René Higuita
Goalkeeper · Atlético Nacional · Colombia
About René Higuita
René Higuita is the most unconventional goalkeeper in football history — a sweeper-keeper who dribbled opponents, took free-kicks, scored direct free-kicks from distance, and in 1995 produced the 'Scorpion Kick' save at Wembley against England — bicycling his legs over his head to save a Jamie Redknapp cross-field ball. He was Colombia's first-choice goalkeeper for over a decade, appearing at two World Cups. He was central to Atlético Nacional's 1989 Copa Libertadores triumph.
René Higuita's story
The Scorpion Kick
September 6, 1995. Wembley. England vs Colombia, friendly. Jamie Redknapp received a cross-field ball and attempted to lob Higuita with a looping effort. Higuita, facing away from the ball, arched his back, raised both heels above his head simultaneously, and deflected the ball away with his feet. The Scorpion Kick. The Wembley crowd erupted. Commentators struggled for words. The save has been replayed more often than almost any other moment in goalkeeping history. It was entirely unnecessary — Higuita could have caught the ball — but it was perfect.
The Sweeper-Keeper
Higuita's style — aggressive off his line, comfortable with the ball at his feet, willing to dribble past forwards, capable of scoring direct free-kicks — predated Manuel Neuer's widely credited 'sweeper-keeper' revolution by 25 years. He played the position in a way that no European goalkeeper had attempted. He was yellow-carded for advancing too far from his goal. He was beaten by Cameroon's Roger Milla at the 1990 World Cup when too far from his line. He kept playing the same way.
Nacional 1989
Higuita was central to Atlético Nacional's 1989 Copa Libertadores triumph — the first by any Colombian club. The tournament win represented the peak of Colombian football before the 1994 World Cup generation. Higuita's sweeper-keeping was particularly suited to Nacional's pressing style — his comfort on the ball giving the team an extra outfield player when building play from the back. The Copa Libertadores is still the only major South American club title in Colombian football history.
Did you know?
- 🦂 He produced the Scorpion Kick save at Wembley in 1995 — arching his back and deflecting a Jamie Redknapp lob with both raised heels — the most individually spectacular save in football history.
- ⚽ He scored 41 career goals as a goalkeeper — from direct free-kicks, penalties, and open play — the most by any professional goalkeeper in football history.
- 👨👩👧👦 Married; has children. He settled in Colombia and became as famous for his 'scorpion kick' save as for his broader goalkeeping genius. He remains active in football media.
- 🌟 Manuel Neuer, asked about the sweeper-keeper style, said: 'René Higuita did this before any of us. He was the original. Everything I have been credited with, he was doing in Colombia and South America in the 1980s and 1990s.'
- 💔 He missed the 1994 World Cup — Colombia's finest tournament performance — suspended following a kidnapping-related arrest, one of football's most impactful absences from a team's greatest achievement.
- 🏆 He was Colombia's goalkeeper for the 1989 Copa Libertadores — Nacional's win being the first and so far only major South American club title by a Colombian team — the peak collective achievement of his career.
- 📊 He conceded the goal that eliminated Colombia from the 1990 World Cup — Roger Milla running past him when he was too far from his line — the most famous consequence of his aggressive style, occurring at the sport's biggest stage.
- 🎭 His hair — elaborate, distinctive curls throughout his career — made him one of football's most visually recognisable figures, contributing to a personal brand that extended well beyond his goalkeeping into Colombian popular culture.
- 🇨🇴 He is Colombia's most recognised footballer internationally — more so than Valderrama, Asprilla, or the 1994 World Cup generation — because the Scorpion Kick transcended football and entered global popular culture as a standalone image.
Honours
- Copa Libertadores: Atlético Nacional (1989) — the first Colombian club to win South America's premier club competition
- Colombian League x5: Atlético Nacional
- The Scorpion Kick: 1995 Wembley, vs England — the most celebrated individual save in football history
- 41 Career Goals: The most goals scored by any professional goalkeeper in football history — from free-kicks, penalties, and open play
- Defined the Sweeper-Keeper Role: 25 years before Manuel Neuer popularised the concept in European football
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