In the 21st century, stereotypes and judgments are quite common in crafting a fact. A person can witness these stereotypes in several industries and fields. However, sports is one of the most discussed industries when it comes to a certain set of skills and attributes required for players.
However, as people and the world are becoming smarter and more educated, this stereotypical thinking is also declining. In soccer, people and experts have defined certain preconceptions or prerequisites that a player should be of a certain height and weight.
Height has become one of the most discussed topics in soccer. Most people think that footballers should be tall. But there are several short players like Lionel Messi and Maradona who have thrown away such sports critics. In the following sections, a detailed biography is provided of probably the shortest soccer player in Chile, Alexis Sanchez, who plays as a forward wing and has a height of 5 ‘5’’ feet.
Personal Information
Alexis Sanchez hails from the red wine home of the world, Chile. He was born on December 19, 1988. He had passion, determination, and enthusiasm for football from an early age itself. Sanchez was so talented and energetic that he received a call-up from the senior club (Cobreloa) at the age of 15. From thereon, there was no looking back for the young Chilean footballer.
Style Of Play
His teammates coined the nickname ‘El Niño Maravilla’ for the player. The English translation of this nickname turns out to be ‘The Wonder Child.’ Undoubtedly, he went on to display wonders throughout his football journey with his strong and agile gameplay.
It was always a treat for the soccer fans to watch Sanchez on the field. His attractive style of play was admired by many sports gurus. Many critics termed his style of play as a combination of intelligence, smartness, and hard work.
He also has great ball dribbling skills as he is active on both feet, mostly on his right foot. This quality of him allows the team and other wingers to play at their natural positions. Throughout his career, he has played in several positions, including winger, midfielder, supporting attacker, etc. He also possesses indomitable power and aiming abilities to score a goal from long distances.
He is also known for his perfect flare and impressive acceleration that allows him to create more goal-scoring opportunities than any other regular striker. Critics also highlight that the prime of Sanchez was one of the best left-wingers in the Entire Europe.
Professional Career
Clubs
He starred in several clubs and gained immense praise across the world. He has also garnered massive praise and achievements for his national team. He began his club career with the native club Cobreloa for one year.
After ending an impressive stint at Cobreloa, Sanchez went on to join Udinese. The club loaned and forwarded the Chilean to the famous club Colo-Cola for an entire season. He performed exceptionally in these clubs, but the real rise to fame came when Barcelona signed him from 2011-14. He shone beside the likes of Lionel Messi and Xavi.
His club career was further extended, and he played for high-ranked teams such as Arsenal (2014-18), Manchester United (2018-20), Inter Mila (2019-22; including 2019-20 was loaned), Marseille (2022-23), Inter Milan (current club). Alexis had a fair share of success and injuries. He waited for his turn after injuries and scored for the teams with his tactical gameplay.
International
Football fans witnessed his football magic on the field (internationally) for the first time on April 27, 2006, against the New Zealanders. He was also a part of the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, where the team performed decently to bag the third spot. Unfortunately, his first goal in international appearances came in a loss against Switzerland.
The highlight of the Chile team was in the 2014 FIFA World, where the squad moved or progressed into the next round, known as round of 16. However, in a penalty shootout against the Brazilians, Sanchez and the team lost 3-2. Significantly, Alexis did not score a goal in the shootouts.
The breakthrough for both Chile and Alexis Sanchez came in 2015 Copa América, where the footballer converted a freekick into a goal against Argentinians to win the title for the first time. The 2018 FIFA qualifications also fared for the team and Sanchez as the striker scored in the victory against Brazil. Later, for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, Chile reached the finals only to be defeated by Germany. In 2019 and 2021, Sanchez was in and out of the team owing to many injuries.
Accolades Bagged
Alexis Sanchez gained many awards and recognition for his brilliant performances in his clubs and in Chile. In his honor, his statue has been constructed in his hometown. He holds the record for the highest goals scored (51) for the Chilean national team.
On an individual basis, he has bagged various awards. These include Serie A Player of the Month in February 2011, PFA awards like Player of the Year in 2015, Cope América Golden Ball in 2016, Marseille Player of the Season in 2022-23, and many such awards.
As a team, he has brought home many trophies and cups, such as Copa América in 2015 and 2016 FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017 for the national team. There are many trophies bagged for his clubs, including UEFA Europa League runner-ups in 2019-20 for Inter Milan, FIFA Club World Cup in 2011 for Barcelona, etc.
Conclusion
Alexis Alejandro Sanchez has been a true pillar of modern Chilean soccer. Categorized as an underdog by many experts, Sanchez never misses out on grabbing the limelight with his eye-catching style of play. Undoubtedly, he remains to be one of the finest and greatest Chilean soccer players of all time. At age 34, he has a lot of soccer magic left in him to entertain the sports fans.