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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | Chile U20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Chile Olympic | 7 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2007 | Chile | 70 | (37) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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José Marcelo Salas Melinao (born 24 December 1974) is a famous Chilean former footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a goal-scorer. People called him Matador because of his cool way of celebrating goals. He was also known as El Fenómeno and Shileno.
Many consider Salas to be the best striker in Chile's history. He was a star player in the 1990s and 2000s. He played for big clubs like Universidad de Chile, River Plate, Lazio, and Juventus.
Marcelo Salas was the captain of the Chile national football team. He is also their top goal scorer, with 37 goals for the national team and 8 goals for the Olympic team. He played in Chile, Argentina, and Italy, winning championships with every team he joined. In 1997, he was even named the South American Footballer of the Year.
Salas was a strong and determined forward with great skill, especially with his left foot. He was also very good at scoring with his head. Between 1996 and 2001, he was seen as one of the best forwards in the world. He played for Chile in the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, scoring four goals and helping his team reach the second round. He also played in two Copa América tournaments, helping Chile get fourth place in 1999.
After he stopped playing football, Marcelo Salas stayed involved in the sport. Since 2013, he has been the president of Deportes Temuco, a club in Chile's second division.
Contents
Marcelo Salas's Club Journey
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. He played his first game on 4 January 1994 against Cobreloa, where he scored a goal. He really showed his talent in a match against Colo Colo at the National Stadium. He scored three goals (a Hat-trick) in a 4–1 win! His amazing performances quickly earned him the nickname "Matador." This name came from his calm way of scoring goals and was inspired by a popular song called "Matador" by the band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.
It was also during this time that he started his famous goal celebration. He would put one knee down, bow his head, stretch out his right arm, and point his finger to the sky. Salas helped Universidad de Chile win two championships in a row in 1994 and 1995. He was a key player and the top scorer for the team in both seasons. He scored 76 goals for the club, including many in the Copa Libertadores in 1996.
Playing for 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 for River Plate. He helped them win several titles, including the Torneo de Apertura in 1996 and 1997, and the Clausura in 1997. He also scored both goals in the final of the 1997 Supercopa Libertadores, helping River Plate win the cup.
Because of his great play, he was chosen as the Footballer of the Year of Argentina and South American Footballer of the Year in 1997. Fans in Argentina loved him and called him "El shileno Salas." Big clubs like Manchester United wanted to sign him, but River Plate did not want to sell him.
Time with Lazio in Italy
On 1 February 1998, Marcelo Salas moved to Italy to play for SS Lazio. His transfer cost US$20.5 million, which was one of the highest transfer fees at that time. He played for Lazio for three years (1998–2001). He helped turn Lazio into a winning team, as they had not won a championship since 1974.
He made his first appearance for Lazio on 12 August 1998 against Real Madrid, where he scored a goal. His official debut was in the Supercoppa italiana, which Lazio won against Juventus FC. With Salas, Lazio won a Serie A title (where he was the team's top scorer with 12 goals), 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 in a 1–0 win against Manchester United.
Lazio fans loved Salas and even sang songs about him. They would sing, "Matador, Matador, what do we care about Ronaldo if we have the Matador!" After turning down offers from many big European clubs, he joined Juventus in 2001. This transfer cost €25 million (about US$28.5 million), making him the most expensive Chilean player at the time.
Playing for Juventus
In 2001, Salas moved to Juventus. Unfortunately, his time there was cut short by injuries. He tore a ligament in his right knee in October 2001. He also had another knee injury the next season. Because of these injuries, he only played in 26 games and scored 4 goals for Juventus.
Returning to River Plate
After his injuries at Juventus, Salas was loaned back to River Plate in 2003. Fans were very excited to have him back. Salas played very well in the 2003 Copa Sudamericana, even though River Plate lost in the final. He then helped River Plate win another title, the 2004 Clausura.
A year later, he helped River Plate reach the semifinals of the 2005 Copa Libertadores. He scored three goals (a hat-trick) against Liga de Quito. In his second time at River Plate, Salas scored 17 goals in 43 games. Marcelo Salas is seen as one of the greatest players in River Plate's history. He was also one of the few foreign players to be the team's captain.
Back to Universidad de Chile
In late July 2005, Marcelo Salas returned to his first team, Universidad de Chile. He announced his retirement from football on 28 November 2008, at the age of 33. In his last game before retiring, Universidad de Chile beat Cobreloa 3–2, with Salas scoring two goals.
Saying Goodbye to Football
Salas played his very last game on 2 June 2009. Over 60,000 fans came to say goodbye. Many of his friends and former teammates from Universidad de Chile, River Plate, Juventus, and the Chile 1998 World Cup team were there. He played for both sides in the farewell match and scored three goals.
Marcelo Salas's International Career
Marcelo Salas played for Chile's under-20 team in 1993. On 30 April 1994, at just 19 years old, he made his debut for the Chile national football team. 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 (hat-tricks) against Colombia and Peru. Against Peru, he became the youngest Chilean player to be captain, at only 22 years old.
Before the 1998 World Cup, Chile played a friendly match against England at the famous Wembley Stadium on 11 February 1998. Chile won 2–0, with both goals scored by Salas. His first goal was amazing, showing perfect control and a great finish. The second was a penalty that he earned himself.
At the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Marcelo Salas played outstandingly. He scored 4 goals: two against Italy, one against Austria, and one against Brazil. He was the third-best scorer in the World Cup that year, almost winning the bronze boot.
In 1999, the Chile national football team reached the semi-finals of the Copa América, finishing in fourth place. On 15 August 2000, Salas was the star player in Chile's 3–0 win over Brazil in a World Cup qualifying match.
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 qualifying campaign. He also became Chile's all-time leading scorer for the second time with his 35th goal against Bolivia. On 18 November 2007, Salas scored his last two goals for Chile in a 2–2 draw against Uruguay in a 2010 World Cup qualifying match.
Career Statistics
Club
| 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
| 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
- 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 |
Marcelo Salas's Personal Life
Marcelo Salas is related to former Chile international footballer Sergio Messen. Sergio's niece, Carolina Messen, is Marcelo's wife. Salas's mother's last name, Melinao, means "four lions" in the Mapudungun language.
Awards and Achievements
Club Honours
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
- Olimpia Award: 1997
- Chile's Best Athlete Award: 1997
- Chilean Footballer of the Year: 1997, 1998
- Included among the top 10 players 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
- Order of the Liberator General San Martín: 2009
Tributes to a Football Legend
In 2004, the River Plate club in Argentina honored Marcelo Salas. They placed a portrait of him in the dressing rooms of the Monumental de Nuñez Stadium. This showed he was one of the most important players in the club's history. In 2009, when River Plate opened its museum, videos and images of Salas's goals were shown. His old jerseys and boots were also on display.
In 2013, the English Football Federation honored Marcelo Salas at Wembley Stadium. This was for his amazing performance in the England vs. Chile match in 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.
Players Who Look Up to Salas
Many famous people, especially footballers, admire Marcelo Salas. Several players have even copied his famous goal celebration: knee to the ground, head bowed, and one arm pointing to the sky. Here are some of the players who see Salas as their idol:
Football players
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
Golfer
- CHI Nicole Perrot
Tennis players
- ARG Guillermo Coria
- ARG Facundo Bagnis
- ARG Federico Coria
- CHI Felipe Arevalo
Music World Tributes
On 16 October 1997, Jay Kay, the lead singer of the band Jamiroquai, honored Marcelo Salas. He wore Salas's number 11 jersey during a concert and celebrated like the Matador on stage.
On 11 February 1998, the Irish band U2 performed in Chile for the first time. The 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.
