José Luis Chilavert facts for kids

"Chilavert" redirects here. For other uses, see Chilavert (disambiguation).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Chilavert and the second or maternal family name is González.

Quick facts for kids
José Luis Chilavert
Personal information
Chilavert in 1985, while playing for Argentine side San Lorenzo
Full name	José Luis Félix Chilavert González
Date of birth	(1965-07-27) 27 July 1965 (age 60)
Place of birth	Luque, Paraguay
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1982–1984	Sportivo Luqueño	67	(4)
1984–1985	Guaraní	19	(1)
1985–1988	San Lorenzo	122	(0)
1988–1991	Real Zaragoza	79	(1)
1991–2000	Vélez Sarsfield	266	(36)
2000–2002	Strasbourg	50	(0)
2002–2003	Peñarol	14	(4)
2003–2004	Vélez Sarsfield	0	(0)
Total		617	(46)
International career
1989–2003	Paraguay	74	(8)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Luis Félix Chilavert González (born July 27, 1965) is a famous former football player from Paraguay. He was a goalkeeper, but he was known for much more than just saving shots. Chilavert was a master of the free kick and often took penalty kicks for his team.

He scored an amazing 67 goals in his career, making him the second-highest scoring goalkeeper in football history. He won 12 titles with his clubs, including the famous 1994 Copa Libertadores. He was also named the World's Best Goalkeeper three times. Chilavert was a strong leader with a fiery personality, earning him the nickname "El Buldog" (The Bulldog).

Chilavert played 74 times for the Paraguay national team and was their captain at two FIFA World Cup tournaments. In 2023, he ran for president of Paraguay, showing his passion for his country even after his football career ended.

Early Life
Club Career
- The Goalkeeper Who Scored Goals
International Career
- World Cup Hero
Life After Football
A Strong Personality
Career statistics
- Club
- International
Honours
See also

Early Life

José Luis Chilavert grew up in a poor family in Luque, Paraguay. His family did not have much money, and he walked barefoot until he was seven years old. From a young age, he had responsibilities like milking cows and selling the milk to help his family. One of his brothers, Rolando Chilavert, also became a football player.

Club Career

Chilavert started his football journey with the team Sportivo Luqueño. He later moved to Spain to play for Real Zaragoza. It was here that he began to develop his unique style. Fans were often surprised to see a goalkeeper come out of the goal with the ball at his feet. But Chilavert trusted his skills and practiced taking 80 to 120 free kicks after every training session.

His most successful time was with the Argentine club Vélez Sársfield. He helped them win the Argentine league four times, the Copa Libertadores, and the 1994 Intercontinental Cup.

The Goalkeeper Who Scored Goals

Chilavert was not just good at saving goals; he was amazing at scoring them. In 1999, he did something incredible: he scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) while playing for Vélez Sársfield. He is one of only three goalkeepers in history to ever do this. All three goals were from penalty kicks.

He was also famous for his powerful free kicks. He once scored a free kick from behind the halfway line, a truly rare and amazing feat in football.

International Career

Chilavert was a star for the Paraguay national team. He was voted the World's Best Goalkeeper in 1995, 1997, and 1998. He was known for his strong personality and sometimes got into arguments on the field.

World Cup Hero

Chilavert played in the 1998 World Cup and the 2002 World Cup. In 1998, he became the first goalkeeper to ever take a direct free kick in a World Cup match. He helped Paraguay reach the round of sixteen, where they lost a close game to France. For his amazing performance, FIFA named him to the tournament's All-Star Squad.

Before the 2002 World Cup, Chilavert was suspended for a few games after an argument with Brazilian player Roberto Carlos. In the tournament, Chilavert made some key saves and almost scored with a free kick against Spain. Paraguay made it to the second round but lost to Germany. In total, Chilavert scored a record eight goals for his country as a goalkeeper.

Life After Football

Chilavert in 2014, during an interview aired by La TV Pública of Argentina

Chilavert retired from football in 2004. He played a final farewell match and even scored a goal in it. After retiring, he worked as a TV commentator for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2010 FIFA World Cup.

He has always been passionate about his country. He often spoke about wanting to improve education and help the poor in Paraguay. In 2023, he took a big step and ran for president of Paraguay with the Party of the Youth.

A Strong Personality

Chilavert was known for being a strong and outspoken leader. He was never afraid to share his opinions, whether it was about football or politics. He often criticized sports officials and politicians in his country, saying they should do more to help people.

He famously refused to play in the 1999 Copa América, which was held in Paraguay. He said the money spent on the tournament should have been used for education instead. This showed his deep commitment to making his country a better place.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sportivo Luqueño	1982	Paraguayan Primera División	30	0	–		–		–		30	0
	1983		37	4	–		–		–		37	4
	1984		0	0	–		3	0	–		3	0
	Total		67	4	0	0	3	0	0	0	70	4
Guaraní	1984	Paraguayan Primera División	19	1	–		–		–		19	1
San Lorenzo	1985	Argentine Primera División	10	0	–		–		–		10	0
	1985–86		38	0	–		–		–		38	0
	1986–87		31	0	–		–		–		31	0
	1987–88		43	0	–		–		–		43	0
	Total		122	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	122	0
Real Zaragoza	1988–89	La Liga	37	0	2	0	–		–		39	0
	1989–90		34	1	4	0	4	0	–		42	1
	1990–91		8	0	1	0	–		–		9	0
	Total		79	1	7	0	4	0	0	0	90	1
Vélez Sarsfield	1991–92	Argentine Primera División	18	0	–		–		4	0	22	0
	1992–93		30	1	–		0	0	–		30	1
	1993–94		23	0	–		13	0	–		36	0
	1994–95		34	1	–		4	0	2	0	40	1
	1995–96		34	4	–		2	0	2	0	38	4
	1996–97		24	6	–		16	4	1	1	41	11
	1997–98		35	10	–		6	2	–		41	12
	1998–99		26	4	–		17	2	–		43	6
	1999–2000		34	8	–		2	0	–		36	8
	2000–01		8	2	–		6	3	–		14	5
	Total		266	36	0	0	66	11	9	1	341	48
Strasbourg	2000–01	Division 1	17	0	5	1	–		0	0	22	1
	2001–02	Division 2	33	0	4	0	2	0	5	0	44	0
	2002–03	Division 1	0	0	0	0	–		0	0	0	0
	Total		50	0	9	1	2	0	5	0	66	1
Peñarol	2003	Uruguayan Primera División	14	4	–		0	0	1	0	15	4
Vélez Sarsfield	2003–04	Argentine Primera División	0	0	–		6	0	–		6	0
Career total			617	46	16	1	81	11	15	1	729	59

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Paraguay	1989	2	1
	1990	0	0
	1991	6	0
	1992	0	0
	1993	10	1
	1994	0	0
	1995	0	0
	1996	7	1
	1997	9	1
	1998	10	0
	1999	3	0
	2000	13	2
	2001	7	2
	2002	5	0
	2003	2	0
Total		74	8

Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Chilavert goal.

List of international goals scored by José Luis Chilavert
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 August 1989	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay	Colombia	2–1	2–1	1990 World Cup qualifier
2	15 August 1993	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay	Peru	2–0	2–1	1994 World Cup qualifier
3	1 September 1996	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Argentina	1–1	1–1	1998 World Cup qualifier
4	17 June 1997	Estadio Félix Capriles, Cochabamba, Bolivia	Argentina	1–0	1–1	1997 Copa América
5	7 October 2000	Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia	Colombia	2–0	2–0	2002 World Cup qualifier
6	15 November 2000	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay	Peru	5–1	5–1	2002 World Cup qualifier
7	5 September 2001	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay	Bolivia	3–1	5–1	2002 World Cup qualifier
8	7 October 2001	Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay	Argentina	1–0	2–2	2002 World Cup qualifier