Davinson Sánchez Mina (born 12 June 1996) is a Colombian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
centre-back for club
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
and the
Colombia national team.
Despite initially coming through
América de Cali's youth academy, Sánchez relocated to
Medellín and made his professional debut for
Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional S. A., best known as Atlético Nacional, is a Colombian professional football club based in Medellín. The club is one of only three clubs to have played in every first division tournament in the country's history, the oth ...
in 2013; collectively, he acheieved four domestic league titles, two
Copa Colombia
The Copa Colombia ( en, Colombia Cup, link=yes); officially known as Copa BetPlay Dimayor is an annual football tournament in Colombia. It is contested by the 36 professional clubs of DIMAYOR and is the nation's domestic cup competition, equiva ...
's, a
Superliga Colombiana, and a
Copa Libertadores during his time with Nacional. Sánchez made the leap to European football in 2016, joining
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
side
AFC Ajax
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the l ...
. In his first season with the club, he won the
Ajax Player of the Year Award and reached the
2017 UEFA Europa League Final
The 2017 UEFA Europa League Final was the final match of the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, the 46th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 8th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Euro ...
. Sánchez became
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
's club-record signing in 2017, costing them around £42 million, a record that was topped by
Tanguy Ndombélé who signed for Spurs in 2019.
At youth level, Sánchez represented
Colombia at the
2013 South American U-17 Championship and was part of the
Colombia squads that participated at the
2015 South American U-20 Championship
The 2015 South American Youth Football Championship ( es, Campeonato Sudamericano Sub-20 "Juventud de América" Uruguay 2015, pt, Campeonato Sulamericano Sub-20 "Juventude da América" Uruguai 2015, region=BR) was the 27th edition of the biennia ...
and the
2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the twentieth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. The competition took place for the first time in New Zealand, the third time on Oceanian soil after ...
, respectively. He made his senior debut for
Colombia in 2016 and has represented the nation at two editions of the
Copa América, and the
2018 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Atlético Nacional
As a youth, Sánchez played in the youth academy of
América de Cali, but after his parents moved, he was transferred to
Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional S. A., best known as Atlético Nacional, is a Colombian professional football club based in Medellín. The club is one of only three clubs to have played in every first division tournament in the country's history, the oth ...
, where he was educated under the wings of
Juan Carlos Osorio. The defender made his debut for the senior team on 27 October 2013, in a 0–1 loss to
Boyacá Chicó. Osorio put the player in the starting lineup and he completed the entire match.
On 2 March 2016, Sánchez scored his first goal for Nacional in a 3–0 victory over
Sporting Cristal from Peru in the
Copa Libertadores. Due to his performances for Nacional, foreign clubs including
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
, and
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
showed an interest in signing the player. Barcelona made a formal offer to sign the player, but Sánchez declined the offer because he didn't want to start in
FC Barcelona B
FC may refer to:
Businesses, organisations, and schools
* Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India
* Finncomm Airlines (IATA code)
* FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC
* Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakis ...
, the reserve team. He won the Copa Libertadores 2016 against Ecuadorian
Independiente del Valle
Club de Alto Rendimiento Especializado Independiente del Valle, known simply as Independiente del Valle, is a professional football club based in Sangolquí, Ecuador, that currently plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A.
Founded in 1958, the club pla ...
.
Ajax
In June 2016, Sánchez signed a five-year contract with Dutch side
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
, until 2021. The club paid a transfer fee of €5 million to Atlético Nacional. A few days earlier, Ajax had signed Sánchez's compatriot
Mateo Cassierra
Zander Mateo Cassierra Cabezas (born 13 April 1997) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg.
Career
Deportivo Cali
Cassierra made his debut for Deportivo Cali in 2015. Despite havin ...
, thus making him the second Colombian in the squad. Sánchez joined Ajax after Nacional had finished its participation in the
Copa Libertadores. Sánchez's Ajax debut on 13 August ended in a 2–2 tie with
Roda JC Kerkrade
Sportvereniging Roda Juliana Combinatie Kerkrade (; Ripuarian: ), also known as Roda JC Kerkrade () or commonly Roda JC or Roda, is a Dutch professional football club based in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Roda JC Kerkrade plays in the Eerste Divisie. ...
in which he started and played the 90 minutes. His first goal with the club was on 24 September against
PEC Zwolle
PEC Zwolle is a Dutch football club based in Zwolle, Netherlands. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation from the Eredivisie in the 2021–22 season. They have played in the Eredivisie for a total ...
. On 8 May 2017, he was named as the best player of the season for
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
.
Tottenham Hotspur
On 18 August 2017,
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
club
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
announced that they had agreed a move for Sánchez signing a six-year contract subject to a work permit, for a reported transfer fee of up to £42 million. He made his debut on 27 August as a substitute for
Mousa Dembélé in the 92nd minute in a 1–1 draw with
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, Lancashire, Preston, at the confluence of the River C ...
.
On 15 May 2018, Sánchez signed a new contract with Tottenham, keeping him at the club until 2024.
On 10 February 2019, Sánchez scored his first goal for Tottenham in the Premier League game against
Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
.
On 1 June 2019, Sánchez was an unused substitute for Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League Final against Liverpool.
On 11 February 2021, Sánchez scored twice, his first goals in two years, in the
2020–21 FA Cup fifth round match against
Everton that eventually ended in a 5–4 loss for Tottenham after extra time.
International career
Youth teams
In November 2011, Sánchez was called up to dispute the
2011 South American U-15 Championship, where his team finished as runner-up behind Brazil; Sánchez was appointed as his team's captain for the tournament.
Sánchez represented Colombia U-17 side at the
2013 South American U-17 Championship, where he appeared twice in the group stage.
On 6 January 2015, he was included in
Carlos Restrepo's 23-man list for the
2015 South American U-20 Championship
The 2015 South American Youth Football Championship ( es, Campeonato Sudamericano Sub-20 "Juventud de América" Uruguay 2015, pt, Campeonato Sulamericano Sub-20 "Juventude da América" Uruguai 2015, region=BR) was the 27th edition of the biennia ...
, where Colombia secured qualification to the
2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the twentieth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. The competition took place for the first time in New Zealand, the third time on Oceanian soil after ...
and the
Olympic play-off for
Rio 2016
)
, nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams)
, athletes = 11,238
, events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines)
, opening = 5 August 2016
, closing = 21 August 2016
, opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer
, cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro de ...
after finishing runner-up. On 6 May, Sánchez was named in Colombia final 23-man team for the U-20 World Cup, where his team exited the tournament in the round of 16 after falling to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
Despite not disputing the Olympics, Sánchez appeared in both legs for the play-off series against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, in which Colombia qualified to the Olympics for the first team since
Barcelona 1992 after finishing the series 3–2 on aggregate.
Senior team
Colombia manager
José Pékerman
José Néstor Pékerman Krimen (; born 3 September 1949) is an Argentine professional football coach and current manager of the Venezuela national team. As a youth level coach for Argentina, he won the FIFA World Youth Championship three times, ...
called up Sánchez for a training squad with the senior
Colombia squad in February 2016. On 26 August 2022, he was named in Colombia's squad for the
2018 World Cup qualifiers
Eighteen or 18 may refer to:
* 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19
* one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
Film, television and entertainment
* ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...
against
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. On 19 November, Sánchez made his debut against
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
In May 2018, he was named in Colombia's preliminary 35-man
squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In June 2018, he was named in Colombia's final 23-man squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played in all three group matches and their round of 16 match against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
In June 2019, he started in three of the four games at the
2019 Copa América
The 2019 Copa América was the 46th edition of the Copa América, the international men's association football championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. It was held in Brazil and took place between 14 June and ...
, helped the team keep a clean sheet and beat Argentina for the first time in 12 years. The team however lost in the quarter-final against Chile after a penalty shoot-out.
On 10 June 2021, Sánchez was included in
Reinaldo Rueda's 23-man squad for the
2021 Copa América in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. He featured in all of Colombia's matches as the team secured bronze after defeating
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
3–2 for the
third-place playoff.
On 19 November 2022, Sánchez scored his first international goal in a 2–0 friendly win against
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Colombia'a goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sánchez goal.''
Honours
Atlético Nacional
*
Categoría Primera A:
2013 Apertura,
2013 Finalización,
2014 Apertura,
2015 Finalización
*
Copa Colombia
The Copa Colombia ( en, Colombia Cup, link=yes); officially known as Copa BetPlay Dimayor is an annual football tournament in Colombia. It is contested by the 36 professional clubs of DIMAYOR and is the nation's domestic cup competition, equiva ...
:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
*
Superliga Colombiana:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
; runner-up:
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
2015
*
Copa Libertadores:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
*
Copa Sudamericana runner-up:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
Ajax
*
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
runner-up:
2016–17
Tottenham Hotspur
*
EFL Cup runner-up:
2020–21
*
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
runner-up:
2018–19
Colombia U23
*
CONCACAF–CONMEBOL play-off for the 2016 Summer Olympics:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
Individual
*
Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award):
2016–17
*UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2017
References
External links
Profileat the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. website
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Davinson
1996 births
Living people
Colombian people of African descent
Sportspeople from Cauca Department
Colombian footballers
Association football defenders
Atlético Nacional footballers
AFC Ajax players
Jong Ajax players
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
Categoría Primera A players
Eredivisie players
Eerste Divisie players
Premier League players
Colombia youth international footballers
Colombia under-20 international footballers
Colombia international footballers
2018 FIFA World Cup players
2019 Copa América players
2021 Copa América players
Colombian expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands
Expatriate footballers in England
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
Colombian expatriate sportspeople in England