Pablo Aimar facts for kids
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Aimar in 2017
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 3 November 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Río Cuarto, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Argentina U17 (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1993 | Estudiantes Río Cuarto | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | River Plate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | River Plate | 82 | (21) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2006 | Valencia | 162 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Zaragoza | 57 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2013 | Benfica | 107 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 8 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | River Plate | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Estudiantes Río Cuarto | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 413 | (67) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Argentina U17 | 6 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Argentina U20 | 7 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2009 | Argentina | 52 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017– | Argentina U17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018– | Argentina (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Pablo César Aimar (born on November 3, 1979) is a famous Argentine former footballer. He used to play as an attacking midfielder, a player who helps create goals. Today, he is an assistant coach for the Argentina national team.
Aimar started his professional career at River Plate in 1996. He then played for Spanish clubs Valencia and Zaragoza. From 2001 to 2008, he played 215 games in La Liga, scoring 32 goals. After that, he spent five years in Portugal with Benfica. He won nine major titles with these three teams.
Pablo Aimar played 52 games for the senior Argentina team over ten years. He represented his country in two FIFA World Cups and two Copa América tournaments. He also played in a FIFA Confederations Cup. He helped Argentina reach the finals of the 2005 Confederations Cup and the 2007 Copa América.
In 2018, Aimar became an assistant coach for the Argentina national team. With him as part of the coaching staff, the team won the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2024 Copa América.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at River Plate
Pablo Aimar's football journey began when he joined Estudiantes de Río Cuarto. There, he was noticed by River Plate, one of Argentina's biggest clubs. His father was at first worried he was too young to join. But River Plate's manager, Daniel Passarella, personally asked for Aimar to play.
Aimar chose football over studying medicine. He made his first team debut for River Plate on August 11, 1996. His first goal came in 1998. Between 1996 and 2000, Aimar helped River Plate win five titles. He scored 21 goals and made 28 assists in 82 league games.
Success with Valencia
In January 2001, Aimar moved to Spain to play for Valencia. They paid a club-record fee of €24 million for him. He made his debut against Manchester United and was praised by football legend Johan Cruyff. He scored in his first La Liga game.
Aimar quickly became a key player in Valencia's midfield. He helped them reach the 2001 UEFA Champions League final, where they lost on penalties. The next season, Valencia won the 2001–02 La Liga title, their first in 31 years. Aimar scored 4 goals and was the team's third-highest scorer.
In the 2002–03 season, Aimar was one of the top players for assists in the UEFA Champions League. The 2003–04 season was even better for Valencia. They won both the league and the UEFA Cup. Aimar played an important role in their UEFA Cup win. However, injuries started to affect his playing time.
After some coaching changes and more injuries, Aimar decided to leave Valencia. He had played over 200 games for the club in five and a half seasons.
Time at Zaragoza
In 2006, Aimar joined another Spanish club, Real Zaragoza. He signed a four-year deal for €11 million. The club called it their most important signing ever. He played alongside his former Valencia teammate, Roberto Ayala.
Aimar played 32 games in his first season, scoring five goals. Zaragoza finished sixth in the league. However, the next season was tough for Zaragoza. They were relegated from La Liga. After two seasons and 57 games, Aimar left Zaragoza. During his time in Spain, he also gained Spanish citizenship.
Moving to Benfica
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On July 17, 2008, Aimar signed a four-year contract with Portuguese club Benfica. He cost €6.5 million. He struggled with injuries at first. But he finished his first season strongly, winning a Taça da Liga title.
In the 2009–10 season, Aimar played with his old River Plate teammate, Javier Saviola. They worked together to support striker Óscar Cardozo. Along with Ángel Di María, they formed a powerful attack. Benfica scored 78 goals and won both the league and a cup.
Aimar became a favorite among Benfica fans. But injuries continued to bother him, reducing his playing time. Despite this, he helped Benfica win three more consecutive Taça da Liga titles. On June 6, 2013, Aimar announced he was leaving Benfica. He thanked the club for "five wonderful years" after 179 games, 17 goals, and 34 assists.
Playing in Malaysia
On August 7, 2013, Aimar signed a two-year contract with Johor Darul Ta'zim, a club in Malaysia. He became the highest-paid player in the Malaysia Super League. He made his debut six months later.
Aimar played 8 games for the club and scored two goals. However, more injuries led to him leaving the team in April 2014. Even so, he received a champion's medal as JDT went on to win the Super League title that season.
Returning to River Plate
On January 5, 2015, Aimar went back to River Plate. He said he would only sign if his body could handle the physical demands. He had undergone heel surgeries and hadn't played since 2014. On May 31, he played as a substitute in a league game.
Aimar announced his retirement on July 14, 2015. This was after River Plate's coach told him he wouldn't be in the squad for the Copa Libertadores semi-final. The coach said Aimar was "suffering" from his injuries.
Final Game at Estudiantes de Río Cuarto
On January 16, 2018, Aimar played in a friendly match for his youth club, Estudiantes de Río Cuarto. He then decided to join the squad for a Copa Argentina match on January 23. He wanted to play one official game for the club where he started.
The match took place at Estudiantes' home stadium. Aimar started the game and was the captain. He almost scored before being substituted in the 50th minute. The game ended in a draw, and Estudiantes did not advance. His younger brother, Andrés, also played in the match. After the game, Aimar confirmed it was his final farewell to football.
International Career with Argentina
Aimar first played for Argentina at youth levels. He won the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship with future stars like Esteban Cambiasso and Juan Román Riquelme. He then played 52 games for the senior national team, scoring eight goals.
He represented Argentina in the 1999 and 2007 Copa América tournaments. He also played in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, and the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.
In the 2002 World Cup, Aimar came on as a substitute against England. He then started against Sweden. He scored Argentina's only goal in the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup final, which they lost to Brazil 4–1. In the 2007 Copa América, he scored in a 4–1 win against the United States. Argentina reached the final but lost to Brazil again.
In October 2009, Aimar was called up for important 2010 World Cup qualifying matches. He helped Argentina win against Peru by assisting a goal.
How He Played
Pablo Aimar was known as an elegant, skilled, and creative attacking midfielder. He was right-footed and had many talents. He was great at dribbling, seeing the field, and passing the ball. He could create chances for his teammates and set up attacks. He was also good at free kicks.
Because of his amazing skills, people compared him to Diego Maradona when he was young. He was given nicknames like El Payaso (the clown) and El Mago (the wizard). Even Lionel Messi said in 2002 that Aimar was one of his biggest inspirations as a player. Aimar was also praised for his leadership. However, he often struggled with injuries throughout his career.
Coaching Career
Aimar became the coach of the Argentina national under-17 football team in July 2017. His under-17 team won the South American U-17 Championship in 2019. He was also part of the Argentina coaching team that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Personal Life
Pablo Aimar's younger brother, Andrés, was also a professional footballer. He played as a midfielder for several teams in Argentina and for a short time in Israel.
Honours
Player
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 1997 Apertura, 1999 Apertura, 2000 Clausura
- Supercopa Sudamericana: 1997
Valencia
- La Liga: 2001–02, 2003–04
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2000–01
- UEFA Cup: 2003–04
- UEFA Super Cup: 2004
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2009–10
- Taça de Portugal runner-up: 2012–13
- Taça da Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2012–13
Johor Darul Ta’zim
- Malaysian Super League: 2014
Argentina U17
- South American Under-17 Championship runner-up: 1995
- FIFA U-17 World Cup third place: 1995
Argentina U20
- South American Youth Championship: 1997, 1999
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1997
Argentina
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2005
- Copa América runner-up: 2007
Individual Awards
- FIFA World Youth Championship Bronze Ball: 1997
- South American Team of the Year: 1999, 2000
- UEFA Champions League top assist provider: 2002–03
- Trofeo EFE: 2005–06
- Cosme Damião Awards – Footballer of the Year: 2011
Managerial
Argentina (as assistant manager)
- FIFA World Cup: 2022
- Copa América: 2021, 2024; third place: 2019
- CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022
Argentina U17
- South American U-17 Championship: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Pablo Aimar para niños
