Enzo Francescoli

Attacking Midfielder / Second Striker · River Plate · Uruguay

PositionAttacking Midfielder / Second Striker

ClubRiver Plate

NationalityUruguay

Born12 November 1961

BirthplaceMontevideo, Uruguay

Height180 cm

Preferred footRight

Active1980–1997

About Enzo Francescoli

Enzo Francescoli's story

Zidane's Inspiration

Zinedine Zidane was a teenager living in Marseille (FRA) when he watched Enzo Francescoli play for Matra Racing and then Marseille (FRA) in the late 1980s. He was so captivated by Francescoli's movement, his composure, his way of receiving and distributing the ball, that the influence stayed permanent. When Zidane's son was born, he named him Enzo. No greater tribute exists in football than having the world's finest player of the following generation name their child after you.

Three Copa Américas

Francescoli won the Copa América in 1983, 1987, and 1995 — three titles across 12 years with Uruguay, confirming him as one of the continent's finest players across different competitive eras. In 1987, he was the tournament's best player. In 1995, he scored the decisive penalty in the final against Brazil. His international record — three major tournament wins from 73 appearances — is the finest by any Uruguayan since the 1950 World Cup squad.

River Plate

Francescoli is most associated with River Plate, where he played in two spells and won the Copa Libertadores in 1996. In his second stint, he was the team's creative heart and most decorated individual — returning to Argentina having won trophies in France and Italy. His Copa Libertadores winner's medal, collected at 34 years old, is the crowning achievement of a career that defined Uruguayan football for a generation.

Did you know?

• 👶 Zinedine Zidane named his son Enzo after Francescoli — having been captivated by watching him play as a teenager in Marseille. It is the most personal tribute one generation's great player has paid to another.
• 🏆 He won the Copa América three times (1983, 1987, 1995) with Uruguay — the most by any Uruguayan in the modern era — and the Copa Libertadores with River Plate (1996).
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Married Anabel Herrera; they have children. He settled in Uruguay and became the idol after whom Zinedine Zidane named his son Enzo.
• 🌟 Zinedine Zidane, when asked about Francescoli, said: 'He was a poet. The ball was his instrument. When I watched him as a boy I wanted to move the way he moved. I still do.'
• ⚽ He scored 188 career goals from an attacking midfield / second-striker role — a return that reflects a player who contributed in front of goal while being primarily valued for the chances he created for others.
• 🇺🇾 He scored 18 goals in 73 international appearances for Uruguay — the national record for an attacking midfielder — and captained the team through their most successful tournament run since the 1950s.
• 🇫🇷 His years at Marseille (1989-1991) — alongside players including Jean-Pierre Papin — are considered the peak of his European experience, with his technical quality influencing a generation of young French players including the teenage Zidane.
• 🎖️ After retiring, he became a director at River Plate — the club he is most associated with — contributing to the administration that won multiple Copas Libertadores after his departure.
• 🎨 His dribbling style — slow-quick, featuring a characteristic shoulder drop that wrong-footed defenders — was studied and imitated by Brazilian and Argentine coaches as a model of how a player of moderate pace can create space through technique alone.

Honours

• Copa América x3: Uruguay (1983, 1987, 1995)
• Copa Libertadores: River Plate (1996)
• Primera División x3: River Plate
• Named After by Zinedine Zidane: Zidane named his son Enzo after Francescoli — the highest personal tribute in football
• South American Player of the Year x3: 1984, 1985, 1997 — three-time winner

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