Carlos Bacca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carlos Bacca

Bacca in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Carlos Arturo Bacca Ahumada
Date of birth	(1986-09-08) 8 September 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Puerto Colombia, Colombia
Height	1.81 m
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Atlético Junior
Number	70
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2007–2011	Atlético Junior	117	(79)
2007	→ Barranquilla (loan)	27	(12)
2007–2008	→ Minervén (loan)	29	(12)
2008	→ Barranquilla (loan)	19	(14)
2011–2013	Club Brugge	54	(31)
2013–2015	Sevilla	108	(49)
2015–2018	AC Milan	77	(34)
2017–2018	→ Villarreal (loan)	35	(15)
2018–2021	Villarreal	75	(28)
2021–2022	Granada	19	(1)
2022–	Atlético Junior	94	(46)
National team
2010–2018	Colombia	52	(16)
Honours Representing  Colombia Bronze Copa América Centenario 2016
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16 June 2024. † Appearances (Goals).

Carlos Arturo Bacca Ahumada (born on September 8, 1986) is a professional footballer from Colombia. He plays as a striker for the club Atlético Junior in Categoría Primera A.

Bacca started his football journey at Atlético Junior. He became the top scorer in the 2010 Apertura tournament. In January 2012, he moved to Club Brugge in Belgium. He was the top scorer in the Belgian Pro League during his time there. After that, he joined Sevilla in Spain. He helped Sevilla win the UEFA Europa League twice in a row. He even scored two goals in the 2015 final. In 2015, he joined the Italian club AC Milan.

Carlos Bacca also played for the Colombian national team from 2012 to 2018. He played in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He also represented Colombia in the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario. Colombia finished third in the Copa América Centenario. Bacca is known for his speed, strong play, and great ability to score goals.

Carlos Bacca's Early Life and Beliefs

Carlos Bacca was born in Puerto Colombia. This is a town near Barranquilla in Colombia. His parents are Gilberto Bacca and Eloisa Ahumada.

Carlos Bacca is a very religious person. He follows the Evangelical Christian faith. He often thanks God when he gives interviews.

Carlos Bacca's Club Football Journey

Starting at Atlético Junior

Carlos Bacca began his professional football career with Atlético Junior in 2006. At first, he did not get many chances to play. To earn more money, Bacca also worked as a bus driver's assistant.

In 2007, he played for Barranquilla FC on loan. He scored 12 goals in 27 games. After that, he joined the Venezuelan club Minervén on loan. He helped them finish second in their league, scoring 12 goals in 29 matches. In 2008, he returned to Barranquilla on loan. He became the league's top scorer with 14 goals in 19 games.

Bacca made his official debut for Junior on March 1, 2009. He came into the game as a substitute and scored two goals. This helped his team win 2-0. In his first full season, he became a regular player. He was also the top scorer in the 2009 Copa Colombia. In 2010, he won the Categoría Primera A title and was the top goalscorer. He repeated this success in 2011. This helped Junior win their sixth and seventh Colombian titles.

After his success at Atlético Junior, many European clubs became interested in Bacca. Clubs like Lokomotiv Moscow and Chievo almost signed him. However, these moves did not happen. Bacca shared that he nearly joined Lokomotiv. But the club signed another striker instead.

Playing for Club Brugge

Carlos Bacca training with Club Brugge in 2013

In early 2012, Bacca signed with the Belgian team Club Brugge. He agreed to a three-year contract. His transfer was worth about €1.5 million.

He played his first game for Brugge on January 21, 2012. He came on as a substitute in a match they lost 1–0. For his first three months, Bacca found it hard to get into the main team. But during the playoffs, he started playing more often. On April 15, 2012, he scored his first goal for the club. This goal gave Brugge a 1–0 win. In the last game of the season, Bacca scored twice. Brugge finished second, which earned them a spot in European competitions.

At the start of the 2012–13 season, Bacca became a regular player. This happened after another player left and the new coach trusted him. In January 2013, Bacca had scored 18 goals. He then asked to leave Brugge because other European clubs were interested. But two weeks later, he surprised everyone by signing a new contract until 2016. At the end of the 2012–13 season, Bacca was the league's top scorer. He was also nominated for the Player of the Year award in Belgium. He won the award and thanked his family, friends, and Club Brugge.

During his time at Brugge, he scored 28 goals in 45 league games.

Success at Sevilla

On July 9, 2013, the Spanish club Sevilla signed Bacca. They paid €7 million for him. He signed a five-year contract. His contract also had a €30 million release clause. This meant other clubs would have to pay that much to buy him.

Bacca scored his first goal for Sevilla in a friendly match on July 26. He scored his first official goal on August 1. This was in a Europa League qualifying game. His first La Liga game was on August 18. On September 25, he scored his first two league goals in a 4–1 win.

On March 26, 2014, Bacca scored two goals against Real Madrid. Sevilla won that game 2–1. In the Europa League quarter-final, he scored a goal against Porto. This helped Sevilla win and move to the semi-finals. Two weeks later, he scored again in the semi-final against Valencia. In the final on May 14, he scored in the penalty shootout. Sevilla beat Benfica to win the trophy. Bacca was named the best new signing in La Liga that season. He was also voted the best player from the Americas at the LaLiga Awards.

On September 30, 2014, Bacca extended his contract with Sevilla until 2018. He scored seven goals in the Europa League as Sevilla won the trophy again. He scored two goals in the final against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. This win also qualified Sevilla for the Champions League.

Moving to AC Milan

On July 2, 2015, the Italian club AC Milan announced they had signed Bacca. They paid €30 million for him. He played his first game for Milan in a friendly match. His first official game was on August 17 in the Coppa Italia. He scored his first goal in Serie A on August 29, 2015. On September 19, he scored two goals in a game against Palermo.

On January 13, 2016, he scored a special goal using a rabona kick. This was in a Coppa Italia win. He scored again a few days later in a league match. On January 31, he scored in the Milan derby against Internazionale. Milan won that game 3–0. On August 21, 2016, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Torino.

Time at Villarreal

On August 16, 2017, Villarreal in Spain signed Bacca on a one-year loan. They paid €2.5 million for the loan. They also had an option to buy him later for €15.5 million. He made his debut four days later in a loss to Levante. He scored his first goal for Villarreal on September 10. He took advantage of a mistake by the opposing goalkeeper.

On August 17, 2018, Bacca was officially sold to Villarreal. He played there for three more seasons. He helped Villarreal win the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League against Manchester United in the final.

Short Stay at Granada

On July 13, 2021, the Spanish club Granada signed Bacca as a free agent. He was their first new player for the new season. He played 19 games for Granada. He scored one goal in a Copa del Rey match on November 30, 2021.

Return to Atlético Junior

On July 12, 2022, Carlos Bacca returned to his first club, Atlético Junior. He signed a two-year contract.

Carlos Bacca's International Career

Carlos Bacca scored his first goal for the Colombian national team on his debut. This was on August 11, 2010, against Bolivia. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. His next goal for Colombia came over two years later. He scored in a 3–0 win against Cameroon.

On May 31, 2014, Bacca scored a goal against Senegal. The match finished 2–2. Less than a week later, Bacca was chosen for Colombia's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He played once in the tournament. He came on as a substitute and helped his team get a penalty. Colombia lost 1–2 to Brazil in the quarter-finals.

In a friendly game against El Salvador on October 10, 2014, Bacca scored two goals. Colombia won that game 3–0.

In May 2015, Bacca was part of Colombia's team for the 2015 Copa América. On June 25, 2016, Bacca scored the winning goal for Colombia. This was against the United States in the third-place match of the Copa América Centenario. Colombia won 1–0.

In May 2018, he was named in Colombia's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In the tournament, his penalty kick was saved during a shootout. Colombia lost to England in the Round of 16.

Carlos Bacca's Playing Style

Carlos Bacca is a fast, strong, and skilled striker. He is known for his good movement and ability to score goals. He is also praised for his speed, strength, and accurate shots. He has a good first touch on the ball.

Bacca is a great goalscorer. He stays calm when he is near the goal. He is also known for his technique and dribbling skills. These skills help him get past defenders or find space to shoot. He sometimes uses special moves like the rabona to score amazing goals. He is also good at heading the ball and can score with his head or feet.

When he played for Sevilla under coach Unai Emery, Bacca changed his playing style. He improved his teamwork and even helped with defense. He often played deeper on the field. This allowed him to be more involved in building up plays with his teammates. This new role helped him find open spaces and make runs into the penalty area. He continued to score many goals even with this change.

At AC Milan, Bacca played more as a main centre-forward. He was known for scoring many goals with few chances. He was good at making attacking runs and finishing plays. However, some people thought he did not help much with defense or creating chances for others. He often stayed in the middle of the penalty area.

Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bacca goal.

List of international goals scored by Carlos Bacca

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	11 August 2010	Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia	Bolivia	1–0	1–1	Friendly
2	17 October 2012	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Cameroon	2–0	3–0	Friendly
3	31 May 2014	Estadio Pedro Bidegain, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Senegal	2–0	2–2	Friendly
4	10 October 2014	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States	El Salvador	2–0	3–0	Friendly
5				3–0
6	14 November 2014	Craven Cottage, London, England	United States	1–1	2–1	Friendly
7	26 March 2015	Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain	Bahrain	1–0	6–0	Friendly
8	8 September 2015	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States	Peru	1–0	1–1	Friendly
9	24 March 2016	Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia	Bolivia	2–0	3–2	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	29 March 2016	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Ecuador	1–0	3–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11				3–0
12	7 June 2016	Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States	Paraguay	1–0	2–1	Copa América Centenario
13	25 June 2016	University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States	United States	1–0	1–0	Copa América Centenario
14	14 November 2017	Chongqing Olympic Sports Center, Chongqing, China	China	2–0	4–0	Friendly
15	11 October 2018	Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States	United States	2–2	4–2	Friendly
16	16 October 2018	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States	Costa Rica	1–0	3–1	Friendly

Honours

Atlético Junior

• Categoría Primera A: 2010-II, 2011-II, 2023-II

Sevilla

• UEFA Europa League: 2013–14, 2014–15

AC Milan

• Supercoppa Italiana: 2016

Villarreal

• UEFA Europa League: 2020–21

Colombia

• Copa América third place: 2016

Individual

• Belgian First Division Top Goalscorer: 2012–13
• Belgian Pro League Best Player: 2012–13
• LaLiga Best South American Player: 2013–14
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2014–15

See also

In Spanish: Carlos Bacca para niños