Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈleksis ˈsantʃes]; born 19 December 1988), also known mononymously as Alexis, is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Chile national team. He is often regarded as the greatest Chilean player of all time.
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Sánchez playing for Chile at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 December 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tocopilla, Chile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Inter Milan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 70 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Universidad Católica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Escuela Bernardo O'Higgins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Cobreloa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Cobreloa | 47 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | Udinese | 95 | (20) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | → Colo-Colo (loan) | 32 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | → River Plate (loan) | 23 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Barcelona | 88 | (39) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2018 | Arsenal | 122 | (60) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Manchester United | 32 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Inter Milan (loan) | 22 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Inter Milan | 57 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Marseille | 35 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Inter Milan | 19 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Chile U15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Chile U17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Chile U20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006– | Chile | 162 | (51) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:41, 14 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 01:47, 27 March 2024 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dubbed "El Niño Maravilla" (The Wonder Child), Sánchez began his senior club career playing for Cobreloa, aged 15, and signed with Udinese in 2006, aged 18; he won consecutive league titles while on loan to Colo-Colo and River Plate. Sánchez was the subject of a record association football transfer when he signed for Barcelona in 2011 in a transfer worth €37.5 million, becoming the most expensive Chilean player of all time. There, Sánchez won six trophies, including a La Liga title and a Copa del Rey. He then joined Arsenal in 2014 in a transfer worth £31.7 million (€35 million), and won two FA Cups, the 2015 PFA Fans' Player of the Year, and was voted into the 2015 PFA Team of the Year. In 2018, he moved to league rivals Manchester United in a swap deal; he signed for Inter Milan a year later, and won a Serie A title and a Coppa Italia. In August 2022, he signed for Ligue 1 club Marseille. Having played only one season for the French side, Sánchez returned to Inter Milan in the summer of 2023.
Sánchez made his senior international debut for Chile in 2006 at age 18, and has since earned 162 caps, appearing in eight major tournaments and becoming both his country's most capped player and all-time top goalscorer. He led Chile to their first victory in a major tournament by winning the 2015 Copa América, scoring the winning penalty in the final; he captained the team to a repeat of this triumph at the Copa América Centenario (2016), winning the Golden Ball for Best Player.