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Diego Forlán Corazo (born 19 May 1979) is a Uruguayan professional
football manager ''Football Manager'', also known as ''Worldwide Soccer Manager'' in North America from 2004 to 2008, is a series of football management simulation video games developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game beg ...
and former
football player 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 ...
who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation, Forlán is a two-time winner of both the
Pichichi Trophy In Spanish Association football, football, the Pichichi Trophy () is awarded by the sports newspaper ''Marca (newspaper), Marca'' to the top goalscorer of each La Liga season. Named after the Athletic Bilbao striker Pichichi (footballer), Rafael ...
and the
European Golden Shoe The European Golden Shoe, also known as the European Golden Boot, is an award that is presented each season to the player with the most points in league matches from the top division of a European national league. The trophy is a sculpture o ...
at club level. With the Uruguay national team, he had notable individual success at the
2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
, finishing as joint top scorer with five goals, winning the goal of the tournament, and winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. Forlán began his career in his native Uruguay as a youth player with
Peñarol Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football. The nam ...
and Danubio, before joining Argentine club Independiente. After rising through their youth team and after a successful four-year spell, he sealed a move to England with
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
in 2002. His form for United was not as successful as at Independiente, although he won the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
in 2002–03 and the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
in 2003–04. In the summer of 2004, Forlán moved to Spanish side Villarreal. In his first season in Spanish football, he won the
Pichichi Trophy In Spanish Association football, football, the Pichichi Trophy () is awarded by the sports newspaper ''Marca (newspaper), Marca'' to the top goalscorer of each La Liga season. Named after the Athletic Bilbao striker Pichichi (footballer), Rafael ...
. After two more successful seasons with Villarreal, Forlán joined
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
, where he once again became the league's top scorer, and became the first player to win the Pichichi Trophy twice since Ronaldo in 1996–97 and 2003–04. Forlán scored in Atlético's 2010 Europa League final victory against
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
. In 2011, he joined
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
of Italy before moving to Internacional in 2012. After spells in Japan with
Cerezo Osaka is a Japanese professional football club based in Osaka. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Cerezo'' (Spanish for cherry blossom) is also the flower of the city of Osak ...
, back in Uruguay with his boyhood club Peñarol, in India with Mumbai City and in Hong Kong with Kitchee, Forlán retired from professional football in August 2019. Forlán also had a successful international career, scoring 36 times for his country between his debut in 2002 and his retirement in 2015, including six goals at
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
s. On 12 July 2011, at the
2011 Copa América The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América 2011 Argentina, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international association football, football tournament for national ...
in Argentina, which Uruguay won, Forlán earned his 79th international
cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...
in a match against
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, breaking the record held since 1986 by goalkeeper Rodolfo Rodríguez. On 20 June 2013, in a match against
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
at the 2013 Confederations Cup, Forlán became the first Uruguayan to win 100 caps. Forlán was Uruguay's all-time leading top scorer from 2011 until
Luis Suárez Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF, Inter Miami. Known for his go ...
overtook him two years later.


Early life and education

Forlán was born on 19 May 1979 and raised in the neighborhood of Carrasco in the capital city of
Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
. His family — which included three brothers, a sister, four cousins, his maternal grandmother and her sister — resided in an apartment building on Potosi street, a short distance from the Hotel Carrasco and the Rambla. He is the son of former player and Uruguayan international Pablo Forlán and the grandson of Juan Carlos Corazzo through his mother, Pilar Corazo. Forlán attended multiple schools in the private and state sector. He started at the Liceo Francés Jules Supervielle in Buceo, but later transferred to the Erwy School because it was closer to his home. This was followed by Scuola Italiana di Montevideo and then Liceo 15 in Carrasco. He learned English at school from a young age. As a child, Forlán played tennis at the Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club, in addition to football, which often took place on the streets. On 14 September 1991, Forlán's sister Alejandra was seriously injured and eventually left handicapped by a car accident that also killed her boyfriend. The cost of the medical bills plunged his family into financial crisis, though this was later averted due to the fundraising efforts of
Diego Maradona Diego Armando Maradona Franco (30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional association football, football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two ...
. Until this point Forlán was also dedicated to tennis, but ultimately focussed more on football, like his father and grandfather, in the hope that he might contribute to paying for his sister's treatment.


Club career


Early career

Forlán was a boyhood fan of
Peñarol Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football. The nam ...
and played youth football for both Peñarol and Danubio In 1995, a 16-year-old Forlán moved to France, where he spent four months on trial at Nancy, but was ultimately not offered a contract by manager László Bölöni.


Independiente

Forlán received an offer to join Argentine side Independiente through the help of one of his father's contacts, José Omar Pastoriza. He soon accepted, rejecting a simultaneous offer from
Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
. Arriving in Argentina on 28 January 1998, Forlán made his way up the Independiente reserve teams and thanks to strong performances, started training with the first team. Injuries to several forward players who were ahead of him in the pecking order created an opportunity for the young Uruguayan, who made his professional debut on 26 October 1998 in a match against
Argentinos Juniors Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its association football, football team, which currently plays in the Argentine Primera División, and was reco ...
. Forlán scored 37 goals in 80 league games. His goalscoring attracted the attention of European sides, and in January 2002, Independiente agreed a £6.9 million deal with
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
of the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
; the transfer fee would be paid over 18 installments. Forlán travelled to England expecting to negotiate with Middlesbrough, but at the last minute
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
gazumped the Teesside club, offering Independiente the same fee in a single payment, as well as a more lucrative salary for Forlán. On arriving in England, he negotiated with United officials for four hours, then informed the press of his decision. "Manchester United is a big club, so I've decided to go there," he explained. "The thing is, they offered more money than Middlesbrough." He signed for United soon after.


Manchester United

Forlán was signed for Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson for £6.9 million on 22 January 2002. He made his debut on 29 January as a 76th-minute substitute for Ole Gunnar Solskjær in a 4–0 away win at
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
. He made his first start in 4–0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur on 6 March. Forlán made 13
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
and five
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
appearances in the 2001–02 season but did not score. On 18 September 2002, Forlán came on as a 56th-minute substitute for Ryan Giggs in a Champions League match versus Maccabi Haifa. He scored his first United goal as an 89th-minute penalty kick in the 5–2 win. His first Premier League goal was a 77th-minute equaliser in a home 1–1 draw against Aston Villa on 26 October. In Forlán's next Premier League game, at home to
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
on 2 November, he came on as a 79th-minute substitute for United's goalscorer
Phil Neville Philip John Neville (born 21 January 1977) is an English association football, football manager and former player who is the current head coach of Major League Soccer club Portland Timbers. He is also the co-owner of Salford City F.C., Salford ...
with the score at 1–1, and scored the winner with a dipping shot over Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi in the 85th minute. The goal also became notable due to his
goal celebration In sports, a goal celebration is the practice of celebrating the scoring of a goal. The celebration is normally performed by the goalscorer, and may involve their teammates, the manager or coaching staff or the supporters of the team. Whilst ...
where he ripped off his jersey, but then struggled to put it back on as the game recommenced, with Forlán making a blocked tackle while shirtless. On 1 December, Forlán scored his first brace for Manchester United with goals in the 64th and 67th minute of an away 2–1 Premier League win at
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. On 17 December 2002, Forlán scored the winning goal as United defeated Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the
Football League Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
. On 18 January 2003, Forlán scored a 90th-minute winning goal to again defeat Chelsea, this time in a Premier League match. Manchester United went on to win the Premier League title in 2002–03, and Forlán scored six goals to make him the club's third best-scoring striker that season after
Ruud van Nistelrooy Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (; born 1 July 1976), commonly known as Ruud van Nistelrooy (), is a Dutch professional Association football, football manager and former player who is the current manager of EFL Championship club Leic ...
and Ole Gunnar Solskjær. At the start of the 2003–04 season, Forlán played seven Premier League games without scoring. This run was broken on 25 October, when he equalised the score to 1–1 in the 45th minute of a home match versus
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
, a game which United lost 3–1. Forlán then scored a goal in his three subsequent matches in three different competitions, starting with an extra-time goal in an away League Cup game at
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
which Manchester United won 3–2. This was followed by the opener in a 3–0 home Premier League victory over
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
and a sixth-minute goal in a win by the same score over Rangers in the Champions League. In his next Champions League game, he scored the 85th-minute winner for United over Panathinaikos in a 1–0 away victory. On 6 December 2003, Forlán scored two injury-time goals as Manchester United beat Aston Villa 4–0 at home in the Premier League. These were Forlán's last Premier League goals despite him playing 10 more league games over the season. His only other Manchester United goal was in a 3–0 victory over Northampton Town of Division Three on 24 January 2004 in the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
. Diego Forlán did not feature at all in United's 3–0 victory over Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup Final on 22 May 2004. He started the 2004–05 season with Manchester United and played in a Champions League qualifier against Dinamo București and a 3–1 defeat to
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
on 8 August in the 2004 FA Community Shield. His last match for United was their first Premier League game that season, a 1–0 defeat away to Chelsea on 15 August. United supporters would continue to sing Forlán's name in tribute to the two goals he scored against Liverpool for several years after Forlán's departure from the club, with the chant "He came from Uruguay, he made the scousers cry". Forlán spoke of this fondly in 2010.


Villarreal

Forlán was strongly linked with a move to Spanish clubs Levante and
Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...
, but on 21 August 2004, he signed with Villarreal. Forlán's debut for Villarreal was on 30 August 2004, starting away to rivals
Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
and scoring his club's goal in the 77th minute of a 2–1 defeat. His next goal came in a home 2–0 win over
Real Zaragoza Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. (), commonly referred to as Zaragoza, is a football club based in Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, that currently competes in the Segunda División, the second tier of the Spanish football league system, Spanish league system. Zarag ...
on 3 October, and was followed with an equaliser in a 1–1 draw at
Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
and the final goal of a 4–0 win at home to Numancia. Between 12 December 2004 and 16 January 2005, Forlán scored seven goals in five Primera División matches, including a brace in a 3–0 home victory over
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
on 9 January. On 22 May 2005, he scored 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 Wick ...
for a European club with all of Villarreal's goals in a 3–3 away draw against eventual league champions Barcelona. A week later, he scored two in a 4–1 victory over local rivals Levante as Villarreal ended the season in third, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history. Forlán won the 2004–05
Pichichi Trophy In Spanish Association football, football, the Pichichi Trophy () is awarded by the sports newspaper ''Marca (newspaper), Marca'' to the top goalscorer of each La Liga season. Named after the Athletic Bilbao striker Pichichi (footballer), Rafael ...
for most goals in La Liga, with 25. He also shared the 2005 European Golden Boot with Arsenal striker Thierry Henry. His goal rate declined in the 2005–06 season as Villarreal underwent several changes, yet the club reached the semi-finals of the Champions League where they were knocked out by Arsenal. In 2006–07, he ended the season with 19 goals in 36 league appearances.


Atlético Madrid


2007–08 season

Forlán was linked with a transfer jointly with Juan Román Riquelme to
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
in exchange for Luis Perea plus cash in June 2007. On 30 June 2007, following the departure of their captain
Fernando Torres Fernando José Torres Sanz (; born 20 March 1984) is a Spanish Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former Football player, player who played as a Striker (association football), striker. He is the curr ...
to Liverpool, Atlético Madrid confirmed that they had agreed to a fee of around €21 million. He returned to England in February 2008 to take part in Atlético's
UEFA Cup The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
clash against
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
(the club against whom he made his Manchester United debut), but the side lost out 1–0 on aggregate. In May 2008, Forlán helped Atlético qualify for the Champions League for the first time in over a decade, scoring the winning goal against
Deportivo de La Coruña Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña () or simply Depor, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia, that competes in the Segunda División, the ...
. He ended his first season in Madrid with 23 goals and formed a potent partnership with Argentinian striker
Sergio Agüero Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He is regarded as one of th ...
.


2008–09 season

On 9 May 2009, Forlán scored twice against Espanyol to help Atlético clinch Champions League qualification for a second successive year. ''Los Rojiblancos'' were trailing 2–0 at half-time and had seen Luis Perea sent off, but came back to win 3–2 thanks to a goal of the season contender from Forlán, as well as a last-minute winner. He also scored crucial goals in wins over Barcelona, Villarreal and Valencia. On 23 May 2009, Forlán scored a
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 Wick ...
against Athletic Bilbao, which helped him win the La Liga Pichichi Trophy, as well as the European Golden Boot for a second time. He ended the 2008–09 season with a very impressive 32 goals in 33 matches.


2009–10 season

Forlán started the 2009–10 season slowly, and struggled for form as Atlético made their worst start to a league season since their relegation in 2000. On 24 October 2009, Forlán scored a penalty and missed another as Atlético were held to a 1–1 draw at home against Mallorca, who had played the majority of the second half with just nine players on the field. The disappointing result and performance led to protests from Atlético supporters, as well as criticism for Forlán, who was subsequently left out of the squad for the next game. Atlético started to improve after the arrival new manager Quique Sánchez Flores, and once again, Forlán flourished in the second half of the season, as Atlético reached the finals of both the Europa League and
Copa del Rey The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
. On 14 February 2010, Forlán scored the first goal as Atlético beat Barcelona 2–1 at the Vicente Calderón, inflicting the eventual Champions only league defeat of the season. On 22 April 2010, Forlán scored the only goal of the game in Atlético's Europa League semi-final first leg at home to Liverpool. A week later, Liverpool took the tie to extra time before taking a 2–1 aggregate lead. Forlán then scored again to make it 2–2 on aggregate, giving Atlético the away goal they needed to reach the final, in which they played against Fulham at Volksparkstadion,
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, on 12 May. Forlán scored twice against Fulham in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
, in a 2–1 win and was awarded man of the match. He ended the season with a total of 28 goals, including six in Atlético's successful Europa League campaign.


2010–11 season

The 2010–11 season began with another trophy for Forlán and Atlético, winning the
UEFA Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
, beating
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
2–0 in
Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...
on 27 August 2010. Again Forlán started the season slowly, and despite finding the net three times in the opening two league games, he then went 12 matches in all competitions without a goal before finally scoring a double in a 3–0 win against
Osasuna Club Atlético Osasuna (, ''Osasuna Athletic Club''), or simply Osasuna, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Pamplona, Navarre. It was founded on 24 October 1920 and plays in La Liga, the top division of Spanish ...
on 13 November.


Inter Milan

On 29 August 2011, it was confirmed that Forlán had joined Inter Milan as a replacement for the departing
Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Fils (; born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian Association football, football administrator and former Football player, player who is the current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation. He is often regarded as one of the ...
. No financial details were announced but it is believed the 32-year-old signed an initial two-year deal. He made his debut on 11 September 2011, scoring with a high left foot shot in a 4–3 defeat at Sicilian club
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
. On 4 March 2012, Forlán scored his second goal for Inter against
Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...
in a 2–2 draw. In April, Forlán declared his loyalty to Inter and his intention to stay when he told
Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...
: "I want to stay at Inter. You haven't seen the real Forlán yet... I wouldn't want to leave Inter like this. I like challenges and I wouldn't want to leave when the team are not in a good position." In June, his father confirmed the belief that the striker would see out his contract with the ''Nerazzurri''. On 5 July, however, after only scoring twice in 22 appearances, the Italian club confirmed that he had been released, terminating the final year of his contract. Forlán has stated that his poor performance with the ''Nerazzuri'' was due to being played out of position. In addition, former Inter and Uruguay player
Álvaro Recoba Álvaro Alexánder Recoba Rivero (; born 17 March 1976; nickname "El Chino"
believed that his compatriot struggled at Inter due to the success of his predecessor Samuel Eto'o, which led Forlán to fail to live up to expectations.


Internacional

On 6 July 2012, after terminating his contract with Inter, Forlán signed a three-year deal with Brazilian club
Internacional. He was also linked to Mexican teams
Tigres UANL Club Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, abbreviated as Tigres UANL and simply known as Tigres or internationally as Tigres de México, is a Mexican professional Association football, football club based in the Monterrey metropo ...
and Club América. In January 2013, Forlán was linked with another Mexican team, the recently promoted Club León. At León, Forlán had the chance to play the 2013
Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...
; Internacional, however, retained Forlán's services for the 2013 season. On 28 July 2012, he made his debut for the Brazilian club against
Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama ( , ; – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and nobleman who was the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India, first European to reach India by sea. Da Gama's first voyage (1497–1499) was the first to link ...
. Forlán scored his first two goals for Internacional in a 4–1 win against Flamengo. Forlán also helped the club win 2013 Campeonato Gaúcho, scoring nine goals, the highest total at the tournament.


Cerezo Osaka

On 22 January 2014, Forlán signed an 18-month deal with Japanese
J1 League The , the J.League or the for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Japan and the highest level of the Japanese football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation ...
side
Cerezo Osaka is a Japanese professional football club based in Osaka. The club currently plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's name ''Cerezo'' (Spanish for cherry blossom) is also the flower of the city of Osak ...
. He made his
AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...
debut in a 1–1 draw with
Pohang Steelers The Pohang Steelers (Hangul: 포항 스틸러스) are a South Korean professional Association football, football club based in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province that compete in the K League 1, the top flight of Football in South Korea, South Ko ...
, and his J. League debut in a 1–0 loss against defending champions
Sanfrecce Hiroshima Sanfrecce Hiroshima () is a Japanese professional association football, football club based in Hiroshima. The club competes in the J1 League, top flight of the Japanese football league system. Sanfrecce is one of the most successful clubs in Ja ...
. He scored his first goal for Cerezo in a 4–0 win over Buriram United in an AFC Champions League match. On 12 April, Forlán scored two goals in the Osaka derby against local club rivals
Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football, football club based in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The club's home stadium is Panasonic Stadium Suita. They form a ...
. He scored a crucial goal against Shandong Luneng on 23 April to put his team through to the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League. Cerezo Osaka were knocked out in the first round by Guangzhou Evergrande, losing 5–1 at home in the first leg. In spite of the disappointing home defeat, they managed to secure a 1–0 away win after an own goal by Liao Lisheng. However, this was not enough to overcome the 5–2 aggregate lead. Having been relegated in his first season to
J2 League The or simply J2 is the second division of the and the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The top tier is represented by the J1 League. It (along with the rest of the J.League) is currently sponsored by Meiji Yasud ...
, he started off the new campaign with a goal against
Tokyo Verdy is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club currently competes in the J1 League, following promotion from the J2 League in 2023. History Founded as Yomiuri Football Club in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the mo ...
drawing 1–1. Forlán scored his first hat-trick against
Kyoto Sanga is a Japanese professional football club based in Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Ho ...
on 29 April 2015, his side winning 3–0.


Peñarol

On 10 July 2015, Forlán signed an 18-month contract with his boyhood club
Peñarol Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football. The nam ...
. In his only season at the club, he scored eight goals in 31 appearances as Peñarol won the championship title. On 14 June 2016 at a press conference, Forlán said he would be leaving the club.


Mumbai City

In August 2016, Forlán signed a three-month deal with
Indian Super League The Indian Super League (ISL) is a professional association football league in India and the highest level of the Indian football league system. Administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner Football Sport ...
club Mumbai City. He scored a hat-trick against Kerala Blasters in their 5–0 win on 19 November. Mumbai finished first in the league table and progressed to the semi-final of the playoffs where they would face ATK. After conceding an early goal, Mumbai equalised and soon took the lead from the headers of Leo Costa and Gerson Vieira. In both cases the free kicks were taken by Forlán. Forlán received a red card in the second half as ATK won the match 3–2.


Kitchee

On 4 January 2018, Forlán joined
Hong Kong Premier League The Hong Kong Premier League () is a Hong Kong professional football league organised by the Football Association of Hong Kong, China. It is currently sponsored by BOC Life and officially known as BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League (). The inau ...
club Kitchee. He made his debut for Kitchee on 14 January 2018, coming off the bench in the 88th minute in a 2–2 draw against Southern. On 28 January, Forlán scored his first and second goals for Kitchee in a 7–0 victory over Biu Chun Rangers. He scored a hat-trick in a 5–1 win against Lee Man in the following match. Forlán played in Kitchee's 1–0 victory over Kashiwa Reysol in the
2018 AFC Champions League The 2018 AFC Champions League was the 37th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 16th under the current AFC Champions League title. Kashima Antlers won the title for t ...
, helping Kitchee to become the first-ever team from Hong Kong to win a match in AFC Champions League history. On 13 May 2018, Forlán played his final match with the club, featuring in the first 56 minutes of a 2–0 victory, and went on to win the Hong Kong Premier League that season.


Retirement

A year after leaving Kitchee, Forlán announced his retirement from professional football on 7 August 2019.


International career

Forlán's 100th cap came in the
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup was the ninth FIFA Confederations Cup, which was held in Brazil from 15 to 30 June 2013 as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The most recent winners of the six continental championships appeared in the tourn ...
match against
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. On 11 October 2011, he scored his 32nd goal, which made him Uruguay's top scorer of all time in official matches, beating Héctor Scarone who had held the record alone with 31 goals since 1930. (Scarone scored 42 goals in total, but 11 of them were in unofficial matches).


2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 Copa América, and 2007 Copa América

Forlán debuted for the Uruguayan senior squad on 27 March 2002, scoring his first goal in a 3–2 friendly defeat against
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
. During the 2002 World Cup, he scored a volley on 11 June in the group stage 3–3 draw against
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
. Despite coming from three goals down to draw the game, Uruguay were eliminated from the tournament along with
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in
Group A Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived touring cars for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles wer ...
. Forlán scored against
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
in the 35th minute of the 2007 Copa América semi-final, but missed his shot during the subsequent penalty shoot-out, which Brazil eventually won 5–4.


2010 FIFA World Cup

On 17 June 2008, Forlán scored a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifying game against
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. On 16 June 2010, during Uruguay's second group game in the 2010 World Cup against
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, Forlán opened the scoring with a right footed long range effort. Later in the game, Forlán scored from the penalty spot, shooting high into the net for his second and also had a hand in Uruguay's third, in a 3–0 win over the host nation. On 2 July 2010, Forlán scored a free kick against
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
to equalise in the quarter-final. The game ended 1–1 and Uruguay advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Ghana 4–2 in the
penalty shootout 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 ...
. On 6 July 2010, Forlán scored another long range goal, this time with his left foot to equalise against the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
in the semi-final. Despite a half-time score of 1–1, Uruguay eventually lost 3–2 as the Dutch advanced to the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. Forlán became the first player since
Lothar Matthäus Lothar Herbert Matthäus (; born 21 March 1961) is a German association football, football pundit and former professional player and manager. He captained Germany national football team, West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and was ...
in
1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
to score three goals from outside the penalty area in one tournament. On 10 July 2010, Forlán scored for the final time in the tournament as he netted a well-executed volley from the edge of the area to give Uruguay the lead. This goal, from a pass by Egidio Arévalo Ríos, was selected by FIFA as the Goal of the Tournament. Forlán then hit the crossbar with the final kick of the game from a free kick as they lost to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
3–2 in the third place play-off. Forlán was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He was also picked for the team of the tournament, and was the joint top scorer at the World Cup with five goals.


2011 Copa América

On 24 July 2011, Forlán scored twice after
Luis Suárez Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF, Inter Miami. Known for his go ...
's opening goal helping Uruguay win their 15th
Copa América The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship), often simply called the Copa America, is the top men's quadrennial association football, football tournament contested among list of men's national ass ...
title and became Uruguay's joint top scorer at international level, his 31 goals matching those of Héctor Scarone after beating
Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
3–0 in the final. Forlán's father and grandfather were also South American champions with Uruguay over a period spanning the 95 years of the world's oldest active tournament.


2013 FIFA Confederations Cup

On 16 June 2013, Forlán appeared as a 69th-minute substitute in Uruguay's opening 2013 Confederations Cup match against
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. In Uruguay's second group game, a match where he won his 100th cap for his country, Forlán scored the winning goal to defeat Nigeria 2–1. He was subsequently rested for the next match against
Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian language, Tahitian , ; ) is the largest island of the Windward Islands (Society Islands), Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France. It is located in the central part of t ...
. He was again in the starting line-up as Uruguay lost 1–2 to Brazil in the semi-final, where he had a penalty kick saved by Brazilian goalkeeper Júlio César.


2014 FIFA World Cup

Forlán was a part of the Uruguay squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. At the age of 35, he started the opening match against group underdogs
Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
in place of the absent Luis Suárez. He had a deflected shot saved by Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas as Uruguay lost the game 3–1. Forlán did not appear again until the Round of 16, where Uruguay were beaten 2–0 by
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
.


Retirement

On 11 March 2015, Forlán announced his retirement from the national team. He represented Uruguay with 112 caps, scoring 36 times.


Style of play

A talented, technically gifted, hardworking and creative player, with an eye for goal, Forlán was a quick, clever, complete and versatile forward, with a good positional sense, who was capable of playing anywhere along the front line. He was deployed as a main striker (his favoured position), as a supporting forward, as an
attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
, and even as a winger, often drifting onto the flank to begin attacking plays. He was capable of scoring with either foot, both from inside and outside the area; in fact, Forlán was most known for his powerful and accurate long range shots, which made him a large threat if given space outside the box. Alongside this, Forlán was also an accurate set-piece and penalty kick taker. In addition to his accurate finishing, movement, and goalscoring ability, Forlán was a skilful player, gifted with good technical ability and ball control, as well as good vision, passing ability, intelligence, and awareness on the ball; these attributes also enabled him to be deployed in a more creative role, in which he could play-off of other players and drop into deeper positions to link-up the midfield with the attack, making him a capable assist provider. In addition to his footballing skills, Forlán was also praised for his leadership, longevity and determination throughout his career.


Coaching career

On 20 December 2019, Forlán was appointed as manager of his former club
Peñarol Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football. The nam ...
. He was sacked on 1 September 2020, after winning just four of his eleven games in charge. On 17 March 2021, he was appointed as manager of Atenas of the
Uruguayan Segunda División The Segunda División Profesional is the second division of professional football in Uruguay, established in 1942. The league is sometimes referred to as ''Primera B''. In 1942, the Segunda División was established to replace the amateur Uruguaya ...
. On 16 September 2021, after a 2–1 loss to
Rampla Juniors Rampla Juniors Fútbol Club, commonly known as Rampla Juniors, is a Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. The team was actively playing the 2021 season by January 2021. In their home stadium, Rampla won the Uruguayan championship in 1927. I ...
, he was released.


Tennis career, first professional ATP tournament

Diego Forlán was a promising junior tennis player and has continued to play after his retirement from professional football in 2019. Since July 2023, he has been competing on the ITF Masters professional tennis tour, and is a ranked player in the 35+, 40+, and 45+ age categories. In June 2024, Forlán attracted media coverage after reaching the quarterfinals of the ITF MT1000 Lima 45+ tournament in Peru, winning three matches in straight sets. At the age of 45, he was scheduled to play his first professional ATP tournament. He received a wildcard for the main doubles draw of the 2024 Uruguay Open in
Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
, where his partner was Argentine Federico Coria. The pair was defeated in the first round of the tournament by the No. 4 seeds from
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
, Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos.


Personal life

Forlán was born into a family of footballers – his father, Pablo, having played for
Peñarol Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football. The nam ...
(1963–1970),
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
(1970–1975) and Uruguay in the
1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
and 1974
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
s, and his maternal grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazzo, for Independiente in Argentina. He is a distant relative of the
goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), 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 i ...
Cristopher Fiermarin. Forlán is of Italian,
Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
, and Irish descent, and because of his Basque ancestry from his grandmother who was originally from Hondarribia, he was linked to
Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...
after his departure from Manchester United, even though the club only permits Basque players. His nickname is ''Cachavacha,'' a witch who is one of the antagonists from the Argentine cartoon series '' The Adventures of Hijitus''. In addition to his native Spanish, Forlán also speaks English. Forlán is
ambidextrous Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that ...
, using his right hand for writing but uses his left hand when playing tennis. As a footballer, he was capable of passing and shooting with either foot. He is a founding member of Fundación Alejandra Forlán, an organization headed by his sister that promotes safer driving. In 2009, Forlán appeared in a music video for Coti starring alongside Argentine footballer Maxi Rodríguez. In 2021, Forlán began playing amateur football for the Old Boys Club, the alumni team of The British Schools of Montevideo.


Relationships

Forlán announced on 9 March 2011 on his official
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
page that he and Argentinian model/actress Zaira Nara were engaged to be married. In June 2011, however, Forlán and Nara announced they were breaking their engagement. No reason was released for the breakup. During 2011 and 2012 he dated model Victoria Saravia. Forlán is married to Paz Cardoso and together the pair have three sons and a daughter.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first.''


Managerial statistics


Honours

Manchester United *
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
: 2002–03 *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 2003–04 *
FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA ...
:
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
Villarreal *
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...
:
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
Atlético Madrid *
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
: 2009–10 *
UEFA Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
:
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
Internacional * Campeonato Gaúcho:
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
Peñarol * Primera División: 2015–16 Kitchee *
Hong Kong Premier League The Hong Kong Premier League () is a Hong Kong professional football league organised by the Football Association of Hong Kong, China. It is currently sponsored by BOC Life and officially known as BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League (). The inau ...
: 2017–18 Uruguay *
Copa América The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship), often simply called the Copa America, is the top men's quadrennial association football, football tournament contested among list of men's national ass ...
:
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
Individual * La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year: 2004–05 *
Pichichi Trophy In Spanish Association football, football, the Pichichi Trophy () is awarded by the sports newspaper ''Marca (newspaper), Marca'' to the top goalscorer of each La Liga season. Named after the Athletic Bilbao striker Pichichi (footballer), Rafael ...
: 2004–05, 2008–09 *
European Golden Shoe The European Golden Shoe, also known as the European Golden Boot, is an award that is presented each season to the player with the most points in league matches from the top division of a European national league. The trophy is a sculpture o ...
: 2004–05, 2008–09 *UEFA Europa League Final Man of The Match:
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
* FIFA World Cup Golden Ball:
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
* FIFA World Cup Goal of the Tournament: 2010 * FIFA World Cup top goalscorer:
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
* FIFA World Cup Dream Team:
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
*Campeonato Gaúcho top goalscorer: 2013 *
IFFHS The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
Uruguayan Men's Dream Team (Team B)


See also

* List of footballers with 100 or more caps


Notes


References


External links

*
Profile
at the Uruguayan Football Association website * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Forlan, Diego 1979 births Living people Uruguayan people of Basque descent Uruguayan sportspeople of Italian descent Uruguayan people of Irish descent Uruguayan people of Spanish descent Footballers from Montevideo Uruguayan men's footballers Men's association football forwards Men's association football midfielders Club Atlético Independiente footballers Manchester United F.C. players Villarreal CF players Atlético Madrid footballers Inter Milan players SC Internacional players Cerezo Osaka players Peñarol players Mumbai City FC players Kitchee SC players Argentine Primera División players Premier League players La Liga players Serie A players Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players J1 League players J2 League players Uruguayan Primera División players Indian Super League players Hong Kong Premier League players Pichichi Trophy winners UEFA Europa League–winning players Uruguay men's under-20 international footballers Uruguay men's international footballers 2002 FIFA World Cup players 2004 Copa América players 2007 Copa América players 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2011 Copa América players 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup players 2014 FIFA World Cup players Copa América–winning players FIFA Men's Century Club Uruguayan expatriate men's footballers Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Argentina Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in England Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Spain Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Italy Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Brazil Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Japan Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in India Uruguayan expatriate sportspeople in Hong Kong Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's footballers in Spain Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in Brazil Expatriate men's footballers in Japan Expatriate men's footballers in India Expatriate men's footballers in Hong Kong Collars of the Order of Isabella the Catholic People named in the Panama Papers Forlán family Uruguayan male tennis players