Valderrama vs maradona biography
Carlos Alberto Valderrama also known as "El Pibe", is a Colombian football (soccer) player who played as a midfielder. A creative playmaker, known for his precise passing, technical skills, and elegance on the ball, he is regarded as one of the best Colombian and South American footballers of all time.
Valderrama is recognizable for his enormous blond bush of hair and is known for his skillful passing and shielding. Valderrama was born in Santa Marta and captained his national team during the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, before announcing his international retirement after the 1998 competition having received 94 caps and scored seven times.
He began his career at Union Magdalena of Colombia's First Division in 1981. He also played for Millionarios and Deportivo Cali before joining Montpellier of French First Division in 1988. He was transferred to Real Valladolid in 1990 before returning to Colombia in 1992 to play for Deportivo Independiete Medellin and Atletico Juniors from 1993-96 before going to the US in 1998 to play for Miami (1998-99), Tampa Bay (2000-01) and currently Colorado.
In the American Major League Soccer (MLS), Valderrama scores relatively few goals for a midfielder, but has many assists. On February 30 2004, Valderrama ended his 22-year career in a homage match with some of the most important football players of south america, such as Diego Maradona (he couldn't play but stayed in the tribune), Enzo Francescoli and José Luis Chilavert.
Colombia National Team (Youth)
- Carlos Valderrama was born on September 2, 1961 in Santa Marta, son of Carlos Valderrama and Juana Palacios, his father was a professional player of (Union Magdalena)
- Carlos Valderrama was nicknamed "el pibe valderra", a nickname that was given to him by an Argentine friend of his father
- "The Pibe" graduated from high school "Liceo de Celedon" in 1979, where he made the decision to become a professional soccer player.
- In 1981 "the Pibe Valderrama" was debutant of the first division of Union Magdalena the team of his heart.
- He was integrated to the Colombian Youth team directed by Eduardo Retat
- Carlos Valderrama was a millionaire player and a year later he joined Deportivo Cali, with whom he gained wide national recognition thanks to the duo formed with Bernardo in the 1980s.
- Together with Bernardo, he commanded the national soccer team that participated in the Copa America occupying position 3 in the tournament and was hired by the European club "Montpellier"
- He was chosen as the best player of the tournament over Diego Armando Maradona
- In 1990 he debuted in his first soccer world cup (Italy 90), he was captain and helped the national team to get a 1-1 draw against the finally champion team (Germany) and to qualify until the last 16
- He returned to Colombia in 1992 to play in DIM and in 1993 he was acquired by Junior de Barranquilla
- His farewell match was in February 2004 with unforgettable players such as Diego Maradona and Francescoli in the metropolitan stadium of Barranquilla. In this way, a golden age of South American football goes by for "Pibe Valderrama" the best Colombian footballer of all time.
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Carlos Valderrama
Colombian footballer (born 1961)
For the baseball player, see Carlos Valderrama (baseball).
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:[ˈkaɾlosalˈβeɾtoβaldeˈramapaˈlasjo]; born 2 September 1961), also known as "El Pibe" ("The Kid"), 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. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
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. 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
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1990, 1994, 1998 Games/Goals 10/1 |
(Colombia)
This colourful and talented midfielder has been regarded as one of the very best in his position in South America over the past decade or so. Valderrama made his debut for Colombia in October 1985 losing 3-0 to Paraguay, but established himself soon and won the captaincy at an early age. At clublevel, he started playing for Colombias first division side Union Magdalena in 1981. He also played for Millionarios and Deportivo Cali before he signed for French side Montpellier in 1988, a club he won a French Cup championship with two years later. Valderrama also played for Spanish team Valladolid before he returned home to his native Colombia to play for Atelitico Junior where he also won two league championships.
Known as El Pibe (the kid), Carlos Valderrama is easy recognizable with his big curly blonde hair and all his jewelry. He was an accurate passer of the ball and a playmaker of finest caliber. He is also one of very few players to have captained his country in three World Cups. His biggest World Cup moment was when he dribbled past several players and delivered a pinpoint pass to teammate Rincon who scored the necessary equalizer three minutes into injurytime against eventual winners West Germany in 1990. That goal meant Colombia qualified to the second round.
In 1994, Colombia were one of the hottest candidates to win the World Cup, much thanks to a 5-0 thrashing of Argentina in Buenos Aires in the qualifying rounds, and even though Valderrama was on top of his game, Colombia disappointed a lot and got knocked out already in the first round. Neither in France four years later, at the age of 37, could El Pibe and his teammate get pa