22 Facts About Akinfeev

Akinfeev has spent his entire career at CSKA, making more than 700 official appearances.

Akinfeev has won six Russian Premier League titles and six Russian Cups, as well as the UEFA Cup in 2005.

Akinfeev is a record holder for most games played in the Russian top-level league at 527.

Akinfeev was named captain of Russia in March 2017, after the retirement of his predecessor Vasili Berezutski.

Akinfeev is a member of the Lev Yashin Club and has kept more clean sheets in Russian football than any other goalkeeper.

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Igor Akinfeev was born on 8 April 1986 in the town of Vidnoye in Moscow Oblast.

Akinfeev broke into the starting line-up at the age of 17 in 2003, winning the club's first Russian Premier League in the same season.

In May 2007, Akinfeev sustained a knee injury which kept him out for the remainder of the 2007 Russian Premier League season.

Akinfeev returned for the 2008 season, starting in all 30 league matches and winning the Russian Cup.

In May 2011, Akinfeev captained CSKA to a fifth Russian Cup of his career.

Akinfeev saved Yuri Zhirkov's kick in CSKA's penalty shootout win over Anzhi Makhachkala in the 2013 Russian Cup Final.

On 1 February 2014, CSKA Moscow announced that Akinfeev had extended his contract CSKA until the summer of 2019.

In December 2018, Akinfeev earned his 300th clean sheet, becoming the first Russian goalkeeper to do so.

Akinfeev was later included into the Russian UEFA Euro 2004 squad as the third choice goalkeeper behind Sergei Ovchinnikov and Vyacheslav Malafeev.

Akinfeev kept his first choice place under Yuri Semin and later Guus Hiddink.

Akinfeev returned to the Russian national squad in early November but was deemed unfit for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel.

Akinfeev later re-established his first choice place for Russia at UEFA Euro 2008, and played every match as the nation reached the semi-finals.

Akinfeev was confirmed for the finalized UEFA Euro 2012 squad on 25 May 2012, but Malafeev played all of Russia's matches and the nation was eliminated in the group stages.

In Russia's first group match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup against South Korea, Akinfeev fumbled a long-range shot from Lee Keun-ho, dropping it over the line to give the Koreans the lead.

On 27 March 2015, in a Euro 2016 Group G qualifier away to Montenegro, Akinfeev was struck in the head by a flare launched from the crowd, 20 seconds after kick-off.

Akinfeev played his third UEFA European Championship for Russia at UEFA Euro 2016 as the national team finished bottom of Group B with only one point from three matches.

Akinfeev was later instrumental in the Russians knocking out Spain in the Round of 16, being elected Man of the Match and saving two penalties in the shoot-out, ensuring a Russian victory.