Federico Fernando Higuaín (; born 25 October 1984) is an Argentine former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
and
attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
. He is currently the head coach for
MLS Next Pro
MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS club ...
club
Inter Miami II
Inter Miami Club de Fútbol II, commonly known as Inter Miami CF II, is an American professional soccer club based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that plays in the MLS Next Pro, the third-tier of American soccer. The club was established on Febr ...
.
He played 157 games and scored 35 goals in the
Argentine Primera División
The Primera División (; en, "First Division"), known officialy as Liga Profesional de Fútbol, or Torneo Binance for sponsorship reasons, is a professional football league in Argentina, organised by the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
Th ...
for
River Plate,
Nueva Chicago,
Independiente,
Godoy Cruz and
Colón between 2003 and 2012. He also had brief spells in Turkey with
Beşiktaş J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (), also known simply as Beşiktaş (), is a Turkish sports club founded in 1903 that is based in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. The club's football team is one of the Big Three in Turkey and one of the most ...
and Mexico with
Club América
Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V., commonly known as Club América or simply América, is a professional football club based in Mexico City. Nicknamed ''Las Águilas'' (The Eagles), it competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football ...
in 2007–08.
In 2012, he signed for
Columbus Crew SC
The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an Soccer in the United States, American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference ( ...
for a club-record US$650,000, and won the
MLS Newcomer of the Year Award
The MLS Newcomer of the Year Award is awarded by Major League Soccer to a player who has professional experience in another league and has an outstanding season in his first season of play in MLS.
Winners
{{MLS awards
Newcomer of the Year ...
in his first season. He made nearly 200 appearances and scored over 50 goals for the club, helping them to the
Eastern Conference title in
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
.
Early life
Higuaín was born in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, Argentina, the son of the Argentine former footballer
Jorge Higuaín
Jorge Nicolás Higuaín (born 8 June 1957) is an Argentine former footballer who played as a central defender. During his playing career, he played for Boca Juniors, River Plate, San Lorenzo and Stade Brestois 29, the latter of which was at Fre ...
. Higuaín has three brothers, Nicolas, Lautaro and
Gonzalo
Gonzalo may refer to:
* Gonzalo (name)
* Gonzalo, Dominican Republic, a small town
* Isla Gonzalo, a subantarctic island operated by the Chilean Navy
* Hurricane Gonzalo, 2014
See also
* Gonzalez (disambiguation)
* Gonzales (disambiguation)
* ...
, also a footballer.
Club career
Early career
Higuaín signed with
River Plate as a youngster, playing 5 games and registering no goals. He soon went on loan to
Nueva Chicago in the Argentine second division, where he played 77 total games, scoring 29 goals. He also impressed during stints at
Godoy Cruz and
Colón de Santa Fe Colón may refer to:
Places
;Argentina
* Colón, Entre Ríos
* Colón Department, Córdoba
* Colón Department, Entre Ríos
* Colón, Buenos Aires
;Colombia
* Colón, Nariño
* Colón, Putumayo
* Colón Department (Colombia)
;Costa Rica
* Ciu ...
.
In August 2007, Higuaín signed a three-year contract at
Beşiktaş J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (), also known simply as Beşiktaş (), is a Turkish sports club founded in 1903 that is based in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. The club's football team is one of the Big Three in Turkey and one of the most ...
of the Turkish
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), officially known as Spor Toto Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system and is run by the ...
, for a US$1.65 million fee. He did not settle in
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, and the following February he was loaned to Mexico's
Club América
Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V., commonly known as Club América or simply América, is a professional football club based in Mexico City. Nicknamed ''Las Águilas'' (The Eagles), it competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football ...
.
Columbus Crew SC
Higuaín signed for the Columbus Crew as the team's third ever
designated player
The Designated Player Rule, nicknamed the Beckham Rule, allows Major League Soccer franchises to sign up to three players that would be considered outside their salary cap (either by offering the player higher wages or by paying a transfer fee ...
on 27 July 2012, for a then club record fee of $650,000
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
. He made his debut on 19 August as a substitute against the
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
and assisted on the go-ahead goal by
Eddie Gaven
Eddie Gaven (born October 25, 1986) is an American former soccer player who played 11 seasons in Major League Soccer, primarily with the Columbus Crew. In July 2012, Gaven became the youngest player to play in 250 MLS matches at 25 years and 257 ...
with a ball over the top 13 minutes later. Three days later he got his first MLS start against
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BMO ...
, and in the fourth minute again set up a Gaven opener, then scored the winning goal himself. In the next game on 26 August, he scored two goals from free kicks in an eventual 4–3 victory over the
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
. For his performances over his first several matches, Higuaín was named the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for weeks 25 and 26, of the
2012 Major League Soccer season
The 2012 Major League Soccer season was the 100th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States and Canada, the 34th with a national first-division league, and the 17th season of Major League Soccer.
The regular season began on March ...
by North American football journalists. He finished the season by scoring both goals of a 2–1 victory against Toronto FC on the final matchday.
To begin the 2013 season, Higuaín scored in a 3–0 opening-day victory over
Chivas USA
Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. Guada ...
on 2 March.
On 10 August, he scored in a 2–0 victory over
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
with a chip from well outside the penalty area that was voted Goal of the Week, and in the next match, a 2–0 win over Toronto FC, he chipped the goalkeeper from .
Following the
2014 Major League Soccer season
The 2014 Major League Soccer season was the 102nd season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States and Canada, the 36th with a national first-division league, and the 19th season of Major League Soccer. This season featured 19 total clubs ...
in which Higuaín tallied a team-leading eleven goals and seven assists, he was signed to a new contract, the most lucrative deal ever given by the Crew. It was reportedly a two-year contract although terms of the deal were officially undisclosed. At the time of signing his new contract, Higuaín had been ranked fifth in the league in goals, first in penalty kick goals, and one of only eight players to score double-digit goals in the previous two seasons since entering the league.
In 2015, Higuaín scored eight goals and provided nine assists during the MLS regular season, while in the playoffs, he won the Eastern Conference Championship with Crew,
only to miss out on the MLS Cup Final to
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, following a 2–1 home defeat.
The following season, Higuaín had a disappointing season, scoring only four goals and adding three assists in just 20 appearances, as Crew missed out on the playoffs. While many pundits expected him to leave the next season, as his contract was expiring, he signed a one-year extension, and in 2017, he helped Crew to qualify for the playoffs and reach the Eastern Conference finals.
On 25 May 2019, in a game against the
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...
, Higuaín was injured, and subsequently received anterior cruciate ligament surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. On 21 October 2019, Columbus Crew's president and general manager, Tim Bezbatchenko, announced that the club decided not to extend his contract for the next season.
D.C. United
On 2 March 2020, Higuaín joined
D.C. United
D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Suppo ...
as a player and Player Development Coach. On 13 July 2020, he made his first appearance in an
"MLS is Back" tournament match against
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BMO ...
. With D.C. United losing 2–0 and at a man disadvantage due to a first-half ejection, Higuain came on as a substitute in the 80th minute and scored on a breakaway in the 84th minute. D.C. United added a second goal in injury time to force a 2–2 draw.
Inter Miami CF
On 10 October 2020, D.C. United traded Higuaín to
Inter Miami
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF or simply Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. Established in 2018, the club began play in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the 2 ...
in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money, where Higuaín joined his brother,
Gonzalo Higuaín
Gonzalo Gerardo Higuaín (; born 10 December 1987) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. Nicknamed ''El Pipita'' or ''Pipa'', Higuaín was a prolific striker, known for his eye for goal, strong physique, and o ...
. Higuaín re-signed with Miami on 28 January 2021 for the 2021 season. Following the 2021 season, Higuaín announced his retirement from playing professional football.
Style of play
Nicknamed ''Pipa'', Higuaín is a diminutive
playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's play, and is often involved in offensively and defensively playing passing moves which lead to goals, through their vision, technique, ball control, creativit ...
with a slender physique. While not being a prolific goalscorer, his technique, vision, intelligence, creativity on the ball, ability to provide assists for his teammates, and eye for goal from midfield make him capable of playing both as a forward and as an attacking midfielder, and he has also often functioned as a
second striker
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
, or as a
winger. Buenos Aires-based journalist Daniel Colasimone has stated that "
s role is more to harass opposition defenses with intelligent runs, fine ball control and incisive passing. His hard work on and off the ball, and affable personality made him well-liked wherever he played in Argentina." His coach at Columbus,
Gregg Berhalter
Gregg Matthew Berhalter (, ; born August 1, 1973) is an American soccer coach and former player. He is also the current head coach of the United States men's national soccer team. Berhalter previously coached Columbus Crew SC in Major League Soc ...
, said of him in 2015: "He’s the guy who ties everything together. He ties the defense to the offense on both sides of the ball. He's been fantastic this year, and his contribution is underrated in my eyes because he's been performing at a really, really high level."
Coaching
Higuaín began his coaching career in 2020 when he signed with
D.C. United
D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Suppo ...
as a player & player development coach.
On 4 February 2022, Hugaín was named as part of the coaching staff for
Inter Miami II
Inter Miami Club de Fútbol II, commonly known as Inter Miami CF II, is an American professional soccer club based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that plays in the MLS Next Pro, the third-tier of American soccer. The club was established on Febr ...
ahead of the inaugural
MLS Next Pro
MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS club ...
season.
Personal life
Higuaín holds a
U.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.
Career statistics
Honours
Individual
*
MLS Newcomer of the Year: 2012
*
MLS Player of the Week 2012: Week 25, 26
*
AT&T Goal of the Week 2013: Week 24
*
MLS Player of the Week 2014: Week 11
References
External links
*
*
Argentine Primera statisticsat Fútbol XXI
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higuain, Federico
1984 births
Living people
Argentine people of Basque descent
Footballers from Buenos Aires
Argentine footballers
Association football forwards
Club Atlético River Plate footballers
Nueva Chicago footballers
Beşiktaş J.K. footballers
Club América footballers
Club Atlético Independiente footballers
Club Atlético Colón footballers
Columbus Crew players
Liga MX players
Süper Lig players
Argentine Primera División players
Major League Soccer players
Designated Players (MLS)
Argentine expatriate footballers
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Expatriate footballers in Mexico
Expatriate footballers in Turkey
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
D.C. United players
Inter Miami CF players
D.C. United non-playing staff
Inter Miami CF non-playing staff
Inter Miami CF II