Mario Kempes

Mario Kempes

Kempes with Valencia, c. 1982–84
Personal information
Full name	Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi
Date of birth	(1954-07-15) 15 July 1954 (age 70)
Place of birth	Bell Ville, Argentina
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Striker, attacking midfielder
Youth career
1961–1968	Club Atlético y Biblioteca Bell
1968–1969	Talleres
1969–1970	Instituto
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1970–1973	Instituto	13	(11)
1973–1976	Rosario Central	107	(85)
1976–1981	Valencia	142	(95)
1981–1982	River Plate	29	(15)
1982–1984	Valencia	42	(21)
1984–1986	Hércules	38	(10)
1986–1987	First Vienna	20	(7)
1987–1990	St. Pölten	96	(34)
1990–1992	Kremser SC	39	(7)
1993–1994	Pelita Jaya	18	(12)
1995	Fernández Vial	11	(5)
1996	Lushnja[1]
Total		555	(302)
International career
1973–1982	Argentina	43	(20)
Managerial career
1995–1996	Pelita Jaya
1996	Lushnja (player-manager)[1]
1997–1998	Mineros de Guayana
1999	The Strongest
2000	Blooming
2000–2001	Independiente Petrolero
2001–2002	Casarano
2002	San Fernando[2]
Medal record Men's football Representing  Argentina FIFA World Cup Winner 1978 Argentina
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmaɾjo alˈβeɾto ˈkempes ˈtʃjoði], Italian: [ˈkjɔːdi]; born 15 July 1954) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker or attacking midfielder. A prolific goalscorer, he finished as La Liga's top goalscorer twice with Valencia where he amassed 116 goals in 184 league games. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.^[3][4][5]

At international level, Kempes was the focal point of Argentina's 1978 World Cup win where he scored twice in the final and received the Golden Boot as top goalscorer. He also won the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament, making him one of only three players to have won all three awards at a single World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962 and Paolo Rossi in 1982.

Kempes won South American Footballer of the Year, Onze d'Or European footballer of the Year and World Cup Golden Ball in 1978. In 2004, he was named as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration.^[6] Kempes was nicknamed El Toro and El Matador.