Diego Forlan: Man United forward Profile & Stats
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Portrait of Diego Forlan

Diego Forlan

Position: forward

Uruguay Uruguay flag

PWDLFA

HAN P W D L F A Diff Win%
H 46 33 7 6 101 29 +72 71.74
A 50 29 8 13 90 56 +34 58.00
N 2 0 1 1 2 4 -2 0.00
TOTALS 98 62 16 20 193 89 +104 63.27

Name: Diego Forlan Corazo
Birthdate: 19-05-1979
Age: 46
Birthplace: Montevideo, Uruguay
Height: 5' 8" (1.73m)
Weight: 11st 11lbs (74.84kg)
Years at Club: 2001-2005
Signing Info: Transferred from: Club Atlético Independiente, 22/01/2002, £7.5m
Previous Clubs: Club Atlético Penarol, Danubio Fútbol Club, Club Atlético Independiente
Debut: 29/01/2002 v Bolton Wanderers (A) 4-0 (Premiership)
Farewell: Transferred to Villareal, 21/08/2004, £
Passed Away:

Biography

Diego Forlán is a retired Uruguayan professional footballer who is widely regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation. He was born on May 19, 1979, in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Forlán began his career with Independiente in Argentina, where he gained recognition for his skills and goal-scoring ability, he was then transferred to
Manchester United. Forlán joined Manchester United in January 2002 from Argentine club Independiente for a fee of around £7.5 million. He was brought in by then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who saw potential in his goal-scoring abilities.

Initial Struggles:
Forlán had a challenging start at United, finding it difficult to adapt to the pace and style of the Premier League. During his first season, he struggled to secure a regular starting position and faced criticism for his goal-scoring form, which led some fans to question his abilities. Forlan took 27 games to register a goal after scoring a penalty v Maccabi Haifa 18/09/2002.

Breakthrough Season:
In the 2003-2004 season, Forlán began to show his true potential. He scored an impressive 17 goals in all competitions, which included memorable performances in crucial matches. One of his most notable games came in a 3-1 victory over Liverpool in the league, where he scored two goals.

Playing Style:
Forlán was known for his technical skill, agility, and ability to finish chances. He was versatile enough to play in various attacking roles, contributing to Manchester United's forward line.

Trophies:
During his time at the club, Forlán helped Manchester United to win the Premier League title in the 2002-2003 season.

Departure:
On 21/08/2004 after 17 goals in 98 appearances for the club, Forlán was transferred to Villarreal CF. The move was seen as a fresh start for him, and it allowed him to establish himself further in European football.

Despite a rocky start, Forlán is remembered fondly by many United fans for his contributions during his time at the club. His eventual success after leaving Manchester United, where he became a prolific goal-scorer, is often highlighted as an example of his potential that was not fully realized during his time in England. His time at Manchester United served as a stepping stone in his career, leading to further success in Spain and on the international stage with Uruguay.

Villarreal (2004-2007): His career took off here; Forlán finished as the top scorer in La Liga in the 2004-2005 season and helped the club achieve a strong standing in the league.

Atletico Madrid (2007-2011): Forlán continued to excel, winning the Europa League in 2010 and finishing as the league's top scorer.
International Career: Forlán was a key player for the Uruguayan national team. He represented Uruguay in multiple Copa América tournaments and FIFA World Cups, most notably earning the Golden Boot as the top scorer during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He played a crucial role in leading Uruguay to the semifinals of that tournament.

Awards and Recognition:
Forlán was named the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner in 2010, awarded to the tournament's best player.
Throughout his career, he won numerous individual accolades, including multiple top scorer awards in leagues.

Post-Retirement:
After retiring from professional football, Forlán has been involved in various endeavors, including football commentary and coaching. In 2024 Diego Forlan made his professional tennis debut aged 45 when he lost 6-1 6-2 in 47 minutes during a doubles event in his home country Uruguay. The former Manchester United forward and Argentine partner Federico Coria lost to Bolivian tandem Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos when receiving a wildcard for the Uruguay Open in Montevideo.
 
Season Goals Season Apps
League Goals League Apps LC Goals LC Apps FAC Goals FAC Apps CS Goals CS Apps EC Goals EC Apps Europa Goals Europa Apps SC Goals SC Apps CWC Goals CWC Apps IC Goals IC Apps CWC Goals CWC Apps Season
Goals
Season
Apps
1. 2001-2002 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18
2. 2002-2003 6 25 2 5 0 2 0 0 1 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 45
3. 2003-2004 4 24 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 32
4. 2004-2005 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
TOTALS 10 63 3 6 1 4 0 2 3 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 98

Detailed Match & Performance Charts

MUFC Player Goals MUFC Player Appearances MUFC Player Opponent Manager MUFC Player Club Manager
No Opponent Goals Appearances
1. Aston Villa 3 2
2. Liverpool 2 1
3. Chelsea 2 2
4. Leeds United 1 1
5. Northampton Town 1 1
6. Portsmouth 1 1
7. Southampton 1 1
8. Birmingham City 1 1
9. Rangers 1 1
10. Fulham 1 1
11. Maccabi Haifa 1 1
12. Panathinaikos 1 1
13. Burnley 1 1
No MUFC Managers Count
Stadiums Competition Opponents Opponent Nationality
No Competition Count
1. Premiership 63
2. European Cup 23
3. League Cup 6
4. FA Cup 4
5. Charity Shield 2
No Opponent Count
1. Chelsea 6
2. Arsenal 5
3. Blackburn Rovers 5
4. Bolton Wanderers 4
5. Charlton Athletic 4
6. Leeds United 4
7. Leicester City 4
8. Newcastle United 4
9. Sunderland 3
10. Tottenham Hotspur 3
11. West Ham United 3
12. Middlesbrough 3
13. Fulham 3
14. Aston Villa 3
15. Southampton 3
16. Birmingham City 3
17. Nantes Atlantique 2
18. Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2
19. Zalaegerszeg 2
20. West Bromwich Albion 2
21. Maccabi Haifa 2
22. Olympiakos Piraeus 2
23. Everton 2
24. Manchester City 2
25. Basel 2
26. Liverpool 2
27. Deportivo La Coruna 2
28. Juventus 2
29. Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
30. Stuttgart 2
31. Derby County 1
32. Bayern Munich 1
33. Boavista 1
34. Ipswich Town 1
35. Burnley 1
36. Portsmouth 1
37. Rangers 1
38. Panathinaikos 1
39. Northampton Town 1
40. Dinamo Bucharest 1
No Opponent Nationality Count
1. England 75
2. Germany 5
3. Greece 3
4. France 2
5. Hungary 2
6. Israel 2
7. Switzerland 2
8. Spain 2
9. Italy 2
10. Portugal 1
11. Scotland 1
12. Romania 1
Roy Keane own goal v Real Madrid Old Trafford 2000 Cup Finals
No Date Opponent Competition Own Goals
Player has never scored an own goal against the club.
No Date Opponent WDL F-A Competition
1. 10-08-2003 Arsenal D 1-1 Charity Shield
2. 08-08-2004 Arsenal L 1-3 Charity Shield
Penalties scored for Manchester United Manchester United Hat-Tricks
No Date Opponents Competition Penaltys
No Date Opponent Competition Goals
Player has never scored a hat-trick or better during a game.
 
Red Cards  
No Date Opponent Competition
Player has never been sent off during a match.
 

All Matches played

No Date Comp Opponent WDL F-A HAN Goal!! Scorers Opponent scorers
1. 29-01-2002 PL Bolton Wanderers W 4-0 A 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 15', 39', 64', Ruud van Nistelrooy 83'
2. 02-02-2002 PL Sunderland W 4-1 H 0 Phil Neville 6', David Beckham 25', Ruud van Nistelrooy 28', 44' (pen) Kevin Phillips 12'
3. 10-02-2002 PL Charlton Athletic W 2-0 A 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 33', 74'
4. 20-02-2002 EC/UCL Nantes Atlantique D 1-1 A 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 90'+4 (pen) Viorel Moldovan 9'
5. 26-02-2002 EC/UCL Nantes Atlantique W 5-1 H 0 David Beckham 18', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 31', 78', Mikael Silvestre 38', Ruud van Nistelrooy 64' (pen) Frederic Da Rocha 17'
6. 03-03-2002 PL Derby County D 2-2 A 0 Paul Scholes 41', Juan Sebastian Veron 60' Malcolm Christie 8', 78'
7. 06-03-2002 PL Tottenham Hotspur W 4-0 H 0 David Beckham 15', 64', Ruud van Nistelrooy 43' (pen) 76'
8. 13-03-2002 EC/UCL Bayern Munich D 0-0 H 0
9. 16-03-2002 PL West Ham United W 5-3 A 0 David Beckham 17', 89' (pen), Nicky Butt 22', Paul Scholes 55', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 64' Steve Lomas 8', Frederic Kanoute 20', Jermain Defoe 78'
10. 19-03-2002 EC/UCL Boavista W 3-0 A 0 Laurent Blanc 14', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 29', David Beckham 51' (pen)
11. 23-03-2002 PL Middlesbrough L 0-1 H 0 Alen Boksic 9'
12. 30-03-2002 PL Leeds United W 4-3 A 0 Paul Scholes 8', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 37', 39', Ryan Giggs 55' Mark Viduka 20', Ian Harte 62', Lee Bowyer 80'
13. 06-04-2002 PL Leicester City W 1-0 A 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 61'
14. 20-04-2002 PL Chelsea W 3-0 A 0 Paul Scholes 15', Ruud van Nistelrooy 41', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 86'
15. 27-04-2002 PL Ipswich Town W 1-0 A 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 45' (pen)
16. 30-04-2002 EC/UCL Bayer 04 Leverkusen D 1-1 A 0 Roy Keane 28' Oliver Neuville 45'
17. 08-05-2002 PL Arsenal L 0-1 H 0 Sylvain Wiltord 56'
18. 11-05-2002 PL Charlton Athletic D 0-0 H 0
19. 14-08-2002 EC/UCL Zalaegerszeg L 0-1 A 0 Bela Koplarovics 90'
20. 17-08-2002 PL West Bromwich Albion W 1-0 H 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 78'
21. 23-08-2002 PL Chelsea D 2-2 A 0 David Beckham 26', Ryan Giggs 66' William Gallas 3', Bolo Zenden 45'
22. 27-08-2002 EC/UCL Zalaegerszeg W 5-0 H 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 6', 76' (pen), David Beckham 15', Paul Scholes 21', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 84'
23. 31-08-2002 PL Sunderland D 1-1 A 0 Ryan Giggs 7' Tore Andre Flo 70'
24. 03-09-2002 PL Middlesbrough W 1-0 H 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 28' (pen)
25. 11-09-2002 PL Bolton Wanderers L 0-1 H 0 Kevin Nolan 76'
26. 14-09-2002 PL Leeds United L 0-1 A 0 Harry Kewell 67'
27. 18-09-2002 EC/UCL Maccabi Haifa W 5-2 H 1 Ryan Giggs 10', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 35', Juan Sebastian Veron 46', Ruud van Nistelrooy 54', Diego Forlan 89' (pen) Yaniv Katan 8', Rafi Cohen 85'
28. 21-09-2002 PL Tottenham Hotspur W 1-0 H 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 63' (pen)
29. 24-09-2002 EC/UCL Bayer 04 Leverkusen W 2-1 A 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 31', 44' *Dimitar Berbatov 52'
30. 28-09-2002 PL Charlton Athletic W 3-1 A 0 Paul Scholes 54', Ryan Giggs 83', Ruud van Nistelrooy 90'+3 Claus Jensen 43'
31. 01-10-2002 EC/UCL Olympiakos Piraeus W 4-0 H 0 Ryan Giggs 19', Juan Sebastian Veron 26', Georgios Anatolakis 67' (o.g.), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 77'
32. 07-10-2002 PL Everton W 3-0 H 0 Paul Scholes 86', 90', Ruud van Nistelrooy 89' (pen)
33. 19-10-2002 PL Fulham D 1-1 A 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 62' Steve Marlet 35'
34. 23-10-2002 EC/UCL Olympiakos Piraeus W 3-2 A 0 Laurent Blanc 20', Juan Sebastian Veron 58', Paul Scholes 83' Lampros Choutos 69', Predrag Djordjevic 73'
35. 26-10-2002 PL Aston Villa D 1-1 H 1 Diego Forlan 77' Olof Mellberg 35'
36. 29-10-2002 EC/UCL Maccabi Haifa L 0-3 A 0 Yaniv Katan 40', Raimondas Zutauttas 56', Ayegbeni Yakubu 77' (pen)
37. 02-11-2002 PL Southampton W 2-1 H 1 Phil Neville 15', Diego Forlan 85' Fabrice Fernandes 18'
38. 05-11-2002 LC Leicester City W 2-0 H 0 David Beckham 80' (pen), Kieran Richardson 90'
39. 09-11-2002 PL Manchester City L 1-3 A 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 8' Nicholas Anelka 5', Shaun Goater 26', 50'
40. 23-11-2002 PL Newcastle United W 5-3 H 0 Paul Scholes 25', Ruud van Nistelrooy 38', 45', 53', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 55' Olivier Bernard 35', Alan Shearer 52', Craig Bellamy 75'
41. 26-11-2002 EC/UCL Basel W 3-1 A 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 62', 63', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 68' Christian Eduardo Gimenez 1'
42. 01-12-2002 PL Liverpool W 2-1 A 2 Diego Forlan 64', 67' Sami Hyypia 82'
43. 03-12-2002 LC Burnley W 2-0 A 1 Diego Forlan 35', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 65'
44. 11-12-2002 EC/UCL Deportivo La Coruna W 2-0 H 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 7', 55'
45. 14-12-2002 PL West Ham United W 3-0 H 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 15', Juan Sebastian Veron 17', Sebastien Schemmel 61' (o.g.)
46. 17-12-2002 LC Chelsea W 1-0 H 1 Diego Forlan 80'
47. 22-12-2002 PL Blackburn Rovers L 0-1 A 0 Gary Flitcroft 40'
48. 28-12-2002 PL Birmingham City W 2-0 H 1 Diego Forlan 37', David Beckham 73'
49. 01-01-2003 PL Sunderland W 2-1 H 0 David Beckham 81', Paul Scholes 90+1' Juan Sebastian Veron 5' (o.g.)
50. 07-01-2003 LC Blackburn Rovers D 1-1 H 0 Paul Scholes 58' David Thompson 61'
51. 11-01-2003 PL West Bromwich Albion W 3-1 A 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 8', Paul Scholes 23', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 55' Jason Koumas 6'
52. 18-01-2003 PL Chelsea W 2-1 H 1 Paul Scholes 39', Diego Forlan 90+3' Eidur Gudjohnsen 30'
53. 22-01-2003 LC Blackburn Rovers W 3-1 A 0 Paul Scholes 30', 42', Ruud van Nistelrooy 77' (pen) *Andrew Cole 12'
54. 26-01-2003 FAC West Ham United W 6-0 H 0 Ryan Giggs 8', 29', Ruud van Nistelrooy 49', 58', Phil Neville 50', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 69'
55. 01-02-2003 PL Southampton W 2-0 A 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 15', Ryan Giggs 22'
56. 15-02-2003 FAC Arsenal L 0-2 H 0 Edu 34', Sylvain Wiltord 52'
57. 19-02-2003 EC/UCL Juventus W 2-1 H 0 Wesley Brown 4', Ruud van Nistelrooy 85' Pavel Nedved 90+2'
58. 22-02-2003 PL Bolton Wanderers D 1-1 A 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 90' Bruno N'Gotty 61'
59. 25-02-2003 EC/UCL Juventus W 3-0 A 0 Ryan Giggs 15', 41', Ruud van Nistelrooy 63'
60. 12-03-2003 EC/UCL Basel D 1-1 H 0 Gary Neville 53' Christian Eduardo Gimenez 14'
61. 18-03-2003 EC/UCL Deportivo La Coruna L 0-2 A 0 Victor Sanchez 32', Mark Lynch 47' (o.g.)
62. 12-04-2003 PL Newcastle United W 6-2 A 0 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 32', Paul Scholes 34', 38', 52', Ryan Giggs 44', Ruud van Nistelrooy 58' (pen) Jermaine Jenas 21', Shola Ameobi 89'
63. 03-05-2003 PL Charlton Athletic W 4-1 H 0 David Beckham 11', Ruud van Nistelrooy 32', 37', 53' Claus Jensen 13'
64. 10-08-2003 CS Arsenal D 1-1 N 0 Mikael Silvestre 15' Thierry Henry 20'
65. 16-08-2003 PL Bolton Wanderers W 4-0 H 0 Ryan Giggs 35', 74', Paul Scholes 77', Ruud van Nistelrooy 87'
66. 23-08-2003 PL Newcastle United W 2-1 A 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 51', Paul Scholes 59' Alan Shearer 26'
67. 27-08-2003 PL Wolves W 1-0 H 0 John O'Shea 10'
68. 31-08-2003 PL Southampton L 0-1 A 0 James Beattie 88'
69. 21-09-2003 PL Arsenal D 0-0 H 0
70. 27-09-2003 PL Leicester City W 4-1 A 0 Roy Keane 15', Ruud van Nistelrooy 16', 45', 52' Frank Sinclair 73'
71. 01-10-2003 EC/UCL Stuttgart L 1-2 A 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 67' (pen) Imre Szabics 50', Kevin Kuranyi 52'
72. 04-10-2003 PL Birmingham City W 3-0 H 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 36' (pen), Paul Scholes 57', Ryan Giggs 82'
73. 18-10-2003 PL Leeds United W 1-0 A 0 Roy Keane 81'
74. 25-10-2003 PL Fulham L 1-3 H 1 Diego Forlan 45'+2 Lee Clark 3', Steed Malbranque 66', Junichi Inamoto 79'
75. 28-10-2003 LC Leeds United W 3-2 A 1 David Bellion 78', Diego Forlan 108', Eric Djemba-Djemba 117' Roque Junior 49', 114'
76. 01-11-2003 PL Portsmouth W 3-0 H 1 Diego Forlan 37', Cristiano Ronaldo 80', Roy Keane 82'
77. 04-11-2003 EC/UCL Rangers W 3-0 H 1 Diego Forlan 6', Ruud van Nistelrooy 43', 60'
78. 09-11-2003 PL Liverpool W 2-1 A 0 Ryan Giggs 58', 70' Harry Kewell 75'
79. 22-11-2003 PL Blackburn Rovers W 2-1 H 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 24', Kleberson 38' Brett Emerton 62'
80. 26-11-2003 EC/UCL Panathinaikos W 1-0 A 1 Diego Forlan 85'
81. 30-11-2003 PL Chelsea L 0-1 A 0 Frank Lampard 30' (pen)
82. 06-12-2003 PL Aston Villa W 4-0 H 2 Ruud van Nistelrooy 16', 45', Diego Forlan 90', 90'+3
83. 09-12-2003 EC/UCL Stuttgart W 2-0 H 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 45'+2, Ryan Giggs 58'
84. 26-12-2003 PL Everton W 3-2 H 0 Nicky Butt 9', Kleberson 44', David Bellion 68' Gary Neville 13' (o.g.), Duncan Ferguson 90'
85. 04-01-2004 FAC Aston Villa W 2-1 A 0 Paul Scholes 64', 68' Gareth Barry 19'
86. 11-01-2004 PL Newcastle United D 0-0 H 0
87. 17-01-2004 PL Wolves L 0-1 A 0 Kenny Miller 67'
88. 25-01-2004 FAC Northampton Town W 3-0 A 1 Mikael Silvestre 34', Chris Hargreaves 47' (o.g.), Diego Forlan 68'
89. 11-02-2004 PL Middlesbrough L 2-3 H 0 Ruud van Nistelrooy 45'+2, Ryan Giggs 63' Juninho 34', 38', Joseph-Desire Job 80'
90. 28-02-2004 PL Fulham D 1-1 A 0 Louis Saha 14' Luis Boa-Morte 64'
91. 14-03-2004 PL Manchester City L 1-4 A 0 Paul Scholes 35' Robbie Fowler 3', Jon Macken 32', Trevor Sinclair 73', Shaun Wright-Phillips 90'+1
92. 20-03-2004 PL Tottenham Hotspur W 3-0 H 0 Ryan Giggs 30', Cristiano Ronaldo 89', David Bellion 90'+3
93. 10-04-2004 PL Birmingham City W 2-1 A 0 Cristiano Ronaldo 60', Louis Saha 78' Martin Grainger 39'
94. 13-04-2004 PL Leicester City W 1-0 H 0 Gary Neville 56'
95. 01-05-2004 PL Blackburn Rovers L 0-1 A 0 Jonathan Stead 85'
96. 08-08-2004 CS Arsenal L 1-3 N 0 Alan Smith 55' Gilberto Silva 49', Jose Antonio Reyes 58', Mikael Silvestre 79' (o.g.)
97. 11-08-2004 EC/UCL Dinamo Bucharest W 2-1 A 0 Ryan Giggs 38', Angelo Alistar 72' (o.g.) Lonel Daniel Danciulescu 10'
98. 15-08-2004 PL Chelsea L 0-1 A 0 Eidur Gudjohnsen 15'
 

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