Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former professional soccer player.
Before joining Leeds United and ending his career at Manchester United, he played for several clubs in France, including Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier and Nîmes.
Cantona won 4 Premier League titles in 5 years with Manchester United, including 2 League and FA Cup doubles.
He is a versatile player who can play as a center forward, striker, attacking midfielder or central midfielder.
In 2004, Cantona was named by Pelé to the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living players, highlighting his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
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- Full name: Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona
- Stage name: Eric Cantona
- Date of birth: May 24, 1966
- Age: 58 years old
- Place of birth: Marseille, France
- Nationality: French
- Profession: French actor and former football player
- Height: 1.88 m
- Parents: Éléonore Raurich and Albert Cantona
- Siblings: Jean-Marie Cantona and Joël Cantona
- Children: Raphael Cantona, Josephine Cantona, Emir Cantona and Selma Cantona.
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: $25 million (£19 million)
Early life and education
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona was born in Marseille, France, on May 24, 1966. He is the son of tailor Éléonore Raurich and nurse and painter Albert Cantona. Cantona has two older brothers, Jean-Marie and Joël.
Cantona’s formal educational background is not widely known, as from a young age he focused mainly on his football career.
Ethnically, Cantona has a mixed heritage – his mother is Spanish and his grandfather is Italian. He practiced Christianity as his religion.
Career
Eric Cantona started his football career with the local team, SO Caillolais, which produced talented players such as Roger Jouve, Jean Tigana and Christophe Galtier.
Initially, Cantona played as a goalkeeper, but his creative instincts soon led him to play as a striker more often. During his time playing for SO Caillois, Cantona made over 200 appearances.
Cantona’s first professional club was Auxerre, where he spent two years in the youth team before making his debut in 1983. His career stalled in 1984 when he went on national duty.
In 1989, while playing for Marseille, Cantona had an incident where he kicked the ball into the crowd and threw away his shirt after being replaced, leading to a 1-month ban from the club.
After leaving Marseille, Cantona joined Leeds United in 1992 on loan, with Leeds signing him permanently for £900,000. Later that year, he moved to Manchester United for £1 million, where he would achieve great success.
Cantona’s achievements in the English National League were recognized when he was included in the Football League’s 100 Legends list in 1998 and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. Cantona supported the team. England team in important tournaments despite his dissatisfaction with the French international. team.
After retiring from professional football at the age of 30 in 1997, Eric Cantona turned his focus to his film career. His first role was in 1995 when he played a rugby player in the French film Le bonheur est dans le pré, filmed during his suspension from football.
In the following years, Cantona took on more significant roles, appearing in the 1998 historical film Elizabeth starring Cate Blanchett, the 2008 French comedy French Film, and the 2009 film Searching for Eric.
In 2010, he made his debut as a theater actor, playing the lead role in the play Face au Paradis, directed by his wife, Rachida Brakni. During this phase of his career, Cantona also pursued interests outside of acting. He was a player-manager of the French national beach soccer team, leading them to victory at the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Overall, Cantona’s post-football career saw him successfully transition into the world of film and theater while also maintaining his involvement in beach soccer. His diverse interests and pursuits demonstrated his versatility and creativity beyond his celebrated football career.
Awards and nominations
Football achievements:
Tournament title:
- Premier League: 4 (Manchester United)
- Ligue 1: 2 (Marseille, Auxerre)
- FA Cup: 2 (Manchester United)
- Community Shields: 4 (Leeds United, Manchester United)
- UEFA U-21 Championship: 1 (France)
- Premier League 10 season award: Foreign player of the decade
- UEFA President’s Award: Recognized for outstanding contributions to football
Social Media
- Instagram handle: @ericcantona
- Facebook manager: Eric Cantona
- Twitter name: @CANTONA_276
Personal life
Eric Cantona has been married twice. His first marriage was to Isabelle Ferrer, which lasted from 1987 until their divorce in 2003. They had two children together – Raphael and Josephine.
In June 2007, Cantona married French actress Rachida Brakni. The couple met on the set of an advertising campaign for The Kooples and they describe their first meeting as “love at first sight”. Cantona and Brakni have two children together – Emir and Selma.
Cinema
- Looking for Eric (2009)
- Elizabeth (1998)
- Salvation (2014)
- French Film (2009)
- AKA (2023)
Net worth
Eric Cantona, the former French footballer, is estimated to have a net worth of around $25m (£19m). This considerable wealth is mainly due to his successful and illustrious football career, during which he played for famous clubs such as Manchester United and Leeds United.
In addition to income from professional football, Cantona also diversified his income sources through participation in the entertainment industry.
He has taken on acting roles in films, contributing to his net worth. Furthermore, Cantona has landed lucrative endorsement deals with prominent brands, including Nike and EA Sports, further strengthening his financial position.
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