Colombian footballer (born 1961)
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
:
[?ka?los
al?βe?to
βalde?rama
pa?lasjo]
; born 2 September 1961), also known as
"El Pibe"
("The Kid"),
[3]
is a Colombian former professional
footballer
and
sports commentator
for
Futbol 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
Pele
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 America
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]
Club career
[
edit
]
Colombia and Europe
[
edit
]
Born in
Santa Marta
, Colombia, Valderrama began his career at
Union Magdalena
of the Colombian First Division in 1981. He also later played for
Millonarios
in 1984. He joined
Deportivo Cali
in 1985, where he played most of his Colombian football. In 1988, he moved to the
French First Division
side
Montpellier
. He struggled to adapt to the less technical and the faster, more physical, and tactical brand of football being played in Europe, losing his place in the squad. However, his passing ability later saw him become the club's main creative force, and he played a decisive role as his side won the
Coupe de France
in
1990
. In 1991, he remained in Europe and joined Spanish side
Real Valladolid
for a season. He then returned to Colombia in 1992 and went on to play for
Independiente Medellin
, and subsequently
Atletico Junior
in 1993, with whom he won the Colombian championship in 1993 and 1995.
[3]
[18]
[19]
MLS career
[
edit
]
Valderrama began his
Major League Soccer
career with the US side
Tampa Bay Mutiny
in the league's inaugural
1996 season
. The team won the first ever
Supporters' Shield
, awarded for having the league's best regular season record, while Valderrama was the league's first
Most Valuable Player
, finishing the season with 4 goals and 17 assists. He remained with the club for the 1997 season, and also spent a spell on loan back at Deportivo Cali in Colombia, before moving to another MLS side,
Miami Fusion
, in 1998, where he also remained for two seasons. He returned to Tampa Bay in 2000, spending two more seasons with the club; while a member of the Mutiny, the team would sell Carlos Valderrama wigs at
Tampa Stadium
.
[3]
In the
2000 MLS season
, Valderrama recorded the only 20+ assist season in MLS history?ending the season with 26 ? a single season assist record that remains intact to this day, and which MLS itself suggested was an "unbreakable" record in a 2012 article.
[20]
In 2001, Valderrama joined the
Colorado Rapids
, and remained with the team until 2002, when he retired; his American soccer league career spanned a total of eight years, during which he made 175 appearances. In the MLS, Valderrama scored relatively few goals (16) for a midfielder, but is the league's fourth all-time leader in assists (114) after
Brad Davis
(123),
Steve Ralston
(135) ? a former teammate, and
Landon Donovan
(145). In 2005, he was named to the
MLS All-Time Best XI
.
[21]
International career
[
edit
]
Valderrama was a member of the
Colombia national football team
from 1985 until 1998; he made 111 international appearances, scoring 11 goals, making him the most capped
outfield player
in the country's history. He represented and
captained
his national side in the
1990
,
1994
, and
1998 FIFA World Cups
, and also took part in the
1987
,
1989
,
1991
,
1993
, and
1995 Copa America
tournaments.
[22]
Valderrama made his international debut on 27 October 1985, in a 3?0 defeat to
Paraguay
in a
1986 World Cup qualifying match
, at the age of 24. In his first major international tournament, he helped Colombia to a third-place finish at the 1987 Copa America in Argentina, as his team's captain, where he was named the tournament's best player; during the tournament he scored the opening goal in Colombia's 2?0 over
Bolivia
on 1 July, their first match of the group stage.
[3]
[6]
Some of Valderrama's most impressive international performances came during the
1990 FIFA World Cup
in Italy, during which he served as Colombia's captain. He helped his team to a 2?0 win against the
UAE
in Colombia's opening match of the group stage, scoring the second goal of the match with a strike from 20 yards. Colombia lost their second match against
Yugoslavia
, however, needing at least a draw against the eventual champions
West Germany
in their final group match in order to advance to the next round of the competition. In the decisive game, German striker
Pierre Littbarski
scored what appeared to be the winning goal in the 88th minute of the game; however, within the last minute of injury time, Valderrama beat several opposing players and made a crucial left-footed pass to
Freddy Rincon
, who subsequently equalised, sealing a place for Colombia in the second round of the tournament with a 1?1 draw. Colombia were eliminated in the round of 16, following a 2?1 extra time loss to
Cameroon
.
[3]
[6]
[23]
On 5 September 1993, Valderrama contributed to Colombia's historic 5?0 victory over South American rivals
Argentina
at the
Monumental
in Buenos Aires, which allowed them to
qualify for the 1994 World Cup
.
[24]
Although much was expected of Valderrama at the World Cup, an injury during a pre-tournament warm-up game put his place in the squad in jeopardy; although he was able to regain match fitness in time for the tournament, Colombia disappointed and suffered a first round elimination following defeats to
Romania
and the hosts
USA
. However, it is widely believed that internal problems and threats by
drug cartel
groups at the time contributed to the team's underwhelming results in the competition, in particular following the murder of
Andres Escobar
after Colombia's 2?1 defeat to the host nation in the second group match; during the match, the Colombian defender had netted an
own goal
to open the scoring, which ultimately proved to be decisive,
[3]
[6]
[25]
despite a 2?0 win over
Switzerland
in the final first round fixture.
[26]
Four years later, Valderrama led his nation to
qualify for the 1998 World Cup
in France, scoring three goals during the qualifying stages. His impact in the final tournament at the advancing age of 37, however, was less decisive, and, despite defeating
Tunisia
, Colombia once again suffered a first round exit, following a 2?0 defeat against
England
, which was Valderrama's final international appearance.
[3]
[6]
Playing style
[
edit
]
Although Valderrama is often defined as a 'classic
number 10
playmaker
', due to his creativity and offensive contribution, in reality he was not a classic playmaker in the traditional sense. Although he often wore the number 10 shirt throughout his career and was deployed as an attacking midfielder at times, he played mostly in deeper positions in the
centre
of the pitch ? often operating in a free role as a
deep-lying playmaker
, rather than in
more advanced midfield positions
behind the forwards ? in order to have a greater influence on the game.
[6]
A team-player, Valderrama was also known to be an extremely selfless
midfielder
, who preferred assisting his teammates over going for goal himself;
[14]
[27]
[28]
[29]
his tactical intelligence, positioning, reading of the game, efficient movement, and versatile range of passing enabled him to find space for himself to distribute and receive the ball, which allowed him both to set the tempo of his team in midfield with short, first time exchanges, or create chances with long lobbed passes or through balls.
[3]
[9]
[30]
[31]
[32]
[33]
[34]
Valderrama's most instantly recognisable physical features were his big afro-blonde hairstyle, jewelry, and moustache,
[19]
but he was best known for his grace and elegance on the ball, as well as his agility, and quick feet as a footballer. His control,
dribbling
ability and footwork were similar to those of smaller players, which for a player of Valderrama's size and physical build was fairly uncommon, and he frequently stood out throughout his career for his ability to use his strength, balance, composure, and flamboyant technique to shield the ball from opponents when put under pressure, and retain possession in difficult situations, often with elaborate skills, which made him an extremely popular figure with the fans. Valderrama's mix of physical strength, two-footed ability, unpredictability and flair enabled him to produce key and incisive performances against top-tier teams, while his world class vision and exceptional passing and
crossing
ability with his right foot made him one of the best
assist
providers of his time; his height, physique and elevation also made him effective in the air, and he was also an accurate
free kick
taker and striker of the ball, despite not being a particularly prolific goalscorer.
[6]
[7]
[8]
Despite his natural talent and ability as a footballer, Valderrama earned a reputation for having a "languid" playing style, as well as lacking notable pace, being unfit, and for having a poor defensive work-rate on the pitch, in particular, after succumbing to the physical effects of ageing in his later career in the MLS. In his first season in France, he also initially struggled to adapt to the faster-paced, more physical and tactically rigorous European brand of football, which saw him play in an unfamiliar position, and gave him less space and time on the ball to dictate attacking passing moves; he was criticised at times for his lack of match fitness and his low defensive contribution, which initially limited his appearances with the club, although he later successfully became a key creative player in his team's starting line-up due to his discipline, skill, and his precise and efficient passing.
[6]
[18]
[19]
[27]
[32]
[33]
[34]
Despite these claims, earlier in his career, however, Valderrama demonstrated substantial pace, stamina, and defensive competence.
[31]
[35]
Former French defender
Laurent Blanc
, who played with Valderrama in Montpellier, described him thusly: "In the fast and furious European game he wasn't always at his ease. He was a natural exponent of 'toque', keeping the ball moving. But he was so gifted that we could give him the ball when we didn't know what else to do with it knowing he wouldn't lose it... and often he would do things that most of us only dream about."
[19]
Retirement and legacy
[
edit
]
In February 2004, Valderrama ended his 22-year career in a tribute match at the Metropolitan stadium of
Barranquilla
, with some of the most important football players of South America, such as
Diego Maradona
,
Enzo Francescoli
,
Ivan Zamorano
, and
Jose Luis Chilavert
.
[36]
In 2006, a 22-foot bronze statue of Valderrama, created by Colombian artist
Amilkar Ariza
, was erected outside
Estadio Eduardo Santos
in Valderrama's birthplace of
Santa Marta
.
[37]
Valderrama was the only Colombian to be featured by Pele in FIFA's
125 Top Living Football Players list
in March 2004.
[38]
Media
[
edit
]
Valderrama appeared on the cover of
Konami
's
International Superstar Soccer Pro 98
.
[39]
In the
Nintendo 64
version of the game, he is referred to by his nickname,
El Pibe
.
Valderrama has also appeared in
EA Sports
'
FIFA football video game series
; he was named one of the Ultimate Team Legend cards in
FIFA 15
.
[40]
Besides his link to videogames, Valderrama has been present in sports media through his work with
Futbol de Primera
,
Andres Cantor
's
radio station
. He works as a
color commentator
during broadcasts of different matches, mostly participating during the
FIFA World Cup
, alongside
play-by-play
commentators like Sammy Sadovnik or Cantor himself.
Coaching career
[
edit
]
Since retiring from professional football, Valderrama has become assistant manager of
Atletico Junior
. On 1 November 2007, Valderrama accused a referee of corruption by waving cash in the face of Oscar Julian Ruiz when the official awarded a penalty to
America de Cali
. Junior lost the match 4?1, which ended the club's hopes of playoff qualification.
[41]
He later also served as a coach for a football academy called Clearwater Galactics in
Clearwater, Florida
.
[42]
[43]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Valderrama is married and has six children.
[44]
Career statistics
[
edit
]
Club
[
edit
]
International
[
edit
]
- Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Valderrama goal.
List of international goals scored by Carlos Valderrama
[46]
No.
|
Date
|
Venue
|
Opponent
|
Score
|
Result
|
Competition
|
1
|
1 July 1987
|
Estadio Gigante de Arroyito
,
Rosario
, Argentina
|
Bolivia
|
1?0
|
2?0
|
1987 Copa America
|
2
|
30 March 1988
|
Estadio Centenario
,
Armenia
, Colombia
|
Canada
|
2?0
|
3?0
|
Friendly
|
3
|
24 June 1989
|
Miami Orange Bowl
,
Miami
, United States
|
United States
|
1?0
|
1?0
|
Friendly
|
4
|
27 June 1989
|
Haiti
|
3?0
|
4?0
|
Friendly
|
5
|
9 June 1990
|
Stadio Renato Dall'Ara
,
Bologna
, Italy
|
United Arab Emirates
|
2?0
|
2?0
|
1990 FIFA World Cup
|
6
|
22 July 1995
|
Estadio Domingo Burgueno
,
Maldonado
, Uruguay
|
United States
|
2?0
|
4?1
|
1995 Copa America
|
7
|
7 July 1996
|
Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez
,
Barranquilla
, Colombia
|
Uruguay
|
2?0
|
3?1
|
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
|
8
|
20 August 1997
|
Bolivia
|
2?0
|
3?0
|
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
|
9
|
16 November 1997
|
Estadio Alberto J. Armando
,
Buenos Aires
, Argentina
|
Argentina
|
1?0
|
1?1
|
1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
|
10
|
23 May 1998
|
Giants Stadium
,
East Rutherford
, United States
|
Scotland
|
1?0
|
2?2
|
Friendly
|
11
|
31 May 1998
|
Waldstadion
,
Frankfurt
, Germany
|
Germany
|
1?3
|
1?3
|
Friendly
|
Honours
[
edit
]
Montpellier
Atletico Junior
Tampa Bay Mutiny
Individual
- Copa America MVP
:
1987
[3]
- South American Footballer of the Year
: 1987, 1993
[3]
[8]
[9]
- South American Team of the Year: 1987, 1993, 1996
[47]
- MLS Best XI
:
1996
,
1997
,
[48]
2000
[21]
- MLS All-Star
:
1996
,
[49]
1997
,
[50]
1998
,
[51]
1999
,
[52]
2000
[53]
- Major League Soccer MVP
: 1996
[21]
- MLS All-Time Best XI
:
Midfielder
- World Soccer's
100 Greatest Footballers of All Time: 1999
[54]
- Colombian Player of the Century: 1999
[6]
- MLS Assist leader:
2000
(26 assists ? a single season record)
[20]
- FIFA 100
: 2004
[38]
- Copa America Historical Dream Team: 2011
- Golden Foot
: 2013, as
football legend
[55]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
mlssoccer.
"Carlos Valderrama | MLSsoccer.com"
.
MLSsoccer.com
. Retrieved
15 February
2022
.
- ^
"Carlos Valderrama - Player Profile - Football"
.
Eurosport UK
. Retrieved
15 February
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
"CARLOS 'EL PIBE' VALDERRAMA (Futbolista)"
(in Spanish). colombia.com
. Retrieved
5 January
2016
.
- ^
"50 Greatest South American Footballers of All Time"
. 4 July 2019.
- ^
"50 Greatest Midfielders in the History of World Football"
.
Bleacher Report
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
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
)
- ^
a
b
"Valderrama: Colombia aren't creative enough"
. FIFA.com. 13 June 2011. Archived from
the original
on 6 January 2017
. Retrieved
5 January
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Boots and a bouffant"
. FIFA.com. 23 April 2012. Archived from
the original
on 17 December 2013
. Retrieved
5 January
2016
.
- ^
a
b
c
Mike Zizzo (15 June 1994).
"Baggio Takes Great Strides Toward Soccer Greatness"
.
The Orlando Sentinel
. Retrieved
24 September
2015
.
- ^
"Valderrama: Colombia aren't creative enough"
.
FIFA.com
. Federation Internationale de Football Association. 13 June 2011. Archived from
the original
on 16 June 2011
. Retrieved
19 March
2020
.
- ^
"Elegidos los cinco mejores jugadores de la historia de Colombia en los 60 anos de futbol profesional"
.
El Tiempo
(in Spanish). 4 December 2008
. Retrieved
6 January
2017
.
- ^
"Soccer-Late goal gives Brazil controversial 2?1 win over Colombia"
.
Reuters
. 24 June 2021
. Retrieved
24 June
2021
.
- ^
"Colombian flavour on the rise in MLS"
. FIFA.com. 15 April 2012. Archived from
the original
on 6 January 2017
. Retrieved
5 January
2017
.
- ^
a
b
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.
- ^
Why are so many Colombians keen to play in MLS? | Football
. The Guardian. Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
- ^
Raimondo, Avery. (19 October 2010)
Colombia Makes An Impact On Major League Soccer
. Goal.com. Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
- ^
Colombian flavour on the rise in MLS
. FIFA.com. 15 April 2012
- ^
a
b
Matteo Dotto.
"Valderrama, Carlos"
(in Italian). Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002)
. Retrieved
5 January
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Valderrama: an artist's short spell in Montpellier
. FIFA.com. 25 May 2003
- ^
a
b
Power 5 Unbreakable Records ? Valderrama's 26 assists in 2000
. MLSsoccer.com (22 June 2012). Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
- ^
a
b
c
Carlos Valderrama
. MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
- ^
"FIFA Profile ? Carlos Valderrama"
. FIFA.com. Archived from
the original
on 5 October 2015
. Retrieved
5 January
2016
.
- ^
Italia 90 Mundial World Cup 1990 Germany v Colombia
. YouTube (7 February 2009). Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
- ^
The day Colombia rocked the Monumental
. FIFA.com. 6 September 2013
- ^
Drezner, Daniel (4 June 2006).
"The Soccer Wars"
.
The Washington Post
. p. B01.
- ^
"1994 FIFA World Cup USA™ : Switzerland - Colombia"
. www.fifa.com
. Retrieved
17 November
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Andres Gomez V.
"El Pibe, un pequeno dios"
(in Spanish). Colombia.com
. Retrieved
5 January
2017
.
- ^
Witzig, Richard (2006).
The Global Art of Soccer
. New Orleans: CusiBoy Publishing. p. 166.
ISBN
9780977668809
.
- ^
Collie, Ashley Jude (2005).
World of Soccer: A Complete Guide to the World's Most Popular Sport
. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. p. 64.
ISBN
0823936988
.
- ^
Chi ha sbagliato Pagliuca?: How Maturana changed football
. Chihasbagliatopagliuca.blogspot.com (4 September 1994). Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
- ^
a
b
Valderrama 1990/1991 French D1 (assists) part2
. YouTube (30 October 2016). Retrieved on 1 September 2020.
- ^
a
b
Jaime Bernal.
"Diez veces gracias"
(in Spanish). Colombia.com
. Retrieved
5 January
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Carlos Valderrama: I'd do it all again"
. FIFA.com. 20 February 2006. Archived from
the original
on 6 January 2017
. Retrieved
5 January
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"First XI: Heat-induced memories"
. MLS Soccer. 23 June 2010
. Retrieved
27 May
2020
.
- ^
Diego Borinsky (21 July 2008).
"No tengo miedo a perder el prestigio"
(in Spanish). El Grafico
. Retrieved
5 January
2017
.
- ^
"Valderrama anoto un gol en su despedida"
(in Spanish). www.eluniverso.com. 2 February 2004
. Retrieved
10 February
2018
.
- ^
"El Pibe Predicts: A Chat With Colombia's Soccer Deity"
.
AL DIA News
. 25 September 2017
. Retrieved
10 July
2018
.
- ^
a
b
"Pele's list of the greatest"
.
BBC Sport
. 4 March 2004
. Retrieved
15 June
2013
.
- ^
"International Superstar Soccer Pro '98 Box Shot for PlayStation ? GameFAQs"
.
gamefaqs.gamespot.com
. Retrieved
10 July
2018
.
- ^
Carlos Valderrama FIFA 15 ? 86 Legend ? Ultimate Team FUT Stats
. Futhead
- ^
AP
(2007),
Valderrama expelled from match for taunting referee with cash
,
USA Today
, 1 November 2007, usatoday.com. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
- ^
"Galactics Clearwater"
.
www.facebook.com
. Retrieved
10 February
2018
.
- ^
"International Soccer Festival 2007 on Saturday December 1st"
(13 November 2007)
. Tampa Bay Informer
. Retrieved
10 February
2018
.
- ^
Cali, Casa Editorial El Pais (6 November 2011).
"El Pibe Valderrama, sin el balon"
.
elpais.com.co
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
1 October
2017
.
- ^
"Carlos Valderrama"
.
National Football Teams
. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann
. Retrieved
14 September
2014
.
- ^
Mamrud, Roberto (13 March 2004).
"Carlos Alberto Valderrama ? Century of International Appearances"
.
The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
. Retrieved
7 August
2014
.
- ^
"South American Team of the Year"
. 16 January 2009
. Retrieved
10 March
2015
.
- ^
"2022 Fact & Record Book"
. Major League Soccer. January 2023. p. 184
. Retrieved
28 July
2023
.
- ^
All-Star Game flashback, 1996
Archived
December 28, 2014, at the
Wayback Machine
at MLSsoccer.com
- ^
All-Star Game flashback, 1997
at MLSsoccer.com
- ^
"1998 MLS All-Star Game"
.
MLSsoccer.com
. 2 August 1998
. Retrieved
27 July
2023
.
- ^
"1999 MLS All-Star Game"
.
MLSsoccer.com
. 17 July 1999
. Retrieved
27 July
2023
.
- ^
"2000 MLS All-Star Game"
.
MLSsoccer.com
. 29 July 2000
. Retrieved
28 July
2023
.
- ^
"World Soccer Players of the Century"
. World Soccer
. Retrieved
29 August
2014
.
- ^
"LEGENDS ? GoldenFoot"
. Golden Foot. Archived from
the original
on 29 January 2018
. Retrieved
5 January
2017
.
External links
[
edit
]
Sporting positions
|
Preceded by
|
Atletico Junior
captain
1993?1995
|
Succeeded by
|
Awards
|
---|
|
---|
Unofficial award
| |
---|
Official award
| |
---|
1
Messi was given the 2015 award, but rejected it. Argentina's staff was to receive the award.
|
|
---|
El Mundo
award
| |
---|
El Grafico
award
| |
---|
El Pais
award
| |
---|
|
---|
2003
| |
---|
2004
| |
---|
2005
| |
---|
2006
| |
---|
2007
| |
---|
2008
| |
---|
2009
| |
---|
2010
| |
---|
2011
| |
---|
2012
| |
---|
2013
| |
---|
2014
| |
---|
2015
| |
---|
2016
| |
---|
2017
| |
---|
2018
| |
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2019
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2021
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2022
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