forlán began his career in his native uruguay as a youth player with peñarol and danubio, before joining argentine club independiente. after rising through their youth team and after a successful four-year spell, he sealed a move to england with manchester united in 2002. his form for united was not as successful as at independiente, although he won the premier league in 2002–03 and the fa cup in 2003–04. in the summer of 2004, he moved on to spanish side villarreal. in his first season in spanish football, he scored 25 league goals and won the pichichi trophy. after two more successful seasons with villarreal, forlán joined atlético madrid, where he once again became the league's top scorer, and became the first player to win the pichichi trophy twice since ronaldo in 1996–97 and 2003–04. forlán scored in atlético's 2010 europa league final victory against fulham. in 2011, he joined inter milan of italy before moving to internacional in 2012. after spells in japan with cerezo osaka, back in uruguay with his boyhood club peñarol, in india with mumbai city and in hong kong with kitchee, forlán retired from professional football in august 2019.