Germán Pezzella facts for kids
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Pezzella with Argentina in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 27 June 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | River Plate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kilómetro Cinco | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Juventud Unida | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2005 | Olimpo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2011 | River Plate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | River Plate | 43 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Betis | 61 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | → Fiorentina (loan) | 34 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Fiorentina | 97 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Betis | 86 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | River Plate | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Argentina U20 | 15 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Argentina U23 | 5 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | Argentina | 42 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Germán Alejo Pezzella (born on June 27, 1991) is a professional football player from Argentina. He plays as a central defender for the Argentine club River Plate. He is also a key player for the Argentina national team, with whom he won the amazing 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career
Starting Out at River Plate
Germán Pezzella began his football journey at a young age. He joined the youth academy of River Plate in 2005 when he was just 14 years old. Before that, he played for Club Olimpo.
He impressed everyone with his skills in River Plate's youth teams. This led to him being called up to train with the main team. He even played in some friendly matches in Canada.
Making His Senior Debut
Pezzella made his first official appearance for River Plate on December 7, 2011. He started in a match for the Copa Argentina, which River Plate won 1–0. His first league game was on March 2, 2012, where he played the entire match.
He scored his first professional goal on September 2, 2012, in a 1–1 draw. He also scored an important goal in a famous match against Boca Juniors, known as the Superclásico. He came off the bench and scored just three minutes later!
Winning International Titles
On December 10, 2014, Pezzella scored a goal in the final of the 2014 Copa Sudamericana. River Plate won the match 2–0, which was their first international title in 17 years! He also helped River Plate win the 2015 Copa Libertadores, another major South American club competition.
Playing in Spain with Betis
On July 10, 2015, Pezzella moved to Spain to play for Real Betis. He signed a five-year contract with the club, which had just been promoted to La Liga, Spain's top football league. He played his first game for Betis on August 23, 2015.
Time in Italy with Fiorentina
After playing for Betis, Pezzella went on loan to Serie A club Fiorentina in Italy for the 2017–18 season. He played so well that Fiorentina decided to sign him permanently for €11 million. He signed a five-year contract. Before the 2018–19 season, he was even named the team's new captain, which is a big honor!
Returning to Betis and River Plate
On August 19, 2021, Pezzella returned to Real Betis in Spain, signing another four-year deal. He continued to play a strong role in their defense.
Then, on August 5, 2024, after nine years away, Pezzella made an exciting return to his first club, River Plate, where he started his professional career.
International Career
Playing for Argentina's Youth Teams
Germán Pezzella has represented Argentina at different levels since he was young. He played for the Argentina U20 squad in tournaments like the 2009 Toulon Tournament and the 2011 South American U-20 Championship. He was always a starting player, showing his talent early on.
In 2011, he was also called up to play for Argentina in the 2011 Pan American Games. He played in five matches and scored two goals during that competition.
Joining the Senior National Team
In October 2017, Pezzella received his first call-up to the Argentina senior national team. He was part of the squad for important World Cup qualification matches.
In May 2018, he was included in the preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, though he didn't make the final team that year. On March 27, 2019, he had the honor of captaining Argentina in a friendly match against Morocco, which Argentina won 1–0.
World Cup and Copa América Success
Pezzella was a crucial part of Argentina's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He came on as a substitute in extra time during the exciting final match. Argentina won the World Cup by defeating France in a penalty shootout, making him a World Cup winner!
He also helped Argentina win the Copa América twice, in 2021 and again in 2024. These are major football tournaments for national teams in South America.
Honours
River Plate
- Argentina Primera Division: 2013–14
- Copa Campeonato: 2013–14
- Primera B Nacional: 2011–12
- Copa Libertadores: 2015
- Copa Sudamericana: 2014
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2015
Real Betis
- Copa del Rey: 2021–22
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup: 2022
- Copa América: 2021, 2024
- CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022
See also
In Spanish: Germán Pezzella para niños
