 Soldado lining up forSpain in 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roberto Soldado Rillo[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1985-05-27)27 May 1985 (age 40)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Valencia, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2000 | Don Bosco | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Real Madrid | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2006 | Real Madrid B | 120 | (64) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Real Madrid | 16 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | →Osasuna (loan) | 30 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Getafe | 60 | (29) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Valencia | 101 | (59) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Tottenham Hotspur | 52 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Villarreal | 38 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Fenerbahçe | 47 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Granada | 62 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Levante | 43 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 569 | (217) | ||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Spain U15 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Spain U17 | 18 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Spain U18 | 3 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Spain U19 | 9 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Spain U21 | 9 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2013 | Spain | 12 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Roberto Soldado Rillo (Spanish pronunciation:[roˈβeɾtosolˈdaðoˈriʎo]; born 27 May 1985) is a Spanish former professionalfootballer who played as astriker.
After emerging throughReal Madrid's youth system, he went on to appear in only 27 official matches for the first team (four goals). However, he became a more regularLa Liga player and scorer forOsasuna,Getafe andValencia, and secured a £26 million move toTottenham Hotspur. After two unsuccessful seasons in England, he returned to the Spanish top division withVillarreal;[3] over 13 seasons in the latter competition, he recorded figures of 325 games and 129 goals.[4]
An international since 2007, Soldado representedSpain at the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Born inValencia, Soldado joinedReal Madrid at the age of 15 from native region small club CF Don Bosco.[5] After years of prolific goalscoring withthe former's reserves, he made his first-team debut on 23 October 2005 againstValencia, playing 18 minutes in a 1–2 home loss.[6] Previously, on 28 September, he had scored an 86th-minute winner after just six minutes on the pitch in thegroup stage of theUEFA Champions League againstOlympiacos (2–1 home win),[7] adding a late equaliser againstOsasuna[8] and another in a 3–2 victory atRacing de Santander as Real finished second inthe league,[9] also netting in the4–0 defeat ofAthletic Bilbao in theCopa del Rey.[10]
In2005–06, with Castilla, Soldado scored 19 goals inSegunda División – twopenalties – to become joint-second highest goalscorer alongsideCiudad de Murcia'sJosé Juan Luque, one behindIkechukwu Uche ofRecreativo de Huelva.[11] On 24 July 2006, he officially became the first member of Real Madrid to leave under new managerFabio Capello and new presidentRamón Calderón, moving to fellowLa Liga side Osasuna on aseason-longloan; he stated: "The idea is to leave and have a good season with a first division team scoring goals, and to develop as a footballer".[12] His new team had finished fourth the previous campaign to earn themselves a place in thethird qualifying round of the Champions League, hence he chose them over a number of other Spanish clubs competing for his presence. "The following year I want to return to the Real first team. I chose Osasuna because it gives me the chance to play in the Champions League", he said to Real Madrid's website after his signing; he finished with a total of 13 goals in all competitions, making him theNavarrese's top scorer.[13]
Soldado returned to Real Madrid where, on 11 July 2007, he renewed his contract until 30 June 2012.[14] In a 21 July interview with Spanish newspaperDiario AS, he revealed that he would be wearing number 9 shirt in his second stint: "During the preseason I'll be number 9, the number I've always dreamed of. When I step onto the pitch at the Bernabéu I'll remember all the hard work it took to get here".[15] However, he finishedthe season with just five league appearances (one start, atDeportivo de La Coruña), the second with fewer minutes for the league champions.[16][17]
In late July 2008, Soldado was sold toGetafe for €4 million, signing a four-year deal with the club from theMadrid outskirts.[18] He scored his first goal for them on 19 October in a 2–1 away loss againstMálaga,[19] adding two in another away defeat, with Osasuna (5–2), two months later;[20] in between, he wassent off in a 0–3 home loss to Valencia for aheadbutt onCarlos Marchena.[21]
On 25 January 2009, Soldado scored ahat-trick as an earlysubstitute, in a 5–1 home win overSporting de Gijón.[22] On 22 March, as Getafe struggled inthe league, he scored twice to secure another home victory, 2–1 against Recreativo.[23] The following month, he opened the 3–2 away defeat against his first employers.[24]
Soldado started2009–10 in impressive fashion, putting three goals past Racing Santander in a 4–1 away win.[25] After a long scoring drought, he added three more against newly promotedXerez in a 5–1 home victory.[26]
On 19 December 2009, Soldado took his league tally to ten after scoring twice in a 2–1 defeat ofSevilla; with this achievement, he became Getafe's best ever scorer in the first division, surpassingManu del Moral andDani Güiza.[27] He missed one month of competition due to injury but, in his return to action, scored from abicycle kick, earning his side a point in the 1–1 home draw with Gijón.[28]
In early June 2010, after a successful year – 16 league goals, andqualification for theUEFA Europa League – Soldado returned to his hometown and signed for Valencia for €10 million, replacingBarcelona-boundDavid Villa.[29] In his first official game, on 14 September, in theChampions League group phase, he contributed one goal in theChe's 4–0 win atBursaspor.[30] When the two teams met at theMestalla Stadium in November, he netted two more in a 6–1 victory.[31]
On 2 April 2011, Soldado scored all of Valencia's goals in a 4–2 away defeat of former club Getafe.[32] In the next fixture, alocal derby againstVillarreal, he scored two more in a 5–0 home win.[33] He finishedthe season as joint-fourth top scorer as his team ranked third andqualified for the Champions League.[34][35]
In his first game of2011–12, Soldado scored four goals against Racing Santander (one in hisown net) in an eventual 4–3 home win – his last two arrived in the final three minutes.[36] In late November 2011, in two home games separated by only five days, he added five more: two in a 2–3 home loss to Real Madrid[37] and three in a 7–0 Champions League rout ofGenk.[38]
Soldado scored his 25th competitive goal of the campaign on 18 March 2012, netting all of his team's in a 3–0 win at Bilbao.[39] In late June, he extended his contract until 2017.[40]
On 23 October 2012, Soldadoscored a hat-trick againstBATE Borisov in a 3–0 victory in theChampions League group stage inMinsk.[41]
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Valencia agreed a deal withTottenham Hotspur for the transfer of Soldado on 1 August 2013, for a fee of £26 million,[42] which would break the English club's previous record of £17 million paid forPaulinho earlier in the summer; the transfer was completed four days later after a successful medical.[43] On hisPremier League debut on 18 August, he scored through a penalty in a 1–0 win againstCrystal Palace atSelhurst Park.[44] Four days later, he netted a brace in a 5–0 victory atDinamo Tbilisi in theplayoff round of the Europa League.[45]
On 20 October 2013, Soldado scored his first Premier League goal from open play, in a 2–0 victory againstAston Villa atVilla Park.[46] Two months later, he netted his first hat-trick for the Spurs, againstAnzhi Makhachkala in the Europa League group stage (4–1).[47]
Soldado scored the only goal against relegation-threatenedCardiff City on 2 March 2014, his first in nine games.[48] He netted just six times in the league in hisdebut season, only two of which came from open play, and was included inThe Daily Telegraph website's list of the "10 worst buys of the Premier League season".[49]
On 18 October 2014, making his first league start ofthe campaign, Soldado set upChristian Eriksen's goal during the match againstManchester City, also having a penalty saved byJoe Hart in an eventual 4–1 away loss.[50] His first goal came on 30 November, the decisive in a 2–1 home defeat ofEverton.[51]
On 14 August 2015, Soldado returned to his country's top flight, signing a three-year contract with Villarreal for a reported £10 million.[52][53] He scored in his very first appearance, helping to a 1–1 draw atReal Betis in which he started and retired injured midway through the second half.[54]
On 13 December 2015, Soldado netted the game's only goal to help defeat his former club Real Madrid at theEstadio El Madrigal.[55] He missed the vast majority of2016–17, due to ananterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee contracted in pre-season.[56]
On 11 August 2017,Fenerbahçe announced the signing of Soldado.[57] After failing to find the net in his first ten games, he scored a hat-trick as a 61st-minute substitute on 19 November in a 4–1 home win overSivasspor.[58]
Soldado announced that he would not renew his contract on 2 June 2019.[59]
On 15 July 2019, Soldado signed a one-year contract with recently promotedGranada, making himDiego Martínez's fourth signing of the summer transfer window.[60] He made his competitive debut on 17 August, starting and scoring in a 4–4 draw against Villarreal,[61] and remained a starter as the side qualified for Europe for the first time after aseventh-place finish.[62] In April 2020, the club activated prematurely the contract clause that would keep him for another season.[63]
On 17 September 2020, Soldado scored the first goal in theAndalusians' European history, in a 4–0 win at Albania'sTeuta Durrës in thesecond qualifying round.[64] He netted twice more in their run to the quarter-finals, one in each leg of a 3–2 aggregate victory over NorwegiansMolde in the last 16.[65][66]
Soldado joinedLevante on 28 June 2021, on a two-year contract.[67] He scored 11 times during his spell,[68] also appearing in the unsuccessful2023 promotion play-offs.[69][70]
On 3 August 2023, Soldado announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 38.[71]
Soldado representedSpain at all itsyouth levels, scoring a total of 26 goals. He was first called up to the first team in June 2007 for twoUEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, againstLatvia andLiechtenstein, playing in both.[72][73] He did not make it tothe finals in Switzerland and Austria, however, as the nation emerged victorious.
On 29 February 2012, after nearly five years of absence, Soldado returned to the national team: he replacedFernando Llorente at half-time of afriendly withVenezuela inMálaga, scoring twice after only seven minutes on the pitch; afterwards, he won a penalty and the sending off ofFernando Amorebieta, but missed the ensuing attempt, only to close the score at 5–0 in the 83rd minute.[74]
ManagerVicente del Bosque selected Soldado for the2013 FIFA Confederations Cup squad. He scored in the opener on 16 June, helping Spain to a 2–1 win overUruguay.[75]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Madrid B | 2001–02 | Segunda División B | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3[c] | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2002–03 | Segunda División B | 26 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 26 | 8 | |||||
| 2003–04 | Segunda División B | 31 | 16 | — | — | — | 5[c] | 5 | 36 | 21 | ||||
| 2004–05 | Segunda División B | 34 | 21 | — | — | — | 4[c] | 1 | 38 | 22 | ||||
| 2005–06 | Segunda División | 29 | 19 | — | — | — | — | 29 | 19 | |||||
| Total | 120 | 63 | — | — | — | 12 | 6 | 132 | 69 | |||||
| Real Madrid | 2004–05 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 2[d] | 1 | — | 17 | 4 | |||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[d] | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 16 | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 27 | 4 | ||||
| Osasuna (loan) | 2006–07 | La Liga | 30 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — | 11[e] | 1 | — | 44 | 13 | ||
| Getafe | 2008–09 | La Liga | 34 | 13 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 13 | |||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 32 | 20 | ||||
| Total | 60 | 29 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 66 | 33 | |||||
| Valencia | 2010–11 | La Liga | 34 | 18 | 3 | 1 | — | 7[d] | 6 | — | 44 | 25 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 32 | 17 | 6 | 3 | — | 13[f] | 6 | — | 51 | 26 | |||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 35 | 24 | 4 | 2 | — | 7[d] | 4 | — | 46 | 30 | |||
| Total | 101 | 59 | 13 | 6 | — | 27 | 16 | — | 141 | 80 | ||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2013–14 | Premier League | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7[g] | 5 | — | 36 | 11 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8[g] | 2 | — | 40 | 5 | ||
| Total | 52 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 7 | — | 76 | 16 | |||
| Villarreal | 2015–16 | La Liga | 28 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | 13[g] | 2 | — | 44 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | La Liga | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[g] | 0 | — | 11 | 4 | |||
| Total | 38 | 9 | 3 | 1 | — | 14 | 2 | — | 55 | 12 | ||||
| Fenerbahçe | 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 26 | 9 | 6 | 3 | — | 2[g] | 0 | — | 34 | 12 | ||
| 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 21 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 2[d] | 0 | — | 25 | 7 | |||
| Total | 47 | 15 | 8 | 4 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 59 | 19 | ||||
| Granada | 2019–20 | La Liga | 33 | 7 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 39 | 11 | |||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 29 | 9 | 3 | 2 | — | 11[g] | 3 | — | 43 | 14 | |||
| Total | 62 | 16 | 9 | 6 | — | 11 | 3 | — | 82 | 25 | ||||
| Levante | 2021–22 | La Liga | 18 | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 20 | 6 | |||
| 2022–23 | Segunda División | 25 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4[h] | 1 | 31 | 5 | |||
| Total | 43 | 5 | 4 | 5 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 51 | 11 | ||||
| Career total | 569 | 217 | 58 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 85 | 30 | 16 | 7 | 733 | 284 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2007 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 3 | |
| Total | 12 | 7 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 February 2012 | La Rosaleda Stadium, Málaga, Spain | 3 |  Venezuela | 3–0 | 5–0 | Friendly | [74] |
| 2 | 4–0 | |||||||
| 3 | 5–0 | |||||||
| 4 | 11 September 2012 | Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia | 6 |  Georgia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | [80] |
| 5 | 11 June 2013 | Yankee Stadium, New York City, United States | 9 |  Republic of Ireland | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | [81] |
| 6 | 16 June 2013 | Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil | 10 |  Uruguay | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup | [75] |
| 7 | 10 September 2013 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland | 12 |  Chile | 1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly | [82] |
Real Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur
Spain U19
Spain
Individual
