Luís Figo

Luís Figo was the kind of right winger who could ruin a full-back's whole evening. He grew up in a working-class part of Almada, started out as a street footballer, learned many of his skills in futsal, and joined Sporting CP's academy at 12. At Barcelona he grew into the best player in the world, winning the Ballon d'Or in 2000 largely on the strength of those years; his form at Real Madrid then earned him FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001. At his peak he was quick off the mark and elegant on the ball, keeping it close and running straight at defenders, often selling a feint or a stepover first. He was naturally right-footed but comfortable with his left. From the right flank he would curl crosses into the box or cut inside and drift across to link with the midfield, and he led La Liga in assists three times. One Barcelona teammate put the game plan bluntly: "Our plan was simple: give the ball to Luís. He never, ever hid". That commitment made his exit hurt. In July 2000 Real Madrid paid his buyout clause, a world-record €62 million, and his arrival opened Florentino Pérez's Galáctico era. On his first return to the Camp Nou, banners called him a traitor and Judas, and Madrid's usual corner taker did not take a single corner. Two years later he decided he would. As bottles, lighters and golf balls kept landing, he cleared some of the debris away with a smile and an ironic thumbs-up, until the referee halted play for almost 20 minutes and a pig's head was spotted near the flag. Of that night Figo said, "I was worried that some madman might lose his head." In Madrid he won the league in his first season, the Champions League in 2002 after Zinedine Zidane joined, and another title in 2003. When the pace started to fade, he adapted. At Inter, who signed him on a free in 2005, he played more as an attacking midfielder, relying on vision, intelligence and a wide range of passing. He was a creator first, but he could hit the ball hard from distance and was accurate from free kicks and penalties; his extra-time free kick against Roma in the Supercoppa is described as his most memorable moment in Italy. For Portugal he led the "Golden Generation". He captained them to the Euro 2004 final on home soil, where they lost to Greece, and to the 2006 World Cup semi-finals. In his last international he came off the bench against Germany, Pauleta handed him the armband, and he set up Nuno Gomes for a late header before passing the number 7 shirt on to Cristiano Ronaldo. His 127 caps were a national record until 2016, and he was respected as a leader, not just a dribbler.