José Pedro Fuenzalida Facts for Kids

In this article, the first or paternal family name is Fuenzalida and the second or maternal family name is Gana.

Quick facts for kids
José Pedro Fuenzalida

Fuenzalida with Universidad Católica in 2019

Personal information

Full name

José Pedro Fuenzalida Gana

Date of birth

22 February 1985 (age 39)

Place of birth

Las Condes, Chile

Height

1.70 m

Playing position

Forward, winger

Youth career

1996–2003

Universidad Católica

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2004–2007

Universidad Católica

(9)

2008–2014

Colo-Colo

155

(21)

2008–2009

→ O'Higgins (loan)

(14)

2014–2015

Boca Juniors

(0)

2016–2022

Universidad Católica

169

(38)

Total

496

(82)

National team

2005

Chile U20

(3)

2008

Chile U23

(2)

2008–2022

Chile

(5)

Honours

Copa America

Representing Chile
Winner	2015 Chile
Winner	2016 USA

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

José Pedro Fuenzalida Gana (Latin American Spanish: [xoˈse ˈpeðɾo fwensaˈliða]; born 22 February 1985) is a Chilean former footballer who played as a right winger.

Club career
International career
Personal life
Career statistics
Honours
See also

Club career

A product of the Universidad Católica youth set-up, Fuenzalida was promoted to the first-adult team in 2004, at the age of 19. He debuted in a 4–0 defeat with Unión Española at San Carlos de Apoquindo for a league game, during a moment considered one of the club's biggest sports crises. Similarly, Fuenzalida collated his football career with his studies in business administration at the University of the Andes, which he abandoned after a short time.

During the winter of 2007, Fuenzalida aged twenty-two decided to take a break as footballer to study commercial engineering at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

After six month studying, he returned to professional football and joined rivals Colo-Colo on a four-year deal. Fuenzalida debuted on 13 January 2008 against Universidad de Concepción and scored his first goal in a 2–1 home win over Deportes Antofagasta. In June, he joined O'Higgins on loan after an unsuccessful tournament where only scored one goal in seven games.

In December 2009, it was reported that Fuenzalida finished his loan spell at O'Higgins and would return to Colo-Colo to face the next season. Seasons later, he helped the team to win the 2014 Torneo Apertura, being a key player in the title obtention which was his first honour playing for the club.

On 29 July 2014, Fuenzalida reached a one-and-half year with Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors.

Following an unsuccessful spell at Boca, he returned to Universidad Católica in 2016, signing for Las Condes-based club as a free agent. He helped the team to win Torneo Clausura.

Fuenzalida left Universidad Católica at the end of the 2022 season, not confirming his retirement. However, in April 2023, his wife confirmed he retired from the activity football.

International career

Fuenzalida has played in the U-20 and U-23 levels of the Chile national team in the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2008 Toulon Tournament, respectively.

Usually called up by Marcelo Bielsa for the 2010 World Cup qualification, he was chosen by Jorge Sampaoli in Chile’s list of 23 for 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2015, after being disaffected of the 30-man provisional list for the Copa América, he was re-considered by Sampaoli in the definitive list following the withdrawal of the injured Carlos Carmona.

Personal life

Following his retirement, Fuenzalida and his family emigrated to Los Angeles, California, and he began to study English.

Career statistics

Club

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Universidad Católica	2004	C. Primera División	26	4	2	0	—		—		28	4
	2005	C. Primera División	26	0	—		10	0	—		36	0
	2006	C. Primera División	32	4	—		6	1	—		38	5
	2007	C. Primera División	12	1	—		—		—		12	1
	Total club		96	9	2	0	16	1	0	0	114	10
Colo-Colo	2008	C. Primera División	7	1	—		—		—		7	1
	2010	C. Primera División	31	3	1	0	7	1	—		39	4
	2011	C. Primera División	26	5	6	2	4	0	—		36	7
	2012	C. Primera División	39	4	8	3	—		—		47	7
	2013	C. Primera División	17	4	—		—		—		17	4
	2013-14	C. Primera División	33	4	7	1	4	0	—		44	5
	2014-15	C. Primera División	2	0	—		—		—		2	0
	Total club		155	21	22	6	15	1	0	0	192	28
O'Higgins (loan)	2008	C. Primera División	20	6	1	0	—		—		21	6
	2009	C. Primera División	31	8	—		—		—		31	8
	Total club		51	14	1	0	0	0	0	0	52	14
Boca Juniors	2014	A. Primera División	12	0	—		6	1	—		18	1
	2015	A. Primera División	13	0	2	0	3	0	—		18	0
	Total club		25	0	2	0	9	1	0	0	36	1
Universidad Católica	2015-16	C. Primera División	13	4	—		—		—		13	4
	2016-17	C. Primera División	22	4	4	2	6	0	1	1	33	7
	2017	C. Primera División	13	4	3	0	—		1	0	17	4
	2018	C. Primera División	29	5	2	0	—		—		31	5
	2019	C. Primera División	21	10	3	0	8	0	1	0	33	10
	2020	C. Primera División	22	4	—		11	0	1	0	34	4
	2021	C. Primera División	24	3	4	0	6	0	—		34	3
	2022	C. Primera División	11	0	2	1	6	0	1	0	20	0
	Total club		155	34	18	3	37	0	5	1	215	37
Career total			482	77	45	9	77	3	5	1	609	90

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Chile	2008	4	0
	2009	4	0
	2010	5	0
	2012	1	0
	2013	5	1
	2014	4	0
	2015	1	0
	2016	12	2
	2017	10	0
	2019	5	2
	2020	2	0
Total		55	5

International goals

Scores and results list Chile's goal tally first.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	19 January 2013	Estadio Municipal de Concepción, Concepción, Chile	Haiti	3–0	3–0	Friendly
2.	6 June 2016	Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States	Argentina	1–2	1–2	Copa América Centenario
3.	22 June 2016	Soldier Field, Chicago, United States	Colombia	2–0	2–0	Copa América Centenario
4.	6 June 2019	Estadio La Portada, La Serena, Chile	Haiti	2–1	2–1	Friendly
5.	21 June 2019	Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil	Ecuador	1–0	2–1	2019 Copa América