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Mauro Zárate
Mauro Zárate with West Ham in July 2015 (cropped).jpg
Zárate playing for West Ham United in 2015
Personal information
Full name Mauro Matías Zárate
Date of birth (1987-03-13) 13 March 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth Haedo, Argentina
Height 1.76 m
Playing position Forward, attacking midfielder
Youth career
Vélez Sarsfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2007 Vélez Sarsfield 75 (22)
2007–2009 Al-Sadd 6 (4)
2008 Birmingham City (loan) 14 (4)
2008–2009 Lazio (loan) 36 (13)
2009–2013 Lazio 68 (12)
2011–2012 Inter Milan (loan) 22 (2)
2013–2014 Vélez Sarsfield 28 (18)
2014–2016 West Ham United 22 (5)
2015 Queens Park Rangers (loan) 4 (0)
2016–2017 Fiorentina 22 (5)
2017–2018 Watford 3 (0)
2017 Al-Nasr (loan) 8 (3)
2018 → Vélez Sarsfield (loan) 13 (8)
2018–2021 Boca Juniors 52 (10)
2021 América Mineiro 16 (1)
2022 Juventude 3 (1)
2022 Platense 20 (3)
2023 Cosenza 3 (0)
2023 Danubio 7 (1)
National team
2007 Argentina U20 5 (2)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Argentina
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winner 2007 Canada
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 July 2023.
† Appearances (Goals).

Mauro Matías Zárate (born 13 March 1987) is an Argentine former professional footballer. He played as a forward.

Zárate started his career in Argentina with Vélez Sarsfield. He played there for three years. He helped his team win the Primera División title in 2005. Later, in 2007, he joined Al-Sadd in Qatar. After six months, he moved to Birmingham City in England on loan.

He then went on loan to Lazio in Italy. There, he won the Coppa Italia. His move to Lazio became permanent. He also played for Inter Milan on loan. After a brief return to Vélez Sarsfield, he joined West Ham United in 2014. He also had a loan spell at Queens Park Rangers. In 2016, Zárate joined Fiorentina in Italy. A year later, he returned to England to play for Watford.

For his country, Zárate scored the winning goal for the Argentina under-20 team. This helped them win the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup final.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Vélez Sarsfield

Zárate began his football journey at Vélez Sarsfield. He had been with the club since he was a child. At just 17 years old, he was good enough to join the first team. His first game was on 21 April 2004. He scored 12 goals in the 2006 Apertura tournament. This made him a top scorer alongside Rodrigo Palacio.

Moving to Al-Sadd

On 18 June 2007, Zárate signed a two-year contract with Al-Sadd. This team plays in the Qatari League. He played only six league matches for them. He scored four goals during his time in Qatar.

Loan to Birmingham City

MauroZarate vVilla cropped
Zárate playing for Birmingham City in 2008

On 21 January 2008, Zárate joined Birmingham City. This was a loan deal until the end of the 2007–08 season. He played his first game on 29 January against Sunderland. He scored his first goal for the club against Reading on 22 March. He also scored two goals in a 3–1 win against Manchester City. He scored a total of 4 goals in 14 matches. He left the club when his loan ended.

Playing for Lazio

Zárate moved to the Italian club Lazio on 5 July 2008. He first joined on a loan deal. He quickly became popular with Lazio fans. He scored two goals in his first game against Cagliari. He also scored in his first home game against Sampdoria.

He continued to score goals against teams like Milan and Torino. On 28 February, Zárate scored both goals in a 2–0 win against Bologna. He finished the 2008–09 season with ten goals.

Mauro Zarate and Goran Pandev
Zárate kicking off the 2009 Coppa Italia Final with Goran Pandev

On 13 May, Zárate helped Lazio win the Coppa Italia. He scored a goal in the final against Sampdoria. Lazio won the match after a penalty shootout. After this successful season, his move to Lazio became permanent.

Loan to Inter Milan

On 31 August 2011, Zárate went on loan from Lazio to Inter Milan. On 27 September 2011, he scored his first goal for Inter. It was a winning goal against CSKA Moscow in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League. His first league goal for Inter came on 1 April 2012. He scored a great goal in a 5–4 win against Genoa. He ended the 2011–12 season with 3 goals in 29 games.

Return to Lazio

Zárate returned to Lazio for the 2012–13 season. However, he played only five games. He did not score any goals during this period. He did not play for the club after November 2012.

Back to Vélez Sarsfield

In July 2013, Zárate went back to his first club, Vélez Sarsfield. In January 2014, Zárate helped his team win the 2013 Supercopa Argentina. They beat Arsenal de Sarandí 1–0 in the final. He was the top scorer in the 2014 Primera División Torneo Final. He scored 13 goals in 19 matches.

Playing for West Ham United

Mauro Zarate signing autographs at the Boleyn Ground October 2014
Zárate signing autographs at the Boleyn Ground in 2014

On 28 May 2014, Zárate signed a three-year contract with West Ham United. This is a club in the Premier League. On 23 August, he scored in his first game for the club. It was a 3–1 win against Crystal Palace.

Loan to Queens Park Rangers

On 6 January 2015, Zárate was loaned to Queens Park Rangers. This was another Premier League club. He played four games for QPR but did not score.

Return to West Ham United

Zárate played in West Ham's 2015–16 UEFA Europa League qualifying games. He scored a goal in a 2–2 draw against Astra Giurgiu. West Ham lost the overall match.

Zárate scored in West Ham's 2–0 win over Arsenal in their first game of the 2015–16 Premier League season. He also scored in a 2–1 win against Chelsea on 24 October. He followed this with a free-kick goal against West Bromwich Albion on 29 November.

Joining Fiorentina

On 21 January 2016, Zárate moved to the Italian club Fiorentina. He played his first game for them ten days later. On 3 February, he scored his first goal for the team. It was a last-minute winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Carpi.

Time at Watford

On 25 January 2017, Zárate joined Watford in the Premier League. On 25 February, he got a penalty in a game against his old club West Ham. However, he later injured his knee badly. This injury meant he would likely miss the rest of the season.

Loan to Al-Nasr

On 2 October 2017, Zárate joined Al-Nasr in the United Arab Emirates. He scored three goals in three games for the club.

Loan to Vélez Sarsfield (Third Time)

In January 2018, Zárate rejoined Vélez Sarsfield on loan. This was his third time playing for the club where he started his career.

Playing for Boca Juniors

In July 2018, Zárate signed with Boca Juniors. In May 2021, Zárate left Boca Juniors. He wanted more playing time.

Later Clubs

On 30 August 2021, Zárate joined América Mineiro in Brazil. After a short time with Juventude in Brazil, he returned to Argentina. He joined Platense.

Short Spell at Cosenza

On 31 January 2023, Zárate agreed to return to Italy. He joined Cosenza, a team in Serie B. However, his time there was short. He suffered another serious knee injury just a few weeks later.

International Career

In 2007, Zárate helped the Argentina national under-20 team win the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He scored the winning goal in the final against the Czech Republic.

In 2008, Diego Maradona became the manager of the Argentina national team. He said that if Zárate kept playing well, he might get a chance to play for the main team.

In 2014, Zárate thought about playing for Chile. He was eligible because his father is Chilean. However, in 2015, Zárate said he is Argentine. He always dreamed of playing for Argentina.

Personal Life

Zárate was born in Haedo, Buenos Aires. He comes from a family of footballers. His father, Sergio, was a professional footballer from Chile. His mother, Catalina Riga, has Italian roots. His grandfather, Juvenal, was also a footballer from Chile.

Mauro is the youngest brother of former footballers Rolando and Ariel. His brother Sergio was also an international player and is Mauro's agent. Mauro's nephew, Tobías, also became a professional footballer.

Career Statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Vélez Sarsfield 2003–04 Primera División 5 1 0 0 5 1
2004–05 Primera División 14 2 0 0 14 2
2005–06 Primera División 24 3 12 3 36 6
2006–07 Primera División 32 16 12 3 44 19
Total 75 22 24 6 99 28
Al Sadd 2007 Qatar Stars League 6 4 0 0 0 0 6 4
Birmingham City (loan) 2007–08 Premier League 14 4 0 0 14 4
Lazio (loan) 2008–09 Serie A 36 13 5 3 41 16
Lazio 2009–10 Serie A 32 3 2 1 7 4 1 0 42 8
2010–11 Serie A 35 9 1 0 36 9
2012–13 Serie A 1 0 0 0 6 1 7 1
Total 104 25 8 4 13 5 1 0 126 34
Inter Milan (loan) 2011–12 Serie A 22 2 2 0 7 1 0 0 31 3
Vélez Sarsfield 2013–14 Primera División 28 18 0 0 7 1 1 0 36 19
West Ham United 2014–15 Premier League 7 2 0 0 1 0 8 2
2015–16 Premier League 15 3 1 0 4 1 1 1 21 5
Total 22 5 1 0 4 1 2 1 29 7
Queens Park Rangers (loan) 2014–15 Premier League 4 0 0 0 4 0
Fiorentina 2015–16 Serie A 15 3 0 0 2 0 17 3
2016–17 Serie A 7 2 1 0 1 2 9 4
Total 22 5 1 0 3 2 26 7
Watford 2016–17 Premier League 3 0 0 0 3 0
Al Nasr (loan) 2017–18 Arabian Gulf League 8 3 5 0 13 3
Vélez Sarsfield (loan) 2017–18 Primera División 13 8 0 0 13 8
Boca Juniors 2018–19 Primera División 23 6 3 0 12 6 8 1 46 13
2019–20 Primera División 12 2 2 1 5 0 19 3
2020–21 Primera División 17 2 1 2 2 0 20 4
Total 52 10 6 3 19 6 8 1 85 20
América Mineiro 2021 Série A 16 1 0 0 16 1
Juventude 2022 Série A 0 0 0 0 3 1 3 1
Platense 2022 Primera División 2 1 0 0 2 1
Career total 391 108 23 7 77 22 15 3 506 140

Honours and Awards

Vélez Sarsfield

Lazio

Boca Juniors

  • Primera División: 2019–20
  • Copa Argentina: 2019–20
  • Copa de la Liga Profesional: 2020
  • Supercopa Argentina: 2018

Argentina U20

Individual Awards

  • Argentine Primera División top scorer: 2006 Apertura, 2014 Final (both with Vélez Sarsfield)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mauro Zárate para niños

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