Luis Figo

Portuguese man of war

In the twilight of a glittering career Luis Figo has embarked on two fresh adventures making an international comeback for Portugal's 2006 World Cup bid and with a club switch from Real Madrid to Italy's Inter Milan.

Speed, strength, impressive dribbling and a clear will to win have lifted Figo to the highest peak of his art and his free transfer to Inter at 32 was one of the signings of the 2005 close season.

Portuguese captain Luís Figo walks past the trophy after receiving his runners up medal ,04 July 2004 at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, after the European Nations championship final football match between Portugal and Greece. Greece won 1-0.AFP PHOTO Vincenzo PINTO

The lion-hearted veteran led Portugal to within a whisker of a European Championship win on home soil in 2004, losing in the final to dark horses Greece.

Portugal's Luis Figo (L) vies with Estonia's Urmas Rooba (R) during their World Cup 2006 qualifier football match at the A. le Coq Arena in Tallinn 08 June 2005. AFP PHOTO/ NICOLAS ASFOURI

With well over 100 international caps to his name Figo then retired from international football only for Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari to persuade the winger his role was pivotal if Portugal were to win the 2006 World Cup, for which they qualified as unbeaten winners of Group 3.

Impartial fans had been left to regret an ankle injury that blighted the right wing maestro's 2002 World Cup, with Figo a shadow of his usual self, Portugal fell at the first round.

Real de Madrid Portuguese Luis Figo holds the gold ball before a League match between Real Madrid and Oviedo in Barnabeu stadium in Madrid 14 january 2001.

Real Madrid's midfielder Luis Figo (C) jumps over Juventus' midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi (R) during the second leg semi-final Champions' League soccer match, 14 May 2003 in Turin. AFP PHOTO / Vincenzo PINTO

That 2002 season marked his greatest achievement at club level as Real Madrid swept all before them to win the Champions League, having won the Spanish championship in 2001.

Figo had been crucial in both campaigns winning FIFA's world player of the year award in 2001 to add to the 2000 European player of the year trophy he won shortly after his shock arrival in the Spanish capital for a king's ransom from bitter rivals Barcelona.

Golden Boy

His performance had been top drawer at Euro 2000 too, where Portugal narrowly lost out to France on a late penalty in the quarter-final.

Figo had been the captain at Barcelona and his world record transfer to Madrid dealt the proud Catalan giant a blow only Ronaldinho's arrival in 2003 healed.

Luis Figo of Barcelona harangues the crowd in a Champions League quarter-final return match against Chelsea in Camp Nou stadium at Barcelone 18 April 2000. electronic image

With Barcelona he had won a European Cup Winners' Cup, a European Supercup, three Spanish titles and two Spanish cups after being recruited by Johan Cruyff from Sporting Lisbon in 1995.

During that time he's also enjoyed a run to the quater-finals of Euro 96

Figo's triumphs with the Portuguese Under-20 side, still known as the golden generation, include winning the world championship in 1989 and 1991, when he called the tune to a new and exciting generation of players.

A modest man in his private life, Figo enjoys painting and pursues his hobby of collecting watches with passion. He is married to Swedish model Hellen Svelin, with whom he has two sons.