Carlos Tevez Argentinian Footballer From Ciudadela

Early life

Carlos Tevez was born on 5 February 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. He grew up in the Ejercito de los Andes neighbourhood, widely known as Fuerte Apache, and the area gave him the nickname "El Apache". He was born with the surname Martinez and later took the surname Tevez. His early years were dramatised in the eight-part Argentine television series Apache: The Life of Carlos Tevez, released in 2019.

Career

Tevez made his debut for Boca Juniors in October 2001, at the age of 16. In 2003 he helped the club win the Copa Libertadores, where he was voted the tournament's best player, and the Intercontinental Cup. A year later Boca won the 2004 Copa Sudamericana and finished as runner-up in the Libertadores. He wore the number 10 shirt that Diego Maradona had once worn at the club.

In January 2005 he moved to Corinthians in Brazil. With 20 league goals he captained the team to the Brazilian championship that year and was named the league's best player, the first foreigner to receive the award since 1976. He joined West Ham United in 2006, where he scored the goal that kept the club in the Premier League on the final day of the 2006-07 season. His registration, tied to a third-party ownership arrangement, led to a record fine for the club and to later changes in Premier League and FIFA rules.

Tevez moved to Manchester United in 2007 on loan. He won two Premier League titles, the League Cup, and the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League, in which he scored five goals and took the first penalty in the final shoot-out. In July 2009 he signed for Manchester City. In 2010-11 he captained the team and won the Premier League Golden Boot, and in May 2011 he lifted the FA Cup after a final win over Stoke City. He was part of the City side that won the Premier League in 2011-12.

He joined Juventus in June 2013 and wore the number 10 shirt. In his first season he scored 21 goals in all competitions as the club won a 30th Scudetto, and he was named Juventus player of the season. Juventus won the league again in 2014-15 and reached the Champions League final, which they lost to Barcelona. In June 2015 he returned to Boca Juniors and won the Argentine championship and Copa Argentina that year.

At the start of 2017 he joined the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua. He returned to Boca for a third spell in January 2018 and won the 2017-18 and 2019-20 league titles with the club. He left Boca in 2021 and announced his retirement as a player in June 2022.

For Argentina, Tevez played in the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championship and won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, scoring eight goals to finish as top scorer. He earned 76 senior caps between 2004 and 2015, scored 13 goals, and played at two World Cups, including a two-goal game against Mexico in 2010. He was runner-up at the Copa America in 2004, 2007 and 2015.

After retiring, Tevez turned to coaching. He became head coach of Rosario Central in June 2022 and resigned after five months. In August 2023 he took charge of Independiente, and he left the club in May 2024.

Recognition

Tevez was named South American Footballer of the Year in 2003, and he won the Argentine Footballer of the Year award in 2003. In 2005 he received the Bola de Ouro in Brazil. He won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2011 and was named Serie A Footballer of the Year for 2014-15. He also took the Golden Boot at the 2004 Olympics and was Hammer of the Year at West Ham in 2006-07.

Personal life

Tevez has performed as the front man of a cumbia villera music group, Piola Vago, formed with his brother Diego. Its song "Lose Your Control" charted in Argentina. He is a keen golfer and caddied for fellow Argentine Andres Romero at the 2012 Open Championship.