Marcelo Salas facts for kids
Salas in 2015
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | José Marcelo Salas Melinao | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 24 December 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Temuco, Chile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Deportes Temuco | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Universidad de Chile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Universidad de Chile | 77 | (50) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | River Plate | 53 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Lazio | 79 | (34) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2006 | Juventus | 18 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | → River Plate (loan) | 32 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | → Universidad de Chile (loan) | 38 | (18) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Universidad de Chile | 44 | (19) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 333 | (155) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Chile U20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Chile Olympic | 7 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2007 | Chile | 70 | (37) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
José Marcelo Salas Melinao (born 24 December 1974) is a famous Chilean former footballer. He played as a striker and was known by nicknames like Matador, El Fenómeno, and Shileno. The nickname "Matador" came from his cool way of scoring goals and a popular song.
Many people consider Salas to be the best striker in Chile's history. He was a star player in the 1990s and 2000s for big clubs like Universidad de Chile, River Plate, Lazio, and Juventus. He was also the captain of the Chile national football team and their top scorer for a long time, with 37 goals for the national team and 8 for the Olympic team.
Marcelo Salas played in Chile, Argentina, and Italy, winning championships with every team he joined. He was known as a strong and skillful forward, great with his left foot and good at heading the ball. Many compared him to other top players like Ronaldo and Gabriel Batistuta. He is seen as a legend at Universidad de Chile, a hero at River Plate in Argentina, and one of the best foreign players ever for Lazio.
He played for the Chile national football team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, scoring four goals and helping his team reach the second round. Salas also played in two Copa América tournaments, helping Chile get fourth place in 1999. After retiring from playing, he became the president of Deportes Temuco in May 2013, a club that now plays in Chile's second division.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Universidad de Chile
Marcelo Salas was born in Temuco, Chile. He started playing football in the youth team of Deportes Temuco. Later, his father took him to Santiago de Chile to join the Universidad de Chile team.
Salas joined Universidad de Chile in 1993 and played his first game on 4 January 1994, scoring a goal. He became a key player after scoring three goals in a 4–1 win against Colo Colo. This is when fans started calling him "Matador" because of his calm way of scoring. He also started his famous goal celebration: kneeling, bowing his head, and pointing his finger to the sky.
Salas was very important in helping Universidad de Chile win two championships in a row in 1994 and 1995. He was the top scorer for the team in both seasons. He scored a total of 76 goals for the club, including many in the Copa Libertadores in 1996.
Success with River Plate
In 1996, Salas moved to Argentina to play for River Plate. He scored his first goal for them on 30 September 1996, against Boca Juniors. From 1996 to 1998, Salas scored 31 goals in 67 games. He helped River Plate win several championships, including the 1996 Torneo de Apertura, the 1997 Clausura, and the 1997 Apertura.
He also scored both goals in the final of the 1997 Supercopa Libertadores, helping River Plate win the cup. Because of his amazing performances, he was named the Footballer of the Year of Argentina and South American Footballer of the Year in 1997. Fans in Argentina called him "El shileno Salas" (The Chilean Salas) because of his impact.
Moving to Lazio
In 1998, Salas moved to Italy to play for SS Lazio. This was a very big transfer at the time. He played for Lazio for three years (1998–2001) and helped the team win many titles. Lazio had not won a major championship in a long time, but with Salas, they started winning again.
He scored his first goal for Lazio in a friendly match against Real Madrid. His official debut was in the Supercoppa Italiana, which Lazio won against Juventus FC. He quickly became a fan favorite, and they even sang songs about him. With Lazio, he won a Serie A title, a Coppa Italia, two Supercoppa Italiana cups, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and a UEFA Super Cup. In the UEFA Super Cup, he scored the only goal against Manchester United to win the trophy.
Time at Juventus
In 2001, Salas joined Juventus. However, his time there was difficult because of injuries. He tore a ligament in his right knee in October 2001 and had other knee problems later. Because of these injuries, he played in only 26 games and scored just 4 goals for Juventus.
Returning to River Plate
In 2003, Salas was loaned back to River Plate. Fans were very excited to have him back. He played well in the 2003 Copa Sudamericana, even though River Plate lost in the final. He then helped them win another championship, the 2004 Clausura.
A year later, he helped River Plate reach the semifinals of the 2005 Copa Libertadores, scoring three goals in one game against Liga de Quito. In his second time at River Plate, Salas scored 17 goals in 43 games. He is considered one of the greatest players in River Plate's history and was one of the few foreign players to be their captain.
Final Years at Universidad de Chile
In July 2005, Salas returned to his first club, Universidad de Chile, on a temporary deal from Juventus. He announced his retirement from football on 28 November 2008, at the age of 33. His last official game was on 23 November, where he scored two goals in a 3–2 win against Cobreloa.
Retirement Match
Salas played his final farewell game on 2 June 2009. More than 60,000 fans came to see him play one last time. Many of his friends and former teammates from Universidad de Chile, River Plate, Juventus, and the Chile 1998 World Cup team were there. He scored three goals in this special match.
International Career
Marcelo Salas played for Chile's under-20 team in 1993. He made his debut for the senior Chile national football team on 30 April 1994, at just 19 years old. He scored his first international goal in a 3–3 draw against Argentina.
In 1995, his team won the Canada Cup, with Salas scoring the winning goal in the final against Canada. During the qualifying games for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Salas scored 11 goals. He scored three goals in one game against both Colombia and Peru. Against Peru, he became the youngest Chilean player to be captain, at 22 years old.
Before the 1998 World Cup, Chile played a friendly match against England at the famous Wembley Stadium in London. Chile won 2–0, with Salas scoring both goals. His first goal was especially memorable for its skill.
At the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Marcelo Salas had an amazing performance. He scored 4 goals: two against Italy, one against Austria, and one against Brazil. He was the third-highest scorer in the tournament that year.
In 1999, the Chile national football team reached the semifinals of the Copa América, finishing in fourth place. On 15 August 2000, Salas was the star player in Chile's 3–0 victory over Brazil in a World Cup qualifying match, scoring a great goal.
Due to his injuries, Salas played less for Chile after 2001. However, he still scored four goals in nine matches during the 2002 World Cup qualifiers. In the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, he scored his 35th goal against Bolivia, making him Chile's all-time leading scorer again. His last two goals for Chile were on 18 November 2007, against Uruguay in a 2010 World Cup qualifying match.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Universidad de Chile | 1993 | Chilean Primera División | 15 | 1 | – | 15 | 1 | |||||
| 1994 | 25 | 27 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 2 | – | 46 | 41 | |||
| 1995 | 27 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 5 | – | 38 | 22 | |||
| 1996 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 5 | – | 27 | 12 | |||
| River Plate | 1996–97 | Argentine Primera División | 26 | 11 | – | 4 | 0 | – | 30 | 11 | ||
| 1997–98 | 27 | 13 | – | 10 | 7 | – | 37 | 20 | ||||
| Total | 53 | 24 | – | 14 | 7 | – | 67 | 31 | ||||
| Lazio | 1998–99 | Serie A | 30 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 24 |
| 1999–2000 | 28 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 17 | ||
| 2000–01 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 8 | ||
| Total | 79 | 34 | 11 | 6 | 25 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 107 | 49 | ||
| Juventus | 2001–02 | Serie A | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 11 | 1 | |
| 2002–03 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 3 | ||
| Total | 18 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 4 | ||
| River Plate | 2003–04 | Argentine Primera División | 17 | 6 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 21 | 8 | ||
| 2004–05 | 15 | 4 | – | 7 | 5 | – | 22 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 32 | 10 | – | 11 | 7 | – | 43 | 17 | ||||
| Universidad de Chile | 2005 | Chilean Primera División | 10 | 5 | – | – | 10 | 5 | ||||
| 2006 | 28 | 13 | – | – | 28 | 13 | ||||||
| 2007 | 14 | 8 | – | – | 14 | 8 | ||||||
| 2008 | 30 | 11 | – | 30 | 11 | |||||||
| Total | 82 | 37 | – | – | 82 | 37 | ||||||
| Career total | 333 | 155 | 42 | 21 | 81 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 458 | 248 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| Chile | ||
| Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 3 | 1 |
| 1995 | 12 | 4 |
| 1996 | 11 | 6 |
| 1997 | 7 | 9 |
| 1998 | 10 | 10 |
| 1999 | 5 | 0 |
| 2000 | 7 | 2 |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 4 | 0 |
| 2005 | 3 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 6 | 2 |
| Total | 70 | 37 |
International Goals for Chile
- Score and Result lists Chile's goals first
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 May 1994 | Santiago |  Argentina |
3–3 | International match |
| 2 | 29 March 1995 | Los Angeles |  Mexico |
2–1 | International match |
| 3 | 22 April 1995 | Temuco |  Iceland |
1–1 | International match |
| 4 | 28 May 1995 | Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton |  Canada |
2–1 | Canada Cup |
| 5 | 11 October 1995 | Concepción | Canada |
2–0 | International match |
| 6 | 14 February 1996 | Coquimbo |  Peru |
4–0 | International match |
| 7 | 26 May 1996 | Santiago |  Bolivia |
2–0 | International match |
| 8 | 26 May 1996 | Santiago | Bolivia |
2–0 | International match |
| 9 | 6 July 1996 | Santiago |  Ecuador |
4–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 25 August 1996 | Liberia |  Costa Rica |
1–1 | International match |
| 11 | 12 November 1996 | Santiago |  Uruguay |
1–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 8 June 1997 | Quito | Ecuador |
1–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 5 July 1997 | Santiago |  Colombia |
4–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 5 July 1997 | Santiago | Colombia |
4–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 5 July 1997 | Santiago | Colombia |
4–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 10 September 1997 | Santiago | Argentina |
1–2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17 | 12 October 1997 | Santiago | Peru |
4–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 12 October 1997 | Santiago | Peru |
4–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 19 | 12 October 1997 | Santiago | Peru |
4–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 20 | 16 November 1997 | Santiago | Bolivia |
3–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 21 | 11 February 1998 | Wembley Stadium, London |  England |
2–0 | International match |
| 22 | 11 February 1998 | Wembley Stadium, London | England |
2–0 | International match |
| 23 | 22 April 1998 | Santiago | Colombia |
2–2 | International match |
| 24 | 24 May 1998 | Santiago | Uruguay |
2–2 | International match |
| 25 | 31 May 1998 | Montélimar |  Tunisia |
3–2 | International match |
| 26 | 4 June 1998 | Avignon |  Morocco |
1–1 | International match |
| 27 | 11 June 1998 | Parc Lescure, Bordeaux |  Italy |
2–2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 28 | 11 June 1998 | Parc Lescure, Bordeaux | Italy |
2–2 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 29 | 17 June 1998 | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne |  Austria |
1–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 30 | 27 June 1998 | Parc des Princes, Paris |  Brazil |
1–4 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 31 | 29 June 2000 | Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago |  Paraguay |
3–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 32 | 15 August 2000 | Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago | Brazil |
3–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 33 | 14 August 2001 | Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago | Bolivia |
2–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 34 | 14 August 2001 | Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago | Bolivia |
2–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 35 | 4 June 2005 | Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago | Bolivia |
3–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 36 | 18 November 2007 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo | Uruguay |
2–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 37 | 18 November 2007 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo | Uruguay |
2–2 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Personal Life and Family
Marcelo Salas is related to former Chilean international footballer Sergio Messen. Sergio's niece, Carolina Messen, is Marcelo's wife. Salas's maternal surname, Melinao, means "four lions" in the Mapudungun language.
Awards and Achievements
Club Trophies
Universidad de Chile
- Primera División de Chile: 1994, 1995
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 1996 Apertura, 1997 Clausura, 1997 Apertura, 2004 Clausura
- Supercopa Libertadores: 1997
Lazio
- Serie A: 1999–2000
- Coppa Italia: 1999–2000
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1998
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1998–99
- UEFA Super Cup: 1999
Juventus
- Serie A: 2001–02, 2002–03
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2002
Individual Awards
- Copa Chile Top Scorer: 1994
- America's Ideal Team: 1996, 1997
- South American Footballer of the Year: 1997
- Argentine Footballer of the Year: 1997
- Chile's Best Athlete Award: 1997
- Chilean Footballer of the Year: 1997, 1998
- Included in the Top 10 figures of the 1998 FIFA World Cup
- Best South American striker of the 1990s by IFFHS: No. 3
- Best South American striker of the 20th century by IFFHS: No. 19
- Best South American player of the 20th century by IFFHS: No. 31
- Included in the Top 10 Best Scorers in the History of South American Soccer
- Included in the best 50 soccer players in history representing each country by These Football Times (The Guardian)
- Included in the 50 Greatest South American Footballers of All Time: #27
Tributes and Recognition
Marcelo Salas has received many tributes for his amazing career.
Club Tributes
In 2004, River Plate in Argentina honored Salas by placing a portrait of him in the dressing rooms of their stadium, the Monumental de Nuñez Stadium. This showed he was one of the club's most important idols. In 2009, when River Plate opened its museum, Salas's goals and achievements were featured in videos and images. His jerseys and boots from his time at River Plate are also displayed.
In 2013, the English Football Federation honored Marcelo Salas at Wembley Stadium. They recognized his "excellent performance" in the England vs. Chile match from 1998. His first goal from that game is even shown in the stadium's museum as one of the best goals ever scored at Wembley.
Player Tributes
Many famous football players look up to Marcelo Salas and have copied his unique goal celebration: kneeling, head bowed, and one arm pointing to the sky. Some of these players include:
CHI Alexis Sánchez- CHI Arturo Vidal
- CHI Charles Aránguiz
- CHI David Pizarro
FRA David Trezeguet- CHI Eduardo Vargas
ARG Gastón Fernández- ARG Gonzalo Higuaín
- CHI Humberto Suazo
- ARG Javier Saviola
- CHI José Luis Villanueva
- CHI Marcelo Díaz
- ARG Marcelo Larrondo
- CHI Mauricio Isla
- ARG Pablo Aimar
COL Radamel Falcao- ARG Santiago Solari
- CHI Carla Guerrero
- CHI Christiane Endler
- CHI Camila Pavez
Other athletes who admire Salas include golfer CHI Nicole Perrot and tennis players like ARG Guillermo Coria and ARG Federico Coria.
Music World Tributes
Marcelo Salas has also been honored by musicians. On 16 October 1997, Jay Kay, the lead singer of the English band Jamiroquai, wore Salas's number 11 jersey during a concert in Chile and even did the "Matador" goal celebration on stage.
On 11 February 1998, the Irish band U2 performed in Chile for the first time. Their lead singer, Bono, wore Marcelo Salas's number 11 jersey on stage. At the same time, Salas's goals for Chile against England at Wembley Stadium were shown on a giant screen behind them.
See also
In Spanish: Marcelo Salas para niños
