Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club Flamengo and the Chile national team.
44 Facts About Arturo Vidal
2.
Arturo Vidal relocated to Europe, where he joined Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and played there for four seasons.
3.
Arturo Vidal then moved to Juventus in 2011, where he became widely recognized as one of the best midfielders in world football.
4.
Arturo Vidal was named to the ten-man shortlist for the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award following his performances.
5.
On 28 July 2015, Arturo Vidal returned to the Bundesliga, joining Bayern Munich and won three consecutive Bundesliga titles.
6.
Arturo Vidal has earned over 130 caps for the Chile national team since his debut in 2007, playing in the 2011,2015,2019 and 2021 Copa America tournaments, as well as the Copa America Centenario, the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, helping his nation to Copa America victory in 2015 and 2016.
7.
Arturo Vidal was born in San Joaquin, a working class commune in the Chilean capital Santiago.
8.
Arturo Vidal's talent was noticed by his uncle, and he later joined the youth squads of local Primera Division club Colo-Colo.
9.
Arturo Vidal came on as a late substitute for Gonzalo Fierro.
10.
Arturo Vidal scored three goals in Colo-Colo's Copa Sudamericana 2006 campaign.
11.
Arturo Vidal's good showing caught the eye of scouts from various European clubs.
12.
Arturo Vidal missed the first game of the season through injury but was thrust into the starting line-up and made his debut on 19 August 2007 in the away loss against Hamburger SV.
13.
Arturo Vidal started in half the season's games and scored his first goal for the club just three games into his Bayer career.
14.
Arturo Vidal helped the club to a runner-up finish in the Bundesliga and topped the assist charts for his club with 11 assists, which was joint second in the league.
15.
Arturo Vidal contributed two goals in the club's run to the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League.
16.
Arturo Vidal contributed seven league goals and three assists, including crucial goals against Napoli and a double against Roma.
17.
On 19 September 2012, Arturo Vidal scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in the group stage match away against the defending champions Chelsea.
18.
On 27 November 2013, Arturo Vidal scored a hat-trick against Copenhagen in the group stage of the Champions League, two penalties and a header.
19.
Arturo Vidal later renewed his contract with Juventus, keeping him at the club until 2017.
20.
Arturo Vidal's season finished prematurely as he sustained a knee injury.
21.
On 15 July 2015, Arturo Vidal was named to the ten-man shortlist for the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award; on 12 August, it was announced that he placed eighth in the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.
22.
Arturo Vidal made his debut for Bayern four days later in the 2015 DFL-Supercup against VfL Wolfsburg, as a 74th-minute substitute for Thiago.
23.
Arturo Vidal scored his first goal from the penalty spot against FC Nottingen in the fifth minute of Bayern's first round DFB-Pokal match.
24.
On 26 November, Arturo Vidal was nominated for the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year.
25.
Arturo Vidal suffered a season ending knee injury during training on 14 April 2018, and that was his last official match for Bayern.
26.
Arturo Vidal was officially presented as a Barca player and signed a three-year contract with the club on 6 August 2018.
27.
On 13 January 2021, Arturo Vidal scored his first goal for the club against Fiorentina in Coppa Italia from the penalty mark.
28.
On 14 July 2022, Arturo Vidal joined Flamengo on a free transfer.
29.
Arturo Vidal signed an 18 month contract which will see him at the club until December 2023.
30.
Arturo Vidal represented Chile at the Under-20 level at the 2007 South American Youth Championship in Paraguay where he was the tournament's second top scorer with six goals.
31.
Arturo Vidal became a regular under Marcelo Bielsa when fit during 2010 World Cup qualifying, playing in 11 matches and scoring a goal.
32.
Arturo Vidal was then named in the final 23-man squad for the tournament and started in all four of Chile's matches as they were defeated by Brazil in the round of 16.
33.
Arturo Vidal scored 5 times in 11 appearances for Chile as the team qualified for the 2014 World Cup.
34.
Arturo Vidal was named to the Team of the Tournament for his performances.
35.
Arturo Vidal initially played in several different defensive and midfield roles in his early years, before eventually coming into his own in the centre, with Juventus, as either a "mezzala" or box-to-box midfielder, roles in which he is capable of assisting his teammates in both defence and attack.
36.
Arturo Vidal is capable of playing as a full-back or wing-back on either side of the pitch, while with the Chile national team, he has even played in a more advanced role on occasion, positioned as a centre-forward or striker, but effectively functioning as a false-9.
37.
Arturo Vidal has been used as a second striker, and as a false attacking midfielder on occasion.
38.
Arturo Vidal is a complete midfielder, known for his marking, positional sense, tackling, and anticipation, attributes which allow him to be effective at intercepting passes, winning back possession, and subsequently starting an attack.
39.
Arturo Vidal is gifted with good technique, pace, and stamina, as well as good vision, good distribution, a powerful shot from distance, and an eye for goal.
40.
Arturo Vidal is considered one of the most complete midfielders in the world due to his tackling abilities and his ability to support the team in both defence and attack at a high level.
41.
On 16 June 2015, during the 2015 Copa America, Arturo Vidal suffered minor injuries when he crashed his Ferrari while under the influence of alcohol in Santiago.
42.
Arturo Vidal left the hospital in a police car and was summoned to court to face charges for drunk driving.
43.
On 8 July 2015, Arturo Vidal was given a two-year driving ban, however he was allowed to continue playing in the Copa America that year.
44.
Arturo Vidal's cousin, Gonzalo Vasquez, is a former footballer who is an engineer.