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| honorific_prefix  = <big>{{wp|Sir|'''Sir'''}}</big>
| honorific_prefix  = <big>{{wp|Sir|'''Sir'''}}</big>
| name              = William Smith
| name              = William Smith
| honorific_suffix  = {{wp|Order of the British Empire|GBE}} {{wp|Royal Williamite Order|GCWO}} {{wp|Royal Guelphic Order|GCH}}
| honorific_suffix  = {{wp|Order of the British Empire|GBE}} {{wp|Royal Victorian Order|GCWO}} {{wp|Royal Guelphic Order|GCH}}
| image              = WSX.png
| image              = SWS.jpg
| image_upright      =  
| image_upright      =  
| landscape          = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank -->
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| caption            =  
| caption            =  
| native_name        =
| native_name_lang  =
| pronunciation      =  
| pronunciation      =  
| birth_name        = William Thomas Jack Smith
| birth_name        = William Geoffrey Thomas Jack Smith
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1979|05|11}}
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1979|05|11}}
| birth_place        = {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, {{wp|United States}}
| birth_place        = {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, {{wp|United States}}
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| monuments          =  
| monuments          =  
| nationality        = {{hlist|{{wp|British}}|{{wp|American}}|{{wp|Spanish}}}}
| nationality        = {{hlist|{{wp|British}}|{{wp|American}}|{{wp|Spanish}}}}
| other_names        =
 
| siglum            =
| alma_mater        = {{wp|UCLA|University of California, Los Angeles}} ({{wp|BSS}})<br/>{{wp|University of Manchester}} ({{wp|MSS}})
| citizenship        =
| education          =
| alma_mater        = {{wp|UCLA|University of California, Los Angeles}} ({{wp|BSS}})<br/>{{wp|City, University of London}} ({{wp|MSS}})
| occupation        = {{hlist|Footballer|Manager}}
| occupation        = {{hlist|Footballer|Manager}}
| years_active      =
| height            = 5 ft 11 in
| era                =
| spouse            = {{marriage|{{wp|Anne Hathaway}}|12 November 2012}}
| employer          =
| partner            = {{wp|Cameron Diaz}} (2003 - 2004)<br/>{{wp|Gisele Bündchen}} (2004 - 2007)
| organization      =
| children          = {{hlist|William|Anne|Michelle|John|}}
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| style              =
| net_worth          = <!-- Net worth should be supported with a citation from a reliable source -->
| height            = 6 ft 0 in
| television        =
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| criminal_charges  = <!-- Criminality parameters should be supported with citations from reliable sources -->
| criminal_penalty  =
| criminal_status    =
| spouse            = {{marriage|{{wp|Gisele Bündchen}}|20 July 2014}}
| partner            = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) -->
| children          = {{hlist|[[Thomas Smith (footballer)|Thomas]]|Caroline|Wayne}}
| parents            = <!-- overrides mother and father parameters -->
| parents            = <!-- overrides mother and father parameters -->
| mother            = {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}}
| mother            = {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}}
| father            = [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]]
| father            = [[Thomas, King of the British|King Thomas]]
| relatives          = {{hlist|{{wp|Claudia Schiffer}}|{{wp|Jodie Foster}}}} (aunt)<br/>[[Charles Rodman]] (cousin)
| relatives          = {{hlist|{{wp|Steffi Graf}}|{{wp|Jodie Foster}}}} (aunt-in-laws)<br/>{{wp|Georgia May Jagger}} (cousin)<br/>{{wp|Henry Cavill}} (brother-in-law)
| family            =
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| awards            =
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| module            =
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| module6            =
| signature          =
| signature_size    =
| signature_alt      =
| footnotes          =
| module =  
| module =  
   {{Infobox football biography | embed=yes
   {{Infobox football biography | embed=yes
|name          =
|image          =
|image_size    =
|alt            =
|caption        =
|fullname      =
|birth_date    =
|birth_place    =
|death_date    =
|death_place    =
|height        = 1.80m
|height        = 1.80m
|position      = {{wp|forward (association football)|Forward}}
|position      = {{wp|forward (association football)|Forward}}
|youthyears1    = 1992 - 1997
|youthyears1    = 1992 - 1997
|youthclubs1    = {{wp|IMG Academy}}
|youthclubs1    = {{wp|IMG Academy}}
|collegeyears1  =
|college1      =
|collegecaps1  =
|collegegoals1  =
|years1        = 1997 - 2003
|years1        = 1997 - 2003
|clubs1        = {{wp|LA Galaxy}}
|clubs1        = {{wp|LA Galaxy}}
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|clubs2        = {{wp|Manchester United}}
|clubs2        = {{wp|Manchester United}}
|caps2          = 192
|caps2          = 192
|goals2        = 217
|goals2        = 225
|years3        = 2010 - 2016
|years3        = 2010 - 2019
|clubs3        = {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}
|clubs3        = {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}
|caps3          = 208
|caps3          = 302
|goals3        = 241
|goals3        = 328
|totalcaps      = 590
|totalcaps      = 684
|totalgoals    = 690
|totalgoals    = 785
|nationalyears1 = 1999 - 2000
|nationalyears1 = 1999 - 2000
|nationalteam1  = {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|United States U20}}
|nationalteam1  = {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|United States U20}}
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|nationalteam2  = {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States}}
|nationalteam2  = {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States}}
|nationalcaps2  = 64
|nationalcaps2  = 64
|nationalgoals2 = 109
|nationalgoals2 = 68
|nationalyears3 = 2004 - 2014
|nationalyears3 = 2004 - 2014
|nationalteam3  = {{wp|England national football team|England}}
|nationalteam3  = {{wp|England national football team|England}}
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|nationalcaps4  = 6
|nationalcaps4  = 6
|nationalgoals4 = 9
|nationalgoals4 = 9
|manageryears1 = 2019 -2023
|manageryears1 = 2019 - 2023
|managerclubs1 = {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
|managerclubs1 = {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's {{wp|Association football|football}}}}
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's {{wp|Association football|football}}}}
Line 140: Line 86:
{{Medal|W|{{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|2012 Poland–Ukraine}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|2012 Poland–Ukraine}}|}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}}}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}}}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2001 FIFA Confederations Cup|2001 South Korea & Japan}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2001 FIFA Confederations Cup|2001 South Korea-Japan}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup|2003 France}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup|2003 France}}|}}
{{Medal|RU|{{wp|2009 FIFA Confederations Cup|2009 South Africa}}|}}
{{Medal|3rd|{{wp|2013 FIFA Confederations Cup|2013 Brazil}}|}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}}}}
{{Medal|Comp|{{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}}}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2000 United States}}|}}
{{Medal|W|{{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2000 United States}}|}}
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}}
}}
}}
}}
'''Sir William Thomas Jack Smith''' <small>{{wp|Order of the British Empire|GBE}} {{wp|Royal Williamite Order|GCWO}} {{wp|Royal Guelphic Order|GCH}}</small> (born 11 May 1979) is an {{wp|American}}-{{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|David Beckham}} and {{wp|Michael Owen}}, Smith was named by {{wp|Pelé}} in the {{wp|FIFA 100}} list of the world's greatest living footballers. Most notably, prior to the discontinuation of the {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}} and the subsequent introduction of the {{wp|UEFA Nations League}}, Smith is the only {{wp|European}} footballer in history representing a top football club to have won all the tournaments available consisting of the {{wp|Premier League}}/{{wp|La Liga}}, {{wp|FA Cup}}/{{wp|Copa del Rey}}, {{wp|EFL Cup}}, {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Smith Shield}}/{{wp|Supercopa de España}}, {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, {{wp|UEFA Europa League}}, {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, {{wp|FIFA World Cup}}, {{wp|UEFA European Championship}}, and the {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}}. Moreover, he is also the only player to have achieved a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} with two different clubs, namely with {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|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.
'''Sir William Geoffrey Thomas Jack Smith''' <small>{{wp|Order of the British Empire|GBE}} {{wp|Royal Victorian Order|GCWO}} {{wp|Royal Guelphic Order|GCH}}</small> (born 11 May 1979) is an {{wp|American}}-{{wp|English}} former football manager and player. Known for his explosive pace, exceptional playmaking abilities, strong link-up play, and formidable goalscoring prowess, Smith is generally regarded to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. Nicknamed "The General" for his leadership qualities and commanding presence on the pitch, with a total of 84 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. In 2004, Smith was named by {{wp|Pelé}} in the {{wp|FIFA 100}} list of the world's greatest living footballers, becoming the only male {{wp|American}} player on the list. Prior to the discontinuation of the {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}} and the subsequent introduction of the {{wp|UEFA Nations League}}, Smith, along with former teammate {{wp|Wayne Rooney}}, are the only two footballers to have won all the available titles at both club and international levels including the {{wp|Premier League}}, {{wp|FA Cup}}, {{wp|EFL Cup}}, {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Smith Shield}}, {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, {{wp|UEFA Europa League}}, {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, {{wp|FIFA World Cup}}, {{wp|UEFA European Championship}}, and the {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}}. Moreover, he is also the only player to have achieved a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} with two different clubs, namely with {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}. With a net worth of $2.09 billion, Smith is considered to be the richest footballer, active or retired, with his wealth mostly derived from a series of highly lucrative sponsorships as well as the high wages and bonuses he received during his playing years. Along with seven other players, Smith is one of the few to have won the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}}, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, and the {{wp|Ballon d'Or}} alongside compatriots {{wp|Bobby Charlton}} and {{wp|Harry Kane}}.  


The only son of actress {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} and [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]], Smith joined {{wp|IMG Academy}} at the age of thirteen. After a five-year period, at the age of eighteen, he was selected by {{wp|Major League Soccer}} side {{wp|LA Galaxy}} with whom he went on to become one of its most talented players, winning three straight {{wp|U.S. Open Cup}} titles in a row, the {{wp|MLS Cup}} twice in 2002 and 2003 respectively as well as the {{wp|CONCACAF Champions' Cup}} once in 2000. By the end of his time with {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, Smith had racked up a total of 232 goals in 190 appearances, making him the leading all-time goalscorer both in {{wp|Major League Soccer}} and for {{wp|LA Galaxy}}. In 2005, he was named in the {{wp|MLS All-Time Best XI}} alongside the likes of {{wp|Landon Donovan}} and {{wp|Carlos Valderrama}}.
The only son of actress {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} and [[Thomas, King of the British|King Thomas]], Smith joined {{wp|IMG Academy}} at the age of thirteen. After a five-year period, at the age of eighteen, he was selected by {{wp|Major League Soccer}} side {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, with whom he went on to become one of its most talented and successful players, winning three straight {{wp|U.S. Open Cup}} titles in a row, the {{wp|MLS Cup}} twice in 2002 and 2003 respectively, as well as the {{wp|CONCACAF Champions Cup}} twice in 1997 and 2000. By the end of his time with {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, Smith had racked up a total of 289 goals in 221 appearances, making him the leading all-time goalscorer both in {{wp|Major League Soccer}} and for {{wp|LA Galaxy}}. In 2005, he was named in the {{wp|MLS All-Time Best XI}} alongside the likes of {{wp|Landon Donovan}} and {{wp|Carlos Valderrama}}.


In 2003, Smith signed for {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Manchester United}} on a world-record fee of £68 million in an amount that was also then a {{wp|British}} record and which also made him the most expensive {{wp|Major League Soccer}} player in history. For the next seven years, he would see unprecedented success, winning the {{wp|Premier League}} five seasons in a row, the {{wp|FA Cup}}, {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, and {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} thrice, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} four times, and the {{wp|EFL Cup}} a total of five times, during which he also helped {{wp|Manchester United}} to a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} in the 2008-09 season. With a total of 217 goals in 192 appearances, Smith is the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Manchester United}} and the third-highest goalscorer in the {{wp|Premier League}} behind {{wp|Harry Kane}} and {{wp|Alan Shearer}} along with having the sixth-most assists in the league with 98 assists behind {{wp|Frank Lampard}}. On the other hand, Smith previously held the record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Premier League}} season with 39 goals (which he set during the {{wp|2005-06 Premier League|2005-06 season}}) which was later broken by {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]] who scored a record 45 goals in the {{wp|2022–23 Premier League|2022–23 season}}. In 2021, along with {{wp|Alan Shearer}} and {{wp|Thierry Henry}}, Smith was among the first three players to be inducted into the {{wp|Premier League Hall of Fame}}.
In 2003, for a world-record fee of £68 million that was also then a {{wp|British}} record and currently an unbroken {{wp|Major League Soccer}} record, Smith joined {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Manchester United}} on a six-year contract. With the club, he went on to achieve unprecedented success, winning the {{wp|Premier League}} five seasons in a row, the {{wp|FA Cup}}, {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, and {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} thrice, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} four times, and the {{wp|EFL Cup}} a total of five times. In this, he notably helped {{wp|Manchester United}} to a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} in the 2008-09 season in a first for a {{wp|European}} and {{wp|English}} club during which he became the only player in {{wp|Premier League}} history to score seven goals in a record 10-0 win over {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}}. With a total of 468 goals in 343 appearances across all competitions, Smith is the leading all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Manchester United}} and the second-highest goalscorer in the {{wp|Premier League}} behind {{wp|Alan Shearer}} along with having the sixth-most assists in the league with 98 assists behind {{wp|Frank Lampard}}. On the other hand, Smith previously held the record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Premier League}} season with 41 goals which was later broken by {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]]. In 2021, along with {{wp|Alan Shearer}} and {{wp|Thierry Henry}}, Smith was among the first three players to be inducted into the {{wp|Premier League Hall of Fame}}. Then, in 2010, following a hugely successful period with {{wp|Manchester United}}, Smith joined {{wp|La Liga}} side {{wp|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 {{wp|La Liga}} six times in a row, the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} four times, the {{wp|Supercopa de España}} seven times in a row, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, and the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} eight times in a row, and the {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} once during which he helped the club to three separate {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuples}}. Considered to be the most successful and most talented forward in the {{wp|Atlético Madrid|club}}'s history, along with {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Smith is considered an instrumental figure in the club's revival amidst an extended period of {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} dominance in the {{wp|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 {{wp|European}} football. With 596 goals scored in 481 appearances across all competitions, Smith is the leading all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} as well as {{wp|La Liga}}'s second-highest all-time top scorer behind {{wp|Lionel Messi}} and ahead of {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}. Among fans and supporters, Smith is famously nicknamed '''"''San Guillermo''"''' ("Saint William") in honour of his role alongside former manager {{wp|Diego Simeone}} in kickstarting a period of long-term dominance after a period of mediocrity and underachievement. Since October 2020, Smith has served as the club's life president, having been awarded the honour by club president {{wp|Enrique Cerezo}}.


In 2010, Smith joined {{wp|La Liga}} side {{wp|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 {{wp|La Liga}} thrice in a row, the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} twice, the {{wp|Supercopa de España}} four times in a row, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} and the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} five seasons in a row, the {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} once, and the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} six times in a row, during which he helped the club to a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|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 {{wp|Atlético Madrid|club}}'s history, along with {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Smith is considered an instrumental figure in the club's revival amidst an extended period of {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} dominance in the {{wp|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 {{wp|European}} football. With 241 goals scored in 208 appearances, Smith is the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} as well as {{wp|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 {{wp|Diego Simeone}} in reviving the club's fortunes after a period of mediocrity and underachievement. The {{wp|Metropolitano Stadium|Estadio de los Santos}}, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s current home ground since 2017, was named after him and longtime manager {{wp|Diego Simeone}}.  
On the international level, Smith began his career via a brief stint with the {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|United States under-20 national team}}, with whom he won the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}} in which he scored the lone winning goal in the finals against {{wp|Japan}}. The following year, Smith was then promoted to and also captained the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|senior team}}, famously known as the [['02 Dream Team]], in which he won several competitions including the {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2000}} and {{wp|2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2002}} {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup|CONCACAF Gold Cups}}, the {{wp|2001 FIFA Confederations Cup|2001}} and {{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup|2003}} {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup|FIFA Confederations Cups}}, and most notably the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} in which Smith famously scored a hat-trick in the finals to deliver the {{wp|United States}}' first and only {{wp|World Cup}} title via a memorable 5-0 win over {{wp|Brazil}}. In 2003, Smith departed the {{wp|United States}}, and in the following year, joined the {{wp|England national football team|England national team}} which he led to an equally historic victory at the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} where a 5-2 win over {{wp|Italy}} in the finals secured {{wp|England}} their first {{wp|World Cup}} title in forty years since their first title back in {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup|1966}}. Following this, Smith went on to achieve further back-to-back success with {{wp|England national football team|England}}, winning their first-ever {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} title in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2008|2008}} by defeating {{wp|Germany}} 4-2 in the finals, as well as a second consecutive {{wp|World Cup}} title in {{wp|2010 FIFA World Cup|2010}} via a 5-0 win over the {{wp|Netherlands}}, followed by a second consecutive {{wp|UEFA European Championship|European Championship}} win in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|2012}} in which Smith contributed a hat-trick to deliver a 4-2 victory over {{wp|Spain}} in the finals. In {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup|2014}}, Smith went on to deliver a record-breaking third consecutive {{wp|World Cup}} title for {{wp|England}} via a 4-2 win on penalties against {{wp|Argentina}} while also personally becoming the first-ever player to win four {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cups}}, beating the previous record held by {{wp|Pelé}} with three {{wp|World Cup}} titles. In addition to his international stints with the {{wp|United States}} and {{wp|England}}, Smith also briefly captained the {{wp|Great Britain men's Olympic football team|Great Britain national football team}} at the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}} which he successfully led to a 2-0 win over {{wp|Mexico}} in the finals.


On the international level, Smith began his career via a brief stint with the {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|United States under-20 national team}}, with whom he won the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}} in which he scored the lone winning goal in the finals against {{wp|Japan}}. The following year, Smith was then promoted to the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|senior team}}, with whom he went on to win several competitions including the {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2000}} and {{wp|2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2002}} {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup|CONCACAF Gold Cups}}, the {{wp|2001 FIFA Confederations Cup|2001}} and {{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup|2003}} {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup|FIFA Confederations Cups}}, and most notably the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} in which Smith famously contributed a hat-trick in the finals to win the {{wp|United States}}' first and only {{wp|World Cup}} title via a memorable 5-0 victory over {{wp|Brazil}}. In 2003, Smith departed the {{wp|United States}}, and in the following year, joined the {{wp|England national football team|England national team}}, which he led to an equally historic victory at the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}}, where a 5-2 victory over {{wp|Italy}} in the finals secured {{wp|England}} their second {{wp|World Cup}} title in forty years since their first title back in {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup|1966}}. Following this, Smith went on to achieve further back-to-back success with {{wp|England national football team|England}}, winning their first-ever {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} title in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2008|2008}} by defeating {{wp|Germany}} 4-2 in the finals, as well as a second consecutive {{wp|World Cup}} title in {{wp|2010 FIFA World Cup|2010}} via a 5-0 win over the {{wp|Netherlands}}, followed by a second consecutive {{wp|UEFA European Championship|European Championship}} win in {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|2012}} in which Smith contributed a hat-trick to deliver a 4-2 victory over {{wp|Spain}} in the finals. In 2014, Smith went on to deliver a record-breaking third consecutive {{wp|World Cup}} title for {{wp|England}} via a 4-2 win on penalties against {{wp|Argentina}} while also personally becoming the first-ever player to win four {{wp|World Cups}}, beating the previous record held by {{wp|Pelé}} with three {{wp|World Cup}} titles. In addition to his international stints with the {{wp|United States}} and {{wp|England}}, Smith also briefly captained the {{wp|Great Britain men's Olympic football team|Great Britain national football team}} at the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}, which he successfully led to a 2-0 victory over {{wp|Mexico}} in the finals, thereby earning a gold medal in the process.
Having made a total of 124 appearances, Smith is the sixth-most-capped {{wp|England}} player while otherwise its leading goalscorer with 160 goals. Similarly, although not necessarily the {{wp|United States}}' most capped player, having made only 64 appearances in total, Smith is the country's all-time goalscorer with 68 goals. Among others, Smith is also the first and only player to win a {{wp|World Cup}} title with two different countries as well as the first and only one of two to win four {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cups}}. Moreover, Smith is just the second player after {{wp|Geoff Hurst}} to have scored a hat-trick in a {{wp|World Cup}} final and also just the second after {{wp|Luis Monti}} to have played in a {{wp|World Cup}} final with two different countries. Meanwhile, Smith is the record holder for the most goals scored in both the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} and the {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} with forty and thirty-six goals respectively, as well as for the most matches played at the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} with a total of twenty-eight matches played from 2002 to 2014. With a total of 228 goals scored on the international level, Smith is the world's all-time leader for international goals and was formerly the all-time leader for international appearances with 188 appearances until surpassed by {{wp|Portugal}}'s {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}. Together with compatriots {{wp|Wayne Rooney}}, {{wp|Frank Lampard}}, and {{wp|Steven Gerrard}}, Smith is one-fourth of the famous [[Ferocious Four|"Ferocious Four"]], the four core members of the {{wp|England national football team|England national team}} that won three straight {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cups}} and two consecutive {{wp|UEFA European Championships}} from 2006 to 2014 that was popularly known as the [[Invincible Lions|"Invincible Lions"]].


With 124 total appearances, Smith is the sixth-most-capped {{wp|England}} player while otherwise its leading goalscorer with 160 goals. Similarly, although not necessarily the {{wp|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 {{wp|World Cup}} title with two different countries, the first and only one to win four {{wp|World Cups}}, the first captain to win more than one {{wp|World Cup}} title and two {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} tournaments in a row. Moreover, Smith is just the second player after {{wp|Geoff Hurst}} to have scored a hat-trick in a {{wp|World Cup}} final and also just the second after {{wp|Luis Monti}} to have played in a {{wp|World Cup}} final with two different countries. Meanwhile, Smith is the record holder for the most goals scored in both the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} and the {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} with forty and thirty-six goals respectively, as well as for the most matches played at the {{wp|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 {{wp|Portugal}}'s {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}, with Smith currently the fourth-most-capped male footballer behind {{wp|Malaysia}}'s {{wp|Soh Chin Ann}}.
Around November 2019, Smith was appointed head coach of {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, succeeding {{wp|Mauricio Pochettino}} after an initial poor start to the 2019-20 season. Initially appointed on an interim basis, Smith subsequently won the club's first {{wp|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 where in addition to a {{wp|FA Cup}} and an {{wp|EFL Cup}} title he also won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} once again with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} as well as the {{wp|Premier League}} for two consecutive seasons, becoming the first and only {{wp|English}} and {{wp|American}} manager to ever win the {{wp|Premier League}} since its inception, the first and only one to do so consecutively, as well as one of five {{wp|English}} and the only {{wp|American}} manager to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}. Considered to be the most successful {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|LMA Manager of the Year}}, {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Coach}}, {{wp|Onze d'Or Coach of the Year}}, and {{wp|IFFHS World's Best Club Coach}}. At 42 years old, Smith is the joint-youngest manager with {{wp|José Mourinho}} to have won the {{wp|Premier League}} and is also tied with {{wp|José Mourinho}} for the youngest manager to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} at 41 years old.  


In 2019, in his first and only managerial stint, Smith was appointed head coach of {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, succeeding {{wp|Mauricio Pochettino}}. Initially appointed on an interim basis, Smith subsequently won the club's first {{wp|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 {{wp|FA Cup}} and an {{wp|EFL Cup}} win, he won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title two further times with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} as well as the {{wp|Premier League}} for two consecutive seasons, becoming the first and only {{wp|English}} manager to ever win the {{wp|Premier League}} since its inception, the first and only one to do so consecutively, as well as one of five {{wp|English}} managers to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}. Considered to be the most successful {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|LMA Manager of the Year}}, {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Coach}}, {{wp|Onze d'Or Coach of the Year}}, and {{wp|IFFHS World's Best Club Coach}}. At 42 years old, Smith is the joint-youngest manager with {{wp|José Mourinho}} to have won the {{wp|Premier League}}, and at 41 years old, is also tied with {{wp|José Mourinho}} for the youngest manager to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}. 
Since retiring from professional football, Smith has served as president of {{wp|The Football Association}} as well as an honorary advisor to the {{wp|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 {{wp|Adidas}}' {{wp|King Smith}} sneakers that were introduced in 2015 to massive commercial success and are often considered as a direct rival to {{wp|Nike}}'s {{wp|Air Jordans}}. In addition, he has also appeared in shows including the {{wp|Apple TV+}} sports comedy series ''{{wp|Ted Lasso}}'' and the {{wp|Netflix}} documentary ''{{wp|The June 30th Miracle: Ten Years On}}''. Moreover, he was also featured in {{wp|Amazon Prime Video}}'s ''{{wp|All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur}}'' and its subsequent follow-up ''{{wp|The Spursy Fantasy}}''. Meanwhile, since 2012, Smith has been married to {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Anne Hathaway}}, with whom he has four children. Often likened by the media to {{wp|English}} poet {{wp|William Shakespeare}} and {{wp|Anne Hathaway (wife of Shakespeare)|Anne Hathaway}}, the couple are popularly known together as "Will and Anne" and have starred together in several films including {{wp|Valentine's Day (2010 film)|''Valentine's Day''}}, ''{{wp|Ocean's 8}}'', and {{wp|Dark Waters (2019 film)|''Dark Waters''}}. He is the older brother of journalist and politician [[Jacqueline Smith]], the current leader of the {{wp|Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats}}, and professional footballer [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]] who captains the {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}.
 
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 {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} and the {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} with 22 and 20 goals respectively, the highest number of {{wp|Ballon d'Or}} awards won with ten in total (during which he became the first and only {{wp|American}} player to win the award), and the single highest number of wins for several other awards including {{wp|FIFA World Player of the Year}} (4), {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Player}} (4), {{wp|Premier League Golden Boot}} (5), {{wp|European Golden Shoe}} (8), and the {{wp|MLS Golden Boot}} (7). Along with {{wp|Lionel Messi}}, Smith is one of two footballers to have received a {{wp|Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year|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 {{wp|The Football Association}} as well as an honorary advisor to the {{wp|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 {{wp|Adidas}}' {{wp|King Smith}} sneakers that were introduced in 2015 to massive commercial success and are often considered as a direct rival to {{wp|Nike}}'s {{wp|Air Jordans}}. In addition, he has also appeared in shows including the {{wp|Apple TV+}} sports comedy series ''{{wp|Ted Lasso}}'' and {{wp|Netflix}} documentary ''{{wp|The Yokohama Miracle: Ten Years On}}'' while actor {{wp|Jude Law}} portrays him in ''{{wp|The Final Tournament}}''. Moreover, he was also featured in {{wp|Amazon Prime Video}}'s ''{{wp|All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur}}'' which chronicles his first few years as head coach of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and its subsequent follow-up ''{{wp|Tottenham's Fantasy}}'' in which Smith, along with club players, reflected on {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s recent unprecedented success.
 
In July 2014, Smith married {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}}, with whom he has three children including [[Thomas Smith (footballer)|Thomas]] who currently plays as a goalkeeper for {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|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 {{wp|Smith-Bündchen Progress Foundation}}, which the couple jointly founded in 2015.  


==Early Life==
==Early Life==
[[File:Jac2.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}}, best known for her role in the 1970s television series ''{{wp|Charlie's Angels}}''. She is Smith's biological mother through her nearly two-decades-long relationship with the future [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King Thomas]]]]
[[File:Jac2.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}}, best known for her role in the 1970s television series ''{{wp|Charlie's Angels}}''. She is Smith's biological mother through her nearly two-decades-long relationship with the future [[Thomas, King of the British|King Thomas]]]]
Smith was born William Thomas Jack Smith on 11 May 1979 as the oldest and firstborn child of actress {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} and the then-heir to the {{wp|British}} throne [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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 {{wp|British royal family}}, was never included in the {{wp|British}} line of succession to the throne.
Born William Geoffrey Thomas Jack Smith on 11 May 1979, Smith was the oldest of two children of actress {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} and the heir to the {{wp|British}} throne [[Thomas, King of the British|Prince Thomas]]. Having been born out of wedlock and from a largely secretive romantic affair between his parents, Smith, unlike his later half-siblings, was never officially made a prince, and therefore, despite being the firstborn son and a biological descendant of a member of the {{wp|British royal family}}, was never included in the {{wp|British}} line of succession to the throne. Reportedly named William after his paternal great-grandfather {{wp|William Bacall}}, Smith, who officially took his {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|mother}}'s surname, was given three middle names in which two of them were in honour of his parents (with "Jack" being the masculine form of "Jacqueline") while the remaining one was deliberately chosen by his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] in honour of the {{wp|English}} footballer {{wp|Geoff Hurst}} who famously scored a hat-trick in {{wp|England}}'s 4-2 win over {{wp|West Germany}} in the {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup Final}}. In a 2017 interview with the {{wp|BBC}}, Smith said, ''"In a way, it was almost sort of prophetic or inevitable that for someone named after the only footballer to have scored a hat-trick in a {{wp|World Cup}} final, I would ultimately end up doing the same myself as well. In hindsight, my father was definitely right to name me in such a way, and for whatever reason behind it, the naming did certainly achieve its intended purpose"''. In this, despite the need for near-constant secrecy regarding 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 [[Thomas, King of the British|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 {{wp|Houston}}, {{wp|Texas}}". Additionally, his {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|mother}}'s paternal {{wp|Jewish}} roots, which mirrored that of his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]]'s maternal {{wp|Jewish}} roots, are said to have also greatly instilled in him a considerable sense of {{wp|Jewish}} identity although he never did necessarily converted to {{wp|Judaism}} and instead mostly identified as a {{wp|Protestant}}.
 
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 [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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 {{wp|Houston}}, {{wp|Texas}}". Additionally, his {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|mother}}'s paternal {{wp|Jewish}} roots, which mirrored that of his [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]'s maternal {{wp|Jewish}} roots, are said to have also greatly instilled in him a considerable sense of {{wp|Jewish}} identity although he never did necessarily converted to {{wp|Judaism}} and instead mostly identified as a {{wp|Protestant}}.


Early on, his [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]'s native {{wp|English}} roots, coupled with the {{wp|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 of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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 [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]]'s own sports-centric upbringing, which came about as a result of his grandfather [[Charles the Great|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 {{wp|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.  
Early on, his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]]'s native {{wp|English}} roots, coupled with the {{wp|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, King of the British|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. afterward, 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 [[Thomas, King of the British|father]]'s own sports-centric upbringing, which came about as a result of his grandfather [[Charles the Great|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 {{wp|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 this, despite his deep athletic leanings, Smith proved to be a fairly intelligent and well-educated student with a knack for discipline and mostly finishing his homework on time. A fairly all-rounder student, his favourite subjects include {{wp|English}}, {{wp|Physical Examination}}, and {{wp|Mathematics}}.


In 1982, when he was around three years old, Smith would be joined by a younger sister [[Jacqueline Smith|Jacqueline]], born on 22 June 1983, and who is named after her {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|mother}}, albeit in a slightly varied way. Consequently, it later became a common practice to refer to [[Jacqueline Smith|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 {{wp|BBC}}, Smith recounted that the two siblings "got along very well" and added that the departure of their [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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 [[Jacqueline Smith|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"''.  
In 1982, when he was around three years old, Smith would be joined by a younger sister [[Jacqueline Smith|Jacqueline]], born on 22 June 1983, and who is named after her {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|mother}}, albeit in a slightly varied way. Consequently, it later became a common practice to refer to [[Jacqueline Smith|Jacqueline]] as "Jack" or "Jackie" in order to distinguish her from her similarly-named mother with the most commonly used nickname being "Little Jackie". Meanwhile, during a 2017 interview with the {{wp|BBC}}, Smith recounted that the two siblings "got along very well" and added that the departure of their [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] when they were only fourteen and ten respectively led Smith to assume a more leader-like role for the now family of three, stating, ''"Of course, not long after my [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] left, my {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|mother}} finally remarried to another man meaning that in any case we were a family of four once again. Regardless, for as long as I could remember, when it came to [[Jacqueline Smith|Jackie]], I was essentially the one protecting her and looking after her whenever possible which was something that I quickly learned from my [[Thomas, King of the British|biological father]] early on"''. Later on, Smith has credited such circumstances in shaping him into a natural leader, especially during his subsequent football years, stating, ''"The fact that if anything, I had to take charge and ensure that those I care about are fine and protected early on meant that when others were perhaps still struggling, I was already familiar with handling people which was admittedly a very helpful extra help for my career"''.


==Teenagehood==
==Teenagehood==
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When Smith was around sixteen years old, amidst pressure upon his [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] to marry an eligible woman in order to secure the future of the {{wp|British}} monarchy, and the fact that Smith's mother {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} was, by virtue of her ex-husband, the actor {{wp|Roger Davis (television 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 of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]] later departed the family, albeit in a heavily reluctant manner, in order to marry the {{wp|American}} supermodel {{wp|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 {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|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 [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, where the family had already made their home for a few years prior to [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]]' departure.
When Smith was around sixteen years old, amidst pressure upon his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] to marry an eligible woman in order to secure the future of the {{wp|British}} monarchy, and the fact that Smith's mother {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} was, by virtue of her ex-husband, the actor {{wp|Roger Davis (television 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, King of the British|Thomas]] later departed the family, albeit in a heavily reluctant manner, in order to marry the {{wp|American}} supermodel {{wp|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 {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|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 [[Thomas, King of the British|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, where the family had already made their home for a few years prior to [[Thomas, King of the British|Thomas]]' departure.


In the years since their romance officially came to an end, Smith's mother {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|Jaclyn}} later remarried to {{wp|American}} surgeon {{wp|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 [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|biological father]]", adding that despite the two enjoying a relatively cordial relationship, both Smith and his [[Jacqueline Smith|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 {{wp|European}} football clubs, especially {{wp|Manchester United}}, a club that he had supported since childhood and which would crucially allow him to move to {{wp|England}} where his [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] resides.  
In the years since their romance officially came to an end, Smith's mother {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|Jaclyn}} later remarried to {{wp|American}} surgeon {{wp|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 [[Thomas, King of the British|biological father]]", adding that despite the two enjoying a relatively cordial relationship, both Smith and his [[Jacqueline Smith|sister]] were still mostly emotionally attached to their biological father, with whom the two longed on reuniting in the nearby future. In this, Smith sought to use his own football career as a means to do so by hopefully making himself noticeable in the eyes of major {{wp|European}} football clubs, especially {{wp|Manchester United}}, a club that he had supported since childhood and which would crucially allow him to move to {{wp|England}} where his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] mainly resides.  


==Club Career==
==Club Career==
===LA Galaxy (1992 - 2003)===
===LA Galaxy (1992 - 2003)===
====Youth Prospect (1992 - 1997)====
====Youth Prospect====
[[File:Bradenton, Florida.jpg|200px|thumb|right|An aerial view of the {{wp|IMG Academy}} in {{wp|Bradenton, Florida}}]]
[[File:Bradenton, Florida.jpg|200px|thumb|right|An aerial view of the {{wp|IMG Academy}} in {{wp|Bradenton, Florida}}, where Smith spent his formative years prior to becoming a professional footballer]]
Having already shown a deep-seated interest in football at a rather young age, at thirteen, Smith was enrolled by his [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] at the {{wp|IMG Academy}} in {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}} in just the second season of {{wp|Major League Soccer}}.  
Having already shown a deep-seated interest in football at a rather young age, at thirteen, Smith was enrolled by his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] at the {{wp|IMG Academy}} in {{wp|Bradenton, Florida|Bradenton}}, {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}} in just the second season of {{wp|Major League Soccer}}.  
 
During an interview with {{wp|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 {{wp|UCLA|University of California, Los Angeles}}, where he received a bachelor's degree in the field of {{wp|sports science}} which he later supplemented with a master's degree from the {{wp|City, University of London|University of London}} that he pursued after retiring from professional football. 


====Senior Team (1997 - 2003)====
====Senior Team====
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 {{wp|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 {{wp|D.C. United}} midfielder {{wp|Richie Williams}} resulted in the match ending in a 1-1 draw. Then, in the following match against {{wp|Sporting Kansas City|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|FC Dallas}}, who {{wp|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, {{wp|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 {{wp|American}} media with ''{{wp|The New York Times}}'' touting Smith as a "potential {{wp|World Cup}} winner" while {{wp|CNN}} described him as "the long-awaited answer and key to {{wp|America}}'s {{wp|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 {{wp|1998 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|France}} where the {{wp|United States}} suffered an early exit from the tournament in the group stages following three straight defeats.
Immediately after he was drafted by {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, Smith soon made his debut in the club's first match in the 1997 season, namely a home match against {{wp|D.C. United}}, where he scored his first goal for the club in the 23rd-minute, giving his team an initial 1-0 lead before a subsequent goal by {{wp|D.C. United}} midfielder {{wp|Richie Williams}} resulted in the match ending in a 1-1 draw. Then, in the following match against {{wp|Sporting Kansas City|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 {{wp|Coby Jones}} following which he proceeded to score a goal in the 49th-minute, thereby raising the scoreline to 3-3 before following it up with a brace in the 87th minute, with Smith's second goal proving to be the essential tiebreaker that resulted in {{wp|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 {{wp|FC Dallas|Dallas Burn}} who {{wp|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. Consequently, his stellar performance saw {{wp|LA Galaxy}} clinch a spot in the playoffs. In this, a hat-trick from Smith allowed {{wp|LA Galaxy}} to draw 3-3 {{wp|FC Dallas|Dallas Burn}} in the second game of the conference semi-finals although they were eventually eliminated 3-4 on penalties. Meanwhile, on 22 August 1997, Smith scored his first goal in the {{wp|CONCACAF Champions Cup}}, namely in a 2-0 win over {{wp|D.C. United}}, which he promptly followed up on August 24th to narrowly defeat the {{wp|Liga MX}} side {{wp|Cruz Azul}} 6-5 in the finals to clinch the club's first-ever title in the tournament.


[[File:PeleNYC.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Brazilian}} football legend {{wp|Pelé}} playing for the now-defunct {{wp|North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League}} club {{wp|New York Cosmos (1970–1985)|New York Cosmos}}. His two-year presence at the club has been widely attributed to the sudden surge in popularity for soccer in the {{wp|United States}} around the late 1970s]]
[[File:PeleNYC.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Brazilian}} football legend {{wp|Pelé}} playing for the now-defunct {{wp|North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League}} club {{wp|New York Cosmos (1970–1985)|New York Cosmos}}. His two-year presence at the club has been widely attributed to the sudden surge in popularity for soccer in the {{wp|United States}} around the late 1970s]]
Meanwhile, the following 1998 season would prove to be of some success, with {{wp|LA Galaxy}} topping both the {{wp|Western Conference}} table as well as winning the {{wp|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 {{wp|American}} public's vivid memories of {{wp|Brazilian}} legend {{wp|Pelé}}'s time as a footballer in the {{wp|United States}} roughly two decades prior during the 1970s, led media outlets to begin drawing comparisons between the young Smith and the {{wp|Brazilian}} legend. Then, in the 1999 season, Smith also led the club to win its first {{wp|U.S. Open Cup}} trophy with himself notably contributing two consecutive hat-tricks in a row to help {{wp|LA Galaxy}} defeat both {{wp|Rochester New York FC}} and the {{wp|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 {{wp|MLS Cup 1999}} match against {{wp|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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}}. In the meantime, despite personally scoring a memorable hat-trick for {{wp|LA Galaxy}} to break a 1-1 deadlock in the {{wp|1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup}} qualifying playoff match against {{wp|Mexican}} club {{wp|Necaxa}}, and later two important goals in a 2-1 win over {{wp|Deportivo Saprissa}} in the quarter-finals, Smith's club was ultimately eliminated in the semi-finals once again by {{wp|D.C. United}} who later won the tournament 3-0 in the finals against {{wp|Liga Deportiva Alajuelense|Alajuelense}}.  
Meanwhile, despite having missed out on qualifying for the {{wp|CONCACAF Champions Cup}}, the following 1998 season would prove to be of some success, with {{wp|LA Galaxy}} topping the {{wp|Western Conference}} table as well as winning the {{wp|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 {{wp|American}} public's vivid memories of {{wp|Brazilian}} legend {{wp|Pelé}}'s time as a footballer in the {{wp|United States}} roughly two decades prior during the 1970s, led media outlets to begin drawing comparisons between the young Smith and the {{wp|Brazilian}} legend. Then, in the 1999 season, Smith also led the club to win its first {{wp|U.S. Open Cup}} trophy with himself notably contributing two consecutive hat-tricks in a row to help {{wp|LA Galaxy}} defeat both {{wp|Rochester New York FC}} and the {{wp|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 {{wp|MLS Cup 1999}} match against {{wp|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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}}. In the meantime, despite personally scoring a memorable hat-trick for {{wp|LA Galaxy}} to break a 1-1 deadlock in the {{wp|1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup}} qualifying playoff match against {{wp|Mexican}} club {{wp|Necaxa}}, and later two important goals in a 2-1 win over {{wp|Deportivo Saprissa}} in the quarter-finals, Smith's club was ultimately eliminated in the semi-finals once again by {{wp|D.C. United}} who later won the tournament 3-0 in the finals against {{wp|Liga Deportiva Alajuelense|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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}} proved to be a more successful period, with Smith himself captaining the club to three straight {{wp|U.S. Open Cup}} wins in a row, as well as back-to-back {{wp|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 {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup}} where despite scoring just one goal this time around, that being a tiebreaking goal in the semi-finals against rivals {{wp|D.C. United}}, he would ultimately win the tournament thanks to the club's 3-2 victory over {{wp|C.D. Olimpia|Olimpia}} in the finals. Then, after previously missing out on the {{wp|2002 CONCACAF Champions' Cup|2002}} edition, Smith would return to the tournament for one final time in {{wp|2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup|2003}} where he began with a hat-trick against {{wp|F.C. Motagua|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}}. Following this, a 6-2 win over another {{wp|Mexican}} club {{wp|Atlético Morelia}} in the semi-finals saw them reach the finals for the second time where they later drew 4-4 with another {{wp|Mexican}} side {{wp|Deportivo Toluca F.C.|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 {{wp|CONCACAF Champions' Cup}} title. In the meantime, despite having won the {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup|2000}} edition, thereby qualifying them for the the {{wp|FIFA Club World Championship}}, Smith and {{wp|LA Galaxy}} were ultimately unable to participate in the ensuing {{wp|2001 FIFA Club World Championship|2001}} edition after it was unexpectedly cancelled by {{wp|FIFA}} amidst financial difficulties.  
In contrast, while his initial years at the club had been of mixed success in spite of his consistently promising performance, his last three years at {{wp|LA Galaxy}} proved to be a more successful period, with Smith himself captaining the club to three straight {{wp|U.S. Open Cup}} wins in a row, as well as back-to-back {{wp|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 {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup}} where despite scoring just one goal this time around, that being a tiebreaking goal in the semi-finals against rivals {{wp|D.C. United}}, he would ultimately win the tournament thanks to the club's 3-2 win over {{wp|C.D. Olimpia|Olimpia}} in the finals. Then, after previously missing out on the {{wp|2002 CONCACAF Champions' Cup|2002}} edition, Smith would return to the tournament for one final time in {{wp|2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup|2003}} where he began with a hat-trick against {{wp|F.C. Motagua|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}}. Following this, a 6-2 win over another {{wp|Mexican}} club {{wp|Atlético Morelia}} in the semi-finals saw them reach the finals for the second time where they later drew 4-4 with another {{wp|Mexican}} side {{wp|Deportivo Toluca F.C.|Club Toluca}}, with the ensuing penalty shootout resulting in a narrow 3-4 loss to their opponents, thereby effectively ending Smith's hope of winning a second {{wp|CONCACAF Champions Cup}} title. Meanwhile, despite having won the {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup|2000}} edition which would automatically qualify them for the {{wp|FIFA Club World Championship}}, Smith and {{wp|LA Galaxy}} were ultimately unable to participate in the ensuing {{wp|2001 FIFA Club World Championship|2001}} edition after it was unexpectedly canceled by {{wp|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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}} and {{wp|Major League Soccer}}, with the runner-up being {{wp|Chris Wondolowski}} with 177 goals. In the meantime, with the end of the {{wp|2003 Major League Soccer season}}, Smith promptly announced his departure from {{wp|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 {{wp|Bundesliga}} side {{wp|Bayer Leverkusen}}, the parent club of fellow {{wp|United States}} international {{wp|Landon Donovan}}, who had then been on loan at {{wp|San Jose Earthquakes}}, another {{wp|Major League Soccer}} side. Nonetheless, several more well-known football clubs were also touted as Smith's likely destination with the illustrious {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|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, {{wp|La Liga}} giants, {{wp|Real Madrid}} were also touted as a likely candidate, owing to club president {{wp|Florentino Pérez}}'s ''{{wp|Galácticos}}'' philosophy that revolves around signing talented big-name players to the club which saw the likes of {{wp|Zinedine Zidane}}, {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}}, and {{wp|David Beckham}} arrive at the club in recent years.  
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 {{wp|LA Galaxy}} and {{wp|Major League Soccer}}, with the runner-up being {{wp|Chris Wondolowski}} with 177 goals. In the meantime, with the end of the {{wp|2003 Major League Soccer season}}, Smith promptly announced his departure from {{wp|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 {{wp|Bundesliga}} side {{wp|Bayer Leverkusen}}, the parent club of fellow {{wp|United States}} international {{wp|Landon Donovan}}, who had then been on loan at {{wp|San Jose Earthquakes}}, another {{wp|Major League Soccer}} side. Nonetheless, several more well-known football clubs were also touted as Smith's likely destination with the illustrious {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|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, {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} were also touted as a likely candidate owing to club president {{wp|Florentino Pérez}}'s ''{{wp|Galácticos}}'' philosophy that revolves around signing talented big-name players to the club which saw the likes of {{wp|Zinedine Zidane}}, {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}}, and {{wp|David Beckham}} arrive at the club in recent years.  


[[File:Florentino Pérez 2016 (cropped).jpg|200px|thumb|right|{{wp|Florentino Pérez}}, chairman of {{wp|La Liga}} club {{wp|Real Madrid}} from 2000 to 2006 and again since 2009 during which he made two unsuccessful attempts to bring William Smith to {{wp|Real Madrid}}, losing the latter to {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} each time]]
[[File:Florentino Pérez 2022 (cropped).jpg|200px|thumb|right|{{wp|Florentino Pérez}}, chairman of {{wp|La Liga}} club {{wp|Real Madrid}} from 2000 to 2006 and again since 2009 during which he made two unsuccessful attempts to bring William Smith to {{wp|Real Madrid}} as part of the ''{{wp|Galácticos}}'' project]]
In the end, on 1 August 2004, the {{wp|BBC}} would be the first to announce that Smith had signed for the {{wp|Premier League}} side {{wp|Manchester United}} for a world-record of £68 million, the news of which quickly drew much attention to the already well-known and decorated {{wp|Premier League}} club, whose fans and supporters later crowded {{wp|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 {{wp|American}}-born footballer. In the meantime, {{wp|Real Madrid}} chairman {{wp|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 {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} and {{wp|David Beckham}} have all initially attempted to convince the young {{wp|American}} star to sign for the {{wp|La Liga}} giants under the premise of playing with some of football's greatest talents around in what was famously known as ''{{wp|Galácticos}}''. Later, according to {{wp|David Beckham|Beckham}}, despite the allure of potentially playing with some of football's greatest talents in one team, Smith reportedly remarked, ''"{{wp|Real Madrid}} sounds nice but I'm a {{wp|Manchester United}} fan and I'm going to sign for that club no matter what"''. Afterwards, in 2010, when Smith then bid farewell to {{wp|Manchester United}}, {{wp|Real Madrid}}, having then signed {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} from the {{wp|English}} club the year before, once again attempted to lure Smith with a contract much luxurious than that offered to his {{wp|Portuguese}} teammate but which was once again rejected as the latter subsequently chose {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} instead in his move to {{wp|La Liga}}. In the words of former {{wp|Real Madrid}} goalkeeper {{wp|Iker Casillas}}, Smith was, in the eyes of {{wp|Real Madrid}} supporters, "the one that got away", and in {{wp|Florentino Pérez|Pérez}}'s eyes, "the holy grail that he never achieved".
In the end, on 1 August 2004, the {{wp|BBC}} would be the first to announce that Smith had signed for the {{wp|Premier League}} side {{wp|Manchester United}} for a world-record £68 million, the news of which quickly drew much attention to the already well-known and decorated {{wp|Premier League}} club, whose fans and supporters later crowded {{wp|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 {{wp|American}}-born footballer. In the meantime, {{wp|Real Madrid}} chairman {{wp|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 {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} and {{wp|David Beckham}} have all initially attempted to convince the young {{wp|American}} star to sign for the {{wp|La Liga}} giants under the premise of playing with some of football's greatest talents around. Later, according to {{wp|David Beckham|Beckham}}, despite the allure of potentially playing with some of football's greatest talents in one team, Smith reportedly remarked, ''"{{wp|Real Madrid}} sounds nice but I'm a {{wp|Manchester United}} fan and I'm going to sign for that club no matter what"''. Meanwhile, in his autobiography, Smith revealed that the famous {{wp|German}} goalkeeper {{wp|Oliver Kahn}}, reportedly impressed by Smith's performance at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}, attempted to convince him to sign for {{wp|Bundesliga}} giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}} (which {{wp|Oliver Kahn|Kahn}} himself is a part of), stating, ''"When {{wp|Oliver Kahn|Oliver}} heard that I was coming to {{wp|Europe}}, he gave me a phone call once and told me to come to {{wp|Bayern Munich|Bayern}} because, with the way I played, he said I could definitely be the {{wp|American}} version of {{wp|Gerd Müller}}, an undeniable {{wp|German}} football legend, and that I would make a great striker to play with while he is the goalkeeper"''. In response, while admitting his flattery by such a comparison, Smith himself later expressed his desire to "not be the {{wp|American}} or {{wp|English}} version of some great legend but just myself in all my own glory and success".


In line with his reputation as one of the foremost {{wp|American}} soccer stars, Smith's departure to {{wp|England}} was preceded with a lavish send-off ceremony at a {{wp|Hilton Hotels}} building in {{wp|Los Angeles}} attended by both celebrities and sportspeople including {{wp|Alexi Lalas}}, {{wp|Michael Jordan}}, {{wp|Tiger Woods}}, {{wp|Serena Williams}}, and {{wp|Larry Bird}}, Smith, following a short lunch reception at the hotel, eventually departed for {{wp|England}} with his family from the nearby {{wp|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, {{wp|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"''.
Afterward, in 2010, when Smith bid farewell to {{wp|Manchester United}}, {{wp|Real Madrid}}, having then signed {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} from the {{wp|English}} club the year before, once again attempted to lure Smith with a contract much luxurious than that offered to his {{wp|Portuguese}} teammate but which was once again rejected as the latter subsequently chose {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} instead in his move to {{wp|La Liga}}. In the words of former {{wp|Real Madrid}} goalkeeper {{wp|Iker Casillas}}, Smith was, in the eyes of {{wp|Real Madrid}} supporters, "the one that got away", and in {{wp|Florentino Pérez|Pérez}}'s eyes, "the holy grail that he never achieved". Even more so, as Smith himself would later spearhead {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to five straight {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} titles, {{wp|Real Madrid}}'s ultimate inability to ever acquire Smith's services became ever more consequential and hard-hitting, with former {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} manager {{wp|Pep Guardiola}} once stating, ''"Undoubtedly, all three of us had our own greatest player but {{wp|Diego Simeone|Diego}}, judging by the titles that he won, was definitely the luckiest and as some people would say had struck gold in getting him when others instead failed"''. Similarly, {{wp|BBC Sport}} later dubbed it "The Steal of the Century", adding, ''"Truly, for someone of his stature at the time, one would mostly ever consider between {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} but instead he did the opposite and will certainly have a rare legacy to speak of for generations"''.


===Manchester United (2004 - 2010)===
===Manchester United (2004 - 2010)===
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On 1 August 2004, just a day after a friendly match against {{wp|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 {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}, was officially announced to have joined {{wp|Manchester United}} with his transfer to the club said to have then brought "extreme delight" for longtime head coach {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson}} who later remarked in a 2014 interview, ''"The fact that a recent {{wp|World Cup}} champion and the man who scored a hat-trick to defeat the mighty {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|2004 FA Community Shield}} match against {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}, where he was called in early on at the 19th-minute as a substitute for {{wp|Paul Scholes}}, who had to be subbed off following an unfortunate injury on his left thigh. Then, following an initial 55th-minute goal by {{wp|Alan Smith (footballer, born 1980)|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 {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} defenders, although this proved not enough to ultimately avoid a narrow 2-3 defeat at the hands of the {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Gunners}}, who ultimately won the match by a rather thin 3-2 margin.  
On 1 August 2004, just a day after a friendly match against {{wp|A.C. Milan}}, Smith, by then a free agent and on a temporary break from professional football following his historic triumph at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}, was officially announced to have joined {{wp|Manchester United}} with his transfer to the club said to have then brought "extreme delight" for longtime head coach {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson}} who later remarked in a 2014 interview, ''"The fact that a recent {{wp|World Cup}} champion and the man who scored a hat-trick to defeat the mighty {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|2004 FA Community Shield}} match against {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}, where he was called in early on in the 19th-minute as a substitute for {{wp|Paul Scholes}}, who had to be subbed off following an unfortunate injury on his left thigh. Then, following an initial 55th-minute goal by {{wp|Alan Smith (footballer, born 1980)|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 {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} defenders although this proved not enough to ultimately avoid a narrow 2-3 defeat at the hands of {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} who ultimately won the match by a rather thin 3-2 margin.  


Nonetheless, not long after his debut at the {{wp|FA Community Shield}} match, Smith was then featured in {{wp|Manchester United}}'s first {{wp|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 {{wp|English}} football scene by scoring a hat-trick in the 84th minute, thereby allowing {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} to easily beat {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|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 {{wp|Portsmouth F.C.|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 {{wp|Manchester City}}, {{wp|Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United}}, and {{wp|Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic}} respectively. However, this too ultimately proved not enough to win {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} the {{wp|Premier League}} season that year, with the club finishing as runner-up behind rivals {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|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 {{wp|Premier League}} and in {{wp|European}} football saw him receive both a {{wp|Premier League Golden Boot}} award and an {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}, thereby avoiding a narrow 0-1 defeat, before proceeding to beat their {{wp|English}} rivals 4-2 in a penalty shootout, awarding the club their third {{wp|UEFA Champions League|Champions League}} title.
Nonetheless, not long after his debut at the {{wp|FA Community Shield}} match, Smith was then featured in {{wp|Manchester United}}'s first {{wp|Premier League}} match of the season that year, where after once again coming on as a substitute in the 25th-minute, Smith proceeded to immediately make a name for himself in the {{wp|English}} football scene by scoring a hat-trick in the 84th minute, thereby allowing {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} to easily beat {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|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 {{wp|Portsmouth F.C.|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 {{wp|Manchester City}}, {{wp|Newcastle United}}, and {{wp|Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic}} respectively. However, this too ultimately proved not enough to win {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} the {{wp|Premier League}} season that year, with the club finishing as runner-up behind rivals {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|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 {{wp|Premier League}} and in {{wp|European}} football saw him receive both a {{wp|Premier League Golden Boot}} award and an {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}, thereby avoiding a narrow 0-1 defeat, before proceeding to beat their {{wp|English}} rivals 4-2 in a penalty shootout, awarding the club their third {{wp|UEFA Champions League|Champions League}} title.


====Peak of Success and Departure to Atlético Madrid====
====Peak of Success and Departure to Atlético Madrid====
[[File:200708.png|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Manchester United}} squad celebrating their historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} triumph]]
[[File:200708.png|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Manchester United}} squad celebrating their historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} triumph]]
For the following season, Smith continued to display a consistently positive performance, helping {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} to finally win the {{wp|Premier League}} albeit by their narrowest margin yet, that is by just one point ahead of runners-up {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}. Similarly, the club also found much success in the {{wp|FA Cup}} and {{wp|EFL Cup}} respectively but otherwise fell short of winning the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} for a second consecutive time following a narrow 4-5 defeat via penalty shootouts to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the quarter-finals after both teams were tied at 5-5. Then, following the next two seasons where {{wp|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 {{wp|European}} team to achieve a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} by winning the {{wp|2008-09 Premier League}} season, the {{wp|2008-09 FA Cup}} season, the {{wp|2009 FA Community Shield}}, the {{wp|2008-09 UEFA Champions League}} season, as well as the {{wp|2009 UEFA Super Cup}} and the {{wp|2009 FIFA Club World Cup}}. In the following season, as well as the season beforehand, {{wp|Manchester United}} surprisingly came close to achieving another {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} if not for an unfortunate loss in the {{wp|FA Cup}} in both seasons.  
For the following season, Smith continued to display a consistently positive performance, helping {{wp|Manchester United|The Red Devils}} to finally win the {{wp|Premier League}} albeit by their narrowest margin yet, that is by just one point ahead of runners-up {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}. Similarly, the club also found much success in the {{wp|FA Cup}} and {{wp|EFL Cup}} respectively but otherwise fell short of winning the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} for a second consecutive time following a narrow 4-5 defeat via penalty shootouts to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the quarter-finals after both teams were tied at 5-5. Then, following the next two seasons where {{wp|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 {{wp|European}} team to achieve a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} by winning the {{wp|2008-09 Premier League}} season, the {{wp|2008-09 FA Cup}} season, the {{wp|2009 FA Community Shield}}, the {{wp|2008-09 UEFA Champions League}} season, as well as the {{wp|2009 UEFA Super Cup}} and the {{wp|2009 FIFA Club World Cup}}. In the following season, as well as the season beforehand, {{wp|Manchester United}} surprisingly came close to achieving another {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} if not for an unfortunate loss in the {{wp|FA Cup}} in both seasons in a testament to the club's overall dominance at the time. Meanwhile, in 2009, Smith twice made history in the {{wp|Premier League}}, firstly by scoring a record seven goals in a historic 10-0 win over {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}} on February 18th and secondly by scoring four goals in a 7-1 win over {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} on September 12th. In this, his seven goals scored, currently an unbroken league record, saw {{wp|Manchester United}} once again mark the biggest win in {{wp|Premier League}} history, surpassing their own previous record of a 9-0 win over {{wp|Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich}} in which {{wp|Andy Cole}} scored a record five goals. Moreover, having previously set the new record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Premier League}} season with 39 goals in his second season with {{wp|Manchester United}}, Smith, over the course of his last two seasons with the club, established a new record of 41 goals in both seasons which would remain unbroken until {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]] scored a record 45 goals in the 2022-23 season.  


By the end of the 2009-10 season, Smith's six-year contract with {{wp|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 {{wp|Manchester United}}, quickly became a player of interest for many of {{wp|Europe}}'s biggest clubs including {{wp|Real Madrid}}, {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, {{wp|FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich}}, {{wp|Juventus FC|Juventus}}, and even derby rivals {{wp|Manchester City}}, whose owner, {{wp|Sheikh Mansour}} was once reportedly interested in acquiring the {{wp|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 {{wp|Spanish}} newspaper {{wp|Marca (newspaper)|''Marca''}} that {{wp|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 {{wp|Real Madrid}} for {{wp|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 {{wp|Vicente Calderón Stadium}}, Smith subsequently spoke of a "bittersweet feeling" of leaving his much-beloved club of {{wp|Manchester United}}, who he had dreamt playing for since childhood, while adding that {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s "underdog" status as opposed to the traditionally dominant {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|United States}} could win the {{wp|World Cup}}. Now, for the next five years that I'm here, I'm going to prove to everyone that {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} can win the league just as much or even more than the times that {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} have done in the past"''. Later, during a 2017 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, when asked behind his rationale in choosing {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} over {{wp|Real Madrid}}, he remarked, ''"If I wanted money I would go to {{wp|Real Madrid}} but if I wanted glory then I'll go to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}".''
Following the end of the 2009-10 season, after it was reported by the {{wp|BBC}} that Smith did not wish to renew his six-year contract with {{wp|Manchester United}}, rumours quickly arose regarding his next destination with several of {{wp|Europe}}'s biggest clubs including {{wp|Real Madrid}}, {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, {{wp|FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich}}, and {{wp|Juventus FC|Juventus}} being touted as his next club. In addition, derby rivals {{wp|Manchester City}}, whose new owner {{wp|Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan|Sheikh Mansour}} once reportedly thought of acquiring the {{wp|Manchester United}} forward's services in what was then considered a "direct sabotage" of their biggest rivals, was also briefly considered until Smith himself promptly refuted such rumours, stating, ''"I'll be leaving {{wp|Manchester United}} soon but never for its very own rivals in my entire life"''. Eventually, in a move that sparked much surprise from many observers, it was announced by the {{wp|Spanish}} newspaper {{wp|Marca (newspaper)|''Marca''}} that {{wp|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 {{wp|Real Madrid}} for {{wp|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 in a deliberate attempt to ward off encroaching competitors especially city rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}} who were similarly interested in acquiring Smith's services for themselves.  
 
During his ensuing presentation ceremony to club supporters at the {{wp|Vicente Calderón Stadium}}, Smith spoke of a "bittersweet feeling" of leaving his much-beloved {{wp|Manchester United}} which he had long dreamt of playing for since childhood. However, pointing to his new club's "underdog" status, Smith explained that his decision to join {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} was to "face a new challenge for myself", adding, ''"When people talk about {{wp|La Liga}}, they always say that {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} are the strongest clubs around and the only ones who can win the {{wp|UEFA Champions League|Champions League}}. Now, just as I did before with the {{wp|United States}} at the {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}}, I'm going to prove those same people wrong and show that {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} is just as strong or even stronger than both clubs and could absolutely win the {{wp|UEFA Champions League|Champions League}} as well"''. Meanwhile, in his best-selling autobiography, Smith later wrote of a "difficult conundrum" that he faced prior to leaving {{wp|Manchester United}}, stating, ''"Without a doubt, I always wanted to play for {{wp|Manchester United}} ever since I could walk but as excited and thrilled as I was scoring goals while wearing the red jersey, at some point, the game itself just felt a bit too easy for me when all we could seemingly do was just win titles left and right with almost no one apparently able to stop us. At that point, I stopped myself and asked whether I wanted to be a long-lasting servant of the club who could just win anything with just one goal or someone who was always challenged by equally strong opponents of the highest levels of the game who could be challenging me to be better than I previously was each time. In the end, I chose the latter"''.


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At the time of his departure, Smith's total goal tally of 463 across all competitions established him as the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Manchester United}} while his 217 goals scored in the {{wp|Premier League}} initially made him the second-highest all-time goalscorer behind {{wp|Alan Shearer}} with 260 goals before {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|Harry Kane}} surpassed him to become second-highest himself with 221 goals thereby making Smith the third-highest ahead of former {{wp|Manchester United}} teammate {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} in fourth with 208 goals. Meanwhile, until 2023, Smith formerly held the record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Premier League}} season with 39 goals until {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]] surpassed it with 45 goals in the 2022-23 season during which {{wp|Manchester City}}'s {{wp|Erling Haaland}} also came close to breaking his record with 36 goals scored in that same season.  
By the time of his departure, Smith's total goal tally of 471 across all competitions established him as the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Manchester United}} while his 225 goals scored in the {{wp|Premier League}} currently makes him the second-highest all-time goalscorer behind {{wp|Alan Shearer}} with 260 goals with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|Harry Kane}} almost coming close to surpass him with 221 goals. Meanwhile, until 2023, Smith formerly held the record for the most goals scored in a {{wp|Premier League}} season with 41 goals until {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Richard]] surpassed it with 45 goals in the 2022-23 season. Since then, Smith has remained a hugely popular and highly celebrated figure among {{wp|Manchester United}} supporters who famously nicknamed him "The Red Prince" due to his royal lineage and the club's traditional red colours. Moreover, together with {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} and {{wp|Eric Cantona}}, Smith is considered to be one of {{wp|Manchester United}}'s greatest forwards of the {{wp|Premier League}} era and, among some supporters, is even considered to be the successor to the late {{wp|Bobby Charlton}}. As of current, Smith is the only {{wp|American}} player to have won the {{wp|Premier League}} and only one of two {{wp|Americans}} to have won the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} alongside {{wp|Jovan Kirovski}}.


===Atlético Madrid===
Following the end of the 2022-23 season, the departures of goalkeeper {{wp|David de Gea}} and defender {{wp|Phil Jones (footballer, born 1992)|Phil Jones}}, the last few players remaining from the {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Ferguson}} era, left {{wp|Manchester United}} without a {{wp|Premier League}} winner for the first time in three decades. However, after almost eight years away, the {{wp|Manchester United|club}} later re-signed academy graduate {{wp|Jonny Evans}}, who was part of the historic 2008-09 {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}-winning squad, making the {{wp|Northern Ireland}} defender the only player at {{wp|Manchester United}} so far to have won both the {{wp|Premier League}} and the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, titles which {{wp|Manchester United}} last won in the 2012-13 and 2009-10 seasons respectively.
 
===Atlético Madrid (2010 - 2019)===
====Debut season & Europa League triumph====
====Debut season & Europa League triumph====
On August 30th, Smith made his {{wp|La Liga}} debut in a home match against {{wp|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 {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} on September 11th, Smith soon made his mark at the club by scoring a hat-trick in the 76th minute, allowing {{wp|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 {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} and {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} while otherwise drawing with {{wp|Valencia CF|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 {{wp|Villareal CF|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 {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s favour. Then, a third hat-trick followed in a November 13th fixture against {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} along with his first brace for the club just a week later against {{wp|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 {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}. A fifth hat-trick followed in a 3-0 win over {{wp|Racing Santander}} although this itself was followed by a heavy 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Hércules CF|Hércules}} and an ensuing 4-0 win over {{wp|RCD Mallorca|Mallorca}}. Following this, amidst a string of poor performances which saw the club lose once again to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} by 3-0 via a {{wp|Lionel Messi}} hat-trick, Smith nonetheless proved vital in scoring a decisive 47th-minute goal that helped them draw 2-2 against {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}}. Then, after scoring two consecutive hat-tricks that allowed {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to defeat {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} and {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} 5-2 and 4-1 respectively, Smith soon scored his first goal against {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} in a 2-2 draw on March 29th, which he followed up with a tiebreaking brace in the 69th minute against {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}, who the club ultimately defeated 4-2 thanks to a separate brace from {{wp|Sergio Agüero}} in the 61st minute. In the end, Smith would cap off his first season with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} through yet another hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Deportivo La Coruña}}, a brace in a 2-3 loss to {{wp|Málaga CF|Málaga}}, and his final brace of the season in a 6-3 win over {{wp|RCD Mallorca|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 {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and ahead of {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. In the meantime, with a total of 74 points, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} also qualified for the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} group stage alongside giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}.
On August 30th, Smith made his {{wp|La Liga}} debut in a home match against {{wp|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 {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} on September 11th, Smith soon made his mark at the club by scoring a hat-trick in the 76th minute, allowing {{wp|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 {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} and {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} while otherwise drawing with {{wp|Valencia CF|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 {{wp|Villareal CF|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 {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s favour. Then, a third hat-trick followed in a November 13th fixture against {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} along with his first brace for the club just a week later against {{wp|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 {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}. A fifth hat-trick followed in a 3-0 win over {{wp|Racing Santander}} although this itself was followed by a heavy 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Hércules CF|Hércules}} and an ensuing 4-0 win over {{wp|RCD Mallorca|Mallorca}}. Following this, amidst a string of poor performances which saw the club lose once again to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} by 3-0 via a {{wp|Lionel Messi}} hat-trick, Smith nonetheless proved vital in scoring a decisive 47th-minute goal that helped them draw 2-2 against {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}}. Then, after scoring two consecutive hat-tricks that allowed {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to defeat {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} and {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} 5-2 and 4-1 respectively, Smith soon scored his first goal against {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} in a 2-2 draw on March 29th, which he followed up with a tiebreaking brace in the 69th minute against {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}}, who the club ultimately defeated 4-2 thanks to a separate brace from {{wp|Sergio Agüero}} in the 61st minute. In the end, Smith would cap off his first season with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} through yet another hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Deportivo La Coruña}}, a brace in a 2-3 loss to {{wp|Málaga CF|Málaga}}, and his final brace of the season in a 6-3 win over {{wp|RCD Mallorca|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 {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and ahead of {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. In the meantime, with a total of 74 points, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} also qualified for the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} group stage alongside giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}.


[[File:Aviva Stadium(Dublin Arena).JPG|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Aviva Stadium}} in {{wp|Dublin}}, {{wp|Republic of Ireland|Ireland}}, which hosted the {{wp|2011 Europa League Final}} between {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Porto|Porto}}]]
[[File:Aviva Stadium(Dublin Arena).JPG|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Aviva Stadium}} in {{wp|Dublin}}, {{wp|Republic of Ireland|Ireland}}, which hosted the {{wp|2011 Europa League Final}} between {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Porto|Porto}}]]
Separately, on December 22nd, Smith also made his {{wp|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 {{wp|Universidad de Las Palmas CF|Universidad de Las Palmas}} although he did not otherwise score any further with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} subsequently losing 4-1 on aggregate to {{wp|Real Madrid}}. Meanwhile, on September 16th, Smith scored his first two goals in the {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Greek}} side {{wp|Aris Thessaloniki F.C.|Aris}}, which he soon followed up with another brace in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Bayer Leverkusen}}, followed by one goal in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg}} and another single goal in a 3-3 draw against {{wp|Aris Thessaloniki F.C.|Aris}}. Then, following a narrow 6-5 win on aggregate against {{wp|FC Dynamo Kyiv|Dynamo Kyiv}}, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, courtesy of a hat-trick from Smith in both legs of the round of 16, marked a dominant 11-3 victory over {{wp|Manchester City}}, followed by 6-3 and 6-2 demolitions of {{wp|Portuguese}} sides {{wp|S.C. Braga|Braga}} and {{wp|Benfica}}, and eventually culminating in a 4-0 win over another {{wp|Portuguese}} side {{wp|FC Porto|Porto}} in the finals to win their second {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} title in a row after their first one that was achieved by a 2-1 win over {{wp|English}} side {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}}, thereby qualifying them once again for the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} in which {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} narrowly defeated {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 3-2 to follow up on their previous 1-0 win over Smith's former club {{wp|Manchester United}} in the previous edition.
Separately, on December 22nd, Smith also made his {{wp|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 {{wp|Universidad de Las Palmas CF|Universidad de Las Palmas}} although he did not otherwise score any further with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} subsequently losing 4-1 on aggregate to {{wp|Real Madrid}}. Meanwhile, on September 16th, Smith scored his first two goals in the {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Greek}} side {{wp|Aris Thessaloniki F.C.|Aris}}, which he soon followed up with another brace in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Bayer Leverkusen}}, followed by one goal in a 3-1 win over {{wp|Rosenborg BK|Rosenborg}} and another single goal in a 3-3 draw against {{wp|Aris Thessaloniki F.C.|Aris}}. Then, following a narrow 6-5 win on aggregate against {{wp|FC Dynamo Kyiv|Dynamo Kyiv}}, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, courtesy of a hat-trick from Smith in both legs of the round of 16, marked a dominant 11-3 victory over {{wp|Manchester City}} before proceeding to demolish {{wp|Portuguese}} sides {{wp|S.C. Braga|Braga}} and {{wp|Benfica}} 6-3 and 6-2 respectively as well as another {{wp|Portuguese}} side {{wp|FC Porto|Porto}} 4-0 in the finals to win their second {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} title in a row after their first one that was achieved by a 2-1 win over {{wp|English}} side {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}}, thereby qualifying them once again for the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} in which {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} narrowly defeated {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 3-2 to follow up on their previous 1-0 win over Smith's former club {{wp|Manchester United}} in the previous edition.


====Diego Simeone Era====
====Diego Simeone Era====
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}}
}}
In his second season with the club, Smith began rather promisingly, scoring an important tiebreaking goal in the opening match against {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} and a hat-trick in a 7-0 win over {{wp|Racing Santander}} although this was soon met by a heavy 5-0 loss to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. Nonetheless, in the next two matches against {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} and {{wp|Granada CF|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 {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}} that followed a previous 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in which at least five {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} players were booked while two, including goalkeeper {{wp|Thibaut Courtois}}, were sent off. Then, on January 7th, his first match under newly-appointed manager {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Smith scored a memorable brace to mark a 2-0 win over {{wp|Malaga CF|Malaga}} following a previous poor run of form before going on to score at least two further consecutive braces against {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}} and {{wp|Real Sociedad}} respectively and later a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|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 {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Smith scored at least two further goals to break deadlocks against {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} and {{wp|Sporting Gijón}} respectively before soon following it up with a brace in a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, his first since arriving in {{wp|La Liga}}. Following this, two consecutive hat-tricks were also produced in wins against {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} and {{wp|Granada CF|Granada}} respectively, followed by a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over {{wp|RCD Mallorca|Mallorca}} and a brace in a narrow 3-4 loss to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in which a late 88th-minute goal from {{wp|José Callejón}} which followed a {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} hat-trick beforehand saw the latter narrowly edge over their opponent. Nonetheless, a hat-trick in the final match against {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}}, who consequently lost 0-4 to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, saw Smith rack up a total of 40 goals in 34 appearances, breaking his own personal record of 39 goals for {{wp|Manchester United}} in the {{wp|Premier League}} although this itself was far surpassed by {{wp|Lionel Messi}}'s 50 goals that season. In the meantime, despite a brace from Smith in the second leg, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} were otherwise eliminated from the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} following a 3-4 loss on penalties to {{wp|Albacete Balompié|Albacete}} although they otherwise made much progress in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, topping their group and advancing all the way to the finals where they later defeated {{wp|Bundesliga}} giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}} 2-0 to win their first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title during which they notably overcame rivals {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|AC Milan}} and a dramatic 5-3 win over {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} in the semi-finals. Following up on this, the club then defeated fellow {{wp|Spanish}} side {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} 5-2 in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} via an 83rd-minute hat-trick from Smith and later {{wp|Brazilian}} club {{wp|Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians}} 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, also a first for the club.
In his second season with the club, Smith began rather promisingly, scoring an important tiebreaking goal in the opening match against {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} and a hat-trick in a 7-0 win over {{wp|Racing Santander}} although this was soon met by a heavy 0-5 loss to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. Nonetheless, in the next two matches against {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} and {{wp|Granada CF|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 {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}} that followed a previous 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in which at least five {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} players were booked while two, including goalkeeper {{wp|Thibaut Courtois}}, were sent off. Then, on January 7th, his first match under newly-appointed manager {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Smith scored a memorable brace to mark a 2-0 win over {{wp|Malaga CF|Malaga}} following a previous poor run of form before going on to score at least two further consecutive braces against {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}} and {{wp|Real Sociedad}} respectively and later a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|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 {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Smith scored at least two further goals to break deadlocks against {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} and {{wp|Sporting Gijón}} respectively before soon following it up with a brace in a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, his first since arriving in {{wp|La Liga}}. Following this, two consecutive hat-tricks were also produced in wins against {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} and {{wp|Granada CF|Granada}} respectively, followed by a hat-trick in a 4-2 win over {{wp|RCD Mallorca|Mallorca}} and a brace in a narrow 3-4 loss to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in which a late 88th-minute goal from {{wp|José Callejón}} which followed a {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} hat-trick beforehand saw the latter narrowly edge over their opponent. Nonetheless, a hat-trick in the final match against {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}}, who consequently lost 0-4 to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, saw Smith rack up a total of 40 goals in 34 appearances, breaking his own personal record of 39 goals for {{wp|Manchester United}} in the {{wp|Premier League}}. Meanwhile, despite a brace from Smith in the second leg, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} were otherwise eliminated from the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} following a 3-4 loss on penalties to {{wp|Albacete Balompié|Albacete}}. However, they did make much progress in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, topping their group and advancing all the way to the finals where they later defeated {{wp|Bundesliga}} giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}} 2-0 to win their first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title but not before also overcoming their rivals {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|AC Milan}} and a dramatic 5-3 win over {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} in the semi-finals. Following up on this, the club then defeated fellow {{wp|Spanish}} side {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} 5-2 in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} via an 83rd-minute hat-trick from Smith and later {{wp|Brazilian}} club {{wp|Sport Club Corinthians Paulista|Corinthians}} 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, also a first for the club.
 
For the 2012-13 season, his first full season under {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Smith started off rather promisingly, scoring a hat-trick in a 7-3 win over {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}} along with a goal in a dominant 5-2 win over {{wp|Real Betis}}. Soon enough, despite subsequent losses to {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, Smith himself enjoyed a consistent goalscoring form with 16 goals in 15 appearances that led to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} briefly enjoying a streak of nine unbeaten games. Then, following yet another impressive performance in a narrow 3-4 loss to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} on December 16th, Smith soon scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Celta Vigo}}, followed by another one in a 3-3 draw against {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}}, and a third one which crucially helped them defeat {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}} 4-2. Then, Smith also provided decisive tiebreaking goals against {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} and {{wp|Getafe CF|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 {{wp|Real Madrid}} 4-2 for the first time since arriving in the top {{wp|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 {{wp|Lionel Messi}} whilst {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} finished second with 86 points behind {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, their best finish in two decades since they last won the league in the 1995-96 season. Meanwhile, Smith also proved to be a much valuable component in the club's {{wp|Copa del Rey}} victory that season, during which he scored a hat-trick in the second leg of the round of 16 to defeat {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} 6-0 on aggregate while also contributing one goal of his own in the finals where they defeated {{wp|Real Madrid}} 3-1. Similarly, a 3-2 win over {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}} saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} win just their second {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title in a row during which a hat-trick from Smith in both legs saw them defeat {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 10-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals while rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}} were otherwise eliminated in the semi-finals by a 3-4 loss on aggregate to runners-up {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}}. Then, a hat-trick from Smith saw them defeat {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} which they duly followed up on by defeating {{wp|Moroccan}} club {{wp|Raja CA|Raja Casablanca}} 5-4 on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Moreover, having won the {{wp|Copa del Rey}}, the club also faced {{wp|La Liga}} champions {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the {{wp|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.
 
====Sextuple Success====
For the 2013-14 season, Smith once again made a generally promising start, scoring two consecutive braces against {{wp|Real Sociedad}} and {{wp|UD Almería|Almería}} respectively, a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Real Madrid}} and a single goal in a 1-1 draw with {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}} which saw {{wp|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 {{wp|UD Almería|Almería}}, the club proved quick to re-establish their unbeaten streak with a hat-trick from Smith in a 3-3 draw against {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} proving vital in maintaining the aforementioned streak. Moreover, another hat-trick from Smith soon afterward also saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeat {{wp|Real Madrid}} 5-2 and later {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 4-1 on the final day of the season which they eventually came to win to mark their first {{wp|La Liga}} title in almost two decades. In spite of this, hopes for a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} were quickly quashed following a 1-5 defeat to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the semi-finals of the {{wp|Copa del Rey}}. On the other hand, following a hat-trick from Smith that saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} mark a dominant 5-1 win over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the quarter-finals, the club otherwise avenged their initial defeat by triumphing over {{wp|Real Madrid}} in a narrow 2-1 win in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final to mark the third consecutive {{wp|European}} title for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} who later defeated {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 5-4 on penalties in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and also {{wp|CASLA|San Lorenzo}} 4-2 in the {{wp|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 {{wp|Mexican}} side {{wp|Cruz Azul}}. To top it off, the club also won the ensuing {{wp|Supercopa de España}} match, defeating {{wp|Real Madrid}} 4-1 on aggregate.
 
In the following season, Smith started rather brilliantly early on, scoring a hat-trick in the opening match against {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}}, over whom they subsequently won 3-0. However, despite a second hat-trick from Smith on September 27th which saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeat {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 7-0, the club otherwise met their first defeat in the following match against {{wp|Valencia CF|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 {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} while also drawing 2-2 with {{wp|Real Sociedad}} in the process. Then, Smith himself went on to deliver two consecutive hat-tricks that saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeat {{wp|Deportivo La Coruña}} and {{wp|Elche CF|Elche}} 5-0 each while a lone goal from the former also help them to draw 1-1 against {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}}. Moreover, a hat-trick from Smith on January 11th also saw them overcome rivals {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|Granada CF|Granada}} before later following it up with yet another hat-trick in a 7-0 win over {{wp|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 {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} and another one in the final match of the season against {{wp|Granada CF|Granada}}, who {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeated 3-1 and 3-0 respectively to ultimately win the {{wp|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 {{wp|Pichichi Trophy}} as the season's top goalscorer alongside {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}, having also won it the season before over the {{wp|Portuguese}}. In the meantime, with their second consecutive league title win, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} became the first {{wp|Spanish}} club in almost three decades that is neither {{wp|Real Madrid}} nor {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} to win the {{wp|La Liga}} two seasons in a row since {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} last won the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons in a row themselves. On the other hand, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} later found themselves eliminated in the quarter-finals of the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} via a narrow 3-4 loss on aggregate to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} although they soon earned their revenge in a 5-2 win against the latter in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} to claim a record-breaking fourth {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title in a row, making them just one of two clubs alongside {{wp|Real Madrid}} to have won it more than three consecutive times. Then, as per tradition, the club subsequently defeated {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 1-0 in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and later {{wp|Club Atlético River Plate|River Plate}} 5-2 in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} in which Smith scored a brace in the process. Moreover, the club also defeated {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 3-1 in the ensuing {{wp|Supercopa de España}} with Smith himself scoring three goals in total to override their opponents' lone goal through {{wp|Lionel Messi}}.


For the 2012-13 season, his first full season under {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, Smith started off rather promisingly, scoring a hat-trick in a 7-3 win over {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}} along with a goal in a dominant 5-2 win over {{wp|Real Betis}}. Soon enough, despite subsequent losses to {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, Smith himself enjoyed a consistent goalscoring form with 16 goals in 15 appearances that led to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} briefly enjoying a streak of nine unbeaten games. Then, following yet another impressive performance in a narrow 3-4 loss to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} on December 16th, Smith soon scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Celta Vigo}}, followed by another one in a 3-3 draw against {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}}, and a third one which crucially helped them defeat {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}} 4-2. Then, Smith also provided decisive tiebreaking goals against {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} and {{wp|Getafe CF|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 {{wp|Real Madrid}} 4-2 for the first time since arriving in the top {{wp|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 {{wp|Lionel Messi}} whilst {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} finished second with 86 points behind {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|Copa del Rey}} victory that season, during which he scored a hat-trick in the second leg of the round of 16 to defeat {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} 6-0 on aggregate while also contributing one goal of his own in the finals where they defeated {{wp|Real Madrid}} 3-1. Similarly, a 3-2 victory over {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}} saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} win just their second {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title in a row during which a hat-trick from Smith in both legs saw them defeat {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 10-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals while rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}} were otherwise eliminated in the semi-finals by a 4-3 loss on aggregate to runners-up {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}}. Then, a hat-trick from Smith saw them defeat {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} which they duly followed up on by defeating {{wp|Moroccan}} club {{wp|Raja CA|Raja Casablanca}} 5-4 on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Moreover, having won the {{wp|Copa del Rey}}, the club also faced {{wp|La Liga}} champions {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the {{wp|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.
[[File:Scudo2009.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|San Siro}} in {{wp|Milan}}, {{wp|Italy}}, which hosted the {{wp|2017 UEFA Champions League Final}} between {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, with the former subsequently winning the match 4-1 and later going on to achieve a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} in a first for a {{wp|Spanish}} side and the second in {{wp|European}} history after {{wp|Manchester United}}]]
In the following season, 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 {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} on September 12th who {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeated 3-1 to mark another rare victory over the {{wp|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 {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}}, Smith soon scored his first hat-trick of the season in a November 8th fixture against {{wp|Sporting Gijón}} that ended in a 4-0 win, which he followed up on with another brace in a 3-0 win over {{wp|Levante UD|Levante}}, a lone equalising goal in a 1-1 draw with {{wp|Málaga CF|Málaga}}, and a second hat-trick in a dominant 6-0 win over {{wp|UD Las Palmas|Las Palmas}}. Following this, Smith then further provided a lone equalising goal in a 2-2 draw against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} on January 30th, followed by a third hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} and a brace that broke the 0-0 deadlock in a February 21st fixture against {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}} that preceded a 1-0 win over {{wp|Real Madrid}} just six days later. Eventually, a hat-trick, followed by a separate brace from Smith saw the club notably become the third {{wp|Spanish}} side in history to win a season undefeated as they were soon crowned {{wp|La Liga}} champions for a record-breaking third consecutive time while also setting the record for the most points accumulated in a {{wp|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 {{wp|Copa del Rey}} that season, defeating {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|RC Celta de Vigo|Celta Vigo}} which preceded a 4-2 win on penalties in the semi-finals over {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}}. Moreover, in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, a 5-0 demolition of {{wp|PSV Eindhoven}} in the quarter-finals, followed by 3-2 and 4-2 wins over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} and {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively, soon culminated in a 4-1 win over rivals and {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} where Smith, in what was initially his final appearance for the club, scored a decisive 51th-minute hat-trick to deliver a record-breaking fifth consecutive {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, a feat it shares with {{wp|Real Madrid}}, while also notably becoming the first {{wp|Spanish}} side to achieve a domestic treble. In this, despite an initial plan to retire at that exact moment, after he was reportedly spurred by the likely possibility of the club achieving a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}, Smith opted to renew his contract with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} for a further three years with the new concrete aim of retiring and celebrating his impending fortieth birthday with his {{wp|La Liga}} teammates and head coach {{wp|Diego Simeone}}. To that end, Smith went on to score a hat-trick to demolish {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 6-0 in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and also {{wp|Kashima Antlers}} 6-0 in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}. Likewise, three goals from Smith also saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} comfortably defeat {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 6-2 to win the {{wp|Supercopa de España}}, thereby officially making the club only the second {{wp|European}} side after {{wp|Manchester United}} and the first {{wp|Spanish}} side in history to achieve a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}, a feat that neither {{wp|Real Madrid}} nor {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} was able to achieve during their respective heydays.


====Final Years====
====Final Years====
For the 2013-14 season, Smith once again made a generally promising start, scoring two consecutive braces against {{wp|Real Sociedad}} and {{wp|UD Almería|Almería}} respectively, a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Real Madrid}} and a single goal in a 1-1 draw with {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}} which saw {{wp|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 {{wp|UD Almería|Almería}}, the club proved quick to re-establish their unbeaten streak with a hat-trick from Smith in a 3-3 draw against {{wp|CA Osasuna|Osasuna}} proving vital in maintaining the aforementioned streak. Moreover, another hat-trick from Smith soon afterwards also saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeat {{wp|Real Madrid}} 5-2 and later {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 4-1 on the final day of the season which they eventually came to win to mark their first {{wp|La Liga}} title in almost two decades. Despite this, hopes for a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} were quickly quashed following a 1-5 defeat to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the semi-finals of the {{wp|Copa del Rey}}. On the other hand, following a hat-trick from Smith that saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} mark a dominant 5-1 victory over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the quarter-finals, the club otherwise avenged their initial defeat by triumphing over {{wp|Real Madrid}} in a narrow 2-1 win in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final to mark the third consecutive {{wp|European}} title for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} who later defeated {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 5-4 on penalties in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and also {{wp|CASLA|San Lorenzo}} 4-2 in the {{wp|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 {{wp|Mexican}} side {{wp|Cruz Azul}}. To top it off, the club also won the ensuing {{wp|Supercopa de España}} match, defeating {{wp|Real Madrid}} 4-1 on aggregate.
In his first season since renewing his contract with the club, Smith started off in an expectedly brilliant fashion, scoring a hat-trick in the opening match against {{wp|Deportivo Alavés|Alavés}} which they easily won 3-0. Following this, Smith also provided an additional goal in a 5-0 demolition of {{wp|RC Celta de Vigo|Celta Vigo}} although he otherwise failed to break the 1-1 deadlock against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} afterward. Then, after contributing a couple of assists in a similarly huge 7-1 demolition of {{wp|Granada CF|Granada}} on October 15th, just a week later, Smith proved to be his club's saviour by scoring twice in a narrow 2-1 win over {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}}. Following this, Smith went on to score a hat-trick in two consecutive matches, one of which proved crucial in defeating {{wp|Real Sociedad}} by a rather thin 3-2 margin, although his two subsequent goals proved insufficient to avoid a narrow 2-3 loss to {{wp|Real Madrid}} whose star player {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} scored a memorable hat-trick in the process. On 28 January 2017, in avenging a previous 2-2 draw against {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}}, Smith scored yet another hat-trick to defeat {{wp|Deportivo Alavés|Alavés}} by a similar 3-0 margin as he previously did. Regardless, a subsequent hat-trick in a 4-1 win over {{wp|Real Madrid}}, coupled with a tiebreaking goal on the penultimate day against {{wp|Real Betis|Betis}}, resulted in {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} for a record-breaking fourth season in a row albeit with only two points ahead of runners-up {{wp|Real Madrid}}. Meanwhile, in the {{wp|Copa del Rey}}, despite scoring thrice to mark a dominant 7-3 win over {{wp|UD Las Palmas|Las Palmas}} in the round of 16, Smith otherwise proved unsuccessful in leading {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to the finals courtesy of a narrow 2-3 loss on aggregate to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the semi-finals. Regardless, in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, a crucial pair of goals from Smith saw the club top their group unbeaten and ahead of {{wp|Bundesliga}} giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in second place, something that he promptly capitalised upon with a hat-trick that saw them further defeat another {{wp|German}} side {{wp|Bayer Leverkusen}} 7-2 on aggregate in the round of 16. Then, after further helping to demolish surprise {{wp|English}} champions {{wp|Leicester City}} in the quarter-finals, in what was later described as one of the most dramatic pre-final confrontations in the tournament, Smith once again showed his importance to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} by scoring twice in the first leg, thereby mitigating the effects of a {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} hat-trick, and once in the second leg to dramatically defeat their arch rivals 5-4 on aggregate to progress to the finals for a record-breaking sixth consecutive time where a hat-trick from Smith in extra-time, aided by goals from {{wp|Kevin Gameiro}} and {{wp|Gabi (footballer, born 1983)|Gabi}}, saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} clinch their sixth consecutive {{wp|European}} title via a 5-1 win over {{wp|Serie A}} side {{wp|Juventus}}. In this, Smith himself both broke his own record of 22 goals scored in a {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} season and also set a new record of 29 goals while his eleven goals scored in the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} in that same season is also his new personal best. As per tradition, courtesy of being {{wp|European}} champions, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} subsequently faced the {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners which in this case was Smith's former club {{wp|Manchester United}} which was now spearheaded at the front by {{wp|Romelu Lukaku}} and {{wp|Zlatan Ibrahimović}}. Eventually, the dramatic reunion, which is also the first and only time that Smith ever faced {{wp|Manchester United}} since his departure, ended in a 3-1 win for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} who later proceeded to defeat the {{wp|Emirati}} side {{wp|Al Jazira Club|Al Jazira}} and the {{wp|Brazilian}} club {{wp|Grêmio FBPA|Grêmio}}, with the latter especially succumbing to a 5-0 loss in which both {{wp|Kevin Gameiro}} and {{wp|Saúl Ñíguez}} scored twice to complete the 5-0 rout. Meanwhile, in a dramatic and tense affair that was particularly evident in the second leg, a brace from Smith saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} narrowly prevail and emerge victorious to defeat {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 7-5 in spite of a spirited second-half comeback by the latter who came close to equalising with their opponents and forcing the game into extra time.


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 {{wp|Rayo Vallecano}}, over whom they subsequently won 3-0. However, despite a second hat-trick from Smith on September 27th which saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeat {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 7-0, the club otherwise met their first defeat in the following match against {{wp|Valencia CF|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 {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} while also drawing 2-2 with {{wp|Real Sociedad}} in the process. Then, Smith himself went on to deliver two consecutive hat-tricks that saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeat {{wp|Deportivo La Coruña}} and {{wp|Elche CF|Elche}} 5-0 each while a lone goal from the former also help them to draw 1-1 against {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}}. Moreover, a hat-trick from Smith on January 11th also saw them overcome rivals {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|Granada CF|Granada}} before later following it up with yet another hat-trick in a 7-0 win over {{wp|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 {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} and another one in the final match of the season against {{wp|Granada CF|Granada}}, who {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeated 3-1 and 3-0 respectively to ultimately win the {{wp|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 {{wp|Pichichi Trophy}} as the season's top goalscorer alongside {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}, having also won it the season before over the {{wp|Portuguese}}. In the meantime, with their second consecutive league title win, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} became the first {{wp|Spanish}} club in almost three decades that is neither {{wp|Real Madrid}} nor {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} to win the {{wp|La Liga}} two seasons in a row since {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} last won the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons in a row themselves. On the other hand, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} otherwise found itself eliminated in the quarter-finals of the {{wp|Copa del Rey}} via a narrow 3-4 loss on aggregate to {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} although they soon earned their revenge in a 5-2 win against the latter in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} to claim a record-breaking fourth {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title in a row, making them just one of two clubs alongside {{wp|Real Madrid}} to have won it more than three consecutive times. Then, as per tradition, the club subsequently defeated {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 1-0 in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and later {{wp|Club Atlético River Plate|River Plate}} 5-2 in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} in which Smith scored a brace in the process. Moreover, the club also defeated {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 3-1 in the ensuing {{wp|Supercopa de España}} with Smith himself scoring three goals in total to override their opponents' lone goal through {{wp|Lionel Messi}}.
For his second post-renewal season, Smith once more made a positive start, scoring a hat-trick in a dominant 8-1 win over {{wp|UD Las Palmas|Las Palmas}} following a 2-2 draw with {{wp|Girona FC|Girona}} on the opening match. Then, amidst failures to break the deadlock against clubs such as {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} and {{wp|CD Leganés|Leganés}}, Smith, having scored a brace in an otherwise convincing 4-0 win over {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} on September 23rd, proved his worth once again by scoring a hat-trick in an October 15th fixture against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} which they consequently won 4-1. Likewise, on November 18th, arch-rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}} were also defeated convincingly by a 2-0 scoreline, followed by {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} then convincingly defeating both {{wp|Levante UD|Levante}} and {{wp|Real Sociedad}} by five goals each. However, a shock 0-1 loss to {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}} on December 22nd brought an end to their unbeaten streak and briefly blunted their momentum before the club promptly rebounded with two consecutive 2-0 victories in which Smith himself scored once to mark a 2-0 win over {{wp|SD Eibar|Eibar}}. In this, Smith also scored a tiebreaking goal to mark a 2-1 win over {{wp|Girona FC|Girona}}, thereby avenging the previous stalemate. Afterward, Smith himself went on to display a consistent promising performance throughout, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over {{wp|UD Las Palmas|Las Palmas}}, one goal in a 2-0 win over {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}}, and most crucially, a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over rivals {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} who initially led early on via {{wp|Lionel Messi}} before {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} promptly replied through their own star forward. In the end, despite a slight decline in form throughout the closing matches of the season, by just one point ahead of runners-up {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} emerged victorious for the fifth season in a row. Meanwhile, in the {{wp|Copa del Rey}}, aside from scoring once in a dominant 8-0 win over {{wp|Lleida Esportiu}}, Smith also crucially contributed a hat-trick and an additional goal to narrowly defeat {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 6-5 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, a feat which he followed up on with an additional goal to complete an 8-0 rout of {{wp|CD Leganés|Leganés}}. Meanwhile, in the ensuing finals at {{wp|Metropolitano Stadium|Estadio de los Santos}}, despite taking the lead early on, {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} were ultimately defeated by {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} 3-7 in which Smith's hat-trick perfectly complemented goals from teammates {{wp|Antoine Griezmann}}, {{wp|Yannick Carrasco}}, and {{wp|Saúl Ñíguez}} who notably scored twice in the match to claim their first {{wp|Copa del Rey}} title after a two-year interruption. Meanwhile, after easily cruising past {{wp|Shakhtar Donetsk}} via a 7-1 win on aggregate, Smith and {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} were once again drawn against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the quarter-finals where in a dramatic turn of events they managed to overturn {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}'s initial 3-1 lead from the first leg into a stunning 8-3 comeback win on aggregate with where a brace from Smith was otherwise overshadowed by a hat-trick from club captain {{wp|Koke (footballer, born 1992)|Koke}}. Following this, a solo hat-trick from Smith saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} comfortably eliminate their {{wp|English}} opponents {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} in the semi-finals, thereby setting the stage for another clash with arch-rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}}. In this, a seemingly inevitable Smith hat-trick which complemented goals from teammates {{wp|Nicolás Gaitán}}, {{wp|Saúl Ñíguez}}, and {{wp|Koke (footballer, born 1992)|Koke}} saw {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} once again emerge victorious to claim their now seventh {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title. In this, the club then went on to defeat {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Olympique de Marseille}} and also the {{wp|Emirati}} club {{wp|Al Ain FC|Al Ain}} 4-1 in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} respectively, thereby making the {{wp|Supercopa de España}} the only tournament left to win for a second historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}. For this purpose, {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} were once again drawn against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} where a hat-trick from Smith resulted in a 3-3 draw, hence leading to a penalty shootout which they ultimately won 4-1, thereby officially confirming a second {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} for the club with head coach {{wp|Diego Simeone}}, in turn, becoming the only manager to achieve the feat twice and with the same club whereas Smith now holds three {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} achievements to his name, the single-most for any player.  


[[File:Scudo2009.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|San Siro}} in {{wp|Milan}}, {{wp|Italy}}, which hosted the {{wp|2017 UEFA Champions League Final}} between {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, with the former subsequently winning the match 4-1 and later going on to achieve a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} in a first for a {{wp|Spanish}} side and the second in {{wp|European}} history after {{wp|Manchester United}}]]
For his final season with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, Smith kickstarted his final run with the club with a brace in a September fixture against {{wp|Celta Vigo}} which consequently ended in a 2-2 draw. Then, on September 15th, Smith scored his first hat-trick of the season to deliver a 4-1 win over {{wp|SD Eibar|Eibar}} which was followed by a comfortable 2-0 win over {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} a week later. However, after scoring yet another hat-trick against {{wp|SD Huesca|Huesca}}, Smith instead failed to break the deadlock against arch-rivals {{wp|Real Madrid}}, a shortcoming that he compensated for with a tiebreaking goal in a 2-1 win over {{wp|FC Barcelona}} on November 24th. Then, on December 8th, a third hat-trick from Smith completed a dominant 6-0 win over {{wp|Deportivo Alavés|Alavés}} and a similarly dominant 4-0 win over {{wp|RCD Espanyol|Espanyol}} which was also thanks to another of Smith's hat-tricks. Then, despite subsequent losses to {{wp|Real Betis}} and {{wp|Real Madrid}}, the club proved quick to find their winning ways once more with Smith personally contributing two goals to a 4-0 win over {{wp|Real Sociedad}}. On 16 March 2019, a Smith hat-trick allowed {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to mark a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|Athletic Bilbao}} although they were otherwise defeated by {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} 2-0 in the following month, a setback that, as Smith scored his last couple of goals in a 4-2 win over {{wp|Levante UD|Levante}} on the final day, proved not enough to deny {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} their last and sixth consecutive {{wp|La Liga}} title under Smith. Meanwhile, in the {{wp|Copa del Rey}}, after scoring a valuable hat-trick to defeat {{wp|Girona FC|Girona}} 7-4 on aggregate in the round of 16, Smith also provided an additional but nonetheless crucial goal to see off {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the quarter-finals via a 4-2 win on aggregate, thereby drawing them once again with {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} where a hat-trick and two further goals from Smith resulted in {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}'s elimination via a 4-8 loss on aggregate, thereby clearing them to the finals where they narrowly defeated a defiant {{wp|Valencia CF|Valencia}} 3-2 with Smith's tiebreaking goal complementing earlier goals from {{wp|Antoine Griezmann}} and {{wp|Thomas Partey}}. Meanwhile, in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, Smith was unexpectedly reunited with his old rival {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} who now plays for the {{wp|Italian}} side {{wp|Juventus}}, having made a dramatic move from his longtime club {{wp|Real Madrid}}. In this, a hat-trick from Smith in the first leg proved sufficient to offset the consequences of a hat-trick in the second leg from {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo|Ronaldo}} himself whose club was therefore eliminated via a 3-5 loss on aggregate. Following this, the club then faced {{wp|Dutch}} heavyweights {{wp|AFC Ajax|Ajax}} whom Smith and his teammates worked well and swiftly to demolish by an impressive 13-0 on aggregate during which {{wp|Diego Costa}} secured a hat-trick of his own as did Smith as well. Consequently, the club then faced {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, a club that Smith would later manage himself, with the occasion gaining much coverage from the media who quickly framed it as a "battle" between two of {{wp|England}}'s captains, namely Smith himself and {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|Harry Kane}}. In the end, a hat-trick from Smith, coupled with a brace from {{wp|José María Giménez|José Giménez}}, and a few other goals by {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} players saw the seven-time {{wp|European}} champions demolish their {{wp|English}} opponents by 8-1 on aggregate, thereby resulting in a final against {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} on {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s home ground, a circumstance that was well exploited by the players with Smith himself going on to score his final hat-trick and last few official goals for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} who, thanks to an additional penalty goal by {{wp|Diego Costa}}, successfully defeated {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} 4-1 to claim their eight consecutive {{wp|European}} title.  
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 {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} on September 12th who {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeated 3-1 to mark another rare victory over the {{wp|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 {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}}, Smith soon scored his first hat-trick of the season in a November 8th fixture against {{wp|Sporting Gijón}} that ended in a 4-0 win, which he followed up on with another brace in a 3-0 win over {{wp|Levante UD|Levante}}, a lone equalising goal in a 1-1 draw with {{wp|Málaga CF|Málaga}}, and a second hat-trick in a dominant 6-0 win over {{wp|UD Las Palmas|Las Palmas}}. Following this, Smith then further provided a lone equalising goal in a 2-2 draw against {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} on January 30th, followed by a third hat-trick in a 4-0 win over {{wp|Getafe CF|Getafe}} and a brace that broke the 0-0 deadlock in a February 21st fixture against {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}} that preceded a 1-0 win over {{wp|Real Madrid}} just six days later. Eventually, a hat-trick, followed by a separate brace from Smith in his penultimate {{wp|La Liga}} appearance for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} which saw the club notably become the third {{wp|Spanish}} side in history to win a season undefeated as they were soon crowned {{wp|La Liga}} champions for a record-breaking third consecutive time while also setting the record for the most points accumulated in a {{wp|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 {{wp|Copa del Rey}} that season, defeating {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|RC Celta de Vigo|Celta Vigo}} which preceded a 4-2 win on penalties in the semi-finals over {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}}. Moreover, in the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, a 5-0 demolition of {{wp|PSV Eindhoven}} in the quarter-finals, followed by 3-2 and 4-2 wins over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} and {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively, soon culminated in a 4-1 win over rivals and {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|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 {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, a feat it shares with {{wp|Real Madrid}}, while also notably becoming the first {{wp|Spanish}} side to achieve a domestic treble which the club soon upgraded into a historic {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} through a 3-0 win over {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, 4-0 over {{wp|Kashima Antlers}} in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, and lastly, a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} in the {{wp|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 {{wp|Camp Nou}} to become the first {{wp|Spanish}} and just the second {{wp|European}} club after {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson}}'s {{wp|Manchester United}} to achieve a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}. In the midst of this, despite having officially left the club after their record-breaking fifth consecutive {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} glory, Smith was nonetheless later awarded a winner's medal by manager {{wp|Diego Simeone}} for the club's subsequent triumphs in his absence, thereby making him the only player to have officially achieved a {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}} with two different clubs. Moreover, in a major personal milestone, his hat-trick against {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the {{wp|2016 UEFA Champions League Final}} marked Smith's official 400th goal for the club, being the only player to do so in its history.


{{Quote box
{{Quote box
  |quote  = "Without a doubt, {{wp|Real Madrid}} can say they have {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} can say they have {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. In the end, we had William Smith and judging by our successes and the {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuple}}, we were the lucky ones and the others couldn't necessarily say the same"
  |quote  = "Without a doubt, {{wp|Real Madrid}} can say they have {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}} can say they have {{wp|Lionel Messi}}. In the end, we had William Smith, and judging by our successes and the multiple {{wp|sextuple (association football)|sextuples}}, we were the lucky ones and the others couldn't necessarily say the same"
  |author = Longtime {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} captain {{wp|Koke (footballer, born 1992)|Koke}} on Smith's impact at the club
  |author = {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} captain {{wp|Koke (footballer, born 1992)|Koke}} on Smith's impact at the club
  |source =  
  |source =  
  |width  = 50%
  |width  = 50%
  |align  = left
  |align  = right
}}
}}
By the time he departed the club, having scored 241 goals in 208 appearances, Smith had officially become the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, surpassing the previous record of 172 goals by {{wp|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 {{wp|Luis Aragonés}}"''. Later on, in his 2019 autobiography ''{{wp|Pride, Technicality, Success}}'', Smith revealed that just prior to his move to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, he was initially asked by {{wp|Manchester United}} chairman {{wp|Avram Glazer}} to agree to a world-record transfer fee to {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}} whose president {{wp|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 {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} from {{wp|Manchester United}} in a similar record-breaking transfer. However, having personally found himself attracted to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s "underdog" status while otherwise finding {{wp|Real Madrid}}'s dominant status in the {{wp|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 {{wp|England}} international {{wp|David Beckham}} also once attempted to convince Smith to return to {{wp|Major League Soccer}} side {{wp|LA Galaxy}} in a move that would have seen him reunite with his boyhood club while also joining the likes of {{wp|David Beckham|Beckham}} himself and former {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|USMNT}} teammates {{wp|Landon Donovan}} and {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} was nearing its final year, rumours arose that Smith would be returning to {{wp|LA Galaxy}} for one final season before officially hanging up his boots although this never ultimately came to fruition with rumours later suggesting that {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, hoping to not lose a clearly aging but nonetheless capable player for nothing, was intent on pressuring {{wp|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 {{wp|French}} club {{wp|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 {{wp|Brazilian}} forward {{wp|Neymar}} from {{wp|La Liga}} side {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}. Later on, Smith himself even publicly joked about rumours of him joining the {{wp|Ligue 1}} side, stating, ''"I'll rather join {{wp|Manchester City}} or {{wp|Real Madrid}}, my former clubs' rivals, than joining {{wp|Paris Saint-Germain|PSG}}"''.
By the time of his departure from the club, having scored 328 goals in 302 appearances, Smith had long officially become the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, surpassing the previous record of 172 goals by {{wp|Luis Aragonés}}, to whom Smith subsequently paid a personal tribute upon breaking the latter's goalscoring 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 {{wp|Luis Aragonés}}"''. In the meantime, his total goal tally also notably makes him {{wp|La Liga}}'s second-highest all-time goalscorer, becoming the only {{wp|English}} or {{wp|American}} player to be included in the top ten in a list mostly dominated by {{wp|Spanish}} players and led in the top three by Smith, {{wp|Lionel Messi}} and {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} respectively. Among club supporters, Smith is popularly known by the nickname of '''"''San Guillermo''"''' ("Saint William") as a tribute to his extraordinary successes with the club similar to how former longtime {{wp|Real Madrid}} goalkeeper {{wp|Iker Casillas}} is popularly known as '''"''San Iker''"''' ("Saint Iker") among the club's fans. In addition, some supporters have also nicknamed him '''"''Hijo del Atlético''"''' which translates to "Son of Atlético". Meanwhile, as a gesture of respect, Smith is at times informally addressed as "Generalissimo", an {{wp|Italian}} term used to denote a military rank even higher than a {{wp|field marshal}}, in line with Smith's well-known militaristic persona.


==International Career==
==International Career==
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In 1999, two years into his career as a professional footballer for {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, Smith, by virtue of his fast-rising popularity and talent, was called up for the {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|under-20 national team}}, with the national call-up proving vital in exposing Smith to his first-ever international tournament, namely the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}} in {{wp|Nigeria}}. It was later reported that the callup, at least initially, was opposed by Smith's mother, the actress {{wp|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.
In 1999, two years into his career as a professional footballer for {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, Smith, by virtue of his fast-rising popularity and talent, was called up for the {{wp|United States men's national under-20 soccer team|under-20 national team}}, with the national call-up proving vital in exposing Smith to his first-ever international tournament, namely the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}} in {{wp|Nigeria}}. It was later reported that the callup, at least initially, was opposed by Smith's mother, the actress {{wp|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 {{wp|England}}, {{wp|Japan}}, and {{wp|Cameroon}}, Smith quickly made his mark for the national team by scoring a brace in the first group stage match against {{wp|England}}, although this was then followed by a 1-3 defeat to {{wp|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 {{wp|United States}} against {{wp|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 {{wp|Spain}} in the round of 16 after which the {{wp|United States}} proceeded to defeat the {{wp|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 {{wp|Nigeria}} in the quarter-finals, Smith scored his second hat-trick for the {{wp|United States}} to complete a dominant 6-0 win over {{wp|Mali}} in the ensuing semi-finals, thereby allowing them to progress to the finals where they faced {{wp|Japan}}. In this, after a relatively long period which saw both the {{wp|United States}} and {{wp|Japan}} unsuccessfully attempt to score against the other, at precisely the 76th minute, Smith, shortly after having dribbled past several {{wp|Japanese}} players, proceeded to score a powerful long-range shot from just outside of the penalty area, giving the {{wp|United States}} a vital breakthrough in the last few minutes of the game amidst subsequent unsuccessful attempts by {{wp|Japan}} to equalise the scoreline. Soon enough, having personally contributed to the {{wp|United States}}' first-ever {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup|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 {{wp|World Cup}} winner" especially so given that just a year prior the {{wp|United States}} suffered a humiliating exit in the group stages from the {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|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"''.
Soon enough, having been grouped with the likes of {{wp|England}}, {{wp|Japan}}, and {{wp|Cameroon}}, Smith quickly made his mark for the national team by scoring a brace in the first group stage match against {{wp|England}} although this was then followed by a 1-3 defeat to {{wp|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 {{wp|United States}} against {{wp|Cameroon}} in a 6-0 win. Not long afterward, a late 93rd-minute goal from Smith proved vital in avoiding a narrow 2-3 defeat to {{wp|Spain}} in the round of 16 following which the {{wp|United States}} proceeded to defeat the {{wp|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 {{wp|Nigeria}} in the quarter-finals, Smith scored his second hat-trick for the {{wp|United States}} to complete a dominant 6-0 win over {{wp|Mali}} in the ensuing semi-finals, thereby allowing them to progress to the finals where they faced {{wp|Japan}}. In this, after a relatively long period which saw both the {{wp|United States}} and {{wp|Japan}} unsuccessfully attempt a tiebreaker, at precisely the 76th minute, Smith, shortly proceeded to dribble past several {{wp|Japanese}} players before unleashing a powerful long-range shot from just outside of the penalty area to give the {{wp|United States}} a vital breakthrough in the closing minutes of the game amidst subsequent unsuccessful attempt by {{wp|Japan}} to level the scores. Soon enough, having personally contributed to the {{wp|United States}}' first-ever {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup|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 {{wp|World Cup}} winner" especially so given that just a year prior the {{wp|United States}} suffered a humiliating exit in the group stages of the {{wp|1998 FIFA World Cup}}.  


===United States===
===United States===
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}}
}}
In the following year, by then a talent-proven soccer player in the {{wp|Major League Soccer}} scene, and most recently, the winner of the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}}, Smith was officially called up for his first-ever international duty as part of the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}}, with then-manager {{wp|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 {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Japan}} and {{wp|South Korea}}. On 16 January 2000, Smith made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against {{wp|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 {{wp|United States}} a 3-1 victory over their {{wp|Iranian}} opponents. Then, around a month later, for the {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup}} tournament, Smith, who initially did not score in the first two matches against {{wp|Haiti}} and {{wp|Peru}} respectively, went on to score a hat-trick, his first-ever for the {{wp|United States}}' senior team, in the quarter-final match against {{wp|Colombia}}, allowing the {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Canada}}, whose initial 1-0 lead was consequently overturned as a result, proved to be the decisive factor that awarded the {{wp|United States}} their second {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}} title. Then, just a year later, as a regular starter for the {{wp|United States}}, Smith famously contributed two consecutive hat-tricks in the knockout stages to deal a 5-0 and a 5-1 defeat to {{wp|France}} and {{wp|Japan}} respectively, allowing the {{wp|United States}} to also win their first-ever {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}} tournament. Soon enough, with a year left until the upcoming {{wp|World Cup}} tournament, Smith was named the {{wp|United States}}' new team captain, becoming the youngest-ever {{wp|American}} captain in history at just twenty-two.
In the following year, by then a talent-proven soccer player in the {{wp|Major League Soccer}} scene, and most recently, the winner of the {{wp|1999 FIFA World Youth Championship}}, Smith was officially called up for his first-ever international duty as part of the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}}, with then-manager {{wp|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 {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Japan}} and {{wp|South Korea|Korea}}. On 16 January 2000, Smith made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against {{wp|Iran}} where following an initial 1-1 deadlock between the two sides Smith proceeded to score two goals throughout the second half, ultimately giving the {{wp|United States}} a 3-1 win over their opponents. Then, around a month later, for the {{wp|2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup}} tournament, Smith, who initially did not score in the first two matches against {{wp|Haiti}} and {{wp|Peru}} respectively, went on to score a hat-trick, his first-ever for the {{wp|United States}}' senior team, in the quarter-final match against {{wp|Colombia}}, allowing the {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Canada}}, whose initial 1-0 lead was consequently overturned as a result, proved to be the decisive factor that awarded the {{wp|United States}} their second {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}} title. Then, just a year later, as a regular starter for the {{wp|United States}}, Smith famously contributed two consecutive hat-tricks in the knockout stages to demolish both {{wp|France}} and {{wp|Japan}} 5-0 and 5-1 respectively, allowing the {{wp|United States}} to also win their first-ever {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}} tournament. Soon enough, with only a year left until the upcoming {{wp|World Cup}} tournament, Smith was named the {{wp|United States}}' new team captain, becoming the youngest-ever {{wp|American}} captain in history at just twenty-two. Almost immediately, his public profile rose considerably among the {{wp|American}} media with {{wp|ESPN}}, noting Smith's physical attractiveness, beginning to refer to him as "{{wp|America}}'s {{wp|David Beckham}}".


[[File:Nissan International Stadium Yokohama.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Nissan Stadium (Yokohama)|Nissan Stadium}} in {{wp|Yokohama}}, {{wp|Japan}}, which hosted the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}} and which saw the {{wp|United States}} achieve a historic 5-0 win over {{wp|Brazil}} to lift their first and only {{wp|World Cup}} title to date]]
[[File:Nissan International Stadium Yokohama.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Nissan Stadium (Yokohama)|Nissan Stadium}} in {{wp|Yokohama}}, {{wp|Japan}}, which hosted the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}} and which saw the {{wp|United States}} achieve a historic 5-0 win over {{wp|Brazil}} to lift their first and only {{wp|World Cup}} title to date]]
In the following year of 2002, Smith saw further success when the {{wp|United States}} went on to win their second consecutive {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}} tournament, defeating {{wp|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 {{wp|Canada}} in the semi-finals that was later settled on penalties. Soon enough, for the group stage matches in the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}, Smith became a regular presence for the {{wp|United States}}, scoring twice in a 5-2 win over {{wp|Portugal}} and a crucial goal in a 1-1 draw with {{wp|South Korea}} thereby allowing the {{wp|Americans}} to advance to the knockout stages despite a subsequent 1-3 loss to {{wp|Poland}}. In the ensuing round of 16, Smith provided one additional goal to complete a 3-0 rout of {{wp|Mexico}} before following it up with a crucial hat-trick to complete a remarkable 3-1 win over {{wp|Germany}} thereby allowing them to progress further to the semi-finals for just the second time in almost seventy years where the {{wp|United States}} dealt co-hosts {{wp|South Korea}} a heavy 5-2 defeat to then reach a {{wp|World Cup}} final for the first time ever. In this, Smith's individual brilliance, coupled with rigid and resolute defending from the {{wp|American}} defenders, saw the {{wp|United States}} achieve a historic 5-0 victory over a star-studded {{wp|Brazil national football team|Brazil national team}} consisting of the likes of goalkeeper {{wp|Marcos (footballer, born 1973)|Marcos}}, defenders {{wp|Cafu}} and {{wp|Roberto Carlos}}, and forwards {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Ronaldinho}}, in what later came to be nicknamed by {{wp|Brazilians}} as the "Yokohama Disaster", given the heavy-handed nature of their national team's unexpected and shock defeat, while {{wp|American}} supporters otherwise came to refer to it as the "June 30th Miracle", a term that was even echoed by then-manager {{wp|Bruce Arena}} who later said, ''"Under normal circumstances, with the players that {{wp|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 that the {{wp|United States}} has ever won a {{wp|World Cup}} trophy since they first participated in the tournament in its inaugural {{wp|1930 FIFA World Cup|1930}} edition, where they finished in third place behind {{wp|Uruguay}} and {{wp|Argentina}}, their highest-ever finish in the tournament prior to their victory in the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup|2002}} edition. In the meantime, his 75th-minute hat-trick saw Smith become just the second player after {{wp|England}}'s {{wp|Geoff Hurst}} to score a hat-trick in a {{wp|World Cup}} final as well as the only {{wp|American}} player to do so in what was the country's only appearance to date in a {{wp|World Cup}} final.   
Following this, in 2002, Smith saw further success by winning a second consecutive {{wp|CONCACAF Gold Cup}} with the {{wp|United States}} with his most notable contributions being a brace in a 6-0 win over {{wp|El Salvador}} in the quarter-finals and a hat-trick in the finals that saw the {{wp|Americans}} demolish {{wp|Costa Rica}} 5-0 at the {{wp|Rose Bowl (stadium)|Rose Bowl}} in {{wp|Pasadena}}, {{wp|California}}. Soon enough, for the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}'s group stage fixtures, Smith was a steady and dominant presence for the {{wp|United States}}, scoring twice in a 5-2 win over {{wp|Portugal}} and a crucial equalising goal in a 1-1 draw with {{wp|South Korea|Korea}}, thereby allowing the {{wp|Americans}} to advance to the knockout stages despite a subsequent 1-3 loss to {{wp|Poland}} in the final group stage match. In the ensuing round of 16, Smith provided one additional goal to complete a 3-0 rout of neighbours {{wp|Mexico}} before following it up with a crucial hat-trick to complete a remarkable 3-1 comeback win over {{wp|Germany}}, thereby allowing them to progress further to the semi-finals for just the second time in almost seventy years where the {{wp|United States}} dealt co-hosts {{wp|South Korea|Korea}} a heavy 5-2 defeat to then reach a {{wp|World Cup}} final for the first time ever. In this, Smith's individual brilliance, coupled with resolute defending from the {{wp|American}} backline in an effective 4-4-2 counter-attacking system set up by head coach {{wp|Bruce Arena}}, saw the {{wp|United States}} achieve a historic 5-0 victory over a star-studded {{wp|Brazil national football team|Brazilian national team}} consisting of the likes of goalkeeper {{wp|Marcos (footballer, born 1973)|Marcos}}, defenders {{wp|Cafu}} and {{wp|Roberto Carlos}}, midfielders {{wp|Rivaldo}} and {{wp|Kaká}}, and forwards {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Ronaldinho}}, in what later came to be nicknamed by {{wp|Brazilians}} as the ''"Desastre de Yokohama"'' ({{wp|English}}: "Yokohama Disaster") given the heavy-handed and unexpected nature of their national team's defeat while {{wp|American}} supporters otherwise came to refer to it as the "June 30th Miracle", a term that was even echoed by then-manager {{wp|Bruce Arena}} who later said during the post-match press conference, ''"Under normal circumstances, with the players that {{wp|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 that the {{wp|United States}}, as the first and only {{wp|CONCACAF}} member state to do so, has ever won a {{wp|World Cup}} trophy since they first participated in the tournament in its inaugural {{wp|1930 FIFA World Cup|1930}} edition where they finished in third place behind {{wp|Uruguay}} and {{wp|Argentina}}, their highest-ever finish in the tournament prior to their victory in the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup|2002}} edition. In the meantime, his 75th-minute hat-trick saw Smith become just the second player after {{wp|England}}'s {{wp|Geoff Hurst}} to score a hat-trick in a {{wp|World Cup}} final as well as the only {{wp|American}} player to do so in what is the country's only appearance to date in a {{wp|World Cup}} final.   
 
Shortly afterwards, despite later suddenly announcing that the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} would be his first and only {{wp|World Cup}} tournament with the {{wp|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 {{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in which a hat-trick from the former in the finals saw the {{wp|United States}} deliver a 3-1 defeat to {{wp|Costa Rica}}, who beforehand had recorded an unexpected 3-0 victory over {{wp|France}} in the semi-finals, thereby securing a second consecutive win in the {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}}, with the {{wp|United States}} itself becoming the first nation to win the tournament twice in a row, followed by {{wp|Brazil}} afterwards. In the end, amidst much speculation and expectation that he would retire from the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}}, Smith announced his much-anticipated departure that would precede a subsequent move to {{wp|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 {{wp|World Cup}} or reach the same heights as they previously did, has led many {{wp|American}} sports commentators to describe it as a "watershed moment" for the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}} with then-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|George W. Bush}} stating in a remark made shortly after learning of Smith's signing for {{wp|Manchester United}} and transfer to {{wp|England}}, ''"While I would personally wish Mr. Smith all the best and good luck for his future as a soccer player abroad in {{wp|England}}, it is absolutely undeniable that his departure has been a tragedy and a loss for {{wp|American}} soccer as a whole, for {{wp|America}} has arguably lost its greatest and most talented soccer player of all time"''. Similarly, former {{wp|LA Galaxy}} and {{wp|United States}} teammate {{wp|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 {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}, Smith, along with other players in the national team, were each awarded a {{wp|Presidential Medal of Freedom}} by then-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|George W. Bush}}, although Smith himself later chose to personally return the award given to him following the controversial {{wp|US}}-led {{wp|2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion}} of {{wp|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-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|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 {{wp|United States Soccer Federation}} headquarters in {{wp|Chicago}}, {{wp|Illinois}}. Moreover, {{wp|American}} supporters and fans are known to have famously nicknamed Smith "Captain America" in recognition of his success with the national team at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} coupled with his pre-eminent status in the {{wp|American}} soccer scene as perhaps its most talented and most successful player ever with no other {{wp|American}} soccer player in history capable of equalising the former in terms of success and recognition, a view shared by former soccer player {{wp|Cobi Jones}} who remarked, ''"The truth is that there were eleven of us that won the {{wp|World Cup}} that year but as it would happen only one will be remembered for generations to come by almost everyone around the world"''.
Later on, despite suddenly announcing that the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} would be his first and only {{wp|World Cup}} tournament with the {{wp|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 {{wp|2003 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in which a hat-trick from the former in the finals saw the {{wp|United States}} deliver a 3-1 defeat to {{wp|Costa Rica}}, who beforehand had recorded an unexpected 3-0 victory over {{wp|France}} in the semi-finals, thereby securing a second consecutive win in the {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup}}, with the {{wp|United States}} itself becoming the first nation to win the tournament twice in a row, followed by {{wp|Brazil}} afterward. In the end, amidst much speculation and expectation that he would retire from the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}}, Smith announced his much-anticipated departure that would precede a subsequent move to {{wp|England}} the following year. Since then, the somewhat abrupt nature of Smith's retirement from the national team, that is at the mere age of twenty-five, coupled with the fact that the national team itself would never go on to win another {{wp|World Cup}} or reach the same heights as they previously did, has led many {{wp|American}} sports commentators to describe it as a "watershed moment" for the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}} who had effectively lost their star player right after a major and historic triumph. Evidently, former {{wp|LA Galaxy}} and {{wp|United States}} teammate {{wp|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"''. Since then, the {{wp|United States}} has failed to progress beyond the round of 16 in subsequent editions during which they were twice eliminated in the group stages in {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup|2006}} and {{wp|2022 FIFA World Cup|2022}}.  


[[File:BA2002.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Former {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|USMNT}} manager {{wp|Bruce Arena}} at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} where he led the country to its first-ever {{wp|World Cup}} title]]
For his success at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}, Smith, along with other players in the national team, were each awarded a {{wp|Presidential Medal of Freedom}} and a lavish state dinner by then-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|George W. Bush}} although Smith himself later chose to personally return the award given to him following the controversial {{wp|US}}-led {{wp|2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion}} of {{wp|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-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Barack Obama}}, shortly after his final {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cup}} triumph that year. In that same year, a bronze statue of Smith, known as the "Captain America Statue", was erected in his honour and currently stands in front of the {{wp|United States Soccer Federation}} headquarters in {{wp|Chicago}}, {{wp|Illinois}}. Moreover, {{wp|American}} supporters and fans are known to have famously nicknamed Smith "Captain America" in recognition of his success with the national team at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} coupled with his pre-eminent status in the {{wp|American}} soccer scene as perhaps its most talented and most successful player ever with no other {{wp|American}} soccer player in history capable of equalising the former in terms of success and recognition, a view shared by former soccer player {{wp|Cobi Jones}} who remarked, ''"The truth is that there were eleven of us that won the {{wp|World Cup}} that year but as it would happen only one will be remembered for generations to come by almost everyone around the world"''. In the meantime, his good looks, coupled with his rise to prominence in the early 2000s, also led some media outlets to nickname him "America's Beckham" in reference to {{wp|English}} footballer {{wp|David Beckham}} who was known both for his talents and his striking looks.
In a 2015 interview with {{wp|CNN}}, former {{wp|United States}} head coach {{wp|Bruce Arena}} revealed that shortly prior to Smith's departure for {{wp|England}}, he, along with then-president of the {{wp|United States Soccer Federation}}, {{wp|Robert Contiguglia}} diligently tried to convince the {{wp|World Cup}}-winning striker to remain with the {{wp|United States}} for the foreseeable future given the uncertainties around the national team's future {{wp|World Cup}} prospects that would follow his departure but to no avail. Ultimately, {{wp|Bruce Arena|Arena}} revealed that Smith "really wanted to leave and not because he didn't necessarily enjoy winning the {{wp|World Cup}} for the {{wp|United States}} but because he wanted to be closer to his [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] in the {{wp|United Kingdom}} and that meant being part of the {{wp|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 {{wp|Sky Sports}} in 2018, Smith revealed that he "absolutely had no intention of staying with neither {{wp|LA Galaxy}} nor with the {{wp|United States}} forever", stating, ''"From the beginning, thanks to what I've learned about football from my [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]], I've always wanted to play for {{wp|Manchester United}}, a club with so much history and a long list of success to speak of. To that end, when I first joined {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, I knew from the start that I was not going to be there forever but eventually at {{wp|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 {{wp|United States}} to the {{wp|England}} national team, Smith remarked, ''"When I would later win a {{wp|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 {{wp|United States}}, stating that the feat of winning a {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|United States Soccer Federation}} president {{wp|Robert Contiguglia}}, who in response to his country's loss of a great talent to another country, was said to have pressured {{wp|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 {{wp|Reuters}}, {{wp|FIFA}} president {{wp|Sepp Blatter}} denied that the organisation was ever pressured to update its rules on players' eligibility by the {{wp|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===
{{Quote box
|quote  = "Regardless of where the player comes from or where he plays football, if he scored a hat-trick against {{wp|Brazil}} in a {{wp|World Cup}} final, he absolutely deserved the award (Ballon d'Or) without question."
|author = Former {{wp|Brazilian}} footballer {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} on Smith winning the {{wp|Ballon d'Or}} in 2002
|source =
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Around November 2002, following his historic success with the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}} at the {{wp|World Cup}} tournament just several months prior, controversy ensued when Smith, who was then playing for a {{wp|North American}} side, was reportedly nominated for the {{wp|Ballon d'Or}} award that same year so as to honour his achievement of winning the {{wp|United States}}' first-ever {{wp|World Cup}} title. Almost immediately, given that the award itself normally featured players who were playing at top {{wp|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 {{wp|Major League Soccer}} to ever win the award, given the league's drastically young age compared to its {{wp|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 {{wp|United States}} that even managed to defeat heavyweights {{wp|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 {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Roberto Carlos}}, with the former pledging to give the award to Smith should he win the award himself, ''{{wp|France Football}}'', which has presented the award since its inception in 1956, announced that players from {{wp|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 {{wp|American}} player to ever win the award. In response, both {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Roberto Carlos}} expressed much support and positive sentiment towards Smith's win, with {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} later stating in a 2015 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, ''"Regardless of where the player comes from or where he plays football, if he scored a hat-trick against {{wp|Brazil}} in a {{wp|World Cup}} final, he absolutely deserved the award (Ballon d'Or) without question"''.


===England===
===England===
{{Quote box
{{Quote box
  |quote  = "If I was going to win a {{wp|World Cup}}, I want it to be with my own [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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."
  |quote  = "If I was going to win a {{wp|World Cup}}, I want it to be with my own [[Thomas, King of the British|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."
  |author = Smith on his decision to switch his international allegiance from the {{wp|United States}} to {{wp|England}}
  |author = Smith on his decision to switch his international allegiance from the {{wp|United States}} to {{wp|England}}
  |source =  
  |source =  
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  |align  = right
  |align  = right
}}
}}
In early 2004, shortly after he had signed for {{wp|Manchester United}} under {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson}}, Smith, who by then was carrying a recent reputation as the winner of the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} during which he famously led the {{wp|United States}} to an infamous 5-0 victory over football giants, {{wp|Brazil}} in the finals, quickly caught the attention of then-{{wp|England}} manager {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}}, who has previously seen his {{wp|England}} side exit that same {{wp|World Cup}} tournament in the quarter-finals beforehand, was said to have been "extremely jubilant than ever" upon learning of Smith's arrival in {{wp|England}} and his departure from the {{wp|United States}} national team. To that end, {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson|Eriksson}} then promptly had {{wp|England}} and {{wp|Manchester United}} midfielder {{wp|David Beckham}} approach Smith so as to convince him to agree to a call-up for the national team, which {{wp|David Beckham|Beckham}} did so shortly after catching sight of the latter at a January 2004 friendly match against {{wp|Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers}}. Almost immediately, the meeting proved to be an instant success, with Smith later making his debut for the {{wp|England}} in a friendly match on 18 February 2004 against {{wp|Portugal}}, an occasion in which Smith himself did not actually score a goal. However, he soon made his impact for {{wp|England national football team|England}} when in an ensuing friendly match against {{wp|Sweden}}, Smith personally orchestrated a dramatic comeback to overcome {{wp|Sweden}}'s initial 1-0 lead by scoring two goals in the second half to ultimately conclude the fixture in {{wp|England}}'s favour with a final 2-1 win.  
In 2004, just shortly after he had signed for {{wp|Manchester United}} under {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson}}, Smith, who had publicly stated his intention of representing {{wp|England}}, was officially declared an {{wp|England}} player by {{wp|FIFA}}, football's governing body. To that end, on 18 February 2004, amidst widespread enthusiasm and anticipation, Smith made his debut in a friendly match against {{wp|Portugal}} that eventually ended in a 1-1 draw with the former unable to score a goal despite registering several attempts on target. However, around a month later, on March 31st, Smith scored his first few goals for {{wp|England}} in a 2-1 win over {{wp|Sweden}} who initially led their opponents by 1-0 via {{wp|Zlatan Ibrahimović}} until a brace from Smith overturned the result in {{wp|England}}'s favour. Then, following a three-month-long break, Smith soon returned to {{wp|England}} to compete in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2004}}, his first {{wp|European}} tournament, in which he first scored a brace in the match against {{wp|France}} in the group stages before following it up with two consecutive hat-tricks against {{wp|Switzerland}} and {{wp|Croatia}} respectively. Once more, in the round of 16 fixture against {{wp|Portugal}}, Smith's late 116th-minute goal, which came around just a minute after an earlier goal by {{wp|Frank Lampard}}, proved vital in breaking the 2-2 deadlock, thereby avoiding an ensuing penalty shootout while allowing {{wp|England}} to progress to the quarter-finals to meet the {{wp|Netherlands}} where they ultimately lost 2-3. However, despite this setback, when later asked by a {{wp|BBC}} journalist over his immediate feelings, Smith famously replied, ''"It's alright, I'm just getting started"'', sparking much attention from the media who immediately noted his high levels of optimism in spite of his country's defeat.
 
Then, following a three-month-long break, Smith soon returned to {{wp|England}} where for the following group stage matches of the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2004}}, he first scored a brace in the match against {{wp|France}}, allowing {{wp|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 {{wp|Switzerland}} and {{wp|Croatia}} respectively, them being his first two hat-tricks for {{wp|England}}. Once more, in the round of 16 fixture against {{wp|Portugal}}, Smith's late 116th-minute goal, which came around just a minute after an earlier goal by {{wp|Frank Lampard}}, proved vital in breaking the 2-2 deadlock, thereby avoiding an ensuing nalty shootout whilst allowing {{wp|England}} to progress to the quarter-finals to meet the {{wp|Netherlands}} to whom they narrowly lost 2-3. However, despite this setback, when later asked by a {{wp|BBC}} journalist over his feelings about the defeat, Smith famously replied, ''"It's alright, I'm just getting started"'', to which several {{wp|British}} media outlets promptly highlighted Smith's "unfazedness" at his national team's defeat with ''{{wp|The Guardian}}'' stating, ''"At just twenty-five years old, the young {{wp|World Cup}} winner seems completely undisturbed and otherwise ever-more motivated by this recent setback not least with the chance for another {{wp|World Cup}} glory just four years after his first one that undoubtedly proved a historic and memorable moment for all and especially for {{wp|England}} waiting for {{wp|World Cup}} glory for over four decades"''.  


[[File:Olympiastadion Berlin Sep-2015.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Olympiastadion (Berlin)|Olympiastadion}} in {{wp|Berlin}}, {{wp|Germany}}, where {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Italy}} 5-2 to win their first {{wp|World Cup}} title in forty years]]
[[File:Olympiastadion Berlin Sep-2015.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Olympiastadion (Berlin)|Olympiastadion}} in {{wp|Berlin}}, {{wp|Germany}}, where {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Italy}} 5-2 to win their first {{wp|World Cup}} title in forty years]]
Despite the {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} setback, in anticipation of the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, Smith, a guaranteed regular starter under manager {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}}, who also appointed him as the new {{wp|England}} captain, succeeding {{wp|David Beckham}} in that position, quickly proved his worth via a series of goals scored in the qualifying campaign for the upcoming {{wp|World Cup}} tournament where almost all of their opponents, save for {{wp|Northern Ireland}}, to whom {{wp|England}} narrowly lost 0-1, were comfortably defeated each time by comfortable margins. Similarly, in the following group stage matches on June 2006, {{wp|England}}, grouped alongside {{wp|Paraguay}}, {{wp|Trinidad and Tobago}}, and {{wp|Sweden}}, easily managed their qualification to the knockout stages with victories against both {{wp|Paraguay}} and {{wp|Trinidad and Tobago}}, while a fixture with {{wp|Sweden}} ended in a 2-2 draw, with {{wp|Joe Cole}} and {{wp|Steven Gerrard}} providing the two {{wp|England}} goals. Then, in the following round of 16, {{wp|England}} comfortably managed a resounding 4-0 victory over {{wp|Ecuador}}, with Smith himself providing his first hat-trick for the national team in the match. However, a 0-0 draw with {{wp|Portugal}} in the following quarter-final match almost saw {{wp|England}}'s journey at the tournament cut short before a remarkable performance by goalkeeper {{wp|Paul Robinson (footballer, born 1979)|Paul Robinson}} during the subsequent penalty shootouts saw {{wp|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 {{wp|France}}, before later adding two goals of his own to complete a 5-2 rout of {{wp|Italy}} in the finals, thereby securing {{wp|England}} their second {{wp|World Cup}} title in history while also ending a forty-year-long trophy drought since their last {{wp|World Cup}} victory in {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup|1966}}, for which he was then appropriately awarded both the {{wp|Golden Ball}} and {{wp|Golden Boot}} awards. Moreover, Smith also personally gained fame for being the first player to win a {{wp|World Cup}} for two different countries, as well as the second to win two consecutive {{wp|World Cup}} trophies after former {{wp|Brazilian}} footballer, {{wp|Pelé}} in 1978 and 1962, which led the {{wp|British}} media to begin dubbing him the "White {{wp|Pelé}}" for his remarkable feat, while others, including {{wp|Sun on Sunday|''The Sun''}} described him as "{{wp|England}}'s long-awaited football {{wp|Messiah}} sent to break {{wp|England}}'s half a century long wait for another {{wp|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 {{wp|Germany}}, who back in {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup|1966}}, as {{wp|West Germany}}, had lost 4-2 to then-hosts {{wp|England}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}} which saw {{wp|England}} famously win its first-ever {{wp|World Cup}} trophy.
Despite the {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} setback, in anticipation of the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, Smith, by now a guaranteed regular starter under manager {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} who had also appointed him as the new {{wp|England}} captain, quickly proved his worth via a series of goals scored in the qualifying campaign for the upcoming {{wp|World Cup}} tournament where almost all of their opponents, save for {{wp|Northern Ireland}}, to whom {{wp|England}} narrowly lost 0-1, were defeated each time by comfortable margins. Similarly, in the following group stage matches on June 2006, {{wp|England}}, grouped alongside {{wp|Paraguay}}, [[West Indies]], and {{wp|Sweden}}, easily managed their qualification to the knockout stages with victories against both {{wp|Paraguay}} and [[West Indies]] while a fixture with {{wp|Sweden}} ended in a 2-2 draw in which {{wp|Joe Cole}} and {{wp|Steven Gerrard}} provided the two {{wp|England}} goals. Then, in the following round of 16, {{wp|England}} comfortably managed a resounding 4-0 victory over {{wp|Ecuador}}, with Smith himself providing his first hat-trick for the national team in the match. However, a 0-0 draw with {{wp|Portugal}} in the following quarter-final match almost saw {{wp|England}}'s journey at the tournament cut short before a remarkable performance by goalkeeper {{wp|Paul Robinson (footballer, born 1979)|Paul Robinson}} during the subsequent penalty shootouts saw {{wp|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 {{wp|France}} before later adding two goals of his own to complete a 5-2 rout of {{wp|Italy}} in the finals, thereby securing {{wp|England}} their first {{wp|World Cup}} title in decades while also ending a forty-year-long trophy drought since their first {{wp|World Cup}} triumph in {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup|1966}}. Moreover, Smith also personally gained fame for being the first player to win a {{wp|World Cup}} for two different countries as well as the second to win two consecutive {{wp|World Cup}} trophies after former {{wp|Brazilian}} footballer {{wp|Pelé}}.  


[[File:Ernst-happel-stadion vienna.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Ernst-Happel-Stadion}} in {{wp|Vienna}}, {{wp|Austria}}, where {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Germany}} 4-2 to win their first-ever {{wp|European}} title in just two years after their first {{wp|World Cup}} title in forty years]]
[[File:Ernst-happel-stadion vienna.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Ernst-Happel-Stadion}} in {{wp|Vienna}}, {{wp|Austria}}, where {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Germany}} 4-2 to win their first-ever {{wp|European}} title in just two years after their first {{wp|World Cup}} title in forty years]]
In 2008, just two years after their historic {{wp|World Cup}} triumph, {{wp|England}}, now led by none other than Smith himself as captain and {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} as manager, saw further success in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2008}}, where after being initially grouped alongside the likes of {{wp|Spain}}, {{wp|Sweden}}, and {{wp|Greece}}, {{wp|England}}, thanks to a resouding 5-3 victory over {{wp|Spain}}, a similarly big 4-1 victory over {{wp|Greece}}, and a narrow 1-0 victory over {{wp|Sweden}}, easily progressed to the following knockout stage, where in the following quarter-final match, thanks to a hat-trick by Smith, {{wp|England}} comfortably defeated their {{wp|Dutch}} opponents 5-3 to meet {{wp|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 {{wp|Germany}}, who initially appeared dominant in the first half with goals from {{wp|Bastian Schweinsteiger}} and {{wp|Christoph Metzelder}} respectively giving them an initial 2-0 lead, was ultimately defeated by a dramatic comeback from {{wp|England}} in the second half, in which Smith's hat-trick, along with an additional goal by midfielder {{wp|James Milner}} allowed {{wp|England}} to overcome their two-goal deficit and ultimately win the tournament outright 4-2, and therefore, the country's first-ever {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} title in the fifty years since the tournament was first held. The following year, as team captain, Smith guided {{wp|England}} to a second-place finish at the {{wp|2009 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in {{wp|South Africa}} where following a 6-4 victory over {{wp|Germany}} in the semi-finals, a 1-3 defeat to {{wp|Brazil}} in the finals forced {{wp|England}} to settle for a second-place finish instead.   
In 2008, just two years after their historic {{wp|World Cup}} triumph, {{wp|England}}, now led by none other than Smith himself as captain and {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} as manager, saw further success in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2008}} where after being initially grouped alongside the likes of {{wp|Spain}}, {{wp|Sweden}}, and {{wp|Greece}}, {{wp|England}}, thanks to a resouding 5-3 victory over {{wp|Spain}}, a similarly huge 4-1 victory over {{wp|Greece}}, and a narrow 1-0 win over {{wp|Sweden}}, easily progressed to the following knockout stage, where in the following quarter-final match, thanks to a hat-trick by Smith, {{wp|England}} comfortably defeated their {{wp|Dutch}} opponents 5-3 to meet {{wp|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, {{wp|Germany}}, despite initially leading by 2-0 through goals from {{wp|Bastian Schweinsteiger}} and {{wp|Christoph Metzelder}}, were ultimately defeated by a dramatic comeback from {{wp|England}} in the second half in which Smith's hat-trick, along with an additional goal by midfielder {{wp|James Milner}} allowed {{wp|England}} to overcome their two-goal deficit and ultimately win the tournament outright 4-2, and therefore, the country's first-ever {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} title, a milestone that was then popularly compared to {{wp|England}}'s inaugural {{wp|World Cup}} glory where they defeated {{wp|West Germany}} 4-2 to win their first {{wp|World Cup}} title. The following year, as team captain, Smith guided {{wp|England}} to a second-place finish at the {{wp|2009 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in {{wp|South Africa}} where following a 6-4 victory over {{wp|Germany}} in the semi-finals, a 1-3 defeat to {{wp|Brazil}} in the finals forced {{wp|England}} to settle for a second-place finish instead.   


[[File:FL2010.jpg|200px|thumb|right|{{wp|England}} and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} midfielder {{wp|Frank Lampard}} whose infamous "ghost goal" in the round of 16 against {{wp|Germany}} was infamously denied by the referee amidst claims pointing to the contrary. {{wp|England}} later went on to win the match 7-6 on penalties following a 4-4 draw courtesy of a hat-trick from Smith]]
[[File:FL2010.jpg|200px|thumb|right|{{wp|England}} and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} midfielder {{wp|Frank Lampard}} whose infamous "ghost goal" in the round of 16 against {{wp|Germany}} was erroneously denied by the referee amidst claims pointing to the contrary. {{wp|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 {{wp|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} triumphs, and despite some challenge in the group stages against the likes of the {{wp|United States}}, {{wp|Algeria}}, and {{wp|Slovenia}}, {{wp|England}} proved quick to secure qualification to the knockout stages, winning against all except for the {{wp|United States}}, with whom they drew 1-1. In the following round of 16 fixture against {{wp|Germany}}, which notably saw {{wp|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 {{wp|Germans}} had previously enjoyed, thereby bringing the match to a penalty shootout which {{wp|England}} ultimately won 7-6. A subsequent brace by Smith soon added to a resounding 4-0 victory that knocked out {{wp|Argentina}} in the quarter-finals. Then, after assisting a crucial {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} goal in the semi-finals in which {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Spain}} 2-0 to advance to the finals for the second consecutive time, Smith went on to score another brace to mark {{wp|England}}'s dominant 5-0 victory over the {{wp|Netherlands}}, thereby making them just one of three nations alongside {{wp|Brazil}} and {{wp|Italy}} to have ever won two {{wp|World Cups}} in a row. Meanwhile, in the following year, Smith also captained {{wp|England}} to a third-place finish at the {{wp|2013 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in {{wp|Brazil}}, where a narrow 1-2 loss to {{wp|Mexico}} in the semi-finals saw {{wp|England}} successfully rebound to then deal {{wp|Uruguay}} a heavy 4-0 defeat in the third-place playoffs, thereby securing a third-place finish in the tournament.
Two years later, coming off their recent {{wp|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship}} triumphs, and despite some challenge in the group stages against the likes of the {{wp|United States}}, {{wp|Algeria}}, and {{wp|Slovenia}}, {{wp|England}} proved quick to secure qualification to the knockout stages, winning against all except the {{wp|United States}} where the two sides drew 1-1 in what was a reunion between Smith and former compatriot {{wp|Landon Donovan}} but on opposite teams. In the following round of 16 fixture against {{wp|Germany}}, which notably saw {{wp|Frank Lampard}}'s infamous "ghost goal" controversially disallowed by the referee, Smith established himself as one of the tournament's most memorable players when he later scored a decisive hat-trick in the 87th minute that effectively nullified the initial 4-1 lead the {{wp|Germans}} had previously enjoyed to then bring the match to a penalty shootout which {{wp|England}} ultimately won 7-6 in what was later popularly referred to as the "Bloemfontein Miracle" in reference to the {{wp|Bloemfontein|city}} that the match had taken place. A subsequent brace from Smith soon added to a resounding 4-0 victory that knocked out {{wp|Argentina}} in the quarter-finals which he then followed up on with a crucial assist in the semi-finals where {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Spain}} 2-0 to advance to the finals for the second consecutive time where Smith went on to score yet another brace to mark {{wp|England}}'s dominant 5-0 win over the {{wp|Netherlands}}. Consequently, along with {{wp|Brazil}} and {{wp|Italy}}, {{wp|England}} became just one of three nations to have ever won two {{wp|FIFA World Cup|World Cups}} in a row. Meanwhile, in the following year, Smith also captained {{wp|England}} to a third-place finish at the {{wp|2013 FIFA Confederations Cup}} in {{wp|Brazil}}, where a narrow 1-2 loss to {{wp|Mexico}} in the semi-finals saw {{wp|England}} successfully rebound to then deal {{wp|Uruguay}} a heavy 4-0 defeat in the third-place playoffs, thereby securing a third-place finish in the tournament.


[[File:Maracanã 2014 g.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Maracanã Stadium}} in {{wp|Rio de Janeiro}}, {{wp|Brazil}}, which saw {{wp|England}} defeat {{wp|Argentina}} 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in what was famously called the "Falklands derby" in a reference to the {{wp|Falklands War}} between the two countries from 1982 to 1984]]
[[File:Maracanã 2014 g.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Maracanã Stadium}} in {{wp|Rio de Janeiro}}, {{wp|Brazil}}, which saw {{wp|England}} defeat {{wp|Argentina}} 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in what was famously called the "Falklands derby" in reference to the {{wp|Falklands War}} conflict between the two countries that lasted from 1982 to 1984]]
Following their success in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012}} tournament, {{wp|England}}, which Smith would come to captain for one final time, saw themselves managing to qualify for the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup}} tournament in {{wp|Brazil}}. For the tournament, {{wp|England}} found itself grouped with the likes of {{wp|Italy}}, {{wp|Uruguay}}, and {{wp|Costa Rica}}. Subsequently, victories against {{wp|Italy}} and {{wp|Uruguay}}, despite a subsequent 0-0 draw with {{wp|Costa Rica}}, saw the national team progress further to the knockout stages, with their first opponent being {{wp|Colombia}} in the round of 16, against who {{wp|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 {{wp|Brazil}} in the quarter-finals, who they proceeded to deal a crushing 5-1 victory, with Smith himself scoring a hat-trick for {{wp|England}} at the 88th minute. For the ensuing semi-finals fixture against {{wp|Germany}}, the two sides initially found themselves tied 1-1 after an early {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} goal was then equalised by a second-half goal from {{wp|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 {{wp|Argentina}} where following a 53rd-minute goal from Smith and a 79th-minute counter-goal from {{wp|Enzo Pérez}}, the two sides subsequently faced one another in a penalty shootout that {{wp|England}} ultimately won it 4-2 to secure a record-breaking third consecutive {{wp|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 {{wp|UEFA Euro 2016}} with the {{wp|World Cup}} that year itself being his last ever for {{wp|England}} and which he had intended to be his "last hurrah".
Following their success in the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012}} tournament, {{wp|England}}, which Smith would come to captain for one final time, further qualified for the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Brazil}}. For the tournament, {{wp|England}} found itself grouped with the likes of {{wp|Italy}}, {{wp|Uruguay}}, and {{wp|Costa Rica}}. Subsequently, despite a 0-0 draw with {{wp|Costa Rica}}, victories against {{wp|Italy}} and {{wp|Uruguay}} saw them progress easily to the knockout stages with their first opponent being {{wp|Colombia}} in the round of 16 who they dramatically defeated 7-6 on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Following this, {{wp|England}} then faced hosts {{wp|Brazil}} in the quarter-finals where they proceeded to deal a crushing 5-1 victory with Smith's 88th-minute hat-trick in the match quickly evoking comparisons with his infamous hat-trick against the {{wp|South American}} country just a decade earlier at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}}. For the ensuing semi-finals fixture against {{wp|Germany}}, the two sides initially found themselves tied 1-1 after an early {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} goal was then equalised by a second-half goal from {{wp|Miroslav Klose}} afterward until a 65th-minute goal from Smith proved to be the essential tiebreaker, thereby allowing them to progress to the finals for a third consecutive time to face {{wp|Argentina}} where following a 53rd-minute goal from Smith and a 79th-minute counter-goal from {{wp|Enzo Pérez}} the two sides subsequently faced one another in a penalty shootout that {{wp|England}} ultimately won it 4-2 to secure a record-breaking third consecutive {{wp|World Cup}} title in what was almost an exact mirror of {{wp|Argentina}}'s 4-3 win over {{wp|England}} on penalties in the {{wp|1998 FIFA World Cup}} quarter-finals for which their third title triumph was considered by fans to be the perfect revenge against their infamous rivals. Nonetheless, shortly after the tournament concluded, Smith announced his retirement from international football while also clarifying that although he would continue to play at the club level for a few more years he would otherwise not seek to participate in the upcoming {{wp|UEFA Euro 2016}} with the {{wp|World Cup}} that year itself being his last ever for {{wp|England}} and which he had personally intended to be his "last hurrah". In his absence, {{wp|England}} were later defeated 1-2 by hosts {{wp|France}} in the quarter-finals after having previously annihilated {{wp|Iceland}} 4-0 in the round of 16, thereby resulting in the resignation of longtime head coach {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} shortly afterward following an almost fifteen-years-long tenure, the longest and also the most successful of any {{wp|England}} managers since the late {{wp|Alf Ramsey|Sir Alf Ramsey}}. Regardless, his unprecedented success with the national team cemented the {{wp|Swedish}}-born {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson|manager}} as {{wp|England}}'s most successful manager to date with supporters affectionately referring to him as "King Eric", a nickname that was previously attributed to former {{wp|Manchester United}} player {{wp|Eric Cantona}}. Likewise, in 2014, the {{wp|Swedish}} newspaper {{wp|Dagens Nyheter}} ranked {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson|Eriksson}} the second-greatest {{wp|Swedish}} sportsperson in history behind tennis player {{wp|Björn Borg}} in first and ahead of footballer {{wp|Zlatan Ibrahimovic}} in third.


With a total of 109 goals scored during his time with the {{wp|United States}} in 64 appearances, Smith is the all-time goalscorer for the {{wp|United States}}. Meanwhile, his 160 goals for {{wp|England}} also makes him {{wp|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 {{wp|United States}} or {{wp|England}} respectively.
With a total of 68 goals scored during his time with the {{wp|United States}} in 64 appearances, Smith is the country's all-time goalscorer. Meanwhile, his 160 goals also make him {{wp|England}}'s all-time goalscorer as well as its sixth-most-capped player with 124 appearances. In this, he once held the special distinction of being the all-time goalscorer for two football confederations, namely {{wp|UEFA}} with {{wp|England}} and {{wp|CONCACAF}} with the {{wp|United States}} until {{wp|Stern John}}, who represented the [[West Indies]], surpassed him in the latter with 70 goals to become {{wp|CONCACAF}}'s all-time goalscorer. Regardless, Smith is still the all-time goalscorer for {{wp|UEFA}} with 160 goals scored.


===Great Britain national football team===
===Great Britain national football team===
Following the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s successful bid to host the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}, which would take place in the capital city of {{wp|London}}, in the months leading up to the event, Smith, owing to his largely successful track record with {{wp|England}}, was quickly touted as a likely candidate for selection to the {{wp|Great Britain men's Olympic football team}}. However, on December 2011, in light of the impending {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012}} tournament that same year, it was announced by {{wp|The Football Association}} that none of the players chosen for the {{wp|England}} squad for the tournament would be chosen for {{wp|Great Britain}} as well in order to reduce potential player fatigue caused by the relatively short twenty-day gap between the end of the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|Euro 2012}} tournament and the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}. Consequently, the potential omission of Smith from the final {{wp|Great Britain}} lineup proved to be a source of great controversy with pundit, {{wp|Gary Lineker}} bemoaning the "missed opportunity for {{wp|Britain}} to display perhaps their greatest footballer ever not just at the {{wp|World Cup}} but also at the {{wp|Olympics}}, an international event that is of much similar prestige and visibility". Despite this, some otherwise defended the decision to omit Smith from the {{wp|Olympics}}, citing the obvious issue of player fatigue and fixture congestion, with then-{{wp|Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport|Culture Secretary}} {{wp|Jeremy Hunt}} stating, ''"As delightful it would have been for Mr. Smith to represent {{wp|Great Britain}} at the {{wp|Olympics}}, we cannot absolutely forget that he also has his own duties for {{wp|England}} in the {{wp|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}}, ones that are perhaps more important by comparison"''. 
[[File:Stuart Pearce (31651906441).jpg|250px|thumb|right|Former {{wp|English}} player and manager {{wp|Stuart Pearce}}, who managed the {{wp|Great Britain Olympic football team|Great Britain}}'s football team at the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}]]
Following the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s successful bid to host the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}, which would take place in the capital city of {{wp|London}}, in the months leading up to the event, Smith, owing to his largely successful track record with {{wp|England}}, was quickly touted as a likely candidate for selection to the {{wp|Great Britain men's Olympic football team}}. However, on December 2011, in light of the impending {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012}} tournament that same year, it was announced by {{wp|The Football Association}} that none of the players chosen for the {{wp|England}} squad for the tournament would be chosen for {{wp|Great Britain}} as well in order to reduce potential player fatigue caused by the relatively short twenty-day gap between the end of the {{wp|UEFA Euro 2012|Euro 2012}} tournament and the start of the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}.  


Eventually, during a February 2012 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, Smith revealed that he had been officially chosen for and is expected to captain the {{wp|Great Britain}} national team in the {{wp|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 {{wp|Great Britain}} in a group stage match against {{wp|Senegal}} at {{wp|Old Trafford}} which ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw following a late 82nd-minute equaliser by {{wp|Moussa Konaté (footballer)|Moussa Konaté}}. Nonetheless, in the following group stage match against the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, Smith went on to score his first and only hat-trick for {{wp|Great Britain}} to seal a commanding 6-1 victory over the {{wp|Emiratis}} before proceeding to score a brace in the third and final group stage fixture against {{wp|Uruguay}} at the {{wp|Millennium Stadium}} which saw the match end in a 3-0 victory for {{wp|Great Britain}}. Then, in the ensuing quarter-final match against {{wp|South Korea}}, Smith scored a decisive 46th-minute tiebreaking goal shortly into the second half, allowing {{wp|Great Britain}} to reach the semi-finals via a narrow 2-1 win in which Smith, together with {{wp|Neil Taylor (footballer)|Neil Taylor}} and {{wp|Ryan Bertrand}} helped deliver a crushing 5-0 victory over {{wp|Brazil}}, thus qualifying them further to the finals where they proceeded to defeat {{wp|Mexico}} 2-0 to win the tournament outright with Smith personally adding a 40th-minute goal onto a previous 32nd-minute goal by teammate {{wp|Aaron Ramsey}} to deliver {{wp|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 {{wp|BBC}} as "classy and brilliant as always", was mostly met with positive reception by many with {{wp|Gary Lineker}} jokingly calling Smith "{{wp|Great Britain}}'s ultimate cheat code at the {{wp|Olympics}}".
Consequently, the potential omission of Smith from the final {{wp|Great Britain}} lineup proved to be a source of great controversy with pundit {{wp|Gary Lineker}} bemoaning the "missed opportunity for {{wp|Britain}} to display perhaps their greatest footballer ever not just at the {{wp|World Cup}} but also at the {{wp|Olympics}}, an international event that is of much similar prestige and visibility". Despite this, some otherwise defended the decision to omit Smith from the {{wp|Olympics}}, citing the obvious issue of player fatigue and fixture congestion, with then-{{wp|Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport|Culture Secretary}} {{wp|Jeremy Hunt}} stating, ''"As delightful it would have been for Mr. Smith to represent {{wp|Great Britain}} at the {{wp|Olympics}}, we cannot absolutely forget that he also has his own duties for {{wp|England}} in the {{wp|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}}, ones that are perhaps more important by comparison"''. However, {{wp|Stuart Pearce}}, the head coach appointed to manage {{wp|Great Britain}} at the ensuing {{wp|Olympics}}, said that Smith's inclusion, in spite of the risks and worries, "remains a possibility", adding, ''"Clearly, even getting a player onboard, especially one like Smith, is not an easy task with many factors at hand to consider. Ultimately, the final decision will be made after a few rounds of quick and productive talks that will help clarify the situation and put it to rest for good"''.  


==Post-Retirement==
Eventually, during a February 2012 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, Smith revealed that he had been officially chosen for and is expected to captain the {{wp|Great Britain}} national team at the {{wp|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 and love me for"''. On 26 July 2012, Smith soon made his debut for {{wp|Great Britain}} in a group stage match against {{wp|Senegal}} at {{wp|Old Trafford}} which ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw following a late 82nd-minute equaliser by {{wp|Moussa Konaté (footballer)|Moussa Konaté}}. Nonetheless, in the following group stage match against the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, Smith went on to score his first and only hat-trick for {{wp|Great Britain}} to seal a commanding 6-1 victory over the {{wp|Emiratis}} before proceeding to score a brace in the third and final group stage fixture against {{wp|Uruguay}} at the {{wp|Millennium Stadium}} which saw the match end in a 3-0 win for {{wp|Great Britain}}. Then, in the ensuing quarter-final match against {{wp|South Korea|Korea}}, Smith scored a decisive 46th-minute tiebreaking goal shortly into the second half, allowing {{wp|Great Britain}} to reach the semi-finals via a narrow 2-1 win in which Smith, together with {{wp|Neil Taylor (footballer)|Neil Taylor}} and {{wp|Ryan Bertrand}}, helped deliver a crushing 5-0 win over {{wp|Brazil}}, thus qualifying them further to the finals where they proceeded to defeat {{wp|Mexico}} 2-0 to win the tournament outright with Smith personally adding a 40th-minute goal onto a previous 32nd-minute goal by teammate {{wp|Aaron Ramsey}} to deliver {{wp|Great Britain}}'s 2-0 victory in the finals.  
===Football Honours===
In the aftermath of his retirement from football, {{wp|The Football Association}} announced that the {{wp|FA Community Shield}}, beginning from the {{wp|2015 FA Community Shield|2015}} edition, would instead feature Smith's own name on the trophy similar to that of the {{wp|Johan Cruyff Shield}} in the {{wp|Netherlands}}. To that end, the first edition since the rebranding was contested between {{wp|Premier League}} winners {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} and {{wp|FA Cup}} winners {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}}, with {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} ultimately winning it 1-0 via a 24th-minute goal from {{wp|Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain}}. Meanwhile, on 16 September 2017, as a respected ex-player of {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, Smith personally attended the first match held at the club's new stadium {{wp|Metropolitano Stadium|Estadio de los Santos}} ({{wp|English}}: ''Stadium of Saints'') in which {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} defeated {{wp|Málaga CF|Málaga}} 1-0 via a lone goal from {{wp|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 {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} as a major force in {{wp|La Liga}} against the likes of {{wp|Real Madrid}} and {{wp|FC Barcelona|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 {{wp|Thierry Henry}} and the {{wp|Premier League}}'s all-time goalscorer {{wp|Alan Shearer}}, Smith was inducted into the {{wp|Premier League Hall of Fame}}, with {{wp|The Football Association}} chairman {{wp|Peter McCormick}} lauding Smith as the "greatest player in {{wp|Premier League}} history with an incomparable goalscoring prowess and an unmatched all-around talent". Similarly, {{wp|La Liga}} president {{wp|Javier Tebas}} hailed Smith as a "revolutionary player who effectively changed the landscape of {{wp|La Liga}}" while {{wp|United States Soccer Federation}} president {{wp|Cindy Parlow Cone}} described Smith as "the greatest player to have ever come from {{wp|Major League Soccer}}", adding, ''"Undoubtedly, all {{wp|Major League Soccer}} players, new or old, will be holding themselves to the highest standard in none other than William Smith himself"''.
In the end, with a total of nine goals scored, Smith finished as the tournament's top scorer while his performance, described by the {{wp|BBC}} as "classy and brilliant as always", was mostly met with a positive reception by many with {{wp|Gary Lineker}} jokingly calling Smith "{{wp|Great Britain}}'s ultimate cheat code at the {{wp|Olympics}}" while ''{{wp|The Guardian}}'' hailed him as the {{wp|2012 Summer Olympics}}' "grand performer". Meanwhile, on his part, Smith remarked, ''"Some will say I should've done it and some will say I shouldn't have done it but at the end of the day I gave the fans what they wanted and frankly speaking I feel great!"''.


===Honorary Advisor & The FA President===
==Post-Retirement==
[[File:Official portrait of Chloe Smith MP crop 2.jpg|200px|thumb|right|{{wp|Chloe Smith}}, {{wp|Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament}} for {{wp|Norwich North (UK Parliament constituency)|Norwich North}} and currently {{wp|Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport}} since 2016]]
===Ultra Ballon d'Or===
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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport}}, which has been held by {{wp|Chloe Smith}} since 2016. In that same year, Smith was also appointed as the new president of {{wp|The Football Association}}, replacing his uncle [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]] in that position.
On 11 May 2019, in honour of his 40th birthday, ''{{wp|France Football}}'', in recognition of his "outstanding and one-of-a-kind achievement in football", exclusively awarded Smith the {{wp|Ultra Ballon d'Or}}, a one-off prize considered to be more prestigious than the standard {{wp|Ballon d'Or}} (of which he currently has eleven in total) and even the equally rare {{wp|Super Ballon d'Or}} awarded to {{wp|Real Madrid}} legend {{wp|Alfredo Di Stefano}} who was notably crucial in establishing the club's dominance both domestically and abroad throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Featuring a gold-laden ball on top of a gold-laden vase with four outstretched "arms" covering the ball and which symbolically represents Smith's four record-breaking {{wp|World Cup}} trophies, the award has since been in his private possession along with his other footballing honours, reportedly in a locked room inside {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} for which an exclusive key possessed only by Smith himself is needed to enter.


As an honorary advisor to the {{wp|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"''.
Around September 2021, several media outlets reported that Smith had personally acquired the prestigious {{wp|Super Ballon d'Or}} formerly belonging to {{wp|Alfredo Di Stefano}} whose children opted to sell the late {{wp|Argentine}} footballer's memorabilia with the {{wp|Super Ballon d'Or}}, among other things, ended up being bought by an anonymous buyer during an auction event. In response, while neither confirming nor denying his rumoured ownership of the award, Smith remarked, ''"Wherever it is now, I dare say that an award of such incomparable prestige and status is currently in the hands of someone who deserves it the most among many others"''. On the other hand, one of {{wp|Alfredo Di Stefano|Di Stefano}}'s children, in an interview with {{wp|Marca (newspaper)|''Marca''}}, appeared to subtly suggest that Smith is indeed in possession of the award, stating, ''"Of course, out of principle, I won't say who actually bought it but the person who did was very special and who, by all means, really deserves to own it now"''.


In his capacity as {{wp|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 {{wp|FIFA}}, who he has at times vocally criticised, especially those relating to the controversial hosting rights awarded to {{wp|Russia}} and {{wp|Qatar}} for the {{wp|World Cup}}, as well as the organisation's decision to expand the size of major international tournaments including the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} and the {{wp|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 {{wp|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"''.  
===Football Honours===
In the aftermath of his retirement from football, {{wp|The Football Association}} announced that the {{wp|FA Community Shield}}, beginning from the {{wp|2020 FA Community Shield|2020}} edition, would instead feature Smith's own name on the trophy similar to that of the {{wp|Johan Cruyff Shield}} in the {{wp|Netherlands}}. To that end, the first edition since the rebranding was contested between {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} with the former ultimately winning it 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, on 30 August 2020, in commemorating the tenth anniversary of his first match for {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}, the club further named him "Life President" with club president {{wp|Enrique Cerezo}} stating, ''"For much of its existence, none other than William Smith have proven to be an unquestionably consequential and important player in delivering some of the club's greatest successes for which it is only right that he should be honoured with an extremely rare appointment of the kind"''. The occasion, held remotely via {{wp|Zoom Video Communications|Zoom}} due to {{wp|COVID-19}} restrictions, saw the attendance of the club's president and chief executive officer {{wp|Enrique Cerezo}} and {{wp|Miguel Ángel Gil Marín}} as well as current and several former {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} players with Smith himself being the event's guest of honour.


In recent years, Smith has also been a vocal figure against what he called the "oilification of the {{wp|Premier League}}, pointing to the state ownerships of {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Newcastle United}} by the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}} and {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} respectively while also particularly criticising the recent transfers of several {{wp|European}} players including {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}, {{wp|Karim Benzema}}, and {{wp|N'Golo Kanté}} to the {{wp|Saudi Professional League}}, a trend he referred to as "{{wp|Chinese Super League}} 2.0", stating, ''"Not long ago, a country called {{wp|China}} thought that it was a good idea to just somehow better their football league by bringing in these {{wp|European}} stars who, by consensus, are mostly at the end of their careers. Now, even with a slightly different approach, it's clear that {{wp|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 {{wp|China}}'s and {{wp|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"''.
In 2021, along with longtime rival {{wp|Thierry Henry}} and the {{wp|Premier League}}'s all-time goalscorer {{wp|Alan Shearer}}, Smith was inducted into the {{wp|Premier League Hall of Fame}}, with {{wp|The Football Association}} chairman {{wp|Peter McCormick}} lauding Smith as the "greatest player in {{wp|Premier League}} history with an incomparable goalscoring prowess and an unmatched all-around talent". Similarly, {{wp|La Liga}} president {{wp|Javier Tebas}} hailed Smith as a "revolutionary player who effectively changed the landscape of {{wp|La Liga}}" while {{wp|United States Soccer Federation}} president {{wp|Cindy Parlow Cone}} described Smith as "the greatest player to have ever come from {{wp|Major League Soccer}}", adding, ''"Undoubtedly, all {{wp|Major League Soccer}} players, new or old, will be holding themselves to the highest standard in none other than William Smith himself"''. In this, owing to his {{wp|American}} background, {{wp|ESPN}} once wrote, ''"In the {{wp|United States}}, where {{wp|basketball}} and {{wp|American football}} each has its icons in {{wp|Michael Jordan}} and {{wp|Tom Brady}}, {{wp|soccer}} has William Smith as its very own face and icon"''.


===Politics & Social Causes===
===The FA Presidency===
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 {{wp|nuclear energy}}, stating in a 2019 interview, ''"By pure logic, it is a bit weird that the {{wp|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 {{wp|Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats}} and has also actively supported the ultimately successful Remain campaign in favour of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} remaining within the {{wp|European Union}}. Meanwhile, in response to the controversial temporary ban imposed on {{wp|English}} footballer {{wp|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 {{wp|Sky Bet}} which has been the main sponsor for the {{wp|EFL Championship}}, stating, ''"Admittedly, the {{wp|EFL Championship|Championship}} might not be as prestigious as the {{wp|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 {{wp|Ligue 2}} and {{wp|Serie B}} leagues by {{wp|Indian}} tyre company {{wp|Balkrishna Industries}}, Smith has at times called for a "{{wp|British}} non-gambling alternative" to be considered as the new sponsor and successor to {{wp|Sky Bet}}.  
In his capacity as {{wp|The Football Association}} president, Smith is known to be a somewhat vocal figure on several 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 {{wp|FIFA}}, who he has at times vocally criticised, especially those relating to the controversial hosting rights awarded to {{wp|Russia}} and {{wp|Qatar}} for the {{wp|World Cup}} as well as the organisation's decision to expand the size of major international tournaments including the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}} and the {{wp|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 {{wp|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 of the games so as to prevent them from essentially getting hurt from doing too much work than what the human body can take"''.  


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 {{wp|Sky Sports}}, citing a recent incident in which {{wp|Portuguese}} forward {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} appeared to storm down the tunnel with just a few minutes left shortly after being called up by head coach {{wp|Erik ten Hag}} in {{wp|Manchester United}}'s October 19th defeat to Smith's own {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, the former {{wp|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"''.
In recent years, Smith has also been a vocal figure against what he deemed to be the "oilification" of the {{wp|Premier League}}, pointing to the state ownership of football clubs {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Newcastle United}} by the {{wp|United Arab Emirates}} and {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} respectively in which both countries are similarly authoritarian states in the {{wp|Middle East}}. In addition, Smith has also spoken against the trend of famous {{wp|European}} football stars such as {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}, {{wp|N'Golo Kanté}}, {{wp|Karim Benzema}}, and {{wp|Neymar}} to the {{wp|Saudi Pro League}}. Describing the trend as "Chinese Super League 2.0", Smith remarked, ''"Not too long ago, we saw a particular country trying to jump-start their footballing industry by bringing in big {{wp|European}} names often with huge salaries and whatnot. Now, it's clear that such a trend has emerged once again, and unless a sudden miracle arises, it's safe to say that this one will perhaps meet the same impending demise as its predecessor had"''. Meanwhile, beginning from around late 2023, amidst reports of players including {{wp|Jordan Henderson}} and {{wp|Karim Benzema}} looking to leave the {{wp|Saudi Pro League}}, Smith slyly remarked, ''"Quite a surprise that after just a year or so, some of these very generous and charitable football stars are looking to leave already. Logically speaking, how are they going to help grow the very terrific {{wp|Saudi}} football within just a year or so? As everyone knows, {{wp|Rome}} was not built in a day"''. Subsequently, after spending several months in {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, {{wp|Jordan Henderson}} did indeed return to {{wp|Europe}}, namely in the form of a transfer to the {{wp|Eredivisie}} club {{wp|AFC Ajax|Ajax}}.


During a 2023 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, citing ex-{{wp|England}} teammate {{wp|David Beckham}}'s controversial ambassadorship role for the {{wp|2022 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Qatar}}, Smith declared that he would not take up such a role for the {{wp|2026 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Canada}}, {{wp|United States}}, and {{wp|Mexico}} should the {{wp|United States}} re-elect controversial {{wp|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}} politician {{wp|Donald Trump}} in the {{wp|2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election}}, stating, ''"While I'm well aware of the stature and prestige I hold among {{wp|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 {{wp|Donald Trump}} or any of his far-right mates"''. Otherwise, Smith, a supporter of the {{wp|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}} and to an extent, incumbent {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Joe Biden}}, has pledged that he will "do his best" should {{wp|Joe Biden|Biden}} be re-elected for a second term, stating, ''"It's been a while since I've been away from the {{wp|American}} soccer scene and I think the {{wp|World Cup}} in 2026 is a good time for me to finally come back after almost thirteen years long"''.  
===Political & Social Causes===
[[File:Ivan Toney 16-08-2014 1.jpg|200px|thumb|right|{{wp|Ivan Toney}}, who currently plays as a forward for {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}}. From May 2023 to January 2024, he was officially banned from football for a series of betting offenses]]
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 {{wp|nuclear energy}}, stating in a 2019 interview, ''"By pure logic, it is a bit weird that the {{wp|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 2014, Smith has been a registered party member of the {{wp|Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats}} and has also actively supported the ultimately successful Remain campaign in favour of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} remaining within the {{wp|European Union}}. Regardless, in spite of his party affiliation, Smith is said to be "close friends" with former {{wp|Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative}} prime minister {{wp|David Cameron}} whom he once referred to as "a close friend of mine named David but not the one who plays football".


Around August 2023, amidst rumours that Smith's former club {{wp|Manchester United}} was potentially seeking to reintroduce suspended academy graduate {{wp|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 {{wp|Crown Prosecution Service}}), Smith, along with a host of other influential figures, vocally opposed the club's decision with the former {{wp|Manchester United}} forward calling it "the new biggest mistake from the wretched {{wp|Glazer family|Glazers}} since the {{wp|European Super League}}". In addition, during an interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}} that same month, Smith publicly expressed his opposition towards {{wp|Mason Greenwood|Greenwood}}'s return, stating, ''"Under no circumstances shall I ever see a damn rapist at my beloved football club"''. Moreover, the former {{wp|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 {{wp|Mason Greenwood|Greenwood}} would be loaned to minor {{wp|La Liga}} side {{wp|Getafe CF|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 {{wp|Twitter}} in light of its takeover by {{wp|American}} billionaire {{wp|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 {{wp|Instagram}}, stating in a 2023 interview with {{wp|Variety (magazine)|''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 {{wp|neo-Nazis}} and {{wp|anti-Semites}} run rampant owing to the policies of perhaps the single-most narcissistic manchild on {{wp|Earth}}"''. Meanwhile, when asked if he was concerned over losing at least a portion of his {{wp|Twitter}} followers via his permanent move to {{wp|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"''.
Around May 2023, in response to a temporary ban imposed on {{wp|English}} footballer and {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}} forward {{wp|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 {{wp|Sky Bet}} which has been the main sponsor for the {{wp|EFL Championship}}, stating, ''"Admittedly, the {{wp|EFL Championship|Championship}} might not be as prestigious as the {{wp|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 should not be chosen as the new sponsor"''. Pointing to the sponsorship of the {{wp|Ligue 2}} and {{wp|Serie B}} leagues by {{wp|Indian}} tyre company {{wp|Balkrishna Industries}}, Smith has at times called for a "{{wp|British}} non-gambling alternative" to be considered as the new sponsor and successor to {{wp|Sky Bet}}. Later, Smith would again call for the "complete eradication of the disease of gambling from football" after {{wp|Italian}} footballer {{wp|Sandro Tonali}}, who plays as a midfielder for {{wp|Newcastle United}}, was also banned from footballing activities over gambling offences.
 
===US Soccer Reforms===
Owing to his history of being a former {{wp|United States}} international and whose footballing career initially started in the {{wp|United States}} with {{wp|LA Galaxy}}, Smith has been a vocal figure for reforms concerning the country's soccer scene, stating, ''"As much as I'm an {{wp|Englishman}} now, I'll never forget my {{wp|American}} roots especially when it comes to football because I started my career not in the {{wp|Premier League}} but in {{wp|Major League Soccer}}, something that I hope young {{wp|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 {{wp|Major League Soccer}}'s longstanding draft system with its preferred substitute being the academy system seen in most {{wp|European}} football leagues. In a 2019 interview with {{wp|ESPN}}, he said, ''"Personally, I was rather fortunate to have been chosen for {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|United States}}, currently a member of {{wp|CONCACAF}} alongside the likes of {{wp|Canada}}, {{wp|Mexico}}, and smaller {{wp|Caribbean}} nations. Citing the perceived "uncompetitive" nature of the confederation, Smith has called for the {{wp|United States}} to either switch to {{wp|CONMEBOL}} where it would face the likes of footballing powerhouses {{wp|Argentina}} and {{wp|Brazil}} or {{wp|UEFA}} where they would otherwise face several {{wp|World Cup}} champions including the likes of {{wp|England}}, {{wp|France}}, {{wp|Germany}}, and {{wp|Italy}} which Smith argued would serve as better opposition for the {{wp|United States}} especially in anticipation of future {{wp|World Cup}} tournaments. In this, Smith has also criticised the apparent elitism present in the {{wp|American}} soccer scene, citing the incident between former {{wp|United States}} internationals {{wp|Claudio Reyna}} and {{wp|Gregg Berhalter}}, the latter currently serving as head coach of the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States men's national team}}, over playing time and treatment towards the former's son and current {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}} midfielder {{wp|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 [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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 [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|father]] was"''.
 
===Future Prospects===
During a 2022 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, when asked about his future plans after leaving {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|Ian Wright}}, {{wp|Thierry Henry}}, {{wp|Jamie Carragher}}, and {{wp|Roy Keane}}. Meanwhile, when asked if he would be seeking to become a manager of a different club or return back to {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|UEFA}} or {{wp|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 {{wp|FIFA}}, particularly over their controversial awarding of {{wp|World Cup}} hosting rights to {{wp|Russia}} and {{wp|Qatar}} as well as the planned expansion of the {{wp|World Cup}} which he criticised on the basis of players' welfare. During a 2023 interview with {{wp|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 {{wp|FIFA}} and {{wp|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 {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup}}, Smith publicly criticised {{wp|FIFA}} for their "horrendously bad propaganda attempt" following the release of the widely-panned 2015 film ''{{wp|United Passions}}'' (the majority of its funding came directly from {{wp|FIFA}}), with Smith particularly noting the "crazy and unwarranted sense of {{wp|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 {{wp|English}}, for all their obvious flaws at the time, are somehow the only arrogant and backwards-thinking evil people while others, be it the {{wp|French}}, {{wp|Germans}}, or {{wp|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 {{wp|European}} footballing figures, both players and managers, to {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, rumours arose that Smith, owing to his success with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and most importantly his global reputation, was being considered as a manager by several {{wp|Saudi Pro League}} clubs although these were quickly denied by Smith's camp which claimed that the former {{wp|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 {{wp|Saudi}} government for the latter's human rights abuses as well as their perceived "sportswashing" attempt via the purchase of {{wp|Premier League}} club {{wp|Newcastle United}}.


==Managerial Career==
==Managerial Career==
===Tottenham Hotspur===
===Tottenham Hotspur===
[[File:Estadio Benfica April 2013-1.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Estádio da Luz}} in {{wp|Lisbon}}, {{wp|Portugal}}, where {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} won its first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title following a 2-1 win over {{wp|Bundesliga}} champions {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in a match played behind closed doors due to the {{wp|COVID-19 pandemic}}]]
[[File:Estadio Benfica April 2013-1.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Estádio da Luz}} in {{wp|Lisbon}}, {{wp|Portugal}}, where {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} won its first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title following a 2-1 win over {{wp|Bundesliga}} champions {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in a match played behind closed doors due to the {{wp|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 {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. Soon enough, the firing of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|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 {{wp|Daniel Levy (businessman)|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 {{wp|West Ham United}} on November 23rd that ended in a 3-2 win for {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} which was then followed just a week later with a similar 3-2 win over {{wp|AFC Bournemouth|Bournemouth}} and a 2-1 win on December 4th at {{wp|Old Trafford}} with Smith emerging triumphant against his former club of {{wp|Manchester United}}. Then, after a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}} on December 7th, Smith also secured a victory against another major club in {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}, who the club defeated 1-0 via a 37th-minute goal from {{wp|Christian Eriksen}}. Following this, wins against {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion}} and {{wp|Norwich City}}, the latter particularly falling to a {{wp|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 {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}} on January 1st, Smith was dealt his first defeat just ten days later in a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} although this was promptly compensated for with a dramatic 2-1 win over {{wp|Watford F.C.|Watford}} in which a 94th-minute goal from {{wp|Christian Eriksen}} in extra time saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} successfully come back from defeat after a {{wp|Harry Kane}} equaliser. Following this, a sixteen-match unbeaten streak which included 1-1 draw against {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} on February 22nd, coupled with dominant 3-0 wins over {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|Leicester City}} and a 3-1 win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} in the final day saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} achieve a remarkable second-place finish with 87 points ahead of {{wp|Manchester City}} in third and behind {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} in first. Meanwhile, a 4-1 loss to {{wp|Manchester United}} in the {{wp|FA Cup}} and a narrow 2-3 defeat on aggregate to {{wp|Manchester City}} in the {{wp|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 {{wp|Paris Saint-Germain}} in the semi-finals and a dramatic 2-1 win over {{wp|Bundesliga}} giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in the finals, in which {{wp|Tanguy Ndombele}} scored the tiebreaking goal in extra time after an early {{wp|Hary Kane}} goal was cancelled out by an {{wp|Ivan Perišić}} counter-goal, saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} make history with their first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title in an occasion described by {{wp|Peter Drury}} as "the biggest shock of the decade" and by {{wp|Martin Tyler}} as "the greatest football fantasy of the 21st-century". To that end, the club later defeated {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 3-1 in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and {{wp|Mexican}} side {{wp|Tigres UANL|Tigres}} 3-0 in the {{wp|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.  
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 {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. Soon enough, the firing of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s {{wp|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 {{wp|Daniel Levy (businessman)|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 {{wp|West Ham United}} on November 23rd that ended in a 3-2 win for {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} which was then followed just a week later with a similar 3-2 win over {{wp|AFC Bournemouth|Bournemouth}} and a 2-1 win on December 4th at {{wp|Old Trafford}} with Smith emerging triumphant against his former club {{wp|Manchester United}}. Then, after a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}} on December 7th, Smith also secured a victory against another major club in {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}, who the club defeated 1-0 via a 37th-minute goal from {{wp|Christian Eriksen}}. Following this, wins against {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion}} and {{wp|Norwich City}}, the latter particularly falling to a {{wp|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 {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}} on January 1st, Smith was dealt his first defeat just ten days later in a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} although this was promptly compensated for with a dramatic 2-1 win over {{wp|Watford F.C.|Watford}} in which a 94th-minute goal from {{wp|Christian Eriksen}} in extra time saw {{wp|THFC|Spurs}} successfully come back from defeat after a {{wp|Harry Kane}} equaliser. Following this, a sixteen-match unbeaten streak which included a 1-1 draw against {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} on February 22nd, coupled with dominant 3-0 wins over {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|Leicester City}} and a 3-1 win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} in the final day saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} achieve a remarkable second-place finish with 87 points ahead of {{wp|Manchester City}} in third and behind {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} in first.  
 
Meanwhile, a 1-4 loss to {{wp|Manchester United}} in the {{wp|FA Cup}} and a narrow 2-3 defeat on aggregate to {{wp|Manchester City}} in the {{wp|EFL Cup}} saw Smith unable to win either domestic cup in his maiden season with the club. Regardless, after beginning his first {{wp|European}} campaign as head coach with a narrow 3-2 win over {{wp|RB Leipzig}}, Smith then faced his former mentor {{wp|Diego Simeone}} whom he went on to defeat 3-2 in extra time before proceeding to remarkably defeat a star-studded {{wp|Paris Saint-Germain}} via a lone goal from {{wp|Son Heung-min}} and eventually reaching their first {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} final where a late {{wp|Tanguy Ndombele}} goal in extra time saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} win their first-ever {{wp|European}} title via a dramatic 2-1 win over {{wp|Bundesliga}} giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}} who previously equalised via {{wp|Ivan Perišić}} after {{wp|Harry Kane}} scored first to give his club the lead. Consequently, while Smith became the joint youngest manager with {{wp|José Mourinho}} to win the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, he was also responsible for or was on the same team with the only two {{wp|Asian}} players to have won {{wp|Europe}}'s most prestigious football tournament, {{wp|Park Ji-sung}}, his former {{wp|Manchester United}} teammate, and now {{wp|Son Heung-min}}, one of the players under his management at {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. Regardless, the club went on to defeat {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Sevilla FC|Sevilla}} 3-1 in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}} and {{wp|Mexican}} side {{wp|Tigres UANL|Tigres}} 3-0 in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}}, thereby resulting in Smith, who initially assumed the position on an interim basis until the end of the season, to eventually formalise a four-year contract with the club as head coach after a surprisingly remarkable start that saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} win their first silverware in decades and also their first {{wp|European}} title.  


[[File:HK2021.png|200px|thumb|left|{{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} forward {{wp|Harry Kane}} in action during a 3-0 win over {{wp|Manchester United}} where he scored twice through penalties]]
[[File:HK2021.png|200px|thumb|left|{{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} forward {{wp|Harry Kane}} in action during a 3-0 win over {{wp|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 {{wp|Everton F.C.|Everton}}, which he soon followed up on with an equally dominant 5-2 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}}. Then, despite a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Newcastle United}}, Smith proved quick to steer the club back onto a dominant winning streak, defeating among others his former club {{wp|Manchester United}} 6-1, {{wp|Manchester City}} 2-0, and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 3-0 while otherwise drawing 0-0 with defending champions {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}. Regardless, on December 20th, the club was met with a shock 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Leicester City}} that ended a thirteen-match unbeaten streak although this was promptly made up for with a 2-0 win over {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}} just a week later that preceded a subsequent 3-0 win over {{wp|Leeds United}} and a following 1-0 win over {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}}. In the meantime, the club also drew once again with {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} while otherwise defeating {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion}} 4-0 and losing to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 1-2. Meanwhile, a shock 3-1 win over {{wp|Manchester City}} would precede a 1-1 draw against {{wp|West Ham United}}, bringing much-renewed hope as Smith's {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} then marked a dominant 4-0 victory over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}} along with a 2-1 win over {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and most notably a 3-0 win over {{wp|Manchester United}} which saw two penalties awarded to {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} and defender {{wp|Harry Maguire}} being sent off in the 76th minute. In the end, despite a momentary 0-1 loss to {{wp|Aston Villa}} on the penultimate day which preceded an otherwise triumphant 4-2 win over {{wp|Leicester City}}, the club notched a record-high of 91 points to become {{wp|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 {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} saw Smith once again unable to win the {{wp|FA Cup}} with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} with a similar fate being met in the {{wp|EFL Cup}} finals with a 1-2 loss to {{wp|Manchester City}} once again barring the club from winning either domestic cups. Nonetheless, a dramatic 7-6 win on aggregate against {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}}, followed by a firm 4-1 win over {{wp|Manchester City}} in which {{wp|Harry Kane}} scored twice with {{wp|Gareth Bale}} and an {{wp|Aymeric Laporte}} own-goal following suit, saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} mark an unprecedented back-to-back {{wp|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 {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, defeating them 5-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw, followed by a 1-0 win over {{wp|Brazilian}} side {{wp|Palmeiras}} in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} and a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Leicester City}} in the {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Smith Shield}}.
In the following 2020-21 season, Smith started rather promisingly with a dominant 4-1 win over {{wp|Everton F.C.|Everton}}, which he soon followed up on with an equally dominant 5-2 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}}. Then, despite a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Newcastle United}}, Smith proved quick to steer the club back onto a dominant winning streak, defeating among others his former club {{wp|Manchester United}} 6-1, {{wp|Manchester City}} 2-0, and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 3-0 while otherwise drawing 0-0 with defending champions {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}. Regardless, on December 20th, the club was met with a shock 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Leicester City}} that ended a thirteen-match unbeaten streak although this was promptly made up for with a 2-0 win over {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}} just a week later that preceded a subsequent 3-0 win over {{wp|Leeds United}} and a following 1-0 win over {{wp|Fulham F.C.|Fulham}}. In the meantime, the club also drew once again with {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} while also defeating {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion}} 4-0 and losing to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} 1-2. Meanwhile, a shock 3-1 win over {{wp|Manchester City}} would precede a 1-1 draw against {{wp|West Ham United}}, bringing much-renewed hope as {{wp|THFC|Spurs}} then marked a dominant 4-0 victory over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}} along with a 2-1 win over {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and most notably a 3-0 win over {{wp|Manchester United}} which saw two penalties awarded to {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} and defender {{wp|Harry Maguire}} being sent off in the 76th minute. In the end, amidst a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Aston Villa}} on the penultimate day which preceded an otherwise triumphant 4-2 win over {{wp|Leicester City}}, the club notched a record-high of 91 points to become {{wp|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 {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} saw Smith once again unable to win the {{wp|FA Cup}} with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. A similar fate also befell them in the {{wp|EFL Cup}} finals where a 1-2 loss to {{wp|Manchester City}} once again barred the club from winning either domestic cups. Nonetheless, a dramatic 7-6 win on aggregate against {{wp|La Liga}} giants {{wp|Real Madrid}}, followed by a firm 4-1 win over {{wp|Manchester City}} in which a brace from {{wp|Harry Kane}} which complemented {{wp|Gareth Bale}} goal and an {{wp|Aymeric Laporte}} own-goal saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} mark an unprecedented back-to-back {{wp|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 {{wp|UEFA Europa League}} winners {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} in the {{wp|UEFA Super Cup}}, defeating them 5-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw, followed by a 1-0 win over {{wp|Brazilian}} side {{wp|Palmeiras}} in the {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup}} and a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Leicester City}} in the {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Smith Shield}}.
 
In the meantime, amidst positive on-pitch progress that included the club's first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title, around April 2021, Smith notably threatened to resign from his position as head coach in response to {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s initial participation in the controversial {{wp|European Super League}} project alongside the likes of other {{wp|English}} clubs such as {{wp|Manchester United}}, {{wp|Manchester City}}, {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}, {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}, and {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}. In clarifying his stance during a {{wp|Sky Sports}} interview that same month, Smith remarked, ''"Ask me now or even tomorrow and I'll always say that I love this {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|European Super League|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 {{wp|Real Madrid}}, {{wp|FC Barcelona|Barcelona}}, and {{wp|Juventus FC|Juventus}} later withdrew from the project amidst overwhelming backlash with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} being one of the earliest to do so amidst reports that club chairman {{wp|Daniel Levy (businessman)|Daniel Levy}}, facing a threat of resignation from Smith who had then led the club to its first {{wp|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 {{wp|Leicester City}} in the {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Smith Shield}}, traditionally considered to be the new season's curtain-raiser, Smith's {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} otherwise made a rather promising start, defeating {{wp|Manchester City}} 1-0 in the opening match and {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} 3-2. However, on September 19th, Smith's club was dealt with a heavy 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}, followed by a 1-1 draw with {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and a 2-1 win over {{wp|Aston Villa}} and a 3-1 win over {{wp|West Ham United}} in which {{wp|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 {{wp|Manchester United}} in spite of a {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} return to the latter club along with a 3-0 win over {{wp|Norwich City}}. However, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} was then met with a 0-2 defeat to {{wp|Liverpool}} which otherwise preceded a 3-0 comeback win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} and an ensuing 4-0 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}}. Further down the road, in addition to a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}}, the club also defeated the likes of {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|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 {{wp|Newcastle United}} and {{wp|Aston Villa}} respectively to then make it sixteen unbeaten before a 0-2 loss to {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion}} brought an end to the streak. Nonetheless, over the last few days remaining, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} promptly rebounded with a 2-1 win over {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}}, a 3-1 win over {{wp|Leicester City}}, and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} before eventually concluding the season with a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Norwich City}} at which point the club once again emerged {{wp|Premier League}} champions with a record 99 points. Meanwhile, despite a loss to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} that effectively cut short their {{wp|FA Cup}} ambitions, Smith's {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} promptly avenged their defeat at the hands of {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|The Blues}} to then defeat {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} 1-0 to win the {{wp|EFL Cup}} for the first time since the 2007-08 season. In the meantime, Smith himself came close to achieving a third consecutive {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title for {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, defeating the likes of {{wp|Inter Milan}}, {{wp|Benfica}}, and {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}} before a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the finals saw them settle for second place. Following this, as {{wp|Premier League}} champions, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} subsequently contested the {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Smith Shield}} with {{wp|FA Cup}} winners {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} to whom they narrowly lost 2-3.  
In the ensuing 2021-22 season, despite an initial loss to {{wp|Leicester City}} in the {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Smith Shield}}, traditionally considered to be the new season's curtain-raiser, Smith's {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} otherwise made a rather promising start, defeating {{wp|Manchester City}} 1-0 in the opening match and {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} 3-2. However, on September 19th, Smith's club was dealt with a heavy 1-4 defeat to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}}, by a 1-1 draw with {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and a 2-1 win over {{wp|Aston Villa}} and a 3-1 win over {{wp|West Ham United}} in which {{wp|Harry Kane}} scored all three penalties to mark a hat-trick in the process. In the meantime, the club also snatched a narrow 2-1 win over Smith's former club {{wp|Manchester United}} despite the return of club legend and Smith's former teammate {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} to {{wp|Old Trafford}} along with a 3-0 win over {{wp|Norwich City}}. However, {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} were then met with a 0-2 defeat to {{wp|Liverpool}} which instead preceded a 3-0 comeback win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} and an ensuing 4-0 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}}. Further down the road, in addition to a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Burnley F.C.|Burnley}}, the club also defeated the likes of {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|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 {{wp|Newcastle United}} and {{wp|Aston Villa}} to then make it sixteen unbeaten before a 0-2 loss to {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion}} brought an end to the streak. Nonetheless, over the last few days remaining, {{wp|THFC|Spurs}} promptly rebounded with a 2-1 win over {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}}, a 3-1 win over {{wp|Leicester City}}, and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} before eventually concluding the season with a dominant 5-0 win over {{wp|Norwich City}} at which point the club once again emerged {{wp|Premier League}} champions with a record 99 points. Meanwhile, despite a loss to {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} that effectively cut short their {{wp|FA Cup}} ambitions, Smith's {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} promptly avenged their defeat at the hands of {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|The Blues}} to then defeat {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} 1-0 to win the {{wp|EFL Cup}} for the first time since the 1998-99 season, almost twenty-four years before. In the meantime, Smith himself came close to achieving a third consecutive {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title for {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, defeating the likes of {{wp|Inter Milan}}, {{wp|Benfica}}, and {{wp|Villareal CF|Villareal}} before a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the finals saw them settle for second place. Following this, as {{wp|Premier League}} champions, {{wp|THFC|Spurs}} subsequently contested the {{wp|FA Community Shield|William Smith Shield}} with {{wp|FA Cup}} winners {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} to whom they narrowly lost 2-3.  


[[File:Istanbul Atatürk Olympic Stadium 1.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Atatürk Olympic Stadium}} in {{wp|Istanbul}}, {{wp|Turkey}}, where a grueling penalty shootout saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} defeat {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} 12-11 on penalties to claim their third {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title in just three years]]
On 6th August 2022, Smith started his final season as {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager rather promisingly, grabbing a 4-0 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}} on the opening day. Then, a 1-1 draw against {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} on the second day, followed by several further victories along the way including a dominant 6-1 win over {{wp|West Ham United}}, saw Smith make it seven matches unbeaten straight while major victories afterward over both {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and former club {{wp|Manchester United}} extended it further to eleven matches unbeaten with a 1-3 loss to {{wp|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 {{wp|Aston Villa}} which he quickly followed up on just three days later with an equally dominant 4-0 win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} although the new years' momentum was quickly cut short by subsequent defeats to {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} respectively. Then, amidst a 0-0 draw against {{wp|Leicester City}} and a 2-3 loss to {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}}, a 3-1 win over {{wp|NFFC|Nottingham Forest}} and a 4-2 win over {{wp|Everton F.C.|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 {{wp|AFC Bournemouth|Bournemouth}} and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Newcastle United}} although this was then followed by a 1-3 loss to {{wp|Manchester United}} and a 0-1 loss to {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} respectively. Nonetheless, a draw against {{wp|Aston Villa}} and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}} in the closing days ensured that {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} would finish the season with no further defeats as a 4-1 win over {{wp|Leeds United}} on the final day ensured a third-place finish with just one point behind runners-up {{wp|Manchester City}} while {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} secured their first league title in almost two decades. Meanwhile, after previous unsuccessful attempts, a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|Manchester United}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}} saw Smith finally win the {{wp|FA Cup}} with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} with the title itself being their first in almost three decades since they last won it in the 1990-91 season. Otherwise, despite recording a shock 3-1 win on aggregate over {{wp|Real Madrid}} in the quarter-finals, a lone goal from {{wp|Naby Keïta}} resulted in {{wp|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s elimination from the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} although Smith's half-brother [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]] later scored a hat-trick to defeat {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} in the finals and deliver {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}}'s first-ever {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} trophy. In any case, as was intended, Smith later announced the end of his time as head coach with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, stating, ''"After several undeniably eventful and challenging years with a remarkable football club like Tottenham Hotspur, it is only right that I should reward myself with some well-deserved rest after all was said and done"''.  
On 6th August 2022, Smith started off his final season as {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager rather promisingly, grabbing a 4-0 win over {{wp|Southampton F.C.|Southampton}} on the opening day. Then, a 1-1 draw against {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} on the second day, followed by several further victories along the way including a dominant 6-1 win over {{wp|West Ham United}}, saw Smith make it seven matches unbeaten straight while major victories afterwards over both {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} and former club {{wp|Manchester United}} saw him therefore make it eleven matches unbeaten with a 1-3 loss to {{wp|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 {{wp|Aston Villa}} which he quickly followed up on just three days later with an equally dominant 4-0 win over {{wp|CPFC|Crystal Palace}} although the new year momentum was quickly cut short by subsequent defeats to {{wp|Manchester City}} and {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} respectively. Then, amidst a 0-0 draw against {{wp|Leicester City}} and a 2-3 loss to {{wp|Wolverhampton Wanderers}}, a 3-1 win over {{wp|NFFC|Nottingham Forest}} and a 4-2 win over {{wp|Everton F.C.|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 {{wp|AFC Bournemouth|Bournemouth}} and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Newcastle United}} although this was then followed by a 1-3 loss to {{wp|Manchester United}} and a 1-0 loss to {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} respectively. Nonetheless, a draw against {{wp|Aston Villa}} and a 3-0 win over {{wp|Brentford F.C.|Brentford}} in the closing days ensured that {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} would finish the season with no further defeats as a 4-1 win over {{wp|Leeds United}} on the final day ensured a third-place finish with just one point behind runners-up {{wp|Manchester City}} while {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} secured their first league title in almost two decades. Meanwhile, after previous unsuccessful attempts, a dramatic 3-2 win over {{wp|Manchester United}} at {{wp|Wembley Stadium}}, {{wp|London}} saw Smith finally win the {{wp|FA Cup}} with {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|Real Madrid}} and a similarly dramatic 5-4 win on aggregate over {{wp|Manchester City}} saw {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} advance to the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} finals once again where they faced league winners {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} in a fixture that was eventually settled on penalties with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} eventually winning it 12-11 following a long and grueling contest. Shortly afterwards, Smith announced the end of his tenure as {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|THFC|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"''.  


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  |quote  = "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."
  |quote  = "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."
  |author = Smith on his time with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
  |author = Smith on his time with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
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In the aftermath of his retirement, the ensuing pre-season matches were overseen by former player {{wp|Ryan Mason}} who took over as interim coach until the club subsequently appointed former {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} manager {{wp|Ange Postecoglou}} in time for the later 2023-24 season. Prior to his appointment, {{wp|Ange Postecoglou|Postecoglou}} had also previously managed the {{wp|Australia men's national soccer team|Australia men's national team}} from 2013 to 2017 as well as {{wp|A-League}} sides {{wp|Melbourne Victory FC|Melbourne Victory}} and {{wp|Brisbane Roar FC|Brisbane Roar}} and {{wp|J1 League}} side {{wp|Yokohama F. Marinos}}. Meanwhile, as the most decorated and successful {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager of recent times, supporters of the club initially launched a proposal to have the {{wp|Tottenham Hotspur Stadium}} renamed after Smith himself, citing the decision of {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to name their new stadium after Smith and head coach {{wp|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. In the meantime, during his four-year tenure at the club, Smith was credited for popularising a new club slogan whereby supporters, in celebrating a {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} victory, would chant "The Lilywhites are back, and it goes on and on and on" accompanied with a clap and a rotation of the index finger signifying the club's perceived never-ending winning streak. 
In the aftermath of his retirement, the ensuing pre-season matches were overseen by former player {{wp|Ryan Mason}} who took over as interim coach until the club subsequently appointed former {{wp|Celtic F.C.|Celtic}} manager {{wp|Ange Postecoglou}} in time for the later 2023-24 season. Prior to his appointment, {{wp|Ange Postecoglou|Postecoglou}} had also previously managed the {{wp|Australia men's national soccer team|Australia men's national team}} from 2013 to 2017 as well as {{wp|A-League}} sides {{wp|Melbourne Victory FC|Melbourne Victory}} and {{wp|Brisbane Roar FC|Brisbane Roar}} and {{wp|J1 League}} side {{wp|Yokohama F. Marinos}}. Meanwhile, as the most decorated and successful {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager of recent times, supporters of the club initially launched a proposal to have the {{wp|Tottenham Hotspur Stadium}} renamed after Smith himself, citing the decision of {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to name their new stadium after Smith and head coach {{wp|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 the likeness of him and former star player {{wp|Harry Kane}}, who subsequently transferred to {{wp|Bayern Munich}}, was erected in front of the stadium's entrance. Meanwhile, on 19 August 2023, for the opening to {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}'s first home match since Smith's departure, a commemorative montage was played prior to kick-off which depicted the club's notable victories under his past tenure along with several of his memorable public moments before later concluding with the phrase "Thank You For Everything, Boss". Ironically, the club then defeated {{wp|Manchester United}}, Smith's former club, 2-0 to secure their first win of the season.
 
Owing to him effectively being a free agent since his departure from {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|Bundesliga}} giants {{wp|Bayern Munich}}, having then fired {{wp|Julian Nagelsmann}} in March 2023, was potentially looking towards employing Smith as the new head coach given his successes with {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. However, in response, Smith himself strongly denied any links to the {{wp|Bundesliga}} club, adding that his {{wp|THFC|Tottenham}} stint is his first and only one, with the latter eventually hiring former {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} manager {{wp|Thomas Tuchel}} as the new head coach while the {{wp|English}} club itself, following unsuccessful attempts with {{wp|Brighton & Hove Albion|Brighton}}'s {{wp|Graham Potter}} and former player {{wp|Frank Lampard}}, later hired {{wp|Mauricio Pochettino}}, Smith's predecessor at {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}. Meanwhile, even beforehand, Smith was also reportedly considered by several other parties to become their new head coach, including the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}}, {{wp|Manchester United}}, and {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}}. In particular, a move to {{wp|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 {{wp|Glazer family|Glazer brothers}}' vision and which therefore killed any chance of Smith becoming the manager of his former club.


==Personal Life==
==Personal Life==
Although he was the firstborn child of [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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.
Although he was the firstborn child of [[Thomas, King of the British|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. Nonetheless, Smith shares the same birthday as his half-sister [[Alexandra, Queen of the British|Queen Alexandra]] who was born exactly seventeen years after himself. At the same time, Smith is also exactly thirteen years older than {{wp|Dutch}}-born goalkeeper {{wp|Thibaut Courtois}}, with whom he played together at {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} for three seasons long. In the meantime, by virtue of his birth year, Smith is also roughly the same age as fellow {{wp|English}} footballer {{wp|Michael Owen}}, singers {{wp|Pink (singer)|Pink}} and {{wp|Ne-Yo}}, as well as actresses {{wp|Jennifer Love Hewitt}}, {{wp|Kate Hudson}}, {{wp|Claire Danes}}, and actors {{wp|Chris Pratt}}, {{wp|Heath Ledger}}, and {{wp|John Krasinski}}.
 
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 {{wp|FIFA (video game series)|''FIFA''}} football video game series in which Smith is one of the most highly-rated players in the game. In addition, {{wp|British}} actor {{wp|Jude Law}} portrayed Smith in the 2016 sports biographical film ''{{wp|The Final Tournament}}'' which depicts Smith's final appearance at the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Brazil}} for which {{wp|Jude Law|Law}} subsequently won {{wp|BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role|Best Actor}} at the {{wp|BAFTA Awards}} that year. In the meantime, Smith has made a number of cameo appearances as himself on the {{wp|Apple TV+}} sports comedy series ''{{wp|Ted Lasso}}'' alongside other footballing figures such as {{wp|Thierry Henry}}, {{wp|Gary Lineker}}, {{wp|Ian Wright}}, and {{wp|Pep Guardiola}}. Meanwhile, the 2012 sports documentary ''{{wp|The Yokohama Miracle: Ten Years On}}'' also featured Smith along with other figures associated with the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}} that famously won the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} including {{wp|Landon Donovan}}, {{wp|Bruce Arena}}, and {{wp|Cobi Jones}}. Moreover, during his time as {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} manager, Smith was featured in {{wp|Amazon Prime Video}}'s ''{{wp|All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur}}'' sports documentary and its subsequent follow-up ''{{wp|Tottenham's Fantasy}}''. In August 2023, Smith held an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on the social news website {{wp|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 {{wp|Portuguese}} and {{wp|German}} in addition to his native {{wp|English}}, with his fluency in {{wp|Portuguese}} being largely motivated by his {{wp|Brazilian}}-born {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|wife}}. To that end, in a major effort to blend in with the local community, during his time with {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} (whose players mostly spoke mutually intelligible {{wp|Spanish}}), Smith himself mostly spoke and conversed in {{wp|Portuguese}} rather than in {{wp|English}} with much fluency. To that end, in a 2017 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, owing to his habit of mostly speaking {{wp|Portuguese}} during his six-year stay in {{wp|Spain}}, Smith jokingly claimed that at times he "felt more {{wp|Hispanic}} than {{wp|British}} on a personal level" while also adding that in private conversations he and his {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|wife}} often spoke in {{wp|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 {{wp|American}} and {{wp|British}} citizenship as well as a {{wp|Spanish}} one which was granted to him by {{wp|Felipe VI|King Felipe VI}} in 2017 in recognition of his successes with {{wp|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 {{wp|Mercedes-AMG GT}}, a {{wp|McLaren 570S}}, and a {{wp|Nissan Skyline GT-R|Nissan Skyline GTR R-34}} for which he was rewarded with one by the {{wp|Japanese}} government in light of his historic success at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} hosted by {{wp|Japan}} and {{wp|South Korea}}. Aside from this, Smith also reportedly owns a motorcycle of his own, namely a {{wp|Kawasaki Ninja H2}}. Meanwhile, in a 2019 interview, Smith revealed that prior to moving to {{wp|England}}, he formerly owned a modest {{wp|BMW M3}} for travelling around the state of {{wp|California}} before later selling it to a friend for additional money.
 
In an excerpt from his autobiography ''{{wp|Pride, Technicality, Success}}'', Smith revealed that for a while after his historic {{wp|World Cup}} triumph in 2002 with the {{wp|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 {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|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 {{wp|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 [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|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 {{wp|Adidas}}, {{wp|Armani}}, {{wp|Under Armour}}, {{wp|Coca-Cola}}, {{wp|Ford Motor Company|Ford}}, {{wp|Mercedes-Benz}}, {{wp|Rolls-Royce Motor Cars|Rolls-Royce}}, {{wp|Rolex}}, and {{wp|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 {{wp|Michael Jordan}} and {{wp|Tiger Woods}}. In the context of professional football, Smith is often compared to fellow ex-{{wp|English}} footballer {{wp|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 {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}} and {{wp|Victoria Beckham}}. In the meantime, with an estimated net worth of $533 million, his wife {{wp|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 {{wp|Vogue (magazine)|''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 {{wp|People (magazine)|''People''}}.
 
Although married to a {{wp|Roman Catholic}} wife and born into a family that is largely {{wp|Protestant}}, Smith revealed in a 2018 interview with ''{{wp|Men's Vogue}}'' that he otherwise personally identifies as a "{{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Christian}} and leaving it at that rather than getting into the intricacies and all that"''.  


==Relationships==
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 {{wp|FIFA (video game series)|''FIFA''}} football video game series in which Smith is one of the most highly-rated players in the game. In the meantime, Smith has made a number of cameo appearances as himself on the {{wp|Apple TV+}} sports comedy series ''{{wp|Ted Lasso}}'' alongside other footballing figures such as {{wp|Thierry Henry}}, {{wp|Gary Lineker}}, {{wp|Ian Wright}}, and {{wp|Pep Guardiola}}. Moreover, Smith has also appeared in various sports documentaries including ''{{wp|The June 30th Miracle: Ten Years On}}'', ''{{wp|The Fables of the Fabulous Four}}'', ''{{wp|Eriksson: The Unlikely Legend}}'', ''{{wp|Rise of The Lionesses}}'', ''{{wp|All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur}}'', and ''{{wp|The Spursy Fantasy}}''. Meanwhile, Smith also appeared alongside other famous footballers in the music video for the 2010 single {{wp|Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)}} by {{wp|Colombian}} singer {{wp|Shakira}} for the {{wp|2010 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|South Africa}} which {{wp|England}} ultimately won. Meanwhile, 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 {{wp|Adidas}}, {{wp|Armani}}, {{wp|Under Armour}}, {{wp|Coca-Cola}}, {{wp|Ford Motor Company|Ford}}, {{wp|Mercedes-Benz}}, {{wp|Rolls-Royce Motor Cars|Rolls-Royce}}, {{wp|Rolex}}, and {{wp|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 {{wp|Michael Jordan}} and {{wp|Tiger Woods}}. In the context of professional football, Smith is often compared to fellow ex-{{wp|English}} footballer {{wp|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 actress {{wp|Anne Hathaway}} and singer {{wp|Victoria Beckham}}. In this, given that their first names coincidentally mirror that of {{wp|English}} poet {{wp|William Shakespeare}} and wife {{wp|Anne Hathaway (wife of Shakespeare)|Anne Hathaway}}, the two are popularly dubbed "Will and Anne" by the media who also nicknamed them "the 21st-century's Shakespearean couple".
===Gisele Bündchen===
[[File:GB2002.png|200px|thumb|right|The {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}} at the {{wp|2002 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show}} held in {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, {{wp|United States}}. In that same year, she also met her future husband at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}} in {{wp|Yokohama}}, {{wp|Japan}}]]
Around June 2002, Smith, by then a rising and increasingly popular soccer player in the {{wp|United States}}, would first meet his wife, the {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}} that year in somewhat of a chance encounter at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} that took place in {{wp|Japan}} and {{wp|South Korea}}, in which Smith himself is present as part of the {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|United States national team}}. According to the couple, the two would first come into contact when {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}}, having learned of {{wp|Brazil}}'s qualification to the knockout stages of the tournament, decided to buy a plane ticket for herself to {{wp|Asia}} so as to personally watch her country's much anticipated victory. To that end, the {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel, after initially witnessing her country's progress to the finals via wins over {{wp|Denmark}}, {{wp|England}}, and {{wp|Turkey}} respectively, would also later witness {{wp|Brazil}}'s historic 0-5 defeat to the {{wp|United States}} led by none other than Smith himself who notably scored a hat-trick in the match to complete his country's historic triumph at a {{wp|World Cup}} final. Ironically, despite having witnessed her country's momentous defeat firsthand, {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}}, perplexed by the young {{wp|American}} hero'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 {{wp|Yokohama}}, {{wp|Japan}}, where the {{wp|United States}} internationals were staying for the tournament. 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 {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|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 {{wp|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 also 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 {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} was then still in a relationship with her then-boyfriend, the {{wp|American}} actor {{wp|Leonardo DiCaprio}} whereas Smith himself is uncommitted to anyone thereby resulting in the two briefly parting ways after the tournament's conclusion. Nonetheless, by the following year, amidst bouts of depression and issues of incompatibility, {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} subsequently broke up with her {{wp|Leonardo DiCaprio|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} were actively present at the other's workplace as a form of support with {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} herself attending {{wp|Manchester United}}'s as well as {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s matches in support of her partner and Smith reciprocating by attending fashion events involving the {{wp|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 {{wp|Roman Catholic}} in the style of their {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|mother}}.
A polyglot, Smith is known to be fluent in several languages including his native {{wp|English}}, {{wp|German}}, {{wp|Spanish}}, and {{wp|Hebrew}}, with {{wp|Spanish}} being his preferred language of choice during his time at {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}. In this, during his early years, Smith initially possessed a standard {{wp|Californian}} accent due to his more {{wp|American}} upbringing before later switching to a more {{wp|British}}-sounding accent after his move to the {{wp|United Kingdom}} so as to better fit in with his {{wp|England}} teammates. Similarly, his younger sister [[Jacqueline Smith|Jacqueline]], who later found work at the {{wp|British Broadcasting Corporation}}, also adopted a more {{wp|British}}-sounding accent, having once said, ''"In its entire history, when has a {{wp|BBC}} presenter ever spoke and didn't sound {{wp|British}} at all? It would surely be very awkward if otherwise and I'll prefer to avoid that by any means necessary"''. Nonetheless, Smith himself is known for being able to easily switch between his two main accents which he usually does whenever he is in either country and therefore needed to sound "local".  


[[File:The Most Expensive.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The {{wp|Copacabana Palace}} in {{wp|Rio de Janeiro}}, {{wp|Brazil}}, where Smith wedded {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}} following an almost decade-long relationship. The ceremony was held just a week after the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup Final}} concluded where {{wp|England}} defeated {{wp|Argentina}} 4-2 on penalties]]
An automobile enthusiast, Smith reportedly owns a modest collection of high-end and luxury vehicles. In this, Smith was said to have owned his first vehicle in the form of a {{wp|BMW M3}} which he often drove while living in the {{wp|United States}}. However, since his move to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, Smith came to acquire a number of other vehicles including an {{wp|Aston Martin DB9}} (his primary vehicle), a {{wp|McLaren 570S}}, a {{wp|Mercedes-Benz CLS}}, and a {{wp|Range Rover Sport}}. Meanwhile, aside from his main residence in {{wp|London}}, Smith also owns a number of properties in other places, namely the {{wp|US}} city of {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, the {{wp|Spanish}} city of {{wp|Madrid}}, and the {{wp|English}} city of {{wp|Manchester}}, all three of which are primarily work-related. However, for non-work reasons, although mostly undisclosed, Smith also reportedly owns a property in the southern {{wp|English}} city of {{wp|Brighton and Hove}} where its coastal nature, coupled with its vibrant and free-spirited nature, greatly captivated Smith who, at times, would reportedly make trips to the coastal {{wp|English}} city for periods of rest.
On 14 July 2014, in front of a roughly 74,000-strong crowd at the {{wp|Maracanã Stadium}}, and shortly after the {{wp|2014 FIFA World Cup Final}} between {{wp|Argentina}} and {{wp|England}} concluded, Smith publicly proposed to {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|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 {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}}'s 34th birthday, the two were married in a lavish ceremony at the {{wp|Copacabana Palace}} in {{wp|Rio de Janeiro}}, {{wp|Brazil}}, with their closest friends and relatives in attendance. Meanwhile, Smith's longtime {{wp|England}} teammates {{wp|Wayne Rooney}}, {{wp|Frank Lampard}}, and {{wp|Steven Gerrard}} were chosen as the groomsmen while {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodels {{wp|Adriana Lima}}, {{wp|Alessandra Ambrosio}}, and {{wp|Izabel Goulart}} together served as the bridesmaids for the ceremony. In addition, {{wp|Brazilian}} football legend {{wp|Pelé}} also attended the wedding as a "most honourable guest" along with Smith's former {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup}} rivals and fellow {{wp|Brazilian}} football legends including {{wp|Cafu}}, {{wp|Roberto Carlos}}, {{wp|Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Ronaldinho}}, all of whom were invited by Smith out of personal respect and footballing camaraderie. 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 {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}}, on the other hand, is actively involved in several causes such as poverty and unemployment, two issues which the {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel described as "personally close to my heart", citing {{wp|Brazil}}'s relatively high unemployment and poverty rate. In 2016, the couple together founded the {{wp|Smith-Bündchen Progress Foundation}}, a charity organisation intended to address issues considered close and personal by the couple. To that end, the {{wp|AE Football Academy}} in {{wp|London}}, {{wp|England}}, followed by the {{wp|Academia 79}} in {{wp|Porto Alegre}}, {{wp|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 {{wp|Sky Sports}}, Smith publicly disclosed just how much of a role his {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|wife}} played in his football career, with the former {{wp|England}} international revealing that his decisions to move to {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} and to become head coach of {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|Jorge Mendes}} as his football agent for much of his career, {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|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 {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|wife}}'s career, with the {{wp|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 {{wp|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"''.
Owing to a similar first name and surname, Smith is occasionally mistaken for another famous individual of an almost similar name, namely the {{wp|American}} actor {{wp|Will Smith}}. However, aside from their skin colours, the two do differ in certain respects, namely their full names, year of birth, and profession, while otherwise sharing some certain similarities including the two both being born {{wp|American}}, albeit in the different states of {{wp|California}} and {{wp|Pennsylvania}} respectively, and are both married to an actress, namely {{wp|Anne Hathaway}} and {{wp|Jada Pinkett Smith}}. To that end, on his part, Smith himself has acknowledged the comparisons, which he later described in a 2019 interview as "something funny to think about every now and then" while also affirming that the similarities in their names were purely accidental and that his [[Thomas, King of the British|father]] did not actually named him after the {{wp|Will Smith|actor}}, especially given that the latter was only nine years old when Smith himself was born and was therefore yet to acquire his modern-day prominence.


As of current, although the couple primarily lives in {{wp|London}}, {{wp|England}}, they also occasionally spend their time abroad at their other residences located in {{wp|Los Angeles}}, {{wp|California}}, {{wp|Madrid}}, {{wp|Spain}}, and in {{wp|Porto Alegre}}, {{wp|Rio Grande do Sul}}. Moreover, given that {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}}'s family has largely resided in {{wp|Brazil}} while Smith's family resides in the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, the couple is known to have frequently travelled back and forth between the two countries especially for important celebrations such as {{wp|Christmas}}, {{wp|Easter}}, and {{wp|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 {{wp|Barcelona}} said to be close to that owned by footballer {{wp|Gerard Piqué}} and singer {{wp|Shakira}}, with whom the two enjoyed a cordial friendship given their similar backgrounds with both Smith and {{wp|Gerard Piqué|Piqué}} being well-known and highly talented {{wp|European}} footballers (they also represented major rivalling {{wp|La Liga}} clubs) while {{wp|Brazilian}}-born {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} and {{wp|Colombian}}-born {{wp|Shakira}} are similarly well-known {{wp|Latin American}} celebrities who gained fame through their respective modelling and singing careers.  
===Relationships===
{{Main|Personal Life (William Smith): Romances}}
Owing to a combination of his good looks and his global appeal as a highly-talented professional footballer, prior to his marriage to the {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Anne Hathaway}}, Smith was, at times, linked by tabloids to a number of famous female celebrities of his time including the likes of singers {{wp|Britney Spears}} and {{wp|Jessica Simpson}}, actresses {{wp|Emily Blunt}}, {{wp|Kate Winslet}}, and {{wp|Keira Knightley}}, as well as fashion models {{wp|Miranda Kerr}} and {{wp|Rosie Huntington-Whiteley}}.


===Others===
However, despite the various links, Smith has only ever acknowledged two official relationships prior to his marriage. In this, his first serious relationship was with the {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Cameron Diaz}}, whom he met while accompanying his {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|mother}} to the premier of the 2003 action film ''{{wp|Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle}}'' which both {{wp|Cameron Diaz|Diaz}} and {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}}, the former's own mother, appeared in. However, amidst issues of uncertainty and incompatibility, the couple ultimately called off their relationship within a few months or so although they have since remained on fairly good terms. On her part, {{wp|Cameron Diaz|Diaz}} later married the {{wp|American}} musician {{wp|Benji Madden}} whose twin brother {{wp|Joel Madden}} is otherwise married to the {{wp|American}} television personality {{wp|Nicole Richie}}.  
In a 2019 interview with {{wp|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 {{wp|Jaclyn Smith|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 {{wp|Hollywood}} lifestyle. Regardless, as a somewhat sports-centric individual, Smith disclosed that growing up he initially had a "brief crush" on {{wp|German}} tennis player {{wp|Steffi Graf}} although this was never officially requited with {{wp|Steffi Graf|Graf}} later marrying fellow tennis player {{wp|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 {{wp|American}} actress {{wp|Cameron Diaz}} whom he had met while attending the premiere of ''{{wp|Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle}}'' in which his own mother {{wp|Jaclyn Smith}} made a cameo appearance as {{wp|Kelly Garrett (Charlie's Angels)|Kelly Garrett}} while {{wp|Cameron Diaz|Diaz}}, along with {{wp|Drew Barrymore}} and {{wp|Lucy Liu}}, headlined the film. Later, despite describing {{wp|Cameron Diaz|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, {{wp|Cameron Diaz|Diaz}} subsequently married {{wp|American}} musician {{wp|Benji Madden}} whose twin brother {{wp|Joel Madden}} is married to the {{wp|American}} television personality {{wp|Nicole Richie}}.


In a separate interview that same year, Smith revealed that after watching the 1997 film {{wp|Titanic (1997 film)|''Titanic''}} he initially became fond of the leading actress {{wp|Kate Winslet}} who he described as a "classic {{wp|English}} rose". Despite this, he never really acted upon his feelings although {{wp|Kate Winslet|Winslet}}'s co-star {{wp|Leonardo DiCaprio}} later began dating {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}} before the {{wp|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 {{wp|Kate Winslet|actress}} from a movie while her co-star was dating my {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|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 {{wp|Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic}} for all the good things I had so far"''. Likewise, in retrospect, {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} herself described her decision to fly to {{wp|Japan}} where she later unexpectedly met her future husband at the {{wp|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"''.
Following the end of his relationship with {{wp|Cameron Diaz|Diaz}}, for a period of roughly four years, Smith dated the {{wp|Brazilian}} supermodel {{wp|Gisele Bündchen}}. In this, the couple's romance was said to have begun from a chance meeting between the two at the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}} in {{wp|Japan}} where {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}}, impressed by Smith's memorable hat-trick in a 5-0 win for the {{wp|United States}} over her native {{wp|Brazil}}, soon took an interest in the latter, thereby leading to a subsequent relationship after {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} then ended a previous relationship with the {{wp|American}} actor {{wp|Leonardo DiCaprio}}. Due to the couple's high-profile status, the relationship was a largely secretive and close-knit affair with knowledge of it being exclusively restricted to their closest friends and family members. Nonetheless, by around 2007, apparent signs of strain in their relationship led the couple to ultimately terminate their secretive romance, with {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|Bündchen}} later marrying the {{wp|American}} football quarterback {{wp|Tom Brady}} in 2009 although the couple subsequently ended up divorcing in 2022.


==Style of Play==
==Style of Play==
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  |quote  = "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."
  |quote  = "Almost immediately, with 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."
  |author = Former head coach {{wp|Octavio Zambrano}} on Smith's early years at {{wp|LA Galaxy}}
  |author = Former head coach {{wp|Octavio Zambrano}} on Smith's early years at {{wp|LA Galaxy}}
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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 {{wp|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.
Considered to be one of the greatest and most complete 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, an unmatched goalscoring prowess, as well as excellent overall vision and creativity, with former {{wp|Manchester United}} head coach {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson}} describing Smith as "the most complete of all the strikers I've had", adding, ''"From what I've seen, some strikers can only do a certain set of things while others can do their own set of things only and there's Smith who can essentially do almost everything a striker needs to in one go"''. In addition, with a height of 1.80 metres, his relatively tall stature also allowed Smith to occasionally function as a "target man" with a knack for scoring close-range headers and in spite of his physical attributes Smith nonetheless proved to be a quick and agile striker able to both outrun his opponents and place himself in ideal positions. Moreover, Smith is also widely regarded for his excellent first touches and perfect composure, both of which made him a press-resistant player who rarely loses the ball to opponents who tend to man-mark him rather often. Former {{wp|Brazil}} and {{wp|Bayern Munich}} defender {{wp|Lúcio}}, who faced Smith in the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}}, described him as one of his most difficult opponents ever, stating, ''"He is always on the move and you never really know when he was about to shoot the ball or not. Quite simply, he's very unpredictable and to even counter him you always have to think many steps ahead which is already a lot to do in itself"''. A dedicated student of the {{wp|Total Football}} system and philosophy, despite being mostly known for his role as a forward, Smith also occasionally experimented as a winger, a second striker, an attacking midfielder, or even as a deep-lying playmaker in a more central position.
 
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 {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Lionel Messi}} while playing in {{wp|La Liga}} for {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Manchester United}}, which saw him operate jointly with the {{wp|Dutch}}-born {{wp|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 {{wp|Ruud van Nistelrooy|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 {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} saw Smith become a quintessential deep-lying forward actively involved in attacking build-ups as with {{wp|Diego Simeone|Simeone}}'s low block tactical set-up often requiring him to drop deeper than usual thereby further burnishing his link-up play. Moreover, in {{wp|Diego Simeone|Simeone}}'s preferred 4-4-2 system, Smith was often paired with an equally capable striker such as the likes of {{wp|Diego Forlán}}, {{wp|Radamel Falcao}}, {{wp|Diego Costa}}, and {{wp|Antoine Griezmann}}.
Having scored a season's average of an impressive forty goals while also playing a season's average of thirty-four 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 rivals {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}} and {{wp|Lionel Messi}} with both players being at least several years younger than Smith who by then was already into his thirties. 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 thirties whereas some otherwise saw a gradual decline in form as they aged. In addition, playing under the somewhat defensive style of {{wp|Diego Simeone}} crucially allowed Smith to conserve his energy as he aged while otherwise utilising most of his energy in short bursts hence his ability to score the usual amount of goals even in his later years. In this, his preference for mostly walking slowly on the pitch before suddenly sprinting with rapid pace led some pundits to liken his playing style at {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} to a cheetah, a comparison that head coach {{wp|Diego Simeone}} even supported, having once said, ''"Undoubtedly, if the pitch was like a jungle, Guillermo (William) would be our cheetah silently walking and prowling about before suddenly bursting into life almost immediately once he saw his prey who will find it really hard to outrun him. For us, a goal being scored by him is like a cheetah having finally caught its prey"''. 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 near the opposition's penalty area. 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 past opposition defenders. A renowned playmaker in his own right, Smith is also known for his almost equally high assist tally. In this, Smith has received much praise for his openness to assisting in goals rather than just scoring them via his natural playmaking abilities including a combination of reliable and accurate passes, excellent positioning, and strategic off-the-ball movements which generally allows him to orchestrate attacks and create goalscoring chances somewhat regularly.  
 
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|quote  = "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."
|author = Former {{wp|Dutch}} footballer {{wp|Johan Cruyff}} on being an inspiration for Smith
|source =
|width  = 50%
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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 {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson}} to once describe him as the {{wp|Premier League}}'s "one-of-a-kind sharpshooter" while former teammate {{wp|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 {{wp|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.


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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 {{wp|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 {{wp|England}} and {{wp|Manchester United}} defender {{wp|Rio Ferdinand}}, who once publicly criticised the perceived laziness and laid-back attitude shown by the {{wp|England}} internationals during the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, has also heaped much praise on the former {{wp|Manchester United}} forward, stating, ''"Out of all the guys that were in {{wp|Germany}} back then for the {{wp|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 {{wp|England}} manager {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} also recounted Smith's overall behaviour during the last few training sessions for the {{wp|World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, stating that the former {{wp|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 {{wp|FIFA Fair Play Award}} in 2014 in which then-{{wp|FIFA}} president {{wp|Sepp Blatter}} hailed him as "the paragon of class and excellence in football". Meanwhile, in an interview with ''{{wp|Die Welt}}'', former {{wp|German}} international {{wp|Miroslav Klose}}, referencing the latter's {{wp|Gisele Bündchen|wife}}'s status as an "über model", described Smith as an "über footballer".
Aside from his widely-acclaimed footballing prowess, Smith is perhaps most well known for his somewhat extreme sense of professionalism and exemplary work ethic, traits that would come to mark his footballing career along with his distinction of having a somewhat "clean" and relatively "unproblematic" reputation which Smith himself admitted to be both natural and deliberate, stating, ''"When I realised that I have a younger sister who's really into football and who's definitely going to be looking up to me as inspiration, I knew that by all means necessary I have to set an example and be a good role model for her so that she could truly love and appreciate the game especially through someone familiar which is what I strove to be"''. In 2017, former {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|England}} teammate {{wp|Wayne Rooney}} described Smith 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 {{wp|England}} and {{wp|Manchester United}} defender {{wp|Rio Ferdinand}}, who once publicly criticised the perceived laziness and laid-back attitude shown by the {{wp|England}} internationals during the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, has also heaped much praise on the former {{wp|Manchester United}} forward, stating, ''"Out of all the guys that were in {{wp|Germany}} back then for the {{wp|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 {{wp|England}} manager {{wp|Sven-Göran Eriksson}} also recounted Smith's overall behaviour during the last few training sessions for the {{wp|World Cup}} in {{wp|Germany}}, adding how the former {{wp|England}} star was "the first to come and the last to leave" during most training sessions and that the latter "always gave his 100%, or perhaps 105%, each time without fail". Meanwhile, during an appearance on ''{{wp|The Graham Norton Show}}'' in 2022, Smith publicly revealed a small-sized tattoo on the side of his right arm on which is inscribed a phrase in {{wp|Spanish}} that reads "Élite y compuesto" which roughly translates to "Elite and composed", reportedly his two main footballing philosophies, namely putting a consistent top-notch performance and remaining calm and composed, thereby averting any nervous breakdowns or the sort.
 
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 {{wp|England}} manager {{wp|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 {{wp|World Cup}} final, Smith was known for his "calm and reasonable yet aggressive and uncompromising" demeanour during dressing room meetings with former {{wp|England}} teammate {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship|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 {{wp|Sky Sports}}, Smith named former longtime teammate {{wp|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 {{wp|French}}-born {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} striker {{wp|Thierry Henry}} as his favourite rival, stating, ''"Just as how people of today, when talking about football, would always talk about {{wp|Lionel Messi}} and {{wp|Cristiano Ronaldo}}, back in my time, it was between me and {{wp|Thierry Henry|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 {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal}} were often the subject of much media coverage, which often framed the rivalry between Smith and {{wp|Thierry Henry|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 {{wp|Dutch}} football legend {{wp|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 {{wp|Northern Ireland}}'s {{wp|George Best}}, {{wp|England}}'s {{wp|Bobby Charlton}} and {{wp|Jimmy Greaves}}, as well as the {{wp|Netherlands}}' {{wp|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Johan Cruyff|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 {{wp|Manchester United}}'s {{wp|Alex Ferguson|Sir Alex Ferguson}} and {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s {{wp|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 {{wp|Diego Simeone|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 {{wp|Diego Simeone|Simeone}} himself was born {{wp|Argentinean}} while Smith identifies himself as {{wp|British}}, the two, despite the political animosity between their respective countries, enjoyed a cordial and unyielding friendship, with {{wp|Diego Simeone|Simeone}} himself later telling {{wp|Marca (newspaper)|''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 {{wp|American}} soccer, Smith is therefore hugely respected and admired by many young {{wp|American}} talents in the sport including {{wp|AC Milan}} midfielder and {{wp|United States men's national soccer team|USMNT}} captain {{wp|Christian Pulisic}} who said in a 2019 interview with {{wp|ESPN}}, ''"Back then, even if I was just four years old at the time, me and a lot of other kids in {{wp|America}} would never forget the moment they lifted the {{wp|World Cup}} trophy for the first time which is definitely something that I wish to accomplish even if it seems impossible now"''. Similarly, fellow {{wp|American}} soccer player and {{wp|Borussia Dortmund}} midfielder {{wp|Giovanni Reyna}} described the former as "the number one legend among {{wp|American}} soccer fans" and "the {{wp|Michael Jordan}} of soccer", adding, ''"The things he did and those he accomplished as an {{wp|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 of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Alexandra]], the two are the first brother and sister pair to represent {{wp|England}} at the senior level, followed by the James siblings {{wp|Lauren James|Lauren}} and {{wp|Reece James (footballer, born 1999)|Reece}}, who each play for {{wp|Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea}} and {{wp|England}} respectively. However, they are not necessarily the first pair of siblings to represent {{wp|England}} at the senior level and win a major tournament, be it the {{wp|World Cup}} or the {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}}, with the first pair to do so being the Charlton brothers {{wp|Bobby Charlton|Bobby}} and {{wp|Jack Charlton|Jack}}, members of the {{wp|1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 World Cup}}-winning squad, and the Neville brothers {{wp|Phil Neville|Phil}} and {{wp|Gary Neville|Gary}}, members of the {{wp|2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup}}-winning squad.
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 somewhat formidable and commanding presence on the pitch as well as a naturally talented and assertive leader with former {{wp|England}} manager {{wp|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 {{wp|World Cup}} final, Smith was known for his "calm and reasonable yet aggressive and uncompromising" demeanour during dressing room meetings with former {{wp|England}} teammate {{wp|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"''. Similarly, former {{wp|United States}} teammate {{wp|Landon Donovan}}, recounting Smith's final dressing room speech just prior to the {{wp|2002 FIFA World Cup Final}} against {{wp|Brazil}}, said, ''"For all the many years I spent with the national team, that dressing room speech was probably the only time I ever felt 100% sure about something in a very long time"''. In a 2017 {{wp|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 {{wp|World Cup}} and {{wp|UEFA European Championship|Euros}} triumph were otherwise indicators for the 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"''. Nonetheless, his brand of professionalism and an admirable character made Smith a "mentor" to younger and upcoming talents at the clubs that he played namely {{wp|Manchester United}} players {{wp|Marcus Rashford}} and {{wp|Jonny Evans}} as well as {{wp|Atlético Madrid}}'s {{wp|Antoine Griezmann}} who is considered by some to be Smith's "protégé".  


In a testament to his massive success on the continental stage, ten out of twenty editions of the {{wp|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 {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} titles for an individual with twelve titles to his name, nine of which were won as a player with {{wp|Manchester United}} and {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} (the most for a player, surpassing the previous record of six titles by {{wp|Real Madrid}}'s {{wp|Paco Gento|Fransisco Gento}}), and the remaining three as a manager of {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, being the only manager in the club's history to have won the tournament. More impressively, in his four seasons with  {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}, he never failed to reach the finals of the  {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} where he won each time with the exception of a 0-1 loss to  {{wp|Real Madrid}} that prevented him from achieving a historic four straight  {{wp|UEFA Champions League}} title streak.
As of 2024, Smith is just one of only nine footballers in history to have won the {{wp|FIFA World Cup}}, the {{wp|UEFA Champions League}}, and the {{wp|Ballon d'Or}}. Others on the list include {{wp|Johan Cruyff}}, {{wp|Gerd Müller}}, {{wp|Franz Beckenbauer}}, {{wp|Paolo Rossi}}, {{wp|Zinedine Zidane}}, as well as fellow compatriots {{wp|Bobby Charlton}}, {{wp|Harry Kane}}, and his own half-brother [[Prince Richard of Hanover|Prince Richard]].


==Managerial Style==
==Managerial Style==
{{Quote box
|quote  = "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 {{wp|Earth}} to know that I was right about myself from the beginning."
|author = Smith on initial doubts from the public over his managerial capabilities at {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
|source =
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Considered to be the most successful {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}}'s {{wp|Jürgen Klopp}}. Moreover, at least during his first season as {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} head coach, Smith gained much media attention for his "pompous" and "bombastic" personality during press conferences which Smith himself later admitted to be a deliberate act, stating, ''"Undoubtedly, I came to a club that wasn't exactly in its best form but all things considered what was I supposed to do publicly? Act like I'm defeated and that all is lost before it really isn't? Nope, that's now how I work and it never will be because I live and thrive off high expectations and regardless if some people like it or not, I'm not going to hide my true ambitious and dreamy personality because that's what I've always been for years as a player and also as a manager as well"''. Later, upon announcing his retirement as head coach, Smith remarked, ''"I definitely had a big mouth and spoke big back then but as it turns out I could pretty well back up the big things that I said in public. To that end, I have no regret or shame at all for having acted in such a way before"''.
An admirer of the {{wp|gegenpressing}} system popularised by the likes of {{wp|Thomas Tuchel}} and {{wp|Jürgen Klopp}}, Smith was known for having favoured such an approach during his four-year tenure at {{wp|THFC|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 {{wp|Harry Kane}} up front. Meanwhile, in a 2021 interview with {{wp|Sky Sports}}, Smith named {{wp|Atlético Madrid}} head coach {{wp|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, {{wp|Diego Simeone|Simeone}}'s tactical trademark that includes a rigid defensive system was also incorporated by Smith as head coach of {{wp|THFC|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"''.
{{Quote box
|quote  = "Without a doubt, to see the same club that we defeated 2-0 in the finals just the season before also defeat {{wp|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."
|author = {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool}} manager {{wp|Jürgen Klopp}} on Smith and {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}}
|source =
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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 {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} winger {{wp|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 {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} forward {{wp|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, {{wp|South Korean}}-born winger {{wp|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 {{wp|Sky Sports}}, when asked about his favourite moment as {{wp|THFC|Tottenham Hotspur}} head coach, Smith named the club's surprise 2-1 victory over {{wp|Bayern Munich}} in the {{wp|2020 UEFA Champions League Final}}, stating, ''"The moment {{wp|Tanguy Ndombele|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 {{wp|Liverpool F.C.|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 {{wp|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 {{wp|Paris Saint-Germain|PSG}} can be defeated by almost anyone and that they definitely do not deserve to win {{wp|Europe}}'s most prestigious tournament ever"''. In the meantime, Smith himself has personally heaped much praise on winger {{wp|Son Heung-min}} who he admitted in a 2021 interview to have "strongly reminded" him of former {{wp|Manchester United}} teammate and fellow {{wp|South Korean}} footballer {{wp|Park Ji-sung}} (famously known as "Three-Lung Park") while also personally praising longtime player {{wp|Harry Kane}} who he described as "the greatest {{wp|England}} captain since I left".


==Honours==
==Honours==
===Player===
'''LA Galaxy'''
'''LA Galaxy'''
* '''U.S. Open Cup''': 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
* '''U.S. Open Cup''': 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
* '''MLS Cup''': 2002, 2003
* '''MLS Cup''': 2002, 2003
* '''CONCACAF Champions' Cup''': 2000
* '''CONCACAF Champions Cup''': 1997, 2000


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


'''Atlético Madrid'''
'''Atlético Madrid'''
* '''La Liga''': 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
* '''La Liga''': 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
* '''Copa del Rey''': 2012-13, 2015-16
* '''Copa del Rey''': 2012-13, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19
* '''Supercopa de España''': 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
* '''Supercopa de España''': 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
* '''UEFA Champions League''': 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
* '''UEFA Champions League''': 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
* '''UEFA Europa League''': 2010-11
* '''UEFA Europa League''': 2010-11
* '''UEFA Super Cup''': 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
* '''UEFA Super Cup''': 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
* '''FIFA Club World Cup''': 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
* '''FIFA Club World Cup''': 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
 
'''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'''
'''United States U20'''
Line 561: Line 411:
* '''FIFA World Cup''': 2006, 2010, 2014
* '''FIFA World Cup''': 2006, 2010, 2014
*'''UEFA European Championship''': 2008, 2012
*'''UEFA European Championship''': 2008, 2012
===Manager===
'''Tottenham Hotspur'''
*'''Premier League''': 2020-21, 2021-22
*'''FA Cup''': 2022-23
*'''EFL Cup''': 2021-22
*'''UEFA Champions League''': 2019-20, 2020-21
*'''UEFA Super Cup''': 2020, 2021
*'''FIFA Club World Cup''': 2020, 2021


'''Individual'''
'''Individual'''
* {{wp|FIFA Ballon d'Or}}/{{wp|Ballon d'Or}}: 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
* {{wp|Ultra Ballon d'Or}}: 2019
* {{wp|FIFA Ballon d'Or}}/{{wp|Ballon d'Or}}: 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019
* {{wp|FIFA World Player of the Year}}: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
* {{wp|FIFA World Player of the Year}}: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
* {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Player}}:2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
* {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Player}}:2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
Line 570: Line 430:
* {{wp|FIFA World Cup Golden Boot}}: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
* {{wp|FIFA World Cup Golden Boot}}: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
* {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball}}: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013
* {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball}}: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013
* {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Shoe}}: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013
* {{wp|FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Boot}}: 2001, 2003, 2009, 2013
* {{wp|FIFA Fair Play Award}}: 2014
* {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball}}: 1999
* {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball}}: 1999
* {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Boot}}: 1999
* {{wp|FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Boot}}: 1999
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* {{wp|PFA Team of the Year}}: 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|PFA Team of the Year}}: 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|Premier League Player of the Season}}: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|Premier League Player of the Season}}: 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|Premier League Player of the Month}}: November 2010, January 2013, April 2013
* {{wp|Premier League Player of the Month}}: September 2008, July 2010, September 2010
* {{wp|FWA Footballer of the Year}}: 2014
* {{wp|FWA Footballer of the Year}}: 2014
* {{wp|Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year}}: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
* {{wp|Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year}}: 2004-05, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10
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* {{wp|UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament}}: 2008, 2012
* {{wp|UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament}}: 2008, 2012
* {{wp|Premier League Hall of Fame}}: 2021
* {{wp|Premier League Hall of Fame}}: 2021
* {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup Most Valuable Player of the Final}}: 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015
* {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup Most Valuable Player of the Final}}: 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015
* {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball}}: 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015
* {{wp|FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball}}: 2005, 2009, 2014, 2015
* {{wp|Alan Hardaker Trophy}}: 2007, 2009
* {{wp|Alan Hardaker Trophy}}: 2007, 2009
* {{wp|Premier League Goal of the Month}}: June 2005
* {{wp|Premier League Goal of the Month}}: June 2005
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* {{wp|National Soccer Hall of Fame}}: 2002
* {{wp|National Soccer Hall of Fame}}: 2002
* {{wp|English Football Hall of Fame}}: 2015
* {{wp|English Football Hall of Fame}}: 2015
* {{wp|BBC Sport Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award}}: 2014
* {{wp|BBC Sport Personality of the Year Award}}: 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014
* {{wp|BBC Sport Personality World Sport Star of the Year}}: 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014
* {{wp|Onze d'Or Coach of the Year}}: 2020, 2021, 2022
* {{wp|Onze d'Or Coach of the Year}}: 2020, 2021, 2022
* {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Coach}}: 2020, 2021, 2022
* {{wp|The Best FIFA Men's Coach}}: 2020, 2021, 2022
* {{wp|LMA Manager of the Year}}: 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23
* {{wp|LMA Manager of the Year}}: 2019-20, 2020-21
* {{wp|Premier League Manager of the Season}}: 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23
* {{wp|Premier League Manager of the Season}}: 2019-20, 2020-21
* {{wp|BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award}}: 2020
* {{wp|BBC Sport Personality of the Year Coach Award}}: 2020
* {{wp|IFFHS World's Best Club Coach:}}: 2020
* {{wp|IFFHS World's Best Club Coach}}: 2020
* {{wp|LMA Hall of Fame}}: 2023
* {{wp|LMA Hall of Fame}}: 2023

Latest revision as of 00:57, 2 April 2024


William Smith

SWS.jpg
Born
William Geoffrey Thomas Jack Smith

(1979-05-11) May 11, 1979 (age 45)
Nationality
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BSS)
University of Manchester (MSS)
Occupation
  • Footballer
  • Manager
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Spouse(s)
Anne Hathaway (m. 2012)
Partner(s)Cameron Diaz (2003 - 2004)
Gisele Bündchen (2004 - 2007)
Children
  • William
  • Anne
  • Michelle
  • John
Parents
Relatives (aunt-in-laws)
Georgia May Jagger (cousin)
Henry Cavill (brother-in-law)
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 (225)
2010 - 2019 Atlético Madrid 302 (328)
Total 684 (785)
International career
1999 - 2000 United States U20 7 (12)
2000 - 2003 United States 64 (68)
2004 - 2014 England 124 (160)
2012 Great Britain 6 (9)
Managerial career
2019 - 2023 Tottenham Hotspur
Honours
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sir William Geoffrey Thomas Jack Smith GBE GCWO GCH (born 11 May 1979) is an American-English former football manager and player. Known for his explosive pace, exceptional playmaking abilities, strong link-up play, and formidable goalscoring prowess, Smith is generally regarded to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. Nicknamed "The General" for his leadership qualities and commanding presence on the pitch, with a total of 84 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. In 2004, Smith was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living footballers, becoming the only male American player on the list. Prior to the discontinuation of the FIFA Confederations Cup and the subsequent introduction of the UEFA Nations League, Smith, along with former teammate Wayne Rooney, are the only two footballers to have won all the available titles at both club and international levels including the Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, William Smith Shield, 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. With a net worth of $2.09 billion, Smith is considered to be the richest footballer, active or retired, with his wealth mostly derived from a series of highly lucrative sponsorships as well as the high wages and bonuses he received during his playing years. Along with seven other players, Smith is one of the few to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or alongside compatriots Bobby Charlton and Harry Kane.

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 and successful 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 twice in 1997 and 2000. By the end of his time with LA Galaxy, Smith had racked up a total of 289 goals in 221 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, for a world-record fee of £68 million that was also then a British record and currently an unbroken Major League Soccer record, Smith joined Premier League club Manchester United on a six-year contract. With the club, he went on to achieve 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. In this, he notably helped Manchester United to a historic sextuple in the 2008-09 season in a first for a European and English club during which he became the only player in Premier League history to score seven goals in a record 10-0 win over Fulham. With a total of 468 goals in 343 appearances across all competitions, Smith is the leading all-time goalscorer for Manchester United and the second-highest goalscorer in the Premier League behind 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 41 goals which was later broken by Arsenal's Richard. 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. Then, in 2010, following a hugely successful period with Manchester United, 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 six times in a row, the Copa del Rey four times, the Supercopa de España seven times in a row, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup eight times in a row, and the UEFA Europa League once during which he helped the club to three separate sextuples. Considered to be the most successful and most 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 596 goals scored in 481 appearances across all competitions, Smith is the leading all-time goalscorer for Atlético Madrid as well as La Liga's second-highest all-time top scorer behind Lionel Messi and ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. Among fans and supporters, Smith is famously nicknamed "San Guillermo" ("Saint William") in honour of his role alongside former manager Diego Simeone in kickstarting a period of long-term dominance after a period of mediocrity and underachievement. Since October 2020, Smith has served as the club's life president, having been awarded the honour by club president Enrique Cerezo.

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 and also captained the senior team, famously known as the '02 Dream Team, in which he won 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 scored a hat-trick in the finals to deliver the United States' first and only World Cup title via a memorable 5-0 win 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 win over Italy in the finals secured England their first 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 win over Mexico in the finals.

Having made a total of 124 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, having made only 64 appearances in total, Smith is the country's all-time goalscorer with 68 goals. Among others, Smith is also the first and only player to win a World Cup title with two different countries as well as the first and only one of two to win four World Cups. 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 228 goals scored on the international level, Smith is the world's all-time leader for international goals and was formerly the all-time leader for international appearances with 188 appearances until surpassed by Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. Together with compatriots Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard, Smith is one-fourth of the famous "Ferocious Four", the four core members of the England national team that won three straight World Cups and two consecutive UEFA European Championships from 2006 to 2014 that was popularly known as the "Invincible Lions".

Around November 2019, Smith was appointed head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, succeeding Mauricio Pochettino after an initial poor start to the 2019-20 season. 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 where in addition to a FA Cup and an EFL Cup title he also won the UEFA Champions League once again with Tottenham Hotspur as well as the Premier League for two consecutive seasons, becoming the first and only English and American 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 and the only American manager 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 is also tied with José Mourinho for the youngest manager to have won the UEFA Champions League at 41 years old.

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 the Netflix documentary The June 30th Miracle: Ten Years On. Moreover, he was also featured in Amazon Prime Video's All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur and its subsequent follow-up The Spursy Fantasy. Meanwhile, since 2012, Smith has been married to American actress Anne Hathaway, with whom he has four children. Often likened by the media to English poet William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, the couple are popularly known together as "Will and Anne" and have starred together in several films including Valentine's Day, Ocean's 8, and Dark Waters. He is the older brother of journalist and politician Jacqueline Smith, the current leader of the Liberal Democrats, and professional footballer Prince Richard who captains the Premier League club Arsenal.

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

Born William Geoffrey Thomas Jack Smith on 11 May 1979, Smith was the oldest of two children of actress Jaclyn Smith and the 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 half-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. Reportedly named William after his paternal great-grandfather William Bacall, Smith, who officially took his mother's surname, was given three middle names in which two of them were in honour of his parents (with "Jack" being the masculine form of "Jacqueline") while the remaining one was deliberately chosen by his father in honour of the English footballer Geoff Hurst who famously scored a hat-trick in England's 4-2 win over West Germany in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final. In a 2017 interview with the BBC, Smith said, "In a way, it was almost sort of prophetic or inevitable that for someone named after the only footballer to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final, I would ultimately end up doing the same myself as well. In hindsight, my father was definitely right to name me in such a way, and for whatever reason behind it, the naming did certainly achieve its intended purpose". In this, despite the need for near-constant secrecy regarding 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. afterward, 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 this, despite his deep athletic leanings, Smith proved to be a fairly intelligent and well-educated student with a knack for discipline and mostly finishing his homework on time. A fairly all-rounder student, his favourite subjects include English, Physical Examination, and Mathematics.

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" in order 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, stating, "Of course, not long after my father left, my mother finally remarried to another man meaning that in any case we were a family of four once again. Regardless, for as long as I could remember, when it came to Jackie, I was essentially the one protecting her and looking after her whenever possible which was something that I quickly learned from my biological father early on". Later on, Smith has credited such circumstances in shaping him into a natural leader, especially during his subsequent football years, stating, "The fact that if anything, I had to take charge and ensure that those I care about are fine and protected early on meant that when others were perhaps still struggling, I was already familiar with handling people which was admittedly a very helpful extra help for my career".

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 this, 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 mainly resides.

Club Career

LA Galaxy (1992 - 2003)

Youth Prospect

An aerial view of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where Smith spent his formative years prior to becoming a professional footballer

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 Bradenton, 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.

Senior Team

Immediately after he was drafted by LA Galaxy, 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 in 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 following which he proceeded to score a goal in the 49th-minute, thereby raising the scoreline to 3-3 before following it up with a brace in the 87th minute, with Smith's second goal 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 Dallas Burn 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. Consequently, his stellar performance saw LA Galaxy clinch a spot in the playoffs. In this, a hat-trick from Smith allowed LA Galaxy to draw 3-3 Dallas Burn in the second game of the conference semi-finals although they were eventually eliminated 3-4 on penalties. Meanwhile, on 22 August 1997, Smith scored his first goal in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, namely in a 2-0 win over D.C. United, which he promptly followed up on August 24th to narrowly defeat the Liga MX side Cruz Azul 6-5 in the finals to clinch the club's first-ever title in the tournament.

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, despite having missed out on qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the following 1998 season would prove to be of some success, with LA Galaxy topping 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 in spite of 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 win 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, thereby effectively ending Smith's hope of winning a second CONCACAF Champions Cup title. Meanwhile, despite having won the 2000 edition which would automatically qualify them for the FIFA Club World Championship, Smith and LA Galaxy were ultimately unable to participate in the ensuing 2001 edition after it was unexpectedly canceled 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 as part of the Galácticos project

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 £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. 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". Meanwhile, in his autobiography, Smith revealed that the famous German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, reportedly impressed by Smith's performance at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, attempted to convince him to sign for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich (which Kahn himself is a part of), stating, "When Oliver heard that I was coming to Europe, he gave me a phone call once and told me to come to Bayern because, with the way I played, he said I could definitely be the American version of Gerd Müller, an undeniable German football legend, and that I would make a great striker to play with while he is the goalkeeper". In response, while admitting his flattery by such a comparison, Smith himself later expressed his desire to "not be the American or English version of some great legend but just myself in all my own glory and success".

Afterward, in 2010, when Smith 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". Even more so, as Smith himself would later spearhead Atlético Madrid to five straight UEFA Champions League titles, Real Madrid's ultimate inability to ever acquire Smith's services became ever more consequential and hard-hitting, with former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola once stating, "Undoubtedly, all three of us had our own greatest player but Diego, judging by the titles that he won, was definitely the luckiest and as some people would say had struck gold in getting him when others instead failed". Similarly, BBC Sport later dubbed it "The Steal of the Century", adding, "Truly, for someone of his stature at the time, one would mostly ever consider between Real Madrid and Barcelona but instead he did the opposite and will certainly have a rare legacy to speak of for generations".

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 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 in 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 Arsenal 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 in 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 in a testament to the club's overall dominance at the time. Meanwhile, in 2009, Smith twice made history in the Premier League, firstly by scoring a record seven goals in a historic 10-0 win over Fulham on February 18th and secondly by scoring four goals in a 7-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on September 12th. In this, his seven goals scored, currently an unbroken league record, saw Manchester United once again mark the biggest win in Premier League history, surpassing their own previous record of a 9-0 win over Ipswich in which Andy Cole scored a record five goals. Moreover, having previously set the new record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season with 39 goals in his second season with Manchester United, Smith, over the course of his last two seasons with the club, established a new record of 41 goals in both seasons which would remain unbroken until Arsenal's Richard scored a record 45 goals in the 2022-23 season.

Following the end of the 2009-10 season, after it was reported by the BBC that Smith did not wish to renew his six-year contract with Manchester United, rumours quickly arose regarding his next destination with several of Europe's biggest clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Juventus being touted as his next club. In addition, derby rivals Manchester City, whose new owner Sheikh Mansour once reportedly thought of acquiring the Manchester United forward's services in what was then considered a "direct sabotage" of their biggest rivals, was also briefly considered until Smith himself promptly refuted such rumours, stating, "I'll be leaving Manchester United soon but never for its very own rivals in my entire life". 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 in a deliberate attempt to ward off encroaching competitors especially city rivals Real Madrid who were similarly interested in acquiring Smith's services for themselves.

During his ensuing presentation ceremony to club supporters at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, Smith spoke of a "bittersweet feeling" of leaving his much-beloved Manchester United which he had long dreamt of playing for since childhood. However, pointing to his new club's "underdog" status, Smith explained that his decision to join Atlético Madrid was to "face a new challenge for myself", adding, "When people talk about La Liga, they always say that Real Madrid and Barcelona are the strongest clubs around and the only ones who can win the Champions League. Now, just as I did before with the United States at the World Cup, I'm going to prove those same people wrong and show that Atlético Madrid is just as strong or even stronger than both clubs and could absolutely win the Champions League as well". Meanwhile, in his best-selling autobiography, Smith later wrote of a "difficult conundrum" that he faced prior to leaving Manchester United, stating, "Without a doubt, I always wanted to play for Manchester United ever since I could walk but as excited and thrilled as I was scoring goals while wearing the red jersey, at some point, the game itself just felt a bit too easy for me when all we could seemingly do was just win titles left and right with almost no one apparently able to stop us. At that point, I stopped myself and asked whether I wanted to be a long-lasting servant of the club who could just win anything with just one goal or someone who was always challenged by equally strong opponents of the highest levels of the game who could be challenging me to be better than I previously was each time. In the end, I chose the latter".

"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

By the time of his departure, Smith's total goal tally of 471 across all competitions established him as the all-time goalscorer for Manchester United while his 225 goals scored in the Premier League currently makes him the second-highest all-time goalscorer behind Alan Shearer with 260 goals with Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane almost coming close to surpass him with 221 goals. Meanwhile, until 2023, Smith formerly held the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season with 41 goals until Arsenal's Richard surpassed it with 45 goals in the 2022-23 season. Since then, Smith has remained a hugely popular and highly celebrated figure among Manchester United supporters who famously nicknamed him "The Red Prince" due to his royal lineage and the club's traditional red colours. Moreover, together with Wayne Rooney and Eric Cantona, Smith is considered to be one of Manchester United's greatest forwards of the Premier League era and, among some supporters, is even considered to be the successor to the late Bobby Charlton. As of current, Smith is the only American player to have won the Premier League and only one of two Americans to have won the UEFA Champions League alongside Jovan Kirovski.

Following the end of the 2022-23 season, the departures of goalkeeper David de Gea and defender Phil Jones, the last few players remaining from the Ferguson era, left Manchester United without a Premier League winner for the first time in three decades. However, after almost eight years away, the club later re-signed academy graduate Jonny Evans, who was part of the historic 2008-09 sextuple-winning squad, making the Northern Ireland defender the only player at Manchester United so far to have won both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, titles which Manchester United last won in the 2012-13 and 2009-10 seasons respectively.

Atlético Madrid (2010 - 2019)

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.

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 before proceeding to demolish Portuguese sides Braga and Benfica 6-3 and 6-2 respectively as well as another Portuguese side Porto 4-0 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 0-5 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. Meanwhile, 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. However, they did make 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 but not before also overcoming their 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. Meanwhile, 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 win 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 3-4 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.

Sextuple Success

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 afterward 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. In spite of 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 win 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, 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 later found themselves 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 the following season, 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 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 what was initially 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. In this, despite an initial plan to retire at that exact moment, after he was reportedly spurred by the likely possibility of the club achieving a sextuple, Smith opted to renew his contract with Atlético Madrid for a further three years with the new concrete aim of retiring and celebrating his impending fortieth birthday with his La Liga teammates and head coach Diego Simeone. To that end, Smith went on to score a hat-trick to demolish Sevilla 6-0 in the UEFA Super Cup and also Kashima Antlers 6-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup. Likewise, three goals from Smith also saw Atlético Madrid comfortably defeat Barcelona 6-2 to win the Supercopa de España, thereby officially making the club only the second European side after Manchester United and the first Spanish side in history to achieve a sextuple, a feat that neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona was able to achieve during their respective heydays.

Final Years

In his first season since renewing his contract with the club, Smith started off in an expectedly brilliant fashion, scoring a hat-trick in the opening match against Alavés which they easily won 3-0. Following this, Smith also provided an additional goal in a 5-0 demolition of Celta Vigo although he otherwise failed to break the 1-1 deadlock against Barcelona afterward. Then, after contributing a couple of assists in a similarly huge 7-1 demolition of Granada on October 15th, just a week later, Smith proved to be his club's saviour by scoring twice in a narrow 2-1 win over Sevilla. Following this, Smith went on to score a hat-trick in two consecutive matches, one of which proved crucial in defeating Real Sociedad by a rather thin 3-2 margin, although his two subsequent goals proved insufficient to avoid a narrow 2-3 loss to Real Madrid whose star player Cristiano Ronaldo scored a memorable hat-trick in the process. On 28 January 2017, in avenging a previous 2-2 draw against Athletic Bilbao, Smith scored yet another hat-trick to defeat Alavés by a similar 3-0 margin as he previously did. Regardless, a subsequent hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Real Madrid, coupled with a tiebreaking goal on the penultimate day against Betis, resulted in Atlético Madrid for a record-breaking fourth season in a row albeit with only two points ahead of runners-up Real Madrid. Meanwhile, in the Copa del Rey, despite scoring thrice to mark a dominant 7-3 win over Las Palmas in the round of 16, Smith otherwise proved unsuccessful in leading Atlético Madrid to the finals courtesy of a narrow 2-3 loss on aggregate to Barcelona in the semi-finals. Regardless, in the UEFA Champions League, a crucial pair of goals from Smith saw the club top their group unbeaten and ahead of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in second place, something that he promptly capitalised upon with a hat-trick that saw them further defeat another German side Bayer Leverkusen 7-2 on aggregate in the round of 16. Then, after further helping to demolish surprise English champions Leicester City in the quarter-finals, in what was later described as one of the most dramatic pre-final confrontations in the tournament, Smith once again showed his importance to Atlético Madrid by scoring twice in the first leg, thereby mitigating the effects of a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, and once in the second leg to dramatically defeat their arch rivals 5-4 on aggregate to progress to the finals for a record-breaking sixth consecutive time where a hat-trick from Smith in extra-time, aided by goals from Kevin Gameiro and Gabi, saw Atlético Madrid clinch their sixth consecutive European title via a 5-1 win over Serie A side Juventus. In this, Smith himself both broke his own record of 22 goals scored in a UEFA Champions League season and also set a new record of 29 goals while his eleven goals scored in the Copa del Rey in that same season is also his new personal best. As per tradition, courtesy of being European champions, Atlético Madrid subsequently faced the UEFA Europa League winners which in this case was Smith's former club Manchester United which was now spearheaded at the front by Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Eventually, the dramatic reunion, which is also the first and only time that Smith ever faced Manchester United since his departure, ended in a 3-1 win for Atlético Madrid who later proceeded to defeat the Emirati side Al Jazira and the Brazilian club Grêmio, with the latter especially succumbing to a 5-0 loss in which both Kevin Gameiro and Saúl Ñíguez scored twice to complete the 5-0 rout. Meanwhile, in a dramatic and tense affair that was particularly evident in the second leg, a brace from Smith saw Atlético Madrid narrowly prevail and emerge victorious to defeat Barcelona 7-5 in spite of a spirited second-half comeback by the latter who came close to equalising with their opponents and forcing the game into extra time.

For his second post-renewal season, Smith once more made a positive start, scoring a hat-trick in a dominant 8-1 win over Las Palmas following a 2-2 draw with Girona on the opening match. Then, amidst failures to break the deadlock against clubs such as Valencia and Leganés, Smith, having scored a brace in an otherwise convincing 4-0 win over Sevilla on September 23rd, proved his worth once again by scoring a hat-trick in an October 15th fixture against Barcelona which they consequently won 4-1. Likewise, on November 18th, arch-rivals Real Madrid were also defeated convincingly by a 2-0 scoreline, followed by Atlético Madrid then convincingly defeating both Levante and Real Sociedad by five goals each. However, a shock 0-1 loss to Espanyol on December 22nd brought an end to their unbeaten streak and briefly blunted their momentum before the club promptly rebounded with two consecutive 2-0 victories in which Smith himself scored once to mark a 2-0 win over Eibar. In this, Smith also scored a tiebreaking goal to mark a 2-1 win over Girona, thereby avenging the previous stalemate. Afterward, Smith himself went on to display a consistent promising performance throughout, scoring a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Las Palmas, one goal in a 2-0 win over Valencia, and most crucially, a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over rivals Barcelona who initially led early on via Lionel Messi before Atlético Madrid promptly replied through their own star forward. In the end, despite a slight decline in form throughout the closing matches of the season, by just one point ahead of runners-up Barcelona, Atlético Madrid emerged victorious for the fifth season in a row. Meanwhile, in the Copa del Rey, aside from scoring once in a dominant 8-0 win over Lleida Esportiu, Smith also crucially contributed a hat-trick and an additional goal to narrowly defeat Sevilla 6-5 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, a feat which he followed up on with an additional goal to complete an 8-0 rout of Leganés. Meanwhile, in the ensuing finals at Estadio de los Santos, despite taking the lead early on, Barcelona were ultimately defeated by Atlético Madrid 3-7 in which Smith's hat-trick perfectly complemented goals from teammates Antoine Griezmann, Yannick Carrasco, and Saúl Ñíguez who notably scored twice in the match to claim their first Copa del Rey title after a two-year interruption. Meanwhile, after easily cruising past Shakhtar Donetsk via a 7-1 win on aggregate, Smith and Atlético Madrid were once again drawn against Barcelona in the quarter-finals where in a dramatic turn of events they managed to overturn Barcelona's initial 3-1 lead from the first leg into a stunning 8-3 comeback win on aggregate with where a brace from Smith was otherwise overshadowed by a hat-trick from club captain Koke. Following this, a solo hat-trick from Smith saw Atlético Madrid comfortably eliminate their English opponents Liverpool in the semi-finals, thereby setting the stage for another clash with arch-rivals Real Madrid. In this, a seemingly inevitable Smith hat-trick which complemented goals from teammates Nicolás Gaitán, Saúl Ñíguez, and Koke saw Atlético Madrid once again emerge victorious to claim their now seventh UEFA Champions League title. In this, the club then went on to defeat UEFA Europa League winners Olympique de Marseille and also the Emirati club Al Ain 4-1 in the FIFA Club World Cup respectively, thereby making the Supercopa de España the only tournament left to win for a second historic sextuple. For this purpose, Atlético Madrid were once again drawn against Barcelona where a hat-trick from Smith resulted in a 3-3 draw, hence leading to a penalty shootout which they ultimately won 4-1, thereby officially confirming a second sextuple for the club with head coach Diego Simeone, in turn, becoming the only manager to achieve the feat twice and with the same club whereas Smith now holds three sextuple achievements to his name, the single-most for any player.

For his final season with Atlético Madrid, Smith kickstarted his final run with the club with a brace in a September fixture against Celta Vigo which consequently ended in a 2-2 draw. Then, on September 15th, Smith scored his first hat-trick of the season to deliver a 4-1 win over Eibar which was followed by a comfortable 2-0 win over Getafe a week later. However, after scoring yet another hat-trick against Huesca, Smith instead failed to break the deadlock against arch-rivals Real Madrid, a shortcoming that he compensated for with a tiebreaking goal in a 2-1 win over FC Barcelona on November 24th. Then, on December 8th, a third hat-trick from Smith completed a dominant 6-0 win over Alavés and a similarly dominant 4-0 win over Espanyol which was also thanks to another of Smith's hat-tricks. Then, despite subsequent losses to Real Betis and Real Madrid, the club proved quick to find their winning ways once more with Smith personally contributing two goals to a 4-0 win over Real Sociedad. On 16 March 2019, a Smith hat-trick allowed Atlético Madrid to mark a dramatic 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao although they were otherwise defeated by Barcelona 2-0 in the following month, a setback that, as Smith scored his last couple of goals in a 4-2 win over Levante on the final day, proved not enough to deny Atlético Madrid their last and sixth consecutive La Liga title under Smith. Meanwhile, in the Copa del Rey, after scoring a valuable hat-trick to defeat Girona 7-4 on aggregate in the round of 16, Smith also provided an additional but nonetheless crucial goal to see off Real Madrid in the quarter-finals via a 4-2 win on aggregate, thereby drawing them once again with Barcelona where a hat-trick and two further goals from Smith resulted in Barcelona's elimination via a 4-8 loss on aggregate, thereby clearing them to the finals where they narrowly defeated a defiant Valencia 3-2 with Smith's tiebreaking goal complementing earlier goals from Antoine Griezmann and Thomas Partey. Meanwhile, in the UEFA Champions League, Smith was unexpectedly reunited with his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo who now plays for the Italian side Juventus, having made a dramatic move from his longtime club Real Madrid. In this, a hat-trick from Smith in the first leg proved sufficient to offset the consequences of a hat-trick in the second leg from Ronaldo himself whose club was therefore eliminated via a 3-5 loss on aggregate. Following this, the club then faced Dutch heavyweights Ajax whom Smith and his teammates worked well and swiftly to demolish by an impressive 13-0 on aggregate during which Diego Costa secured a hat-trick of his own as did Smith as well. Consequently, the club then faced Tottenham Hotspur, a club that Smith would later manage himself, with the occasion gaining much coverage from the media who quickly framed it as a "battle" between two of England's captains, namely Smith himself and Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane. In the end, a hat-trick from Smith, coupled with a brace from José Giménez, and a few other goals by Atlético Madrid players saw the seven-time European champions demolish their English opponents by 8-1 on aggregate, thereby resulting in a final against Liverpool on Atlético Madrid's home ground, a circumstance that was well exploited by the players with Smith himself going on to score his final hat-trick and last few official goals for Atlético Madrid who, thanks to an additional penalty goal by Diego Costa, successfully defeated Liverpool 4-1 to claim their eight consecutive European title.

"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 multiple sextuples, we were the lucky ones and the others couldn't necessarily say the same"

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

By the time of his departure from the club, having scored 328 goals in 302 appearances, Smith had long 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 goalscoring 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". In the meantime, his total goal tally also notably makes him La Liga's second-highest all-time goalscorer, becoming the only English or American player to be included in the top ten in a list mostly dominated by Spanish players and led in the top three by Smith, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo respectively. Among club supporters, Smith is popularly known by the nickname of "San Guillermo" ("Saint William") as a tribute to his extraordinary successes with the club similar to how former longtime Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas is popularly known as "San Iker" ("Saint Iker") among the club's fans. In addition, some supporters have also nicknamed him "Hijo del Atlético" which translates to "Son of Atlético". Meanwhile, as a gesture of respect, Smith is at times informally addressed as "Generalissimo", an Italian term used to denote a military rank even higher than a field marshal, in line with Smith's well-known militaristic persona.

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 afterward, a late 93rd-minute goal from Smith proved vital in avoiding a narrow 2-3 defeat to Spain in the round of 16 following 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 a tiebreaker, at precisely the 76th minute, Smith, shortly proceeded to dribble past several Japanese players before unleashing a powerful long-range shot from just outside of the penalty area to give the United States a vital breakthrough in the closing minutes of the game amidst subsequent unsuccessful attempt by Japan to level the scores. 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 of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

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 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 second half, ultimately giving the United States a 3-1 win over their 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 demolish both France and Japan 5-0 and 5-1 respectively, allowing the United States to also win their first-ever FIFA Confederations Cup tournament. Soon enough, with only 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. Almost immediately, his public profile rose considerably among the American media with ESPN, noting Smith's physical attractiveness, beginning to refer to him as "America's David Beckham".

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

Following this, in 2002, Smith saw further success by winning a second consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup with the United States with his most notable contributions being a brace in a 6-0 win over El Salvador in the quarter-finals and a hat-trick in the finals that saw the Americans demolish Costa Rica 5-0 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Soon enough, for the 2002 FIFA World Cup's group stage fixtures, Smith was a steady and dominant presence for the United States, scoring twice in a 5-2 win over Portugal and a crucial equalising goal in a 1-1 draw with Korea, thereby allowing the Americans to advance to the knockout stages despite a subsequent 1-3 loss to Poland in the final group stage match. In the ensuing round of 16, Smith provided one additional goal to complete a 3-0 rout of neighbours Mexico before following it up with a crucial hat-trick to complete a remarkable 3-1 comeback 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 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 resolute defending from the American backline in an effective 4-4-2 counter-attacking system set up by head coach Bruce Arena, saw the United States achieve a historic 5-0 victory over a star-studded Brazilian national team consisting of the likes of goalkeeper Marcos, defenders Cafu and Roberto Carlos, midfielders Rivaldo and Kaká, and forwards Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, in what later came to be nicknamed by Brazilians as the "Desastre de Yokohama" (English: "Yokohama Disaster") given the heavy-handed and unexpected nature of their national team's 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 during the post-match press conference, "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 that the United States, as the first and only CONCACAF member state to do so, 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 is the country's only appearance to date in a World Cup final.

Later on, despite 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 afterward. 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 is 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 who had effectively lost their star player right after a major and historic triumph. Evidently, 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". Since then, the United States has failed to progress beyond the round of 16 in subsequent editions during which they were twice eliminated in the group stages in 2006 and 2022.

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 and a lavish state dinner 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 final World Cup triumph that year. In that same year, a bronze statue of Smith, known as the "Captain America Statue", was erected in his honour and currently stands 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". In the meantime, his good looks, coupled with his rise to prominence in the early 2000s, also led some media outlets to nickname him "America's Beckham" in reference to English footballer David Beckham who was known both for his talents and his striking looks.

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 2004, just shortly after he had signed for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, Smith, who had publicly stated his intention of representing England, was officially declared an England player by FIFA, football's governing body. To that end, on 18 February 2004, amidst widespread enthusiasm and anticipation, Smith made his debut in a friendly match against Portugal that eventually ended in a 1-1 draw with the former unable to score a goal despite registering several attempts on target. However, around a month later, on March 31st, Smith scored his first few goals for England in a 2-1 win over Sweden who initially led their opponents by 1-0 via Zlatan Ibrahimović until a brace from Smith overturned the result in England's favour. Then, following a three-month-long break, Smith soon returned to England to compete in the UEFA Euro 2004, his first European tournament, in which he first scored a brace in the match against France in the group stages before following it up with two consecutive hat-tricks against Switzerland and Croatia respectively. 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 penalty shootout while allowing England to progress to the quarter-finals to meet the Netherlands where they ultimately lost 2-3. However, despite this setback, when later asked by a BBC journalist over his immediate feelings, Smith famously replied, "It's alright, I'm just getting started", sparking much attention from the media who immediately noted his high levels of optimism in spite of his country's defeat.

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, by now a guaranteed regular starter under manager Sven-Göran Eriksson who had also appointed him as the new England captain, 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 defeated each time by comfortable margins. Similarly, in the following group stage matches on June 2006, England, grouped alongside Paraguay, West Indies, and Sweden, easily managed their qualification to the knockout stages with victories against both Paraguay and West Indies while a fixture with Sweden ended in a 2-2 draw in which Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard provided 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 first World Cup title in decades while also ending a forty-year-long trophy drought since their first World Cup triumph in 1966. 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.

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 huge 4-1 victory over Greece, and a narrow 1-0 win 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, Germany, despite initially leading by 2-0 through goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger and Christoph Metzelder, were 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 Euros title, a milestone that was then popularly compared to England's inaugural World Cup glory where they defeated West Germany 4-2 to win their first World Cup title. 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 erroneously 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 the United States where the two sides drew 1-1 in what was a reunion between Smith and former compatriot Landon Donovan but on opposite teams. 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 he later scored a decisive hat-trick in the 87th minute that effectively nullified the initial 4-1 lead the Germans had previously enjoyed to then bring the match to a penalty shootout which England ultimately won 7-6 in what was later popularly referred to as the "Bloemfontein Miracle" in reference to the city that the match had taken place. A subsequent brace from Smith soon added to a resounding 4-0 victory that knocked out Argentina in the quarter-finals which he then followed up on with a crucial assist in the semi-finals where England defeated Spain 2-0 to advance to the finals for the second consecutive time where Smith went on to score yet another brace to mark England's dominant 5-0 win over the Netherlands. Consequently, along with Brazil and Italy, England became just one of three nations 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 reference to the Falklands War conflict between the two countries that lasted from 1982 to 1984

Following their success in the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, England, which Smith would come to captain for one final time, further qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. For the tournament, England found itself grouped with the likes of Italy, Uruguay, and Costa Rica. Subsequently, despite a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica, victories against Italy and Uruguay saw them progress easily to the knockout stages with their first opponent being Colombia in the round of 16 who they dramatically defeated 7-6 on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Following this, England then faced hosts Brazil in the quarter-finals where they proceeded to deal a crushing 5-1 victory with Smith's 88th-minute hat-trick in the match quickly evoking comparisons with his infamous hat-trick against the South American country just a decade earlier at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. 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 afterward until a 65th-minute goal from Smith proved to be the essential tiebreaker, thereby allowing them to progress to the finals for a third consecutive time 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 in what was almost an exact mirror of Argentina's 4-3 win over England on penalties in the 1998 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for which their third title triumph was considered by fans to be the perfect revenge against their infamous rivals. Nonetheless, shortly after the tournament concluded, Smith announced his retirement from international football while also clarifying that although he would continue to play at the club level for a few 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 personally intended to be his "last hurrah". In his absence, England were later defeated 1-2 by hosts France in the quarter-finals after having previously annihilated Iceland 4-0 in the round of 16, thereby resulting in the resignation of longtime head coach Sven-Göran Eriksson shortly afterward following an almost fifteen-years-long tenure, the longest and also the most successful of any England managers since the late Sir Alf Ramsey. Regardless, his unprecedented success with the national team cemented the Swedish-born manager as England's most successful manager to date with supporters affectionately referring to him as "King Eric", a nickname that was previously attributed to former Manchester United player Eric Cantona. Likewise, in 2014, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter ranked Eriksson the second-greatest Swedish sportsperson in history behind tennis player Björn Borg in first and ahead of footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic in third.

With a total of 68 goals scored during his time with the United States in 64 appearances, Smith is the country's all-time goalscorer. Meanwhile, his 160 goals also make him England's all-time goalscorer as well as its sixth-most-capped player with 124 appearances. In this, he once held the special distinction of being the all-time goalscorer for two football confederations, namely UEFA with England and CONCACAF with the United States until Stern John, who represented the West Indies, surpassed him in the latter with 70 goals to become CONCACAF's all-time goalscorer. Regardless, Smith is still the all-time goalscorer for UEFA with 160 goals scored.

Great Britain national football team

Former English player and manager Stuart Pearce, who managed the Great Britain's football team at the 2012 Summer Olympics

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 start of 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". However, Stuart Pearce, the head coach appointed to manage Great Britain at the ensuing Olympics, said that Smith's inclusion, in spite of the risks and worries, "remains a possibility", adding, "Clearly, even getting a player onboard, especially one like Smith, is not an easy task with many factors at hand to consider. Ultimately, the final decision will be made after a few rounds of quick and productive talks that will help clarify the situation and put it to rest for good".

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 at 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 and love 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 win for Great Britain. Then, in the ensuing quarter-final match against 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 win 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 a positive reception by many with Gary Lineker jokingly calling Smith "Great Britain's ultimate cheat code at the Olympics" while The Guardian hailed him as the 2012 Summer Olympics' "grand performer". Meanwhile, on his part, Smith remarked, "Some will say I should've done it and some will say I shouldn't have done it but at the end of the day I gave the fans what they wanted and frankly speaking I feel great!".

Post-Retirement

Ultra Ballon d'Or

On 11 May 2019, in honour of his 40th birthday, France Football, in recognition of his "outstanding and one-of-a-kind achievement in football", exclusively awarded Smith the Ultra Ballon d'Or, a one-off prize considered to be more prestigious than the standard Ballon d'Or (of which he currently has eleven in total) and even the equally rare Super Ballon d'Or awarded to Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano who was notably crucial in establishing the club's dominance both domestically and abroad throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Featuring a gold-laden ball on top of a gold-laden vase with four outstretched "arms" covering the ball and which symbolically represents Smith's four record-breaking World Cup trophies, the award has since been in his private possession along with his other footballing honours, reportedly in a locked room inside Buckingham Palace for which an exclusive key possessed only by Smith himself is needed to enter.

Around September 2021, several media outlets reported that Smith had personally acquired the prestigious Super Ballon d'Or formerly belonging to Alfredo Di Stefano whose children opted to sell the late Argentine footballer's memorabilia with the Super Ballon d'Or, among other things, ended up being bought by an anonymous buyer during an auction event. In response, while neither confirming nor denying his rumoured ownership of the award, Smith remarked, "Wherever it is now, I dare say that an award of such incomparable prestige and status is currently in the hands of someone who deserves it the most among many others". On the other hand, one of Di Stefano's children, in an interview with Marca, appeared to subtly suggest that Smith is indeed in possession of the award, stating, "Of course, out of principle, I won't say who actually bought it but the person who did was very special and who, by all means, really deserves to own it now".

Football Honours

In the aftermath of his retirement from football, The Football Association announced that the FA Community Shield, beginning from the 2020 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 Arsenal and Liverpool with the former ultimately winning it 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, on 30 August 2020, in commemorating the tenth anniversary of his first match for Atlético Madrid, the club further named him "Life President" with club president Enrique Cerezo stating, "For much of its existence, none other than William Smith have proven to be an unquestionably consequential and important player in delivering some of the club's greatest successes for which it is only right that he should be honoured with an extremely rare appointment of the kind". The occasion, held remotely via Zoom due to COVID-19 restrictions, saw the attendance of the club's president and chief executive officer Enrique Cerezo and Miguel Ángel Gil Marín as well as current and several former Atlético Madrid players with Smith himself being the event's guest of honour.

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". In this, owing to his American background, ESPN once wrote, "In the United States, where basketball and American football each has its icons in Michael Jordan and Tom Brady, soccer has William Smith as its very own face and icon".

The FA Presidency

In his capacity as The Football Association president, Smith is known to be a somewhat vocal figure on several 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 of the games 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 deemed to be the "oilification" of the Premier League, pointing to the state ownership of football clubs Manchester City and Newcastle United by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia respectively in which both countries are similarly authoritarian states in the Middle East. In addition, Smith has also spoken against the trend of famous European football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, N'Golo Kanté, Karim Benzema, and Neymar to the Saudi Pro League. Describing the trend as "Chinese Super League 2.0", Smith remarked, "Not too long ago, we saw a particular country trying to jump-start their footballing industry by bringing in big European names often with huge salaries and whatnot. Now, it's clear that such a trend has emerged once again, and unless a sudden miracle arises, it's safe to say that this one will perhaps meet the same impending demise as its predecessor had". Meanwhile, beginning from around late 2023, amidst reports of players including Jordan Henderson and Karim Benzema looking to leave the Saudi Pro League, Smith slyly remarked, "Quite a surprise that after just a year or so, some of these very generous and charitable football stars are looking to leave already. Logically speaking, how are they going to help grow the very terrific Saudi football within just a year or so? As everyone knows, Rome was not built in a day". Subsequently, after spending several months in Saudi Arabia, Jordan Henderson did indeed return to Europe, namely in the form of a transfer to the Eredivisie club Ajax.

Political & Social Causes

Ivan Toney, who currently plays as a forward for Premier League club Brentford. From May 2023 to January 2024, he was officially banned from football for a series of betting offenses

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 2014, 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. Regardless, in spite of his party affiliation, Smith is said to be "close friends" with former Conservative prime minister David Cameron whom he once referred to as "a close friend of mine named David but not the one who plays football".

Around May 2023, in response to a temporary ban imposed on English footballer and Brentford forward 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 should 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. Later, Smith would again call for the "complete eradication of the disease of gambling from football" after Italian footballer Sandro Tonali, who plays as a midfielder for Newcastle United, was also banned from footballing activities over gambling offences.

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 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 Spurs successfully come back from defeat after a Harry Kane equaliser. Following this, a sixteen-match unbeaten streak which included a 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 Hotspur achieve a remarkable second-place finish with 87 points ahead of Manchester City in third and behind Liverpool in first.

Meanwhile, a 1-4 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 cup in his maiden season with the club. Regardless, after beginning his first European campaign as head coach with a narrow 3-2 win over RB Leipzig, Smith then faced his former mentor Diego Simeone whom he went on to defeat 3-2 in extra time before proceeding to remarkably defeat a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain via a lone goal from Son Heung-min and eventually reaching their first UEFA Champions League final where a late Tanguy Ndombele goal in extra time saw Tottenham Hotspur win their first-ever European title via a dramatic 2-1 win over Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich who previously equalised via Ivan Perišić after Harry Kane scored first to give his club the lead. Consequently, while Smith became the joint youngest manager with José Mourinho to win the UEFA Champions League, he was also responsible for or was on the same team with the only two Asian players to have won Europe's most prestigious football tournament, Park Ji-sung, his former Manchester United teammate, and now Son Heung-min, one of the players under his management at Tottenham Hotspur. Regardless, the club went on to defeat UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla 3-1 in the UEFA Super Cup and Mexican side Tigres 3-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup, thereby resulting in Smith, who initially assumed the position on an interim basis until the end of the season, to eventually formalise a four-year contract with the club as head coach after a surprisingly remarkable start that saw Tottenham Hotspur win their first silverware in decades and also their first European title.

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 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 also 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 Spurs 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 Hotspur and defender Harry Maguire being sent off in the 76th minute. In the end, amidst a 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. A similar fate also befell them in the EFL Cup finals where a 1-2 loss to Manchester City once again barred 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 a brace from Harry Kane which complemented Gareth Bale goal and an Aymeric Laporte own-goal 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 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 Hotspur 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, 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 narrow 2-1 win over Smith's former club Manchester United despite the return of club legend and Smith's former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford along with a 3-0 win over Norwich City. However, Tottenham Hotspur were then met with a 0-2 defeat to Liverpool which instead 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 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, Spurs 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 Hotspur 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 1998-99 season, almost twenty-four years before. 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, Spurs subsequently contested the William Smith Shield with FA Cup winners Liverpool to whom they narrowly lost 2-3.

On 6th August 2022, Smith started 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 afterward over both Arsenal and former club Manchester United extended it further to 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 years' 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 0-1 loss to Liverpool respectively. Nonetheless, a draw against Aston Villa and a 3-0 win over Brentford in the closing days ensured that Tottenham Hotspur 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 saw Smith finally win the FA Cup with Tottenham Hotspur with the title itself being their first in almost three decades since they last won it in the 1990-91 season. Otherwise, despite recording a shock 3-1 win on aggregate over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, a lone goal from Naby Keïta resulted in Tottenham Hotspur's elimination from the UEFA Champions League although Smith's half-brother Prince Richard later scored a hat-trick to defeat Liverpool in the finals and deliver Arsenal's first-ever UEFA Champions League trophy. In any case, as was intended, Smith later announced the end of his time as head coach with Tottenham Hotspur, stating, "After several undeniably eventful and challenging years with a remarkable football club like Tottenham Hotspur, it is only right that I should reward myself with some well-deserved rest after all was said and done".

"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 the likeness of him and former star player Harry Kane, who subsequently transferred to Bayern Munich, was erected in front of the stadium's entrance. Meanwhile, on 19 August 2023, for the opening to Tottenham Hotspur's first home match since Smith's departure, a commemorative montage was played prior to kick-off which depicted the club's notable victories under his past tenure along with several of his memorable public moments before later concluding with the phrase "Thank You For Everything, Boss". Ironically, the club then defeated Manchester United, Smith's former club, 2-0 to secure their first win of the season.

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. Nonetheless, Smith shares the same birthday as his half-sister Queen Alexandra who was born exactly seventeen years after himself. At the same time, Smith is also exactly thirteen years older than Dutch-born goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, with whom he played together at Atlético Madrid for three seasons long. In the meantime, by virtue of his birth year, Smith is also roughly the same age as fellow English footballer Michael Owen, singers Pink and Ne-Yo, as well as actresses Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kate Hudson, Claire Danes, and actors Chris Pratt, Heath Ledger, and John Krasinski.

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 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. Moreover, Smith has also appeared in various sports documentaries including The June 30th Miracle: Ten Years On, The Fables of the Fabulous Four, Eriksson: The Unlikely Legend, Rise of The Lionesses, All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur, and The Spursy Fantasy. Meanwhile, Smith also appeared alongside other famous footballers in the music video for the 2010 single Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Colombian singer Shakira for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa which England ultimately won. Meanwhile, 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 actress Anne Hathaway and singer Victoria Beckham. In this, given that their first names coincidentally mirror that of English poet William Shakespeare and wife Anne Hathaway, the two are popularly dubbed "Will and Anne" by the media who also nicknamed them "the 21st-century's Shakespearean couple".

A polyglot, Smith is known to be fluent in several languages including his native English, German, Spanish, and Hebrew, with Spanish being his preferred language of choice during his time at Atlético Madrid. In this, during his early years, Smith initially possessed a standard Californian accent due to his more American upbringing before later switching to a more British-sounding accent after his move to the United Kingdom so as to better fit in with his England teammates. Similarly, his younger sister Jacqueline, who later found work at the British Broadcasting Corporation, also adopted a more British-sounding accent, having once said, "In its entire history, when has a BBC presenter ever spoke and didn't sound British at all? It would surely be very awkward if otherwise and I'll prefer to avoid that by any means necessary". Nonetheless, Smith himself is known for being able to easily switch between his two main accents which he usually does whenever he is in either country and therefore needed to sound "local".

An automobile enthusiast, Smith reportedly owns a modest collection of high-end and luxury vehicles. In this, Smith was said to have owned his first vehicle in the form of a BMW M3 which he often drove while living in the United States. However, since his move to the United Kingdom, Smith came to acquire a number of other vehicles including an Aston Martin DB9 (his primary vehicle), a McLaren 570S, a Mercedes-Benz CLS, and a Range Rover Sport. Meanwhile, aside from his main residence in London, Smith also owns a number of properties in other places, namely the US city of Los Angeles, California, the Spanish city of Madrid, and the English city of Manchester, all three of which are primarily work-related. However, for non-work reasons, although mostly undisclosed, Smith also reportedly owns a property in the southern English city of Brighton and Hove where its coastal nature, coupled with its vibrant and free-spirited nature, greatly captivated Smith who, at times, would reportedly make trips to the coastal English city for periods of rest.

Owing to a similar first name and surname, Smith is occasionally mistaken for another famous individual of an almost similar name, namely the American actor Will Smith. However, aside from their skin colours, the two do differ in certain respects, namely their full names, year of birth, and profession, while otherwise sharing some certain similarities including the two both being born American, albeit in the different states of California and Pennsylvania respectively, and are both married to an actress, namely Anne Hathaway and Jada Pinkett Smith. To that end, on his part, Smith himself has acknowledged the comparisons, which he later described in a 2019 interview as "something funny to think about every now and then" while also affirming that the similarities in their names were purely accidental and that his father did not actually named him after the actor, especially given that the latter was only nine years old when Smith himself was born and was therefore yet to acquire his modern-day prominence.

Relationships

Owing to a combination of his good looks and his global appeal as a highly-talented professional footballer, prior to his marriage to the American actress Anne Hathaway, Smith was, at times, linked by tabloids to a number of famous female celebrities of his time including the likes of singers Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, actresses Emily Blunt, Kate Winslet, and Keira Knightley, as well as fashion models Miranda Kerr and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

However, despite the various links, Smith has only ever acknowledged two official relationships prior to his marriage. In this, his first serious relationship was with the American actress Cameron Diaz, whom he met while accompanying his mother to the premier of the 2003 action film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle which both Diaz and Jaclyn Smith, the former's own mother, appeared in. However, amidst issues of uncertainty and incompatibility, the couple ultimately called off their relationship within a few months or so although they have since remained on fairly good terms. On her part, Diaz later married the American musician Benji Madden whose twin brother Joel Madden is otherwise married to the American television personality Nicole Richie.

Following the end of his relationship with Diaz, for a period of roughly four years, Smith dated the Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. In this, the couple's romance was said to have begun from a chance meeting between the two at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final in Japan where Bündchen, impressed by Smith's memorable hat-trick in a 5-0 win for the United States over her native Brazil, soon took an interest in the latter, thereby leading to a subsequent relationship after Bündchen then ended a previous relationship with the American actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Due to the couple's high-profile status, the relationship was a largely secretive and close-knit affair with knowledge of it being exclusively restricted to their closest friends and family members. Nonetheless, by around 2007, apparent signs of strain in their relationship led the couple to ultimately terminate their secretive romance, with Bündchen later marrying the American football quarterback Tom Brady in 2009 although the couple subsequently ended up divorcing in 2022.

Style of Play

"Almost immediately, with 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 and most complete 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, an unmatched goalscoring prowess, as well as excellent overall vision and creativity, with former Manchester United head coach Sir Alex Ferguson describing Smith as "the most complete of all the strikers I've had", adding, "From what I've seen, some strikers can only do a certain set of things while others can do their own set of things only and there's Smith who can essentially do almost everything a striker needs to in one go". In addition, with a height of 1.80 metres, his relatively tall stature also allowed Smith to occasionally function as a "target man" with a knack for scoring close-range headers and in spite of his physical attributes Smith nonetheless proved to be a quick and agile striker able to both outrun his opponents and place himself in ideal positions. Moreover, Smith is also widely regarded for his excellent first touches and perfect composure, both of which made him a press-resistant player who rarely loses the ball to opponents who tend to man-mark him rather often. Former Brazil and Bayern Munich defender Lúcio, who faced Smith in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final, described him as one of his most difficult opponents ever, stating, "He is always on the move and you never really know when he was about to shoot the ball or not. Quite simply, he's very unpredictable and to even counter him you always have to think many steps ahead which is already a lot to do in itself". 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 a winger, a second striker, an attacking midfielder, or even as a deep-lying playmaker in a more central position.

Having scored a season's average of an impressive forty goals while also playing a season's average of thirty-four 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 rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi with both players being at least several years younger than Smith who by then was already into his thirties. 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 thirties whereas some otherwise saw a gradual decline in form as they aged. In addition, playing under the somewhat defensive style of Diego Simeone crucially allowed Smith to conserve his energy as he aged while otherwise utilising most of his energy in short bursts hence his ability to score the usual amount of goals even in his later years. In this, his preference for mostly walking slowly on the pitch before suddenly sprinting with rapid pace led some pundits to liken his playing style at Atlético Madrid to a cheetah, a comparison that head coach Diego Simeone even supported, having once said, "Undoubtedly, if the pitch was like a jungle, Guillermo (William) would be our cheetah silently walking and prowling about before suddenly bursting into life almost immediately once he saw his prey who will find it really hard to outrun him. For us, a goal being scored by him is like a cheetah having finally caught its prey". 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 near the opposition's penalty area. 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 past opposition defenders. A renowned playmaker in his own right, Smith is also known for his almost equally high assist tally. In this, Smith has received much praise for his openness to assisting in goals rather than just scoring them via his natural playmaking abilities including a combination of reliable and accurate passes, excellent positioning, and strategic off-the-ball movements which generally allows him to orchestrate attacks and create goalscoring chances somewhat regularly.

"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 perhaps most well known for his somewhat extreme sense of professionalism and exemplary work ethic, traits that would come to mark his footballing career along with his distinction of having a somewhat "clean" and relatively "unproblematic" reputation which Smith himself admitted to be both natural and deliberate, stating, "When I realised that I have a younger sister who's really into football and who's definitely going to be looking up to me as inspiration, I knew that by all means necessary I have to set an example and be a good role model for her so that she could truly love and appreciate the game especially through someone familiar which is what I strove to be". In 2017, former Manchester United and England teammate Wayne Rooney described Smith 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, adding how the former England star was "the first to come and the last to leave" during most training sessions and that the latter "always gave his 100%, or perhaps 105%, each time without fail". Meanwhile, during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show in 2022, Smith publicly revealed a small-sized tattoo on the side of his right arm on which is inscribed a phrase in Spanish that reads "Élite y compuesto" which roughly translates to "Elite and composed", reportedly his two main footballing philosophies, namely putting a consistent top-notch performance and remaining calm and composed, thereby averting any nervous breakdowns or the sort.

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 somewhat 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". Similarly, former United States teammate Landon Donovan, recounting Smith's final dressing room speech just prior to the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final against Brazil, said, "For all the many years I spent with the national team, that dressing room speech was probably the only time I ever felt 100% sure about something in a very long time". 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 the 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". Nonetheless, his brand of professionalism and an admirable character made Smith a "mentor" to younger and upcoming talents at the clubs that he played namely Manchester United players Marcus Rashford and Jonny Evans as well as Atlético Madrid's Antoine Griezmann who is considered by some to be Smith's "protégé".

As of 2024, Smith is just one of only nine footballers in history to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or. Others on the list include Johan Cruyff, Gerd Müller, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Rossi, Zinedine Zidane, as well as fellow compatriots Bobby Charlton, Harry Kane, and his own half-brother Prince Richard.

Managerial Style

Honours

Player

LA Galaxy

  • U.S. Open Cup: 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
  • MLS Cup: 2002, 2003
  • CONCACAF Champions Cup: 1997, 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
  • FIFA Club World Cup: 2005, 2008, 2009

Atlético Madrid

  • La Liga: 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
  • Copa del Rey: 2012-13, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19
  • Supercopa de España: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
  • UEFA Champions League: 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
  • UEFA Europa League: 2010-11
  • UEFA Super Cup: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
  • FIFA Club World Cup: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

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

Manager

Tottenham Hotspur

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

Individual