Martín Palermo facts for kids

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Martín Palermo

Palermo in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Martín Palermo
Date of birth	(1973-11-07) 7 November 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth	La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
	Estudiantes de La Plata
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1997	Estudiantes de La Plata	93	(34)
1997–2001	Boca Juniors	102	(81)
2001–2003	Villarreal	70	(18)
2003–2004	Betis	11	(1)
2004	Alavés	14	(3)
2004–2011	Boca Juniors	216	(112)
Total		592	(249)
International career
1999–2010	Argentina	15	(9)
Managerial career
2012–2013	Godoy Cruz
2014–2015	Arsenal de Sarandí
2016–2018	Unión Española
2019	Pachuca
2020–2021	Curicó Unido
2021–2022	Aldosivi
2023	Platense
2024–2025	Olimpia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Martín Palermo (born November 7, 1973) is a famous Argentine football manager and former player. He played as a striker, known for scoring many goals. He was recently the manager of Olimpia.

Palermo mostly played as a forward for Boca Juniors, one of Argentina's biggest clubs. He is Boca Juniors' all-time top scorer with 236 goals. He is also among the top 7 goal scorers in the history of the Argentine First Division, with 227 goals in 408 matches. He also played for Estudiantes de La Plata in Argentina and for Villarreal, Real Betis, and Alavés in Spain.

During his playing days, fans called him Loco (which means "crazy") and Titán (meaning "titan"). In 2008, Boca Juniors fans voted him the greatest idol in the club's history. For the Argentina national team, Palermo played 15 games and scored 9 goals. He played in the 1999 Copa América and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After retiring as a player in 2011, he started working as a manager in 2012. He has managed teams in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Paraguay.

Martín Palermo's Club Career

Playing for Estudiantes

Palermo in 1997 while playing for Estudiantes de La Plata

Martín Palermo was born in La Plata, Buenos Aires. He started his football journey at Estudiantes de La Plata. He played there for five years, from 1992 to 1997. After that, he moved to Boca Juniors.

Playing for Boca Juniors

Palermo's time at Boca Juniors started a bit slowly. He scored his first goal for the club on September 30, 1997, in a 2–1 win against Independiente. By 1999, Palermo was scoring many goals and playing very well for Boca and the national team. Big European clubs like Lazio, Real Betis, and Milan were interested in signing him.

However, on November 13, 1999, during a game against Colón, he suffered a serious knee injury. Even with the injury, he managed to score his 100th goal in the Argentine First Division before leaving the field. He needed six months to recover from this injury.

Palermo made a great comeback on May 24, 2000. He played the last fifteen minutes of a Copa Libertadores quarterfinal match against River Plate. He scored a goal that helped Boca Juniors win 3–0. Later in 2000, he played in the Intercontinental Cup. He scored both goals in Boca's 2–1 victory over Real Madrid. He was named the man of the match, which caught the eye of Spanish football clubs.

Time in Spain

In January 2001, Palermo joined Villarreal, a team new to Spain's top league, La Liga. The transfer cost about €7.2 million. He played his first game on February 5, helping Villarreal win 2–0 against Alavés. A week later, he scored his first goal for the team. In his first season, he scored six goals in 17 games.

On November 29, 2001, Palermo scored a goal in a cup match against Levante. While celebrating, he stood on a small concrete wall that broke, causing him to break both bones in his left leg. He did not play again until April 2002. In his first game back on May 5, he scored a goal just nine minutes into the match.

Villarreal reached the final of the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Palermo was sent off in that game, and Villarreal lost. He scored seven league goals for Villarreal in the 2002–03 season. He left the club in August 2003.

The day after leaving Villarreal, Palermo signed a one-year deal with Real Betis. He played only 12 games for them, scoring one goal on September 3. He left Betis in March 2004 because he wasn't playing much. He then joined Alavés in the second division, where he scored three goals in 14 games.

Return to Boca Juniors

On July 13, 2004, Palermo returned to Boca Juniors. On December 17, he scored his 100th goal for Boca in the final of the 2004 Copa Sudamericana, helping them win 2–0 against Bolívar.

In 2005, Palermo scored two goals in a Copa Libertadores match, helping Boca win and move to the quarterfinals. Later that year, in the Copa Sudamericana finals against Pumas UNAM, Palermo scored a goal. The game ended in a draw and went to penalties. Even though Palermo missed his penalty, Boca won the shootout and became champions.

Palermo was in top form again, becoming one of the best scorers in the Argentine league. He scored 11 goals in three tournaments in a row. In 2007, he had some amazing moments. On February 25, he scored a goal from the halfway line in a 3–1 win. Two weeks later, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) against his old team, Estudiantes. A game after that, on March 18, he scored a career-high four goals in a 5–1 victory.

In the 2007 Apertura tournament, he continued to be a top scorer with 13 goals. His best game that season was on September 16, when he scored four goals in Boca's 6–0 win against Banfield.

Palermo during the 2008 Joan Gamper Trophy match

At the start of the 2008 Apertura, on August 24, he suffered another serious knee injury. This meant he would be out for 5 to 8 months. Argentina's coach, Alfio Basile, had planned to call him up for the national team, but the injury prevented it.

Palermo's first goal after his injury came on March 1, 2009. This goal was his 195th for Boca Juniors, breaking a long-standing record. On April 30, he scored his 200th goal for Boca with an amazing bicycle kick.

On October 4, 2009, Palermo scored a very special goal against Vélez Sársfield. It was a header that traveled almost 39 meters! This goal was his 200th in the Argentine First Division and helped Boca win 3–2.

On July 22, 2010, at 36 years old, Palermo announced he would play one more year for Boca Juniors and then retire. He scored his sixth career hat-trick on September 19, 2010. On December 13, 2010, Palermo scored his 300th career goal.

On April 24, 2011, Palermo scored a goal, ending a streak of 10 matches without scoring. He then scored in the next few games, including a goal in the famous Superclasico against River Plate.

Martín Palermo became a legend at Boca Juniors because of his many memorable goals. On June 12, 2011, he played his last home match at La Bombonera. The club honored him and gave him gifts, including one of the goal frames from the stadium. Palermo officially retired from football on June 18, 2011, after a 2–2 draw. He even provided an assist in his final game.

International Career with Argentina

Martín Palermo played 15 matches for the Argentina national football team and scored 9 goals. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records for missing three penalty kicks in one game against Colombia in the 1999 Copa América. Even though his international career seemed over, coach Diego Maradona called him back to the national team in September 2009, after a 10-year break.

A few weeks later, Palermo started in a friendly game against Ghana and scored both goals in a 2–0 win. On October 10, 2009, he scored a 93rd-minute goal against Peru in a World Cup qualifier, securing a 2–1 victory for Argentina. Maradona called it "one more miracle of Saint Palermo."

On May 19, 2010, Maradona chose Palermo for Argentina's team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. This was Palermo's first World Cup. On June 22, 2010, he played his first World Cup match against Greece. In the 89th minute, he scored his first World Cup goal. Argentina won 2–0. This goal also made Palermo the oldest Argentine player to score in a World Cup, breaking Maradona's previous record.

Martín Palermo's Managerial Career

After retiring as a player, Martín Palermo started his career as a football manager.

In May 2012, Carlos Bilardo suggested Palermo for the manager job at Estudiantes de La Plata. Bilardo believed Palermo was a good fit for the club.

On November 26, 2012, Palermo became the head coach of Godoy Cruz. He managed the team until the end of 2013.

On April 18, 2014, Palermo was appointed head coach of Arsenal de Sarandi. He led the team for the 2014–15 season. On April 19, 2015, he announced he was leaving the club.

His next job was with the Chilean team Unión Española. In his first tournament, they finished third in the league and were runners-up in 2017. However, in November 2018, the club decided to part ways with Palermo due to poor results.

Palermo returned to management on January 22, 2019, as the new manager of Mexican team Pachuca. He left at the end of his contract in December 2019. He then became the manager of Curicó Unido in November 2020, but resigned nine months later.

Back in Argentina, on September 30, 2021, Palermo became the manager of Aldosivi. He resigned in May 2022 after disagreements with the club. In November 2022, Palermo was introduced as the new coach of Platense. He led Platense to the final of the 2023 Copa de la Liga Profesional, but his team lost 1–0. He then resigned from Platense.

In February 2024, Palermo agreed to become the new head coach of the Paraguayan team Olimpia. In his first year with the team, Martín Palermo won his first title as a club manager.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by national team and year

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	1 July 1999	Estadio Feliciano Cáceres, Luque, Paraguay	Ecuador	2–0	3–1	1999 Copa América
2.				3–0
3.	7 July 1999	Estadio Feliciano Cáceres, Luque, Paraguay	Uruguay	2–0	2–0	1999 Copa América
4.	30 September 2009	Estadio Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina	Ghana	1–0	2–0	Friendly
5.				2–0
6.	10 October 2009	El Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Peru	2–1	2–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
7.	10 February 2010	Estadio José María Minella, Mar del Plata, Argentina	Jamaica	1–1	2–1	Friendly
8.	5 May 2010	El Coloso del Ruca Quimey, Cutral Có, Argentina	Haiti	2–0	4–0	Friendly
9.	22 June 2010	Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa	Greece	2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup

Managerial Statistics

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Godoy Cruz		27 November 2012	31 December 2013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.&&&&&038	+6	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.82000031.82
Arsenal		16 April 2014	19 April 2015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&045.&&&&&045	&&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050	−5	&&&&&&&&&&&&&030.56000030.56
Unión Española		1 June 2016	3 November 2018	&&&&&&&&&&&&&093.&&&&&093	&&&&&&&&&&&&&039.&&&&&039	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&&026.&&&&&026	&&&&&&&&&&&&0136.&&&&&0136	&&&&&&&&&&&&0117.&&&&&0117	+19	&&&&&&&&&&&&&041.94000041.94
Pachuca		25 January 2019	31 December 2019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&039.&&&&&039	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	&&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013	&&&&&&&&&&&&&064.&&&&&064	&&&&&&&&&&&&&049.&&&&&049	+15	&&&&&&&&&&&&&038.46000038.46
Curicó Unido		27 November 2020	25 July 2021	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&028.&&&&&028	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044	−16	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.81000014.81
Aldosivi		28 September 2021	31 May 2022	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&031.&&&&&031	&&&&&&&&&&&&&035.&&&&&035	−4	&&&&&&&&&&&&&044.44000044.44
Platense		1 January 2023	18 December 2023	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.&&&&&046	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&043.&&&&&043	&&&&&&&&&&&&&048.&&&&&048	−5	&&&&&&&&&&&&&032.61000032.61
Olimpia		13 February 2024	9 April 2025	&&&&&&&&&&&&&058.&&&&&058	&&&&&&&&&&&&&027.&&&&&027	&&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014	&&&&&&&&&&&&&077.&&&&&077	&&&&&&&&&&&&&055.&&&&&055	+22	&&&&&&&&&&&&&046.55000046.55
Career totals				&&&&&&&&&&&&0370.&&&&&0370	&&&&&&&&&&&&0137.&&&&&0137	&&&&&&&&&&&&0111.&&&&&0111	&&&&&&&&&&&&0122.&&&&&0122	&&&&&&&&&&&&0468.&&&&&0468	&&&&&&&&&&&&0436.&&&&&0436	+32	&&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&3000037.03

Honors and Achievements

Player Honors

Estudiantes

• Primera B Nacional: 1994–95

Boca Juniors

• Primera División: 1998 Apertura, 1999 Clausura, 2000 Apertura, 2005 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2008 Apertura
• Copa Libertadores: 2000, 2007
• Copa Sudamericana: 2004, 2005
• Recopa Sudamericana: 2006, 2008
• Intercontinental Cup: 2000

Individual Awards

• Primera División top scorer: 1998 Apertura (20 goals, a short tournament record), 2007 Clausura
• South American Footballer of the Year: 1998
• South American Team of the Year: 1998, 2000
• Intercontinental Cup Most Valuable Player of the Match Award: 2000
• American Golden Shoe: 2007 (shared with Giancarlo Maldonado)
• Konex Award Merit Diploma as one of the five best football players of the last decade in Argentina: 2010

Manager Honors

Unión Española

• Primera División runner-up: 2017

Platense

• Copa de la Liga Profesional runner-up: 2023

Olimpia

• Primera División: 2024 Clausura

Records and Interesting Facts

• First professional match: July 5, 1992 (San Lorenzo 0–0 Estudiantes).
• First professional goal: May 22, 1993 (Estudiantes 3–0 San Martín de Tucumán).
• First International match: February 3, 1999 (Venezuela 0–2 Argentina).
• First International goal: July 1, 1999 (Ecuador 1–3 Argentina).
• First European professional match: February 4, 2001 (Villarreal 2–0 Alavés).
• First European professional goal: February 11, 2001 (Oviedo 1–3 Villarreal).
• He is in the Guinness book of records for missing three penalty kicks in the same match, against Colombia in the 1999 Copa América.
• Palermo holds an Italian passport, which allowed him to play as a UEFA player in Europe.
• World Cup debut: June 22, 2010, in a match against Greece at the 2010 World Cup.
• Oldest player to score for the Argentina national football team in a World Cup: 36 years and 7 months old, when he scored against Greece. This record was previously held by Diego Maradona.
• Tied for 5th place all-time among Argentine Primera División top scorers with 227 goals (34 with Estudiantes and 193 with Boca Juniors).
• 1st place among Boca's all-time top scorers with 236 goals, surpassing the record of Roberto Cherro.
• Top scorer in the professional era among Boca's top scorers with 236 Goals (193 in Argentine league tournaments and 43 in international tournaments).
• Boca Junior's top scorer in international matches with 43 goals, 15 more than the player in 2nd place, Rodrigo Palacio.

See also

In Spanish: Martín Palermo para niños