Juan Román Riquelme

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Riquelme was born as the eldest of eleven children in a poor family, one day before Argentina won the 1978 World Cup. He began playing football in the localities of San Fernando, playing for different local clubs, before gaining the opportunity to trial with the junior teams of Argentinos Juniors. After trialling, he was signed by the club where he began playing as a central midfielder. Boca Juniors and River Plate spotted him when he was a youth player for Argentinos Juniors. In 1996, Riquelme was transferred from Argentinos Juniors U-20 to Boca Juniors U-20 for a fee of US$800,000, during an operation insisted by trainer Carlos Salvador Bilardo which led to the then president of Boca Juniors, Mauricio Macri, establishing various purchases of Argentinos Juniors youth players. On 10 November 1996, aged 18, Riquelme made his Primera División debut in a 2–0 win against Unión de Santa Fe. Two weeks later, he scored his first senior goal in a 6–0 triumph over Huracán.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Riquelme at Boca is defined by specific moments of brilliance and resilience. In the round of 16 second leg against El Nacional during the 2000 Copa Libertadores, he scored a goal and recorded three assists in a 5–3 victory. His dominance continued into the 2001 tournament, where he assisted in the first leg against Palmeiras and scored in the second leg to help Boca defeat Mexican side Cruz Azul on penalties. That year also saw him win his first South American Footballer of the Year award. However, the end of the 2001–02 season was marred by Bianchi’s exit and Riquelme's contract disputes. Upon returning in 2007, he immediately reclaimed his status as a leader. He guided the team to the 2007 Copa Libertadores title, being named both MVP and top scorer of the tournament. Although Boca lost the 2012 Copa Libertadores final, prompting Riquelme's departure, his bond with the club proved unbreakable. He returned just six months later, a move facilitated by Bianchi’s return as manager, before eventually retiring in 2015 after helping Argentinos Juniors return to the Primera División.

Reader's Guide

Riquelme's career includes winning three Argentine Primera División titles, two back-to-back Copa Libertadores titles, and the 2000 Intercontinental Cup with Boca Juniors. He signed for Barcelona in 2002, had a short spell due to his strained relationship with Louis van Gaal, and was loaned to Villarreal, where he helped the club achieve a third-place league finish in 2004–05 and reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2005–06. He returned to Boca in 2007, winning the 2007 Copa Libertadores as MVP and top scorer, plus two Primera División titles, one Copa Argentina, and one Recopa Sudamericana. He retired in 2015 at Argentinos Juniors after helping them return to the Primera División in the 2014 season. With Argentina, he won the 1997 South American U-20 Championship and the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, earned 57 senior caps between 1997 and 2008, scoring 17 goals, and captained the side to gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Did You Know?

• Riquelme was born one day before Argentina won the 1978 World Cup.
• He made his professional debut on 10 November 1996, not one day after the 1978 World Cup.
• He was named South American Footballer of the Year in 2001.
• He was among the nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2006 and 2007.