Mario Yepes Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Yepes and the second or maternal family name is Díaz.

Quick facts for kids
Mario Yepes

Yepes in 2019

Personal information

Full name

Mario Alberto Yepes Díaz

Date of birth

13 January 1976 (age 49)

Place of birth

Cali, Colombia

Height

1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)

Position(s)

Centre back

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1994–1997

Cortuluá

(7)

1997–1999

Deportivo Cali

(11)

1999–2002

River Plate

(6)

2002–2004

Nantes

(2)

2004–2008

Paris Saint-Germain

115

(8)

2008–2010

Chievo

(1)

2010–2013

AC Milan

(1)

2013–2014

Atalanta

(0)

2014–2015

San Lorenzo

(0)

Total

580

(36)

International career

1999–2014

Colombia

102

(6)

Managerial career

2016–2017

Deportivo Cali

Medal record

Copa América

Representing
Winner	2001	Team

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mario Alberto Yepes Díaz was born on January 13, 1976. He is a famous Colombian former football player. He played as a centre-back, which is a player who helps protect the goal.

Yepes was well-known for his time at Paris Saint-Germain. Fans even called him "Super Mario" because he was considered one of the best defenders. When he played in Italy for Chievo, people saw him as a strong and physical defender.

He was also the captain of the Colombia national team from 2008 to 2014. Yepes is special because he was part of two "golden generations" of Colombian football. One was in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the other started around 2013.

After he stopped playing, Yepes became a manager. He coached his hometown club, Deportivo Cali, from 2016 to 2017.

Playing Career
International Career
Life After Playing Football
Personal Life
Honours and Awards
See also

Playing Career

Starting Out

Mario Yepes began his football journey in 1994 with a team called Cortuluá. He actually started as a forward, trying to score goals. But his coach saw his talent for defense and changed him into a libero, which is a type of defender.

In 1998, Yepes joined his hometown club, Deportivo Cali. He helped them win a Colombian championship. He also played for them in the 1999 Copa Libertadores, a big South American tournament.

In 1999, he moved to Argentina to play for River Plate. There, he won two Argentine Primera championships.

Playing in Europe

In 2002, Yepes moved to Europe and joined Nantes in France. He played well for two and a half seasons there. Then, in 2004, he moved to another French team, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Yepes became a very important player for PSG. He helped them win the Coupe de France in 2006 and the Coupe de la Ligue in 2008.

In 2008, Yepes moved to Italy to play for Chievo. He signed a new contract with them in 2009.

Time at AC Milan

Yepes playing for AC Milan in 2012

In March 2010, it was announced that Yepes would join AC Milan, one of Italy's biggest clubs. He joined them in the summer of 2010.

At Milan, he often came on as a substitute because another great defender, Thiago Silva, usually started. Yepes played in some Italian Serie A games and also in the UEFA Champions League, a major European competition.

On October 23, 2011, Yepes scored his first goal for Milan. It was an important goal that helped his team come back from being 3-0 down to win 4-3 against Lecce.

In May 2012, Yepes signed a new one-year contract with Milan. However, he later decided not to sign another contract because he wanted to play more often. He felt he needed more playing time to get ready for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Later Club Teams

On July 14, 2013, Yepes signed a one-year contract with another Italian club, Atalanta. He played 26 games for them during the 2013–14 season.

On September 13, 2014, Yepes joined San Lorenzo, a club in Argentina. He played there until the end of 2015. On January 20, 2016, Mario Yepes officially retired from playing professional football.

International Career

Yepes heading the ball for Colombia against Brazil at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Mario Yepes played 102 matches for the Colombia national team since his first game in 1999. This makes him the second-most capped Colombian player ever, after Carlos Valderrama.

He was part of the Colombian team that won the Copa América in 2001. He also played in three other Copa América tournaments in 1999, 2007, and 2011.

During the qualifying games for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Yepes played 12 matches. Colombia qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1998. In the last qualifying match, Yepes scored both goals in a 2-1 win against Paraguay.

Yepes had said he wanted to retire after the 2014 World Cup. On December 17, 2013, he confirmed he would retire after the tournament.

On June 14, 2014, Yepes played his first game in a FIFA World Cup at 38 years old. He was the captain as Colombia won 3-0 against Greece. He was the oldest outfield player at the 2014 World Cup.

On June 19, 2014, Yepes played his 100th game for Colombia against the Ivory Coast. He became only the third Colombian player to reach this milestone. He led Colombia to their best World Cup performance ever, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time. They lost 2-1 to the host country, Brazil.

Life After Playing Football

In April 2016, Mario Yepes became the manager of Deportivo Cali, his first coaching job. He took over after the previous manager left. His team included Freddy Hurtado and Julián Barragán as assistants.

During his time as coach, Deportivo Cali reached the quarter-finals of the domestic league twice. They also qualified for the 2017 Copa Sudamericana, another South American tournament. However, after some difficult games in early 2017, Yepes left the club on March 9, 2017.

From 2019 to 2021, he worked as the Sports Director for the Colombian Football Federation. In this role, he helped plan and manage the development of the national teams.

In 2022, Yepes became an ambassador for Betsson, a large gaming company, in Latin America. He also helps connect with AC Milan fans in the region.

Personal Life

Mario Yepes was married to Carolina Villegas until 2023. They have three children together. Their first son, Luciano, was born in May 2002. Their daughter, Miranda, was born in April 2005. Their second son, Valentino, was born on September 23, 2012.