Juan Román Riquelme facts for kids
Riquelme in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Juan Román Riquelme | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Boca Juniors (president) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1996 | Argentinos Juniors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2002 | Boca Juniors | 151 | (38) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Barcelona | 30 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | → Villarreal (loan) | 68 | (23) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Villarreal | 38 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | → Boca Juniors (loan) | 15 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2014 | Boca Juniors | 126 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Argentinos Juniors | 15 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 443 | (106) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Argentina U20 | 21 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Argentina U23 | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Argentina Olympic (O.P.) | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2008 | Argentina | 51 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Juan Román Riquelme (born 24 June 1978) is a famous Argentine former footballer. He is now the president of Boca Juniors, a club where he played most of his career. Many people think he is one of the best playmakers and Argentine players ever.
Riquelme played as a midfielder from 1996 to 2015. He started his career with Boca Juniors, winning many titles. These included five Primera División titles, three Copa Libertadores, and one Intercontinental Cup. In 2002, he moved to Barcelona in Spain.
His time at Barcelona was short. He then joined Villarreal, first on loan, then permanently. He helped Villarreal reach third place in the league in 2004–05 La Liga and the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Riquelme returned to Boca Juniors in 2007. He won the Copa Libertadores again, being named the best player. He won two more league titles and a Copa Argentina with Boca. He left Boca in 2014 and briefly played for Argentinos Juniors before retiring in January 2015.
For the Argentina national team, Riquelme had great success as a youth player. He won the 1997 South American U-20 Championship and the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. He played 57 times for the senior team, scoring 17 goals. He also captained Argentina to a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics with Lionel Messi.
Riquelme was named Argentina's footballer of the year four times. He was also the South American Footballer of the Year in 2001. He was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or awards.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Riquelme was born on June 24, 1978. He was the oldest of eleven children. He started playing football in his hometown, San Fernando. He played for local clubs before trying out for Argentinos Juniors.
He joined Argentinos Juniors and played as a central midfielder. Both Boca Juniors and River Plate noticed him. In 1996, Riquelme moved to Boca Juniors' youth team.
Success with Boca Juniors
On 10 November 1996, Riquelme, at 18, played his first game for Boca Juniors. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal. He helped Boca Juniors win championships after a long wait.
In 1998, Carlos Bianchi became coach and trusted Riquelme. Riquelme, along with Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Martín Palermo, formed a strong attacking team. Boca won the 1998 Apertura without losing a game. They also won the 1999 Clausura.
In 2000, Boca Juniors won the 2000 Copa Libertadores, Riquelme's first international title. He played very well in this competition. He scored and assisted goals, helping Boca win. Boca also won the Apertura 2000.
The biggest win was the 2000 Intercontinental Cup final against Real Madrid. Boca won, and Riquelme was a key player, assisting a goal. In 2001, Boca won the Copa Libertadores again. Riquelme was named the MVP of the tournament and the South American Footballer of the Year.
Time in Spain: Barcelona and Villarreal
In July 2002, Riquelme moved to Barcelona in Spain. He had played seven successful seasons with Boca Juniors. At Barcelona, his coach, Louis van Gaal, didn't play him much. Riquelme found it hard to play his best.
Barcelona then loaned Riquelme to Villarreal. There, he played with other Argentine players. In the 2004–05 season, Riquelme was named the Most Artistic Player. He scored 15 goals in 35 games. Villarreal finished in third place, their best ever.
Villarreal bought Riquelme permanently. In 2006, Villarreal reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. Riquelme missed a penalty kick in the semi-final against Arsenal, which would have sent the game to extra time.
Coming Back to Boca Juniors
Loan and Copa Libertadores Win
In February 2007, Riquelme returned to Boca Juniors on a five-month loan. He quickly made an impact. He scored his first goal in a 1–1 draw against Independiente.
He was amazing in the 2007 Copa Libertadores. He scored many goals and helped Boca reach the final. In the final against Grêmio, Riquelme scored two goals in the second leg. Boca Juniors won their sixth Copa Libertadores title. Riquelme was named the Most Valuable Player of the competition.
Permanent Return and More Titles
In January 2008, Riquelme officially rejoined Boca Juniors. This was a very expensive transfer for an Argentine player. He continued to be a key player for the team.
In October 2008, Boca Juniors won the Superclásico against River Plate. In August 2008, Riquelme scored a free-kick to help Boca Juniors win the 2008 Recopa Sudamericana.
Boca Juniors won the 2011 Torneo Apertura without losing a game. This earned them a spot in the 2012 Copa Libertadores. Riquelme played a big part in this success.
In the 2011–12 Copa Argentina, Riquelme helped Boca win a penalty shootout. He also scored important goals in the 2012 Copa Libertadores. Boca reached the final but lost to Corinthians. After this, Riquelme announced he would leave Boca.
Final Years and Retirement
After leaving Boca, Riquelme spent some time away from football. In February 2013, he decided to return to Boca Juniors. He scored a goal against Corinthians in the Copa Libertadores, helping Boca win.
On 17 July 2014, Riquelme signed with Argentinos Juniors. He scored in his first game for them. On 23 January 2015, Riquelme officially announced his retirement from football.
His farewell match happened on June 25, 2023, in Buenos Aires. Boca Juniors played against the Argentina national team. Lionel Messi was part of the Argentina team. Boca won the match 5–3.
International Football Career
Youth Team Success
Under coach José Pekerman, Riquelme played for the Argentina national under-20 football team. He helped them win the 1997 South American Youth Championship in Chile. He scored three goals in the tournament.
Riquelme was captain of Argentina for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia. He scored four goals, helping Argentina win their third FIFA World Youth Championship. In 1998, he also helped Argentina win the 1998 Toulon Tournament in France and was named the best player.
Playing for the Senior Team
Riquelme first played for the Argentina national team in 1997. His first big tournament was the 1999 Copa América. He scored his first international goal in 2003 in a friendly match against Libya.
In 2005, Riquelme played in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored three goals in the group stage. Argentina reached the final but lost to Brazil. Riquelme was awarded the Silver Ball as the second-best player.
In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Riquelme wore the number 10 shirt. He helped Argentina reach the quarter-finals. He provided important assists, including one for a famous goal involving 24 passes. Argentina lost to Germany in a penalty shootout.
In 2007, Riquelme played in the 2007 Copa América. He scored five goals in the tournament. Argentina reached the final but lost to Brazil.
In August 2008, Riquelme was chosen as an older player for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He was also named captain. He helped Argentina win the gold medal, their second in a row. He scored a penalty in the semi-final against Brazil.
In March 2009, Riquelme decided to retire from the national team after a disagreement with coach Diego Maradona.
How Riquelme Played Football
Riquelme was known as a "classic number ten". He was a very creative and smart player. He was tall and slim, and he was great at passing, seeing the field, and dribbling. He could score goals from midfield too.
He usually played as an attacking midfielder behind the strikers. He could also play deeper, controlling the game from the middle of the field. People called him one of the "last true number 10s" because of his unique style. He was also excellent at taking free kicks.
Even though he was very talented, Riquelme was not very fast. He sometimes had disagreements with his coaches.
Life After Playing: Club President
On 8 December 2019, Juan Román Riquelme became the Second Vice-President of Boca Juniors. He was part of a team that won the club election with a record number of votes.
In March 2020, Boca Juniors won the 2019–20 Superliga. This was Riquelme's first title as a club official.
In 2023, Riquelme ran for club president with Jorge Amor Ameal. They won with almost 65% of the votes. This election had a very high number of members voting.
Personal Life
Riquelme's brother, Sebastián, was also a professional footballer. Sebastián retired from playing in 2022.
Honours and Awards
Boca Juniors
- Argentine Primera División: 1998 Apertura, 1999 Clausura, 2000 Apertura, 2008 Apertura, 2011 Apertura
- Copa Argentina: 2012
- Copa Libertadores: 2000, 2001, 2007
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2008
- Intercontinental Cup: 2000
Villarreal
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2004
Argentina U20
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1997
- South American U-20 Championship: 1997
Argentina U21
- Toulon Tournament: 1998
Argentina U23
- Olympic Gold Medal: 2008
Argentina
- Copa América runner-up: 2007
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2005
Individual Awards
- Toulon Tournament Best Player: 1998
- South American Team of the Year: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2011
- Argentine Footballer of the Year: 2000, 2001, 2008, 2011
- Copa Libertadores Most Valuable Player: 2001, 2007
- La Liga Don Balón Award (Foreign Player of the Year): 2004–05
- Most Artistic Player by Marca: 2005
- FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Ball: 2005
- FIFA World Cup top assist provider: 2006
- Copa Libertadores Player of the Week: May 8–10/2012
- The Best Argentine midfielder by Olé: 2012
- The Best local Argentine player by Olé: 2012
- The Historical Team for Copa Libertadores of all time
- FIFPro World XI Nominee: 2006, 2007
- Ballon d'Or Nominee: 2005, 2007 (14th)
See also
In Spanish: Juan Román Riquelme para niños
