named South American footballer of the year in 2001, and was also included in the South American Team of the Year six times. He was among the nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2006 and 2007, and the Ballon d'Or in 2005 and 2007. Club career Early years Riquelme was born as the eldest of 11 children in a poor family, one day before Argentina won the 1978 World Cup. He began playing football in the localities of San Fernando, playing for different local clubs, before gaining the opportunity to trial with the junior teams of Argentinos Juniors. After trialling, he was signed by the club where he began playing as a central midfielder. Boca Juniors and River Plate spotted him when he was a youth player for Argentinos Juniors. In 1996, however, Riquelme was transferred from Argentinos Juniors U-20 to Boca Juniors U-20 for a fee of US$800,000, during an operation insisted by trainer Carlos Salvador Bilardo which led to the then president of Boca Juniors, Mauricio Macri, establishing various purchases of Argentinos Juniors youth players. Boca Juniors (1996–01) On 10 November 1996, aged 18, Riquelme made his Primera División debut in a 2–0 win against Unión de Santa Fe. Two weeks later, he scored his first senior goal in a 6–0 triumph over Huracán. After making his debut, Riquelme began a long journey to break a streak of no championships for the team since winning the Apertura 1992. In the 1996-97 season, Bilardo would be fired and replaced by Héctor "Bambino" Veira, but after Diego Maradona's second return to Boca, Román would be relegated from the first team. After almost obtaining the championship in the 1997-98 season, by July 1998 Veira would be replaced by coach Carlos Bianchi, who would fully trust Riquelme to command the team. Forming a successful trio in attack with winger Guillermo Barros Schelotto and center forward Martín Palermo, Boca would once again win a title after eight years, by becoming the 1998 Apertura champions undefeated. This would also earn the team a qualification for the 2000 edition of the Copa Libertadores, where Boca would make his return after six years. The season would be highly successful, with the team winning the 1999 Clausura and reaching a historic 40-game undefeated mark. Riquelme entered the South American Team of the Year for the first time, totaling 47 games played and