Alberth Elis facts for kids
Elis with Houston Dynamo in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alberth Josué Elis Martínez | ||
| Date of birth | 12 February 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | San Pedro Sula, Honduras | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Olimpia | ||
| Number | 29 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Real España | |||
| Olimpia | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2016 | Olimpia | 62 | (25) |
| 2016–2017 | Monterrey | 5 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Houston Dynamo (loan) | 26 | (10) |
| 2018–2020 | Houston Dynamo | 62 | (24) |
| 2020–2022 | Boavista | 31 | (8) |
| 2021–2022 | → Bordeaux (loan) | 20 | (9) |
| 2022–2024 | Bordeaux | 35 | (6) |
| 2023 | → Brest (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2025– | Olimpia | 14 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013 | Honduras U17 | 11 | (5) |
| 2014–2015 | Honduras U20 | 10 | (4) |
| 2015–2016 | Honduras U23 | 11 | (6) |
| 2014– | Honduras | 60 | (13) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 June 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 June 2023 |
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Alberth Josué Elis Martínez (born February 12, 1996), also known as La Panterita (The Little Panther), is a professional football player from Honduras. He plays as a forward for Liga Nacional club Olimpia. He also plays for the Honduras national team.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Early Football Days
Elis started playing football in the youth team of Real España in San Pedro Sula. Later, he moved to Olimpia. He made his first professional appearance for Olimpia in September 2013.
Playing for Olimpia
Elis played his first professional game on September 2, 2013. It was a Liga Nacional match against Motagua. He helped Olimpia win 2–1. His first professional goal came on August 5, 2014, in a CONCACAF Champions League match. He scored his first league goal on August 24, 2014, in a 4–0 win.
Time with Monterrey
After playing 61 games and scoring 25 goals for Olimpia, Elis joined Monterrey in Mexico on August 26, 2016. He played his first game for Monterrey on September 10, 2016. After only five games without scoring, Monterrey loaned him to MLS club Houston Dynamo for the 2017 season.
Success with Houston Dynamo
On March 4, 2017, Elis made his debut for the Dynamo. He scored his first goal for the team in their next game. He helped the team reach the MLS Playoffs for the first time since 2013. In the first playoff game, he scored the winning goal in extra time. He had a great first season, scoring 11 goals and making 4 assists. In December, the Dynamo bought him permanently from Monterrey.
Elis continued to shine in 2018. He made two assists in the first game of the season. He was named to the MLS Team of the Week four times early in the season. On June 29, 2018, Elis was chosen to play in the 2018 MLS All-Star Game against Juventus. He also helped the Dynamo win their first ever U.S. Open Cup on September 26, 2018. He finished the year with a club record of 21 goals and assists in MLS.
In 2019, Elis kept up his strong performance. He scored and assisted in many games, earning him more MLS Team of the Week honors. He helped the Dynamo start the season well. He scored in four straight games in April. After playing in the 2019 Gold Cup for Honduras, he returned to the Dynamo and scored once and assisted twice in a 4–0 win. He ended the 2019 season strongly, scoring once and assisting twice in the final game.
The 2020 MLS season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When play resumed, Elis scored in his first game back. He later had a goal and an assist in a 5–2 win. He left the Dynamo in September 2020.
Moving to Boavista
On September 21, 2020, Elis joined Primeira Liga club Boavista in Portugal. He scored his first goal for Boavista on November 2, 2020, in a 3–0 win against Benfica. He also made his first assist for the club in November. He scored four more goals and made four more assists that season. On May 1, 2021, he scored two goals in one game. He finished the season with 8 goals and 6 assists.
Time with Bordeaux
On August 25, 2021, Elis joined Ligue 1 club Bordeaux in France on loan. He made his debut on October 3. He scored his first goal on October 24, 2021. He scored again on November 6 against Paris Saint-Germain.
On June 9, 2022, Bordeaux officially bought Elis. During the 2021–22 season, he scored nine goals and made one assist in 21 games.
Loan to Brest
On January 30, 2023, Elis was loaned to Brest, another French club, until the end of the season.
Return to Bordeaux and Injury
After his loan, he returned to Bordeaux. On February 24, 2024, during a game, he had a serious head injury. He needed medical care and was in a special state for four days to help him recover. Because of this injury, he has not played any games since. In August 2024, Bordeaux faced financial problems and lost its professional status. This ended Elis's contract with the club.
Back to Honduran Football
On January 16, 2025, Elis returned to his first club, Olimpia, in Honduras. He signed a one-year contract, coming back after more than eight years of playing abroad.
International Career
Elis first played for the Honduras U-17 team in December 2012. He scored a goal in a 5–2 win. In the next match, he scored three goals. He helped Honduras finish first in their group. He also played in the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, helping Honduras reach the quarter-finals.
On September 30, 2014, Elis was called up to the senior national team. He made his first senior appearance on October 9, 2014, in a friendly game.
Elis also played for the Honduras U-21 team and the Honduras U-20 team. He scored four goals in six games for the U-20 team, helping them qualify for the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He then led the Honduras U-23 team to a second-place finish in a big tournament, scoring four goals. He was named one of the best players in that tournament.
He returned to the senior national team in December 2015 and scored his first two international goals. On March 25, 2016, he scored his first goal in a competitive senior match.
On July 25, 2016, Elis was chosen for the Honduras U-23 team for the 2016 Olympics. He played in all six games and scored two goals. He helped Honduras finish in 4th place at the Olympics.
Elis played in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In 2021, he scored in the third-place match of the CONCACAF Nations League tournament. Honduras won the bronze medal after a penalty shoot-out.
Personal Life
Alberth Elis was born in San Juan Tela, Honduras. He grew up in San Pedro Sula. His older brother, Osman Elis Martínez, is also a professional football player. His father was a football player too. Elis is from the Garifuna people.
His nickname, "La Panterita," means "The Little Panther." It's a nod to another famous Honduran striker, David Suazo, who was called "La Pantera." Elis enjoys fashion and has many pairs of shoes. He also does charity work in Honduras, like donating computers to his old school and helping repair local parks.
Honours and Awards
Elis has won several awards and championships throughout his career:
Olimpia
- Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras: 2014 Clausura, 2015 Clausura, 2016 Clausura, 2025 Clausura
- President's Cup: 2015
Houston Dynamo
- U.S. Open Cup: 2018
Honduras National Team
- CONCACAF Nations League third place: 2021
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF Champions League Best Young Player: 2015–16
- CONCACAF Best XI: 2017
- Dynamo Players' Player of the Year: 2017
- Houston Dynamo Newcomer of the Year: 2017
- MLS All-Star: 2018
- CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2021
See also
In Spanish: Alberth Elis para niños
