Javier Mascherano facts for kids
Mascherano with Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 8 June 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | San Lorenzo, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Inter Miami (head coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cerámica San Lorenzo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Barrio Vila | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | River Plate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | River Plate | 46 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Corinthians | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | West Ham United | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Liverpool | 94 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2018 | Barcelona | 203 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Hebei China Fortune | 53 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Estudiantes | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 436 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Argentina U17 | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Argentina U20 | 22 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Argentina U21 | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | Argentina Olympic | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2018 | Argentina | 147 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Argentina U20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Argentina U23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Inter Miami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Javier Alejandro Mascherano (born 8 June 1984) is a famous Argentine football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
As a player, Mascherano was known for being a strong centre-back or defensive midfielder. He played for big clubs like Liverpool and Barcelona. He also played a lot for the Argentina national team. Many people thought he was one of the best defenders and midfielders of his time.
Mascherano started his career at River Plate in Argentina. He won his first big award there in the 2003–04 season. In 2005, he moved to the Brazilian team Corinthians and won the Brazilian Série A title. After a short time at West Ham United in England, he joined Liverpool in 2007.
He then moved to Barcelona in 2010. There, he won many titles, including five La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies. After eight successful years, he played in China and then back in Argentina before retiring.
Mascherano played 147 games for the Argentina national team. This makes him the second most-played player in Argentina's history, right after Lionel Messi. He played in five Copa América tournaments and four FIFA World Cups. He helped Argentina reach the 2014 World Cup final. He also won two gold medals at the Summer Olympics in 2004 and 2008. He was the first male footballer to win two Olympic gold medals since 1968! From 2008 to 2011, Mascherano was the captain of the Argentina team.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at River Plate
Javier Mascherano was born in San Lorenzo, Argentina. He grew up playing football in the youth teams of River Plate in Buenos Aires. He even played for Argentina's national team before playing his first game for River Plate's main team.
Mascherano won his first trophy with River Plate in the 2003–04 season. They won the Clausura championship. In 2004, River Plate made it to the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores, a big South American tournament. But they lost to their rivals, Boca Juniors, in a penalty shootout.
After the 2005 Confederations Cup, a Brazilian club called Corinthians bought Mascherano from River Plate.
Time in Brazil with Corinthians
Mascherano joined Corinthians in the middle of their season in Brazil. After playing only nine games, he broke his left foot in September 2005. This injury meant he missed the rest of the season.
Even without him, Corinthians still won the Série A title that year. Mascherano returned to play in March 2006. He helped Corinthians in the 2006 Copa Libertadores, but they lost to River Plate.
His great playing in Brazil and for Argentina caught the eye of European clubs. But he decided to stay with Corinthians for a while longer.
Moving to West Ham United
In 2006, many top European clubs wanted to sign Mascherano. But, surprisingly, he joined West Ham United in England. He moved there with his teammate Carlos Tevez.
When Mascherano arrived, West Ham started to struggle. He didn't play much, which made people wonder why. In January 2007, Liverpool wanted to sign him. There were some rules about players not being able to play for more than two clubs in one year. But FIFA, the world football body, approved the move.
Becoming a Star at Liverpool
On 20 February 2007, Mascherano officially joined Liverpool. He quickly became a key player for the team. His manager, Rafael Benítez, called him a "monster of a player." His teammates were also very impressed by his skills.
Mascherano played in the Champions League Final against Milan that year. Even though Liverpool lost, he played a fantastic game. Fans even voted him their man of the match.
In February 2008, Mascherano signed a permanent contract with Liverpool. He scored his first goal for Liverpool on 15 March 2008 against Reading.
In a game against Manchester United in March 2008, Mascherano was sent off. He got two yellow cards, one for a foul and another for protesting a referee's decision. He had to be guided off the field by his teammates. This led to him being suspended for three games.
In July 2010, Mascherano told Liverpool's new manager that he wanted to leave the club. Liverpool fans really liked him and even had a song for him. After winning the Champions League with Barcelona in 2011, Mascherano said the win was also for the Liverpool fans he might have upset when he left.
Liverpool agreed to sell him to Barcelona for about £17.25 million.
Success at Barcelona
On 28 August 2010, Mascherano joined Barcelona. He said it was "a dream." He made his first league appearance for Barcelona on 11 September 2010.
In his first season, he often played as a centre-back, even though he was usually a midfielder. He played alongside Gerard Piqué in the 2011 Champions League final against Manchester United. Barcelona won the game 3–1.
Mascherano played almost always as a centre-back in his second season. He was very consistent and became a regular starter in Barcelona's defense. He signed new contracts in 2012 and 2014, showing how important he was to the team.
In 2015, Mascherano played in the 2015 Champions League final. Barcelona won their fifth Champions League title by beating Juventus 3–1. This win meant Barcelona became the first club to win the "treble" (league, domestic cup, and European Cup) twice!
After the team captain Xavi left in 2015, Mascherano became the 4th captain of Barcelona. He signed another contract in 2016. On 26 April 2017, he scored his first and only goal for Barcelona from a penalty kick.
On 23 January 2018, Barcelona announced that Mascherano would leave the club after seven and a half seasons.
Playing in China and Retirement
Mascherano joined the Chinese club Hebei China Fortune on 24 January 2018. He scored his first goal for them in a cup match on 2 May 2018.
On 23 November 2019, it was announced that Mascherano would return to Argentina to play for Estudiantes. He made his debut for them on 25 January 2020.
On 15 November 2020, Javier Mascherano announced that he was retiring from professional football.
International Career for Argentina
Mascherano first played for Argentina in 2001. He played for the Argentina Under-17 team and then the Under-20 team. He was even named the best player at the 2003 Toulon Tournament.
He made his debut for the senior Argentina team on 16 July 2003, before he even played for River Plate's main team!
In 2004, Mascherano played for Argentina's Under-23 team. They won the South American Pre-Olympic tournament and then the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece.
He also played for the senior team in the 2004 Copa América. Argentina lost in the final to Brazil, but Mascherano was voted Argentina's best player by his teammates.
In the 2006 World Cup, Mascherano played every minute for Argentina. They were knocked out by Germany in the quarter-finals.
He scored his first two goals for Argentina in July 2007 during the 2007 Copa América. Argentina reached the final but lost to Brazil. Mascherano's amazing performance made many people think he was the best Argentine player in the tournament.
In 2008, Mascherano played for Argentina's Under-23 team again at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Argentina won the tournament, making Mascherano the first Argentine sportsman to win two Olympic gold medals!
In November 2008, Diego Maradona, the new coach of Argentina, chose Mascherano to be the team's captain. Maradona said he wanted Mascherano because he showed great dedication and sacrifice for the team.
Mascherano captained Argentina in the 2011 Copa América. In August 2011, Lionel Messi became the new captain, and Mascherano became the vice-captain.
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At the 2014 World Cup, Mascherano played his 100th game for Argentina. Even though Messi was the captain, Mascherano was seen as the team's true leader on the field. He was very important in Argentina's defense. In the semi-final against the Netherlands, he got a knock to the head but kept playing. Argentina reached the final, but they lost 1–0 to Germany.
Mascherano was even on the list for the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player. He made the most tackles of any player and completed many passes.
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In May 2018, Mascherano was chosen for Argentina's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played his 143rd game for Argentina, matching Javier Zanetti's record. In Argentina's first World Cup match, he played his 144th game, becoming the player with the most appearances for Argentina.
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On 30 June 2018, after Argentina was knocked out of the World Cup, Mascherano announced he was retiring from international football. He played 147 games and scored 3 goals for his country.
Coaching Career
In December 2021, Mascherano became the manager of the Argentina under-20 team. He also coached the Argentina under-23 team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. On November 22, 2024, he was hired as the Head Coach for Inter Miami.
Playing Style
Mascherano was nicknamed "El Jefecito" which means "The Little Chief." He was a very flexible and hard-working player. He was smart on the field and knew how to organize his team. People knew him for his leadership, accurate passes, energy, and strong tackles, even though he wasn't very tall.
He mostly played as a holding midfielder or central defender. Sometimes, he also played as a right-back or even a central midfielder. He was great at winning the ball back from opponents and passing it simply to his teammates.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| River Plate | 2003–04 | Primera División | 21 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||||
| 2004–05 | Primera División | 25 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | — | 37 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 46 | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | — | 71 | 1 | ||||||
| Corinthians | 2005 | Série A | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Série A | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |||
| West Ham United | 2006–07 | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
| Liverpool | 2006–07 | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | — | 41 | 1 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | — | 48 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 94 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 1 | — | 139 | 2 | |||
| Barcelona | 2010–11 | La Liga | 27 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | — | 45 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 31 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 52 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 25 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | — | 47 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 32 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 51 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | La Liga | 25 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18 | La Liga | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| Total | 203 | 1 | 46 | 0 | — | 68 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 334 | 1 | |||
| Hebei China Fortune | 2018 | Chinese Super League | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 27 | 1 | |||||
| 2019 | Chinese Super League | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 53 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 54 | 1 | |||||||
| Estudiantes | 2019–20 | Primera División | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2020–21 | Primera División | 3 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |||||||
| Career total | 428 | 2 | 55 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 138 | 2 | 26 | 0 | 649 | 5 | ||
Notes
International
| Argentina | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 10 | 0 |
| 2005 | 3 | 0 |
| 2006 | 8 | 0 |
| 2007 | 14 | 2 |
| 2008 | 9 | 0 |
| 2009 | 10 | 0 |
| 2010 | 10 | 0 |
| 2011 | 13 | 0 |
| 2012 | 8 | 0 |
| 2013 | 9 | 0 |
| 2014 | 15 | 1 |
| 2015 | 12 | 0 |
| 2016 | 13 | 0 |
| 2017 | 6 | 0 |
| 2018 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 147 | 3 |
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 5 July 2007 | Estadio Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela |  Paraguay |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2007 Copa América |
| 2. | 8 July 2007 |  Peru |
4–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 3. | 4 June 2014 | Estadio Monumental Antonio V. Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Trinidad and Tobago |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
Managerial statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Argentina U20 | 1 January 2022 | 26 November 2024 | 29 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 62.1 |
| Argentina U23 | 1 July 2023 | 26 November 2024 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 47.6 |
| Inter Miami | 26 November 2024 | Present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Total | 50 | 28 | 10 | 12 | 56.0 | ||
Honours
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 2003–04 Clausura
Corinthians
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Copa del Rey: 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17
- Supercopa de España: 2011, 2013, 2016
- UEFA Champions League: 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2011, 2015
Argentina
- Olympic gold medal: 2004, 2008
- CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament: 2004
- South American Youth Championship: 2003
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014
- Copa América runner-up: 2004, 2007, 2015, 2016
Individual
- Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2014–15
- FC Barcelona Player of the Season (Trofeo Aldo Rovira): 2013–14
- FIFA FIFPro Men's World XI 3rd team: 2015
- FIFA FIFPro Men's World XI 4th team: 2014
- FIFA FIFPro Men's World XI 5th team: 2016, 2017
- Toulon Tournament Best Player: 2003
- South American Team of the Year: 2004, 2005
- IFFHS CONMEBOL team of the decade 2011–2020
See also
In Spanish: Javier Mascherano para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
