Jean Beausejour
A versatile and durable winger whose career spanned continents and peaked with Chilean football's golden era.
Born 1984 (age 42)·Chilean footballer·Birthday: June 1·Millennials
Biography
Jean Beausejour's football journey is a map of modern globalized sport. Born in Santiago to a Haitian father and Chilean mother, his left-footed versatility made him a fixture for clubs in Chile, Mexico, England, and Argentina. While he had solid club spells, notably with Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic where he won an FA Cup, his true legacy is etched in the red of the Chilean national team. Beausejour was a crucial component of the 'Golden Generation' that transformed Chilean football. He provided width, relentless work rate, and experience across multiple tournaments. His crowning achievements came in consecutive summers: first, starting in the 2015 Copa América final as Chile won their first major title on home soil, and then repeating the feat at the Copa América Centenario in the United States a year later. He retired as a symbol of consistency and a key figure in the most successful period in his nation's football history.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Jean was born in 1984, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jean Was Born
The biggest hits of 1984
#1 Movie
Beverly Hills Cop
Best Picture
Amadeus
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Jean's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1984Born
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1989Started school
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1997Became a teenager
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Could drive
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2002Could vote
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Turned 21
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2014Turned 30
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 40
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 42 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two consecutive Copa América titles with Chile in 2015 and 2016.
- Won the FA Cup with Wigan Athletic in 2013, scoring in the quarter-final.
- Earned over 100 caps for the Chilean national team, representing them in two World Cups.
- Played in four different top-flight leagues across the Americas and Europe.
Did You Know?
He is of Haitian descent through his father, making him one of the few prominent Chilean footballers with direct Afro-Caribbean heritage.
He scored Chile's first goal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, in a 1-0 win over Honduras.
He played for Club América in Mexico, one of the continent's biggest clubs.
His surname, Beausejour, is French for 'beautiful stay' or 'beautiful journey.'
“You play for the badge on the front, not the name on the back.”
