Carlos Valderrama

For the baseball player, see Carlos Valderrama (baseball).

Carlos Valderrama
Valderrama in 2016
Personal information
Full name Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio
Date of birth (1961-09-02) 2 September 1961 (age 63)
Place of birth Santa Marta, Colombia
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1][2]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Liceo Celedón
Unión Magdalena
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1984 Unión Magdalena 94 (5)
1984–1985 Millonarios 33 (0)
1985–1987 Deportivo Cali 131 (22)
1987–1991 Montpellier 77 (4)
1991–1992 Real Valladolid 17 (1)
1992–1993 Independiente Medellín 10 (1)
1993–1995 Atlético Junior 82 (5)
1995–1997 Tampa Bay Mutiny 43 (7)
1996–1997 → Deportivo Cali (loan) 19 (4)
1997–1999 Miami Fusion 24 (3)
1999–2001 Tampa Bay Mutiny 71 (5)
2001–2002 Colorado Rapids 39 (1)
Total 619 (54)
International career
1985–1998 Colombia 111 (11)
Managerial career
2007 Atlético Junior (assistant manager)
Medal record
Representing  Colombia
Copa América
Third place 1987 Argentina
Third place 1993 Ecuador
Third place 1995 Uruguay
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Valderrama and the second or maternal family name is Palacio.

Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio (Colombian Spanish: [ˈkaɾlos alˈβeɾto βaldeˈrama paˈlasjo]; born 2 September 1961), also known as "El Pibe" ("The Kid"),[3] is a Colombian former professional footballer and sports commentator for Fútbol de Primera, who played as an attacking midfielder. Valderrama is considered by many to be one of the greatest South American players in history and one of the best players of his era.[4][5] In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[6][7][8][9][10][11]

A creative playmaker, he is regarded as one of the best Colombian footballers of all time, and by some, as Colombia's greatest player ever. His distinctive hairstyle, as well as his precise passing and technical skills made him one of South America's most recognisable footballers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He won the South American Footballer of the Year award in 1987 and 1993, He is the fifth highest assister in the history of national teams and the twelfth overall, including clubs, and in 1999, he was also named one of the top 100 players of the 20th century by World Soccer.

Valderrama was a member of the Colombia national football team from 1985 until 1998. He represented Colombia in 111 full internationals and scored 11 times, making him the second-most capped player in the country's history, behind only David Ospina.[12] He played a major role during the golden era of Colombian football in the 1990s, representing his national side in three FIFA World Cups and five Copa América tournaments.

After spending most of his career playing club football in South America and Europe, towards the end of his career Valderrama played in Major League Soccer, joining the league in its first season. One of the most recognisable players in the league at the time of its inception, he helped popularise the league during the second half of the 1990s. To this day, he is an icon and is considered one of the most decorated players to ever play in MLS; in 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI.[13][14][15][16][17]

  1. ^ mlssoccer. "Carlos Valderrama | MLSsoccer.com". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Carlos Valderrama - Player Profile - Football". Eurosport UK. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  3. ^ "CARLOS 'EL PIBE' VALDERRAMA (Futbolista)" (in Spanish). colombia.com. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  4. ^ "50 Greatest South American Footballers of All Time". 4 July 2019.
  5. ^ "50 Greatest Midfielders in the History of World Football". Bleacher Report.
  6. ^ Jon Carter (5 May 2010). "Carlos Valderrama: Colombian king". ESPN. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  7. ^ "Valderrama: Colombia aren't creative enough". FIFA.com. 13 June 2011. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Boots and a bouffant". FIFA.com. 23 April 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  9. ^ Mike Zizzo (15 June 1994). "Baggio Takes Great Strides Toward Soccer Greatness". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Valderrama: Colombia aren't creative enough". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 13 June 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Elegidos los cinco mejores jugadores de la historia de Colombia en los 60 años de fútbol profesional". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 4 December 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Soccer-Late goal gives Brazil controversial 2–1 win over Colombia". Reuters. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Colombian flavour on the rise in MLS". FIFA.com. 15 April 2012. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  14. ^ Colombians in MLS: Stability, status influence recent shift Archived 1 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine. MLSsoccer.com (8 March 2012). Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
  15. ^ Why are so many Colombians keen to play in MLS? | Football. The Guardian. Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
  16. ^ Raimondo, Avery. (19 October 2010) Colombia Makes An Impact On Major League Soccer. Goal.com. Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
  17. ^ Colombian flavour on the rise in MLS. FIFA.com. 15 April 2012