Paolo Guerrero
Who was Paolo Guerrero?
Peru's captain and all-time leading goalscorer with over 39 international goals who has played for clubs including Bayern Munich, Hamburger SV, and Internacional.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Paolo Guerrero (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
José Paolo Guerrero González was born on January 1, 1984, in Lima, Peru. A striker considered one of the best South American forwards of his time, he is known as "el Depredador," or "the Predator," for his precise goal-scoring and strong presence on the field. He has played for the Peru national team in 128 matches, scored 40 goals to become the country's top scorer, and captained the team for many years.
Guerrero started his professional career in Europe with Bayern Munich in Germany, where he developed as a young striker before moving to Hamburger SV. Over eight Bundesliga seasons with Hamburg, he scored 47 goals and became a reliable and formidable center forward in one of Europe’s toughest leagues. His performances in Germany gained him attention across Europe and paved the way for a successful career in South America.
His biggest success at the club level came in Brazil. While playing for Corinthians, Guerrero scored the winning goal in the final of the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, helping his team defeat Chelsea. He later joined Flamengo, another prominent Brazilian club, before returning to Peru to play for Alianza Lima. He also had a spell with Internacional in Porto Alegre. Throughout his time in Brazilian clubs, he became a fan favorite and solidified his reputation as one of the continent’s top strikers.
Internationally, Guerrero led Peru to third place in the 2011 and 2015 Copa América tournaments, and to the final in 2019, where they lost to Brazil. He was the top scorer in all three of those tournaments and is the highest-scoring active player in Copa América history. He also helped Peru reach the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, marking their first appearance in 36 years, and became the oldest Peruvian to play in a World Cup at 34 years and 177 days. In 2015, he became the first Peruvian footballer nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, making it onto a shortlist of 59 candidates.
In 2021, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics named Guerrero in their best South American team of the decade from 2010 to 2020, recognizing him as the top South American center forward alongside Neymar and Sergio Agüero. The newspaper El País, through surveys of about 200 journalists from across the Americas, voted him the best center forward in the Americas in both 2012 and 2017. The New York Times called him a legend in South American football. He has continued playing into his forties, returning to Alianza Lima in the Peruvian Primera División.
Before Fame
Paolo Guerrero was raised in Lima, Peru, during a time when Peruvian football was not as prominent compared to other South American countries. Peru's last participation in a FIFA World Cup was in 1982, and the country's club teams were not well-known on the continent. Nonetheless, Guerrero displayed enough talent as a young player to catch the eye of European scouts, leading him to join Bayern Munich's youth program. This was a remarkable opportunity for a young South American player during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
His experience in Germany was crucial to his development. Playing in one of the toughest football environments in the world helped him become a disciplined and skilled forward. By the time he made his debut for the Peru national team at the age of 20, he had already gained valuable experience in the Bundesliga's tactical play, giving him an advantage that shaped his successful career both in clubs and with the national team.
Key Achievements
- Peru's all-time leading international goalscorer with 40 goals in 128 appearances
- Won the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup with Corinthians, scoring the winning goal in the final
- Named best South American center forward of the decade 2010–2020 by IFFHS, alongside Neymar and Sergio Agüero
- Led Peru to Copa América runners-up finish in 2019 and third-place finishes in 2011 and 2015, finishing as top scorer in all three tournaments
- First Peruvian footballer nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, in 2015
Did You Know?
- 01.Guerrero scored the only goal in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup final, defeating Chelsea 1-0 to win the title for Corinthians.
- 02.He became the first Peruvian footballer ever to be nominated for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, appearing on the 59-man shortlist in 2015.
- 03.At 34 years and 177 days old during the 2018 World Cup, he became the oldest Peruvian player in World Cup history.
- 04.He served a doping ban in 2018 related to a substance found in a tea he consumed, which caused significant controversy given Peru's World Cup qualification campaign.
- 05.He finished as the top scorer in three separate Copa América tournaments — 2011, 2015, and 2019 — a feat matched by very few players in the competition's history.