Yeferson Soteldo facts for kids
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Soteldo with Universidad de Chile in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yeferson Julio Soteldo Martínez | ||
| Date of birth | 30 June 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Acarigua, Venezuela | ||
| Height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Fluminense | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2013 | Caracas | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2016 | Zamora | 84 | (21) |
| 2017–2018 | Huachipato | 22 | (2) |
| 2018 | → Universidad de Chile (loan) | 26 | (5) |
| 2019–2021 | Santos | 77 | (15) |
| 2021–2022 | Toronto FC | 24 | (3) |
| 2022–2023 | Tigres UANL | 1 | (1) |
| 2022–2023 | → Santos (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2023–2025 | Santos | 32 | (1) |
| 2024–2025 | → Grêmio (loan) | 31 | (6) |
| 2025– | Fluminense | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Venezuela U20 | 15 | (3) |
| 2020 | Venezuela U23 | 4 | (2) |
| 2016– | Venezuela | 51 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:38, 19 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:54, 11 June 2025 (UTC) |
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Yeferson Julio Soteldo Martínez is a professional footballer from Venezuela. He was born on June 30, 1997. Yeferson plays for the club Fluminense in Brazil. He also plays for the Venezuela national team. He is mostly known for playing as a left winger. He can also play as an attacking midfielder.
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Yeferson Soteldo's Club Career
Yeferson Soteldo was born in Acarigua, Venezuela. When he was a teenager, he moved to Caracas. His first coach at Caracas FC invited him to join Zamora FC. He was only 16 years old at the time.
Starting at Zamora FC
Soteldo made his first team debut on September 16, 2013. This was also his first game in the Venezuelan Primera División. He came into the game as a late substitute. The game was a 0–0 draw against Atlético Venezuela.
Soteldo became a regular player for Zamora starting in the 2014–15 season. He scored his first professional goal on January 28, 2015. It was the first goal in a 4–2 win against Carabobo. On May 20, 2015, he scored two goals in a 3–2 win against Mineros de Guayana. In the 2015 season, he scored twelve goals. His team won the Primera División trophy that year.
Moving to Huachipato
On December 20, 2016, Soteldo joined Chilean Primera División team Huachipato. The club paid about €1.5 million for him. He played his first game outside Venezuela on February 17. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win over Universidad de Chile.
Soteldo scored his first goal abroad on July 22, 2017. It was his team's third goal in a 4–0 win against Deportes Valdivia. This goal was scored during the Copa Chile tournament.
Loan to Universidad de Chile
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On January 11, 2018, Soteldo joined Universidad de Chile on a one-year loan. This team also plays in the top league. La U paid about US$1.5 million for the loan. They also had an option to buy 50% of his rights for US$3.5 million. He played regularly, appearing in 26 league games and scoring five goals.
Playing for Santos FC
On January 12, 2019, Soteldo signed a four-year contract with Série A team Santos FC. He played his first game for Santos twelve days later. He came on as a substitute and scored his team's third goal. This was in a 4–0 win against São Bento in the Campeonato Paulista.
Soteldo quickly became a key player for Santos. He scored two goals in a game twice in November. Once against Botafogo (a 4–1 win) and once against Goiás (a 3–0 win). On February 11, 2020, he extended his contract until December 2023.
Moving to Toronto FC
On April 24, 2021, Santos FC announced that Soteldo was sold to MLS team Toronto FC. The transfer fee was $6.5 million. This payment helped Santos avoid a transfer ban from FIFA. He made his debut on May 8, coming on as a substitute against the New York Red Bulls. On July 7, Soteldo scored his first goal for Toronto against the New England Revolution.
Time at Tigres
On January 31, 2022, Soteldo joined Liga MX club Tigres UANL. This was part of a player exchange deal. Carlos Salcedo moved to Toronto in return.
Returning to Santos
On August 11, 2022, Santos announced that Soteldo was returning on loan. The loan was until July 2023, with an option to buy him permanently. However, he had some injuries during this time. He was out for three months because of a shoulder injury in early 2023.
On June 16, 2023, Santos decided to buy Soteldo permanently. They bought 50% of his rights and he signed a contract until June 2027. However, he was temporarily removed from the first team on July 1 due to some discipline issues. He still officially signed his permanent contract six days later.
On August 6, 2023, Soteldo was brought back to the Santos first team. This happened one day after the coach, Paulo Turra, was dismissed. He scored his first goal after returning on October 1. It was his team's fourth goal in a 4–1 win against Vasco da Gama. In that game, he also tried a fancy move with the ball, which led to a small fight on the field.
Loan to Grêmio
On December 22, 2023, after Santos was moved down to a lower league for the first time, Soteldo went to Grêmio on loan for the 2024 season.
2025 Season and New Club
Soteldo returned to Santos for the 2025 season. He renewed his contract with the club until December 2028 on February 12, 2025.
Joining Fluminense
On June 10, 2025, Soteldo moved to Fluminense. He signed a contract for three and a half years. This move meant he would play again under his former Grêmio coach, Renato Gaúcho.
Yeferson Soteldo's International Career
On January 19, 2016, Soteldo was called to play for the Venezuela national team. This was for a friendly game against Costa Rica. He played his first full international game on February 2. He played the whole 90 minutes in a 1–0 win in Barinas.
Soteldo was not initially on the list for the 2019 Copa América. But he was called up on June 8 to replace an injured player, Adalberto Peñaranda.
How Yeferson Soteldo Plays
Yeferson Soteldo is about 5 feet 2 inches tall. He is a small and energetic forward. He is known for his exciting style and speed with the ball. He is also good at creating chances for his team and dribbling. He mostly plays as a left winger, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder.
When he joined Toronto FC in 2021, a sports writer named Neil Davidson said Soteldo was a "dangerous winger." He likes to challenge defenders and confuse them with his moves. He can both create goals and score them. Toronto's General Manager, Ali Curtis, also described him as a "really shifty player. Elusive. Good in tight spaces."
International Goals
Yeferson Soteldo has scored goals for the Venezuela national team. Here are some of them:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 November 2019 | Panasonic Stadium Suita, Suita, Japan |  Japan |
4–0 | 4–1 | 2019 Kirin Challenge Cup |
| 2 | 2 September 2021 | Estadio Olímpico de la UCV, Caracas, Venezuela |  Argentina |
1–3 | 1–3 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 15 June 2023 | Audi Field, Washington, D.C., United States |  Honduras |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 17 October 2023 | Estadio Monumental, Maturín, Venezuela |  Chile |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Awards and Achievements
Yeferson Soteldo has won several awards and helped his teams achieve success:
With Zamora
- Venezuelan Primera División: 2013–14, 2015, 2016
With Santos
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-up: 2019
- Copa Libertadores runner-up: 2020
With Grêmio
- Campeonato Gaúcho: 2024
With Venezuela U20 Team
- FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 2017
- South American Youth Football Championship third place: 2017
With Venezuela National Team
- Kirin Cup: 2019
Individual Awards
- Venezuelan Primera División Team of the Year: Best Attacking Midfielder 2016
- Chilean Primera División Best Foreign Player: 2017
- Chilean Primera División Team of the Year: Best Left Winger 2017, 2018
- Campeonato Paulista Team of the Year: 2020
- Copa Libertadores Best XI: 2020
- Best Left Winger in Brazil: 2020
- South America Team of the Year: 2020
See also
In Spanish: Yeferson Soteldo para niños
