Diego Valdés (Chilean footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Diego Valdés

| image = Diego Valdés.jpg

| caption = Valdés in 2019

| fullname = Diego Alfonso Valdés Contreras{{cite web |url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2013/pdf/FWYC_2013_SquadLists.pdf |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 List of Players: Chile |work=FIFA.com |format=PDF |page=2 |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |date=23 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627043508/http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2013/pdf/FWYC_2013_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=27 June 2013 |url-status=dead}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|01|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = Puente Alto, Chile

| height = 1.78 m

| position = Attacking midfielder

| currentclub = América

| clubnumber = 10

| youthyears1 = 2004–2014

| youthclubs1 = Audax Italiano

| years1 = 2014–2016

| clubs1 = Audax Italiano

| caps1 = 63

| goals1 = 13

| years2 = 2016–2018

| clubs2 = Morelia

| caps2 = 90

| goals2 = 12

| years3 = 2019–2021

| clubs3 = Santos Laguna

| caps3 = 90

| goals3 = 19

| years4 = 2022–

| clubs4 = América

| caps4 = 128

| goals4 = 33

| nationalyears1 = 2015–

| nationalteam1 = Chile

| nationalcaps1 = 37

| nationalgoals1 = 2

| club-update = 12 April 2025

| ntupdate = 20 March 2025

}}

Diego Alfonso Valdés Contreras (born 30 January 1994) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Liga MX club América and the Chile national team.

Club career

=Audax Italiano=

He made his professional debut in 2012, in a match against Universidad Católica for the Chilean Primera División.

=Morelia=

Valdés joined Monarcas Morelia from Audax Italiano on June 14, 2016, on a two million dollar move.{{cite web |url=http://www.telemundodeportes.com/mexico/diego-valdes-sexto-refuerzo-de-monarcas-morelia-para-el-apertura-2016-de-la-liga-mx|title=Valdes to Morelia|publisher= Telemundo Deportes |website= telemundodeportes.com |date=13 June 2016 |access-date=29 September 2017}} Valdés made his debut on July 15, 2016, against Club Tijuana losing 2–0.{{cite web|url=http://www.sinfoniadegol.cl/el-ingrato-debut-de-diego-valdes-en-morelia/|title=Debut with Morelia|publisher=Serigo Ramirez|website=sinfoniadegol.com|date=13 March 2016|access-date=29 September 2017|archive-date=16 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616203609/http://www.sinfoniadegol.cl/el-ingrato-debut-de-diego-valdes-en-morelia/|url-status=dead}}

=America=

Valdés joined Club America from Club Santos Laguna on January 1, 2022. On 30 August 2023, Valdés renewed his contract with America until 2026.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com.mx/futbol/mexico/nota/_/id/12521068/diego-valdes-renueva-contrato-america-2026 |title=Diego Valdés renueva contrato con América hasta 2026|publisher= Si Boss |website=ESPN.com|date=13 March 2023 |access-date=29 September 2023}} Valdés won the Liga MX with America on 17 December 2023.

International career

Valdés was expected to play for the Chile national under-20 football team in the 2013 South American Youth Championship in Argentina. However, he was left out of the team at the last minute by manager Mario Salas.

The team's performance in Argentina qualified them for a place in the Turkey 2013 under-20 World Cup and when team member Diego Rojas was injured and unable to play, Valdés was selected to take his place.[http://www.emol.com/noticias/deportes/2013/06/11/603141/lesion-de-diego-rojas-lo-deja-fuera-del-mundial-de-turquia-y-diego-valdes-viaja-de-urgencia.html Otra baja por lesión para la Sub 20: Diego Rojas quedó descartado para el Mundial] www.emol.com June 11, 2013 retrieved June 21, 2013

He got his first call up to the senior Chile squad for a friendly against the United States in January 2015 and made his international debut in the match.{{cite news|title=Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli names home-based squad for USA friendly|url=http://www.ca2015.com/en/news/chile-boss-jorge-sampaoli-names-home-based-squad-for-usa-friendly/qmgxs5nhrgp61f0ov4inkjfz6|access-date=17 November 2015|publisher=ca2015.com|date=21 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119152010/http://www.ca2015.com/en/news/chile-boss-jorge-sampaoli-names-home-based-squad-for-usa-friendly/qmgxs5nhrgp61f0ov4inkjfz6|archive-date=19 November 2015}}

Career statistics

=International=

National team	Year	Apps
class=wikitable style=text-align:center \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="8"\|Chile \|2015	1	0
2018	8	1
2019	2	0
2021	6	0
2022	3	0
2023	8	1
2024	5	0
2025	2	0
colspan="2"\|Total\|\|37\|\|2

=International goals=

:Scores and results list Chile's goal tally first.{{cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/58143/Diego_Valdes.html|title=Valdés, Diego|publisher=National Football Teams|access-date=10 June 2018}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%;"

! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

8 June 2018

Stadion Miejski, Poznań, Poland

align=center | 1–2

align=center | 2–2

Friendly

12 October 2023

Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile

align=center | 1–0

align=center | 2–0

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Racism controversy

On September 10, 2018, a day before a friendly match between Chile and South Korea, Valdés made a racist gesture, slanting his eyes with his hands at a fan publicity event.{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/chile-international-valdes-apologizes-for-derogatory-gesture/2018/09/10/506279e4-b572-11e8-ae4f-2c1439c96d79_story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912021057/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/chile-international-valdes-apologizes-for-derogatory-gesture/2018/09/10/506279e4-b572-11e8-ae4f-2c1439c96d79_story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 September 2018 |title=Chile international Valdes apologizes for derogatory gesture|publisher= John Duerden |website=washingtonpost.com|date=11 September 2018 |access-date=12 September 2018}} The gesture was reported internationally and created furor in South Korea, resulting in Valdés posting an apology widely seen as inadequate.{{cite web |url=https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/social/tottenham-heung-min-son-diego-valdes |title=Tottenham’s Heung-Min Son makes a fool of ‘racist’ Chilean midfielder Diego Valdes |publisher=101greatgoals.com |date=11 September 2018 |access-date=12 September 2018 |archive-date=16 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616203634/https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/social/tottenham-heung-min-son-diego-valdes/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/2163667/chile-footballer-diego-valdes-apologises-racist-gesture-posing-south |title=Chile footballer Diego Valdes apologises for ‘racist’ gesture posing with South Korean fan ahead of international friendly

|publisher= scmp.com.com |date=11 September 2018 |access-date=12 September 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://the18.com/soccer-news/diego-valdes-makes-half-assed-apology-racist-gesture-justice-served-son-heung-min |title=Diego Valdes Makes Half-Assed Apology For Racist Gesture, But Justice Is Served By Son Heung-min|publisher= the18 |website=the18.com|date=11 September 2018 |access-date=12 September 2018}} This was the second racist incident in Korea from a visiting South American team, following a similar incident in 2017 in which Colombian football player Edwin Cardona was banned for five games by FIFA after making a similar gesture.{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/chile-international-diego-valdes-forced-13230191 |title=Chile international Diego Valdes forced to apologise after making 'racist' gesture towards South Korea fan |publisher= Mirror |website=mirror.co.uk|date=11 September 2018 |access-date=12 September 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/soccer/chile/story/3629846/chiles-diego-valdes-apologises-for-eye-gesture-ahead-of-south-korea-match |title=Chile's Diego Valdes apologises for eye gesture ahead of South Korea match |publisher= ESPN |website=espn.com|date=11 September 2018 |access-date=12 September 2018}}

Honours

América

Liga MX: Apertura 2023,{{cite web | last=Hernandez | first=Cesar | title=Club América extends Liga MX record to 14 titles after defeating Tigres | website=ESPN | date=18 December 2023 | url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/report/_/gameId/690858 | access-date=19 December 2023}} Clausura 2024,{{cite web | last=Hernandez | first=Cesar | title=América secure back-to-back Liga MX titles with win over Cruz Azul | website=ESPN | date=27 May 2024 | url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/report?gameId=702650 | access-date=28 May 2024}} Apertura 2024
Campeón de Campeones: 2024
Campeones Cup: 2024

Individual

Liga MX Best XI: Apertura 2021, Clausura 2022
Liga MX All-Star: 2021{{cite web|title=Liga MX unveils its final roster for the 2021 All-Star game|url=https://en.as.com/en/2021/07/18/soccer/1626635244_954732.html|date=19 July 2021|work=AS}}
Liga MX Best Offensive Midfielder: 2022–23