Do you want to know some fun facts about Hugo Lloris?
A native of Nice, France, Hugo Lloris is one of the best football players today. He has been named by the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) as Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year three times.
Adopted from England near the end of the 19th century, football received a warm welcome in Paris and the northern region of France, getting a lot of followers there.
RELATED READ: Famous French Football Players
With almost 2 million certified players in the leagues, football is hands down the most popular sport in France today. No wonder football players are also so popular and of all footballers in France, Hugo Lloris ranks among the top when it comes to popularity.
He was born Hugo Hadrien Dominique Lloris on December 26, 1986, to a well-off family in Nice, France. His mother was a French lawyer and his father is a Spanish-blooded Monte Carlo-based banker.
Lloris studied at the Lycée Thierry Maulnier in Nice, where he met his future wife Marine.
Read on if you want to know more fun facts about Hugo Lloris.
Things you'll find in this article
- 12 Fun Facts About Hugo Lloris
- 1. He was named after Victor Hugo
- 2. Hugo Lloris started playing football at just six years old
- 3. Lloris was also a good tennis player as a child
- 4. His younger brother is also a professional footballer
- 5. Hugo Lloris is France’s #1 goalie
- 6. Lloris has played in 3 World Cups and 2 European Cups
- 7. Lloris is the most capped French footballer at the FIFA World Cup
- 8. He was given the nickname “Saint Lloris”
- 9. Hugo Lloris grieved his mother’s death by playing in a league match
- 10. He was once banned from driving
- 11. Lloris was given the National Order of the Legion of Honour
- 12. Hugo Lloris is married to his high school sweetheart
12 Fun Facts About Hugo Lloris
1. He was named after Victor Hugo
Hugo Lloris’ parents gave him the first name “Hugo” in honor of Victor Hugo, one the greatest French writers who ever lived, whom Lloris’ parents greatly admired.
2. Hugo Lloris started playing football at just six years old
Lloris was only six when he began playing the sport at a cultural center in Cimiez, Nice. He represented three teams in Nice afterward – CEDAC Cimiez, OGC Nice B, and OGC Nice – before going on to play for Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur in London, UK.
Lloris went on to become one of the most loved Spurs Lengends, alongside Harry Kane and Gareth Bale.
3. Lloris was also a good tennis player as a child
Apart from football, Hugo Lloris also did good at tennis as a child. He played until the age of 13 before deciding to focus on football.
As lawn tennis was his parents’ favorite sport, it was no surprise that the young Hugo Lloris was drawn to it. He tagged along and played with his parents until he was 13. He became one of the top tennis players in his age group, ranking among the top in France’s national standings.
Lloris eventually chose to focus completely on football, which his parents supported all the way and watched every possible match he played despite making few media appearances.
4. His younger brother is also a professional footballer
Hugo Lloris’ younger brother Gautier had also represented OGC Nice, Hugo’s former club in their hometown. The younger Lloris played there as a central defender.
Gautier is now a professional football player like his older brother, playing as a center back for Le Havre, a Ligue 2 club in France.
5. Hugo Lloris is France’s #1 goalie
Lloris currently plays as a goalkeeper for London’s Club Tottenham Hotspur football team, where he is the captain. He is also the French national team’s captain.
Lloris is hailed by many as a goalie who has exceptional lightning reflexes matched with his brilliant decision-making and great commands on his box. He is said to be an extremely challenging opponent in one-on-one ball games as well.
In his professional footbal career as a goalkeeper, Lloris boasts 11 trophies to date.
6. Lloris has played in 3 World Cups and 2 European Cups
Hugo Lloris has participated in a total of three World Cups (in 2010, 2014, and 2018) and a couple of European Cups (in 2012 and 2016).
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was Lloris’ debut in the French national team. France played against Uruguay and the result was a 0 – 0 draw. The Spanish national football team emerged the winners that year.
In the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil, the French national team lost to Germany, exiting in the quarter-finals. The Germans went to take home the championship title.
In 2018, Russia hosted the World Cup and France won their second title since 1998. This championship game was the highest-scoring final since 1966.
During the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup, France was defeated by Spain in the quarter finals. The Spaniards emerged as the winners that year.
The 2016 UEFA Euro Cup saw Lloris and his compatriots playing in the finals against Portugal. The French lost to the Portuguese at 1 – 0 score.
7. Lloris is the most capped French footballer at the FIFA World Cup
Hugo Lloris has played 20 matches at the FIFA World Cup, garnering him the title of the most capped French football player of the prestigious tournament. Lloris has 125 caps from 2008 through the end of 2022.
Lloris made his 88th appearance representing his nation on June 2, 2017, breaking the record of Fabien Barthez as France’s most capped goalie of all time. It happened in a friendly game against Paraguay hosted by France. The French national team won with a 5 – 0 score against the South American visitors.
8. He was given the nickname “Saint Lloris”
Hugo Lloris is best known by the nickname “Saint Lloris” that was given to him by the French media for his exceptional performance against the Irish national team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals.
“Saint Lloris” was a fun play of Iker Casillas’ moniker “The Saint.”
9. Hugo Lloris grieved his mother’s death by playing in a league match
Hugo Lloris’ mother Marie succumbed to breast cancer in 2008 while he was playing for Nice. He refused the bereavement leave offered by his manager and instead going on to play in a league match, which earned the French footballer national respect.
Lloris explained later about his decision, stating it was what his mom would have wanted him to do. The goaltender went on to play more matches dedicated to the memory of his late mother.
10. He was once banned from driving
On the 24th of August 2018, Lloris was stopped by the London police and afterward charged with drink-driving. Later, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the French footballer pleaded guilty and confessed to being over two times the drink-drive limit.
Lloris paid a hefty fine of £50,000 and was not allowed to drive for 20 months.
11. Lloris was given the National Order of the Legion of Honour
Bonaparte established Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur or the National Order of the Legion of Honour in 1802, which has been retained by all succeeding regimes and governments in France. It is the highest order of merit, both civil and military, bestowed by the French government – and Hugo Lloris received it in 2018.
The honor was given to him as a recognition of his 13 years of service and winning the 2018 Football World Cup held in Russia.
12. Hugo Lloris is married to his high school sweetheart
Hugo Lloris met his future wife Marine in high school at Lycée Thierry Maulnier in Nice. They got married at St. Francis Church de-Paule in the same city in 2012, after dating for around a decade.
Marine Lloris established Manege en Sucre, a children’s wear and accessories brand that caters to the upper-scale customers. She has a degree in human resources and law.
Hugo and Marine Lloris have three children together.
Hi, I’m Christine – a full-time traveler and career woman. Although I’m from the Philippines, my location independent career took me to over 40 countries and lived in 4 continents in the last 10 years, including France. A self-proclaimed Francophile, I love everything France.