Childhood & Early Life
Carlos Tevez was born as Carlos Alberto Martínez on February 5, 1984 in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Juan Alberto Cabral and Fabiana "Trina" Martínez. However, he was adopted by his maternal aunt Adriana Noemí Martínez and her husband Segundo Raimundo Tévez, whose surname he had taken following a conflict between his junior club, All Boys, and Boca Juniors.
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Club Career
Carlos Tevez began his professional club career at the age of 16, debuting for Boca Juniors against Talleres de Córdoba on October 21, 2001. He went on to help his team win the Copa Libertadores, the Intercontinental Cup and the Torneo Apertura of the Argentine Primera División in 2003, and the Copa Sudamericana in 2004.
At Boca, he earned recognition as a potential successor to Diego Maradona, inheriting his No.10 jersey. However, he transferred to Brazilian Série A club Corinthians at a record deal in 2005 and led the team to the 2005 Campeonato Brasileiro title. He became the first non-Brazilian since 1976 to win best player's honor.
Despite having signed a five-year deal with Corinthians, he moved to West Ham United in 2006. While he started goalless in a series of losses and draws, he scored the only goal in the final league match against Manchester United to save West Ham from relegation.
Following an ugly transfer drama, his two-year loan to Manchester United was approved on August 10, 2007, and he made his debut for the club against Portsmouth on August 15. During his two year stay, he helped the club win the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, two Premier League titles, 2008 FA Community Shield and FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2008-09 Football League Cup.
He was offered a permanent five year contract by Manchester United, but finally joined United's cross-town rivals, Manchester City, on July 14, 2009. He was named 'Premier League Player of the Month' for the first time in December 2009 and played a crucial role in the club's FA Cup campaign in 2010, leading the club to victory in the final.
He once again became the center of media attention after Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini claimed that he refused to come as a substitute against Bayern Munich on September 27, 2011. He was severely criticized by pundits and the media, was suspended for two weeks, fined several weeks' wages and denied a loyalty bonus, but returned to the first team against Chelsea on March 21, 2012.
He helped Manchester City win their first league title in 44 years and subsequently became the first player to score 50 goals for the club in the Premier League. On August 12, 2012, he helped Manchester City win the FA Community Shield by scoring a goal in a 3–2 win over Chelsea.
He signed a three-year-contract with Juventus on June 26, 2013, and was assigned the prestigious No.10 jersey, which he justified by ending the season as the top goal-scorer with 21 goals, winning the Scudetto. During his two seasons stay with the club, he helped his team win the Serie A twice, the 2013 Supercoppa Italiana, the 2014–15 Coppa Italia, and also reached the 2015 Champions League final.
In June 2015, he returned to his first club Boca Juniors with the dream of winning the Argentine Primera División, which he achieved by the end of the season, along with the Copa Argentina title. This made him the first footballer to win two domestic league and cup doubles in one calendar year, apart from being named the 2014–15 'Serie A Footballer of the Year'.
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In December 2016, he signed to the Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua for a reported $41 million salary, making him the highest-paid footballer in the world, even though he denied having that much salary. Despite scoring four goals from 16 appearances, he was criticized for being unfit, following which he termed his stay with the club as "holiday" and returned to Boca in January 2018.
International Career
Carlos Tevez debuted for the U-17 squad of the Argentine national team in 2001 and went on to represent his nation in 2004 as well, playing for the U-21 squad. He appeared in a total of 12 matches, and scored 10 goals for the national youth teams.
He joined the national senior team for the 2004 Copa América, which they lost in the final to Brazil, followed by another loss to Brazil in the final of the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.
He represented the national team in the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, and was part of the team that reached the 2007 Copa América final.
He was omitted from the national team for three years after missing a penalty shoot-out against Uruguay at the 2011 Copa América, but was called back for friendly matches against Portugal and Croatia in 2014. He helped his team reached the 2015 Copa América final, which they lost to hosts Chile.
Personal Life & Legacy
Carlos Tevez has been in a longtime relationship with Vanesa Mansilla, with whom he has two daughters, Florencia and Katia, and a son, Lito Junior Tevez. He reportedly had an open relationship with actress Brenda Asnicar in 2010, but got married to Mansilla in Argentina on December 22, 2016.
Facts About Carlos Tevez
Carlos Tevez has a unique habit of sucking his thumb during matches, which he has been seen doing on numerous occasions throughout his career.
Tevez is known for his love of tattoos and has several meaningful tattoos on his body, showcasing his personal beliefs and experiences.
Despite being a professional footballer, Tevez is a self-proclaimed avid fan of golf and enjoys playing the sport in his free time.
In addition to his football skills, Tevez is also skilled in playing the guitar and has been known to entertain his teammates with impromptu performances.
