 2022, he joined the Territorial Defence Battalion in his hometown of Odesa to help defend Ukraine.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Early Days and Dynamo Kyiv Success
Igor Belanov was born in Odesa, Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. He started his professional football journey in his hometown, playing for teams like SKA Odesa and FC Chornomorets Odesa.
In 1985, he joined one of the biggest clubs in the country, FC Dynamo Kyiv. In his first season, he scored ten goals and helped his team win both the league title and the Soviet Cup.
Belanov, along with his teammates Oleh Blokhin and Oleksandr Zavarov, was a top scorer in the 1985–86 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Each of them scored five goals in this competition. Dynamo Kyiv went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup for the second time in their history. Belanov played the entire final match, where Dynamo Kyiv beat Atlético Madrid 3–0.
Playing in Germany
In 1989, when he was 29 years old, Belanov moved to Germany to play for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. He made his first appearance in November 1989. Overall, he scored five goals during his time with the club.
Later, in January 1991, Belanov moved to Eintracht Braunschweig, a team in the 2. Bundesliga. He played his first game for them in February. He scored 21 goals in this league over three seasons.
Returning Home and Retirement
In 1995, Belanov returned to his former club, Chernomorets, for one season. He then played a short time with FC Illychivets Mariupol. He retired from playing football at almost 37 years old.
International Football for the Soviet Union
Igor Belanov played 33 matches for the Soviet Union and scored eight goals. One of his best performances was at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. He scored four goals and helped set up six others. The Soviet team, which included 13 players from Dynamo Kyiv, reached the round of 16. In one memorable game against Belgium, he scored three goals, but his team unfortunately lost 4–3 in extra time.
His amazing performance at the World Cup, combined with Dynamo Kyiv's success in the Cup Winners' Cup, helped Belanov win the European Footballer of the Year award, also known as the Ballon d'Or. He was also part of the Soviet team that reached the final of UEFA Euro 1988. In that final, they played against the Netherlands. The Netherlands won the game 2–0.
How Belanov Played
Belanov was known for being a very athletic player. He was especially famous for his incredible running speed and his powerful shots on goal. He was one of the fastest sprinters among all Soviet footballers, similar to Oleh Blokhin. Even though Belanov never had formal sprint training, he was incredibly fast.
Life After Football
After he stopped playing football, Igor Belanov started a career in business. In August 2003, he became the main owner of a Swiss football club called FC Wil.
Belanov also owned a football school in his hometown of Odesa, Ukraine, which was named after him. In 2018, he joined the board for strategic development of the Ukrainian Association of Football.
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Igor Belanov joined the Territorial Defence Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Odesa to help protect his city.
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 Awards
- Ballon d'Or: 1986
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup top scorer: 1985–86
- FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot: 1986
- UEFA European Championship top assist provider: 1988
- Golden Foot: 2008, as a legend (meaning he was recognized for his great career)
Images for kids
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Belanov in 2012
See also
In Spanish: Íhor Belánov para niños
