Jorge Valdivia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jorge Valdivia

Valdivia with Colo-Colo in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Jorge Luis Valdivia Toro
Date of birth	(1983-10-19) 19 October 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Maracay, Venezuela
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1993–2002	Colo-Colo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2006	Colo-Colo	40	(14)
2003	→ Universidad de Concepción (loan)	30	(7)
2004	→ Rayo Vallecano (loan)	5	(0)
2004	→ Servette (loan)	9	(2)
2006–2008	Palmeiras	53	(11)
2008–2010	Al Ain	25	(12)
2010–2015	Palmeiras	82	(7)
2015–2017	Al Wahda	34	(8)
2017–2019	Colo-Colo	41	(5)
2020	Morelia	3	(0)
2020	Mazatlán	3	(1)
2020–2021	Colo-Colo	3	(0)
2021	Unión La Calera	6	(1)
2022	Necaxa	4	(0)
Total		338	(67)
National team
2003	Chile U20	2	(0)
2004	Chile U23	7	(0)
2004–2017	Chile	78	(7)
Honours Men's football Representing  Chile Copa América Winner 2015 Chile
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Jorge Luis Valdivia Toro (born October 19, 1983) is a famous former football player from Chile. He played as an attacking midfielder, which is a player who helps both defense and offense.

Valdivia started his career at the Colo-Colo youth academy. He later played for many clubs, including Palmeiras in Brazil and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. He was known for his amazing passing and skills on the field. People often called him "El Mago," which means "The Wizard," because of his talent.

He also played for the Chilean national team from 2004 to 2017. He was a key player when Chile won the 2015 Copa América, which was their first big international trophy ever! He also played in two World Cups. Many football legends, like Pelé, have praised his skills.

Early Life and Background

Jorge Valdivia was born in Maracay, Venezuela, in 1983. His parents were Chilean. His dad worked for an airline, which is why they were living in Venezuela.

In 1985, when Jorge was two years old, his family moved back to Santiago, Chile. They settled in a place called La Florida. Because he spent his early years in Venezuela, he was interested in baseball. But after moving to Chile, he started loving football.

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

In 1993, when he was ten, Valdivia joined the youth academy of Colo-Colo, a very famous football club in Chile. He moved up to the main team in 2003, when he was 19.

Loan to Universidad de Concepción

After a short time at Colo-Colo, Valdivia was loaned to another Chilean team, Universidad de Concepción. He played his first professional game there in March 2003. He quickly became a regular player and scored seven goals in 30 games. People were very impressed with his skills.

Playing in Europe

His good performance led to more loan moves. First, he went to Rayo Vallecano in Spain, where he played five matches. After that, he played for Servette in Switzerland.

Return to Colo-Colo and Success

In 2005, Valdivia returned to Colo-Colo. In 2006, he helped his team win the Torneo Apertura title. He played really well under coach Claudio Borghi. He was part of a strong team that included other future Chilean stars like Claudio Bravo and Matías Fernández.

Time with Palmeiras

On August 5, 2006, Valdivia moved to the Brazilian club Palmeiras. This was a big transfer for the club. In 2007, he became one of the best players in Brazilian football. He won several awards for his great performances. In 2008, he helped Palmeiras win the 2008 Campeonato Paulista title.

Playing for Al Ain

Valdivia with Al-Ain in 2008

In August 2008, Valdivia joined Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. He quickly became a fan favorite and an idol there. He helped the club win several trophies, including the Etisalat Emirates Cup, the President Cup, and the Super Cup.

Back to Palmeiras

After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Valdivia returned to Palmeiras in Brazil. He was welcomed by 15,000 fans at the stadium! During his second time at Palmeiras, he helped them win the 2012 Copa do Brasil and the 2013 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B title.

Later Club Career

In 2015, Valdivia moved back to the United Arab Emirates to play for Al Wahda. He stayed there for two seasons.

On June 19, 2017, he made another return to his first club, Colo-Colo. He played there until December 2019. After that, he had short spells at Morelia and Mazatlán in Mexico, and then another brief return to Colo-Colo. He also played for Unión La Calera in Chile and Necaxa in Mexico.

Retirement from Football

On July 1, 2022, Jorge Valdivia announced that he was retiring from playing professional football. He said he wanted to become a football manager or work in TV media.

International Career for Chile

Valdivia could have played for either Venezuela or Chile, but he chose to play for Chile.

Youth and Early Senior Career

He played for Chile's Under-20 team in 2003. In 2004, he also played for the Under-23 team in a tournament where he performed very well. In June of that year, he played his first game for the senior Chile national team against Mexico.

He scored his first goal for Chile in November 2006 in a friendly game against Paraguay.

World Cup Appearances

Valdivia was chosen for Chile's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was a key player during the qualification games. At the World Cup, he played well, helping his team with important passes. Chile was eventually knocked out by Brazil.

Valdivia playing for Chile against Australia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In 2011, Valdivia faced some challenges off the field that led to him not being able to play for the national team for a while. However, he was called back in 2013 by coach Jorge Sampaoli. He helped Chile qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

At the 2014 World Cup, Valdivia scored his first World Cup goal in Chile's opening game against Australia, helping them win 3-1. Chile was again eliminated by Brazil in a penalty shootout. After this, Valdivia first announced he was retiring from international football, but he changed his mind later that year.

Winning the Copa América

Valdivia was a big part of the Chilean team that played in the 2015 Copa América, which was held in Chile. He played very well in the tournament. In the final, Chile faced Argentina. Valdivia was substituted out of the game before the penalty shootout. Chile won the final 4-1 on penalties, winning their first ever major international title! Valdivia was very happy, even though he was off the field when they won.

Personal Life

Jorge Valdivia was married to Chilean model Daniela Aránguiz, and they have two children. They are now separated.

Football runs in his family! His maternal grandfather, Juan Toro, played for the Chilean national team. Several other relatives, including his uncle and brothers, also played football at different levels.

After Retirement

After he stopped playing football, Valdivia started working as a football commentator. In 2021, he was a commentator for the TV show ESPN F90. In July 2022, after officially retiring from playing, he returned to ESPN Chile as a panelist for another show, ESPN F360.

Honours

Colo-Colo

• Primera División de Chile: 2006 Clausura, 2017 Transición
• Supercopa de Chile: 2017, 2018

Palmeiras

• Campeonato Paulista: 2008
• Copa do Brasil: 2012, 2015
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2013

Al Ain

• Etisalat Emirates Cup: 2008
• UAE President Cup: 2008–09
• UAE Super Cup: 2009

Al Wahda

• UAE League Cup: 2015-16

Chile

• Copa América: 2015

Individual Awards

• Bola de Prata: 2007
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2007
• Troféu Mesa Redonda: 2007
• Campeonato Paulista Most Valuable Player: 2007, 2008
• South American Team of the Year: 2007
• UFL Most Valuable Foreign Player: 2008–09
• Copa América top assist provider: 2015
• Primera División de Chile Best Player: 2017