David Pizarro Facts for Kids

For the psychologist and podcaster, see David A. Pizarro.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Pizarro and the second or maternal family name is Cortés.

Quick facts for kids
David Pizarro

Pizarro with Universidad de Chile in 2018

Personal information

Full name

David Marcelo Pizarro Cortés

Date of birth

11 September 1979 (age 45)

Place of birth

Valparaíso, Chile

Height

1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)

Position(s)

Midfielder

Youth career

Santiago Wanderers

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1997–1998

Santiago Wanderers

(3)

1999–2005

Udinese

126

(14)

2001

→ Universidad de Chile (loan)

(1)

2005–2006

Inter Milan

(1)

2006–2012

Roma

148

(9)

2012

→ Manchester City (loan)

(0)

2012–2015

Fiorentina

(4)

2015–2016

Santiago Wanderers

(0)

2017–2018

Universidad de Chile

(5)

Total

494

(37)

International career

1995

Chile U17

1999

Chile U20

(3)

2000

Chile U23

(2)

2001

Chile B

(0)

1999–2015

Chile

(2)

Medal record


Representing Chile
Third	Summer Olympics	2000
Winner	Copa América	2015

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

David Marcelo Pizarro Cortés (born on September 11, 1979) is a former professional footballer from Chile. He played as a midfielder for many teams, including Club Universidad de Chile.

Pizarro was known for being a very smart and skilled player. Even though he was not very tall (1.68 meters), he was strong. He could control the game from the middle of the field. People especially noticed his great vision, passing skills, and how well he could dribble the ball. He was also good at taking free kicks.

He started his career in Chile with Santiago Wanderers. Later, he played for several Italian clubs. He also had a short time playing for Manchester City in England in 2012. He returned to Chile in 2015. In Italy, he won a Serie A title, three Coppa Italia titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. He played for Inter Milan, Roma, Udinese, and Fiorentina. His Italian nickname was "Pek", which means "small" in Spanish.

Pizarro also played for the Chile national team. He won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He also played in two Copa América tournaments. He helped Chile win their first-ever Copa América title in 2015. He announced his retirement from football in November 2018. His last game was on December 2, 2018, as captain of Universidad de Chile.

Club Football Journey
International Career for Chile
Life After Football
Trophies and Awards
See also

Club Football Journey

Starting Out in Chile and Italy

Pizarro began his football journey at Santiago Wanderers in his hometown of Valparaíso. After playing for the "Seaport Team" for a season, he moved to Italy. He joined Udinese, a team in the Italian Serie A league, in 1999.

In 2001, he was loaned to Universidad de Chile in his home country. This helped him gain more experience. When he returned to Udinese, he became a key central midfielder. He played very well for five seasons there.

Playing for Inter Milan

On July 14, 2005, Pizarro joined Inter Milan. He signed a four-year contract. At Inter, he won the 2005–06 Serie A league title. He also helped the team win the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana.

Time with Roma

On August 19, 2006, Pizarro moved to Roma. He chose shirt number 7 and joined his former coach from Udinese, Luciano Spalletti.

Pizarro scored his first goal for Roma on September 12, 2006. It was in a Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk. He also scored twice in a league win against Siena five days later. He helped Roma win the 2006–07 Coppa Italia title. He was one of the team's top scorers in that competition.

In the next season, he played a big role in midfield with Daniele De Rossi. He helped Roma reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. He scored a goal in a 2–1 win against Real Madrid. Pizarro also won the Coppa Italia with Roma again that season. In October 2009, he signed a contract to stay with Roma until June 2013.

Loan to Manchester City

Pizarro and Vincent Kompany arriving at a Manchester City match in May 2012

On January 31, 2012, Pizarro joined Manchester City on loan. He played for the rest of the 2011–12 season. This meant he reunited with his former coach from Inter, Roberto Mancini.

Pizarro played his first game for Manchester City on February 4. He became the first Chilean player to play for the club. On February 22, he scored a goal and made an assist against Porto in the UEFA Europa League.

On May 13, 2012, Manchester City won the Premier League title. They beat Queens Park Rangers 3–2. Pizarro played in five league games that season. After his loan ended, he returned to Roma.

Playing for Fiorentina

On August 9, 2012, Pizarro moved to Fiorentina. He signed a two-year contract. He played 83 games for Fiorentina and scored four goals. He was a substitute in the 2014 Coppa Italia Final. Fiorentina lost that game to Napoli.

Returning to Santiago Wanderers

Pizarro returned to Chile in 2015. He rejoined Santiago Wanderers on a two-year contract.

International Career for Chile

Pizarro and Xavi in a match between Chile and Spain on 10 September 2013

Pizarro played for Chile's youth teams. He represented the under-17 team in 1995. He also played for the under-20 team in 1999.

He started playing for the senior national team in 1999. He was one of the best players in the South American Youth Championship that year. This led to him getting a chance with the main team.

He played in the 1999 Copa America and the 2000 Summer Olympics. At the Olympics, he won a bronze medal. He also played in the qualifiers for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. However, Chile did not qualify for either tournament.

After Chile failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, Pizarro announced he was leaving international football. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

On May 20, 2013, Pizarro was called back to the national team. This was for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He returned after talking with coach Jorge Sampaoli. This ended his eight-year break from international football. He was part of the team that won the 2015 Copa América.

Life After Football

In October 2021, Pizarro completed his training to become a football manager in Italy. In January 2025, he joined the Kings League Italia club Boomers.