Football Legends

Club Career

• River Plate (2003–2005): Won Argentine Primera División Clausura 2004.
• Corinthians (2005–2006): Short spell in Brazil.
• West Ham United (2006–2007): Limited role due to transfer issues.
• Liverpool (2007–2010): Midfield leader, reached 2007 UCL Final.
• Barcelona (2010–2018): Won 5 La Liga, 2 Champions League, 5 Copa del Rey, 2 FIFA Club World Cups.
• Hebei China Fortune (2018–2019): Played in China Super League.
• Estudiantes (2019–2020): Ended career in Argentina, retired 2020.

International Career

• 147 caps for Argentina (2003–2018).
• 2× Olympic Gold Medalist (2004, 2008).
• Played in 4 World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018).
• 2014 World Cup runner-up.
• 4× Copa América runner-up (2004, 2007, 2015, 2016).

Managerial Career

• Coach of Argentina U20s (2022–present).
• Developing youth talent in South America.

Honours

Club

• River Plate – Primera División (Clausura 2004)
• Barcelona – 5× La Liga, 2× UEFA Champions League, 5× Copa del Rey, 2× FIFA Club World Cup

International

• 2× Olympic Gold Medalist (2004, 2008)
• FIFA World Cup runner-up (2014)
• 4× Copa América runner-up (2004, 2007, 2015, 2016)

Awards

• FIFA FIFPro World XI (2015).
• Multiple nominations for Argentine Footballer of the Year.

Style of Play

• Tenacious defensive midfielder, also adapted as a centre-back at Barcelona.
• Strong tackler, intelligent positioning, leadership on the pitch.
• Renowned for work rate, resilience, and motivational presence.