Diego Forlán

Forlán started his career in his native Uruguay as a youth player for the Peñarol and Danubio academies, before joining Argentine club Independiente in the 1997–98 season. After rising through their youth team and a successful four-year spell, he sealed a move to England with Manchester United in the 2001–02 season. Although he struggled to replicate the form he had shown at Independiente, he won the Premier League and the FA Cup with the club.

Before the start of the 2004–05 season, Forlán moved to Spanish side Villarreal. In his first season with the club, he won the Pichichi Trophy and European Golden Shoe with 25 goals. After two more successful seasons with Villarreal, during which he won the UEFA Intertoto Cup and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Forlán joined Atlético Madrid in 2007 where, in the 2008–09 season, he once again became the league's top scorer, winning both the Pichichi Trophy and European Golden Shoe for the second time with 32 goals, becoming the first player to win the Pichichi Trophy twice since Ronaldo in the 1996–97 and 2003–04 seasons. Forlán also won the UEFA Europa League, of which he scored the decisive goal in the final, and the UEFA Super Cup with Atlético Madrid, both in 2010.

In the 2011–12 season, he joined Italian club Inter Milan, before moving to Internacional in Brazil the following year. After several spells in Japan with Cerezo Osaka, back in Uruguay with his boyhood club Peñarol, in India with Mumbai City and in Hong Kong with Kitchee, Forlán officially announced his retirement from professional football in August 2019.

Forlán also had a successful international career, scoring 36 times in 112 appearances for the Uruguay national team. Forlán participated in three FIFA World Cups (2002, 2010, 2014) and three Copa Américas (2004, 2007, 2011). His most notable achievement came at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in which he led Uruguay to the final four for the first time since the 1970 FIFA World Cup, scoring five goals and one assist in the process, and was ultimately awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, selected for team of the tournament, and was the joint-top scorer. In the following year, Forlán earned his 79th international cap in a match against México, breaking the record held since 1986 by goalkeeper Rodolfo Rodríguez, at the 2011 Copa América, in which Uruguay won its first continental title since 1995, scoring two goals in the final and one assist. On 20 June 2013, in a match against Nigeria at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Forlán became the first Uruguayan to win 100 caps. He was Uruguay's all-time leading top scorer from 2011 until Luis Suárez overtook him two years later in 2013.

After retiring as a player, Forlán began his coaching career in Uruguay, managing Peñarol and Atenas in 2020 and 2021. He has also collaborated with FIFA in several ventures, having served as a tournament ambassador for the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and since 2022, has served as an international ambassador for the FIFA Museum. Since July 2023, Forlán has continued his tennis career, competing in the ITF Masters tour, ranking in the 35+, 40+, and 45+ age categories, and played his first ATP event at the 2024 Uruguay Open in doubles with Federico Coria.

Born to a family of professional footballers, Forlán is the son of Pablo Forlán (who played during several prolific years for Peñarol and São Paulo and represented the Uruguay national team at the 1966 and 1974 FIFA World Cups) and, through his mother, Pilar Corazzo, is the grandson of Juan Carlos Corazzo, known for his tenure with Independiente in Argentina. Forlán is also the nephew of Richard Forlán and is distantly related (on his mother's side) to Cristopher Fiermarin.

Early Life Forlán was born on 19 May 1979 and raised in the neighborhood of Carrasco in the capital city of Montevideo. 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.

Forlán attended multiple schools in the private and state sector during his youth. He started at the Liceo Francés Jules Supervielle in Buceo, but later transferred to the Erwy School because it was closer to his home. As a child, Forlán played tennis at the Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club, in addition to football, which often took place on the streets.

Club career Early career

Peñarol/Danubio Forlán was a boyhood fan of Peñarol and played for the youth academies for Peñarol and Danubio. His goalscoring attracted the attention of European sides, and in January 2002, Independiente agreed a £6.9 million deal with Middlesbrough of the Premier League; 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 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. He made his first start in 4–0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur on 6 March. Forlán made 13 Premier League and five UEFA Champions League 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 on 2 November, he came on as a 79th-minute substitute for United's goalscorer Phil Neville 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 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 Liverpool. On 17 December 2002, Forlán scored the winning goal as United defeated Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Football League Cup. 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 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, 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 which Manchester United won 3–2. This was followed by the opener in a 3–0 home Premier League victory over Portsmouth 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. Forlán did not feature 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 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, but on 21 August 2004, he signed with Villarreal. Forlán's debut for Villarreal was on 30 August 2004, starting away to rivals Valencia 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 on 3 October, and was followed with an equaliser in a 1–1 draw at Mallorca 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 on 9 January. On 22 May 2005, he scored his first hat-trick 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.

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

Forlán was linked with a transfer jointly with Juan Román Riquelme to Atlético Madrid in exchange for Luis Perea plus cash in June 2007. On 30 June 2007, following the departure of their captain Fernando Torres 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 clash against Bolton Wanderers (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. He ended his first season in Madrid with 23 goals and formed a potent partnership with Argentinian striker Sergio Agüero.

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 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.thumb 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. 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, on 12 May. Forlán scored twice against Fulham in the final, 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.

The 2010–11 season began with another trophy for Forlán and Atlético, winning the UEFA Super Cup, beating Inter Milan 2–0 in Monaco 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 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. 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. On 4 March 2012, Forlán scored his second goal for Inter against Catania in a 2–2 draw. In April, Forlán declared his loyalty to Inter and his intention to stay when he told Sky Sports: "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 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 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; 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. 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 side Cerezo Osaka. He made his AFC Champions League debut in a 1–1 draw with Pohang Steelers, and his J. League debut in a 1–0 loss against defending champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima. 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. 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, he started off the new campaign with a goal against Tokyo Verdy drawing 1–1. Forlán scored his first hat-trick against Kyoto Sanga 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. 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 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 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, 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 match against 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. During the 2002 World Cup, he scored a volley on 11 June in the group stage 3–3 draw against Senegal. Despite coming from three goals down to draw the game, Uruguay were eliminated from the tournament along with France in Group A. Forlán scored against Brazil 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.

On 16 June 2010, during Uruguay's second group game in the 2010 World Cup against hosts South Africa, 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 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. On 6 July 2010, Forlán scored another long range goal, this time with his left foot to equalise against the Netherlands in the semi-final. Despite a half-time score of 1–1, Uruguay eventually lost 3–2 as the Dutch advanced to the final. Forlán became the first player since Lothar Matthäus in 1990 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 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's opening goal helping Uruguay win their 15th Copa América title and became Uruguay's joint top scorer at international level, his 31 goals matching those of Héctor Scarone after beating Paraguay 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. 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. 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 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.

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 Forlán was a versatile forward, with a positional sense, who was capable of playing anywhere along the front line. He was capable of scoring with either foot, both from inside and outside the area; in fact, Forlán was known for his long range shots, which made him a threat if given space outside the box. Alongside this, Forlán was also an accurate set-piece and penalty kick taker. In addition to his finishing, movement, and goalscoring, Forlán's technique, ball control, and vision allowed him to be deployed in a creative role. He frequently dropped into deeper positions to link the midfield with the attack and provide assists. In addition to his footballing skills, Forlán was also praised for his leadership, throughout his career.

Coaching career On 20 December 2019, Forlán was appointed as manager of his former club Peñarol. 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. On 16 September 2021, after a 2–1 loss to Rampla Juniors, he was released.

Uruguay On 6 August 2026, Forlán was appointed as the head coach of both the Uruguay national team and the Uruguay under-20 national team.

Tennis career 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, where his partner was Argentine Federico Coria. The pair were defeated in the first round of the tournament by the No. 4 seeds from Bolivia, Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos.

In October 2025, the 46-year-old suffered three broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung during a collision in an over-40s Liga Universitaria veterans' game for Old Boys, requiring hospital drainage but no ill intent from the opponent; he has since stabilized.

Personal life In addition to his native Spanish, Forlán is also well-versed in English and has working knowledge in Italian, having learned both languages in school during his youth, and Brazilian Portuguese. Forlán is ambidextrous, 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.

Forlán 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. In June 2011, however, Forlán and Nara announced they were breaking their engagement. No reason was released for the breakup. Between 2011 and 2012, Forlán dated Uruguayan model/television personality Victoria Saravia. Forlán married Paz Cardoso in November 2013 and together, the pair have three sons and a daughter.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first.

+ List of international goals scored by Diego Forlán No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition

Managerial statistics

+ Managerial record by team and tenure TeamNatFromToRecord Peñarol20 December 201931 August 2020

Honours

Manchester United Premier League: 2002–03 FA Cup: 2003–04 FA Community Shield: 2003

Villarreal UEFA Europa League: 2009–10 UEFA Super Cup: 2010

Internacional Hong Kong Premier League: 2017–18 Hong Kong FA Cup: 2017–18

Uruguay UEFA Europa League Final Man of The Match: 2010 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2010 FIFA World Cup Goal of the Tournament: 2010 FIFA World Cup top goalscorer: 2010 FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010 Campeonato Gaúcho top goalscorer: 2013

Orders