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 (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Atlético Junior
Number	70
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2011	Atlético Junior	97	(50)
2007	→ Barranquilla (loan)	27	(12)
2007–2008	→ Minervén (loan)	29	(12)
2008	→ Barranquilla (loan)	19	(14)
2011–2013	Club Brugge	45	(28)
2013–2015	Sevilla	72	(34)
2015–2018	AC Milan	70	(31)
2017–2018	→ Villarreal (loan)	35	(15)
2018–2021	Villarreal	75	(28)
2021–2022	Granada	19	(1)
2022–	Atlético Junior	125	(51)
International career
2010–2018	Colombia	52	(16)
Medal record Representing  Colombia Bronze Copa América Centenario 2016
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 May 2025

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

Bacca started his career at Atlético Junior. He was 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 the 2012–13 season. After that, he joined Sevilla in Spain. He won the UEFA Europa League twice with Sevilla. He scored two goals in the 2015 final. In 2015, he joined Serie A club AC Milan in Italy.

Carlos Bacca played for the Colombian national team from 2012 to 2018. He played in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups. He also played 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 ability to score goals.

About Carlos Bacca

Carlos Bacca was born in Puerto Colombia. This is a town near Barranquilla in Colombia. His parents are Gilberto Bacca and Eloisa Ahumada. Bacca is a very religious person. He often thanks God in interviews. He is a follower of the Evangelical Christian faith.

Playing for Clubs

Starting at Atlético Junior

Bacca began his professional football journey with Atlético Junior in 2006. He did not get to play much at first. While playing football, Bacca also worked. He was a bus driver's assistant to help his family. His family came from a poor background.

In 2007, he played for Barranquilla FC on loan. He played 27 games and scored 12 goals. Then, he joined Venezuelan club Minervén on loan. Bacca helped the club finish second in their league. He scored 12 goals in 29 games. In 2008, he went back to Barranquilla on loan. He was the top scorer in the league that year. He scored 14 goals in 19 games.

Bacca played his first professional game for Junior on March 1, 2009. He came into the game as a substitute. He scored two goals in 15 minutes. This helped his team win 2-0. In his first full season at Junior, Bacca became a regular player. He was the top scorer in the 2009 Copa Colombia. In 2010, he helped Junior win the Categoría Primera A title. He was also the top goalscorer. He repeated this success in 2011. Junior won their sixth and seventh Colombian titles.

After his success at Atlético Junior, many European clubs became interested in Bacca. Clubs like Lokomotiv Moscow from Russia and Chievo from Italy almost signed him. However, these moves did not happen. Bacca said he almost joined Lokomotiv. But they signed another striker instead.

Moving to Club Brugge

Bacca training with Club Brugge in 2013

In early 2012, Bacca signed with Club Brugge in Belgium. He signed a three-year contract. The transfer was worth about €1.5 million.

He played his first game on January 21, 2012. He came on as a substitute. Brugge lost that game 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. On April 15, 2012, Bacca scored his first goal for the club. It was against Gent. This goal gave Brugge a 1–0 win. In the last game of the season, Bacca scored twice. Brugge won 3–2 and finished second in the league. This earned them a spot in a European competition.

At the start of the 2012–13 season, Bacca played more often. This was after another player left the team. He also gained the trust of the new coach. In January 2013, Bacca had scored 18 goals. He then asked to leave Brugge. Many clubs in Europe were interested in him. However, two weeks later, Bacca signed a new contract. This contract would keep him at the club 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. Six days later, Bacca won the award. He thanked his family, friends, and Club Brugge.

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

Playing for Sevilla

On July 9, 2013, Spanish club Sevilla signed Bacca. They paid €7 million for him. He signed a five-year contract. The contract included 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. This was on July 26. He scored his first goal in a real competition on August 1. It was in a 3–0 home win. His first game in La Liga was on August 18. On September 25, he scored his first two league goals. Sevilla won 4–1.

On March 26, 2014, Bacca scored two goals. Sevilla won 2–1 against Real Madrid. On April 10, he scored in the Europa League quarter-final. Sevilla won 4–1 and moved to the semi-finals. Two weeks later, he scored in the semi-final first leg. Sevilla won 2–0. 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 player in La Liga that season. He was also voted the best player from the Americas at the LaLiga Awards.

On September 30, 2014, Bacca signed a new contract with Sevilla. This kept him at the club until 2018. He scored seven goals in European games. Sevilla won the Europa League again. He scored two goals in the final for a 3–2 victory. This win helped Sevilla qualify for the Champions League.

Time at AC Milan

On July 2, 2015, Italian club AC Milan announced they 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. He scored his first goal in Serie A on August 29, 2015. On September 19, he scored two goals in a game. On January 13, 2016, he scored a special "rabona" goal. This helped Milan reach the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia. On January 31, he scored in the Milan derby. Milan won 3–0. On August 21, 2016, he scored his first three goals in one game (a hat-trick). Milan won 3–2.

Playing for Villarreal

On August 16, 2017, Villarreal signed Bacca on a one-year loan. They paid €2.5 million for the loan. They also had an option to buy him later. He played his first game for Villarreal four days later. He scored his first goal for them on September 10.

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

Time at Granada

On July 13, 2021, Spanish club Granada signed Bacca. He joined them for free. He played 19 games for Granada. He scored one goal in a Copa del Rey match on November 30, 2021.

Returning to Atlético Junior

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

Playing for Colombia

Bacca scored his first goal for the Colombian national team on August 11, 2010. It was in his first game. Colombia tied 1–1. His next goal for Colombia came over two years later. He scored in a 3–0 win on October 17, 2012.

On May 31, 2014, Bacca scored to put Colombia ahead 2–0. The match ended in a 2–2 tie. Bacca was chosen for Colombia's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He played once in the World Cup. He came on as a substitute and helped his team get a penalty. Colombia lost 2–1 to Brazil in the quarter-finals. On October 10, 2014, Bacca scored twice in a friendly match. Colombia won 3–0.

In May 2015, Bacca was part of Colombia's team for the 2015 Copa América. After a game against Brazil, Bacca received a red card. This was for pushing a Brazilian player. Bacca was banned for two matches. On June 25, 2016, Bacca scored the winning goal for Colombia. It was against the United States. Colombia won 1–0 in the third-place match of the Copa América Centenario.

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

How Carlos Bacca Plays

Carlos Bacca is a fast, strong, and skilled striker. He is good at moving around the field and finding chances to score. He is known for his speed, strength, and accurate shots. He also has a good first touch on the ball. Bacca is a great goalscorer. He stays calm when he is about to score. He is also good at dribbling the ball. This helps him get past defenders. He can also create space for himself to shoot. He sometimes uses special tricks, like the rabona, to score amazing goals. He is also good at heading the ball and scoring with his head.

When he played for Sevilla, his coach helped him improve his game. He worked harder and helped more with defense. He also started playing in deeper areas of the field. This allowed him to get more involved in building up plays. He could also find open spaces and make runs into the penalty area. This helped him keep scoring many goals.

At AC Milan, Bacca sometimes had a difficult relationship with his coach. He played more as a main striker. He was praised for scoring many goals. He often needed only a few chances to score. However, he was also criticized for not helping much with defense. He also did not create many chances for his teammates. He often stayed in the middle of the penalty area. This sometimes made him seem separate from the team's overall play. People compared his playing style to former Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi. This was because of his goal-scoring ability and how he often played close to the last defender.

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

Awards and Achievements

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 National Team

• Copa América third place: 2016

Individual Awards

• 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