nationalcaps manageryears birth_date years caps goals image_size nationalyears image name caption fullname birth_place nationalteam height totalcaps totalgoals nationalgoals clubs position managerclubs article_title
111 2007 2 september 1961 1981 1991 1991 -- 1992 1992 -- 1993 1993 -- 1995 -- 1996 -- 1997 1996 -- 1997 1997-1999 1999 -- 2001 1984 2001 -- 2002 1984 1985 -- 1988 1988 -- 94 24 71 39 33 131 77 17 10 82 43 19 5 3 5 1 0 22 4 1 1 5 7 4 300px 1985 -- 1998 valderrama2010.jpg carlos valderrama valderrama in 2010 carlos alberto valderrama palacio santa marta , colombia colombia 1.75 m 619 54 12 unión medellín junior tampa bay mutiny → deportivo cali -lrb- loan magdalena -rrb- miami fusion tampa bay mutiny colorado rapids millonarios s.s.c. napoli montpellier real valladolid independiente midfielder junior -lrb- assistant manager -rrb- carlos valderrama

carlos valderrama

carlos alberto valderrama palacio -lrb- ; born september 2 , 1961 in santa marta , colombia -rrb- , also known as `` el pibe '' -lrb- `` the kid '' -rrb- is a colombian former football player .
his distinctive blond hair , coupled with his flamboyant technique on the ball , made him one of colombia 's most recognizable footballers , and arguably , one of the most recognizable footballers around the globe historically .
valderrama was a member of the colombia national football team in the 1990s .
between 1985 and 1998 he represented colombia in 111 full internationals and scored 11 times , making him the most capped player in the country 's history .
valderrama was known for the accuracy of his passing and assisting , his tactical brain which allowed him to have a strong presence without the necessity of running as much as it would be expected , his precise technique on the ball , and his clean assists .
valderrama played a huge role during the golden era of colombian football during the 1990s .
in 2004 , valderrama was included in the fifa 100 , a list of `` greatest living footballers '' chosen by pelé to celebrate the 100th anniversary of fifa .
at the end of his career valderrama played in major league soccer joining the league in its first season .
the most recognisable player in the league at the time , he helped popularise the league during the 1990s and attract other foreign footballers to ply their trade in the league .
to this day , he is an icon as one of the most decorated playmakers to ever play in mls .
