René Higuita

Eccentric Colombian goalkeeper famous for his scorpion kick save and one of the most flamboyant personalities in football history.

José René Higuita Zapata was born on 27 August 1966 in the Castilla neighbourhood of Medellín, Colombia, into difficult circumstances that included the early loss of his mother, and was raised largely by his grandparents amid the violence that gripped the city during that era. Higuita began as a striker in local youth leagues, only switching to goalkeeper out of necessity after substituting for an injured teammate, and made his professional debut with Bogotá club Los Millonarios in 1985 before moving the following year to his hometown club, Atlético Nacional. Higuita's manager at Atlético Nacional and with the Colombian national team, Francisco Maturana, gave him the nickname "El Loco" (the Madman) for his revolutionary willingness to roam far outside his penalty area, effectively playing as an additional outfield player — Maturana famously remarked that with Higuita as sweeper, Colombia fielded 11 outfield players. This audacious, attacking approach to goalkeeping, decades ahead of its time, later became known throughout football as the "sweeper-keeper" role, a template that influenced generations of goalkeepers who followed. Higuita helped Atlético Nacional win the 1989 Copa Libertadores, the first South American club title won by a Colombian side, and represented his country at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. His most famous moment, however, came in a friendly against England at Wembley in September 1995, when he cleared an attempted lob with an audacious "scorpion kick" — flicking the ball away with his heels over his own head — a moment of pure improvisation that remains one of the most replayed pieces of goalkeeping skill in football history. He also scored over 40 career goals, an extraordinary tally for a goalkeeper, regularly taking free kicks and penalties. Higuita's career was not without controversy: in 1993, he served several months in a Colombian prison after acting as an intermediary in a high-profile kidnapping-ransom case, a role he later publicly acknowledged. He continued playing into the early 2000s, including a loan spell at Spain's Real Valladolid, and remains a folk hero in Colombian football for redefining what a goalkeeper could be.

Sweeper-keeper known for coming out of his box, excellent ball skills, and acrobatic saves

Revolutionized the goalkeeper position with his sweeper-keeper playing style

• Copa Libertadores 1989
• Copa América 2001

Club Career

Club	Period	Apps	Goals
Millonarios	1985–1985	16	7
Atlético Nacional	1986–1991	112	1
Real Valladolid	1991–1992	15	2
Atlético Nacional	1993–1997	69	1
Veracruz	1997–1998	30	2
Independiente Medellín	1999–2000	20	11
Real Cartagena	2000–2001	21	0
Atlético Junior	2001–2002	4	0
Deportivo Pereira	2002–2003	13	0
Aucas	2004–2004	35	3
Guaros FC	2007–2007	10	5
Deportivo Rionegro	2008–2008	10	3
Deportivo Pereira	2008–2010	12	5
Colombia	—	68	3