Alexis Sánchez facts for kids
Sánchez with Chile at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 December 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tocopilla, Chile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Udinese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Universidad Católica | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Escuela Bernardo O'Higgins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Cobreloa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Cobreloa | 47 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | Udinese | 95 | (20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | → Colo-Colo (loan) | 32 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | → River Plate (loan) | 23 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Barcelona | 88 | (39) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2018 | Arsenal | 122 | (60) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Manchester United | 32 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Inter Milan (loan) | 22 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Inter Milan | 57 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Marseille | 35 | (14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Inter Milan | 23 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Udinese | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Chile U15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Chile U17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Chile U20 | 12 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006– | Chile | 168 | (51) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:57, 30 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:42, 11 June 2025 (UTC) |
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Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (born 19 December 1988), often known simply as Alexis, is a Chilean professional footballer. He plays as a forward for Serie A club Udinese and the Chile national team. Many people consider him one of the best forwards of his time and one of Chile's greatest players ever.
He was nicknamed "El Niño Maravilla" (The Wonder Child). Sánchez started his senior club career at just 15 years old with Cobreloa. He later joined Udinese in 2006. While on loan to Colo-Colo and River Plate, he won league titles. In 2011, Sánchez made a record transfer to Barcelona for €37.5 million, becoming the most expensive Chilean player ever. There, he won six trophies, including a La Liga title. He then moved to Arsenal in 2014, winning two FA Cups. In 2018, he joined Manchester United, and a year later, he signed with Inter Milan. With Inter, he won a Serie A title and a Coppa Italia. He played for Marseille in 2022–2023 before returning to Inter Milan in 2023 and then to Udinese in 2024.
Sánchez first played for Chile's national team in 2006 when he was 18. He has played in 168 games, making him Chile's most capped player. He is also their all-time top goalscorer with 51 goals. He led Chile to their first major tournament win at the 2015 Copa América. He scored the winning penalty in the final. He also captained the team to another victory at the Copa América Centenario in 2016, where he won the Golden Ball for Best Player.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Chile
Alexis Sánchez began his football journey in Tocopilla, Chile. He was part of C.D. Cobreloa's youth teams. In February 2005, at just 16 years old, he joined the senior team. He played his first game on 12 February and scored his first goal on 18 March. He even played in the 2005 Copa Libertadores, a big South American tournament, at a very young age.
After playing well for Cobreloa, Serie A club Udinese in Italy signed him in April 2006. Udinese decided to loan him to Colo-Colo, a major Chilean club, to help him gain more experience.
Success with Colo-Colo and River Plate
Sánchez joined Colo-Colo in June 2006. He scored his first goal for them in October during a derby match. He quickly became a key player, helping Colo-Colo win the Torneo Clausura final in December 2006. This was his first professional title. The next year, he scored his first Copa Libertadores goals, including a hat-trick. He also helped Colo-Colo win another league title, the Torneo Apertura.
After his time at Colo-Colo, Sánchez was loaned to River Plate in Argentina in August 2007. He continued to impress there before moving to Italy.
Making a Name at Udinese
In July 2008, Sánchez moved to Udinese in Italy. He played his first Serie A match in September 2008. He scored his first league goal in October. Sánchez became a very important player for Udinese. He and fellow striker Antonio Di Natale formed a strong partnership, scoring many goals together.
In February 2011, Sánchez scored four goals in one game against Palermo, helping Udinese win 7–0. This was a record for a Chilean player in Serie A. His great performances led FIFA.com users to name him the world's most promising young player in 2011.
Joining FC Barcelona
On 20 July 2011, Barcelona signed Sánchez for €26 million. He was the first Chilean player to join the famous club. He said he wanted to learn from players like Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernández.
Sánchez's first season at Barcelona had some injuries. He scored his first goal for Barcelona in a 5–0 win against Villarreal. He also scored important goals in the UEFA Champions League and against rivals Real Madrid. In the 2012–13 season, Barcelona won the league title with 100 points, and Sánchez scored eight league goals.
In October 2013, Sánchez scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Real Madrid. In January 2014, he scored his first hat-trick for Barcelona. He finished the 2013–14 season with a career-high 21 goals.
Moving to Arsenal
On 10 July 2014, Sánchez joined Arsenal in England for £31.7 million. He was given the number 17 shirt. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger praised Sánchez's top-quality performances.
Sánchez quickly made an impact at Arsenal. He helped them win the Community Shield in his first competitive game. He scored his first goal for Arsenal in August, helping them qualify for the Champions League group stage. He scored many goals in his first season, including a hat-trick against Leicester City in September 2015. This made him the first player to score hat-tricks in the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga.
Sánchez was a key player in Arsenal's FA Cup win in 2015, scoring in the final against Aston Villa. He also won Arsenal's Player of the Year award for that season. He continued his strong form in the 2015–16 season, scoring important goals against teams like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
For the 2016–17 season, Sánchez changed his shirt number to 7. He had another fantastic season, scoring 24 Premier League goals and 30 goals in all competitions. He won Arsenal's Player of the Season award again. He also scored the opening goal in Arsenal's 2–1 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup Final, helping Arsenal win a record 13th FA Cup.
Time at Manchester United and Inter Milan
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In January 2018, Sánchez moved to Manchester United in a swap deal. He was given the famous number 7 shirt. He scored his first goal for United in February 2018. He later scored a winning goal in the 90th minute against Newcastle United in October 2018.
In August 2019, Sánchez joined Inter Milan on loan. He later signed permanently with Inter in August 2020. With Inter, he won the Serie A title in 2021 and the Coppa Italia in 2022. He scored a late winning goal against Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana in January 2022.
Marseille and Return to Inter and Udinese
In August 2022, Sánchez signed a two-year contract with Ligue 1 club Marseille in France. He played one season there.
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In August 2023, Sánchez returned to Inter Milan for another season. He helped them win the Serie A title for the second time in his career. In August 2024, Sánchez made another return, this time to Udinese, signing a two-year deal.
International Career for Chile
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Alexis Sánchez played for Chile's youth teams before making his senior international debut in April 2006 at age 18. He helped the Chilean under-20 team finish third at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He scored his first senior international goal in September 2007. Sánchez played a big part in Chile's qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He also played in the 2011 Copa América. In November 2013, he scored both goals as Chile beat England 2–0 at Wembley Stadium.
2014 FIFA World Cup
Sánchez scored four goals during Chile's qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the tournament, he scored Chile's first goal in a 3–1 win against Australia. In the round of 16, he scored the equalizing goal against hosts Brazil. However, Chile lost the match in a penalty shootout.
Copa América Victories
Sánchez was a key player when Chile hosted the 2015 Copa América. He scored in a 5–0 win against Bolivia. In the final against Argentina, Sánchez scored the winning penalty in a shootout, giving Chile their first major title.
In June 2016, Sánchez helped Chile defend their Copa América title at the Copa América Centenario in the United States. He scored twice in a 4–2 win against Panama. He also scored one goal and made two assists in a big 7–0 win over Mexico. In the semi-final, he reached 100 caps for Chile. In the final, Chile again beat Argentina on penalties. Sánchez was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
FIFA Confederations Cup and Later Tournaments
In the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, Sánchez became Chile's all-time top goalscorer with his 38th international goal. Chile reached the final but lost 0–1 to Germany.
Sánchez continued to play for Chile in the 2019 Copa América, scoring goals against Japan and Ecuador. He also scored the winning penalty in the quarter-final shootout against Colombia. He was injured in October 2019 while playing for Chile. He also missed some games in the 2021 Copa América due to a foot injury.
Playing Style
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Sánchez is known as a fast, creative, and hard-working player. He has a great eye for goal. People admire his energy, strength, and technical skills. He can play anywhere across the front of the field, on either side, or in the middle. He has played as a supporting striker, a winger, and even a main striker.
He is very good at dribbling and can get past defenders easily. He also has great vision to set up his teammates. Sánchez can score goals himself or create chances for others with passes. He is also good at free-kicks. In his best years, experts considered him one of the top left wingers in Europe.
Personal Life
In March 2017, a statue of Alexis Sánchez was put up in his hometown of Tocopilla. He has also worked as a brand ambassador for companies like Huawei and Pepsi.
In June 2022, he announced that he bought land in Argentina, Chile, and Italy to start a wine production business called Alma Soul. In July 2024, Sánchez graduated as a football instructor. In December of the same year, he also graduated as a football manager.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cobreloa | 2005 | Chilean Primera División | 35 | 3 | — | — | 3 | 0 | — | 38 | 3 | |||
| 2006 | Chilean Primera División | 12 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 9 | |||||
| Total | 47 | 12 | — | — | 3 | 0 | — | 50 | 12 | |||||
| Colo-Colo | 2006 | Chilean Primera División | 18 | 4 | — | — | 10 | 1 | — | 28 | 5 | |||
| 2007 | Chilean Primera División | 14 | 1 | — | — | 7 | 3 | — | 21 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 32 | 5 | — | — | 17 | 4 | — | 49 | 9 | |||||
| River Plate | 2007–08 | Argentine Primera División | 23 | 4 | — | — | 8 | 0 | — | 31 | 4 | |||
| Udinese | 2008–09 | Serie A | 32 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 43 | 3 | ||
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 32 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 36 | 6 | ||||
| 2010–11 | Serie A | 31 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 12 | ||||
| Total | 95 | 20 | 8 | 1 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 112 | 21 | ||||
| Barcelona | 2011–12 | La Liga | 25 | 12 | 7 | 1 | — | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 15 | |
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 29 | 8 | 6 | 2 | — | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 11 | ||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 34 | 19 | 9 | 2 | — | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 54 | 21 | ||
| Total | 88 | 39 | 22 | 5 | — | 24 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 141 | 47 | |||
| Arsenal | 2014–15 | Premier League | 35 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 25 |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 30 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 17 | |
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 38 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | — | 51 | 30 | ||
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 19 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 8 | |
| Total | 122 | 60 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 166 | 80 | ||
| Manchester United | 2017–18 | Premier League | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 3 | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | ||
| Total | 32 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 45 | 5 | |||
| Inter Milan (loan) | 2019–20 | Serie A | 22 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 32 | 4 | ||
| Inter Milan | 2020–21 | Serie A | 30 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 38 | 7 | ||
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 27 | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 9 | ||
| Total | 79 | 16 | 12 | 2 | — | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 109 | 20 | |||
| Marseille | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 35 | 14 | 4 | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 44 | 18 | ||
| Inter Milan | 2023–24 | Serie A | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 4 | |
| Udinese | 2024–25 | Serie A | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 589 | 175 | 68 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 122 | 23 | 11 | 1 | 794 | 220 | ||
International
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| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 2006 | 5 | 0 |
| 2007 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 5 | |
| 2010 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 11 | 8 | |
| 2014 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2015 | 14 | 5 | |
| 2016 | 15 | 5 | |
| 2017 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 168 | 51 | |
Honours and Awards
Alexis Sánchez has won many titles and awards throughout his career:
Club Trophies
- Colo-Colo
- Primera División de Chile: 2006 Clausura, 2007 Apertura
- River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 2008 Clausura
- Barcelona
- La Liga: 2012–13
- Copa del Rey: 2011–12
- Supercopa de España: 2011, 2013
- UEFA Super Cup: 2011
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2011
- Arsenal
- FA Cup: 2014–15, 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2014
- Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2020–21, 2023–24
- Coppa Italia: 2021–22
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2021, 2023
International Trophies with Chile
- Copa América: 2015, 2016
Individual Awards
- Serie A Player of the Month: February 2011
- PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2015
- PFA Team of the Year: 2014–15 Premier League
- Arsenal Player of the Season Award: 2014–15, 2016–17
- FSF Player of the Year: 2015
- Copa América Golden Ball: 2016
- FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Ball: 2017
- Marseille Player of the Season: 2022–23
Records
- Chile all-time top goalscorer: 51 goals
- Chile most appearances: 168 caps
See also
In Spanish: Alexis Sánchez para niños
- List of top international men's football goal scorers by country
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
