Javier Mascherano

Javier Mascherano
Mascherano with Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Javier Alejandro Mascherano[1]
Date of birth (1984-06-08) 8 June 1984 (age 40)[2]
Place of birth San Lorenzo, Argentina
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Inter Miami (head coach)
Youth career
0000 Cerámica San Lorenzo
0000 Barrio Vila
1999–2003 River Plate
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005 River Plate 46 (0)
2005–2006 Corinthians 25 (0)
2006–2007 West Ham United 5 (0)
2007–2010 Liverpool 94 (1)
2010–2018 Barcelona 203 (1)
2018–2019 Hebei China Fortune 53 (0)
2019–2020 Estudiantes 10 (0)
Total 436 (2)
International career
2001–2002 Argentina U17[4] 12 (1)
2003–2004 Argentina U20 22 (1)
2005 Argentina U21[4] 5 (1)
2004–2008 Argentina Olympic 20 (0)
2003–2018 Argentina 147 (3)
Managerial career
2021–2024 Argentina U20
2021–2024 Argentina U23
2024– Inter Miami
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Argentina
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Team
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Team
CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament
Winner 2004 Chile
South American U-20 Championship
Winner 2003 Uruguay
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 2014 Brazil
Copa América
Runner-up 2004 Peru
Runner-up 2007 Venezuela
Runner-up 2015 Chile
Runner-up 2016 United States
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Javier Alejandro Mascherano (Spanish: [xaˈβjeɾ aleˈxandɾo mastʃeˈɾano];[5] born 8 June 1984) is an Argentine professional football coach of Major League Soccer club, Inter Miami and former player. As a player, he played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder, most notably for Liverpool, Barcelona and the Argentina national team, being heralded as one of the best defenders and midfielders of his generation.

Mascherano began his career at River Plate, where he earned his first senior honours, the Argentine Primera División, in the 2003–04 season. He moved to Brazilian side Corinthians in 2005, winning the Brazilian Série A that same year, and then joined West Ham United in the Premier League; however, his brief time with the Hammers was blighted by unusual contract terms with Global Soccer Agencies. At the beginning of 2007, Mascherano was loaned out to Liverpool and reached the UEFA Champions League final. Afterwards, his deal was made permanent for £18.7 million. He left for Barcelona in 2010, winning five La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two FIFA Club World Cups among other honours, in eight years before having stints in China and his native Argentina.

Mascherano made 147 appearances for the Argentina national team and is the second most capped player in the country's history (after Lionel Messi). From his debut in 2003 until his retirement in 2018, he represented the nation at five Copa América tournaments, finishing runner-up in 2004, 2007, 2015, and 2016, and four FIFA World Cups, reaching the 2014 final. He twice won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, in 2004 and 2008, becoming the first male footballer to achieve this double feat since Hungarian defender Dezső Novák in 1968. Between 2008 and 2011, Mascherano served as the captain of Argentina.

  1. ^ "Squad List: Men's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024: Argentina (ARG)" (PDF). FIFA. 27 July 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  2. ^ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Argentina" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Javier Mascherano: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Javier Mascherano y la Selección: Una relación amorosa que terminó con un récord de 206 partidos jugados desde las juveniles". 15 November 2020.
  5. ^ "How to pronounce Javier Mascherano". Forvo. Retrieved 24 September 2024.