25 Facts About Claudio Caniggia

Claudio Paul Caniggia is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as forward or winger.

Claudio Caniggia appeared in three World Cups, and was a member of both rival clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors.

At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Caniggia scored two goals to help Argentina reach the final but was suspended for the final against West Germany.

Claudio Caniggia scored two goals at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in a first-round match against Nigeria.

Claudio Caniggia has become a club legend and cult-hero at many of the clubs he has played at, for instance when scoring against Dunfermline in 2003 to help Rangers win the title.

In 1988, Claudio Caniggia moved to Serie A club Hellas Verona after accumulating 53 appearances and 8 goals for River Plate.

Claudio Caniggia then moved to Atalanta in 1989, where he would remain for three years and score 26 goals in 85 league games.

Claudio Caniggia moved to Roma in 1992, a move both parties believed would help the club aim for the Scudetto, though Roma lost its momentum mid-season with only 15 points from 17 games.

Claudio Caniggia played with the white kit during a friendly match where Valencia faced Brazil in Mestalla.

Claudio Caniggia played as a guest player in a team where Tenerife player Diego Latorre was included in the squad.

Claudio Caniggia then signed for Scottish club Dundee, managed by Ivano Bonnetti whom he knew well from their time together in Italy.

Claudio Caniggia was a key player in both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, but was not picked under the strict regime of coach Daniel Passarella for France '98.

Claudio Caniggia was capped 50 times for Argentina, scoring 16 goals.

Claudio Caniggia played at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, scoring four goals in eight matches.

Contrary to popular belief and largely due to loose interpretation, Claudio Caniggia was not a pure striker, but rather a playmaker or creative forward.

Claudio Caniggia was good friends with Argentina legend Diego Maradona; the duo once celebrated a goal with a kiss on the lips.

At the 1990 World Cup, Claudio Caniggia scored two key goals to help Argentina reach the final.

Claudio Caniggia came off the bench in the inaugural match against Cameroon in Milan, memorably being fouled three times in a single dribble as he carried the ball forward, the last, by Benjamin Massing earning the Cameroonian a straight red card.

Claudio Caniggia had been cautioned in the team's second first round match against the Soviet Union, and then received another yellow card against Italy for deliberately handling the ball, which earned him a suspension.

Claudio Caniggia helped Argentina win the 1992 Confederations Cup, in which he scored a goal in the final itself.

Claudio Caniggia scored two goals in the 1994 World Cup, both of them in the first round match against Nigeria, the first from a Gabriel Batistuta free kick rebound and second one from a free kick by Diego Maradona, which he finished, putting the ball in top right hand corner.

Claudio Caniggia was taken out of Argentina's third game against Bulgaria 26 minutes into the match in the boiling heat of Dallas, an Argentine team who were without Maradona.

Claudio Caniggia made a brief comeback to the Marcelo Bielsa-coached squad for the 2002 World Cup, but did not play.

Claudio Caniggia received a red card for cursing at the referee from the bench in Argentina's last match against Sweden, becoming the first player to be sent off from the bench in a World Cup.

In September 2019, Claudio Caniggia asked his wife for a divorce and started dating Sofia Bonelli, a 26-year-old Argentine model.