Federico Fernando HiguaÃÂn (; born 25 October 1984) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward and attacking midfielder. He is currently the head coach for MLS Next Pro club Columbus Crew 2.
He played 157 games and scored 35 goals in the Argentine Primera División for River Plate, Nueva Chicago, Independiente, Godoy Cruz and Colón between 2003 and 2012. He also had brief spells in Turkey with Beà Âiktaà  J.K. and Mexico with Club América in 2007âÂÂ08.
In 2012, he signed for the Columbus Crew for a then club-record fee of US$650,000, and won the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award in his first season. An icon of the club, He made over 200 appearances across all competitions, scoring over 50 goals. He is also the club's leader in regular season assists (63), penalty-kick goals (20), and game winning assists (20).
HiguaÃÂn was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of the Argentine former footballer Jorge HiguaÃÂn. HiguaÃÂn has three brothers, including Gonzalo, who is a former footballer. He is of Basque descent through his father.
Nicknamed Pipa, HiguaÃÂn signed with River Plate as a youngster, playing 5 games and registering no goals. He soon went on loan to Nueva Chicago in the Argentine second division, where he played 77 total games, scoring 29 goals. He also impressed during stints at Godoy Cruz and Colón de Santa Fe.
In August 2007, HiguaÃÂn signed a three-year contract at Beà Âiktaà  J.K. of the Turkish Süper Lig, for a US$1.65 million fee. He did not settle in Istanbul, with the player calling the move "a mistake." The following February he was loaned to Mexico's Club América for the remainder of the year, where he scored one goal in the league, and one goal in the Copa Libertadores.
On 27 July 2012, HiguaÃÂn joined the Columbus Crew as the team's third-ever designated player, for a then club-record fee of US$650,000. His debut came on 19 August as a substitute against the Houston Dynamo, where he assisted Eddie Gaven's go-ahead goal with a well-placed ball over the top just 13 minutes later. Three days later, he earned his first MLS start against Toronto FC and, in the fourth minute, once again set up a Gaven opener before notching the winning goal himself. The following match saw him score two goals from free kicks in a 4âÂÂ3 victory over the New England Revolution. For his performances over his first several matches, HiguaÃÂn was named MLS Player of the Week for weeks 25 and 26 of the 2012 Major League Soccer season. The season came to an end with him netting both goals in a 2âÂÂ1 victory against Toronto FC on the final matchday. During his first half-season in Columbus, the Argentine scored 5 and assisted 6 across his thirteen appearances.
In the beginning of the 2013 season, HiguaÃÂn was named captain and scored in a 3âÂÂ0 opening-day victory over Chivas USA on 2 March. He scored in back-to-back league games with both goals coming via penalty kick, a 2âÂÂ2 draw against New York Red Bulls and a 1âÂÂ1 draw against the Houston Dynamo. On 10 August, he scored both goals in a 2âÂÂ0 victory over New York Red Bulls, including a chip from well outside the penalty area that was voted Goal of the Week. The following match he again scored both goals in a 2âÂÂ0 win over Toronto FC, chipping the goalkeeper from 22 yards away. After being sent off for a second yellow in a match against Real Salt Lake, HiguaÃÂn returned to the lineup on 14 September, assisting on both of the Crew's goals in a 2âÂÂ1 win against the Montreal Impact.
To start off the 2014 season, HiguaÃÂn changed his number from 33 to 10, and once again scored on the first game of the season, this time bagging two goals in a 3âÂÂ0 win against D.C. United. He scored two goals and added one assist in the match at Portland on 17 May, converting a penalty kick goal and a chipped goal before adding an assist en route to MLS Player of the Week Honors for Week 11. Following the 2014 Major League Soccer season in which HiguaÃÂn tallied a team-leading eleven goals and seven assists, he was signed to a new contract, the most lucrative deal ever given by the Crew at the time. At the time of signing his new contract, HiguaÃÂn had been ranked fifth in the league in goals, first in penalty-kick goals, and one of only eight players to score double-digit goals in the previous two seasons since entering the league.
His first goal and assist during the 2015 season came in the same match, a 3âÂÂ0 victory hosting Orlando City on 18 April. He scored the first goal of the game via the penalty spot in a 3âÂÂ1 victory over the Chicago Fire on 19 July, On 19 September, HiguaÃÂn made his 100th appearance for the Crew in a 2âÂÂ1 win at D.C. United. On the penultimate game of the regular season, HiguaÃÂn scored in a Columbus win, but was suspended for the final game of the regular season for yellow card accumulation. During the playoffs, he scored away in an eventual 4âÂÂ3 aggregate win against the Montreal Impact in the quarter-finals, and assisted in the only goal scored by Columbus in the 2âÂÂ1 MLS Cup Final defeat to the Portland Timbers at home.
A "tumultuous" 2016 season began on a high note as HiguaÃÂn scored a bicycle kick goal on matchday one in a 2âÂÂ1 defeat at Portland. During the 5 May clash versus the Montreal Impact, he and teammate Kei Kamara got into a verbal argument about who should take a penalty kick. A kick, in which, if converted, would have given Kamara his first career hat-trick. HiguaÃÂn refused, and instead took it himself. The kick was made, giving Columbus a 4âÂÂ1 lead. The lead was ultimately relinquished, with the game ending in a 4âÂÂ4 tie. Kamara publicly criticized HiguaÃÂn, and was subsequently traded "for the culture of the club." HiguaÃÂn missed six games in the middle of the season after undergoing hernia surgery. Two months later, he missed a further seven games recovering from complications from surgery. He returned on the final game of the season, a 4âÂÂ1 loss to New York City FC. He ended the season scoring four goals and adding three assists in 20 appearances, as the Crew missed out on the playoffs.
HiguaÃÂn's first goal of the new campaign came on 18 March against D.C. United, a 2âÂÂ0 victory. He went on to score in three consecutive matches, and later began another scoring streak, finding the net in four straight league games. He appeared in the first ever Hell is Real derby versus FC Cincinnati on 14 June in a U.S. Open Cup game, a game which ultimately ended in defeat for Columbus. On 23 September 2017, HiguaÃÂn recorded three assists in a game versus New York Red Bulls. After publicly insinuating mid-season that the 2017 season would be his last with the Crew, he signed a one-year extension on 3 October. He helped the Crew to qualify for the playoffs and reach the Eastern Conference finals.
He scored the game-winning goal during the first match of the 2018 season on the road against Toronto FC in his 150th league appearance for the club. HiguaÃÂn scored his second goal of the season and 50th with the club in the following match against the Montreal Impact. Two matches later, he notched his 50th Crew assist via a to put him in the MLS 50/50 club. On 26 April, he signed a contract extension through the 2019 season. On 2 June, he scored and assisted in the 3âÂÂ3 tie at home to Toronto after being down 3-0 at halftime. He was involved in both goals in the 2âÂÂ1 victory against the Colorado Rapids on 22 September, scoring once and notching an assist. During the first round of the 2018 MLS Cup playoffs, HiguaÃÂn played the entire match, scoring both of the Crew's goals, and scored the opening spot kick in the penalty shootout to send Columbus to the following round three days later, where he came off the bench and assisted the lone goal in the win at home versus the New York Red Bulls. Columbus would ultimately lose the aggregate series 3âÂÂ1.
On 2 March, in the opening match of the new season, HiguaÃÂn assisted a Gastón Sauro header from a corner. On 25 May, in a game against the Colorado Rapids, HiguaÃÂn was injured, and subsequently received anterior cruciate ligament surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. On 21 October, Columbus Crew announced that they decided not to extend his contract for the next season as a player, instead offering a "non-playing job". HiguaÃÂn declined the offer, as he was not ready to retire. With Columbus, HiguaÃÂn scored 59 goals in 210 appearances in all competitions, and left the club as the all time regular season assist leader with 63.
On 2 March 2020, HiguaÃÂn joined D.C. United as a player and Player Development Coach. On 13 July 2020, he made his first appearance in an "MLS is Back" tournament match against Toronto FC. With D.C. United losing 2âÂÂ0 and at a man disadvantage due to a first-half ejection, HiguaÃÂn came on as a substitute in the 80th minute and scored on a breakaway in the 84th minute. D.C. United added a second goal in injury time to force a 2âÂÂ2 draw.
On 10 October 2020, D.C. United traded HiguaÃÂn to Inter Miami in exchange for $50,000 in General Allocation Money, where HiguaÃÂn joined his brother Gonzalo. HiguaÃÂn re-signed with Miami on 28 January 2021 for the 2021 season. Following the 2021 season, HiguaÃÂn announced his retirement from playing professional football.
A diminutive playmaker with a slender physique, HiguaÃÂn was known for his technique, vision, intelligence and "instinctual creativity" on the ball, and his ability to provide assists for his teammates made him capable of playing as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder. Buenos Aires-based journalist Daniel Colasimone has stated that "[h]is role is more to harass opposition defenses with intelligent runs, fine ball control and incisive passing. His hard work on and off the ball, and affable personality made him well-liked wherever he played in Argentina." His coach at Columbus, Gregg Berhalter, said of him in 2018: âÂÂThe game is about entertainment, and itâÂÂs nice to see a guy that the fans can come watch and he can do things they can appreciate [...], but aside from that, you take his work rate and his defensive pressing and those type of elements and heâÂÂs a handful." Despite not being a prolific goal scorer, he held an eye for goal from midfield, often succeeding on chipped shots from distance. He was also known to show frequent dissent toward referees, which at times led to a steady accumulation of yellow cards.
HiguaÃÂn began his coaching career in 2020 when he signed with D.C. United as a player and player development coach. On 4 February 2022, he was named as part of the coaching staff for Inter Miami II ahead of the inaugural MLS Next Pro season. In January 2025, HiguaÃÂn accepted the head coach role with Columbus Crew 2.
HiguaÃÂn holds a U.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.
River Plate
América
Individual