Boca Juniors legend Juan Román Riquelme was inducted to the International Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday. The former Albiceleste star became one of only ten Argentines to become part of the laureates, together with Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta, Carlos Salvador Bilardo, and César Luis Menotti.
“It’s a privilege to be here. When I dreamed of becoming a footballer, I only hoped I could buy my mom a house,” said an emotional Riquelme in the award ceremony. He added that the day he debuted with the Boca jersey marked the beginning of the most beautiful story of his life.
“In time I realized there was more to playing football. People greeted me, gave me their love, and the meaning of it changed,” he said, listing all the things being a footballer enabled him to do.
“Seeing the world, knowing other cultures, meeting new people, and receiving their love. Being in a completely different country and having people still know who you are is unbelievable, so I can only thank you for it.”
Riquelme wasn’t the only Argentine to be inducted in the 2024 class, with former Inter Milan and Atlético de Madrid star Diego Simeone also getting the nod. Among the international starts, legendary Paraguayan goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert, England international David Beckham, and Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo were also inducted.
The International Football Hall of Fame is located in Pachuca, Mexico. It was inaugurated in 2011 at the behest of then-Mexico president Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and with the support of world football’s governing body FIFA.
Since officially retiring in 2015, Riquelme has been actively involved with Boca Juniors. In 2020, he became club vice president and took control of the club’s professional football team. Three years later, he ran for president, becoming embroiled in a war of words with opposition vice presidential candidate Mauricio Macri, who was club president during Riquelme’s playing days. He went on to win the election with the most votes in Argentine football history.