Roberto Soldado facts for kids
Soldado lining up for Spain in 2013
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roberto Soldado Rillo | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 27 May 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Valencia, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2000 | Don Bosco | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Real Madrid | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2006 | Real Madrid B | 120 | (64) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Real Madrid | 16 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | → Osasuna (loan) | 30 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Getafe | 60 | (29) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Valencia | 101 | (59) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Tottenham Hotspur | 52 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Villarreal | 38 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Fenerbahçe | 47 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Granada | 62 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Levante | 43 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 569 | (217) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Spain U15 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Spain U17 | 18 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Spain U18 | 3 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Spain U19 | 9 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Spain U21 | 9 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2013 | Spain | 12 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Roberto Soldado Rillo (born on May 27, 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player who focused on scoring goals.
Roberto started his football journey in the youth system of Real Madrid. He didn't play many games for their main team. However, he became a well-known player and goal scorer in La Liga (Spain's top football league). He played for teams like Osasuna, Getafe, and Valencia.
Later, he moved to the English club Tottenham Hotspur. After two seasons there, he returned to Spain. He played for Villarreal, Fenerbahçe in Turkey, Granada, and Levante in Spain. Over 13 seasons in La Liga, he played 325 games and scored 129 goals.
Roberto Soldado also played for the Spanish national team starting in 2007. He represented Spain in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He retired from professional football in August 2023 at the age of 38.
Contents
Roberto Soldado's Club Career
Roberto Soldado had a long and exciting career playing for many different football clubs.
Starting at Real Madrid
Roberto was born in Valencia, Spain. He joined Real Madrid when he was 15 years old. Before that, he played for a small local club called CF Don Bosco. He scored many goals for Real Madrid's reserve team, Real Madrid B.
He made his first appearance for Real Madrid's main team on October 23, 2005. This was against Valencia. He played for 18 minutes in a 1–2 loss at home. Before this, in September, he scored a winning goal in the UEFA Champions League against Olympiacos. He also scored important goals against Osasuna and Racing de Santander.
In the 2005–06 season, Soldado scored 19 goals for Real Madrid B. This made him one of the top goal scorers in the Segunda División (Spain's second division). In July 2006, he went on loan to Osasuna for a season. He wanted to play more and score goals in the first division. Osasuna had finished fourth the previous season, which meant they could play in the Champions League. He scored 13 goals for Osasuna, making him their top scorer that season.
Soldado returned to Real Madrid in 2007. He signed a new contract until 2012. He hoped to wear the number 9 shirt, which was his dream. However, he only played in five league games that season.
Playing for Getafe
In July 2008, Soldado moved to Getafe for €4 million. He signed a four-year contract. He scored his first goal for Getafe in October against Málaga. He scored two more goals against Osasuna later that year.
On January 25, 2009, Soldado scored three goals (a hat-trick) in a 5–1 home win against Sporting de Gijón. He scored two more goals in March against Recreativo. The next month, he scored against his old club, Real Madrid.
Soldado started the 2009–10 season very well. He scored three goals against Racing Santander in a 4–1 away win. He later scored three more goals against Xerez. By December 2009, he had scored ten league goals. This made him Getafe's best-ever scorer in the first division.
Time at Valencia
In June 2010, Soldado returned to his hometown club, Valencia. He signed for €10 million. He replaced David Villa, who had moved to Barcelona. In his first game for Valencia, he scored a goal in a 4–0 Champions League win against Bursaspor. He scored two more goals against Bursaspor in November.
On April 2, 2011, Soldado scored all four of Valencia's goals in a 4–2 win against his former club Getafe. In the next game, he scored two more goals against Villarreal. He finished the 2010–11 season as one of the top goal scorers. Valencia finished third in the league and qualified for the Champions League.
In his first game of the 2011–12 season, Soldado scored four goals against Racing Santander. Valencia won the game 4–3. In November 2011, he scored five more goals in two home games. He scored two against Real Madrid and three in a 7–0 Champions League win against Genk.
Soldado scored his 25th goal of the season on March 18, 2012. He scored all three of his team's goals in a 3–0 win against Bilbao. In June, he extended his contract with Valencia until 2017. On October 23, 2012, he scored another hat-trick in the Champions League against BATE Borisov.
Moving to Tottenham Hotspur
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Valencia agreed to transfer Soldado to Tottenham Hotspur on August 1, 2013. The fee was £26 million, which was a record for the English club at the time. The transfer was completed a few days later. In his first game in the Premier League on August 18, he scored a penalty goal. Tottenham won 1–0 against Crystal Palace. Four days later, he scored two goals in a 5–0 win against Dinamo Tbilisi in the Europa League.
On October 20, 2013, Soldado scored his first Premier League goal from open play. This was in a 2–0 win against Aston Villa. Two months later, he scored his first hat-trick for Tottenham. This was against Anzhi Makhachkala in the Europa League.
Soldado scored the only goal against Cardiff City on March 2, 2014. This was his first goal in nine games. He scored only six league goals in his first season. Only two of these goals were from open play.
In the 2014–15 season, Soldado started his first league game on October 18, 2014. He helped set up a goal for Christian Eriksen against Manchester City. His first goal of the season came on November 30. It was the winning goal in a 2–1 home win against Everton.
Returning to Spain with Villarreal
On August 14, 2015, Soldado returned to Spain's top league. He signed a three-year contract with Villarreal for about £10 million. He scored in his very first game for them. This helped Villarreal get a 1–1 draw against Real Betis.
On December 13, 2015, Soldado scored the only goal in a win against his former club, Real Madrid. He missed most of the 2016–17 season. This was because of a serious knee injury he got before the season started.
Playing in Turkey for Fenerbahçe
On August 11, 2017, Fenerbahçe in Turkey announced they had signed Soldado. He didn't score in his first ten games. But on November 19, he scored a hat-trick as a substitute. Fenerbahçe won 4–1 against Sivasspor. Soldado announced in June 2019 that he would not renew his contract with Fenerbahçe.
Joining Granada
On July 15, 2019, Soldado signed a one-year contract with Granada. This club had just been promoted to La Liga. He played his first game on August 17, scoring in a 4–4 draw against Villarreal. He continued to be a regular starter. Granada finished seventh in the league, which meant they qualified for European competition for the first time. In April 2020, Granada extended his contract for another season.
On September 17, 2020, Soldado scored Granada's first-ever goal in European competition. This was in a 4–0 win against Teuta Durrës from Albania in the Europa League. He scored two more goals in their run to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Final Years at Levante
Soldado joined Levante on June 28, 2021. He signed a two-year contract. He scored 11 goals during his time there. He also played in the 2023 promotion play-offs, but Levante did not get promoted.
On August 3, 2023, Roberto Soldado announced that he was retiring from professional football. He was 38 years old.
Roberto Soldado's International Career
Roberto Soldado played for Spain at all different youth levels. He scored a total of 26 goals for the youth teams.
He was first called up to the main Spanish national team in June 2007. He played in two qualifying games for Euro 2008. However, he was not part of the team that won the tournament.
On February 29, 2012, after almost five years, Soldado returned to the national team. He came on as a substitute in a friendly game against Venezuela. He scored two goals very quickly. He also won a penalty and scored a third goal in the 5–0 win.
The national team manager, Vicente del Bosque, chose Soldado for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup squad. He scored in Spain's first game on June 16. This helped Spain win 2–1 against Uruguay.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Madrid B | 2001–02 | Segunda División B | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2002–03 | Segunda División B | 26 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 8 | |||||
| 2003–04 | Segunda División B | 31 | 16 | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 36 | 21 | ||||
| 2004–05 | Segunda División B | 34 | 21 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 38 | 22 | ||||
| 2005–06 | Segunda División | 29 | 19 | — | — | — | — | 29 | 19 | |||||
| Total | 120 | 63 | — | — | — | 12 | 6 | 132 | 69 | |||||
| Real Madrid | 2004–05 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 17 | 4 | |||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 16 | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 27 | 4 | ||||
| Osasuna (loan) | 2006–07 | La Liga | 30 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — | 11 | 1 | — | 44 | 13 | ||
| Getafe | 2008–09 | La Liga | 34 | 13 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 13 | |||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 32 | 20 | ||||
| Total | 60 | 29 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 66 | 33 | |||||
| Valencia | 2010–11 | La Liga | 34 | 18 | 3 | 1 | — | 7 | 6 | — | 44 | 25 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 32 | 17 | 6 | 3 | — | 13 | 6 | — | 51 | 26 | |||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 35 | 24 | 4 | 2 | — | 7 | 4 | — | 46 | 30 | |||
| Total | 101 | 59 | 13 | 6 | — | 27 | 16 | — | 141 | 80 | ||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2013–14 | Premier League | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | — | 36 | 11 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 2 | — | 40 | 5 | ||
| Total | 52 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 7 | — | 76 | 16 | |||
| Villarreal | 2015–16 | La Liga | 28 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | 13 | 2 | — | 44 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | La Liga | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 4 | |||
| Total | 38 | 9 | 3 | 1 | — | 14 | 2 | — | 55 | 12 | ||||
| Fenerbahçe | 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 26 | 9 | 6 | 3 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 12 | ||
| 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 21 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 25 | 7 | |||
| Total | 47 | 15 | 8 | 4 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 59 | 19 | ||||
| Granada | 2019–20 | La Liga | 33 | 7 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 39 | 11 | |||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 29 | 9 | 3 | 2 | — | 11 | 3 | — | 43 | 14 | |||
| Total | 62 | 16 | 9 | 6 | — | 11 | 3 | — | 82 | 25 | ||||
| Levante | 2021–22 | La Liga | 18 | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 20 | 6 | |||
| 2022–23 | Segunda División | 25 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 31 | 5 | |||
| Total | 43 | 5 | 4 | 5 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 51 | 11 | ||||
| Career total | 569 | 217 | 58 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 85 | 30 | 16 | 7 | 733 | 284 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2007 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 3 | |
| Total | 12 | 7 | |
- Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Soldado goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 February 2012 | La Rosaleda Stadium, Málaga, Spain | 3 |  Venezuela |
3–0 | 5–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 4–0 | |||||||
| 3 | 5–0 | |||||||
| 4 | 11 September 2012 | Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia | 6 |  Georgia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 5 | 11 June 2013 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, United States | 9 |  Republic of Ireland |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 6 | 16 June 2013 | Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil | 10 |  Uruguay |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup | |
| 7 | 10 September 2013 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland | 12 |  Chile |
1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
Honours and Achievements
Roberto Soldado won several awards and titles during his football career:
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2007–08 (Spanish League Champion)
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2014–15 (Finished second in the League Cup)
Spain U19 (Under-19 National Team)
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2004 (European Champion)
Spain (Senior National Team)
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013 (Finished second in the Confederations Cup)
Individual Awards
- Zarra Trophy (Segunda División): 2005–06 (Award for top Spanish goal scorer in the second division)
- Zarra Trophy (La Liga): 2011–12 (Award for top Spanish goal scorer in the first division)
See also
In Spanish: Roberto Soldado para niños
