Biography
Iker Casillas is one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football, former captain of the Spanish national team, world champion, two-time European champion, five-time champion of Spain (as part of Real Madrid). He won the Spanish Cup twice with Real and the Super Cup four times. Three times winner of the Champions League, world champion. Six-time member of the UEFA Team of the Year.
Legendary goalkeeper Iker Casillas
And these are not all the achievements of Iker Casillas - the titles and awards can be listed endlessly. In addition, he is one of the three sexiest football players in the world, which adds an army of female fans to the millions of football fans.
early years
Iker Casillas was born on May 20, 1981 in Mostoles, Spain. Mother - Maria del Carmen, father - Jose Luis, brother - Unai Fernandez. Iker's mother worked as a hairdresser, and his father served in the Ministry of Education. The family was not a football family; none of the members played football professionally. But my father was from Bilbao and was a fan of the Atlético team.
Iker Casillas as a child
Mostoles is a provincial town near Madrid. Its inhabitants are representatives of the working class. Iker and his friends went out to play in the park located next door. The game was played quarter by quarter. There was even a “Champions League final”. As a child, the boy sometimes went to Real Madrid matches at the Bernabeu stadium. These were, according to him, the brightest moments of his childhood.
Number: 1 Role: Goalkeeper Club: Real Madrid (Spain) Date of birth: 20.05.1981
Height: 182 cm
Iker Casillas was born into the family of schoolteacher José Luis and housewife Maria Carmen Fernandez. “My family talked about the fact that I would become a football player almost from birth. My father slept and saw me in a Real Madrid shirt, and I lived up to his expectations, although I chose a goalkeeper's jersey instead. This may seem strange, but for as long as I can remember, I have always liked to fall beautifully. When I also managed to hit the ball, I felt real pleasure from it,” says Iker, already a popular football player.
In addition, there is a legend that Casillas’ great football future was predicted by a fortune teller flying from Bilbao to Madrid with Iker’s mother when she was in the last months of pregnancy. The future goalkeeper was brought to the Real Madrid football school by his father, who had never played at a professional level, but still loved football to such an extent that he allowed his child to become a football player. Iker was six years old then. Having gone through all the children's categories, Casillas fell into the hands of Vicente Del Bosque, who was then working with young people. By the way, they say that the future star first met the future Galacticos coach at the age of 11, when Del Bosque severely reprimanded Iker. He, you see, offended his teammates!
Casillas was called up to the senior team for the first time in November 1997
at the age of 16, the team at that time was led by Jupp Heynckess.
The director of the college informed him about this, and Iker, without even stopping home, immediately went to the airport to fly to Norway for the Champions League match against Rosenborg. Of course, the goalkeeper sat on the bench the entire match. But the debut was not far off, although the usual coincidence of circumstances contributed to this. While the number one of the Madrid team, Bodo Ilgner, was haggling over a contract, and his replacement Albano Bizarri was making ridiculous mistakes, their backup worked patiently and rightfully earned a place in the starting lineup. Casillas made his debut in a match with Athletic on September 12, 1999
(the happiest day of his life!) and played a very good match, making a lot of “parades” (this is a save in Spanish), and Real drew 2 in that match: 2.
Having played only a few matches for Los Blancos, yesterday's "canterano" came to the attention of the head coach of the national team, José Antonio Camacho, and went as the third goalkeeper to Euro 2000
.
But after his colleague in the role, Jose Francisco Molina, failed his performance at this tournament, Iker Casillas took his place in the national team’s goal. The debut came on June 13, 2000
, in a friendly match with the Swedes.
Season 2001/02
brought with him a new test for the young goalkeeper - the most experienced Cesar moved to Real from Valladolid, displacing Iker from the starting lineup during the season (after losing to Athletic 1:2, when both goals hit the Real net after the goalkeeper's errors ), however, in the Champions League final in a match with Bayer Leverkusen, Casillas returned everything to normal: during the match, Cesar was injured, and Iker, entering the field for half a half, was able to save his team three times from an inevitable goal.
And a few days later, the burden of being the main goalkeeper of the Spanish national team at the World Cup fell on Casillas.2002
after Santiago Cañizares, pardon the dark humor, unsuccessfully shaved in his bathroom. Casillas confidently defended his debut match against the Slovenians and continued to benefit his team. The talented goalkeeper, as well as the entire national team, was forced to capitulate by the referees - in the quarterfinal match with the Koreans, the hosts of the tournament, the chief referee canceled several clear goals against the Asians, and the Spaniards were weaker on penalties.
At the European Championships 2004
year, Iker also defended the colors of his team, which, however, did not even make it through the group stage, letting the future finalists, the Portuguese and Greeks, pass ahead.
Now Iker Casillas is second only to Raul, Beckham and Zidane in his popularity in Madrid. He has no shortage of advertising offers, is often invited to television and radio programs, and has already tried himself as a football commentator. He has his own fan club, his own fans who accompany him on trips around the country and abroad.
Iker's idols are always reliable and confident goalkeepers - first Peter Schmeichel, then Gigi Buffon. He says he also likes to watch Toldo and Kahn play. Casillas himself has a whole set of advantages: jumping ability and lightning-fast reaction, allowing him to pull out seemingly hopeless balls, the ability to choose the right position on the goal line, confident actions when going one-on-one (as he spreads out his arms - and there is nowhere to hit, there is only Iker everywhere!). What is important for a modern goalkeeper, Real Madrid's number one plays well with his feet and can make a well-calibrated pass several tens of meters. There are also disadvantages, but where would we be without them - Iker often makes mistakes on exits after flank crosses and corners, he is frankly bad at reflecting penalties - he guesses the direction of the strike rather than trying to react to it, he also has his own “dead spot” - a few steps to the left penalty mark, from this position he is scored most often.
About personal. Iker is very conscientious and responsible, at least he values these qualities in himself, and we have no reason not to trust him. She considers Sharon Stone to be the ideal of female beauty, but for some reason she wants to meet Bill Gates. He believes that money is important, but should not be an end in itself: “I only need it so I don’t have to think about it.” Likes to read historical novels. Angry, boring, touchy... sometimes! But most often he is cheerful and cheerful. The goal is to win something with the team. He has three cars (Chrysler PT Cruiser, Audi A6 and BMW X5), but does not reach more than 80 kilometers per hour because he does not like speed. Beginning with 2009
year, dating Spanish sports TV presenter Sara Carbonero.
men.org.ua ↑ collapse
"Real Madrid"
As a boy, he was interested in everything related to football, but his main interest was in goalkeepers. Childhood idols: Buyo, Canizares, Schmeichel. One day, at a school not far from Iker’s house, there was an “open day” for the Real Madrid club. The father took the boy to audition. The coaches liked the eight-year-old goalkeeper, but he was too young. Six months later, the boy tried again and was accepted. From that moment on, Iker Casillas’ path to big-time football began. Iker joined the junior team under coach Vicente Del Bosque.
Aspiring football player Iker Casillas
Until 1999 he played in the youth team. He won the World Championship three times in the age categories U-15, U-16, U-21 and the Meridian Cup. Seriously in the first team of "Real" declared himself in 1999, in the final victory of "Real" over "Valencia" of the UEFA Champions League. Iker replaced goalkeeper Bodo Illgner, who was injured. For some time, Cesar took the place of goalkeeper. Casillas at this time played for the reserves: Real Madrid C, Real Madrid Castilla. In 2000, he returned to the main team.
After the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League final (Madrid - Bayer, 2:1), Casillas, with excellent physical characteristics (height - 181 cm, weight - 84 kg), firmly took the place of the first goalkeeper of the “royal club”. In the 2002/03 season, the young goalkeeper played 38 matches and helped the team become the champion of Spain, and also played in 15 Champions League matches. In 2014, Casillas managed to win the Champions League for the third time with Real Madrid, which was then headed by Ancelotti, who replaced Jose Mourinho in 2013.
Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid
Iker's relationship with Mourinho was not the best. For ten years, Casillas was invariably the first goalkeeper of the “royal club”. And only in December 2012, in a match with Malaga, he sat on the bench for the first time. He was replaced in goal by Antonio Adan. This coaching decision caused a storm of indignation among the fans of the “living icon” Santiago Bernabeu. A scandal broke out in the press and football circles.
But Mourinho was adamant that it was a technical decision by the coach: Adan is better, and the problems are much more global, since the team does not function in the defensive phase. The conflict between coach and player was gaining momentum. Soon Jose Mourinho replaced Anthony Adana with Diego Lopez. Casillas continued to sit on the bench.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas
After Carlo Ancelotti came to head the coaching staff, things did not immediately improve for the captain to enter the field as a starter. In the 2013/14 season, Iker played only as a cup goalkeeper. But the next season, the mentor entrusted Madrid's favorite player with 90% of the games in the starting lineup.
Iker Casillas' best saves came during his Real Madrid career from 2009-2014.
In July 2014, Iker Casillas was offered a move to Arsenal. The goalkeeper commented on the contract unequivocally:
“Moving to Arsenal? There is no better club in the world than Real Madrid."
The goalkeeper said about his departure from Real Madrid in 2020:
“I knew that my time at Real Madrid was coming to an end. This was January-February 2020. The team atmosphere was not very good. Then I thought what should I do. In the end, we came to the conclusion that I should leave. I think it was the right moment then. I thought about leaving Real Madrid after winning the Champions League in 2014."
Spain national team
Iker Casillas' first appearance in the National Team took place at Euro 2000. True, a reserve player. He entered the field for the national team for the first time, replacing the injured Santiago Cañizares at the World Championships in Japan and Korea. He played well in the match against the Paraguay national team. After winning on penalties against the Irish team, the Spaniards advanced to the next stage.
Iker Casillas in the national team
At Euro 2004 he played in the main team in 8 matches. In 2008, the Spanish national team won the European Championship with captain Iker Casillas. In 2010, at the World Cup, captain Casillas and his team became champions. FIFA named Casillas the best goalkeeper of the championship.
The goalkeeper's bosom friends Sergio Ramos and Xavi took to the field for the Spanish national team with Iker Casillas. Sergio is a defender for Real Madrid. But Iker had to compete with his friend Xavi on the field. After all, Xavi is a Barcelona star.
Iker Casillas with the World Cup
At the end of July 2020, Casillas posted on his Twitter page a fragment of the film “Rambo: First Blood 2”, where Rambo rejects the offer to remain in the army. Iker captioned the video with the words:
“Proud to feel the love of the people today and always.”
In this way, he announced to the world his retirement from the Spanish national team. At the European Championships in 2020, Iker did not defend a single match. He was replaced in goal by David de Gea. Players and fans of Iker Casillas’ talent wrote words of gratitude and love to the goalkeeper. On Twitter, the hashtag gained popularity: “Thank you, Casillas.”
Iker Casillas said goodbye to the Spanish national team
However, there were also spiteful critics. Thus, Espanyol goalkeeper Diego Lopez said in an October interview:
“I’m not surprised that Casillas is not invited to the national team. The team is highly competitive, and all players must compete with each other under the same conditions.”
Club career[ | ]
Real Madrid[ | ]
Iker Casillas Fernandez was born on May 20, 1981 in Madrid and spent his entire career at Real Madrid, where he joined at the age of 8. Casillas played on the Spanish teams that won the Meridian Cup and the World Youth Championship in 1999. In the 1999/2000 season, Casillas made his presence known: he replaced the injured Bodo Illgner and helped Madrid win the UEFA Champions League final against Valencia. Casillas soon lost his form, which allowed Cesar to become Real Madrid's main goalkeeper, but Iker regained his place in the starting lineup, replacing the veteran in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League final with Bayer Leverkusen. Entering the field, Casillas made a series of excellent saves and helped Real win 2:1. The keeper again spent the 2002/03 season as number one, without receiving a single injury, and defended the honor of the club in 15 Champions League matches and 38 national championship matches, as a result of which Real regained the title of champion.
In the 2003/04 season, Iker missed only one meeting, but this did not save the royal club: Real Madrid failed to defend the championship title and lost in the final of the Copa del Rey. Since the 2010/2011 season he became the captain of the team.
In the 2011/2012 Champions League season, Real reached the semi-finals; the Spaniards' opponent was Bayern Munich. Real lost the first match in Munich (1:2), but were able to win the return match (2:1) and reach a penalty shootout. Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká missed their shots, but two penalties saved by Casillas revived the intrigue. In an almost decisive strike, Sergio Ramos failed to score and Real was eliminated in the semi-finals. Won Spanish championship gold with Real Madrid in the 2011/2012 season.
On December 22, 2012, in the 17th round match against Malaga, Casillas remained on the bench for the first time in a long time by the decision of Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho. Antonio Adan took his place in goal. Mourinho commented on the castling of goalkeepers as follows:
| It was a technical decision, the coach's decision. The coach analyzes the situation and the players available, and then selects the lineup for the game. This is a technical solution. You can come up with the stories you want, but this is a technical decision, nothing more. I rely only on my opinion. In my opinion, Adan is better than Casillas at the moment[14] |
Real Madrid lost the match with a score of 2:3. For the next championship match against Real Sociedad, Iker also remained in the reserve[15]. However, he came out already in the eighth minute of the match, after Adan received a red card for a foul of the last resort. On January 23, in a Copa del Rey match with Valencia, Casillas suffered a hand injury. The Spain goalkeeper was diagnosed with a fracture of the first metacarpal bone of his left hand. Due to the injury, Iker underwent surgery. Casillas will be out of action for up to 12 weeks, this was announced by the surgeon Miguel del Cerro, who performed the operation[16]. At the end of February, Iker announced that he would return to duty in a month[17][18].
"Porto"[ | ]
In July 2020, the official website of Real Madrid reported that the royal club and Porto had reached an agreement on Casillas' transfer to the Portuguese team as a free agent. He made his debut on July 18 in a control match against the German Duisburg (2:0 victory for Porto). The first match in the championship was played on August 15 against Vitoria Guimaraes. The game ended with the victory of the “dragons” with a score of 3:0.
On October 20, 2020, Casillas was transferred to Porto's reserves for using a mobile phone. The coaching staff made this decision due to the fact that the goalkeeper used the phone while at the team’s location, despite the corresponding ban[19].
"Porto"
In July 2020, Real Madrid management officially announced Casillas' transfer to the Portuguese club Porto.
After joining Porto, Casillas conceded 23 goals in 26 matches. Porto dropped out of the Champions League, failing to qualify from a group with Chelsea, Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi.
Iker Casillas at the Porto club
And in the 1/16 finals of the Europa League the team lost in front. After this, Porto president Jorge Pinto da Costa announced Casillas’ contract:
“Signing was a big mistake: he didn’t live up to any expectations. His salary is beyond our means, so he will be our best transfer if he moves to the United States.”
On March 15, 2020, 35-year-old Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas said after the end of the match with Juventus (0:1) in the 1/8 of the Champions League that he liked working for the Portuguese club and would like to continue his career there .
National team
After making his debut in the national team in a match with the Swedes, he went to Euro 2000 as a reserve goalkeeper, where he never took to the field.
Two years later, at the World Cup in Japan and Korea, Casillas was supposed to become Santiago Cañizares' backup, but due to the latter's injury, who dropped out of the lineup at the last moment, Casillas made his debut in the final tournament of the World Cup (match against Paraguay), becoming the main goalkeeper of the national team and the hero of the game with the Irish: the Spanish victory on penalties allowed them to reach the quarterfinals.
Iker played 8 matches in Euro 2004 qualifying, where he missed 4 goals, took part in two play-offs with the Norwegians and kept his goal intact in the match in Oslo. Casillas was also the main goalkeeper for the Spaniards in the final stage of the tournament, which the team left after the group stage.
At the 2008 European Championships he was captain of the national team, played all the matches at the tournament, except for the non-decisive match with Greece, and won gold medals.
He was also captain at the 2010 World Cup, played all the matches at the World Cup and became the world champion. FIFA recognized Iker as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
Iker Casillas with the 2012 European Championship trophy
At Euro 2012 he also played all the matches of his team as captain and again became the European champion.
At the 2013 Confederations Cup, Casillas conceded 3 unanswered goals in the final match against the hosts of the tournament, the Brazilians, and the Furia Roja were left with silver medals.
At the 2014 World Cup, Casillas missed 5 goals in the first group match with Holland, the fourth of which was missed after a blunder. As a result, the “red fury” lost 1:5. The current world champions lost the next match against the Chilean national team with a score of 0:2 and lost their chances of reaching the playoffs. In the already undecidable match against the Australian national team, Iker sat on the bench, and his team won 3:0.
Iker Casillas was included in the squad for Euro 2016 in France, but did not play a single match there, losing his place in goal to David De Gea. The reigning European champions performed unsuccessfully, being eliminated at the 1/8 final stage by Italy 0:2. After this, Casillas ended his career in the national team.
Personal life
Before meeting his future wife, Iker dated Miss Spain 2003 Eva Gonzalez for four years. According to rumors, the couple broke up because of the girl’s work - an advertising contract for women, which caused barbs and offensive chants at the goalkeeper.
Iker Casillas and Eva Gonzalez
During unfortunate moments on the field, feminine hygiene products rained down on Iker's head from the stands. It was funny to everyone except the football player. We parted without scandals. The ex-girlfriend remembers the goalkeeper only with kind words:
"Our story is over, but that doesn't mean we don't have a lot of gratitude for each other."
After the end of his relationship with Eva, Casillas found comfort in the arms of another model, Adriana Artinez. This relationship did not last long.
She is a popular sports reporter, the beautiful female journalist Sarah Carbonero. He is a world football star, handsome and a favorite of women, Iker Casillas. Fate could not help but bring them together. Sara Carbonero also did not waste any time before meeting Iker. She was even called an insidious heart-eater and a careerist. The novels helped the girl move up the career ladder. First, Sarah had an affair with Marca radio journalist David Sanchez. Sanchez was replaced by another journalist who, according to rumors, helped Carbonero get a job on the Spanish sports channel LaSexta.
Iker Casillas and Sara Carbonero
The meeting between Carbonero and Casillas took place at the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Spain then unexpectedly lost the semifinals to the US team. Sarah conducted a post-match interview with the team. Iker received a couple of unflattering remarks from the journalist about his unsuccessful game. He did not remain in debt and answered the girl in kind. The goalkeeper left without waiting for the interview to end. But the luxurious green-eyed brunette fell into his soul.
Soon the goalkeeper decided to make amends for his harshness and sent Sarah a bouquet of flowers. But the journalist did not accept the apology. Casillas was persistent: he sent flowers again and again. Finally, the heart of the proud beauty melted.
Iker Casillas with his wife
The couple's relationship developed rapidly. There were rumors in the press about a couple in love. Casillas was even accused of being too busy with his beloved and being distracted by the commentator during matches. So, at the 2010 World Cup, he missed a goal during a game with the Swiss national team, staring at Sarah.
The couple announced their relationship openly to the whole world during an interview that Carbonero interviewed with Iker after Spain’s victory at the 2010 World Cup, when the goalkeeper kissed the girl live on air.
Kiss of Iker Casillas and Sara
In January 2014, Carbonero gave birth to her first child, Martin. And in June 2020, the second son of the star couple, Lucas, was born at the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid.
Iker Casillas with his son
The public waited six years for the romance of the most beautiful couple in Spain to end with a wedding. Rumors have repeatedly led to their marriage; the press even discussed a wedding gift in the form of a five-bedroom house worth 2.6 million euros, allegedly given to the bride by Casillas. The wedding ceremony took place only on March 20, 2020, in complete secrecy, in the presence of only one guest - the couple’s two-year-old son.
Casillas, Iker - Wikipedia
Wikipedia has articles about other people with the surname Casillas.
Iker Casillas Fernandez
(Spanish:
Iker Casillas Fernández
; born May 20, 1981, Mostoles, Madrid) is a Spanish football player, goalkeeper of the Portuguese club Porto and ex-captain of the Spanish national team. World champion (2010) and two-time European champion (2008 and 2012)[7]. As part of Real Madrid, he won the Spanish Championship five times, the Spanish Cup twice and the country's Super Cup four times; at European and international club level, he won the Champions League three times, the UEFA Super Cup twice and the Intercontinental Cup and Club World Cup once each[7].
Iker Casillas is a five-time winner of the award for the best goalkeeper in the world according to the IFFIS (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)[8]. In 2000, young Iker won the Bravo Trophy, and at the end of the 2007/2008 season he won the Zamora Trophy. In 2010, at the World Cup in South Africa, he received the Golden Glove award, becoming the best goalkeeper of the tournament.[10]
Six times included in the symbolic team of the year according to UEFA (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), five times included in the symbolic team of the world according to the International Federation of Professional Footballers' Associations (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
[7]. At the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and at the World Championships in 2010, he was a member of the symbolic team of the tournament.
Casillas is the record holder of the Spanish national team for the number of matches played (167). He is also the world record holder for the number of clean sheets played for the national team (102), and the record holder for victories in matches for the national team - 122[12].
One of the few football players to win both the youth world championship and the senior world championship. One of three people to win the World Cup, European Championship and Champions League as captain[13].
Iker Casillas is the only football player in history to win the national championship, national cup, national Super Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Club World Cup, as well as the World and European Championships at the national team level.
Club career
"Real Madrid"
Iker Casillas Fernandez was born on May 20, 1981 in Madrid and spent his entire career at Real Madrid, where he joined at the age of 8. Casillas played on the Spanish teams that won the Meridian Cup and the World Youth Championship in 1999. In the 1999/2000 season, Casillas made his presence known: he replaced the injured Bodo Illgner and helped Madrid win the UEFA Champions League final against Valencia. Casillas soon lost his form, which allowed Cesar to become Real Madrid's main goalkeeper, but Iker regained his place in the starting lineup, replacing the veteran in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League final with Bayer Leverkusen. Entering the field, Casillas made a series of excellent saves and helped Real win 2:1. The keeper again spent the 2002/03 season as number one, without receiving a single injury, and defended the honor of the club in 15 Champions League matches and 38 national championship matches, as a result of which Real regained the title of champion.
In the 2003/04 season, Iker missed only one meeting, but this did not save the royal club: Real Madrid failed to defend the championship title and lost in the final of the Copa del Rey. Since the 2010/2011 season he became the captain of the team.
In the 2011/2012 Champions League season, Real reached the semi-finals; the Spaniards' opponent was Bayern Munich. Real lost the first match in Munich (1:2), but were able to win the return match (2:1) and reach a penalty shootout. Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká missed their shots, but two penalties saved by Casillas revived the intrigue. In an almost decisive strike, Sergio Ramos failed to score and Real was eliminated in the semi-finals. Won Spanish championship gold with Real Madrid in the 2011/2012 season.
On December 22, 2012, in the 17th round match against Malaga, Casillas remained on the bench for the first time in a long time by the decision of Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho. Antonio Adan took his place in goal. Mourinho commented on the castling of goalkeepers as follows:
| It was a technical decision, the coach's decision. The coach analyzes the situation and the players available, and then selects the lineup for the game. This is a technical solution. You can come up with the stories you want, but this is a technical decision, nothing more. I rely only on my opinion. In my opinion, Adan is better than Casillas at the moment[14] |
Real Madrid lost the match with a score of 2:3. For the next championship match against Real Sociedad, Iker also remained in reserve[15]
. However, he came out already in the eighth minute of the match, after Adan received a red card for a foul of the last resort. On January 23, in the Copa del Rey match with Valencia, Casillas suffered a hand injury. The Spain goalkeeper was diagnosed with a fracture of the first metacarpal bone of his left hand. Due to the injury, Iker underwent surgery. Casillas will be out of action for up to 12 weeks, this was announced by the surgeon Miguel del Cerro, who performed the operation[16]. At the end of February, Iker announced that he would return to duty in a month[17][18].
"Porto"
In July 2020, the official website of Real Madrid reported that the royal club and Porto had reached an agreement on Casillas' transfer to the Portuguese team as a free agent.
On October 20, 2020, Casillas was transferred to Porto's reserves for using a mobile phone. The coaching staff made this decision due to the fact that the goalkeeper used the phone while at the team’s location, despite the corresponding ban[19].
Video on the topic
National team
After making his debut in the national team in a match with the Swedes, he went to Euro 2000 as a reserve goalkeeper, where he never took to the field.
Two years later, at the World Cup in Japan and Korea, Casillas was supposed to become Santiago Cañizares' backup, but due to the latter's injury, who dropped out of the lineup at the last moment, Casillas made his debut in the final tournament of the World Cup (match against Paraguay), becoming the main goalkeeper of the national team and the hero of the game with the Irish: the Spanish victory on penalties allowed them to reach the quarterfinals.
Iker played 8 matches in Euro 2004 qualifying, where he missed 4 goals, took part in two play-offs with the Norwegians and kept his goal intact in the match in Oslo. Casillas was also the main goalkeeper for the Spaniards in the final stage of the tournament, which the team left after the group stage.
At the 2008 European Championships he was captain of the national team, played all the matches at the tournament, except for the non-decisive match with Greece, and won gold medals.
He was also captain at the 2010 World Cup, played all the matches at the World Cup and became the world champion. FIFA recognized Iker as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
At Euro 2012 he also played all the matches of his team as captain and again became the European champion.
At the 2013 Confederations Cup, Casillas conceded 3 unanswered goals in the final match against the hosts of the tournament, the Brazilians, and the Furia Roja were left with silver medals.
At the 2014 World Cup, Casillas missed 5 goals in the first group match with Holland, the fourth of which was missed after a blunder. As a result, the “red fury” lost 1:5. The current world champions lost the next match against the Chilean national team with a score of 0:2 and lost their chances of reaching the playoffs. In the already undecidable match against the Australian national team, Iker sat on the bench, and his team won 3:0.
Iker Casillas was included in the squad for Euro 2016 in France, but did not play a single match there, losing his place in goal to David De Gea. The reigning European champions performed poorly overall, being eliminated at the 1/8 final stage by the Italian national team 0:2. After this, Casillas ended his career in the Spanish national team.
Data
- In Casillas' hometown of Mostoles, the mayor of the city proposed renaming Sports Avenue to Iker Casillas Avenue [20], which was done on January 5, 2012.
- In 2007, Iker starred in the feature film “Goal 2: Life as a Dream” directed by Jaume Serra, where he played a cameo role, that is, himself. The film featured such football players as Ivan Helguera, Sergio Ramos, Roberto Carlos, David Beckham, Raul Gonzalez, Guti, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Robinho, Michel Salgado, Michael Owen, Steve McManaman, Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Freddie Ljungberg , Jens Lehmann, as well as coach Arsene Wenger.
- For 11 years, Iker Casillas played in Reebok boots and gloves, but on January 12, 2012, he signed a 5-year contract with Adidas and became one of the faces of the brand[21].
- Iker holds the world record for the most victories as a member of the national team. The victory in the final match of the 2012 European Championship over Italy was Casillas' 100th as part of the Spanish national team[22].
- He holds the record for the number of minutes spent on the field in Champions League matches. On March 18, 2014, in a game against Schalke 04, he surpassed 12,000 minutes, beating his former teammate Raul (11,999 minutes), who, remarkably, set this record as a Schalke 04 player. [23]
- In the 2013/2014 season, Iker set a record in the King's Cup: he reached the final without conceding a single goal, something no one had ever managed to do before.
- He holds the record for clean sheets in the Champions League - 57 games without conceding a goal[24].
Personal life
Since 2009, he has been dating Spanish sports TV presenter Sara Carbonero. Their romance was remembered by viewers of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a passionate kiss live in front of television cameras during Carbonero's post-match interview with Casillas after the Spaniards' victory in the final.
On January 3, 2014, the first child of Iker Casillas and Sara Carbonero was born in a Madrid clinic. The boy was given the name Martin. On June 2, 2020, the couple gave birth to their second son, Lucas.[25]
Performance statistics
Club career
As of March 6, 2020
| Club | Season | Championship | Cups | Eurocups | Other | Total | |||||
| Games | Games | Games | Games | Games | |||||||
| real Madrid | 1999-00 | 27 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 47 | 50 |
| 2000-01 | 34 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 47 | 56 | |
| 2001-02 | 25 | 27 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 39 | |
| 2002-03 | 38 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 55 | 64 | |
| 2003-04 | 37 | 50 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 50 | 63 | |
| 2004-05 | 37 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 41 | |
| 2005-06 | 37 | 38 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 51 | |
| 2006-07 | 38 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 50 | |
| 2007-08 | 36 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 46 | 51 | |
| 2008-09 | 38 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 47 | 67 | |
| 2009-10 | 38 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 44 | |
| 2010-11 | 35 | 32 | 8 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 40 | |
| 2011-12 | 37 | 31 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 53 | 49 | |
| 2012-13 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 29 | 28 | |
| 2013-14 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 12 | |
| 2014-15 | 32 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 47 | 46 | |
| Total | 510 | 525 | 40 | 22 | 152 | 170 | 23 | 34 | 725 | 751 | |
| Porto | 2015-16 | 32 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 39 |
| 2016-17 | 33 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 23 | |
| 2017-18 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 9 | |
| Total | 77 | 47 | 7 | 2 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 118 | 79 | |
| Total career | 579 | 569 | 40 | 22 | 170 | 188 | 23 | 34 | 825 | 822 | |
National team career
As of June 1, 2020
| Team | Year | Friendly | World Championship | Europe championship | Confederations Cup | Total | |||||
| Games | Games | Games | Games | Games | |||||||
| Spain | 2000 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 5 |
| 2001 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | |
| 2003 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 7 | |
| 2004 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 6 | |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 | |
| 2006 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 12 | |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |
| 2008 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | |
| 2009 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 9 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 12 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total for the national team | 67 | 29 | 47 | 32 | 48 | 24 | 7 | 8 | 167 | 88 | |
Achievements
Club"Real Madrid"
Total: 18 Spain national team Total: 3 trophies Spain national team (youth) Personal
|
Notes
Links
| Spain squads |
wiki2.red
Interesting Facts
- Iker Casillas, like other celebrities, has “eccentricities.” The most famous is the prophecy of a fortune teller who predicted Iker’s future in sports. The pregnant mother was given a condition: if the baby is given a Basque name, he must be a great football player. And the prophecy came true - the name Iker translates as “Test” or “Bringer of Good Luck.”
- Iker Casillas’ “trick” is his preferences in uniform. The goalkeeper almost always plays in a sweater with short sleeves. According to Casillas, this makes him feel more comfortable and confident.
- Iker donates money to charity - in 2007 he sponsored a fund to fight malaria.
- 2013 turned out to be a traumatic year in the career of Iker Casillas. The goalkeeper received two serious injuries - on January 23, in a match with Valencia, he broke a bone in his left hand, and in the first match after 238 days of rest, he injured his ribs.
- Despite the growing popularity of Instagram among celebrities, Iker Casillas does not use the social network to show off his personal life.
- Iker Casillas's fee for 2012 was 7.5 million euros.
Iker Casillas now
The latest news about Iker Casillas is related to his intention to return to the Spanish national team. In April 2020, the footballer said that he considered himself worthy to play for the national team.
Iker is the champion with the most appearances in the Champions League as of March 14, 2020 (168). Previously, the title was held by ex-Milan defender Paolo Maldini.
Today, Iker Casillas and Sara Carbonero are raising two children. The Spanish star couple remains popular and discussed in the press - reporters follow every step of Carbonero and Casillas.
