Nicolás Otamendi facts for kids
_Otamendi.jpg)
Otamendi with Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 12 February 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Benfica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2007 | Vélez Sarsfield | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Vélez Sarsfield | 40 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Porto | 77 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Valencia | 35 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | → Atlético Mineiro (loan) | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2020 | Manchester City | 136 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | Benfica | 132 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009– | Argentina | 123 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Argentina Olympic (O.P.) | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† Appearances (Goals). |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicolás Hernán Gonzalo Otamendi (born on February 12, 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer. He plays as a centre-back and is the captain for the Primeira Liga club Benfica.
Otamendi started his career playing for Vélez Sarsfield and Porto. With Porto, he won eight major titles, including three Primeira Liga championships and the 2011 Europa League. In 2014, he joined Valencia and also played for Atlético Mineiro in Brazil for a few months.
In 2015, Otamendi moved to Manchester City. There, he helped the team win back-to-back Premier League titles in 2018 and 2019. He also won four League Cups and an FA Cup. In 2020, Otamendi returned to Portugal to play for Benfica. He won another league title with them in 2023 and the Portuguese League Cup.
Since 2009, Otamendi has been a key player for the Argentina national team. He has played in over 120 matches. He represented his country in three FIFA World Cups and five Copas América. After finishing second twice in the Copa América, Otamendi finally won the 2021 Copa América in his fourth attempt. The next year, he helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, playing every minute of the tournament. In 2024, Otamendi won his second straight Copa América title.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Vélez
Nicolás Otamendi was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He made his first professional appearance in the Argentine Primera División for Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield on May 10, 2008. This was a 2–1 home win against Rosario Central.
At first, he wasn't a regular starter. But when Ricardo Gareca became the coach, Otamendi got his chance. He played in 17 of the 19 games when Vélez won the 2009 Clausura championship.
Otamendi scored his first goal as a professional during the 2009 Apertura season. It was in a 3–1 victory over Arsenal de Sarandí. His great performances that year earned him a spot in the South American Team of the Year.
Moving to Porto
On August 23, 2010, Otamendi moved to the Portuguese team FC Porto. He signed a five-year contract. He scored in his very first game, a 2–0 win against S.C. Olhanense. In his first season, 2010–11, he played 15 games and scored five goals. Porto won the Primeira Liga championship that year.
In September 2011, Porto fully bought Otamendi's playing rights. He played 30 games in the 2011–12 season, helping the club win two more big titles, including another league championship.
Time at Valencia
.jpg)
On February 5, 2014, Otamendi was sold to Valencia CF in La Liga, Spain. He signed a five-year contract. He was immediately loaned to Clube Atlético Mineiro in Brazil for four months. He played 19 games for them and scored one goal.
Otamendi made his debut in the Spanish top league on August 23, 2014. He scored his first goal for Valencia on October 4, helping them win 3–1 against Atlético Madrid.
On January 4, 2015, Otamendi scored the winning goal for Valencia in a 2–1 home win against Real Madrid. This win ended Real Madrid's amazing 22-match winning streak. He helped Valencia qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in four years. He was the only player from his team to be chosen for the La Liga Team of the Year.
Playing for Manchester City
On August 20, 2015, Otamendi joined Manchester City in England. He signed a five-year deal. He made his debut on September 15 in a Champions League match. His Premier League debut was four days later.
On October 31, 2015, Otamendi scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2–1 win against Norwich City. He played the entire game when City won the Football League Cup on February 28, 2016, beating Liverpool in a penalty shootout.
On November 1, 2017, Otamendi scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 4–2 win against Napoli. A month later, on December 10, he scored the winning goal in the Manchester derby against Manchester United. This helped City get an 11-point lead in the Premier League. City went on to win the Premier League title that season with a record 100 points. This was Otamendi's first league title in England. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year.
In the 2018–19 season, Otamendi helped Manchester City become the first English team to win a domestic treble. This means they won the League Cup, Premier League title, and FA Cup all in one season.
In his last season at Manchester City, Otamendi played 39 games. He also helped his team win the League Cup for the third year in a row in March 2020. This was his final trophy with City.
Returning to Portugal with Benfica
On September 29, 2020, Otamendi moved to Benfica, a rival of his former club Porto. He signed a three-year contract. He made his league debut on October 4 in a 3–2 win against Farense.
International Career for Argentina
In April 2009, Nicolás Otamendi was called up to the Argentina national team by coach Diego Maradona. He had only played 11 professional games at that time. He started the friendly match against Panama on May 20, which Argentina won 3–1.
Otamendi played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying games. He helped Argentina qualify for the World Cup in South Africa. On May 19, 2010, he was chosen for the 23-man squad for the World Cup. He played in the final group stage game against Greece. Maradona said he was the best player on the field in that match.
Otamendi also played the full 90 minutes in the round-of-16 game against Mexico, which Argentina won 3–1.
Otamendi scored his first goal for Argentina on September 2, 2011. It was in a 1–0 friendly win against Venezuela. He headed in a corner taken by Lionel Messi.
After not being selected for the 2014 World Cup, he was chosen for the 2015 Copa América. Argentina lost to Chile in the final on a penalty shootout. Otamendi was named in the Team of the Tournament.
Otamendi played every game in the Copa América Centenario in the United States. Argentina again lost to Chile in the final on a penalty shootout. On June 10, 2016, he scored the first goal in a 5–0 win against Panama.
Otamendi was part of Argentina's squad for the 2018 World Cup. Argentina was eliminated by France in the round-of-16.
In June 2021, he was included in the squad for the 2021 Copa América. On July 10, he played the entire match as Argentina beat Brazil 1–0 in the final to win the Copa América.
On June 1, 2022, Otamendi played the whole game when Argentina won 3–0 against Italy in the 2022 Finalissima at Wembley Stadium.
He was a key player in Argentina's squad for the 2022 World Cup. On December 18, 2022, in his 100th international game, Argentina won the World Cup final against France. The match ended 3–3 after extra time, and Argentina won 4–2 in a penalty shootout. Otamendi played every single minute of the tournament.
On November 21, 2023, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory over Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium. This was Brazil's first-ever home defeat in World Cup qualification games.
In June 2024, Otamendi was part of Argentina's squad for the 2024 Copa América. During the tournament, he scored the winning penalty against Ecuador in the quarter-finals.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Vélez Sarsfield | 2007–08 | Argentine Primera División | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2008–09 | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||||||
| 2009–10 | 19 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | |||||
| 2010–11 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 40 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 0 | — | 54 | 1 | |||||
| Porto | 2010–11 | Primeira Liga | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 1 | — | 31 | 6 | |
| 2011–12 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Total | 77 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 124 | 10 | ||
| Atlético Mineiro (loan) | 2014 | Série A | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 19 | 1 | |
| Valencia | 2014–15 | La Liga | 35 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 6 | |||
| Manchester City | 2015–16 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 49 | 1 | |
| 2016–17 | 30 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 43 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | 46 | 5 | |||
| 2018–19 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 3 | ||
| Total | 136 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 210 | 11 | ||
| Benfica | 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| 2021–22 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | — | 46 | 2 | |||
| 2023–24 | 31 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
| Total | 132 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 51 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 205 | 8 | ||
| Career total | 422 | 27 | 40 | 3 | 28 | 3 | 143 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 647 | 37 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2009 | 5 | 0 |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 1 | |
| Total | 123 | 7 | |
- Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Otamendi goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 September 2011 | Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, India | 12 |  Venezuela |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 10 June 2016 | Soldier Field, Chicago, United States | 34 |  Panama |
1–0 | 5–0 | Copa América Centenario |
| 3 | 6 September 2016 | Metropolitano de Mérida, Mérida, Venezuela | 40 | Venezuela |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 27 March 2018 | Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain | 53 |  Spain |
1–2 | 1–6 | Friendly |
| 5 | 12 October 2023 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | 106 |  Paraguay |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 21 November 2023 | Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 109 |  Brazil |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 10 October 2024 | Estadio Monumental, Maturín, Venezuela | 120 | Venezuela |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours and Awards
Vélez
- Argentine Primera División: 2009 Clausura
Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
- Taça de Portugal: 2010–11
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2011, 2012, 2013
- UEFA Europa League: 2010–11
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2017–18, 2018–19
- FA Cup: 2018–19
- Football League/EFL Cup: 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- FA Community Shield: 2018, 2019
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2022–23
- Taça da Liga: 2024–25
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2023
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup: 2022
- Copa América: 2021, 2024
- CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022
Individual Awards
- South American Team of the Year: 2009
- O Jogo Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2012
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2014–15
- Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2015, 2016
- PFA Team of the Year: 2017–18 Premier League
- ESM Team of the Season: 2017–18
- Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2022–23
See also
In Spanish: Nicolás Otamendi para niños
