After making his debut in Uruguay with Montevideo Wanderers, Enzo Francescoli made his mark in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups with his extraordinary skills. River Plate was another important chapter in his career, and he went on to play in Europe, from Paris Athletic and Marseille to Cagliari and Torino, in all five European competitions.
Known for his elegant movements, Francescoli on the pitch had a profound influence on Zinedine Zidane. Zidane even went on record as naming his eldest son Enzo, and personally informed him of the news before the 1996 Intercontinental Cup.
Known as the "Prince of Uruguay", Francescoli is one of the few players to have won the hearts of Argentine fans, and in 2004 he was selected as one of the 100 best players of the International Federation of Association Football (Federation Internationale de Football Association), and was included in the list of the 125 greatest living players compiled by Pele.
After his retirement, River Plate fans and executives repeatedly invited him to take charge of the coaching whip, but he always declined, and eventually returned in a management capacity. The current River Plate head coach, Gallardo, is his former teammate from his River Plate days, and the two have a strong relationship. Under Gallardo, River Plate won the Copa Libertadores twice, in 2015 and 2018. Today, Franciscoli serves as vice president of GOL TV and Tenfield.
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