Juan Román Riquelme (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxwan roˈman riˈkelme]; born 24 June 1978) is an Argentine retired footballer.
Considered one of the most talented Argentine players of his generation, Riquelme is best known for his creative passing. Anoffensive midfield playmaker, he combined passing, vision, and technical skills with goalscoring ability from midfield; he was also capable of playing as a deep-lying playmaker. He spent most of his career with Boca Juniors, but also had a significant spell in Spain withVillarreal. He is considered as one of the best playmakers of his generation, and he has been recognised as one of the "last truenumber 10s" due to his playmaking abilities and unique playing style,[1][2][3] which drew comparisons with Diego Maradona, in his youth.[4]
He was named the Argentine Footballer of the Year four times.[5] AnArgentine international for eleven years, Riquelme represented the nation at the 2006 World Cup and two Copa América tournaments, reaching the final in the 2007 edition; he also participated in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup with Argentina, reaching the final, and he led his country as captain to win a Gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
