Íker Casillas

?ker Casillas Fern?ndez (born May 20, 1981 in M?stoles, Madrid) is a Spanish soccer goalkeeper. He currently is Real Madrid's first choice goalkeeper.

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He is in the Spain's national squad and has been voted as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Casillas led Spain to the title at the 1999 World Youth Championship. He then backstopped his country at the and and his club to the 2000 and 2002 Champions League titles. He is widely regarded as one of the world's 4 best goalkeepers, which also includes Petr Cech.

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Still only a youngster in goalkeeping terms, Iker Casillas has none the less gained a huge reputation in European football. A shot-stopper par excellence, the Real Madrid CF player is gradually developing the commanding presence in his area which could yet see him become an all-time great.

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National team

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Following his international debut against Sweden, Casillas was an unused substitute at UEFA EURO 2000?. However, he was first choice two years later at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan, and enjoyed hero status after Spain knocked out the Republic of Ireland in a penalty shoot-out to advance to the quarter-finals.

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UEFA EURO 2004? qualifying

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Casillas played in all eight Group 6 fixtures, conceding just four goals. He then kept goal in both legs of the play-off victory against Norway, keeping a clean sheet in Oslo.

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Born in Madrid in 1981, Casillas' entire career has been spent with his hometown club, whom he joined as an eight-year old. Part of the Spanish teams which won the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup and FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999, his breakthrough year came in 1999/2000, when he replaced the injured Bodo Illgner and played in Madrid's UEFA Champions League triumph in an all-Spanish final against Valencia CF. Loss of form subsequently allowed C?sar S?nchez to take the No1 jersey but Casillas reclaimed the limelight after substituting the veteran in the 2001/02 Champions League final against Bayer 04 Leverkusen and preserving Madrid's 2-1 lead with a series of fine saves. Again the first choice in 2002/03, an injury-free season saw Casillas play in 15 of his side's Champions League games as well as all 38 Primera Divisi?n matches as Madrid reclaimed the Spanish championship.

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2003/04: Was virtually ever-present as Madrid relinquished their crown and lost the Spanish Cup final, missing just one league game.

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Did you know?

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Because he did not have a driving licence, Casillas was the only Madrid player to use public transport to get to training sessions in the 1999/00 season.

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May 20: 20 May is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). There are 225 days remaining....

1981: 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar....

Madrid: :This article is about the Spanish capital. For other entries, see Madrid (disambiguation)....