Luis Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo was born November 4, 1972, in Almada, Portugal, near the capital Lisbon. Growing up in a rather poor family, Figo displayed his football (European soccer) skills at a young age as a member of a local soccer team called União Futebol Clube Os Pastilhas. 

By the time he was 10 years old, Figo was honing his skills as a player for Sporting Lisbon (one of Portugal's 3 best teams), where he was already beginning to show his talents on the soccer field. At age 17, he was a European champion (after winning the FIFA World under-16 championship), and a champion yet again at 19, after taking home the FIFA World Under-20 championship.