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Iván Zamorano facts for kids

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Iván Zamorano
Iván Zamorano
Zamorano in 2013
Personal information
Full name Iván Luis Zamorano Zamora
Birth name Iván Luis Zamorano Zamora
Date of birth (1967-01-18) 18 January 1967 (age 58)
Place of birth Santiago, Chile
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1983–1985 Cobresal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1988 Cobresal 45 (22)
1985–1986 → Cobreandino (loan) 29 (27)
1988–1990 St. Gallen 56 (34)
1990–1992 Sevilla 59 (21)
1992–1996 Real Madrid 137 (77)
1996–2001 Inter Milan 101 (25)
2001–2003 América 63 (33)
2003 Colo-Colo 14 (8)
Total 504 (247)
International career
2000 Chile Olympic (O.P.) 5 (6)
1987–2001 Chile 69 (34)
Medal record
Men's Football
Bronze 2000 Sydney Team Competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Iván Luis Zamorano Zamora (born on January 18, 1967) is a famous former footballer from Chile. He played as a striker, which means he was a player whose main job was to score goals. Many people think he is one of Chile's best footballers ever and one of the top strikers of his time.

Iván Zamorano played for the Chile national team from 1987 to 2001. During this time, he played in the 1998 World Cup and four Copa América tournaments. He also won a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games with Chile's under-23 team, where he was the top scorer. He played for several big clubs like Sevilla and Real Madrid in Spain, Inter Milan in Italy, and América in Mexico.

He won the 1994–95 La Liga title with Real Madrid and was the league's top scorer that season. He also helped Inter Milan win the UEFA Cup in 1998 and won the Liga MX title with América. Zamorano was known for being a strong player and great at scoring goals, especially with his head. In 2004, he was chosen for the FIFA 100, a list of the best living football players picked by the legendary Pelé. He was often called Bam Bam or Iván the Terrible.

Playing for Clubs

Starting in Chile and Switzerland

Iván Zamorano began his football journey in Chile with Cobresal in December 1985. He was loaned to another Chilean team, Trasandino (then called Cobreandino), for the 1985–86 season. After returning to Cobresal, he helped them win the 1987 Copa Chile.

In 1988, Zamorano moved to Europe to play for St. Gallen in Switzerland. He quickly became a star there, scoring 37 goals in 61 matches over three seasons. In the 1989–90 season, he was the top scorer in the Swiss league.

Success in Spain with Real Madrid

In 1990, Zamorano joined Sevilla in Spain's top league, Primera División. He played 63 matches and scored 23 goals for Sevilla before moving to Real Madrid for $6 million.

At Real Madrid, from 1992 to 1996, Zamorano had a very successful time. He won one league title, one Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup), and one Supercopa de España (Spanish Supercup). In 1995, under coach Jorge Valdano, Zamorano was key to Real Madrid winning the Spanish League title. He scored 28 goals that season, including three goals in one game against Barcelona. This made him the league's top scorer, earning him the Pichichi Trophy. He played 173 games for Real Madrid and scored 101 goals in total.

Jerseys of Ronaldo, Zanetti, Zamorano & Figo
Zamorano's Inter Milan jersey (one plus eight) next to Ronaldo (number 10), Zanetti (number 4) and Figo (seven) in the San Siro museum

Time in Italy with Inter Milan

After six seasons in Spain, Zamorano moved to Italy to play for Inter Milan from 1996 to 2000. He played alongside other famous players like Ronaldo, Javier Zanetti, and Youri Djorkaeff. When he first joined, he wore the number nine shirt. However, when Roberto Baggio arrived, Ronaldo wanted the number nine shirt. So, Zamorano cleverly chose the number 18 and added a "+" sign to his shirt, making it "1+8". This way, he was still mathematically a number 9 striker!

In May 1998, Inter Milan won the UEFA Cup by beating Lazio 3–0 in the final, with Zamorano scoring the first goal. He had also scored in the previous year's final, but Inter lost that game in a penalty shootout.

Later Career in Mexico and Chile

In 2001, Zamorano moved to Mexico to play for América for two seasons. He helped them win the Torneo de Verano (Summer Tournament) in his first season. He finished his career in 2003, playing for Colo-Colo in Chile, which was a dream come true for him since childhood. He announced his retirement in July 2003, after playing professionally for over 16 years.

Playing for Chile

Iván Zamorano first played for the Chilean national team on June 19, 1987, when he was 20 years old. He scored a goal in a 3–1 win against Peru. One of his most amazing games was on April 29, 1997, when he scored five goals in a World Cup qualifier against Venezuela, which Chile won 6–0.

He played in all four of Chile's matches at the 1998 World Cup. Even though he didn't score, he was very important to the team, helping set up goals for his teammates. At the 2000 Olympic Games, he won a bronze medal with the Chilean team. He scored two goals in a 2–0 win against the United States and was the top scorer of the tournament with six goals.

His last game for Chile was a friendly match against France on September 1, 2001, when he was 34. Chile won that game 2–1. In total, Zamorano played 69 games for Chile and scored 34 goals.

Personal Life

Iván Zamorano was born in Santiago, Chile. He was the only son of Luis Zamorano and Alicia Zamora. When he was three, his family moved to Maipu. Sadly, when he was 13, his father, who had taught him to love football, passed away.

He has a close friendship with fellow footballer Fabián Estay. In 2005, Iván married María Alberó, an Argentine model. Since 2016, they have lived in Miami.

Outside Football

After retiring from playing, Zamorano has stayed involved in the public eye. In 2007, he was the face of the new Santiago transport system, Transantiago. In 2021, he became a brand ambassador for Betsson, a sports betting company. He has also worked as a football commentator for TV channels like Univision and TUDN, sharing his knowledge of the game.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cobresal 1985 Primera División 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
1986 0 0 3 1 0 0 3 1
Total 2 0 3 1 0 0 5 1
Cobreandino 1986 Segunda División 29 27 0 0 0 0 29 27
Cobresal 1987 Primera División 14 14 14 13 0 0 28 27
1988 29 8 0 0 0 0 29 8
Total 43 22 14 13 0 0 57 35
St. Gallen 1988–89 Swiss Super League 17 10 1 0 0 0 18 10
1989–90 33 23 3 2 0 0 36 25
1990–91 6 1 0 0 4 2 10 3
Total 56 34 4 2 4 2 64 38
Sevilla 1990–91 La Liga 29 9 3 1 0 0 32 10
1991–92 30 12 1 1 0 0 31 13
Total 59 21 4 2 0 0 63 23
Real Madrid 1992–93 La Liga 34 26 4 6 7 5 45 37
1993–94 36 11 6 4 5 2 47 17
1994–95 38 28 1 0 5 3 44 31
1995–96 29 12 4 0 5 4 38 16
Total 137 77 15 10 22 14 174 101
Inter Milan 1996–97 Serie A 31 7 6 4 10 2 47 13
1997–98 13 1 2 0 5 2 20 3
1998–99 25 9 3 2 10 3 38 14
1999–2000 30 7 5 1 35 8
2000–01 2 1 2 0 4 0 8 1
Total 101 25 18 7 29 7 148 39
América 2000–01 Primera División 17 11 0 0 0 0 17 11
2001–02 35 18 0 0 9 4 44 22
2002–03 11 4 0 0 0 0 11 4
Total 63 33 0 0 9 4 72 37
Colo-Colo 2003 Primera División 14 8 0 0 4 0 18 8
Career total 490 233 73 50 59 25 622 349

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Chile 1987 5 1
1988 5 0
1989 2 1
1990 0 0
1991 9 6
1992 0 0
1993 1 0
1994 2 2
1995 1 1
1996 8 5
1997 5 9
1998 8 2
1999 8 3
2000 10 4
2001 5 0
Total 69 34

Honours and Awards

Iván Zamorano won many titles and awards during his football career:

Cobreandino

  • Segunda División de Chile: 1985

Cobresal

  • Copa Chile: 1987

Real Madrid

Inter Milan

  • UEFA Cup: 1997–98
  • UEFA Cup runner-up: 1996–97

América

Chile

Individual Awards

  • Swiss Super League Best Foreign Player: 1989–90
  • EFE Trophy: 1992–93, 1994–95 (Award for the best Ibero-American player in La Liga)
  • Pichichi Trophy: 1994–95 (Award for the top scorer in La Liga)
  • Don Balón Award: 1994–95 (Award for the best foreign player in La Liga)
  • European Sports Media Team of the Year: 1994–95
  • Olympic Games top scorer: 2000
  • FIFA 100 (List of the best living football players chosen by Pelé)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Iván Zamorano para niños

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