Carles Puyol

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in La Pobla de Segur, Lleida, Catalonia, Puyol started playing football for his hometown club as a goalkeeper, but after injury problems with his shoulder, he became a forward. In 1995, he joined FC Barcelona's youth system at La Masia, switching positions again to play as a defensive midfielder. Two years later, he started playing for the club's B-team, occupying the position of right-back. In 1998, Barcelona accepted an offer from Málaga to sell Puyol, but he refused to leave after seeing his best friend Xavi make his first-team debut. Louis van Gaal promoted Puyol to the first team the following year, and he made his La Liga debut on 2 October 1999. After that he successfully made another conversion, to central defender. During the 2003 off-season, Manchester United showed interest in signing Puyol, but no move ever materialised. Two years later, he extended his contract for a further five seasons. Puyol was named club captain at the end of 2003–04, after the retirement of Luis Enrique. He helped Barcelona win two consecutive league titles and the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League. On 16 September 2008, he made his 400th appearance for Barcelona. His only goal in the 2008–09 league season came against Real Madrid on 2 May 2009, and he celebrated by kissing his Catalan flag captain's armband. He was essential to the team winning the sextuple in 2009. On 13 November 2010, he played his 500th game for Barcelona. He struggled with injuries during 2010–11 but still won the league and Champions League. After the defeat to Inter Milan in the 2009–10 Champions League semi-final, Puyol played in 56 matches for Barcelona without losing, a run that only ended on 11 January 2012 at Osasuna (2–3 loss). On 2 October 2012, he dislocated his elbow against Benfica. On 18 December, Barcelona renewed his contract until 30 June 2016. In June 2013 he again underwent surgery on his right knee. On 2 March 2014, he surpassed Migueli to go second in Barça's all-time league appearances table, and scored the third goal in a 4–1 home win against Almería. Two days later, he announced he would leave Barcelona at the end of the season. Barcelona bid farewell to Puyol on 15 May 2014, after a fifteen-year career in the first team (ten as captain) that brought him 21 titles. He announced his retirement shortly after at the age of 36 but stayed with his only club; he was immediately appoi

In Their Own Story

On 2 May 2009, in El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu, Puyol scored his only goal of the league season against Real Madrid, which finished with a resounding 6–2 win. He celebrated his goal by kissing his Catalan flag captain's armband in front of the incensed Madrid fans. He was essential to the team also winning the 2009 Copa del Rey, the 2009 Champions League, the 2009 UEFA Super Cup and the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup to complete an unprecedented sextuple, appearing in nearly 100 official matches. On 13 November 2010, Puyol played his 500th game in all competitions for Barcelona in a domestic league match against Villarreal. He struggled again with injuries during the 2010–11 campaign, but still appeared in 28 matches, again winning the league and the Champions League. He played the final six minutes in the Champions League final, a 3–1 victory over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. After the defeat to Inter Milan in the 2009–10 Champions League semi-final, Puyol played in 56 matches for Barcelona without losing, a run that only ended on 11 January 2012 at Osasuna (2–3 loss).

Reader's Guide

Puyol debuted for the Spanish senior squad on 15 November 2000 against the Netherlands. He played for his country at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup. During the 2002 World Cup, he scored an own goal in the 3–1 victory over Paraguay. In the round of 16 tie against Ireland, he assisted Fernando Morientes; Spain won on penalties. Spain were eliminated in the quarter-finals by co-hosts South Korea after a penalty shoot-out. Puyol started every game except one at Euro 2008, and Spain's defence only conceded two goals in his five games. They won the final against Germany, and he was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside Carlos Marchena. He started in three out of five matches at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and acted as captain when Iker Casillas was rested; they finished third, and he was included in the Team of the Tournament. In the 2010 World Cup, Puyol started every match and played almost every minute. He scored the only goal in the semi-final against Germany, a powerful header from a corner taken by Xavi, which sent Spain to their first World Cup final. In the final, he featured for the full 120 minutes as Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0. Spain only conceded two goals throughout the tournament, keeping five clean sheets. He completed 88% of his passes, the third-highest completion rate of any player in the competition, and was named to the team of the tournament. On 1 August 2010, aged 32, Puyol announced he would continue to represent the national team for at least another two years. He missed Spain's victorious Euro 2012 campaign due to a knee injury. The following year, he was ruled out of the Confederations Cup due to physical problems. Puyol played his 100th and final international game on 6 February 2013, captaining Spain to a 3–1 friendly victory over Uruguay in Doha, Qatar.

Did You Know?

• Puyol started his youth career as a goalkeeper before switching to forward, then defensive midfielder, and finally defender.
• He refused a transfer to Málaga in 1998 after seeing his best friend Xavi make his first-team debut.
• Puyol's only goal in the 2008–09 La Liga season came against Real Madrid in a 6–2 win at the Santiago Bernabéu.
• He played his 100th and final international match for Spain on 6 February 2013, captaining the team to a 3–1 win over Uruguay.