Carles Puyol Saforcada is a Spanish former professional footballer. Mainly a central defender, he could also play on either flank, mostly as a right-back, and was regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.
A one-club man, he served as the long-time team captain for his only club Barcelona after taking over from Luis Enrique in August 2004, and went on to appear in 593 competitive matches for the club and win 17 major titles, notably six La Liga trophies and three Champions League titles.
A Spain international on 100 occasions, Puyol represented his nation at three World Cups and two European Championships. He was part of the squad that won the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup tournaments. In the latter competition's semi-final, he scored the only goal of the game against Germany. He also was a member of the teams that won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and which placed third at the 2009 Confederations Cup.
