📸 Javier Mascherano, Argentina footballer: Photo Gallery (Photo: 10)

📄 Summary

Javier Mascherano

Argentina

8 June 1984

midfielder

6.8M @mascherano14 Javier Mascherano Instagram

Javier Mascherano is an Argentine football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. As a player, he played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder, most notably for Liverpool, Barcelona and the Argentina national team, being heralded as one of the best defenders and midfielders of his generation.

Mascherano began his career at River Plate, where he earned his first senior honours, the Argentine Primera División, in the 2003–04 season. He moved to Brazilian side Corinthians in 2005, winning the Brazilian Série A that same year, and then joined West Ham United in the Premier League; however, his brief time with the Hammers was blighted by unusual contract terms with Global Soccer Agencies. At the beginning of 2007, Mascherano was loaned out to Liverpool and reached the UEFA Champions League final. Afterwards, his deal was made permanent for £18.7 million. He left for Barcelona in 2010, winning five La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two FIFA Club World Cups among other honours, in eight years. He ended his career in 2020 after spells at Hebei China Fortune and Estudiantes.

Mascherano made 147 appearances for the Argentina national team and is the second most capped player in the country's history (after Lionel Messi). From his debut in 2003 until his retirement in 2018, he represented the nation at five Copa América tournaments, finishing runner-up in 2004, 2007, 2015, and 2016, and four FIFA World Cups, reaching the 2014 final. He twice won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, in 2004 and 2008, becoming the first male footballer to achieve this double feat since Hungarian defender Dezső Novák in 1968. Between 2008 and 2011, Mascherano served as the captain of Argentina.

Mascherano began working as a manager in 2022, with the Argentina under-20 and under-23 teams, coaching the latter at the 2024 Olympics. At the end of 2024 he was appointed by Inter Miami, where he won the MLS Cup in 2025.

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📋 Profile & Career

: Mascherano coaching Inter Miami in 2025

⚽ Personal information:
Full name: Javier Alejandro Mascherano
Date of birth: (1984-06-08) 8 June 1984 (age 42)
Place of birth: San Lorenzo, Argentina
Height: 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Positions: Centre-backdefensive midfielder

⚽ Youth career:
0000: Cerámica San Lorenzo
0000: Barrio Vila
1996–1999: Club Renato Cesarini
1999–2003: River Plate

⚽ Senior career*:
Years: Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005: River Plate 46 (0)
2005–2006: Corinthians 25 (0)
2006–2007: West Ham United 5 (0)
2007–2010: Liverpool 94 (1)
2010–2018: Barcelona 203 (1)
2018–2019: Hebei China Fortune 53 (1)
2019–2020: Estudiantes 10 (0)
Total: 436 (3)

⚽ International career:
2001–2002: Argentina U17 12 (1)
2003–2004: Argentina U20 22 (1)
2005: Argentina U21 5 (1)
2004–2008: Argentina Olympic 20 (0)
2003–2018: Argentina 147 (3)

⚽ Managerial career:
2022–2024: Argentina U20
2023–2024: Argentina U23
2024–2026: Inter Miami