Fernando José Torres Sanz (; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish
football manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
and former
player
Player may refer to:
Role or adjective
* Player (game), a participant in a game or sport
** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games
** Athlete, a player in sports
** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who ...
who played as a
striker. He is the current manager of
Atlético Madrid Juvenil A. Due to his consistent goalscoring rate as a young player, Torres came to be nicknamed El Niño ('The Kid').
In his prime, he was praised for his pace, accurate finishing, and proficiency in
heading
Heading can refer to:
* Heading (metalworking), a process which incorporates the extruding and upsetting processes
* Headline, text at the top of a newspaper article
* Heading (navigation), the direction a person or vehicle is facing, usually s ...
. In
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, he finished third for the
Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual association football, football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Pl ...
and in 2008 and 2009 he was named in the
FIFA World XI.
Torres started his career with
Atlético Madrid, progressing through their youth system to the first-team squad. He made his first-team debut in 2001 and finished his time at the club with 75 goals in 174
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men' ...
appearances. Torres joined
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
club
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
in 2007, after signing for a club record transfer fee. He marked his first season at
Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 189 ...
by being Liverpool's first player since
Robbie Fowler in the
1995–96 season to score more than 20 league goals in a season. The most prolific goalscoring spell of his career, he became the fastest player in Liverpool history to score 50 league goals. During this period, 2007—2010, Torres was often regarded as the best striker in the world.
Torres left Liverpool in January 2011 to join
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
for
a British record transfer fee of £50 million, which made him the most expensive Spanish player in history. At Chelsea, Torres won the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
,
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
and
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
, though his goalscoring rate and performances drastically declined. Torres joined
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
club
AC Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 and 1982–83 seaso ...
on a two-year
loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...
prior to the
2013–14 season, and signed permanently in January 2015. In the same month, he agreed to rejoin Atlético Madrid on loan until the end of the
2015–16 season, before signing permamently for the club in July 2016. Torres won the
2017-18 UEFA Europa League before he signed for Japanese club
Sagan Tosu
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J1 League. The team is located in Tosu, Saga Prefecture.
''Sagan'' is a coined word with a couple of meanings behind it. One of its homophones is in Japanese. This symbolises ...
in July 2018, retiring from football after the 2018-19 season.
Torres is a Spanish international and made his debut against
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
in 2003. He has been
capped over 100 times and is his country's
third-highest goalscorer of all-time. With Spain, he has participated in six major tournaments:
UEFA Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
, the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
,
Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of Europea ...
, the
2010 World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
,
Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
, and the
2014 World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
. Spain won the three tournaments from 2008 to 2012, with Torres scoring in the finals of both
Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of Europea ...
and
Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
. He scored the winning goal in the 2008 European Championship, and won the Golden Boot for highest goalscorer in 2012.
Early career
Born in
Fuenlabrada
Fuenlabrada () is a city and municipality of Spain located in the Community of Madrid. , it has a population of 193,586, making it the region's fourth most populated municipality.
Placename
The etymology of ''Fuenlabrada'' comes from the contra ...
,
Community of Madrid
The Community of Madrid (; es, Comunidad de Madrid ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities of Spain. It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and of the Central Plateau (''Meseta Central''). Its capital and largest munic ...
,
Torres became interested in
football as a child and joined his first team, Parque 84, at age five.
His grandfather was not a passionate football fan, but took pride in being an
Atlético Madrid supporter, and Torres inherited his love for the club.
[
Torres began playing football as a ]goalkeeper
In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...
, the position his brother played in. At age seven, however, he started playing regularly as a striker in an indoor league for the neighbourhood club, Mario's Holanda,[ using the characters from the ]anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
'' Captain Tsubasa'' as inspiration. Three years later, aged 10, he progressed to an 11-side team, Rayo 13. He scored 55 goals in a season and was one of three Rayo 13 players to earn a trial with Atlético. He impressed the scouts and joined the club's youth system at age 11 in 1995.
Club career
Atlético Madrid
After progressing through the ranks, Torres won his first important youth title in 1998. Atlético sent an under-15 team to compete in the Nike Cup, in Spain and Europe, to play against youth teams from other clubs; Atlético won the tournament. He was later voted the best player in Europe for the age group. In 1999, at the age of 15, Torres signed his first professional contract with Atlético. He spent his first year playing in the youth team and participated in the Honor Division when he was 16. The 2000–01 season had started poorly, as Torres suffered from a cracked shinbone which kept him out of play until December. Torres trained with the first team to get prepared for pre-season, but eventually made his debut on 27 May 2001, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium ( es, Estadio Vicente Calderón ) was the home stadium of Atlético Madrid from its completion in 1966 to 2017, with a seating capacity of 54,907 and located on the banks of the Manzanares, in the Arganzuela distr ...
, against Leganés
Leganés () is a city in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Considered part of the Madrid metropolitan area, it is located about 11 km southwest of the centre of Madrid. , it has a population of 188,425, making it the region's fifth most popul ...
. One week later, he scored his first goal for the club, against Albacete
Albacete (, also , ; ar, ﭐَلبَسِيط, Al-Basīṭ) is a city and municipality in the Spanish autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha, and capital of the province of Albacete.
Lying in the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula, the ...
, and the season finished with Atlético narrowly missing out on promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
to La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men' ...
.
Atlético were promoted to La Liga at the end of the 2001–02 season, although Torres did not perform well in the season, as he netted only 6 times in 36 appearances in the Segunda División. Torres' first season in La Liga, 2002–03, was better, however, as he scored 13 goals in 29 appearances, with Atlético finishing in 11th place.[ In July 2003, soon after his takeover of the club, ]Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
owner Roman Abramovich
Roman Arkadyevich Abramovich (, ; he, רומן ארקדיביץ' אברמוביץ'; born 24 October 1966) is a Russian oligarch and politician. He is the former owner of Chelsea, a Premier League football club in London, England, and is the ...
had a £28 million bid for Torres rejected by Atlético's board of directors. In the 2003–04 season, his second in La Liga, Torres made further strides, scoring 19 league goals in 35 appearances,[ meaning he finished as the joint third-highest scorer in the league.] At age 19, Torres was named Atlético's captain. Atlético narrowly missed out on qualification for the UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
, but by finishing in seventh place in the 2003–04 season, they qualified for the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup
The 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup football finals (the summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions) were won by Lille, Schalke 04, and Villarreal.
All three teams advanced to the ...
, giving Torres a first taste of a competition at the European level. He scored two goals in the two fourth round matches against OFK Beograd
OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club'') is a Serbian professional football club based in Belgrade, more precisely in Karaburm ...
, with one coming in each leg. Atlético reached the final, but lost 3–1 on a penalty shoot-out
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
to Villarreal
Villarreal ( ca-valencia , Vila-real) is a city and municipality in the province of Castellón which is part of the Valencian Community in the east of Spain.
The town is located at 42 m above sea level, 7 km to the south of the province's ...
following a 2–2 draw on aggregate. FA Premier League champions Chelsea were believed to be interested in signing Torres during the summer of 2005, but Atlético club president Enrique Cerezo
Enrique Cerezo Torres (born 27 February 1948), is a Spanish film producer and the current president of Atlético Madrid, a position he has held since 2002.
Cinematographic career
Cerezo began in cinema in 1967 as a camera assistant in the movie ...
said that they had "no chance" of signing him. Cerezo later said in January 2006 that the club was willing to listen to offers for Torres, and Torres claimed Newcastle United of the FA Premier League had made a bid to sign him in March.
Torres stated after the 2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
that he had turned down an offer to join Chelsea at the end of the 2005–06 season. He scored 14 league goals in the 2006–07 season.[ The English media reported that he was the main transfer target of FA Premier League club ]Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, but Cerezo stated, "We've received no offer from Liverpool or any other club or player." Days later, however, new reports suggested Atlético had agreed a deal with Liverpool for Torres; the fee was rumoured to be £25 million with Luis García moving to Atlético in a separate transfer deal. On 30 June, Atlético announced a deal to sign Diego Forlán
Diego Martín Forlán Corazo (born 19 May 1979) is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. Regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation, Forlán is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi ...
from Villarreal, in what was seen as a move to replace Torres before his departure became official. On 2 July, it was reported that Torres had cut short a vacation to fly back to Madrid to finalise the move to Liverpool. The following day, Torres passed a medical at Liverpool's Melwood
Melwood, in West Derby, Liverpool, was Liverpool Football Club's training ground from the 1950s until November 2020. It was not attached to The Liverpool F.C. Academy, which is at Kirkby. Melwood was bought by affordable housing development c ...
training ground. He held a press conference in Madrid on 4 July to bid farewell to the Atlético fans, before completing his move to Liverpool on a six-year contract. The transfer fee was the highest in Liverpool's history. In March 2008, manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez Maudes (born 16 April 1960) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who most recently managed club Everton.
Benítez joined Real Madrid's coaching staff at the age of 26, going on to work as the under- ...
stated in an interview with ''The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' that Torres was acquired for around £20 million, although this figure takes into account García's move to Atlético.
Liverpool
2007–08 season
Torres made his competitive debut for Liverpool against Aston Villa in a 2–1 win on 11 August 2007. He made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
four days past his first performance in a 1–0 victory over Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...
, after coming on as a 79th minute substitute. His first Premier League goal came on his Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 189 ...
debut on 19 August 2007, in the 16th minute in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea. His first hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
came in a 4–2 victory over Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
in the League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
on 25 September 2007, with all of his goals coming in the second half. His first goals in the Champions League came on his third appearance in the competition as Liverpool beat Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...
4–1 on 28 November 2007, as he scored twice.
Torres was named the Premier League Player of the Month
The Premier League Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League player each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to 10 ...
for February 2008, during which he scored four goals in four appearances, including a hat-trick against Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
on 23 February 2008.[ This hat-trick and another in a 4–0 victory over ]West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
on 5 March 2008 meant he became the first Liverpool player since Jack Balmer
John Balmer (6 February 1916 — 25 December 1984) was an English footballer who played as a striker for English club Liverpool.
Life and playing career
Born in West Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, Balmer played for Collegiate Old Boys ...
in November 1946 to score a hat-trick in successive home matches. Later in March, after he scored a 47th-minute header against Reading at Anfield, he became the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler in the 1995–96 season to score 20 league goals in a season. In April, he scored another Champions League goal, this time against Arsenal in the quarter-final second leg, as Liverpool advanced to the semi-final. This goal took him onto 29 goals for the 2007–08 season in all competitions,[ eclipsing ]Michael Owen
Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team. Since r ...
's personal record for goals in a season. On 11 April 2008, it was announced Torres had made a six-man shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Men's Players' Player of the Year (often called the PFA Men's Players' Player of the Year, the Players' Player of the Year, or simply the Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is ...
award, which was eventually won by Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
of Manchester United. The Spanish international was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year (often called the PFA Young Player of the Year, or simply the Young Player of the Year) is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the s ...
Award, which was won by Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler (; ; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Italian Serie B club Como.
Fàbregas came through ''La Masia'', Barcelona's youth academy, leaving at 16 when ...
of Arsenal and was named in the PFA Team of the Year. In May, he finished second to Ronaldo for the FWA Footballer of the Year
The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year (often called the FWA Footballer of the Year, or in England simply the Footballer of the Year) is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in ...
award.
On 4 May 2008, Torres scored a 57th-minute winner against Manchester City, which equalled the consecutive Anfield league goal record of eight games set by Roger Hunt
Roger Hunt (20 July 1938 – 27 September 2021) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward.
Eleven years with Liverpool, he was the club's record goalscorer with 286 goals until being overtaken by Ian Rush. Nonetheless, ...
. After scoring his 24th league goal in the final game of the season, a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
, he set a new record for the most prolific foreign goal scorer in a debut season in England, eclipsing Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (anglicised to Van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He is currently the coach of PSV Eindhoven.
A former footballer, Van Nistelrooy is often consi ...
's 23 goals. He ended the season in joint second place with Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (; born 26 February 1984) is a Togolese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Togolese Championnat National club Semassi. He previously played for English clubs Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Ho ...
in the race for the Premier League golden boot. Torres was subject to media speculation that Chelsea were willing to pay £50 million to sign him, but Torres responded by saying it would be "many years" before he left Liverpool. Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks
Thomas Ollis Hicks Sr. (born February 7, 1946), is an American private equity investor and sports team owner living in Dallas, Texas. ''Forbes'' magazine estimated Hicks' wealth at $1 billion in 2009, but it dropped to $700 million in 2010 ...
also negated the idea of a transfer, saying he would not allow Torres to leave the club at any price.
2008–09 season
Torres made a scoring start to the 2008–09 Premier League season with a 25-yard shot into the bottom right-hand corner away at Sunderland, which was the only goal in a 1–0 win on 16 August 2008. He suffered a hamstring
In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury.
In quadrupe ...
tear in a 0–0 draw against Aston Villa, which would keep him out for two to three weeks. Torres made his return in a 2–1 victory against Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
in the Champions League and went on to score two goals in the Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the association football, football matches between Everton F.C., Everton and Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, the two primary clubs in Liverpool, England. Named after the county of Merseyside, in which Liverpool is located, it ...
against Everton on 27 September 2008 to give Liverpool a 2–0 win. He followed this up with another two goals the following weekend against Manchester City in a 3–2 win away at the City of Manchester Stadium as Liverpool came back from a two-goal deficit. The first of these was the thousandth Liverpool goal to be scored in the Premier League. Torres picked up a hamstring injury during a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier, meaning he was likely to miss three games for Liverpool. On 22 October 2008, Liverpool played Torres' former club Atlético in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, but his injury meant he missed out on the game. Atlético president Enrique Cerezo had given him a VIP invitation to watch the game, but he declined this to continue his rehabilitation from injury in Merseyside. He was named in the FIFPro World XI
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
team for the 2007–08 season on 27 October 2008.
Torres made his return for Liverpool on 8 November 2008 after coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute in a 3–0 victory against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
. He said he would be interested in returning to former club Atlético eventually, saying, "I don't know if I will retire there, but I would like to go back and finish some things that are left to do." He was ruled out of action for two to three weeks following Liverpool's 1–0 victory over Marseille in the Champions League in November, where he picked up a hamstring strain, which was later extended to at least four weeks by specialists. He was named on the shortlist for the FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award presented annually by the sport's governing body, FIFA, between 1991 and 2015 at the FIFA World Player Gala. Coaches and captains of international teams and media representati ...
award in December, and eventually came in third place behind Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
. Torres returned to action on 3 January 2009 as a substitute with a goal in the 2–0 win over Preston North End F.C., Preston North End, his first in the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
. He scored two late goals for Liverpool to secure a 2–0 victory over Chelsea on 1 February 2009. Despite having spent a year and a half at the club, Torres was chosen as number 50 in ''The Timess list of "The 50 greatest Liverpool players", reinforcing the impact he had made at Liverpool in such a short period of time.
Torres faced his old rivals Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid on 10 March 2009 in the Champions League last 16 and due to an ankle injury, he had a painkilling injection before the game to enable him to play. He scored the first goal of the game, which ended as a 4–0 victory, meaning Liverpool progressed to the quarter-finals 5–0 on aggregate. Four days later, he lined up against Manchester United at Old Trafford and he scored the equaliser in a game that finished as a 4–1 victory. His goal celebration at Old Trafford endeared him to Liverpool fans when he held out his hand to United fans – making the "five times" gesture –
signifying Liverpool's five Champions League titles (to United's three). He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the second season running in April 2009. Torres scored his 50th goal for Liverpool on 24 May 2009 against Tottenham on the final day of the 2008–09 Liverpool F.C. season, 2008–09 season, his 84th appearance.
2009–10 season
Following the end of the season, Torres agreed a new contract with Liverpool, which he signed on 14 August. By signing, Torres had the option of a one-year extension after the contract's expiration in 2013. Torres scored two goals in a 3–2 win over West Ham United on 19 September 2009, a result that took Liverpool to third in the Premier League. One week later, he scored his first hat-trick of the 2009–10 Premier League, 2009–10 Premier League season in a 6–1 victory over Hull City A.F.C., Hull City at Anfield. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for September, after scoring five goals during the month and becoming the Premier League's 2009–10 Premier League#Top scorers, top goalscorer. On 25 October 2009, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 victory for Liverpool over Manchester United, after which Rafael Benítez praised Torres' performance, saying, "We were waiting for that final pass. When it came we knew he would score." Torres was named in the FIFPro World XI for the second successive season in December 2009. His stoppage-time winning goal against Aston Villa on 29 December 2009 made him the fastest Liverpool player ever to score 50 league goals. He was substituted on 65 minutes in a 1–1 draw with Birmingham City F.C., Birmingham City on 4 April 2010, which Benítez justified by saying Torres was "exhausted". Torres made his last appearance of the season scoring twice in a 4–1 victory over S.L. Benfica, Benfica in the Europa League on 8 April 2010,[ and it was announced on 18 April that he would miss the rest of the season to undergo knee surgery.] This meant that Torres finished the season with 22 goals in 32 games in all competitions, finishing as Liverpool's top scorer for the second time.[
]
2010–11 season
Following Roy Hodgson's appointment as Liverpool manager, Hodgson stated that Torres would not be sold by the club, saying, "He is not for sale and we don't welcome any offers for him. We want to keep him." Hodgson dismissed reports Torres was set to leave Liverpool by saying, "He has told us that he is looking forward to Monday, to getting back to work and looking forward to playing for Liverpool next season. That is what I know so other reports, I would suggest, are erroneous." Torres stated his commitment to Liverpool on 3 August: "My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed."
Torres made his first appearance of the 2010–11 Liverpool F.C. season, 2010–11 season in the opening match, a 1–1 draw with Arsenal on 14 August 2010, entering the game as a substitute in the 74th minute. He scored his first goal of the season with the winner in a 1–0 victory over West Brom on 29 August 2010, his 50th goal at Anfield in all competitions. Torres scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory at home to Blackburn Rovers F.C., Blackburn Rovers on 24 October 2010, his first goal since August. He scored his final goals for Liverpool in a 3–0 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., Wolverhampton Wanderers on 22 January 2011.
Chelsea
On 27 January 2011, Torres was the subject of a £40 million bid from Chelsea, which was rejected by Liverpool. He subsequently handed in an official transfer request to Liverpool the next day, which was rejected. Torres completed his move to Chelsea on a five-and-a-half-year contract on 31 January 2011 for an undisclosed fee reported to be £50 million, which set a new record for a British transfer and made him the List of most expensive association football transfers, sixth most expensive footballer in history. He made his Chelsea debut on 6 February 2011 in a 1–0 home defeat to former club Liverpool. On 23 April 2011, Torres scored his first goal for Chelsea against West Ham United in a 3–0 victory, which ended a run of 903 minutes of football without a goal. This was his only goal for Chelsea in the 2010–11 season, having made 18 appearances for his new club.[
]
2011–12 season
Torres got the 2011–12 Chelsea F.C. season, 2011–12 season underway in Chelsea's 0–0 draw away against Stoke City F.C., Stoke City on 14 August 2011, in which his "link-up play was sharp, plus he was willing to make intelligent runs into space to receive the ball". He scored his second goal at Chelsea, and his first of the season, on 18 September 2011, during an away game against Manchester United, the side's only goal in a 3–1 defeat. He scored his second goal of the season at home to Swansea City A.F.C., Swansea City in a 4–1 victory. Ten minutes after his goal, however, a two-footed challenge on Mark Gower resulted in his first Red card (association football), red card in English football and a three-match domestic suspension. On 19 October 2011, Torres scored two goals in a 5–0 victory against K.R.C. Genk, Genk in the Champions League, his first in Europe since the quarter-final of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, 2008–09 Champions League with his old club Liverpool, against Chelsea. His next Chelsea goals came after scoring twice and also assisting two others against EFL Championship, Championship team Leicester City F.C., Leicester City in an FA Cup 2011–12 FA Cup, quarter-final on 18 March 2012, ending a goal drought that stretched 24 games. On 31 March 2012, Torres scored his first Premier League goal since 24 September 2011, against Aston Villa in a 4–2 away win.[
Torres came on as a substitute for Didier Drogba on 24 April 2012 to score a last-minute goal against FC Barcelona, Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, which gave Chelsea a 2–2 draw, and cemented Barcelona's elimination from the tournament. Chelsea were already winning on the away goals rule, but finally won on aggregate score (3–2).] He scored the first hat-trick of his Chelsea career in a 6–1 win against Queens Park Rangers F.C., Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge (stadium), Stamford Bridge on 29 April 2012. Torres came on in the second half of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final on 19 May 2012, directly after FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich's opening goal, and following a 1–1 draw after Overtime (association football), extra time Chelsea won the penalty shoot-out 4–3. His first full season at Chelsea finished with 11 goals in 49 appearances.[
]
2012–13 season
Torres started the 2012–13 Chelsea F.C. season, 2012–13 season in the 2012 FA Community Shield against Manchester City at Villa Park, where he scored the opening goal, as Chelsea lost 3–2. On 19 August 2012, he appeared in Chelsea's first league match in a 2–0 away win against Wigan Athletic F.C., Wigan Athletic. Torres scored his first goal of the season in Chelsea's next match on 22 August 2012, a 4–2 home win against Reading, scoring the third goal to give his side the lead. He also scored against Newcastle United, Arsenal and Norwich City F.C., Norwich City as Chelsea topped the table in the early weeks of 2012–13 Premier League, the season.
Torres was sent off for receiving two Yellow card (association football), yellow cards against Manchester United on 28 October 2012, the second for Diving (association football), diving, leaving Chelsea with nine men after teammate Branislav Ivanović was also sent off; the team went on to lose 3–2. Torres scored his first goal in the Champions League 2012–13 UEFA Champions League, for the season after deflecting FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov's clearance into goal, as Chelsea needed a 94th-minute winner from Victor Moses to secure a 3–2 victory on 7 November 2012. On 21 November 2012, Roberto Di Matteo was replaced as Chelsea manager by Rafael Benítez, who had previously coached Torres at Liverpool. It was reported that one reason for Benítez's appointment was to help Torres return to his best form.
Torres ended a goal drought that stretched over 11 hours of game time with two goals in Chelsea's 6–1 defeat of FC Nordsjælland, Nordsjælland in the Champions League on 5 December 2012. Three days later, he scored another two goals, ending a run of eight Premier League games without a goal, as Chelsea defeated Sunderland 3–1. He then scored in Chelsea's 2012 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final 3–1 win against C.F. Monterrey, Monterrey of the Mexican Liga MX on 13 December 2012, before playing in the 1–0 defeat to Brazilian Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Série A side Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, Corinthians in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup Final, final three days later.[
On 14 March 2013, Torres scored the third goal as Chelsea defeated FC Steaua București, Steaua București 3–1 to advance 3–2 on aggregate to the quarter-final of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, Europa League.][ With this goal, Torres became the first player to score in seven different competitions in one season. He scored twice against FC Rubin Kazan, Rubin Kazan in the 3–1 win in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final on 4 April 2013, before scoring again in the second leg 3–2 defeat, with Chelsea progressing to the semi-final 5–4 on aggregate.][ Torres scored the opening goal in Chelsea's 2–1 triumph over Benfica in the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final on 15 May 2013.][ During the final match of the season, a 2–1 home win over Everton, he scored his first league goal of 2013, and finished the season with 22 goals in 64 matches.]
2013–14 season
Torres was selected to start by Chelsea's new manager José Mourinho against Hull City on the opening day of the 2013–14 Chelsea F.C. season, 2013–14 season, where he won a fifth-minute Penalty kick (association football), penalty kick. He scored his first goal of the season in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup against Bayern Munich.[ On 28 September 2013, he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in Chelsea's 1–1 2013–14 Premier League, Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
Torres made his 100th start for Chelsea against FC Schalke 04, Schalke 04 in a 2013–14 UEFA Champions League#Group E, Champions League match on 22 October 2013 and marked the occasion by scoring two goals in a 3–0 win. His first Premier League goal of the season came on 27 October as he scored the winning goal in the 90th minute over title challengers Manchester City, while also providing the assist for André Schürrle's opener.
]
AC Milan
Torres joined Italian Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
club AC Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 and 1982–83 seaso ...
on a two-year loan
In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...
on 31 August 2014. He debuted on 20 September 2014, replacing Andrea Poli for the last 14 minutes of a 1–0 home defeat against Juventus F.C., Juventus and scored his first Milan goal with a looping header in their 2–2 draw with Empoli F.C., Empoli two days later.
Return to Atlético Madrid
On 27 December 2014, it was announced that Torres' move to Milan would be made permanent on 5 January 2015, but two days later, he agreed to rejoin La Liga club Atlético Madrid on loan until the end of the 2015–16 season. The loan was agreed after Alessio Cerci went the opposite way from Atlético to Milan on the same day, 5 January. Torres' unveiling at the Vicente Calderón Stadium on 4 January 2015 drew a crowd of 45,000 persons. He played the first match of his second spell on 7 January 2015, starting in the first leg of a 2014–15 Copa del Rey, Copa del Rey last 16 tie against Real Madrid. He had no shots on target and was replaced by Koke (footballer, born 1992), Koke after 59 minutes, but Atlético won 2–0. Eight days later in the second leg, he scored two goals – in the first minute of each half – as Atlético advanced, his first goals in an away Madrid derby. Torres scored in the first minute again in the quarter-finals, albeit in a 2–3 home defeat against Barcelona.
On 17 March, Torres scored the winning kick in Atlético's 3–2 penalty shoot-out defeat of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of the teams' 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, Champions League 2014–15 UEFA Champions League knockout stage#Round of 16, round of 16 tie. On 21 March, he scored his first La Liga goal since his return in the third minute of a 2–0 win against Getafe CF, Getafe.
On 6 February 2016, Torres scored his 100th goal with Atlético Madrid in a 3–1 home league victory against SD Eibar, Eibar on his 295th appearance for the club. The following month, he marked the occasion of his 300th appearance for Atlético by scoring in a 3–1 victory over Valencia CF, Valencia.
On 5 April 2016, Torres scored the opening goal of Atlético's 2015–16 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Champions League 2015–16 UEFA Champions League knockout phase#Quarter-finals, quarter-final with Barcelona at Camp Nou, before being sent off ten minutes later in an eventual 2–1 loss.
On 5 July 2016, Torres signed for Atlético permanently on a one-year contract. In February 2017, he scored his 100th league goal in Spanish football when he netted a brace against Leganés. On 4 July 2017, Torres signed a new one-year contract with the rojiblancos to stay with his boyhood club for one more year after they were banned from signing new players.
Torres came on as a 90th-minute substitute on 16 May 2018 as Atlético beat Marseille 3–0 at Parc Olympique Lyonnais in the 2018 UEFA Europa League Final. He scored two goals in his last match with Atlético in a 2–2 draw versus SD Eibar, Eibar in the final week of championship.
Sagan Tosu and retirement
Torres signed for J1 League club Sagan Tosu
is a Japanese professional football club, currently playing in the J1 League. The team is located in Tosu, Saga Prefecture.
''Sagan'' is a coined word with a couple of meanings behind it. One of its homophones is in Japanese. This symbolises ...
on 10 July 2018. He scored his first goal for the club on 22 August in the 2018 Emperor's Cup, Emperor's Cup, netting in a fourth round victory over Vissel Kobe. His first league goal followed five days later when he scored once and assisted a further two in a 3–0 win over Gamba Osaka. On 21 June 2019, Torres announced that he would retire from football. He made his farewell in a J1 League match against Vissel Kobe on 23 August 2019, when he faced former Spain teammates Andrés Iniesta and David Villa. The game ended in a 6–1 defeat for Sagan Tosu.
International career
2001–02: Success at youth level
In February 2001, Torres won the Algarve Tournament with the Spain national under-16 football team, Spain national under-16 team. The under-16s took part in the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Championship in May, which they also won, with Torres scoring the only goal in the final, as well as finishing as the tournament's leading scorer, and was also named the player of the tournament.[ In September 2001, Torres represented the Spain national under-17 football team, under-17 team at the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship, but the team failed to progress through the group stage.][ In July 2002, he won the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship with the Spain national under-19 football team, under-19 team and was again the only goalscorer in the final.] Also, he finished as top scorer and was named player of the tournament.[
]
2003–06: Senior debut and early years
Torres made his debut for the senior team on 6 September 2003 in a exhibition game, friendly against Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
.[ His first goal for Spain came against Italy national football team, Italy on 28 April 2004.][ He was selected for the Spanish squad for ]UEFA Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
.[ After appearing as a late substitute in Spain's first two group games, he started for the deciding game against Portugal.][ Spain were losing 1–0 and, towards the end of the game, he hit the post.][
]
Torres scored 7 goals in 11 appearances in 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA), qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, making him Spain's top scorer for qualification, including a vital two goals against Belgium national football team, Belgium and his first international hat-trick against San Marino national football team, San Marino.[ At his first ever appearance in a FIFA World Cup finals at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Torres scored the final goal in a 4–0 victory over Ukraine national football team, Ukraine with a volley.] In the second group match, Torres scored twice against Tunisia national football team, Tunisia, first in the 76th minute to take Spain 2–1 into the lead, and then again from a penalty kick in the 90th. With three goals, he finished the tournament as Spain's top scorer alongside fellow striker David Villa.
2007–08: European Champions
Torres was called up for Spain's Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of Europea ...
squad, where he set up Villa to score Spain's first goal of the tournament in the first game in the group stage against Russia national football team, Russia. Torres came under criticism for apparently refusing to shake the hand of Spanish manager Luis Aragonés after being substituted off. He subsequently denied being angry with the coaching, saying that he was actually "irritated with himself". He scored his first goal of the tournament in Spain's next game, a 2–1 win over Sweden national football team, Sweden. Torres scored the winner and was named the man of the match in the UEFA Euro 2008 Final, final against Germany national football team, Germany in a 1–0 victory. He said, "It's just a dream come true. This is my first title and I hope it's the first of many. Victory in a Euro, it is almost as big as a World Cup. We are used to watching finals on television, but today we were here and we won. My job is to score goals. I want to win more titles and be the most important player in Europe and the world." He was later named as a striker along with his striking partner David Villa in the Team of the Tournament.
2009–10: World Cup champions
Torres made his 60th appearance for Spain in a 2010 World Cup qualification victory over Turkey national football team, Turkey on 28 March 2009, becoming the youngest player to reach this milestone.
Torres was named in Spain's team for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in June. He scored his second hat-trick for Spain after 17 minutes into a Confederations Cup match against New Zealand national football team, New Zealand on 14 June, thus recording the fastest hat-trick by a player for Spain. He played for Spain as they were defeated 2–0 by the United States men's national soccer team, United States in the semi-final, as well as the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup#Match for third place, third-place play-off, which Spain won 3–2 against South Africa national football team, South Africa after extra time.
Having undergone knee surgery on 18 April 2010, and missing the end of the Premier League season, Torres' rehabilitation and fitness was closely monitored by Spain manager Vicente del Bosque. Although still out injured, Torres was selected for Spain's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad in May. On 8 June, Torres made his first appearance on the field in exactly two months, coming on as a substitute on 66 minutes against Poland national football team, Poland in a pre-World Cup friendly.
Torres came on as a substitute on 61 minutes in Spain's opening World Cup match on 16 June, a 1–0 defeat to Switzerland national football team, Switzerland. He started the next two matches against Honduras national football team, Honduras and Chile national football team, Chile and although his performances in the group stage were described as below-par, he received backing from Del Bosque. Torres came on as a substitute on 105 minutes in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, final as Spain won the World Cup for the first time following a 1–0 victory over the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands on 11 July 2010.
2011–12: Euro 2012 glory
Torres was selected in Del Bosque's Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
squad. In his first start of the tournament, he netted two goals as Spain defeated the Republic of Ireland national football team, Republic of Ireland 4–0 to eliminate them from the tournament. In the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, tournament final, Torres came on as a substitute against Italy, scoring one goal and assisting another, as Spain won a second consecutive UEFA European Championship, European Championship with a 4–0 victory. This secured him the UEFA Euro 2012#Awards, Golden Boot for the tournament with three goals and one assist, having played fewer minutes than Mario Gómez, who also had three goals and one assist.
Torres won his List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps, 100th cap against Saudi Arabia national football team, Saudi Arabia on 7 September 2012, making him the sixth-highest capped player for Spain, and started the game as captain in goalkeeper Iker Casillas' absence.
2013–14: Confederations Cup top scorer and final World Cup
He became the first player in history to score four goals in one game in a FIFA Confederations Cup match during a 10–0 win over Tahiti national football team, Tahiti on 20 June 2013 in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2013 Confederations Cup. Torres also became the List of FIFA Confederations Cup hat-tricks, first player to score two hat-tricks in the Confederations Cup, and with five goals and one assist won the tournament's Golden Shoe, ahead of Fred (footballer, born 1983), Fred having played fewer minutes.
In his first international for 11 months, Torres scored a penalty in a World Cup warm-up match against Bolivia national football team, Bolivia on 30 May 2014. The day after, he was named in Spain's final squad for the tournament, ahead of Álvaro Negredo and Fernando Llorente. After substitute appearances in the team's opening two matches, Torres was named in the starting line-up for the third group match with the team's elimination already confirmed. He scored Spain's second goal in a 3–0 defeat of Australia national soccer team, Australia in Curitiba.
Style of play
Torres was described as having "an eye for the spectacular" and being "capable of world-class skill", as well as being regarded as a "technically proficient, highly successful striker". He had the ability to find himself in goalscoring positions, using his pace and vision to get in behind defenders. A hard-working striker, he was also known for his willingness to chase down and put pressure on opposing defenders, and was capable of playing off his teammates and creating chances for other strikers, in addition to scoring goals himself; this also saw him being deployed in a deeper role as a second striker on occasion.
Due to his consistent goalscoring rate as a young player, Torres came to be nicknamed ''El Niño'' ('The Kid'). Being strong in the air, and an accurate finisher with his head as well as both feet, in his prime during 2007—2010, his prolific goalscoring earned him a reputation as one of the top strikers in the world, or simply the best striker in the world. Prior to the 2009 Confederations Cup, the ''Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC'' described him as: "The golden boy of Spanish soccer and one of the most dangerous forwards in the game. Nicknamed El Niño (The Kid), Torres is coming off a solid second season for Liverpool in which he scored 14 goals. Torres is lightning quick, a deadly finisher and a player of such high class with the ball at his feet that he routinely makes the spectacular look ordinary." However, several injuries led to a loss of form, pace, confidence and a decreased goalscoring rate in later seasons.
Coaching career
On 25 July 2021, Atlético Madrid appointed Torres as head coach of the Atlético Madrid (youth), Juvenil A (U19) team.
Personal life
Torres' parents are José Torres and Flori Sanz. He has two older siblings: Israel (born 1977) and María Paz (born 1976). He married Olalla Domínguez Liste on 27 May 2009 in a private ceremony with just two witnesses at the local town hall in El Escorial, Madrid. The couple have two children, a daughter, Nora, born on 8 July 2009 at the Hospital La Rosaleda, in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, and a son, Leo, born on 6 December 2010 at Liverpool Women's Hospital, with Torres missing the fixture against Aston Villa at Anfield.
In 2009, it was reported that Torres had amassed a personal fortune of £14 million. He features in the video for "Ya nada volverá a ser como antes" by Spanish pop rock group El Canto del Loco, whose singer, Dani Martín (singer), Dani Martín, shares a strong friendship with the footballer. He makes a cameo appearance in the 2005 comedy film ''Torrente 3: El protector''. In 2009, he released an autobiography entitled ''Torres: El Niño: My Story''. Torres is a keen admirer of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and has a tattoo reading "Fernando" in Tengwar on his left forearm.
In 2011, a Estadio Fernando Torres, stadium in Fuenlabrada
Fuenlabrada () is a city and municipality of Spain located in the Community of Madrid. , it has a population of 193,586, making it the region's fourth most populated municipality.
Placename
The etymology of ''Fuenlabrada'' comes from the contra ...
was built in his honor.
Career statistics
Club
International
Honours
Atlético Madrid
* Segunda División: 2001–02 Segunda División, 2001–02
*UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
: 2017–18 UEFA Europa League, 2017–18[
*]UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
runner-up: 2015–16 UEFA Champions League, 2015–16
Chelsea
*FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
: 2011–12 FA Cup, 2011–12[
*]UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
: 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, 2011–12[
*UEFA Europa League: 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, 2012–13][
*FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, 2012
Spain U16
*UEFA European Under-17 Championship, UEFA European Under-16 Championship: 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Championship, 2001][
Spain U19
*UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, 2002]
Spain
*FIFA World Cup: 2010 FIFA World Cup, 2010[
*UEFA European Championship: UEFA Euro 2008, 2008, UEFA Euro 2012, 2012][
*FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2013;][ third place: 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2009][
Individual
]
*UEFA European Under-16 Championship Player of the Tournament: 2001
*UEFA European Under-16 Championship top scorer: 2001
*UEFA European Under-19 Championship Player of the Tournament: 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, 2002[
*UEFA European Under-19 Championship top scorer: 2002
*Liverpool Player of the Season Awards: 2007–08 Liverpool F.C. season, 2007–08
*]Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
PFA Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2008–09
*Premier League Player of the Month
The Premier League Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best adjudged Premier League player each month of the season. The winner is chosen by a combination of an online public vote, which contributes to 10 ...
: 2007–08 Premier League#Monthly awards, February 2008, 2009–10 Premier League#Monthly awards, September 2009
*BBC Goal of the Month: April 2009
*UEFA Euro 2008 Final: Man of the Match
*UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: UEFA Euro 2008#Awards, 2008[
*]Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or (; ) is an annual association football, football award presented by French news magazine ''France Football'' since 1956. Between 2010 and 2015, in an agreement with FIFA, the award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Pl ...
third-place: 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
*UEFA Team of the Year: UEFA Team of the Year#Team of the Year 2008, 2008[
*FIFPro#FIFA FIFPro World XI, FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2008, 2009
*European Sports Media, ESM Team of the Year: 2007–08
*FIFA Confederations Cup records#Golden Shoe, FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Shoe: 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup#Awards, 2009
*Marca Leyenda#List of winners, Marca Leyenda award: 2012
*List of UEFA European Championship records#General statistics by tournament, UEFA European Championship Golden Boot: UEFA Euro 2012#Awards, 2012][
*FIFA Confederations Cup records#Golden Shoe, FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe: 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup#Awards, 2013
Decorations
*Prince of Asturias Awards#Sports (Deportes), Prince of Asturias Award for Sports: 2010][
*Royal Order of Sports Merit, Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit: 2011]
See also
*List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
*Estadio Fernando Torres
References
Sources
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Torres, Fernando
1984 births
Living people
People from Fuenlabrada
Spanish footballers
Footballers from the Community of Madrid
Association football forwards
Atlético Madrid footballers
Liverpool F.C. players
Chelsea F.C. players
A.C. Milan players
Sagan Tosu players
Segunda División players
La Liga players
Premier League players
Serie A players
J1 League players
UEFA Champions League winning players
UEFA Europa League winning players
Spain youth international footballers
Spain under-21 international footballers
Spain international footballers
UEFA Euro 2004 players
2006 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2008 players
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2012 players
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA European Championship-winning players
FIFA World Cup-winning players
FIFA Century Club
Spanish expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in England
Expatriate footballers in Italy
Expatriate footballers in Japan
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in England
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Italy
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Japan
Spanish football managers