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Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez (; born 19 December 1988), also known
mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...
ously as Alexis, is a Chilean 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 lea ...
who plays as a forward for
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
club Udinese and the Chile national team. He is often regarded as the greatest Chilean player of all time alongside Elías Figueroa. 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 In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the deb ...
to
Colo-Colo Colo-Colo (), officially Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo, is a Chilean professional football club based in Macul, Santiago. Founded in 1925 by David Arellano, it competes in the Chilean Primera División, from which the club has never been ...
and River Plate. Sánchez was the subject of a record association football transfer when he signed for
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...
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 The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
title and a
Copa del Rey The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
. He then joined
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in 2014 in a transfer worth £31.7 million (€35 million), and won two
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
s, the 2015 PFA Fans' Player of the Year, and was voted into the 2015
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...
. In 2018, he moved to league
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
in a swap deal; he signed for
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
a year later, and won a Serie A title and a
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
. In August 2022, he signed for
Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
club
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
. 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 168 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 Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
; he captained the team to a repeat of this triumph at the Copa América Centenario (2016), winning the Golden Ball for Best Player.


Club career


Early career

Sánchez had a brief stint with a Universidad Católica Academy based in Rancagua in 1999, being coached by the Chilean former international footballer René Valenzuela. In addition to this, he represented the Escuela Bernardo O'Higgins team from
Tocopilla Tocopilla is a city and commune in the Antofagasta Region, in the north of Chile. It is the capital of the province that bears the same name. Every year Tocopilla celebrates its anniversary on 29 September with a big show the day before, which ...
in national championships.


Cobreloa

Born in
Tocopilla Tocopilla is a city and commune in the Antofagasta Region, in the north of Chile. It is the capital of the province that bears the same name. Every year Tocopilla celebrates its anniversary on 29 September with a big show the day before, which ...
, Sánchez was a product of C.D. Cobreloa's prolific youth ranks where he was teammate of current Chile national team players such as Charles Aránguiz and Eduardo Vargas. In February 2005, Sánchez was promoted to the senior first team by manager Nelson Acosta. Sánchez's made his debut against
Deportes Temuco Club de Deportes Temuco is a Chile, Chilean Soccer, football club based in Temuco, Araucanía Region. It currently plays in the Primera B de Chile, Chilean Primera División B, holding home games at the new ''Estadio Municipal Germán Becker''. T ...
on 12 February and scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Deportes Concepción on 18 March. He played his first
Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...
game against
Once Caldas Once Caldas S.A., simply known as Once Caldas, is a professional Colombian Association football, football team based in Manizales, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera A. The club plays its home games at Estadio Palogrande. The club wa ...
aged 16, which made him one of the youngest players on debut for the tournament. After an impressive season with Cobreloa, Sánchez caught the attention of
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
club Udinese, which signed him for a £1.7 million fee, on 21 April 2006. Udinese, however, began a maturation project with Sánchez and immediately loaned him to Chilean giants
Colo-Colo Colo-Colo (), officially Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo, is a Chilean professional football club based in Macul, Santiago. Founded in 1925 by David Arellano, it competes in the Chilean Primera División, from which the club has never been ...
in a season-long deal.


Colo-Colo

Sánchez debuted for Colo-Colo on 23 June 2006 in a 1–1 draw with
Antofagasta Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669. Once claimed by Bolivia follo ...
; he scored his first goal on 29 October during the Chilean football derby against
Universidad de Chile The University of Chile () is a public research university in Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the co ...
in a 4–2 win. His good performances allowed him to break into the starting lineup after successfully challenging veteran striker Mario Cáceres, and he then began partnering Humberto Suazo in the forward position. On 1 November, he scored a brace in a 4–4 league draw against Deportes La Serena. as well as his first continental goal in a 7–2 thrash over
Alajuelense Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (LDA, ), commonly known as Alajuelense and nicknamed La Liga (), is a Costa Rican multisport club based in the borough of El Llano, Alajuela, Alajuela province. Although they compete in a number of different sports, Al ...
from Costa Rica for the
Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, also known as Copa Sudamericana (; ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America, since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club com ...
. Nevertheless, Colo-Colo was runner-up of that tournament after losing the final against
Pachuca Pachuca (; ), formally known as Pachuca de Soto, is the capital and largest city of the east-central Mexico, Mexican States of Mexico, state of Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca Municipality, Pach ...
of Mexico. On 23 December 2006, Sánchez won his first professional title after being starter in the Torneo Clausura final against Audax Italiano which his team won 3–2. The next season, on 23 March 2007, he scored his first
Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...
goals against
Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...
at Cúcuta where he netted a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
to a 4–0 away win. On 12 May, Sánchez scored his first and only one league goal during a 3–1 home win over Santiago Wanderers, key in the race for title with Universidad Católica which Colo-Colo finally reached after beat
Palestino The term ''Palestino'' is the Spanish word for "Palestinian". The word "''Palestino''" is used in Cuba as a disparaging nickname for illegal migrants within the country. The nickname is used as a rhetorical device, that compares illegal migrants ...
1–0 at Monumental the last matchday. Noteworthy, it meant the club's 26th league title. After Sánchez's impressive
FIFA U-20 World Cup The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members' men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 when i ...
(where
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
achieved the third place with José Sulantay as coach), his loan with Colo-Colo expired and on 15 August 2007, he joined Argentina's River Plate on loan from Udinese.


Udinese

After a successful season in Argentina, Sánchez left South America in July 2008 to join Udinese, where he would meet up with Chilean compatriot Mauricio Isla. Sánchez made his non-competitive debut in a 3–0 win over Bassano and was named the man of match. On 14 September, he played his first Serie A match in a 1–0 loss with
Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
and four days later, he made his European debut against
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, often known simply as Borussia Dortmund () or by its initialism BVB (), or just Dortmund by International fans, is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is ...
. On 19 October 2008, Sánchez scored his first league goal against
Lecce Lecce (; ) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old. Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is n ...
. After this first goal, Sánchez got into a minor slump, in which he took much criticism. The criticism ended after scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute against
Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
in a 1–0 win, being named the man of match. The next season, Sánchez played an important role for Udinese in the
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
, being a key player in the team that eliminated
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, assisting Gökhan Inler for the winning goal. In the semi-final second leg, Sánchez was the man of match after playing a successful game against Roma, including scoring his first
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
goal in the 81st minute. It was not enough, however, as the aggregate score finished 2–1 in favour of Roma. By the end of this year, Sánchez scored a total of 5 goals (4 at the end of tournament) in 32 appearances. On 27 February 2011, Sánchez scored four of his team's seven goals as Udinese comfortably defeated
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
7–0, playing only the first 52 minutes of the game. This event meant he broke the record of goals scored by a Chilean player (in a single match) in Serie A, beating the records set by countrymen
Marcelo Salas José Marcelo Salas Melinao (; born 24 December 1974), nicknamed ''Bullfighter, Matador'' (due to his Goal celebration, goalscoring celebrations), ''El Fenómeno'' and ''Shileno'', is a Chilean former association football, footballer who play ...
and Iván Zamorano. During his successful season at Udinese, Sánchez and Italian striker Antonio Di Natale became one of the best scoring duos in Serie A; they tallied 39 goals between them, two goals short of the
Alessandro Del Piero Alessandro Del Piero (; born 9 November 1974) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. Since 2015, he has worked as a pundit for ...
David Trezeguet David Sergio Trezeguet (, ; born 15 October 1977) is a French former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Trezeguet began his career in Argentina with Club Atlético Platense at ...
duo that completed 41 goals in the 2007–08 season. In recognition of his achievements, Sánchez was named the world's most promising youngster of the 2011 season by the users of
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
.com, where users had to choose between Sánchez,
Gareth Bale Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh former professional Association football, footballer who played as a right winger, most notably for Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid, and the Wales national ...
, Javier Pastore, Ganso and
Neymar Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (; born 5 February 1992), also known as Neymar Júnior or simply Neymar, is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left winger, attacking midfielder or Forward (association foo ...
in a poll. Sánchez ranked 56th in the May 2011 edition of Castrol Performance Index and 24th among the forwards.


Barcelona

On 20 July 2011,
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...
confirmed they had agreed to a €26 million fee (including €11.5 million in certain bonuses) with Udinese for the transfer of Sánchez and he became the first Chilean to play for the club. "Sánchez is very young", said then-manager
Pep Guardiola Josep "Pep" Guardiola Sala (; born 18 January 1971) is a Catalans, Catalan professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player from Spain who has been the manager of club Manchester City F.C., Ma ...
; "He can play in all three attacking positions, he shows intense defensive skills, he's direct and from what I've been told, he's a very nice kid." The transfer was finalised five days later when he passed a medical and signed a five-year contract. "I want to learn from players like
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
and Xavi Hernández—and I want to help the club win more titles", said Sánchez. Sánchez's debut season for Barcelona was mired with short-term injuries. He made his debut on 14 August 2011 against archrivals
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
in the 2011 Supercopa de España first leg away match, suffering a thigh injury after a challenge by
Marcelo Marcelo is a given name, the Spanish and Portuguese form of Marcellus (name), Marcellus. Marcelo may refer to: Given name *Marcelo Costa de Andrade (born 1967), Brazilian serial killer, rapist, and necrophile *Marcelo Arriagada (born 1973), Chile ...
. Barcelona won the tie 5–4 on aggregate. He made his return two weeks later as a substitute in the 2011 UEFA Super Cup, won by Barca 2–0. Sánchez then started the opening match of
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
, at home against Villarreal, and scored his first goal in a 5–0 win. A week later, on 10 September, he was stretchered off after 30 minutes following a challenge from Dani Estrada in a domestic league match against
Real Sociedad Real Sociedad de Fútbol, more commonly referred to as Real Sociedad ( ; ''Royal Society'') in English, and Erreala or Reala in Basque language, Basque, is a Spanish professional sports club in the city of San Sebastián, Donostia / San Sebastián, ...
. Sánchez returned on 1 November in an away match against Viktoria Plzeň. On 10 December, he scored Barça's equaliser against Real Madrid in a match they went on to win 3–1 away at the
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (, ) is a retractable roof association football, football stadium in Madrid, Spain. With a seating capacity of around 83,000 following its extensive renovation completed in late 2024, the stadium has the second-largest ...
. On 14 February 2012, Sánchez scored the first and second
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
goals of his career in Barcelona's 3–1 victory against
Bayer Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen, officially known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH () and commonly known as Bayer Leverkusen or simply Leverkusen, is a German professional football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It competes in the B ...
. In the 2012–13 campaign, on 2 October 2012 Sánchez scored the first goal for Barcelona in a 2–0 away win against Benfica. On 10 February 2013, then scored his first goal of the Liga season in Barça's 6–1 home win against
Getafe Getafe () is a municipalities in Spain, municipality and a city in Spain belonging to the Community of Madrid. , it has a population of 180,747, the region's sixth most populated municipality. Getafe is located 13 km south of Madrid's city c ...
. From February onwards, Sánchez scored in matches against
Deportivo de La Coruña Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña (), commonly known as Deportivo La Coruña () or simply Depor, is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia, that competes in the Segunda División, the ...
,
Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
,
Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...
,
Real Betis Real Betis Balompié, known as Real Betis () is a Spanish professional association football, football club based in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It plays in La Liga, the Spanish football league system, top flight of Spanish football. It plays home ...
,
Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
and Espanyol to end the season with eight league goals. Barcelona won the league title, ending the season with 100
points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
. On 26 October 2013, Sánchez scored the winning goal as ''Barça'' beat Real Madrid 2–1 at
Camp Nou Camp Nou (), meaning ''New Field'' and often referred to in English as the Nou Camp, is a stadium in Barcelona and the home of La Liga club FC Barcelona since its opening in 1957. It is currently undergoing renovation, and with a planned increa ...
in the first '' Clásico'' fixture of the 2013–14 La Liga season. On 5 January 2014, Sánchez scored his first hat-trick for Barcelona in a 4–0 win against
Elche Elche (, ; , , , ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234,800 inhabitants,
. He ended the 2013–14 season with a career-high 21 goals in all competitions, including 19 in La Liga.


Arsenal

On 10 July 2014, Sánchez signed for
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
on a long-term contract for a transfer fee of £31.7 million. Sánchez was given the squad number 17, previously worn by Nacho Monreal, who took the vacant number 18 instead. In a statement released by the club, Sánchez said that he was "so happy to be joining Arsenal, a club which has a great manager, a fantastic squad of players, huge support around the world and a great stadium in London". Manager
Arsène Wenger Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger (born 22 October 1949) is a French former association football, football Manager (association football), manager and football player, player who is currently serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development. ...
praised Sánchez, saying that the Chilean international "has consistently produced top-quality performances at the highest level for a number of seasons now and we are all excited to see him integrate into the Arsenal squad". Sánchez made his first appearance for Arsenal on 2 August 2014, as a substitute during a 5–1 win against Benfica in the pre-season
Emirates Cup The Emirates Cup is a pre-season association football invitational competition hosted by English club Arsenal F.C., Arsenal at their home ground, Emirates Stadium, in Holloway, London. The two-day competition was inaugurated in 2007 and is na ...
tournament.


2014–17: FA Cup wins

Sánchez's first competitive appearance was against
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
in the Community Shield, on 10 August, playing in the first half and helping Arsenal to a 3–0 win. On 16 August, he made his
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
debut against Crystal Palace, assisting Laurent Koscielny's equaliser in a 2–1 home win. He then scored his first goal for Arsenal on 27 August, slotting the ball past
Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...
goalkeeper Tolga Zengin in stoppage time of the first half to secure a 1–0 aggregate victory and a spot in the group stage of the 2014–15 Champions League. Following the game, Wenger was full of praise for Sánchez, with the Arsenal manager saying, "He had a good game, not only on the technical side but on the fighting side. He was mobile, dangerous and has shown as well he has great fighting spirit, qualities that will be very important in the Premier League." His first league goal came four days later, netting the opening goal in a 1–1 draw away to newly promoted Leicester City. He then scored his second league goal in as many games against previous season champions Manchester City, demonstrating perfect technique to sidefoot a volley high past goalkeeper Joe Hart in a 2–2 draw at the
Emirates Stadium The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a association football, football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. ...
. Sánchez scored his fourth goal for Arsenal, from a free-kick, as the Gunners fell to 2–1 defeat to
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
in the League Cup. He scored his first goal in the Champions League proper for the Gunners on 1 October, scoring Arsenal's third goal of their 4–1 home win over Galatasaray and also provided assists for two goals by
Danny Welbeck Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck (born 26 November 1990) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., Brighton & Hove Albion. Welbeck m ...
. On 18 October, he scored the opening goal and later assisted a late Welbeck equaliser in a 2–2 draw against Hull City at home. The following league fixture saw him scoring a brace against
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
after capitalising on errors made by defender Wes Brown and former Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone. On 1 November, Sánchez again scored a brace, this time against
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
in a 3–0 victory. With that brace, he moved to 10 goals for the season across all competitions. He and
Yaya Sanogo Yaya Sanogo (born 27 January 1993) is a French professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), striker for China League One club Qingdao Red Lions F.C., Qingdao Red Lions. A promising youth player, h ...
scored against Borussia Dortmund in 2–0 win as Arsenal qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. On 3 December, he scored the winner against Southampton in the 89th minute to give the Gunners a 1–0 win. Sánchez scored the first goal in Arsenal's 2–1 home win over
Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
on 26 December and assisted the second goal for
Tomáš Rosický Tomáš Rosický (; born 4 October 1980) is a Czech former professional association football, footballer who was the Captain (association football), captain of the Czech Republic national football team, Czech Republic national team for a ten-y ...
; earlier in the same match, Sánchez had a penalty saved by goalkeeper Robert Green after being brought down by Armand Traoré. On 4 January 2015, Sánchez scored and assisted his first ever
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
goals as Arsenal knocked out Hull City, the previous season's runners-up in the third round. Sánchez assisted Per Mertesacker and scored in the 82nd minute, being substituted two minutes later by Chuba Akpom. In Arsenal's next Premier League match, against Stoke City, Sánchez was involved in all the three goals as Arsenal beat ''the Potters'' 3–0 at the Emirates. He first assisted Laurent Koscielny and then scored two goals of his own. His performance was praised by
Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry (; born 17 August 1977) is a French professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster and former player. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and widely regarded as the greatest player in Premi ...
, who called him, "Arsenal's best signing of the last six years." On 4 March, Sánchez ended a run of eight games without a goal by scoring Arsenal's second goal as they beat QPR 2–1 at
Loftus Road Loftus Road, currently known as MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, West London, Greater London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers F.C., Queens Park Rangers Football Club, w ...
. Sánchez scored Arsenal's third goal on 4 April as they beat
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
4–1 at the Emirates and was chosen as the man of the match. On 18 April, Sánchez scored both of Arsenal's goals in the FA Cup semi-final as Arsenal defeated
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
2–1 after extra time. Eight days later, he was the only Arsenal player named in the
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...
. On 4 May, Sánchez scored another brace, this time against Hull City in a 3–1 away win. On 29 May, he was voted as the 2015 PFA Fans' Player of the Year. Sánchez reached his 25th goal of the season in the 2015 FA Cup Final on 30 May with the second goal in a 4–0 defeat of
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
, a long-range strike. Sánchez, who also headed an assist for Theo Walcott's opening goal, became the first Chilean to score in an FA Cup final since
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
's George Robledo in 1952. He capped off his first season by winning Arsenal's Player of the Year award. Sánchez made his first appearance of the 2015–16 season as a substitute in Arsenal's 2–0 loss to
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
on the opening day of the
2015–16 Premier League The 2015–16 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th season of the Premier League, the top English professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992, and the ...
. The following week, on his first start of the season, Sánchez had a header deflected into the Crystal Palace net by Damien Delaney to give Arsenal a 2–1 win at
Selhurst Park Selhurst Park is a football stadium in Selhurst, in the London Borough of Croydon, England, which is the home ground of Premier League club Crystal Palace. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1924. It has hosted interna ...
. The goal, however, was later credited as an own goal by the Palace defender. On 26 September 2015, Sánchez ended a run of ten Premier League matches without a goal by scoring his first hat-trick for Arsenal in a 5–2 win at Leicester. This made him the first player to score hat-tricks in each of the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga. Sánchez then scored his first Champions League goal of the season a few days later, in a 3–2 loss to
Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...
, latching onto a Theo Walcott cross to head beyond Olympiacos goalkeeper Roberto. The following league match, the last match before the international break, Sánchez scored for the third match in a row, scoring a brace in the first 20 minutes as Arsenal defeated
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
3–0 at the Emirates Stadium and moved up to second place in the league. After the international break, Sánchez carried on his fine goalscoring form by netting against
Watford Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a smal ...
at Vicarage Road, through a
Mesut Özil Mesut Özil (, ; born 15 October 1988) is a German former professional association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his ball control, technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely re ...
assist, in a 3–0 Arsenal win, keeping Arsenal in second-place and grabbing his sixth goal in three Premier League matches for the club. Following a brief period on the sidelines due to injury, Sánchez returned to full first-team action on 30 January 2016 in the FA Cup fourth round tie against Burnley, scoring Arsenal's second goal of the game following a low cross from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Sánchez netted his first Premier League goal since October with a goal in the
North London derby The North London derby is the meeting of the association football clubs Arsenal F.C., Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur, both of which are based in North London, England. Fans of both clubs consider the other to be their main ...
against rivals
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
, equalising for Arsenal in the 76th minute and keeping the Gunners' title challenge alive. During April 2016, Sánchez scored in four consecutive league matches, with goals against Watford, West Ham, Crystal Palace, and a brace against
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
. When launching their new kit for the 2016–17 season, Arsenal announced that Sánchez will change squad number from 17 to 7, which was vacated by the departing
Tomáš Rosický Tomáš Rosický (; born 4 October 1980) is a Czech former professional association football, footballer who was the Captain (association football), captain of the Czech Republic national football team, Czech Republic national team for a ten-y ...
. Sánchez scored his first goal of Arsenal's campaign and grabbed his first assist in Arsenal's 3–1 away win over Watford. Sánchez scored his first Champions League goal of the campaign in a 1–1 draw with
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...
on 13 September 2016, latching onto Alex Iwobi's rebounded shot, to secure Arsenal a point in the French capital. Sánchez kept up his spectacular run of form throughout September by netting against Hull, then scoring and assisting in a 3–0 victory over Chelsea. He scored a brace in a 4–1 win at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, bringing his total to 50 goals in 106 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal. He also scored a hat trick and provided an assist in a man-of-the-match display in a 5–1 win at West Ham on 3 December. On 22 January 2017, Sánchez scored his first penalty for the club (having missed his previous two) against Burnley in an eventual 2–1 win, which put Arsenal into second place in the Premier League table. Sánchez scored his first goal in the season's FA Cup, in a 5–0 quarter-final win over Lincoln City, taking his tally to 21 goals for the season in all competitions. Sánchez scored the winning goal in Arsenal's 2–1 win over Manchester City, to send Arsenal through to their third FA Cup final, in four years. On 13 April, Sánchez was included in the six player shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year. He also, in May 2017, won Arsenal's Player of the Season award. Sánchez finished off the season by claiming the man-of-the-match award and scoring Arsenal's opening goal in an eventual 2–1 win over Chelsea in the
FA Cup Final The FA Cup Final is the last match in the FA Cup, Football Association Challenge Cup. It has regularly been one of the List of sports attendance figures, most attended domestic football events in the world, with an official attendance of 89,472 ...
, ensuring that Arsenal secured a record 13th FA Cup and that manager
Arsène Wenger Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger (born 22 October 1949) is a French former association football, football Manager (association football), manager and football player, player who is currently serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development. ...
won a record 7th FA Cup in the process. He finished as the club's top goalscorer with 24 Premier League goals, and 30 goals in all competitions, becoming the first player since
Robin van Persie Robin van Persie (; born 6 August 1983) is a Dutch football coach and former professional association football, footballer who is the head coach of Eredivisie club Feyenoord. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and was ...
in 2011–12 to score more than 20 goals in the league.


2017–18: Final season

Sánchez returned from the 2017 Confederations Cup with an injury, and therefore had to miss the team's victory over Chelsea in the 2017 FA Community Shield and the team's opening 4–3 win over Leicester City. Sánchez' first start of the season came in the 4–0 away defeat to Liverpool. But throughout the transfer window, there was increasing speculation about his future, with a huge amount of reports stating his desire to leave, in order to play in the Champions League. A deadline day move to Manchester City was unsuccessful as Arsenal's deal for Sánchez's replacement Thomas Lemar was rejected. He scored his first goal for the season in Arsenal's 3–1
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
victory over German side
Köln Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
, in which he picked the ball up outside the penalty area and curled a shot past goalkeeper Timo Horn, to score Arsenal's second goal of the evening. Sánchez also played in Arsenal's 1–0 win over
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
in the League Cup, in which Sánchez provided his first assist of the season, by delivering a cross-field pass which Theo Walcott subsequently put past Doncaster goalkeeper, Ian Lawlor. Sánchez scored his first Premier League goal of the season in a 5–2 win over Everton and he also provided an assist for
Mesut Özil Mesut Özil (, ; born 15 October 1988) is a German former professional association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his ball control, technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely re ...
to put Arsenal ahead. Sánchez followed up this by scoring the second in Arsenal's 2–0 win against Tottenham on 18 November, and a week later scoring a decisive and controversial injury-time penalty in a 1–0 win against
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
. Sánchez continued his fine goalscoring form by scoring Arsenal's third goal in a 5–0 rout of
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. They compete in , the third tier of English football league system, English football. Huddersfield Town we ...
, his third goal in consecutive games. He also scored with a diving header in a 3–3 draw against Liverpool on 22 December. He scored his last two goals for Arsenal in a 3–2 away win against Crystal Palace on 28 December.


Manchester United

On 22 January 2018, it was announced that Sánchez had completed a transfer to
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
, in a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move the opposite way. Sánchez was given the number 7 shirt. He made his debut for the club in a 4–0 victory against Yeovil Town in the fourth round of the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
. He became the first Chilean to play a competitive match for United. He scored his first United goal on 3 February 2018 in a 2–0 home win against Huddersfield Town, after netting the rebound from his penalty, which had been saved by
Jonas Lössl Jonas Bybjerg Lössl (; born 1 February 1989) is a Danish professional association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland, Midtjylland. After beginning his profe ...
. He scored his first goal of the 2018–19 season on 6 October, scoring a 90th minute winning goal to complete a 3–2 comeback win over
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football. Since th ...
, after the club initially went 2–0 down in the first ten minutes.


Inter Milan

On 29 August 2019, Sánchez joined
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
on loan for the duration of the 2019–20 season. Sánchez later said on his move from Arsenal to Manchester United, "I realised a lot of things. After my first training session, I got home and told my family and my agent – can I not rip up my contract and go back to Arsenal?". On 14 September, Sánchez made his debut for Inter when he came on as a 79th-minute substitute in a 1–0 win against his former club, Udinese. and scored his first goal two weeks later in a 3–1 win against Sampdoria, before he was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving inside the box. On 6 August 2020, Sánchez signed permanently for Inter on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal. On 4 March 2021, Sánchez scored a brace in a 2–1 away win at
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
. On 12 January 2022, Sánchez scored a late winner against Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana to give Inter a 2–1 win. On 8 August 2022, Sánchez agreed to mutually terminate his contract with Inter.


Marseille

On 9 August 2022,
Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
club
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
announced that they had reached an agreement in principle with Sánchez, with the transfer dependent on the outcome of his medical. The following day, he signed a two-year contract with an option for an additional year's extension.


Return to Inter Milan

On 26 August 2023, Inter Milan announced the return of Sánchez on a free transfer, agreeing a one-season deal with the player. He won the Serie A title for the second time.


Return to Udinese

On 10 August 2024, Udinese announced the return of Sánchez on a free transfer, agreeing a two-year deal with the player.


International career

In his early career, Sánchez took part with Chile at under-15 level in the 2004 South American Championship and with Chile U17 in the 2005 South American Championship. Sánchez made his international debut for the Chile national team against
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
on 27 April 2006. He was called up by the coach José Sulantay to represent the Chilean under-20 team at the
2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 16th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup (formerly called the FIFA World Youth Championship), hosted by Canada from 30 June to 22 July 2007. Argentina defeated the Czech Republic in the title game by the scor ...
held in Canada, where they finished third. After his participation in the youth championship, Sánchez scored his first senior international goal in a 2–1 loss against
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
on 7 September 2007. He scored three times during ''La Roja's'' successful 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign and appeared on every match during the tournament finals. He then participated in the
2011 Copa América The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América 2011 Argentina, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international association football, football tournament for national ...
, scoring once in a 1–1 group stage draw with
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
, as Chile reached the quarter-finals. On 15 November 2013, Sánchez scored both goals as Chile beat
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
2–0 at Wembley, repeating the achievement of national team legend
Marcelo Salas José Marcelo Salas Melinao (; born 24 December 1974), nicknamed ''Bullfighter, Matador'' (due to his Goal celebration, goalscoring celebrations), ''El Fenómeno'' and ''Shileno'', is a Chilean former association football, footballer who play ...
in 1998.


2014 World Cup

Sánchez scored four times in Chile's qualification campaign for the
2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...
. On 13 June 2014, Sánchez scored Chile's opening goal of the 2014 World Cup, and provided an assist, in a 3–1 defeat of
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
in
Cuiabá Cuiabá () is the capital city and the largest city of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso. It is located near the geographical centre of South America and also forms the metropolitan area of Mato Grosso, along with the neighbouring town of Várz ...
. During the
round of 16 A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
, Sánchez scored the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw against the hosts
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. However, he was one of three Chileans to fail to convert their kicks in the
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
, having his shot saved by Júlio César as Brazil prevailed 3–2.


2015 Copa América

Sánchez was a member of Chile's squad as they hosted the 2015 Copa América. He assisted Eduardo Vargas in Chile's 2–0 win over
Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
in the tournament opener, then scored a header in their final
group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
game, a 5–0 win against
Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
which sent Chile through as group winners – he and
Arturo Vidal Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo (; born 22 May 1987) is a Chilean professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chilean Primera División club Colo-Colo and the Chile national football team, Chile national team. His displ ...
were rested by being substituted at half time. Sánchez was named
man of the match In team sport, a player of the match award (also known as man of the match or woman of the match) is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chose ...
in Chile's ill-tempered and highly controversial quarter-final win over defending champions Uruguay. In the semi-final against
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, he created the opening goal for Eduardo Vargas as Chile progressed to the final with a 2–1 victory. On 4 July, Sánchez converted the winning kick in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
as Chile defeated
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
in a
penalty shootout The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
to win their first major title, executing it in the Panenka style.


2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification

In Chile's first match of 2018 World Cup qualification on 9 October 2015, Sánchez scored in a 2–0 win over Brazil, Chile's first victory against the opponents since 2000. Four days later, he scored twice in a 4–3 win at
rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Peru.


Copa América Centenario

In June 2016, Sánchez was part of the Chile squad that defended their Copa América title at the Copa América Centenario in the United States. On 14 June, needing a draw to progress to the knockout rounds, Chile fell 1–0 behind to
Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
before both Sánchez and Eduardo Vargas scored twice in a 4–2 win in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
to qualify for the tournament quarter-finals. Four days later, he scored one goal and registered two assists at Levi's Stadium in a 7–0 rout of
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, who were previously on a 22-game unbeaten streak. In Chile's 2–0 semi-final victory over
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
, he became only the second Chilean – after Claudio Bravo – to reach 100 caps. Sánchez was involved in Chile's second goal when his shot rebounded off the inside of the post and across the goal, presenting a tap-in for José Pedro Fuenzalida. In a repeat of the previous Copa América final, Chile faced Argentina. Both teams had a player sent-off before half-time, and after a 0–0 draw, Chile were victorious via penalty kicks (4–2) to retain their title. Sánchez was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.


2017 FIFA Confederations Cup

In Chile's opening match of the
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was the tenth and final edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, a quadrennial international men's Association football, football tournament organised by FIFA. It was held in Russia, from 17 June to 2 July 2017, ...
on 18 June, Sánchez, who had been recovering from an ankle injury, came off the bench to set up Arturo Vidal's opening goal in an eventual 2–0 win over
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
. On 22 June 2017, Sánchez became Chile's out-right all-time goalscorer when he scored the opening goal in an eventual 1–1 draw against reigning World Cup champions
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in his team's second group match of the tournament, overtaking Marcelo Salas with his 38th international goal in 112 appearances, and also equalling Claudio Bravo as his nation's joint top appearance holder in the process. Chile defeated
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
on penalties in the semi-final, before losing 0–1 in the final against
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, with Sánchez coming close to an equaliser with his injury time free kick saved by German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.


2019 Copa América

In Chile's opening match of the 2019 Copa América on 17 June, Sánchez scored a goal in a 4–0 win against
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. In the following group match against Ecuador on 21 June, he scored again in a 2–1 victory, which enabled Chile to advance to the quarter-finals. In the quarter-finals against Colombia on 28 June, following a 0–0 draw after regulation time, he scored the winning penalty in the resulting shoot-out to send Chile to the semi-finals of the competition. He was injured in October 2019 while on international duty with Chile.


2021 Copa América

Alexis Sánchez was set to miss Copa America group stage matches after suffering a foot injury in training.


Style of play

Sánchez is a quick, creative, intelligent and hard-working player with an eye for goal, who is known in particular for his energy, strength, technical skills and work-rate on the pitch. Although naturally right-footed, due to his ability with either foot, he is capable of playing anywhere along the front line, on either flank, or through the centre of the pitch: throughout his career, he has excelled as a supporting striker, as a winger, as a false-9, and even as an
attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
; he has also been deployed in a more advanced, central role, as a main striker, due to his physicality and ability to score from powerful long-distance strikes. A talented forward, Sánchez is gifted with excellent
dribbling In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score. As ...
skills, flair, finishing, vision and acceleration, which enables him to successfully take on opponents with feints in one on one situations, create space, and either score goals himself or set-up his teammates from through balls, long-range passes, or one-twos. Owing to his ability to place shots, he is also effective from set-pieces. In his prime, he was considered by pundits to be one of the best left winger in Europe, alongside
Neymar Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (; born 5 February 1992), also known as Neymar Júnior or simply Neymar, is a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left winger, attacking midfielder or Forward (association foo ...
and
Eden Hazard Eden Michael Walter Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Winger (association football), winger or attacking midfielder for Lille OSC, Lille, Chelsea F.C., Chelsea, Real ...
.


Personal life

Sánchez had a statue erected in his honour within his native town of
Tocopilla Tocopilla is a city and commune in the Antofagasta Region, in the north of Chile. It is the capital of the province that bears the same name. Every year Tocopilla celebrates its anniversary on 29 September with a big show the day before, which ...
in March 2017. In October 2015, Sánchez was named as a brand ambassador for
Huawei Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ("Huawei" sometimes stylized as "HUAWEI"; ; zh, c=华为, p= ) is a Chinese multinational corporationtechnology company in Longgang, Shenzhen, Longgang, Shenzhen, Guangdong. Its main product lines include teleco ...
. In February 2017, Sánchez signed a sponsorship deal with
Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
. In June 2022, he announced the purchase of land in Mendoza in Argentina,
Maule Region The Maule Region (, ) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region derives its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,6 ...
in Chile and
Friuli Friuli (; ; or ; ; ) is a historical region of northeast Italy. The region is marked by its separate regional and ethnic identity predominantly tied to the Friulians, who speak the Friulian language. It comprises the major part of the autono ...
in Italy for his undertaking called ''Alma Soul'', focused on wine production. In July 2024, Sánchez graduated as a football instructor at (National Football Institute). In December of the same year, he graduated as a
football manager ''Football Manager'', also known as ''Worldwide Soccer Manager'' in North America from 2004 to 2008, is a series of football management simulation video games developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega. The game beg ...
at the same institution.


Career statistics


Club


International


Honours

Colo-Colo *
Primera División de Chile Primera may refer to * Nissan Primera, a car * Primera Air, a former airline * Primera división (disambiguation), multiple top division football leagues * Primera, Texas, a town in Cameron County, Texas * Alí Primera, Venezuelan musician, compos ...
: 2006 Clausura, 2007 Apertura *
Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, also known as Copa Sudamericana (; ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America, since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club com ...
runner-up:
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
River Plate *
Argentine Primera División The Primera División (; ), known officially as Liga Profesional de Fútbol, or Torneo Betano for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Argentina and the highest level of the Argentine football league system. Organ ...
: 2008 Clausura Barcelona *
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
: 2012–13 *
Copa del Rey The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
: 2011–12 *
Supercopa de España The Supercopa de España, also known as the Spanish Super Cup, is a super cup tournament in Football in Spain, Spanish football. Founded in 1982 Supercopa de España, 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2 ...
:
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
*
UEFA Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup Association football, football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions: the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's offic ...
:
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
*
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
:
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
Arsenal *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 2014–15, 2016–17 *
FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is Football in England, English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA ...
:
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
Manchester United *FA Cup runner-up: 2017–18 Inter Milan *
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
: 2020–21, 2023–24 *
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
: 2021–22 *
Supercoppa Italiana The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
:
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
,
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
*
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
runner-up: 2019–20 Chile *
Copa América The CONMEBOL Copa América (; known until 1975 as the South American Football Championship), often simply called the Copa America, is the top men's quadrennial association football, football tournament contested among list of men's national ass ...
:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
*
FIFA Confederations Cup The FIFA Confederations Cup was an international association football tournament for men's national teams, held every four years by FIFA. It was contested by the holders of each of the six continental championships ( AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBO ...
runner-up:
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
Individual *
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
Player of the Month: February 2011 * PFA Fans' Player of the Year:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
*
PFA Team of the Year The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...
: 2014–15 Premier League * PFA Fans' Premier League Player of the Month: October 2014, October 2015 * BBC Goal of the Month: October 2015 * Arsenal Player of the Season Award: 2014–15, 2016–17 * FSF Player of the Year: 2015 * Facebook FA Premier League Player of the Year:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
* Kids' Choice Awards Favorite UK Footballer:
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
*
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
top assist provider: 2015–16 * Copa América Golden Ball:
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
*Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2016 *FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Ball:
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
*
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
Player of the Season: 2022–23 Records * Chile all-time top goalscorer: 51 goals * Chile most appearances: 168 caps


See also

*
List of top international men's football goal scorers by country This article lists the top all-time goalscorer for each List of men's national association football teams, men's national football team. This list is an List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals, all-time top international ...
*
List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps In association football, a cap is traditionally awarded in international football to a player making an official appearance for their national team. This article lists all men's football players who have played in 100 or more official internat ...
*
List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals In total, 84 male Football player, footballers to date have scored at least 50 goals with their national team at senior level, according to FIFA documents, RSSSF and International Federation of Football History & Statistics, IFFHS statistics. S ...


References


External links


2010 FIFA World Cup profile
(archived) * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez, Alexis 1988 births Living people People from Tocopilla Footballers from Antofagasta Region Chilean men's footballers 21st-century Chilean sportsmen Men's association football forwards C.D. Cobreloa footballers Udinese Calcio players Colo-Colo footballers Club Atlético River Plate footballers FC Barcelona players Arsenal F.C. players Manchester United F.C. players Inter Milan players Olympique de Marseille players Chilean Primera División players Serie A players Argentine Primera División players La Liga players Premier League players Ligue 1 players Chile men's under-20 international footballers Chile men's youth international footballers Chile men's international footballers 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2011 Copa América players 2014 FIFA World Cup players 2015 Copa América players Copa América Centenario players 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players 2019 Copa América players 2021 Copa América players 2024 Copa América players Copa América–winning players FIFA Men's Century Club Chilean expatriate men's footballers Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Italy Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Argentina Chilean expatriate sportspeople in Spain Chilean expatriate sportspeople in England Chilean expatriate sportspeople in France Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina Expatriate men's footballers in Spain Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's footballers in France