William Smith

Sir William Smith GBE GCWO GCH
Born	William Thomas Jack Smith (1979-05-11) May 11, 1979 Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality	British American Spanish
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles (BSS) City, University of London (MSS)
Occupation	Footballer Manager
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Spouse(s)	Gisele Bündchen (m. 2014)
Children	Thomas Caroline Wayne
Parents	King Thomas (father) Jaclyn Smith (mother)
Relatives	Claudia Schiffer Jodie Foster (aunt) Charles Rodman (cousin)
Association football career Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Position(s) Forward Youth career 1992 - 1997 IMG Academy Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1997 - 2003 LA Galaxy 190 (232) 2004 - 2010 Manchester United 192 (217) 2010 - 2016 Atlético Madrid 208 (241) Total 590 (690) International career 1999 - 2000 United States U20 7 (12) 2000 - 2003 United States 64 (109) 2004 - 2014 England 124 (160) 2012 Great Britain 6 (9) Managerial career 2019 -2023 Tottenham Hotspur Honours Men's football Representing England and United States FIFA World Cup Winner 2002 South Korea-Japan Winner 2006 Germany Winner 2010 South Africa Winner 2014 Brazil UEFA European Championship Winner 2008 Austria–Switzerland Winner 2012 Poland–Ukraine FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 2001 South Korea & Japan Winner 2003 France Runner-up 2009 South Africa 2013 Brazil CONCACAF Gold Cup Winner 2000 United States Winner 2002 United States FIFA U-20 World Cup Winner 1999 Nigeria Representing Great Britain Olympic Games 2012 London *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sir William Thomas Jack Smith GBE GCWO GCH (born 11 May 1979) is an American-English former professional football manager and player. Known for his explosive pace, exceptional playmaking abilities, strong link-up play, and consistent goalscoring prowess, Smith is generally regarded to be one of the greatest footballers of all time and is famously nicknamed "The General" for his leadership qualities and commanding presence on the pitch while the late Pelé dubbed him "the New King of Football". With a total of 72 senior titles to his name, Smith is the most decorated player in football history and is also one of the few players to have made over 1,000 professional career appearances as well as the only player to have scored over 1,000 official senior career goals for club and country, making him the highest goalscorer of all time. Alongside compatriots David Beckham and Michael Owen, Smith was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living footballers. Most notably, prior to the discontinuation of the FIFA Confederations Cup and the subsequent introduction of the UEFA Nations League, Smith is the only European footballer in history representing a top football club to have won all the tournaments available consisting of the Premier League/La Liga, FA Cup/Copa del Rey, EFL Cup, William Smith Shield/Supercopa de España, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, and the FIFA Confederations Cup. Moreover, he is also the only player to have achieved a sextuple with two different clubs, namely with Manchester United and Atlético Madrid respectively. With a net worth of $2.09 billion, Smith is considered to be the richest footballer, active or retired, with his wealth being derived from a series of highly-lucrative sponsorships as well as the high wages and bonuses he received during his playing years.

The only son of actress Jaclyn Smith and King Thomas, Smith joined IMG Academy at the age of thirteen. After a five-year period, at the age of eighteen, he was selected by Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy with whom he went on to become one of its most talented players, winning three straight U.S. Open Cup titles in a row, the MLS Cup twice in 2002 and 2003 respectively as well as the CONCACAF Champions' Cup once in 2000. By the end of his time with LA Galaxy, Smith had racked up a total of 232 goals in 190 appearances, making him the leading all-time goalscorer both in Major League Soccer and for LA Galaxy. In 2005, he was named in the MLS All-Time Best XI alongside the likes of Landon Donovan and Carlos Valderrama.

In 2003, Smith signed for Premier League club Manchester United on a world-record fee of £68 million in an amount that was also then a British record and which also made him the most expensive Major League Soccer player in history. For the next seven years, he would see unprecedented success, winning the Premier League five seasons in a row, the FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup thrice, the UEFA Champions League four times, and the EFL Cup a total of five times, during which he also helped Manchester United to a historic sextuple in the 2008-09 season. With a total of 217 goals in 192 appearances, Smith is the all-time goalscorer for Manchester United and the third-highest goalscorer in the Premier League behind Harry Kane and Alan Shearer along with having the sixth-most assists in the league with 98 assists behind Frank Lampard. On the other hand, Smith previously held the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season with 39 goals (which he set during the 2005-06 season) which was later broken by Arsenal's Richard who scored a record 45 goals in the 2022–23 season. In 2021, along with Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry, Smith was among the first three players to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

In 2010, Smith joined La Liga side Atlético Madrid for a then world-record transfer fee of £82.5 million, becoming one of the few players to have broken the world record twice. With the club, he went on to win the La Liga thrice in a row, the Copa del Rey twice, the Supercopa de España four times in a row, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup five seasons in a row, the UEFA Europa League once, and the UEFA Super Cup six times in a row, during which he helped the club to a sextuple in his final season, making him the only player to achieve such a feat with two different clubs. Considered to be the most successful and talented forward in the club's history, along with Diego Simeone, Smith is considered an instrumental figure in the club's revival amidst an extended period of Real Madrid and Barcelona dominance in the La Liga to become a major force or a "third power" against the two clubs during which they bested both clubs on several occasions in both domestic and European football. With 241 goals scored in 208 appearances, Smith is the all-time goalscorer for Atlético Madrid as well as La Liga's fourth-highest all-time top scorer while also holding the record for the fifth-most assists in the league with a total of 85 assists. Among fans and supporters, Smith has since been widely nicknamed "El Gran Salvador" ("The Great Saviour") and also "San Guillermo" ("Saint William") in honour of his role alongside Diego Simeone in reviving the club's fortunes after a period of mediocrity and underachievement. The Estadio de los Santos, Atlético Madrid's current home ground since 2017, was named after him and longtime manager Diego Simeone.

On the international level, Smith began his career via a brief stint with the United States under-20 national team, with whom he won the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in which he scored the lone winning goal in the finals against Japan. The following year, Smith was then promoted to the senior team, with whom he went on to win several competitions including the 2000 and 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cups, the 2001 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cups, and most notably the 2002 FIFA World Cup in which Smith famously contributed a hat-trick in the finals to win the United States' first and only World Cup title via a memorable 5-0 victory over Brazil. In 2003, Smith departed the United States, and in the following year, joined the England national team, which he led to an equally historic victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where a 5-2 victory over Italy in the finals secured England their second World Cup title in forty years since their first title back in 1966. Following this, Smith went on to achieve further back-to-back success with England, winning their first-ever UEFA European Championship title in 2008 by defeating Germany 4-2 in the finals, as well as a second consecutive World Cup title in 2010 via a 5-0 win over the Netherlands, followed by a second consecutive European Championship win in 2012 in which Smith contributed a hat-trick to deliver a 4-2 victory over Spain in the finals. In 2014, Smith went on to deliver a record-breaking third consecutive World Cup title for England via a 4-2 win on penalties against Argentina while also personally becoming the first-ever player to win four World Cups, beating the previous record held by Pelé with three World Cup titles. In addition to his international stints with the United States and England, Smith also briefly captained the Great Britain national football team at the 2012 Summer Olympics, which he successfully led to a 2-0 victory over Mexico in the finals, thereby earning a gold medal in the process.

With 124 total appearances, Smith is the sixth-most-capped England player while otherwise its leading goalscorer with 160 goals. Similarly, although not necessarily the United States' most capped player with only 64 appearances, Smith is nonetheless the country's all-time goalscorer with 109 goals. Among others, Smith is also the first and only player to win a World Cup title with two different countries, the first and only one to win four World Cups, the first captain to win more than one World Cup title and two UEFA European Championship tournaments in a row. Moreover, Smith is just the second player after Geoff Hurst to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final and also just the second after Luis Monti to have played in a World Cup final with two different countries. Meanwhile, Smith is the record holder for the most goals scored in both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship with forty and thirty-six goals respectively, as well as for the most matches played at the FIFA World Cup with a total of twenty-eight matches played from 2002 to 2014. With a total of 269 goals scored on the international level, Smith is the world's all-time leader for international goals and otherwise formerly the all-time leader for international appearances with 194 appearances until surpassed by Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, with Smith currently the fourth-most-capped male footballer behind Malaysia's Soh Chin Ann.

In 2019, in his first and only managerial stint, Smith was appointed head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, succeeding Mauricio Pochettino. Initially appointed on an interim basis, Smith subsequently won the club's first UEFA Champions League title in his debut season while also achieving a second-place finish in the league, thereby leading him to become the club's full-time manager over the next three seasons during which, in addition to a FA Cup and an EFL Cup win, he won the UEFA Champions League title two further times with Tottenham Hotspur as well as the Premier League for two consecutive seasons, becoming the first and only English manager to ever win the Premier League since its inception, the first and only one to do so consecutively, as well as one of five English managers to have won the UEFA Champions League. Considered to be the most successful Tottenham Hotspur manager of the modern era and popularly nicknamed "The Underdog King" by fans and supporters, Smith is well-known for his strict brand of professionalism and sportsmanship, tactical ingenuity, direct and fluid attacking play, as well as his preference for "mind games" through chants and songs. A self-professed "coach of the underdogs", Smith has received a number of honours and awards as head coach, including LMA Manager of the Year, The Best FIFA Men's Coach, Onze d'Or Coach of the Year, and IFFHS World's Best Club Coach. At 42 years old, Smith is the joint-youngest manager with José Mourinho to have won the Premier League, and at 41 years old, is also tied with José Mourinho for the youngest manager to have won the UEFA Champions League.

Throughout his nearly two-decade-long career, Smith came to be the record holder for a number of feats including the record for the most goals scored in a season of both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League with 22 and 20 goals respectively, the highest number of Ballon d'Or awards won with ten in total (during which he became the first and only American player to win the award), and the single highest number of wins for several other awards including FIFA World Player of the Year (4), The Best FIFA Men's Player (4), Premier League Golden Boot (5), European Golden Shoe (8), and the MLS Golden Boot (7). Along with Lionel Messi, Smith is one of two footballers to have received a Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award with himself receiving the award thrice during his career.

Since retiring from professional football, Smith has served as president of The Football Association as well as an honorary advisor to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. As one of the most well-known and marketable football icons of his generation, Smith has embarked on a string of product endorsements since his retirement with the most notable instance being Adidas' King Smith sneakers that were introduced in 2015 to massive commercial success and are often considered as a direct rival to Nike's Air Jordans. In addition, he has also appeared in shows including the Apple TV+ sports comedy series Ted Lasso and Netflix documentary The Yokohama Miracle: Ten Years On while actor Jude Law portrays him in The Final Tournament. Moreover, he was also featured in Amazon Prime Video's All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur which chronicles his first few years as head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and its subsequent follow-up Tottenham's Fantasy in which Smith, along with club players, reflected on Tottenham Hotspur's recent unprecedented success.

In July 2014, Smith married Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, with whom he has three children including Thomas who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal at the youth level. Since then, the couple has been actively involved in a number of charitable causes including sports, poverty, and the environment, particularly through the Smith-Bündchen Progress Foundation, which the couple jointly founded in 2015.

Early Life

The American actress Jaclyn Smith, best known for her role in the 1970s television series Charlie's Angels. She is Smith's biological mother through her nearly two-decades-long relationship with the future King Thomas

Smith was born William Thomas Jack Smith on 11 May 1979 as the oldest and firstborn child of actress Jaclyn Smith and the then-heir to the British throne Prince Thomas. Having been born out of wedlock and from a largely secretive romantic affair between his parents, Smith, unlike his later siblings, was never officially made a prince, and therefore, despite being the firstborn son and a biological descendant of a member of the British royal family, was never included in the British line of succession to the throne.

Despite the need for near-constant secrecy in regard to his true identity, so as to avoid attracting unnecessary media attention, Smith nonetheless grew up in relative comfort and wealth under the care of his biological parents, who despite never being married to one another, agreed to raise their firstborn child together. In later interviews, Smith himself would describe his childhood as "a rather strange one, but nonetheless, one that I have many happy memories of", while also recounting that his father who despite being born of royalty was said to have "greatly encouraged me to be humble and true to who I am, that being the son of a middle-class woman from Houston, Texas". Additionally, his mother's paternal Jewish roots, which mirrored that of his father's maternal Jewish roots, are said to have also greatly instilled in him a considerable sense of Jewish identity although he never did necessarily converted to Judaism and instead mostly identified as a Protestant.

Early on, his father's native English roots, coupled with the United Kingdom having football as its most popular sport, consequently led a young Smith to be exposed to the sport at a rather early age, with Thomas himself even going so far as to set up a small football field at the back of their family home for his son's pleasure. Afterwards, Smith later noted, "While he wasn't exactly a devout fanatic or the sort when it comes to football, he would absolutely be the most thrilled person in the world whenever I put my feet on the ball". In addition to this, Smith was also taught in other sports such as swimming, tennis, and golfing, in line with his father's own sports-centric upbringing, which came about as a result of his grandfather King Charles III's own deep love for sports. Nonetheless, amidst all this, it was said that academic matters themselves were also given considerable importance, given that up to that point, no member of the British royal family has ever received a "normal" form of education, nor has any of them ever officially graduated from either a public or private university.

In 1982, when he was around three years old, Smith would be joined by a younger sister Jacqueline, born on 22 June 1983, and who is named after her mother, albeit in a slightly varied way. Consequently, it later became a common practice to refer to Jacqueline as "Jack" or "Jackie" so as to distinguish her from her similarly-named mother with the most commonly used nickname being "Little Jackie". Meanwhile, during a 2017 interview with the BBC, Smith recounted that the two siblings "got along very well" and added that the departure of their father when they were only fourteen and ten respectively led Smith to assume a more leader-like role for the now family of three which therefore led Smith to become more emotionally closer to his younger sister who, in turn, described her older brother as her "lifelong protector" despite being married to her husband already. In the meantime, the aforementioned circumstances would also come to form Smith's well-known leadership style during his subsequent playing years, with the former stating, "Naturally when you had to be a leader or the sort early on and perhaps at a time much earlier than everyone else, you're bound to carry that onwards as an adult which in hindsight definitely played a huge part in making me a sort of a natural leader when it matters afterwards".

Teenagehood

"There are only three reasons as to why I love playing football and they are myself, family, and glory. Some do it for the money but I do it strictly for those three things from which I never wavered until the very last moments of my career."

Smith on why he pursued a career in professional football

When Smith was around sixteen years old, amidst pressure upon his father to marry an eligible woman in order to secure the future of the British monarchy, and the fact that Smith's mother Jaclyn Smith was, by virtue of her ex-husband, the actor Roger Davis still being alive at the time, therefore canonically ineligible to marry her beloved romantic partner, the small family of four was thus met with an unexpected setback when Thomas later departed the family, albeit in a heavily reluctant manner, in order to marry the American supermodel Christy Turlington, who the former had been seeing for some time and who was deemed a prospective candidate as a legitimate wife, given that unlike Smith, the former had never been divorced before, a condition that was reportedly the very obstacle to a potential marriage between Thomas himself and his then-romantic partner. Evidently, according to Smith himself, their father's departure was "one of the most difficult things in my life and one that tested our small family of four greatly with something that we could probably not have anticipated". Moreover, it was said that actress Jaclyn Smith herself later cried for "days on end" in the days following her romantic partner's departure, although, the presence of and support from her two children otherwise proved a comforting counterbalance to the actress's grievances. Therefore, for almost the next ten years or so, the now family of three continued to live in relative obscurity in Los Angeles, California, where the family had already made their home for a few years prior to Thomas' departure.

In the years since their romance officially came to an end, Smith's mother Jaclyn later remarried to American surgeon Brad Allen, who Smith later described as a "kind and very caring stepfather" while asserting that "absolutely no one will ever come to replace my own biological father", adding that despite the two enjoying a relatively cordial relationship, both Smith and his sister were still mostly emotionally attached to their biological father, with whom the two longed on reuniting in the nearby future in which Smith sought to use his own football career as a means to do so by hopefully making himself noticeable in the eyes of major European football clubs, especially Manchester United, a club that he had supported since childhood and which would crucially allow him to move to England where his father resides.

Club Career

LA Galaxy (1992 - 2003)

Youth Prospect (1992 - 1997)

An aerial view of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida

Having already shown a deep-seated interest in football at a rather young age, at thirteen, Smith was enrolled by his father at the IMG Academy in Florida, one of the country's most well-known sports academy that was first established in 1978. Early on, having quickly earned a reputation as a "hardworking" and "tenacious" youth prospect, Smith was able to quickly impress both his teammates and the officials at the academy, during which he quickly gained a reputation for an excellent playing style as well as a strong sense of discipline, with one of Smith's former educators at the academy later recounting the former as a "very dutiful" and "extremely hardworking" player while another described the California-born teenager as "someone who always wants to achieve all that he could and who also doesn't easily give up in doing so at the first sight of defeat". Eventually, at eighteen years old, Smith was finally granted a much-awaited senior soccer career when he was then chosen for LA Galaxy in just the second season of Major League Soccer.

During an interview with Sky Sports in 2018, Smith revealed that around the time he began his senior professional career as a footballer, he also attended university so as to simultaneously further his education while concentrating on his growing football career. To that end, he attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he received a bachelor's degree in the field of sports science which he later supplemented with a master's degree from the University of London that he pursued after retiring from professional football.

Senior Team (1997 - 2003)

Following his promotion to the senior team, Smith soon made his debut in the club's first match in the 1997 season, namely a home match against D.C. United, where he scored his first goal for the club at the 23rd-minute, giving his team an initial 1-0 lead before a subsequent goal by D.C. United midfielder Richie Williams resulted in the match ending in a 1-1 draw. Then, in the following match against Kansas City Wizards, Smith, who initially started as a substitute, was called onto the pitch early on in the twelfth minute as a substitute for midfielder Coby Jones after which he proceeded to score a goal at the 49th-minute, thereby raising the scoreline to 3-3 before following it up with a brace at the 87th minute, with Smith's brace proving to be the essential tiebreaker that resulted in LA Galaxy achieving a dramatic 4-3 win over their opponents. Deservedly so, Smith himself was then lauded as the man of the match and would proceed to feature almost regularly in the rest of the matches that season, during which he scored his first hat-trick in his professional career in another comeback victory, this time against FC Dallas, who LA Galaxy defeated 4-2 as a result of Smith's hat-trick. By the end of it, with twenty-eight appearances in total that season, Smith had managed to score a total of thirty-six goals, a number far higher than any other players in the league. Despite this, in overall terms, LA Galaxy itself failed to win any title that year, although Smith's overall performance, which far outclassed those of his peers in the league, quickly gained much attention from the American media with The New York Times touting Smith as a "potential World Cup winner" while CNN described him as "the long-awaited answer and key to America's World Cup setbacks". Despite this, presumably due to his extremely young age, being only nineteen at the time, Smith would not be included in the national team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France where the United States suffered an early exit from the tournament in the group stages following three straight defeats.

The Brazilian football legend Pelé playing for the now-defunct North American Soccer League club New York Cosmos. His two-year presence at the club has been widely attributed to the sudden surge in popularity for soccer in the United States around the late 1970s

Meanwhile, the following 1998 season would prove to be of some success, with LA Galaxy topping both the Western Conference table as well as winning the Supporters' Shield that year. In the meantime, Smith personally proved successful in bettering his record from the previous season, scoring a total of forty-five goals in thirty appearances, during which he gained much attention for having scored two hat-tricks in a row on two separate occasions. This, coupled with the American public's vivid memories of Brazilian legend Pelé's time as a footballer in the United States roughly two decades prior during the 1970s, led media outlets to begin drawing comparisons between the young Smith and the Brazilian legend. Then, in the 1999 season, Smith also led the club to win its first U.S. Open Cup trophy with himself notably contributing two consecutive hat-tricks in a row to help LA Galaxy defeat both Rochester New York FC and the Colorado Rapids 3-1 in the semi-finals and finals respectively. In addition to this, Smith also provided the lone goal for his team in the MLS Cup 1999 match against D.C. United, although this proved insufficient after a comeback by the latter ultimately sealed the match in their favour with a narrow 2-1 win over LA Galaxy. In the meantime, despite personally scoring a memorable hat-trick for LA Galaxy to break a 1-1 deadlock in the 1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup qualifying playoff match against Mexican club Necaxa, and later two important goals in a 2-1 win over Deportivo Saprissa in the quarter-finals, Smith's club was ultimately eliminated in the semi-finals once again by D.C. United who later won the tournament 3-0 in the finals against Alajuelense.

In contrast, while his initial years at the club had been of mixed success despite his consistently promising performance, his last three years at LA Galaxy proved to be a more successful period, with Smith himself captaining the club to three straight U.S. Open Cup wins in a row, as well as back-to-back MLS Cup wins in 2002 and 2003 respectively. In addition to that, following the previous failure in the year beforehand, Smith finally saw much-awaited success in the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup where despite scoring just one goal this time around, that being a tiebreaking goal in the semi-finals against rivals D.C. United, he would ultimately win the tournament thanks to the club's 3-2 victory over Olimpia in the finals. Then, after previously missing out on the 2002 edition, Smith would return to the tournament for one final time in 2003 where he began with a hat-trick against Motagua in the round of sixteen, thereby guaranteeing a dominant 6-2 victory before promptly following it up with four goals in the quarter-finals against Necaxa, who initially appeared dominant with four goals in the first leg but who were ultimately forced into a penalty shootout thanks to Smith's four consequential goals, which later ended in a 4-2 win for LA Galaxy. Following this, a 6-2 win over another Mexican club Atlético Morelia in the semi-finals saw them reach the finals for the second time where they later drew 4-4 with another Mexican side Club Toluca, with the ensuing penalty shootout resulting in a narrow 3-4 loss to their opponents, effectively ending Smith's hope of winning a second CONCACAF Champions' Cup title. In the meantime, despite having won the 2000 edition, thereby qualifying them for the the FIFA Club World Championship, Smith and LA Galaxy were ultimately unable to participate in the ensuing 2001 edition after it was unexpectedly cancelled by FIFA amidst financial difficulties.

With a total of 184 appearances, Smith had ultimately racked up a total of 227 goals, consequently making him the all-time goalscorer for both LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer, with the runner-up being Chris Wondolowski with 177 goals. In the meantime, with the end of the 2003 Major League Soccer season, Smith promptly announced his departure from LA Galaxy following a six-year-long period with his next move quickly becoming a subject of much media interest and speculation with one media outlet speculating on a rather unusual move to the Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, the parent club of fellow United States international Landon Donovan, who had then been on loan at San Jose Earthquakes, another Major League Soccer side. Nonetheless, several more well-known football clubs were also touted as Smith's likely destination with the illustrious Premier League club Manchester United being a likely candidate, especially given the fact that it was the very football club that Smith himself grew up supporting and which he had also publicly voiced his desire to play for in the near future. Aside from this, La Liga giants, Real Madrid were also touted as a likely candidate, owing to club president Florentino Pérez's Galácticos philosophy that revolves around signing talented big-name players to the club which saw the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and David Beckham arrive at the club in recent years.

Florentino Pérez, chairman of La Liga club Real Madrid from 2000 to 2006 and again since 2009 during which he made two unsuccessful attempts to bring William Smith to Real Madrid, losing the latter to Manchester United and Atlético Madrid each time

In the end, on 1 August 2004, the BBC would be the first to announce that Smith had signed for the Premier League side Manchester United for a world-record of £68 million, the news of which quickly drew much attention to the already well-known and decorated Premier League club, whose fans and supporters later crowded Old Trafford to personally witness the unveiling of Smith as the club's newest player with the stadium itself later said to be at almost full capacity as each seat was taken up by anxious fans waiting to see the rising American-born footballer. In the meantime, Real Madrid chairman Florentino Pérez was said to have been "extremely distraught" and according to some "somewhat livid" upon learning of the news given that the club's scouting agents alongside its well-known players such as Ronaldo and David Beckham have all initially attempted to convince the young American star to sign for the La Liga giants under the premise of playing with some of football's greatest talents around in what was famously known as Galácticos. Later, according to Beckham, despite the allure of potentially playing with some of football's greatest talents in one team, Smith reportedly remarked, "Real Madrid sounds nice but I'm a Manchester United fan and I'm going to sign for that club no matter what". Afterwards, in 2010, when Smith then bid farewell to Manchester United, Real Madrid, having then signed Cristiano Ronaldo from the English club the year before, once again attempted to lure Smith with a contract much luxurious than that offered to his Portuguese teammate but which was once again rejected as the latter subsequently chose Atlético Madrid instead in his move to La Liga. In the words of former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Smith was, in the eyes of Real Madrid supporters, "the one that got away", and in Pérez's eyes, "the holy grail that he never achieved".

In line with his reputation as one of the foremost American soccer stars, Smith's departure to England was preceded with a lavish send-off ceremony at a Hilton Hotels building in Los Angeles attended by both celebrities and sportspeople including Alexi Lalas, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, and Larry Bird, Smith, following a short lunch reception at the hotel, eventually departed for England with his family from the nearby Los Angeles International Airport where his arrival there was met with tens of supporters lining up on the sides to oversee his departure. In covering the scene that day, CNN wrote, "Never has such a man be so quick to make a lasting impact on a country while also being just as quick to depart it himself". Otherwise, in his autobiography, Smith later remarked, "Much like all the other major moments of my career, it was a truly bittersweet moment because while I was definitely leaving something so good that I might never get back, at the same time, I was also about to achieve better things somewhere else even if the process of getting it wasn't exactly all smiles and joy".

Manchester United (2004 - 2010)

Early Years

"Without a doubt, bringing him to the club straight from Major League Soccer was one of or if not the best decision I've ever made as manager in my entire life."

Former Manchester United head coach Sir Alex Ferguson on signing Smith for the club

On 1 August 2004, just a day after a friendly match against A.C. Milan, Smith, by then a free agent and who was then on a temporary break from professional football following his historic triumph at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, was officially announced to have joined Manchester United with his transfer to the club said to have then brought "extreme delight" for longtime head coach Sir Alex Ferguson who later remarked in a 2014 interview, "The fact that a recent World Cup champion and the man who scored a hat-trick to defeat the mighty Brazil was just walking around as a free agent waiting for a club to sign him is like a dream come true and the fact that Manchester United was the one who did it will always be something that I'll be proud of for the rest of my life". Soon enough, on 8 August 2004, Smith would make his debut for the club just a week later in the 2004 FA Community Shield match against Arsenal, where he was called in early on at the 19th-minute as a substitute for Paul Scholes, who had to be subbed off following an unfortunate injury on his left thigh. Then, following an initial 55th-minute goal by Alan Smith, Smith himself netted a late goal, his first ever for the club, in the 91st-minute following a successful run down the right flank past Arsenal defenders, although this proved not enough to ultimately avoid a narrow 2-3 defeat at the hands of the Gunners, who ultimately won the match by a rather thin 3-2 margin.

Nonetheless, not long after his debut at the FA Community Shield match, Smith was then featured in Manchester United's first Premier League match of the season that year, where after once again coming on as a substitute at the 25th-minute, Smith proceeded to immediately make a name for himself in the English football scene by scoring a hat-trick in the 84th minute, thereby allowing The Red Devils to easily beat Chelsea 4-1, after they were initially down by 0-1. Following this, Smith was once again employed as a "super sub" in the next two matches, before an injury during his third league match led him to miss the next few subsequent games. However, shortly after his return, Smith, now a regular starter for the club, once more caught the football world by storm when in his returning match against Portsmouth, Smith scored his second hat-trick to save the club from a 0-2 defeat, something which he came to emulate in the next three matches against Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Charlton Athletic respectively. However, this too ultimately proved not enough to win The Red Devils the Premier League season that year, with the club finishing as runner-up behind rivals Chelsea. Nonetheless, his overall performance for the club, made especially notable by the thirty-five goals he scored, the highest ever that year in both the Premier League and in European football saw him receive both a Premier League Golden Boot award and an European Golden Shoe award that year, which only further raised his image in the wider footballing community. In that same season, Smith also made his mark in the UEFA Champions League, where throughout the course of the competition, he recorded a total of three separate hat-tricks, whilst notably scoring the lone goal in the finals against Liverpool, thereby avoiding a narrow 0-1 defeat, before proceeding to beat their English rivals 4-2 in a penalty shootout, awarding the club their third Champions League title.

Peak of Success and Departure to Atlético Madrid

The Manchester United squad celebrating their historic sextuple triumph

For the following season, Smith continued to display a consistently positive performance, helping The Red Devils to finally win the Premier League albeit by their narrowest margin yet, that is by just one point ahead of runners-up Chelsea. Similarly, the club also found much success in the FA Cup and EFL Cup respectively but otherwise fell short of winning the UEFA Champions League for a second consecutive time following a narrow 4-5 defeat via penalty shootouts to Barcelona in the quarter-finals after both teams were tied at 5-5. Then, following the next two seasons where Manchester United continued to see much consistent success in the domestic scene, Smith's time with the club came to a high point when in 2009 the club became the first-ever European team to achieve a sextuple by winning the 2008-09 Premier League season, the 2008-09 FA Cup season, the 2009 FA Community Shield, the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League season, as well as the 2009 UEFA Super Cup and the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup. In the following season, as well as the season beforehand, Manchester United surprisingly came close to achieving another sextuple if not for an unfortunate loss in the FA Cup in both seasons.

By the end of the 2009-10 season, Smith's six-year contract with Manchester United had come to an end, which quickly raised speculations over the future of his ever-growing football career during which Smith, owing to his impressive feat at Manchester United, quickly became a player of interest for many of Europe's biggest clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and even derby rivals Manchester City, whose owner, Sheikh Mansour was once reportedly interested in acquiring the Manchester United forward's services in what was then considered a "direct sabotage" of their derby rivals. Eventually, in a move that sparked much surprise from many observers, it was announced by the Spanish newspaper Marca that Atlético Madrid had acquired Smith for a world-record transfer fee of £82.5 million (€96 million), an amount that slightly surpassed that of the previous world-record fee of £80 million paid by Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo the previous year, in a lucrative contract that would see him remain with the club for a total of five years with the option of an additional year while also including a €1 billion buy-out clause. During his ensuing presentation ceremony to club supporters at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, Smith subsequently spoke of a "bittersweet feeling" of leaving his much-beloved club of Manchester United, who he had dreamt playing for since childhood, while adding that Atlético Madrid's "underdog" status as opposed to the traditionally dominant Real Madrid and Barcelona ultimately lured him to the club in the pursuit of new challenges abroad. In his closing statement to supporters, Smith remarked, "Around a decade ago, I wanted to and successfully proved to everyone that out of all countries, the United States could win the World Cup. Now, for the next five years that I'm here, I'm going to prove to everyone that Atlético Madrid can win the league just as much or even more than the times that Real Madrid and Barcelona have done in the past". Later, during a 2017 interview with Sky Sports, when asked behind his rationale in choosing Atlético Madrid over Real Madrid, he remarked, "If I wanted money I would go to Real Madrid but if I wanted glory then I'll go to Atlético Madrid".

"Out of all the players that left during my time, Smith leaving was definitely the hardest I had to take and the most difficult one that I had to come back from. Truth be told, we were never the same without him anymore."

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson reflecting on Smith's departure from Manchester United in 2010

At the time of his departure, Smith's total goal tally of 463 across all competitions established him as the all-time goalscorer for Manchester United while his 217 goals scored in the Premier League initially made him the second-highest all-time goalscorer behind Alan Shearer with 260 goals before Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane surpassed him to become second-highest himself with 221 goals thereby making Smith the third-highest ahead of former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney in fourth with 208 goals. Meanwhile, until 2023, Smith formerly held the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season with 39 goals until Arsenal's Richard surpassed it with 45 goals in the 2022-23 season during which Manchester City's Erling Haaland also came close to breaking his record with 36 goals scored in that same season.

Atlético Madrid

Debut season & Europa League triumph

On August 30th, Smith made his La Liga debut in a home match against Sporting Gijón in which Smith, despite not scoring a goal himself, played an active role in the club's dominant 4-0 win over their opponents. Nonetheless, in the following match against Athletic Bilbao on September 11th, Smith soon made his mark at the club by scoring a hat-trick in the 76th minute, allowing Atlético Madrid to easily defeat their opponents 5-1. However, throughout the next few matches or so, Smith experienced a temporary goal draught that saw the club lose to both Barcelona and Sevilla while otherwise drawing with Valencia although this soon came to an end when Smith subsequently scored just his second hat-trick for the club in a dramatic 3-2 win over Villareal who initially led 2-0 by the 52nd minute before a subsequent hat-trick from Smith in the 58th minute turned the match upside down in Atlético Madrid's favour. Then, a third hat-trick followed in a November 13th fixture against Osasuna along with his first brace for the club just a week later against Real Sociedad, the latter which he wasted no time in following up on by scoring a fourth hat-trick in a dramatic 5-3 win over Espanyol. A fifth hat-trick followed in a 3-0 win over Racing Santander although this itself was followed by a heavy 1-4 defeat to Hércules and an ensuing 4-0 win over Mallorca. Following this, amidst a string of poor performances which saw the club lose once again to Barcelona by 3-0 via a Lionel Messi hat-trick, Smith nonetheless proved vital in scoring a decisive 47th-minute goal that helped them draw 2-2 against Valencia. Then, after scoring two consecutive hat-tricks that allowed Atlético Madrid to defeat Sevilla and Getafe 5-2 and 4-1 respectively, Smith soon scored his first goal against La Liga giants Real Madrid in a 2-2 draw on March 29th, which he followed up with a tiebreaking brace in the 69th minute against Espanyol, who the club ultimately defeated 4-2 thanks to a separate brace from Sergio Agüero in the 61st minute. In the end, Smith would cap off his first season with Atlético Madrid through yet another hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Deportivo La Coruña, a brace in a 2-3 loss to Málaga, and his final brace of the season in a 6-3 win over Mallorca on the final day at which point he finished as the club's leading goalscorer with 34 goals in 36 appearances, the second-highest behind Cristiano Ronaldo and ahead of Lionel Messi. In the meantime, with a total of 74 points, Atlético Madrid also qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage alongside giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, which hosted the 2011 Europa League Final between Atlético Madrid and Porto

Separately, on December 22nd, Smith also made his Copa del Rey debut in a much similar fashion, scoring a hat-trick in the second leg of the round of 32 to mark a final 9-1 win on aggregate against Universidad de Las Palmas although he did not otherwise score any further with Atlético Madrid subsequently losing 4-1 on aggregate to Real Madrid. Meanwhile, on September 16th, Smith scored his first two goals in the UEFA Europa League in a 3-1 win over Greek side Aris, which he soon followed up with another brace in a 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen, followed by one goal in a 3-1 win over Rosenborg and another single goal in a 3-3 draw against Aris. Then, following a narrow 6-5 win on aggregate against Dynamo Kyiv, Atlético Madrid, courtesy of a hat-trick from Smith in both legs of the round of 16, marked a dominant 11-3 victory over Manchester City, followed by 6-3 and 6-2 demolitions of Portuguese sides Braga and Benfica, and eventually culminating in a 4-0 win over another Portuguese side Porto in the finals to win their second UEFA Europa League title in a row after their first one that was achieved by a 2-1 win over English side Fulham, thereby qualifying them once again for the UEFA Super Cup in which Atlético Madrid narrowly defeated Barcelona 3-2 to follow up on their previous 1-0 win over Smith's former club Manchester United in the previous edition.

Diego Simeone Era

"From the beginning, I knew that together we're going to do something special and remarkable at the club, and during those five years we certainly did a lot."

Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone on his five-year partnership with Smith

In his second season with the club, Smith began rather promisingly, scoring an important tiebreaking goal in the opening match against Osasuna and a hat-trick in a 7-0 win over Racing Santander although this was soon met by a heavy 5-0 loss to Barcelona. Nonetheless, in the next two matches against Sevilla and Granada respectively, Smith proved to be a vital player, scoring one goal on both occasions to break the 0-0 deadlock each time and later a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Rayo Vallecano that followed a previous 1-4 defeat to Real Madrid in which at least five Atlético Madrid players were booked while two, including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, were sent off. Then, on January 7th, his first match under newly-appointed manager Diego Simeone, Smith scored a memorable brace to mark a 2-0 win over Malaga following a previous poor run of form before going on to score at least two further consecutive braces against Villareal and Real Sociedad respectively and later a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over CA Osasuna. Soon enough, in what was seen by many as a "return" to his full potential under the new management of the tactically sound Diego Simeone, Smith scored at least two further goals to break deadlocks against Valencia and Sporting Gijón respectively before soon following it up with a brace in a dramatic 3-2 win over Barcelona, his first since arriving in La Liga. Following this, two consecutive hat-tricks were also produced in wins against Sevilla and Granada respectively, followed by a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Mallorca and a brace in a narrow 3-4 loss to Real Madrid in which a late 88th-minute goal from José Callejón which followed a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick beforehand saw the latter narrowly edge over their opponent. Nonetheless, a hat-trick in the final match against Villareal, who consequently lost 0-4 to Atlético Madrid, saw Smith rack up a total of 40 goals in 34 appearances, breaking his own personal record of 39 goals for Manchester United in the Premier League although this itself was far surpassed by Lionel Messi's 50 goals that season. In the meantime, despite a brace from Smith in the second leg, Atlético Madrid were otherwise eliminated from the Copa del Rey following a 3-4 loss on penalties to Albacete although they otherwise made much progress in the UEFA Champions League, topping their group and advancing all the way to the finals where they later defeated Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich 2-0 to win their first-ever UEFA Champions League title during which they notably overcame rivals Barcelona 4-2 on penalties following a 4-4 draw in the round of 16 which preceded a narrow 4-3 win in the quarter-finals against AC Milan and a dramatic 5-3 win over Chelsea in the semi-finals. Following up on this, the club then defeated fellow Spanish side Athletic Bilbao 5-2 in the UEFA Super Cup via an 83rd-minute hat-trick from Smith and later Brazilian club Corinthians 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in the FIFA Club World Cup, also a first for the club.

For the 2012-13 season, his first full season under Diego Simeone, Smith started off rather promisingly, scoring a hat-trick in a 7-3 win over Rayo Vallecano along with a goal in a dominant 5-2 win over Real Betis. Soon enough, despite subsequent losses to Valencia and Real Madrid, Smith himself enjoyed a consistent goalscoring form with 16 goals in 15 appearances that led to Atlético Madrid briefly enjoying a streak of nine unbeaten games. Then, following yet another impressive performance in a narrow 3-4 loss to Barcelona on December 16th, Smith soon scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4-0 win over Celta Vigo, followed by another one in a 3-3 draw against Athletic Bilbao, and a third one which crucially helped them defeat Rayo Vallecano 4-2. Then, Smith also provided decisive tiebreaking goals against Valencia and Getafe to initially make it five games unbeaten and later six games unbeaten when a hat-trick from the former in an April 27th fixture saw him defeat Real Madrid 4-2 for the first time since arriving in the top Spanish football league at which point by season's end Smith had scored a total of 40 goals for the second consecutive time, making him once again the second-highest goalscorer that season behind Lionel Messi whilst Atlético Madrid finished second with 86 points behind Barcelona, their best finish in two decades since they last won the league in the 1995-96 season. In the meantime, Smith also proved to be a much valuable component in the club's Copa del Rey victory that season, during which he scored a hat-trick in the second leg of the round of 16 to defeat Getafe 6-0 on aggregate while also contributing one goal of his own in the finals where they defeated Real Madrid 3-1. Similarly, a 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund saw Atlético Madrid win just their second UEFA Champions League title in a row during which a hat-trick from Smith in both legs saw them defeat Barcelona 10-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals while rivals Real Madrid were otherwise eliminated in the semi-finals by a 4-3 loss on aggregate to runners-up Borussia Dortmund. Then, a hat-trick from Smith saw them defeat UEFA Europa League winners Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup which they duly followed up on by defeating Moroccan club Raja Casablanca 5-4 on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Moreover, having won the Copa del Rey, the club also faced La Liga champions Barcelona in the Supercopa de España where they narrowly defeated their opponent 3-1 courtesy of a tiebreaking brace from Smith in the second leg that broke the 1-1 deadlock in the first leg.

Final Years

For the 2013-14 season, Smith once again made a generally promising start, scoring two consecutive braces against Real Sociedad and Almería respectively, a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Real Madrid and a single goal in a 1-1 draw with Espanyol which saw Atlético Madrid go ten matches unbeaten, their best start in decades, and which only extended further to twenty-three games in total during which he scored a further two hat-tricks in the process. Then, despite a 0-2 loss to Almería, the club proved quick to re-establish their unbeaten streak with a hat-trick from Smith in a 3-3 draw against Osasuna proving vital in maintaining the aforementioned streak. Moreover, another hat-trick from Smith soon afterwards also saw Atlético Madrid defeat Real Madrid 5-2 and later Barcelona 4-1 on the final day of the season which they eventually came to win to mark their first La Liga title in almost two decades. Despite this, hopes for a historic sextuple were quickly quashed following a 1-5 defeat to Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. On the other hand, following a hat-trick from Smith that saw Atlético Madrid mark a dominant 5-1 victory over Barcelona in the quarter-finals, the club otherwise avenged their initial defeat by triumphing over Real Madrid in a narrow 2-1 win in the UEFA Champions League final to mark the third consecutive European title for Atlético Madrid who later defeated Sevilla 5-4 on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup and also San Lorenzo 4-2 in the FIFA Club World Cup, the latter in which Smith himself scored a hat-trick on both occasions to also mark a dominant 7-2 victory over Mexican side Cruz Azul. To top it off, the club also won the ensuing Supercopa de España match, defeating Real Madrid 4-1 on aggregate.

In the following season, which would also be his penultimate season with the club, Smith started rather brilliantly early on, scoring a hat-trick in the opening match against Rayo Vallecano, over whom they subsequently won 3-0. However, despite a second hat-trick from Smith on September 27th which saw Atlético Madrid defeat Sevilla 7-0, the club otherwise met their first defeat in the following match against Valencia to whom they narrowly lost 2-3. Regardless, another hat-trick and a brace from Smith saw them quickly rebound to especially deal a heavy 4-0 defeat to Getafe while also drawing 2-2 with Real Sociedad in the process. Then, Smith himself went on to deliver two consecutive hat-tricks that saw Atlético Madrid defeat Deportivo La Coruña and Elche 5-0 each while a lone goal from the former also help them to draw 1-1 against Villareal. Moreover, a hat-trick from Smith on January 11th also saw them overcome rivals Barcelona once again in a narrow 4-3 win which Smith quickly capitalised upon by providing a second consecutive hat-trick in a following 5-0 win over Granada before later following it up with yet another hat-trick in a 7-0 win over Real Madrid on February 7th. Following this, Smith would eventually cap off an ultimately successful season once more with a hat-trick in the penultimate match against Barcelona and another one in the final match of the season against Granada, who Atlético Madrid defeated 3-1 and 3-0 respectively to ultimately win the La Liga for an unprecedented second season in a row during which he also achieved a new personal record of 48 goals in 36 appearances which saw him share the Pichichi Trophy as the season's top goalscorer alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, having also won it the season before over the Portuguese. In the meantime, with their second consecutive league title win, Atlético Madrid became the first Spanish club in almost three decades that is neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona to win the La Liga two seasons in a row since Athletic Bilbao last won the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons in a row themselves. On the other hand, Atlético Madrid otherwise found itself eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey via a narrow 3-4 loss on aggregate to Barcelona although they soon earned their revenge in a 5-2 win against the latter in the UEFA Champions League to claim a record-breaking fourth UEFA Champions League title in a row, making them just one of two clubs alongside Real Madrid to have won it more than three consecutive times. Then, as per tradition, the club subsequently defeated Sevilla 1-0 in the UEFA Super Cup and later River Plate 5-2 in the FIFA Club World Cup in which Smith scored a brace in the process. Moreover, the club also defeated Barcelona 3-1 in the ensuing Supercopa de España with Smith himself scoring three goals in total to override their opponents' lone goal through Lionel Messi.

The San Siro in Milan, Italy, which hosted the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, with the former subsequently winning the match 4-1 and later going on to achieve a historic sextuple in a first for a Spanish side and the second in European history after Manchester United

In his final season with the club, despite not scoring in the first two matches, Smith proved quick to return to his goalscoring form by scoring a memorable brace in the third fixture of the season against Barcelona on September 12th who Atlético Madrid defeated 3-1 to mark another rare victory over the La Liga giants. Then, after scoring yet another brace that overturned an initial 1-0 defeat into a dramatic 2-1 win for the club over Villareal, Smith soon scored his first hat-trick of the season in a November 8th fixture against Sporting Gijón that ended in a 4-0 win, which he followed up on with another brace in a 3-0 win over Levante, a lone equalising goal in a 1-1 draw with Málaga, and a second hat-trick in a dominant 6-0 win over Las Palmas. Following this, Smith then further provided a lone equalising goal in a 2-2 draw against Barcelona on January 30th, followed by a third hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Getafe and a brace that broke the 0-0 deadlock in a February 21st fixture against Villareal that preceded a 1-0 win over Real Madrid just six days later. Eventually, a hat-trick, followed by a separate brace from Smith in his penultimate La Liga appearance for Atlético Madrid which saw the club notably become the third Spanish side in history to win a season undefeated as they were soon crowned La Liga champions for a record-breaking third consecutive time while also setting the record for the most points accumulated in a La Liga season with a grand total of 106 points during which the club won thirty-four matches while only drawing four and sustaining zero defeats in the process. In the meantime, the club also won the Copa del Rey that season, defeating Barcelona 4-1 in the finals courtesy of a brace from Smith who also scored a consequential goal in the quarter-finals that resulted in a subsequent 5-3 win on penalties over Celta Vigo which preceded a 4-2 win on penalties in the semi-finals over Sevilla. Moreover, in the UEFA Champions League, a 5-0 demolition of PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-finals, followed by 3-2 and 4-2 wins over Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively, soon culminated in a 4-1 win over rivals and La Liga giants Real Madrid where Smith, in his final appearance for the club, scored a decisive 51th-minute hat-trick to deliver a record-breaking fifth consecutive UEFA Champions League title for Atlético Madrid, a feat it shares with Real Madrid, while also notably becoming the first Spanish side to achieve a domestic treble which the club soon upgraded into a historic sextuple through a 3-0 win over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup, 4-0 over Kashima Antlers in the FIFA Club World Cup, and lastly, a dramatic 3-2 win over Barcelona in the Supercopa de España in which after initially being two goals down in the first leg at home, they dramatically overturned the match with three goals in the second leg at Camp Nou to become the first Spanish and just the second European club after Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United to achieve a sextuple. In the midst of this, despite having officially left the club after their record-breaking fifth consecutive UEFA Champions League glory, Smith was nonetheless later awarded a winner's medal by manager Diego Simeone for the club's subsequent triumphs in his absence, thereby making him the only player to have officially achieved a sextuple with two different clubs. Moreover, in a major personal milestone, his hat-trick against Real Madrid in the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final marked Smith's official 400th goal for the club, being the only player to do so in its history.

"Without a doubt, Real Madrid can say they have Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona can say they have Lionel Messi. In the end, we had William Smith and judging by our successes and the sextuple, we were the lucky ones and the others couldn't necessarily say the same"

Longtime Atlético Madrid captain Koke on Smith's impact at the club

By the time he departed the club, having scored 241 goals in 208 appearances, Smith had officially become the all-time goalscorer for Atlético Madrid, surpassing the previous record of 172 goals by Luis Aragonés, to whom Smith subsequently paid a personal tribute upon breaking the latter's record, stating, "As great as I could have been in my five years at the club, there is surely no one better than the one and only Luis Aragonés". Later on, in his 2019 autobiography Pride, Technicality, Success, Smith revealed that just prior to his move to Atlético Madrid, he was initially asked by Manchester United chairman Avram Glazer to agree to a world-record transfer fee to La Liga giants Real Madrid whose president Florentino Pérez had reportedly submitted a lucrative, record-breaking fee in order to acquire the former's services at the club just a year after the club had also bought Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in a similar record-breaking transfer. However, having personally found himself attracted to Atlético Madrid's "underdog" status while otherwise finding Real Madrid's dominant status in the La Liga "terribly boring", Smith instead opted for the "underdog" club which subsequently signed him on a world-record transfer fee to much success in the years that followed. In the meantime, it was also revealed that fellow England international David Beckham also once attempted to convince Smith to return to Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy in a move that would have seen him reunite with his boyhood club while also joining the likes of Beckham himself and former USMNT teammates Landon Donovan and Gregg Berhalter. Ultimately, such a move never actually materialised with Smith later stating in his autobiography, "Without a doubt, the sentimental value behind it was truly undeniable and would have probably actually convinced me to return but at the same time I felt that my time in European football isn't over yet and so, as sweet as it would have been for me to come back at that moment, I still had a lot of unfinished business and I intend to finish all that before I ever return". Later on, as his contract with Atlético Madrid was nearing its final year, rumours arose that Smith would be returning to LA Galaxy for one final season before officially hanging up his boots although this never ultimately came to fruition with rumours later suggesting that Atlético Madrid, hoping to not lose a clearly aging but nonetheless capable player for nothing, was intent on pressuring LA Galaxy or other potential bidders for the most appropriate price which could well be in the hundred millions so as to later use it to acquire a younger and capable successor afterwards. Amidst all this, unproven rumours then claimed that the enormously wealthy French club Paris Saint-Germain was looking to pay the aforementioned high fees to acquire Smith as one of the club's several marquee signings in a move that never really materialised although they later paid a world-record €222 million for Brazilian forward Neymar from La Liga side Barcelona. Later on, Smith himself even publicly joked about rumours of him joining the Ligue 1 side, stating, "I'll rather join Manchester City or Real Madrid, my former clubs' rivals, than joining PSG".

International Career

United States U-20

The National Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria, which hosted the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship Final between the United States and Japan. The United States later won the match 1-0 via a tiebreaking goal from Smith in the 76th minute

In 1999, two years into his career as a professional footballer for LA Galaxy, Smith, by virtue of his fast-rising popularity and talent, was called up for the under-20 national team, with the national call-up proving vital in exposing Smith to his first-ever international tournament, namely the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria. It was later reported that the callup, at least initially, was opposed by Smith's mother, the actress Jaclyn Smith, who was said to have been personally concerned for her son's wellbeing in such a foreign country at a relatively young age. Ultimately, repeated assurances that the twenty-year-old Smith's well-being would be well taken care of, coupled with Smith's own personal insistence on participating in the tournament, eventually gave way to the national team call-up.

Soon enough, having been grouped with the likes of England, Japan, and Cameroon, Smith quickly made his mark for the national team by scoring a brace in the first group stage match against England, although this was then followed by a 1-3 defeat to Japan. However, in what would be a vital match towards securing qualification to the knockout stages, Smith went on to score his first hat-trick for the United States against Cameroon in a 6-0 win. Not long afterwards, a late 93rd-minute goal from Smith proved vital in avoiding a narrow 2-3 defeat to Spain in the round of 16 after which the United States proceeded to defeat the Spaniards 4-1 on penalties to advance to the quarter-finals. Then, after scoring two goals to complete a narrow 3-2 victory over hosts Nigeria in the quarter-finals, Smith scored his second hat-trick for the United States to complete a dominant 6-0 win over Mali in the ensuing semi-finals, thereby allowing them to progress to the finals where they faced Japan. In this, after a relatively long period which saw both the United States and Japan unsuccessfully attempt to score against the other, at precisely the 76th minute, Smith, shortly after having dribbled past several Japanese players, proceeded to score a powerful long-range shot from just outside of the penalty area, giving the United States a vital breakthrough in the last few minutes of the game amidst subsequent unsuccessful attempts by Japan to equalise the scoreline. Soon enough, having personally contributed to the United States' first-ever FIFA World Youth Championship title with his tiebreaking goal in the finals, Smith's profile as a relatively unknown soccer player immediately rose to an unprecedented high with some media outlets gradually beginning to tout Smith as a "future World Cup winner" especially so given that just a year prior the United States suffered a humiliating exit in the group stages from the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Later on, Smith publicly spoke of the effects caused by the rapid rise in his profile as a soccer player, adding that his talents and early successes, which then led to expectations of him being a potential World Cup winner, "troubled" him early on, stating, "By chance, at just twenty years old, I somehow now have almost the entire country on my shoulders begging me to somehow create the ultimate miracle and win the World Cup against all the odds. Undoubtedly, that really stressed and terrified a lot because if I did succeed then I'll be a living legend or the sorts but what if I fail and all those extremely high expectations go to waste? It's safe to say that I probably can't even go to the closest grocery store without someone reminding me of it".

United States

"As ridiculous as it might sound, he was our star, our captain, our engine, and our everything."

Former head coach Bruce Arena on Smith's time at the USMNT

In the following year, by then a talent-proven soccer player in the Major League Soccer scene, and most recently, the winner of the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, Smith was officially called up for his first-ever international duty as part of the United States national team, with then-manager Bruce Arena hoping to utilise the young and rising soccer star as the national team's primary goalscorer in future competitive matches, especially in light of the upcoming 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea. On 16 January 2000, Smith made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against Iran, where following an initial 1-1 deadlock between the two sides, Smith proceeded to score two goals throughout the course of the second half, ultimately giving the United States a 3-1 victory over their Iranian opponents. Then, around a month later, for the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, Smith, who initially did not score in the first two matches against Haiti and Peru respectively, went on to score a hat-trick, his first-ever for the United States' senior team, in the quarter-final match against Colombia, allowing the United States to break the initial 2-2 deadlock and therefore achieve a resounding 5-2 victory. This was soon followed by a heavy 4-0 demolition of Peru in the semi-finals, in which Smith otherwise scored only one goal to add on to the other three goals by his teammates. In the end, a brace from Smith in the final match against Canada, whose initial 1-0 lead was consequently overturned as a result, proved to be the decisive factor that awarded the United States their second CONCACAF Gold Cup title. Then, just a year later, as a regular starter for the United States, Smith famously contributed two consecutive hat-tricks in the knockout stages to deal a 5-0 and a 5-1 defeat to France and Japan respectively, allowing the United States to also win their first-ever FIFA Confederations Cup tournament. Soon enough, with a year left until the upcoming World Cup tournament, Smith was named the United States' new team captain, becoming the youngest-ever American captain in history at just twenty-two.

The Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, which hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final and which saw the United States achieve a historic 5-0 win over Brazil to lift their first and only World Cup title to date

In the following year of 2002, Smith saw further success when the United States went on to win their second consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, defeating Costa Rica in the finals by an impressive 5-0 margin thanks to a hat-trick from Smith himself following a previous 0-0 tie with Canada in the semi-finals that was later settled on penalties. Soon enough, for the group stage matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Smith became a regular presence for the United States, scoring twice in a 5-2 win over Portugal and a crucial goal in a 1-1 draw with South Korea thereby allowing the Americans to advance to the knockout stages despite a subsequent 1-3 loss to Poland. In the ensuing round of 16, Smith provided one additional goal to complete a 3-0 rout of Mexico before following it up with a crucial hat-trick to complete a remarkable 3-1 win over Germany thereby allowing them to progress further to the semi-finals for just the second time in almost seventy years where the United States dealt co-hosts South Korea a heavy 5-2 defeat to then reach a World Cup final for the first time ever. In this, Smith's individual brilliance, coupled with rigid and resolute defending from the American defenders, saw the United States achieve a historic 5-0 victory over a star-studded Brazil national team consisting of the likes of goalkeeper Marcos, defenders Cafu and Roberto Carlos, and forwards Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, in what later came to be nicknamed by Brazilians as the "Yokohama Disaster", given the heavy-handed nature of their national team's unexpected and shock defeat, while American supporters otherwise came to refer to it as the "June 30th Miracle", a term that was even echoed by then-manager Bruce Arena who later said, "Under normal circumstances, with the players that Brazil had fielded, we definitely didn't stand a chance but this turns out to be not a normal match at all and by all means, we certainly did a miracle here that everyone will remember for generations". Most significantly, this marks the first and only time to date where the United States has ever won a World Cup trophy since they first participated in the tournament in its inaugural 1930 edition, where they finished in third place behind Uruguay and Argentina, their highest-ever finish in the tournament prior to their victory in the 2002 edition. In the meantime, his 75th-minute hat-trick saw Smith become just the second player after England's Geoff Hurst to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final as well as the only American player to do so in what was the country's only appearance to date in a World Cup final.

Shortly afterwards, despite later suddenly announcing that the 2002 FIFA World Cup would be his first and only World Cup tournament with the United States, an announcement that quickly caught many by surprise, Smith continued to remain with the national team for another year to then successfully guide it to a first-place finish at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup in which a hat-trick from the former in the finals saw the United States deliver a 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica, who beforehand had recorded an unexpected 3-0 victory over France in the semi-finals, thereby securing a second consecutive win in the FIFA Confederations Cup, with the United States itself becoming the first nation to win the tournament twice in a row, followed by Brazil afterwards. In the end, amidst much speculation and expectation that he would retire from the United States national team, Smith announced his much-anticipated departure that would precede a subsequent move to England the following year. Since then, the somewhat abrupt nature of Smith's retirement from the national team, that being at the mere age of twenty-five, coupled with the fact that the national team itself would never go on to win another World Cup or reach the same heights as they previously did, has led many American sports commentators to describe it as a "watershed moment" for the United States national team with then-President George W. Bush stating in a remark made shortly after learning of Smith's signing for Manchester United and transfer to England, "While I would personally wish Mr. Smith all the best and good luck for his future as a soccer player abroad in England, it is absolutely undeniable that his departure has been a tragedy and a loss for American soccer as a whole, for America has arguably lost its greatest and most talented soccer player of all time". Similarly, former LA Galaxy and United States teammate Cobi Jones later remarked, "Without a doubt, he (Smith) was one of or if not the best soccer player I've ever played with in my entire life and it was truly a loss to see him go so soon especially when it became clear that we needed him so much later on".

For his success at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Smith, along with other players in the national team, were each awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President George W. Bush, although Smith himself later chose to personally return the award given to him following the controversial US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, reportedly as a sign of protest against the country's role in the invasion. Nonetheless, he would later be awarded the medal a second time in 2014, this time by then-President Barack Obama, shortly after his retirement from professional football that year. In that same year, a bronze statue of Smith was erected in his honour in front of the United States Soccer Federation headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Moreover, American supporters and fans are known to have famously nicknamed Smith "Captain America" in recognition of his success with the national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup coupled with his pre-eminent status in the American soccer scene as perhaps its most talented and most successful player ever with no other American soccer player in history capable of equalising the former in terms of success and recognition, a view shared by former soccer player Cobi Jones who remarked, "The truth is that there were eleven of us that won the World Cup that year but as it would happen only one will be remembered for generations to come by almost everyone around the world".

Former USMNT manager Bruce Arena at the 2002 FIFA World Cup where he led the country to its first-ever World Cup title

In a 2015 interview with CNN, former United States head coach Bruce Arena revealed that shortly prior to Smith's departure for England, he, along with then-president of the United States Soccer Federation, Robert Contiguglia diligently tried to convince the World Cup-winning striker to remain with the United States for the foreseeable future given the uncertainties around the national team's future World Cup prospects that would follow his departure but to no avail. Ultimately, Arena revealed that Smith "really wanted to leave and not because he didn't necessarily enjoy winning the World Cup for the United States but because he wanted to be closer to his father in the United Kingdom and that meant being part of the England team itself so that he doesn't have to needlessly travel back and forth for international training". On the other hand, during an interview with Sky Sports in 2018, Smith revealed that he "absolutely had no intention of staying with neither LA Galaxy nor with the United States forever", stating, "From the beginning, thanks to what I've learned about football from my father, I've always wanted to play for Manchester United, a club with so much history and a long list of success to speak of. To that end, when I first joined LA Galaxy, I knew from the start that I was not going to be there forever but eventually at Manchester United, for which I sought to be the best I could playing football in a country where it's not even the national sport". In addition, on his switch from the United States to the England national team, Smith remarked, "When I would later win a World Cup, I want the person to be holding it with me in celebration not some random politician that I don't even know much about but rather my one and very own father, who was the primary reason as to why I even started playing football in the first place". Despite this, Smith has since spoke positively of his time with the United States, stating that the feat of winning a World Cup with an "underdog" country was an "undoubtedly memorable experience" and also one that he personally sees as "one of the biggest achievements in my entire life".

Although unconfirmed, it has since been rumoured by some that FIFA's decision to overhaul existing rules on players' eligibility relating to national teams, which they did so in March 2004, was supposedly in response to a complaint filed by United States Soccer Federation president Robert Contiguglia, who in response to his country's loss of a great talent to another country, was said to have pressured FIFA into tightening the existing rules particularly those surrounding players switching nationalities so as to prevent a similar incident from happening again. During a 2014 interview with Reuters, FIFA president Sepp Blatter denied that the organisation was ever pressured to update its rules on players' eligibility by the United States Soccer Federation and instead asserted that the decision had actually come about in order to address a "wider systemic problem" of several countries naturalising foreign-born players in order to utilise those players for their national teams despite the lack of any real connection between the player and the country itself.

2002 Ballon d'Or eligibility controversy

"Regardless of where the player comes from or where he plays football, if he scored a hat-trick against Brazil in a World Cup final, he absolutely deserved the award (Ballon d'Or) without question."

Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo on Smith winning the Ballon d'Or in 2002

Around November 2002, following his historic success with the United States national team at the World Cup tournament just several months prior, controversy ensued when Smith, who was then playing for a North American side, was reportedly nominated for the Ballon d'Or award that same year so as to honour his achievement of winning the United States' first-ever World Cup title. Almost immediately, given that the award itself normally featured players who were playing at top European clubs, Smith's nomination soon sparked a great debate among the award's organisers who were divided on whether to allow a player from the recently-established Major League Soccer to ever win the award, given the league's drastically young age compared to its European counterparts hence leading to questions over the league's level of professionalism and the overall quality of its players, to which supporters replied by pointing to Smith's remarkable performance with the United States that even managed to defeat heavyweights Brazil 5-0 in the finals owing to a memorable hat-trick by Smith himself.

Eventually, amidst allegations that Smith, purely due to the nature of the league that he was playing in, was "robbed" of the award that he seemingly deserved, coupled with public support and threats of boycott from fellow nominees Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, with the former pledging to give the award to Smith should he win the award himself, France Football, which has presented the award since its inception in 1956, announced that players from Major League Soccer, provided that they are deemed "worthy enough" for the award, would be eligible to win the award if nominated. Subsequently, Smith later received the award as expected that year, making him the first and only American player to ever win the award. In response, both Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos expressed much support and positive sentiment towards Smith's win, with Ronaldo later stating in a 2015 interview with Sky Sports, "Regardless of where the player comes from or where he plays football, if he scored a hat-trick against Brazil in a World Cup final, he absolutely deserved the award (Ballon d'Or) without question".

England

"If I was going to win a World Cup, I want it to be with my own father who will celebrate with me on the stage when it's over and not with some random politician that I probably didn't even vote for."

Smith on his decision to switch his international allegiance from the United States to England

In early 2004, shortly after he had signed for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, Smith, who by then was carrying a recent reputation as the winner of the 2002 FIFA World Cup during which he famously led the United States to an infamous 5-0 victory over football giants, Brazil in the finals, quickly caught the attention of then-England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, who has previously seen his England side exit that same World Cup tournament in the quarter-finals beforehand, was said to have been "extremely jubilant than ever" upon learning of Smith's arrival in England and his departure from the United States national team. To that end, Eriksson then promptly had England and Manchester United midfielder David Beckham approach Smith so as to convince him to agree to a call-up for the national team, which Beckham did so shortly after catching sight of the latter at a January 2004 friendly match against Bolton Wanderers. Almost immediately, the meeting proved to be an instant success, with Smith later making his debut for the England in a friendly match on 18 February 2004 against Portugal, an occasion in which Smith himself did not actually score a goal. However, he soon made his impact for England when in an ensuing friendly match against Sweden, Smith personally orchestrated a dramatic comeback to overcome Sweden's initial 1-0 lead by scoring two goals in the second half to ultimately conclude the fixture in England's favour with a final 2-1 win.

Then, following a three-month-long break, Smith soon returned to England where for the following group stage matches of the UEFA Euro 2004, he first scored a brace in the match against France, allowing England to manage a successful comeback and deal a 3-2 defeat to their opponents, before following it up with two consecutive hat-tricks against Switzerland and Croatia respectively, them being his first two hat-tricks for England. Once more, in the round of 16 fixture against Portugal, Smith's late 116th-minute goal, which came around just a minute after an earlier goal by Frank Lampard, proved vital in breaking the 2-2 deadlock, thereby avoiding an ensuing nalty shootout whilst allowing England to progress to the quarter-finals to meet the Netherlands to whom they narrowly lost 2-3. However, despite this setback, when later asked by a BBC journalist over his feelings about the defeat, Smith famously replied, "It's alright, I'm just getting started", to which several British media outlets promptly highlighted Smith's "unfazedness" at his national team's defeat with The Guardian stating, "At just twenty-five years old, the young World Cup winner seems completely undisturbed and otherwise ever-more motivated by this recent setback not least with the chance for another World Cup glory just four years after his first one that undoubtedly proved a historic and memorable moment for all and especially for England waiting for World Cup glory for over four decades".

The Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany, where England defeated Italy 5-2 to win their first World Cup title in forty years

Despite the Euros setback, in anticipation of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Smith, a guaranteed regular starter under manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, who also appointed him as the new England captain, succeeding David Beckham in that position, quickly proved his worth via a series of goals scored in the qualifying campaign for the upcoming World Cup tournament where almost all of their opponents, save for Northern Ireland, to whom England narrowly lost 0-1, were comfortably defeated each time by comfortable margins. Similarly, in the following group stage matches on June 2006, England, grouped alongside Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and Sweden, easily managed their qualification to the knockout stages with victories against both Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago, while a fixture with Sweden ended in a 2-2 draw, with Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard providing the two England goals. Then, in the following round of 16, England comfortably managed a resounding 4-0 victory over Ecuador, with Smith himself providing his first hat-trick for the national team in the match. However, a 0-0 draw with Portugal in the following quarter-final match almost saw England's journey at the tournament cut short before a remarkable performance by goalkeeper Paul Robinson during the subsequent penalty shootouts saw England progress to the semi-finals with a final 4-2 win over their opponents. Following this, Smith went on to provide two decisive goals in the semi-final match against France, before later adding two goals of his own to complete a 5-2 rout of Italy in the finals, thereby securing England their second World Cup title in history while also ending a forty-year-long trophy drought since their last World Cup victory in 1966, for which he was then appropriately awarded both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards. Moreover, Smith also personally gained fame for being the first player to win a World Cup for two different countries, as well as the second to win two consecutive World Cup trophies after former Brazilian footballer, Pelé in 1978 and 1962, which led the British media to begin dubbing him the "White Pelé" for his remarkable feat, while others, including The Sun described him as "England's long-awaited football Messiah sent to break England's half a century long wait for another World Cup title". In the meantime, the victory itself, in addition to its timing, was also noted for the choice of the tournament hosts, namely Germany, who back in 1966, as West Germany, had lost 4-2 to then-hosts England at Wembley Stadium, London which saw England famously win its first-ever World Cup trophy.

The Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, Austria, where England defeated Germany 4-2 to win their first-ever European title in just two years after their first World Cup title in forty years

In 2008, just two years after their historic World Cup triumph, England, now led by none other than Smith himself as captain and Sven-Göran Eriksson as manager, saw further success in the UEFA Euro 2008, where after being initially grouped alongside the likes of Spain, Sweden, and Greece, England, thanks to a resouding 5-3 victory over Spain, a similarly big 4-1 victory over Greece, and a narrow 1-0 victory over Sweden, easily progressed to the following knockout stage, where in the following quarter-final match, thanks to a hat-trick by Smith, England comfortably defeated their Dutch opponents 5-3 to meet Spain once more in the semi-finals, who they then defeated 5-2 with Smith himself contributing a vital hat-trick to break the 2-2 deadlock. Eventually, in the final match against Germany, who initially appeared dominant in the first half with goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger and Christoph Metzelder respectively giving them an initial 2-0 lead, was ultimately defeated by a dramatic comeback from England in the second half, in which Smith's hat-trick, along with an additional goal by midfielder James Milner allowed England to overcome their two-goal deficit and ultimately win the tournament outright 4-2, and therefore, the country's first-ever UEFA European Championship title in the fifty years since the tournament was first held. The following year, as team captain, Smith guided England to a second-place finish at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa where following a 6-4 victory over Germany in the semi-finals, a 1-3 defeat to Brazil in the finals forced England to settle for a second-place finish instead.

England and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard whose infamous "ghost goal" in the round of 16 against Germany was infamously denied by the referee amidst claims pointing to the contrary. England later went on to win the match 7-6 on penalties following a 4-4 draw courtesy of a hat-trick from Smith

Two years later, coming off their recent World Cup and UEFA European Championship triumphs, and despite some challenge in the group stages against the likes of the United States, Algeria, and Slovenia, England proved quick to secure qualification to the knockout stages, winning against all except for the United States, with whom they drew 1-1. In the following round of 16 fixture against Germany, which notably saw Frank Lampard's infamous "ghost goal" controversially disallowed by the referee, Smith established himself as one of the tournament's most memorable players when in the 87th minute of the match he scored a decisive hat-trick that effectively nullified the initial 4-1 lead the Germans had previously enjoyed, thereby bringing the match to a penalty shootout which England ultimately won 7-6. A subsequent brace by Smith soon added to a resounding 4-0 victory that knocked out Argentina in the quarter-finals. Then, after assisting a crucial Wayne Rooney goal in the semi-finals in which England defeated Spain 2-0 to advance to the finals for the second consecutive time, Smith went on to score another brace to mark England's dominant 5-0 victory over the Netherlands, thereby making them just one of three nations alongside Brazil and Italy to have ever won two World Cups in a row. Meanwhile, in the following year, Smith also captained England to a third-place finish at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, where a narrow 1-2 loss to Mexico in the semi-finals saw England successfully rebound to then deal Uruguay a heavy 4-0 defeat in the third-place playoffs, thereby securing a third-place finish in the tournament.

The Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which saw England defeat Argentina 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in what was famously called the "Falklands derby" in a reference to the Falklands War between the two countries from 1982 to 1984

Following their success in the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, England, which Smith would come to captain for one final time, saw themselves managing to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament in Brazil. For the tournament, England found itself grouped with the likes of Italy, Uruguay, and Costa Rica. Subsequently, victories against Italy and Uruguay, despite a subsequent 0-0 draw with Costa Rica, saw the national team progress further to the knockout stages, with their first opponent being Colombia in the round of 16, against who England initially managed a narrow 7-6 victory via penalty shootouts following an initial 2-2 draw with their opponents. Following this, the national team then faced hosts Brazil in the quarter-finals, who they proceeded to deal a crushing 5-1 victory, with Smith himself scoring a hat-trick for England at the 88th minute. For the ensuing semi-finals fixture against Germany, the two sides initially found themselves tied 1-1 after an early Wayne Rooney goal was then equalised by a second-half goal from Miroslav Klose afterwards until a 65th-minute goal from Smith proved to be the essential tiebreaker, thereby allowing them to progress to the finals to face Argentina where following a 53rd-minute goal from Smith and a 79th-minute counter-goal from Enzo Pérez, the two sides subsequently faced one another in a penalty shootout that England ultimately won it 4-2 to secure a record-breaking third consecutive World Cup title. Shortly after the tournament concluded, Smith soon announced his retirement from international football while also clarifying that although he would continue to play at the club level for two more years he would otherwise not seek to participate in the upcoming UEFA Euro 2016 with the World Cup that year itself being his last ever for England and which he had intended to be his "last hurrah".

With a total of 109 goals scored during his time with the United States in 64 appearances, Smith is the all-time goalscorer for the United States. Meanwhile, his 160 goals for England also makes him England's all-time goalscorer as well as its sixth-most-capped player with 124 appearances. Moreover, Smith is the only player to have scored more than a hundred international goals be it for either the United States or England respectively.

Great Britain national football team

Following the United Kingdom's successful bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, which would take place in the capital city of London, in the months leading up to the event, Smith, owing to his largely successful track record with England, was quickly touted as a likely candidate for selection to the Great Britain men's Olympic football team. However, on December 2011, in light of the impending UEFA Euro 2012 tournament that same year, it was announced by The Football Association that none of the players chosen for the England squad for the tournament would be chosen for Great Britain as well in order to reduce potential player fatigue caused by the relatively short twenty-day gap between the end of the Euro 2012 tournament and the 2012 Summer Olympics. Consequently, the potential omission of Smith from the final Great Britain lineup proved to be a source of great controversy with pundit, Gary Lineker bemoaning the "missed opportunity for Britain to display perhaps their greatest footballer ever not just at the World Cup but also at the Olympics, an international event that is of much similar prestige and visibility". Despite this, some otherwise defended the decision to omit Smith from the Olympics, citing the obvious issue of player fatigue and fixture congestion, with then-Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt stating, "As delightful it would have been for Mr. Smith to represent Great Britain at the Olympics, we cannot absolutely forget that he also has his own duties for England in the World Cup and Euros, ones that are perhaps more important by comparison".

Eventually, during a February 2012 interview with Sky Sports, Smith revealed that he had been officially chosen for and is expected to captain the Great Britain national team in the 2012 Summer Olympics, stating, "Without a doubt, there's the real issue of player fatigue and all that but for me, I have yet to personally experience that fatigue myself, meaning that even if it takes place just twenty days after another major tournament, I'll be ready to show the world a familiar face and the style of football that everyone has come to know me for". On 26 July 2012, Smith soon made his debut for Great Britain in a group stage match against Senegal at Old Trafford which ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw following a late 82nd-minute equaliser by Moussa Konaté. Nonetheless, in the following group stage match against the United Arab Emirates at Wembley Stadium, Smith went on to score his first and only hat-trick for Great Britain to seal a commanding 6-1 victory over the Emiratis before proceeding to score a brace in the third and final group stage fixture against Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium which saw the match end in a 3-0 victory for Great Britain. Then, in the ensuing quarter-final match against South Korea, Smith scored a decisive 46th-minute tiebreaking goal shortly into the second half, allowing Great Britain to reach the semi-finals via a narrow 2-1 win in which Smith, together with Neil Taylor and Ryan Bertrand helped deliver a crushing 5-0 victory over Brazil, thus qualifying them further to the finals where they proceeded to defeat Mexico 2-0 to win the tournament outright with Smith personally adding a 40th-minute goal onto a previous 32nd-minute goal by teammate Aaron Ramsey to deliver Great Britain's 2-0 victory in the finals. In the end, with a total of nine goals scored, Smith finished as the tournament's top scorer while his performance, described by the BBC as "classy and brilliant as always", was mostly met with positive reception by many with Gary Lineker jokingly calling Smith "Great Britain's ultimate cheat code at the Olympics".

Post-Retirement

Football Honours

In the aftermath of his retirement from football, The Football Association announced that the FA Community Shield, beginning from the 2015 edition, would instead feature Smith's own name on the trophy similar to that of the Johan Cruyff Shield in the Netherlands. To that end, the first edition since the rebranding was contested between Premier League winners Chelsea and FA Cup winners Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, London, with Arsenal ultimately winning it 1-0 via a 24th-minute goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Meanwhile, on 16 September 2017, as a respected ex-player of Atlético Madrid, Smith personally attended the first match held at the club's new stadium Estadio de los Santos (English: Stadium of Saints) in which Atlético Madrid defeated Málaga 1-0 via a lone goal from Antoine Griezmann to commemorate the opening of their new home ground. In addition, a bronze statue depicting the two was also unveiled at the entrance to the stadium as a tribute to the duo's collective effort in establishing Atlético Madrid as a major force in La Liga against the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. To that end, the stadium itself was also subtly named after the duo who, given their extraordinary successes together in a short amount of time, have since been popularly referred to as "saints" by fans and supporters.

In 2021, along with longtime rival Thierry Henry and the Premier League's all-time goalscorer Alan Shearer, Smith was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, with The Football Association chairman Peter McCormick lauding Smith as the "greatest player in Premier League history with an incomparable goalscoring prowess and an unmatched all-around talent". Similarly, La Liga president Javier Tebas hailed Smith as a "revolutionary player who effectively changed the landscape of La Liga" while United States Soccer Federation president Cindy Parlow Cone described Smith as "the greatest player to have ever come from Major League Soccer", adding, "Undoubtedly, all Major League Soccer players, new or old, will be holding themselves to the highest standard in none other than William Smith himself".

Honorary Advisor & The FA President

Chloe Smith, Member of Parliament for Norwich North and currently Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport since 2016

Shortly after his retirement, given his overall success and recognition in the sport, Smith was initially considered for the position of an "honorary advisor" to the British government, specifically in matters relating exclusively to sports. However, out of a need to distance himself from football for some time, such an appointment was said to be rejected by Smith. However, in 2018, it was then announced that Smith had accepted the position of an honorary advisor to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which has been held by Chloe Smith since 2016. In that same year, Smith was also appointed as the new president of The Football Association, replacing his uncle Prince Nelson in that position.

As an honorary advisor to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Smith has largely taken to advise the government on issues concerning sports, primarily football, a sport that he himself is personally connected to. Regarding this, Smith has been a vocal figure for further expansion of access to the sport for both genders, male and female, stating, "As we've come to see in recent years, it's been well proven that both our men's and women's national teams are of winning quality and with the right manager and players can win whatever tournament they seek to. To only prioritise one over the other on the basis of rather dubious reasons is criminal and it would be more or less like cutting one's hand off while leaving the other intact".

In his capacity as The Football Association president, Smith is known to be a somewhat vocal figure on a number of issues including equal pay and player fatigue, having occasionally proposed several measures and initiatives meant to address both issues respectively. In this regard, Smith has also come to be known for his somewhat confrontational approach with the international governing body of FIFA, who he has at times vocally criticised, especially those relating to the controversial hosting rights awarded to Russia and Qatar for the World Cup, as well as the organisation's decision to expand the size of major international tournaments including the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup which he argued was placing more physical strain on players, especially those who have already played a considerable number of matches at club level. During a 2023 interview with Sky Sports, Smith remarked, "The clear and unmistakable problem with these bloated and glorified expansions is that to some extent these decisions felt like it was about making more money for the executives at the top than it is to rather meaningfully better the game of football itself which is undoubtedly upheld by the tens of players around the world who will now surely be looking at playing a much larger number of physically demanding games or being temporarily excluded from some so as to prevent them from essentially getting hurt from doing too much work than what the human body can take".

In recent years, Smith has also been a vocal figure against what he called the "oilification of the Premier League, pointing to the state ownerships of Manchester City and Newcastle United by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia respectively while also particularly criticising the recent transfers of several European players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and N'Golo Kanté to the Saudi Professional League, a trend he referred to as "Chinese Super League 2.0", stating, "Not long ago, a country called China thought that it was a good idea to just somehow better their football league by bringing in these European stars who, by consensus, are mostly at the end of their careers. Now, even with a slightly different approach, it's clear that Saudi Arabia is attempting to do the exact same thing which perhaps, barring some few major changes domestically along the way, is bound to end in the same way with a rather mediocre league being nothing more than a retirement home for finished stars with nothing else left to win". Moreover, in this regard, Smith has also criticised the "moral aspect" behind the phenomenon, pointing to both China's and Saudi Arabia's similarly disappointing human rights record, adding, 'So far, there have been two roughly similar attempts of an authoritarian and dictatorial country trying to leverage the global status of football in order to shed their true outrageous colours. As of now, one has failed while the other is perhaps bound to meet the same fate or by chance somehow succeed".

Politics & Social Causes

A vocal environmentalist, Smith has been an advocate of a "green market economy", supporting "eco-friendly" alternatives such as nuclear energy as well as electronic vehicles (EVs), the latter for which he has also advocated for mass commercialisation so as to lessen its traditionally expensive and luxurious status and therefore make it generally affordable for many, stating, "Just as how there are luxurious cars as well as the standard affordable ones running on gasoline, electric cars should also be the same way and not a strictly luxurious commodity for the ultra-rich but rather for all who will stand to benefit much in the future from acquiring it". In the meantime, Smith has also vocally expressed support for "cheap but effective" public transport as well as being in favour of nuclear energy, stating in a 2019 interview, "By pure logic, it is a bit weird that the United Kingdom, one of the world's major nuclear powers, is not seemingly exploiting its status for non-military purposes. After all, nuclear energy is obviously not just for bombing cities but to also power them more effectively than traditional energy sources". Since 2016, Smith has been a registered party member of the Liberal Democrats and has also actively supported the ultimately successful Remain campaign in favour of the United Kingdom remaining within the European Union. Meanwhile, in response to the controversial temporary ban imposed on English footballer Ivan Toney by authorities on several counts of rule-breaking betting, Smith has vocally advocated for a "complete purge" of gambling-related entities from football, particularly Sky Bet which has been the main sponsor for the EFL Championship, stating, "Admittedly, the Championship might not be as prestigious as the Premier League but that's not exactly and should not be the sole reason as to why a different company not related to gambling at all could not be chosen as the new sponsor". Pointing to the sponsorship of the Ligue 2 and Serie B leagues by Indian tyre company Balkrishna Industries, Smith has at times called for a "British non-gambling alternative" to be considered as the new sponsor and successor to Sky Bet.

In spite of his stature, Smith has been a vocal critic of what he perceived as "excessive player power" in football clubs. In an October 2023 interview with Sky Sports, citing a recent incident in which Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to storm down the tunnel with just a few minutes left shortly after being called up by head coach Erik ten Hag in Manchester United's October 19th defeat to Smith's own Tottenham Hotspur, the former England forward criticised his ex-club teammate for the latter's "snobbish" and "diva-like" attitude, stating, "Undoubtedly such a behaviour was unacceptable but perhaps it could've been less bad than it actually was if they (Man Utd) were actually winning at the time. Now, if my memory serves me right, they were well about to lose the match, and amidst all this, one player, particularly one of the club's most important ones too, decided to walk out and leave his teammates hanging just because the manager wouldn't give him the full ninety minutes experience". To that end, as a firm believer in the phrase "no player is bigger than the club", Smith has both cautioned against and criticised "diva-like", "pompous", and "egotistical" players, stating, "Without a doubt, everyone including myself has an ego but what makes each of us all different is how we effectively control it and not let it get to our heads which only leads us to make irrational decisions and make ourselves a liability to others in the team".

During a 2023 interview with Sky Sports, citing ex-England teammate David Beckham's controversial ambassadorship role for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Smith declared that he would not take up such a role for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, United States, and Mexico should the United States re-elect controversial Republican politician Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, stating, "While I'm well aware of the stature and prestige I hold among American soccer fans I could never truly bring myself to participate as an ambassador or the like if the country I was to promote has an extremist leader like Donald Trump or any of his far-right mates". Otherwise, Smith, a supporter of the Democratic Party and to an extent, incumbent President Joe Biden, has pledged that he will "do his best" should Biden be re-elected for a second term, stating, "It's been a while since I've been away from the American soccer scene and I think the World Cup in 2026 is a good time for me to finally come back after almost thirteen years long".

Around August 2023, amidst rumours that Smith's former club Manchester United was potentially seeking to reintroduce suspended academy graduate Mason Greenwood back into the first team after an almost year long absence caused by his arrest over charges of rape and assault (which were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service), Smith, along with a host of other influential figures, vocally opposed the club's decision with the former Manchester United forward calling it "the new biggest mistake from the wretched Glazers since the European Super League". In addition, during an interview with Sky Sports that same month, Smith publicly expressed his opposition towards Greenwood's return, stating, "Under no circumstances shall I ever see a damn rapist at my beloved football club". Moreover, the former England captain and forward also threatened to hand over his season ticket back in protest over the move although this was never ultimately carried out when the club announced that Greenwood would be loaned to minor La Liga side Getafe for the ensuing 2023-24 season. Meanwhile, around late 2022, along with several other celebrities, Smith announced that he was leaving the popular social media site Twitter in light of its takeover by American billionaire Elon Musk whose proposed and subsequently implemented policies the former has been largely critical of. In response, while still maintaining an active social media presence, Smith has mostly remained and concentrated much of his online presence on Instagram, stating in a 2023 interview with Variety, "In these modern times, I obviously love to keep in touch and communicate with people online but at the same time I prefer not doing so in a place where neo-Nazis and anti-Semites run rampant owing to the policies of perhaps the single-most narcissistic manchild on Earth". Meanwhile, when asked if he was concerned over losing at least a portion of his Twitter followers via his permanent move to Instagram, Smith replied, "At the end of the day, it is social media and by all means I don't necessarily need arbitrary numbers to judge my value and relevance in the modern world given what I've done and achieved in my life".

US Soccer Reforms

Owing to his history of being a former United States international and whose footballing career initially started in the United States with LA Galaxy, Smith has been a vocal figure for reforms concerning the country's soccer scene, stating, "As much as I'm an Englishman now, I'll never forget my American roots especially when it comes to football because I started my career not in the Premier League but in Major League Soccer, something that I hope young Americans playing soccer today could one day emulate in their own way".

Domestically, Smith has argued for either a phasing out or a complete abolition of Major League Soccer's longstanding draft system with its preferred substitute being the academy system seen in most European football leagues. In a 2019 interview with ESPN, he said, "Personally, I was rather fortunate to have been chosen for LA Galaxy because that's the team I wanted to actually play for but at the same time, in an alternate scenario, I could have been chosen for some other team and legally I cannot do anything to change that unless the club I wanted is willing to trade a player for me instead". Moreover, Smith has also criticised the draft system's concentration on college players, stating, "As someone who has spent at least a decade abroad playing for some of the biggest European clubs, I can safely say that most of the players that one would call greats of the game didn't even go to college. With that in mind, back in the United States, it is safe to say that these players wouldn't have even touched the ball for a minute given the circumstances".

Meanwhile, on the international side, Smith has also particularly advocated for a change in confederation for the United States, currently a member of CONCACAF alongside the likes of Canada, Mexico, and smaller Caribbean nations. Citing the perceived "uncompetitive" nature of the confederation, Smith has called for the United States to either switch to CONMEBOL where it would face the likes of footballing powerhouses Argentina and Brazil or UEFA where they would otherwise face several World Cup champions including the likes of England, France, Germany, and Italy which Smith argued would serve as better opposition for the United States especially in anticipation of future World Cup tournaments. In this, Smith has also criticised the apparent elitism present in the American soccer scene, citing the incident between former United States internationals Claudio Reyna and Gregg Berhalter, the latter currently serving as head coach of the United States men's national team, over playing time and treatment towards the former's son and current Borussia Dortmund midfielder Giovanni Reyna, stating, "People used to believe and sometimes joke about how these things usually happen during soccer practices involving children and teenagers but now it's just rather shameful and embarrassing to see that this disease of sports elitism has directly made its way into the country's very own national team". Then, he also added, "Quite ironically, my own father was the literal king of a country and yet he never really interfered or tried to stick his nose into things that he shouldn't like my football career even if I'm his own son who could have pretty much got anything I wanted simply due to who my father was".

Future Prospects

During a 2022 interview with Sky Sports, when asked about his future plans after leaving Tottenham Hotspur as manager, Smith indicated that he would be "taking a step back for a good few years or so" while also suggesting that he would be returning once more to football potentially as a sports pundit in the footsteps of Ian Wright, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Roy Keane. Meanwhile, when asked if he would be seeking to become a manager of a different club or return back to Tottenham Hotspur for a second stint as head coach, Smith said, "If it were to happen one day, sure, but as I've said before I personally won't go for clubs that have already won a lot and are guaranteed to do so again and again because for me where's the fun and challenge in that? Otherwise, managing a capable team that just happens to be down on their luck, I'll take that chance in a heartbeat to prove the doubters and critics wrong once again like the previous three times already". In a separate interview, when asked if he would ever consider becoming England head coach himself, Smith replied by suggesting that he would be "somewhat open" to such a job out of "heartfelt patriotism" while again asserting that he will only do so at the right time given the job's highly-demanding nature.

On the other hand, Smith has strongly ruled out the possibility of him running for an elected office for sports organisations such as UEFA or FIFA in spite of his extensive popularity, stating, "Based on what I've seen so far and after an honest reflection of myself, I don't think I'll really fit in with all those bureaucratic people in suits at all". In the meantime, Smith himself has been a vocal critic of FIFA, particularly over their controversial awarding of World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar as well as the planned expansion of the World Cup which he criticised on the basis of players' welfare. During a 2023 interview with Sky Sports, he said, "At the end of the day footballers are humans themselves and if there's one thing I'm sure about when it comes to humans is that they aren't tireless robots and you shouldn't therefore treat them like they are robots yourself. As of now, the bureaucrats at FIFA and UEFA seem to think otherwise and that players' welfare appears to come second in favour of entertainment and money". Beforehand, in 2015, just a year after he participated in and won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Smith publicly criticised FIFA for their "horrendously bad propaganda attempt" following the release of the widely-panned 2015 film United Passions (the majority of its funding came directly from FIFA), with Smith particularly noting the "crazy and unwarranted sense of Anglophobia" present in the film, adding, "For a movie that initially takes place in an era that is admittedly flawed and somewhat politically incorrect by modern standards, it's just weird how out of all the people involved, the English, for all their obvious flaws at the time, are somehow the only arrogant and backwards-thinking evil people while others, be it the French, Germans, or Italians, are somehow morally righteous progressives and forward-thinking people by the 20th-century standards when reality is obviously not the same as fiction".

Around late 2023, amidst a series of arrivals of high-profile European footballing figures, both players and managers, to Saudi Arabia, rumours arose that Smith, owing to his success with Tottenham Hotspur and most importantly his global reputation, was being considered as a manager by several Saudi Pro League clubs although these were quickly denied by Smith's camp which claimed that the former England captain was "content on taking considerable time away from football" while some have nonetheless suggested that such a move would have been impossible given Smith's well-known criticisms against the Saudi government for the latter's human rights abuses as well as their perceived "sportswashing" attempt via the purchase of Premier League club Newcastle United.

Managerial Career

Tottenham Hotspur

The Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, where Tottenham Hotspur won its first-ever UEFA Champions League title following a 2-1 win over Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in a match played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic

A self-professed "champion of the underdogs", following his retirement, Smith had initially voiced interest in coaching perceived "underdog" clubs such as the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Soon enough, the firing of Tottenham Hotspur's Mauricio Pochettino amidst a poor start to the 2019-20 season on November 19th provided the much-awaited opportunity with Smith himself being quick to apply for the now vacant position of club manager which he was subsequently granted the following day by club chairman Daniel Levy with the promise of establishing a "beautiful and deadly attacking style of play" and "achieving the impossible". Following this, Smith's first match in charge came to be an away fixture against West Ham United on November 23rd that ended in a 3-2 win for Tottenham Hotspur which was then followed just a week later with a similar 3-2 win over Bournemouth and a 2-1 win on December 4th at Old Trafford with Smith emerging triumphant against his former club of Manchester United. Then, after a dominant 5-0 win over Burnley on December 7th, Smith also secured a victory against another major club in Chelsea, who the club defeated 1-0 via a 37th-minute goal from Christian Eriksen. Following this, wins against Brighton & Hove Albion and Norwich City, the latter particularly falling to a Harry Kane hat-trick, saw him manage to make it eight matches unbeaten by the end of the year in stark contrast to the club's otherwise poor start to the season beforehand. Then, following an unexpected 0-0 draw against Southampton on January 1st, Smith was dealt his first defeat just ten days later in a 0-1 loss to Liverpool although this was promptly compensated for with a dramatic 2-1 win over Watford in which a 94th-minute goal from Christian Eriksen in extra time saw Tottenham successfully come back from defeat after a Harry Kane equaliser. Following this, a sixteen-match unbeaten streak which included 1-1 draw against Chelsea on February 22nd, coupled with dominant 3-0 wins over Manchester United and Leicester City and a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in the final day saw Tottenham achieve a remarkable second-place finish with 87 points ahead of Manchester City in third and behind Liverpool in first. Meanwhile, a 4-1 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup and a narrow 2-3 defeat on aggregate to Manchester City in the EFL Cup saw Smith unable to win either domestic cups in his maiden season with the club. In spite of this, a shock 4-2 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals and a dramatic 2-1 win over Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the finals, in which Tanguy Ndombele scored the tiebreaking goal in extra time after an early Hary Kane goal was cancelled out by an Ivan Perišić counter-goal, saw Tottenham Hotspur make history with their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in an occasion described by Peter Drury as "the biggest shock of the decade" and by Martin Tyler as "the greatest football fantasy of the 21st-century". To that end, the club later defeated UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla 3-1 in the UEFA Super Cup and Mexican side Tigres 3-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup, resulting in Smith, who initially took office on an interim basis until the end of the season, to soon formalise a four-year contract amidst rumours of several major clubs looking to poach him from the club.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane in action during a 3-0 win over Manchester United where he scored twice through penalties

In the following 2020-21 season, Smith started off rather promisingly with a dominant 4-1 win over Everton, which he soon followed up on with an equally dominant 5-2 win over Southampton. Then, despite a 0-1 loss to Newcastle United, Smith proved quick to steer the club back onto a dominant winning streak, defeating among others his former club Manchester United 6-1, Manchester City 2-0, and Chelsea 3-0 while otherwise drawing 0-0 with defending champions Liverpool. Regardless, on December 20th, the club was met with a shock 1-4 defeat to Leicester City that ended a thirteen-match unbeaten streak although this was promptly made up for with a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers just a week later that preceded a subsequent 3-0 win over Leeds United and a following 1-0 win over Fulham. In the meantime, the club also drew once again with Liverpool while otherwise defeating Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 and losing to Chelsea 1-2. Meanwhile, a shock 3-1 win over Manchester City would precede a 1-1 draw against West Ham United, bringing much-renewed hope as Smith's Tottenham then marked a dominant 4-0 victory over Burnley along with a 2-1 win over Arsenal and most notably a 3-0 win over Manchester United which saw two penalties awarded to Tottenham and defender Harry Maguire being sent off in the 76th minute. In the end, despite a momentary 0-1 loss to Aston Villa on the penultimate day which preceded an otherwise triumphant 4-2 win over Leicester City, the club notched a record-high of 91 points to become Premier League champions for the first time in history, a feat that Smith himself described as "inevitable" owing to the club's second-place finish the season before. In the meantime, a narrow 2-3 loss to Chelsea saw Smith once again unable to win the FA Cup with Tottenham Hotspur with a similar fate being met in the EFL Cup finals with a 1-2 loss to Manchester City once again barring the club from winning either domestic cups. Nonetheless, a dramatic 7-6 win on aggregate against La Liga giants Real Madrid, followed by a firm 4-1 win over Manchester City in which Harry Kane scored twice with Gareth Bale and an Aymeric Laporte own-goal following suit, saw Tottenham Hotspur mark an unprecedented back-to-back UEFA Champions League glory while also being just one domestic cup short of achieving an equally historic domestic treble. With this, the club then faced UEFA Europa League winners Arsenal in the UEFA Super Cup, defeating them 5-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw, followed by a 1-0 win over Brazilian side Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup and a 0-1 loss to Leicester City in the William Smith Shield.

In the meantime, amidst positive on-pitch progress that included the club's first-ever UEFA Champions League title, around April 2021, Smith notably threatened to resign from his position as head coach in response to Tottenham Hotspur's initial participation in the controversial European Super League project alongside the likes of other English clubs such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea. In clarifying his stance during a Sky Sports interview that same month, Smith remarked, "Ask me now or even tomorrow and I'll always say that I love this club to the fullest as its manager but at the same time I cannot bear to see it being involved in such a bad project like the ESL. For me, to even keep going on is like swimming through a big ocean of lava which is something that most people would obviously want to avoid or would not enjoy at all despite its rewards". In the end, all but the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus later withdrew from the project amidst overwhelming backlash with Tottenham Hotspur being one of the earliest to do so amidst reports that club chairman Daniel Levy, facing a threat of resignation from Smith who had then led the club to its first UEFA Champions League glory in just his first year, was soon compelled to withdraw from the project amidst worries over looking for a capable successor to replicate Smith's unprecedented success with the club.

In the ensuing 2021-22 season, despite an initial loss to Leicester City in the William Smith Shield, traditionally considered to be the new season's curtain-raiser, Smith's Tottenham otherwise made a rather promising start, defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the opening match and Crystal Palace 3-2. However, on September 19th, Smith's club was dealt with a heavy 1-4 defeat to Chelsea, followed by a 1-1 draw with Arsenal and a 2-1 win over Aston Villa and a 3-1 win over West Ham United in which Harry Kane scored all three penalties to mark a hat-trick in the process. In the meantime, the club also snatched a 2-1 win over Smith's former club Manchester United in spite of a Cristiano Ronaldo return to the latter club along with a 3-0 win over Norwich City. However, Tottenham was then met with a 0-2 defeat to Liverpool which otherwise preceded a 3-0 comeback win over Crystal Palace and an ensuing 4-0 win over Southampton. Further down the road, in addition to a dominant 5-0 win over Burnley, the club also defeated the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United 3-2 and 3-1 respectively to make it twelve matches unbeaten which they only extended via dominant 5-1 and 4-0 wins over Newcastle United and Aston Villa respectively to then make it sixteen unbeaten before a 0-2 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion brought an end to the streak. Nonetheless, over the last few days remaining, Tottenham promptly rebounded with a 2-1 win over Brentford, a 3-1 win over Leicester City, and a 3-0 win over Arsenal before eventually concluding the season with a dominant 5-0 win over Norwich City at which point the club once again emerged Premier League champions with a record 99 points. Meanwhile, despite a loss to Chelsea that effectively cut short their FA Cup ambitions, Smith's Tottenham promptly avenged their defeat at the hands of The Blues to then defeat Liverpool 1-0 to win the EFL Cup for the first time since the 2007-08 season. In the meantime, Smith himself came close to achieving a third consecutive UEFA Champions League title for Tottenham Hotspur, defeating the likes of Inter Milan, Benfica, and Villareal before a 0-1 loss to Real Madrid in the finals saw them settle for second place. Following this, as Premier League champions, Tottenham subsequently contested the William Smith Shield with FA Cup winners Liverpool to whom they narrowly lost 2-3.

The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, where a grueling penalty shootout saw Tottenham Hotspur defeat Arsenal 12-11 on penalties to claim their third UEFA Champions League title in just three years

On 6th August 2022, Smith started off his final season as Tottenham Hotspur manager rather promisingly, grabbing a 4-0 win over Southampton on the opening day. Then, a 1-1 draw against Chelsea on the second day, followed by several further victories along the way including a dominant 6-1 win over West Ham United, saw Smith make it seven matches unbeaten straight while major victories afterwards over both Arsenal and former club Manchester United saw him therefore make it eleven matches unbeaten with a 1-3 loss to Newcastle United on October 23rd bringing an end to the streak. Then, on January 1st 2023, Smith began the new year with a dominant 4-0 win over Aston Villa which he quickly followed up on just three days later with an equally dominant 4-0 win over Crystal Palace although the new year momentum was quickly cut short by subsequent defeats to Manchester City and Arsenal respectively. Then, amidst a 0-0 draw against Leicester City and a 2-3 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers, a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest and a 4-2 win over Everton saw the club under Smith rediscover their winning ways by the last few months during which they recorded a dominant 4-0 win over Bournemouth and a 3-0 win over Newcastle United although this was then followed by a 1-3 loss to Manchester United and a 1-0 loss to Liverpool respectively. Nonetheless, a draw against Aston Villa and a 3-0 win over Brentford in the closing days ensured that Tottenham would finish the season with no further defeats as a 4-1 win over Leeds United on the final day ensured a third-place finish with just one point behind runners-up Manchester City while Arsenal secured their first league title in almost two decades. Meanwhile, after previous unsuccessful attempts, a dramatic 3-2 win over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, London saw Smith finally win the FA Cup with Tottenham with the title itself being their first in almost three decades since they last won it in 1991. In the meantime, a shock 3-1 win on aggregate over Real Madrid and a similarly dramatic 5-4 win on aggregate over Manchester City saw Tottenham Hotspur advance to the UEFA Champions League finals once again where they faced league winners Arsenal in a fixture that was eventually settled on penalties with Tottenham eventually winning it 12-11 following a long and grueling contest. Shortly afterwards, Smith announced the end of his tenure as Tottenham Hotspur head coach, stating that he wished to "take a humble step back after an undeniably challenging as well as a both physically and mentally taxing period", adding, "Four years ago, I came with the clear intention and mission of proving that underdogs like Tottenham Hotspur can win major titles with the right players and manager. Now, it is without a doubt that I have lived up well to my intentions with the club that I see so much potential in and therefore it is with a heavy and humble heart that I say goodbye while also expressing all my gratitude to those who stood with the club at not just its highest highs but also its lowest lows throughout these amazing four years together".

"Even if it's just for four years long, I undoubtedly won and did things that others before me couldn't and by all means it was certainly a hundred times better than spending twenty years and winning nothing in the process."

Smith on his time with Tottenham Hotspur

In the aftermath of his retirement, the ensuing pre-season matches were overseen by former player Ryan Mason who took over as interim coach until the club subsequently appointed former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou in time for the later 2023-24 season. Prior to his appointment, Postecoglou had also previously managed the Australia men's national team from 2013 to 2017 as well as A-League sides Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar and J1 League side Yokohama F. Marinos. Meanwhile, as the most decorated and successful Tottenham Hotspur manager of recent times, supporters of the club initially launched a proposal to have the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium renamed after Smith himself, citing the decision of Atlético Madrid to name their new stadium after Smith and head coach Diego Simeone. However, the proposal itself was never fully implemented with an eventual compromise instead having the stadium's "North Stand" renamed to "Sir William Smith Stand" in his honour while a bronze statue depicting his likeness was also erected in front of the stadium's entrance.

Owing to him effectively being a free agent since his departure from Tottenham Hotspur, Smith, in light of his record-breaking successes at the club, was afterwards the subject of rumours linking him to several potential managerial jobs with the most notable being a rumour claiming that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, having then fired Julian Nagelsmann in March 2023, was potentially looking towards employing Smith as the new head coach given his successes with Tottenham Hotspur. However, in response, Smith himself strongly denied any links to the Bundesliga club, adding that his Tottenham stint is his first and only one, with the latter eventually hiring former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel as the new head coach while the English club itself, following unsuccessful attempts with Brighton's Graham Potter and former player Frank Lampard, later hired Mauricio Pochettino, Smith's predecessor at Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, even beforehand, Smith was also reportedly considered by several other parties to become their new head coach, including the United States national team, Manchester United, and Borussia Dortmund. In particular, a move to Manchester United was said to be the most likely option but which ultimately fell short of becoming a reality when Smith, following a "thorough and detailed inspection", demanded a major overhaul of the club's current squad along with having greater personal input and influence over player transfers, requests that were said to have conflicted with the Glazer brothers' vision and which therefore killed any chance of Smith becoming the manager of his former club.

Personal Life

Although he was the firstborn child of King Thomas, Smith is ultimately ineligible to later succeed his father to the throne given the fact that he had been born out of wedlock and that his parents, despite an almost two-decade-long relationship, were never officially married, thereby preventing him from being included in the line of succession to the throne. Despite this, Smith himself has expressed some gratefulness for his current circumstances, stating that the fact that he would never likely succeed to the throne in the near future due to his ineligibility meant that he was free to pursue a career of his own for as long as he wanted while also not being burdened by the thoughts of his future duties as monarch.

Owing to his global popularity as a football icon, Smith has been extensively portrayed or depicted in various forms of media, with his likeness being used in the widely popular FIFA football video game series in which Smith is one of the most highly-rated players in the game. In addition, British actor Jude Law portrayed Smith in the 2016 sports biographical film The Final Tournament which depicts Smith's final appearance at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil for which Law subsequently won Best Actor at the BAFTA Awards that year. In the meantime, Smith has made a number of cameo appearances as himself on the Apple TV+ sports comedy series Ted Lasso alongside other footballing figures such as Thierry Henry, Gary Lineker, Ian Wright, and Pep Guardiola. Meanwhile, the 2012 sports documentary The Yokohama Miracle: Ten Years On also featured Smith along with other figures associated with the United States national team that famously won the 2002 FIFA World Cup including Landon Donovan, Bruce Arena, and Cobi Jones. Moreover, during his time as Tottenham Hotspur manager, Smith was featured in Amazon Prime Video's All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur sports documentary and its subsequent follow-up Tottenham's Fantasy. In August 2023, Smith held an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on the social news website Reddit where he answered questions that primarily revolved around his two-decades-long footballing career and his personal life.

A polyglot, Smith is said to be fluent in Portuguese and German in addition to his native English, with his fluency in Portuguese being largely motivated by his Brazilian-born wife. To that end, in a major effort to blend in with the local community, during his time with Atlético Madrid (whose players mostly spoke mutually intelligible Spanish), Smith himself mostly spoke and conversed in Portuguese rather than in English with much fluency. To that end, in a 2017 interview with Sky Sports, owing to his habit of mostly speaking Portuguese during his six-year stay in Spain, Smith jokingly claimed that at times he "felt more Hispanic than British on a personal level" while also adding that in private conversations he and his wife often spoke in Portuguese with each other in what was initially a way to help the former with his proficiency in the language that later developed into a daily habit. Meanwhile, similar to his ability to speak several languages, Smith is a triple citizen as he holds both American and British citizenship as well as a Spanish one which was granted to him by King Felipe VI in 2017 in recognition of his successes with Atlético Madrid.

Aside from owning several houses across multiple countries, Smith also personally boasts a collection of several luxury vehicles said to consist of a Mercedes-AMG GT, a McLaren 570S, and a Nissan Skyline GTR R-34 for which he was rewarded with one by the Japanese government in light of his historic success at the 2002 FIFA World Cup hosted by Japan and South Korea. Aside from this, Smith also reportedly owns a motorcycle of his own, namely a Kawasaki Ninja H2. Meanwhile, in a 2019 interview, Smith revealed that prior to moving to England, he formerly owned a modest BMW M3 for travelling around the state of California before later selling it to a friend for additional money.

In an excerpt from his autobiography Pride, Technicality, Success, Smith revealed that for a while after his historic World Cup triumph in 2002 with the United States, a feat that immediately made him a superstar both in the country and abroad, he had to deal with "crippling anxiety" while also revealing that he felt "extremely overwhelmed and suffocated at times", stating, "Before this, barely anyone knew that much about me other than being the son of my actress mother but then it seemed like everyone wanted to see me and know what I wear, eat, or even where I sleep. Simply put, there's only so much time where I don't have to face some random person asking for my autograph and whatnot, and at just twenty-three and as someone who's yet to even marry at all, it honestly felt like a never-ending nightmare or the sort that I just wanted to get away from but could not". Although Smith subsequently overcame the issue by moving abroad to the United Kingdom and keeping his new home a tight secret from the public, the incident eventually prompted him to adopt a more reclusive and media-shy persona in the years since during which, via his father's help, he employed a small number of armed bodyguards to protect him at all times. However, by the twilight years of his career, Smith gradually adopted a more open and media-friendly persona, which he was said to have begun doing after being in a more "secure" position along with having aged by at least a decade which therefore helped him to cope better with the media scrutiny that followed him.

As one of the most well-known and marketable athletes of his generation, Smith has been a partner in a huge number of lucrative sponsorships including Adidas, Armani, Under Armour, Coca-Cola, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Rolex, and Louis Vuitton, all of which, combined with his high wage payments and other financial bonuses, make him one of the richest athletes in the world with an estimated net worth of $2.09 billion, the highest for a professional footballer and which makes him one of the few billionaire athletes in the world alongside Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. In the context of professional football, Smith is often compared to fellow ex-English footballer David Beckham, both of whom are similarly known for their talents in football as well as for their public image and marketability coupled with their marriages to their equally famous wives in Gisele Bündchen and Victoria Beckham. In the meantime, with an estimated net worth of $533 million, his wife Gisele Bündchen herself is considered to be one of the wealthiest models in the world thereby resulting in many media outlets dubbing them one of the most famous "power couples" of the 21st-century with Vogue notably summarising it in a 2021 article: "One is perhaps the undisputed and widely-recognized King of Football while the other, based on both popularity and wealth, is arguably the Queen of Supermodels". In 2014, they were also dubbed "Most Beautiful Couple in the World" by People.

Although married to a Roman Catholic wife and born into a family that is largely Protestant, Smith revealed in a 2018 interview with Men's Vogue that he otherwise personally identifies as a "non-denominational Christian", stating, "Ultimately, having grown up as someone who's not necessarily religious or even someone who's that big into theology and whatnot, I tend to just make it clear and let it be known that as a Christian I don't really bother or feel strongly with one sect or the other because to some extent that only serves to divide rather than to unite and so I personally feel better at just stating that I'm a Christian and leaving it at that rather than getting into the intricacies and all that".

Relationships

Gisele Bündchen

The Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen at the 2002 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show held in New York, United States. In that same year, she also met her future husband at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final in Yokohama, Japan

Around June 2002, Smith, by then a rising and increasingly popular soccer player in the United States, would first meet his wife, the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen that year in somewhat of a chance encounter at the 2002 FIFA World Cup that took place in Japan and South Korea, in which Smith himself is present as part of the United States national team. According to the couple, the two would first come into contact when Bündchen, having learned of Brazil's qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament, decided to buy a plane ticket for herself to Asia so as to personally watch her country's anticipated victory. To that end, the Brazilian supermodel, despite initially witnessing her country's progress to the finals via victories over Denmark, England, and Turkey respectively, would also come to later witness Brazil's historic 0-5 defeat to the United States led by none other than Smith who notably scored a hat-trick in the match to complete the 5-0 win. Ironically, despite having witnessed her country's momentous defeat firsthand, Bündchen, surprised by the young American striker's noteworthy performance on the pitch, soon arranged to meet the latter herself, a request that was eventually achieved when after much negotiating and bargaining, she was allowed to personally meet Smith while the latter was resting at a high-end hotel in Yokohama, Japan. By all accounts, the first encounter appeared to be an overall success, with the two being quick to establish an initially non-romantic friendship with one another based on their common interest in football and Bündchen's admiration of Smith's historic hat-trick against her country in the finals. In spite of this, as per his autobiography, Smith later recounted himself as being "pretty much a nervous wreck", stating, "Up until that point I was just a normal but talented soccer player resting in my room after a big and taxing game and out of the blue comes a beautiful Brazilian woman who was clearly very thrilled and in awe of the way I played on the pitch". Describing the moment further as "one-in-a-million chance", he added, "Even now, looking back, the moment itself all still felt so surreal that I'm probably still trying to understand even until today. To many, and perhaps to myself as well, it was all a perfect fantasy that one could only ever dream of".

Despite initially getting off to a good start, the two did not immediately consider being romantic partners just yet given the lingering air of uncertainty after their first encounter and the fact that Bündchen was then still in a relationship with her then-boyfriend, the American actor Leonardo DiCaprio whereas Smith himself is uncommitted to anyone. Nonetheless, by the following year, amidst bouts of depression and issues of incompatibility, Bündchen subsequently broke up with her then-boyfriend of four years and was later reported to have personally spent her 23rd birthday together in private with Smith on a luxury yacht trip off the coast of California during which they finally agreed to begin a serious romantic relationship with Smith later revealing that the two then shared their first kiss together as a prelude to their eventual romance. However, presumably due to the their high-profile statuses, the ensuing years saw the two keep their romance a close-knit secret only known by a select few out of fear of the overwhelming media attention that would follow. In a 2018 interview with Sky News, Smith recounted their initial decision to go private "a difficult but necessary choice", adding, "Without a doubt, it wasn't easy having to always watch our backs and mind our behaviour so we wouldn't be the paparazzi's material for the day. However, the alternative would be constant and incessant houndings by the stupid so-called journalists with their ridiculous questions prepared which, based on past experience, was the last thing either of us wanted for ourselves". Despite this, whenever possible and under much anonymity, both Smith and Bündchen were actively present at the other's workplace as a form of support with Bündchen herself attending Manchester United's as well as Atlético Madrid's matches in support of her partner and Smith reciprocating by attending fashion events involving the Brazilian supermodel. In the meantime, the couple also welcomed three children in secret consisting of two sons Thomas and Wayne along with a daughter Caroline, all three of whom were raised Roman Catholic in the style of their mother.

The Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Smith wedded Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen following an almost decade-long relationship. The ceremony was held just a week after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final concluded where England defeated Argentina 4-2 on penalties

On 14 July 2014, in front of a roughly 74,000-strong crowd at the Maracanã Stadium, and shortly after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final between Argentina and England concluded, Smith publicly proposed to Bündchen with a custom-made emerald ring, making it the first time ever that the couple's relationship was ever publicly known given that the couple had largely kept their relationship a close-knit secret and away from the media and public beforehand. Then, on 20 July 2014, a date that also coincided with Bündchen's 34th birthday, the two were married in a lavish ceremony at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with their closest friends and relatives in attendance. Meanwhile, Smith's longtime England teammates Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard were chosen as the groomsmen while Brazilian supermodels Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Izabel Goulart together served as the bridesmaids for the ceremony. In addition, Brazilian football legend Pelé also attended the wedding as a "most honourable guest", with the former Brazilian footballer also officiating the wedding himself in a deliberate choice meant to emphasise both Smith's football career and Bündchen's Brazilian heritage. Since then, following Smith's retirement from professional football in 2016, the couple have together actively embarked on various charitable causes, with Smith largely concentrating on the access of sports to the impoverished while Bündchen, on the other hand, is actively involved in several causes such as poverty and unemployment, two issues which the Brazilian supermodel described as "personally close to my heart", citing Brazil's relatively high unemployment and poverty rate. In 2016, the couple together founded the Smith-Bündchen Progress Foundation, a charity organisation intended to address issues considered close and personal by the couple. To that end, the AE Football Academy in London, England, followed by the Academia 79 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was founded under the guise of "professional and intensive development of the next generation of footballers of all backgrounds".

In a 2022 interview with Sky Sports, Smith publicly disclosed just how much of a role his wife played in his football career, with the former England international revealing that his decisions to move to Atlético Madrid and to become head coach of Tottenham Hotspur were both done with the latter's strict consent. In explaining the rationale behind having his partner exercise such considerable influence over his own career, Smith said, "When we started getting serious there was the question of how both us career-minded people would try to find a common ground to ensure that both our careers and most importantly our family are equally prioritised. Because of that, she (Bündchen) decided to pull back somewhat from her modelling to take care of our children, and with that in mind, I felt that with the sacrifice and compromise that she had to make it was only fair that she could have a say in my career because, at the end of the day, we're a team when together and therefore neither of us should feel left out or having to give away everything without nothing in return". To that end, although Smith officially had the well-known Jorge Mendes as his football agent for much of his career, Bündchen herself is ultimately regarded by many to be her husband's de facto agent and who ultimately had the final say in any of the latter's major career decisions. At the same time, to some extent, Smith also proved to be a considerable influence on his wife's career, with the Brazilian supermodel, already quite famous in her own right, receiving ever more lucrative sponsorships owing to her husband's reputation thereby establishing her as one of the richest supermodels in the world. Such a mutual dynamic was even acknowledged by Smith who in a 2017 BBC interview said, "Quite simply, as a couple, we effectively complemented each other with who we are individually in our respective field of work. Because of this, as some might say, neither of us is really quite dependent on the other to make a living which in the long run allowed us to avoid any sort of talk about money that might potentially ruin our marriage because quite simply both of us are very rich in our own way and don't necessarily live off the other's hard work and money".

As of current, although the couple primarily lives in London, England, they also occasionally spend their time abroad at their other residences located in Los Angeles, California, Madrid, Spain, and in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Moreover, given that Bündchen's family has largely resided in Brazil while Smith's family resides in the United Kingdom, the couple is known to have frequently travelled back and forth between the two countries especially for important celebrations such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving thereby resulting in the couple often celebrating such occasions twice with one celebration in each country. In 2016, it was claimed that the couple also owns a house in the city of Barcelona said to be close to that owned by footballer Gerard Piqué and singer Shakira, with whom the two enjoyed a cordial friendship given their similar backgrounds with both Smith and Piqué being well-known and highly talented European footballers (they also represented major rivalling La Liga clubs) while Brazilian-born Bündchen and Colombian-born Shakira are similarly well-known Latin American celebrities who gained fame through their respective modelling and singing careers.

Others

In a 2019 interview with Sky News, Smith revealed himself to be "somewhat not the romantic type" in his early years, adding that despite generally enjoying cordial relations with a number of celebrities his age owing to his mother's career, he never seriously pursued any romantic relationships out of personal devotion to his growing football career as well as his shunning of the Hollywood lifestyle. Regardless, as a somewhat sports-centric individual, Smith disclosed that growing up he initially had a "brief crush" on German tennis player Steffi Graf although this was never officially requited with Graf later marrying fellow tennis player Andre Agassi in October 2001, a moment he later humorously described as "personally heartbreaking". In the meantime, for a brief period in 2003, Smith once dated American actress Cameron Diaz whom he had met while attending the premiere of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle in which his own mother Jaclyn Smith made a cameo appearance as Kelly Garrett while Diaz, along with Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, headlined the film. Later, despite describing Diaz as a "good and fun woman to be around with", Smith revealed that the two eventually broke off their relationship after several months on mutual terms amidst issues of incompatibility and questions over their long-term future together. In 2015, Diaz subsequently married American musician Benji Madden whose twin brother Joel Madden is married to the American television personality Nicole Richie.

In a separate interview that same year, Smith revealed that after watching the 1997 film Titanic he initially became fond of the leading actress Kate Winslet who he described as a "classic English rose". Despite this, he never really acted upon his feelings although Winslet's co-star Leonardo DiCaprio later began dating Gisele Bündchen before the Brazilian supermodel subsequently ended the relationship in order to date Smith who she later ended up marrying after a decade-long relationship that was privately kept from the public and the media. In response, when asked about such dynamics, Smith remarked, "Undoubtedly, it was a little bit funny that at one point I happened to like this one actress from a movie while her co-star was dating my future wife. Of course, in the end, we found each other eventually and are where are now at this point in our relationship but looking back and given how things were back then and how they are now, to some extent, I definitely had to thank Titanic for all the good things I had so far". Likewise, in retrospect, Bündchen herself described her decision to fly to Japan where she later unexpectedly met her future husband at the 2002 FIFA World Cup as "the proudest thing I've ever done in my entire life", stating, "By the end of it, things weren't really so good for which I was looking a way out of and by pure chance, I happened to meet a man who I've been much thrilled and thankful to be spending the rest of my life with".

Style of Play

"Almost immediately, by the way he played and the way he conducted himself both on and off the pitch, I knew that he was destined for something remarkable and that right in front of my eyes stood someone special and entirely different from the other players around him."

Former head coach Octavio Zambrano on Smith's early years at LA Galaxy

Considered to be one of the greatest strikers of all time, Smith is known for several qualities that defined his reputation which includes an exceptional pace, high work-rate, remarkable dribbling skills, remarkable goalscoring prowess, as well as excellent vision and creativity, with former teammate Michael Carrick stating, "He (Smith) generally has this very accurate and acute sense of how a team should win a match and the things that should happen at certain points in the game in order for the team to win". Moreover, despite his relatively tall stature with a height of 1.83 metres, his explosive pace otherwise helps him easily dribble and navigate the ball past opposition players around him while also allowing him to quickly escape any pressing attempts from opponents in which his quick decision-making instincts sees him rarely lose the ball when in possession while also being adept at quickly setting up attacks into the opposition half through quick movements combined with direct and accurate passes. A set-piece specialist in his own right, Smith is also known for his ability to conjure elaborate but accurate free kicks along with being a fairly accurate penalty talker known for his quick and precise penalties that goalkeepers often found it difficult to deal with.

Having scored a season's average of an impressive forty goals while also playing a season's average of thirty-eight matches over the course of his later playing years, Smith has also received much applause and credit for his longevity especially given he was able to almost match the goalscoring rates of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi while playing in La Liga for Atlético Madrid with both players being at least several years younger than himself. Regarding this, Smith has credited a mix of an "appropriate and efficient training regimen" and a "strict but healthy diet" in allowing him to maintain an almost consistent performance at the highest level even into his mid-30s. In addition, the defensive style of football popularised by manager Diego Simeone, which thereby forces him to play much deeper than usual, also helped Smith achieve a consistent performance into his later years by effectively conserving his energy to the extent that it then allows him to use said energy in short and intermittent bursts to either create goalscoring chances or score goals himself.

During his early years at LA Galaxy, Smith, always a traditional striker from the start, initially developed into somewhat of a poacher for his team positioned close to the opposition's defence while also quickly becoming a consistent goalscorer owing to his high levels of pace and an excellent sense of positioning that allows him to easily outrun opponents attempting to mark or close him down. However, a move to Manchester United, which saw him operate jointly with the Dutch-born Ruud van Nistelrooy up front, saw him branch out from the usual confines of a traditional number 9 while also becoming ever more dynamic in the process with Smith often playing the role of a second striker or an attacking midfielder behind van Nistelrooy in which a combination of excellent dribbling coupled with commendable vision, technicality, as well as adept playmaking abilities made him an extremely capable and lethal player able to both score and assist with crucial goals on the daily. Later, a final move to Atlético Madrid saw Smith become a quintessential deep-lying forward actively involved in attacking build-ups as with Simeone's low block tactical set-up often requiring him to drop deeper than usual thereby further burnishing his link-up play. Moreover, in Simeone's preferred 4-4-2 system, Smith was often paired with an equally capable striker such as the likes of Diego Forlán, Radamel Falcao, Diego Costa, and Antoine Griezmann.

"Without a doubt, I'm very honoured to know that other great footballers look up to me in starting their professional careers. In Smith, I definitely see hints and bits of the total football style because simply put he could play almost anywhere on the front and in each position he plays in he would rarely falter."

Former Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff on being an inspiration for Smith

In addition to his offensive capabilities, Smith has received much credit from teammates and pundits for his defensive work in spite of his traditional role as a forward whereby he would often make well-timed tackles and precise interceptions whenever the opposition team is in possession of the ball while also being actively involved in pressing opponents up high on the pitch in order to immediately win the ball back and create a goalscoring opportunity right away. Aside from this, Smith is also well-known for his tendency to drop deep into the midfield area where he usually establishes strong link-up plays with his teammates before proceeding to carry the ball forward through his excellent dribbling abilities past opposition defenders. A technically gifted player, Smith has been the subject of much praise for his short but quick and precise passing style, often recording a consistently high rate of passes completed which led former manager Sir Alex Ferguson to once describe him as the Premier League's "one-of-a-kind sharpshooter" while former teammate Wayne Rooney described the former as "having a Midas touch with the ball which always gets to where it should be when coming off from his foot". A dedicated student of the Total Football system and philosophy, despite being mostly known for his role as a forward, Smith also occasionally experimented as either a winger, second striker, attacking midfielder, or even as a deep-lying playmaker in a more central position.

"From the years I spent with him together at Manchester United and England, he was undoubtedly one of the most committed and driven players that I've ever seen in my life. When necessary, he puts in a hundred percent and it's only natural that others follow suit as well."

Former England footballer Rio Ferdinand on Smith's professionalism

Aside from his widely-acclaimed footballing prowess, Smith is also well-known for his somewhat extreme sense of professionalism and exemplary work ethic, traits that he would come to be associated with throughout much of his football career with former teammate Wayne Rooney once describing the former as "every bit of a perfectionist, a total disciplinarian, and a 100% type of an outstanding player", adding, "Whenever a big match comes up, out of all the eleven men on the field, he (Smith) will definitely be the most focused and composed man of them all". Moreover, former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who once publicly criticised the perceived laziness and laid-back attitude shown by the England internationals during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, has also heaped much praise on the former Manchester United forward, stating, "Out of all the guys that were in Germany back then for the World Cup, I think he (Smith) was probably the only one that had the game 100% in his mind, not to mention, he had just won one four years back and I think that by all accounts he had that undeniable sense of drive and passion of winning a second one right after the first, something that he was definitely not going to take very lightly until it's all said and done". Accordingly, former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson also recounted Smith's overall behaviour during the last few training sessions for the World Cup in Germany, stating that the former England star was "the first to come and the last to leave" during most training sessions and added that the latter "always gave his 100% each time" and who was said to have possessed a "true and pure winners' instinct" compared to his teammates. Throughout his almost twenty-year-long career, Smith has only ever picked up a yellow card for only fifteen times while also having never been sent off during matches for both club and country, leading him to receive the FIFA Fair Play Award in 2014 in which then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter hailed him as "the paragon of class and excellence in football". Meanwhile, in an interview with Die Welt, former German international Miroslav Klose, referencing the latter's wife's status as an "über model", described Smith as an "über footballer".

In line with his most famous nickname of "The General", throughout much of his playing years, Smith came to acquire a well-known reputation for possessing a generally formidable and commanding presence on the pitch as well as a naturally talented and assertive leader with former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson describing the former as "someone naturally born to be a leader with his own set of loyal followers and subordinates". In particular, during important and high stakes matches such as a World Cup final, Smith was known for his "calm and reasonable yet aggressive and uncompromising" demeanour during dressing room meetings with former England teammate Wayne Rooney once stating, "In most cases, if you did well then you'll receive the most praises you'll ever get in your life but if you did badly then you'll get the most berating and scolding you'll ever get in your life instead". In a 2017 BBC Sport interview, Smith admitted that his hardline approach as captain made him an "enemy of some guys who didn't take it too well" but asserted that the results which included back-to-back World Cup and Euros triumph were otherwise indicators for success of his captaincy, stating, "Opinions may vary as to whether my style as a captain was warranted or not but in regards to how harsh I was as one, I just wanted to make it clear that the harshest of my criticisms were never personal and in most cases only slackers and absolute brats in the team only ever get the harshest of them all and not necessarily those who gave their all but couldn't necessarily get it all right". Moreover, he added, "At the end of the day, everyone including myself are humans and inevitably so humans make mistakes every now and then but what truly grinds my gears is that when someone does a mistake, especially a severe one, he still thinks of himself highly and acts like he's untouchable and one of the best in the world without the necessary ability to back it up".

In a 2018 interview with Sky Sports, Smith named former longtime teammate Wayne Rooney as his "favourite all-time football partner", stating that the two "just instantly clicked the first time around" despite their different backgrounds and added that from the beginning the two were "destined to just make any defenders' lives on the pitch a living ninety minutes of hell and win loads of trophies together". On the other hand, when asked about his favourite rival during his football years, Smith named the former French-born Arsenal striker Thierry Henry as his favourite rival, stating, "Just as how people of today, when talking about football, would always talk about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, back in my time, it was between me and Henry who I never doubted to be a terrific and capable striker in his own right even if his club might not necessarily fare well on most occasions". Consequently, fixtures between Manchester United and Arsenal were often the subject of much media coverage, which often framed the rivalry between Smith and Henry as "the red titans' derby", referencing the colour red commonly associated with both players' clubs and their respective statures as the leading goalscorer for their clubs. In the meantime, Smith named Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff as his primary idol in football, revealing that during his early years in football, he would often watch videotapes of well-known footballers of the time, including Northern Ireland's George Best, England's Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves, as well as the Netherlands' Johan Cruyff, who would ultimately catch his eye from among the others and later serve as the former's template for his own playing style. During a 2010 interview with Sky Sports, Smith remarked, "Every striker scores a lot in their own unique way but how many of them are as dynamic and essentially a chameleon like Cruyff? To be honest, not so many".

Meanwhile, regarding his favourite manager during his playing years, Smith responded by claiming that it was a "close contest" between Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson and Atlético Madrid's Diego Simeone, both of whom he described as "some of the best football managers in the world" but added that he found his time under Simeone to be "more heartfelt", stating, "Before the two of us arrived, the club was, to say the least, a bit down on its luck against the obvious giants but once we arrived we didn't only just changed a club entirely but also the game itself which is not something that most people can do rather easily". Moreover, somewhat ironically, although Simeone himself was born Argentinean while Smith identifies himself as British, the two, despite the political animosity between their respective countries, enjoyed a cordial and unyielding friendship, with Simeone himself later telling Marca, "What happened between our countries is their own matter because what matters more is that I have arguably the greatest football player in the world who I'm not simply going to dismiss due to petty politics".

As the essential face and icon of American soccer, Smith is therefore hugely respected and admired by many young American talents in the sport including AC Milan midfielder and USMNT captain Christian Pulisic who said in a 2019 interview with ESPN, "Back then, even if I was just four years old at the time, me and a lot of other kids in America would never forget the moment they lifted the World Cup trophy for the first time which is definitely something that I wish to accomplish even if it seems impossible now". Similarly, fellow American soccer player and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Giovanni Reyna described the former as "the number one legend among American soccer fans" and "the Michael Jordan of soccer", adding, "The things he did and those he accomplished as an American, everyone in the country wants to be like him and win just as much as he did too". Meanwhile, together with his younger sister Alexandra, the two are the first brother and sister pair to represent England at the senior level, followed by the James siblings Lauren and Reece, who each play for Chelsea and England respectively. However, they are not necessarily the first pair of siblings to represent England at the senior level and win a major tournament, be it the World Cup or the Euros, with the first pair to do so being the Charlton brothers Bobby and Jack, members of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, and the Neville brothers Phil and Gary, members of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad.

In a testament to his massive success on the continental stage, ten out of twenty editions of the UEFA Champions League that spanned from the early 2000s to the late 2010s were won by Smith who also holds the record for the most UEFA Champions League titles for an individual with twelve titles to his name, nine of which were won as a player with Manchester United and Atlético Madrid (the most for a player, surpassing the previous record of six titles by Real Madrid's Fransisco Gento), and the remaining three as a manager of Tottenham Hotspur, being the only manager in the club's history to have won the tournament. More impressively, in his four seasons with Tottenham Hotspur, he never failed to reach the finals of the UEFA Champions League where he won each time with the exception of a 0-1 loss to Real Madrid that prevented him from achieving a historic four straight UEFA Champions League title streak.

Managerial Style

"Looking back, all those doubts and uncertainties that were thrown at me by many people certainly drove me to do the best that I could with the time and players that I had because in the end they knew that they were wrong to doubt me in the first place while I'll be the happiest person on Earth to know that I was right about myself from the beginning."

Smith on initial doubts from the public over his managerial capabilities at Tottenham Hotspur

Considered to be the most successful Tottenham Hotspur manager of the modern era, as head coach, Smith was well-known for his precise and consistent emphasis on discipline, a quality he once described as "more essential than simply being good at football". Evidently, upon his arrival at the club, Smith went on to establish a fairly strict but reasonable set of rules for both players and himself following an observation in which he believed that a "lack of proper discipline" combined with "little to no sense of identity" was preventing the club from winning any meaningful silverware in the years before. In addition, owing to his extensive experience from his past playing years, Smith was also known for his particular emphasis on "mind games", with his preferred methods being through loud and energetic chants and songs combined with passionate touchline celebrations which was said to be heavily inspired by Liverpool's Jürgen Klopp.

An admirer of the gegenpressing system popularised by the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Jürgen Klopp, Smith was known for having favoured such an approach during his four-year tenure at Tottenham Hotspur along with favouring other tactical approaches such as rigid and narrow defending as well as a fast and rapid counter-attacking approach primarily led by the talented Harry Kane up front. Meanwhile, in a 2021 interview with Sky Sports, Smith named Atlético Madrid head coach Diego Simeone as his "primary inspiration" in being a football manager himself, citing the former's much-similar situation of managing an "underdog" club against perceived superior opponents. To that end, Simeone's tactical trademark that includes a rigid defensive system was also incorporated by Smith as head coach of Tottenham Hotspur, stating, "Admittedly, compared to some of our opponents our defenders wouldn't necessarily be called among the best in the world but in the end when all eleven players on the pitch and not just the defenders at the back come together and protect the goalpost as a strong single unit then it's going to be difficult for any teams, be it those stronger or weaker than us, to just simply walk over us and get three to five goals each time".

"Without a doubt, to see the same club that we defeated 2-0 in the finals just the season before also defeat Bayern Munich to win their first title the following season is just unreal and truly astonishing. Not many clubs bounce from such a defeat at such a high level this quickly but they have done it and with the circumstances at hand it was truly a one-of-a-kind effort."

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp on Smith and Tottenham Hotspur

While still retaining some aspects of his hardline approach as captain during his playing years, Smith is nonetheless known for his ability to form effective working relationships with his players, with Tottenham Hotspur winger Son Heung-min describing the former as an "undeniably talented player and an equally capable manager", adding, "He's always committed to the task 100% and from the get-go we all know that everyone, including himself, are expected to not just give their best each time but also do so as a strong and united team together". Similarly, former Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane claimed that the former "knew how to get the best out of every single eleven players on the pitch", adding, "On most occasions he made us all feel appreciated and truly playing for a real and actual purpose rather than just to not get relegated or finish in the top four each time". In addition, South Korean-born winger Son Heung-min has also spoken positively of the former, stating, "In the eight years I've been at the club, playing under him (Smith) was probably the best time I've ever had".

During a 2023 interview with Sky Sports, when asked about his favourite moment as Tottenham Hotspur head coach, Smith named the club's surprise 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final, stating, "The moment Ndombele scored that crucial goal, and given there were just a few minutes left before the match was officially over, it was definitely an extremely rare moment where everyone including myself, for good reason, just let loose because after the 0-2 loss to Liverpool in the finals the year before no one thought we would be here so quickly once again yet we did and we actually won this time around with the slimmest of margins and in the most dramatic way imaginable". In addition, the club's 4-2 victory on aggregate in the semi-finals against a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain was also named by Smith to be one of his favourite moments, with the former head coach stating, "When we finally won I knew for sure that I just did one of the proudest things in my life which is proving that a soulless and ridiculous club like PSG can be defeated by almost anyone and that they definitely do not deserve to win Europe's most prestigious tournament ever". In the meantime, Smith himself has personally heaped much praise on winger Son Heung-min who he admitted in a 2021 interview to have "strongly reminded" him of former Manchester United teammate and fellow South Korean footballer Park Ji-sung (famously known as "Three-Lung Park") while also personally praising longtime player Harry Kane who he described as "the greatest England captain since I left".

Honours

LA Galaxy

• U.S. Open Cup: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
• MLS Cup: 2002, 2003
• CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2000

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• FA Cup: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09
• EFL Cup: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• Community Shield: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
• UEFA Champions League: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• UEFA Super Cup: 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010

Atlético Madrid

• La Liga: 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
• Copa del Rey: 2012-13, 2015-16
• Supercopa de España: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• UEFA Champions League: 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
• UEFA Europa League: 2010-11
• UEFA Super Cup: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Tottenham Hotspur

• Premier League: 2020-21, 2021-22
• FA Cup: 2022-23
• EFL Cup: 2021-22
• UEFA Champions League: 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23
• UEFA Super Cup: 2019-20, 2020-21
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2019-20, 2020-21

United States U20

• FIFA World Youth Championship: 1999

United States

• FIFA World Cup: 2002
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001, 2003
• CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2000, 2002

England

• FIFA World Cup: 2006, 2010, 2014
• UEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012

Individual

• FIFA Ballon d'Or/Ballon d'Or: 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
• The Best FIFA Men's Player:2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
• The Best FIFA Special Award for Outstanding Career Achievement: 2010, 2014, 2016, 2023
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
• FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
• FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013
• FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013
• FIFA Fair Play Award: 2014
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball: 1999
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Boot: 1999
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10
• Pichichi Trophy: 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
• European Golden Shoe: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
• La Liga Best Player: 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
• Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2002, 2010, 2014
• The FA's Senior Men's Player of the Year: 2006, 2008, 2010
• PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09
• PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09
• PFA Team of the Year: 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• Premier League Player of the Season: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• Premier League Player of the Month: November 2010, January 2013, April 2013
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 2014
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012
• Premier League Hall of Fame: 2021
• FIFA Club World Cup Most Valuable Player of the Final: 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015
• Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2007, 2009
• Premier League Goal of the Month: June 2005
• FWA Tribute Award: 2015
• MLS All-Time Best XI: Forward
• MLS Golden Boot: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
• MLS Best XI: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
• Major League Soccer MVP: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
• U.S. Soccer Player of the Year: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
• Best Male Soccer Player ESPY Award: 2002
• Best MLS Player ESPY Award: 2002
• Honda Player of the Year: 2002
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2000, 2002
• CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP: 2000, 2002
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Top scorer: 2000, 2002
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Best Goal: 2000
• LA Galaxy Player of the Year: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
• LA Galaxy Golden Boot: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
• MLS Cup MVP: 2002, 2003
• MLS Goal of the Year: 2001
• IFFHS Legends: 2015
• MLS Greatest Player of All Time: 2002
• National Soccer Hall of Fame: 2002
• English Football Hall of Fame: 2015
• Onze d'Or Coach of the Year: 2020, 2021, 2022
• The Best FIFA Men's Coach: 2020, 2021, 2022
• LMA Manager of the Year: 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23
• Premier League Manager of the Season: 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award: 2020
• IFFHS World's Best Club Coach:: 2020
• LMA Hall of Fame: 2023