Top facts about Iván Zamorano, El Terrible

(born 18 January 1967) is a retired forward for the Chilean national team. Along with Marcelo Salas, Leonel Sánchez, and Elias Figueroa, he is considered one of Chile's most well-known players.

Ivan Zamorano’s age

is 54. Here you can take a look at the most important facts about Ivan Zamorano, the retired striker.

Zamorano was part of the Chilean national team, appearing in the 1998 World Cup, four Copa América events, and the 2000 Olympics with the U-23 squad, winning a bronze medal and being the tourney's top scorer.

He performed for a number of teams, including Sevilla and Real Madrid C.F. in Spain, as well as Inter Milan in Italy. With Real Madrid, he earned La Liga in 1994–95 and was the season's best scorer. He was fundamental in the conquest of the La Liga title, where he was the league's leading scorer (28 goals).

In 1998, he also lifted the UEFA Cup with

. He was a strong goal scorer who was known for his strength and skill in the air, with many of his goals coming from headers.

In 2004, Zamorano was included to Pelé's FIFA 100, a ranking of the greatest living football players from across the globe. Bam Bam and Iván el Terrible were two of Zamorano's nicknames. The former striker played for the Chilean national team from 1987 to 2001.

Facts about Iván Zamorano:

A notable

fact about Ivan Zamorano

is that he when he started the 1998/99 season in the ranks of the Italian club Inter Milan, he had to shed his usual number "9", as a born striker, to hand it over to the Brazilian star Ronaldo who had joined the club a year earlier.

Ronaldo arrived in Italy with a large international poster and although for the 1997/98 season he used the number "10", he would end up giving it to

for the following season and wearing the "9" that Zamorano had before.

In response to this fact, Bam Bam decided not to completely abandon his "9", putting a "1 + 8" on the back of his jersey, something never before seen in the history of European football.

An important fact about Zamorano is that the qualifiers for the World Cup in France 98, Iván formed an outstanding scoring duo with Marcelo Salas, and in a play on words with the first two letters of their surnames, they called themselves the duo ZA-SA, in allusion to the Brazilians RO-RO (Ronaldo - Romario).

Iván Zamorano was an excellent header; even, due to this condition, the French nicknamed him "The Helicopter". "Bam Bam" learned to head when he tried to reach with his head to a light bulb that was hanging in the hallway of his house, simulating this to a ball.

Already as a professional footballer, to achieve that great level of header that characterized him, after each training day at Cobresal, Zamorano stayed with Manuel Pedreros and with the Uruguayan Nelson Pedetti practicing crosses and headers.

In Chile, a humorous character called "Peter Veneno" was created, played by actor Daniel Alcaíno, the creation was inspired by Iván Zamorano.

His nickname "Bam Bam" was invented by a radio host who created a sound game with the ending of his first name, Ivan. On the other hand, the alias also corresponded to one of the cartoons characters The Flintstones, Bam Bam, son of Betty and Pablo Mármol, who showed strength and youth. For these two reasons, it was the perfect nickname for Zamorano.

Upon arriving at América de México, in one of his first interviews he said, "I will not leave América if I am not a champion with the club," something that later was fulfilled. Although he was only at the club for a couple of years, he is one of the most dedicated players they have ever seen.

On June 21, 2012, he played a friendly match for Real Madrid for the benefit of thousands of children from the city of Veracrúz. Along with stars like Hugo Sánchez Márquez, Emilio Butragueño,

, etc. faced historical Veracruz. The match ended with the score 3-2 in favor of

, where Zamorano was one of the figures scoring a goal.

An important fact about Zamorano is that he was the face of the new Transantiago Santiago transportation system, which has drawn criticism due to the system's early problems; some even believe his reputation has been harmed.

Iván Zamorano early life

Ivan Zamorano, who was born on January 18, 1967, in Chile's capital Santiago, had a difficult upbringing. After trying to make ends meet in the turmoil of the city for many years, the Zamorano family moved north, ultimately settling in the Atacama area. A region of the nation that is sparsely inhabited yet wealthy in natural resources.

Speaking about

Ivan Zamorano’s parents

, it is worth mentioning that the family soon adjusted to their new surroundings, with Ivan's father, like many others in the Atacama, getting up early to go to the mines. Ivan knew from an early age that he would have to contribute financially, doing whatever odd jobs he could to help put food on the table.

Regarding

Ivan Zamorano’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that Ivan's ability at football was also obvious from an early age, considerably beyond that of the other youngsters in the neighborhood. He was seen by local coach Ivan Sanchez when he was only eight years old, and he started recommending the bright kid to teams in the region. Ivan eventually settled in Cobresal, a club in El Salvador's mining town.

A notable fact about Zamorano is that he was the first child and only son of the marriage conformed by Luis Zamorano and Alicia Zamora, who lived in the commune of Maipú. At School No. 447, located in Villa México, in Maipu, he studied from kindergarten to eighth grade, to complete High School at the French High School.

The early death of his father made him always very attached to his mother, a relationship that had great media fame in Chile at the end of the 90s.

Iván Zamorano personal life

As his sports career progressed, Zamorano became a successful businessman, knowing how to carry his name with incredible commercial intelligence, which is now a well-known and internationally registered trademark. Since 1998 he has been a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in Chile.

An important fact about Zamorano is that in February 2004, after a few months of media engagement, he experienced the breakdown of his relationship with the Chilean model María Eugenia Larraín (Kena Larraín), days before the wedding.

In 2005, Zamorano married the Argentine model María Alberó with whom he had a daughter, named Mía Pascale. This woman infected him with her enthusiasm for the Argentine club Independiente de Avellaneda.

Occasionally, Zamorano himself sends affection to the "Reds" of Avellaneda through the media, making him very loved by his fans despite the fact that he has never played for that entity.

In 2007 he was the official face of a campaign that promoted the new transport system of Santiago de Chile, the Transantiago.

On November 28 of the 2007 his second son he was born, named Ivan Mary. He has a great commitment to various social works, such as the Telethon and the Conference for Rehabilitation in Magallanes, in which he has participated for several years in a row.

Iván Zamorano professional career

When Ronaldo was handed Zamorano’s No.9, he found a unique solution and decided to take the No.18 shirt, adding a + sign between the two numbers. This was a man who knew what it meant and what it took to be a No.9. Moreover, he played for the Chilean national team from 1987 to 2001.

Iván Zamorano club career

Zamorano, who was born in Santiago, began his career in Chile with Cobresal in December 1985. For the 1985–86 season, he was loaned to Trasandino (named Cobreandino between 1985 and 1992), a Chilean Primera Division B team. Soon after, he returned to Cobresal and helped them win the 1987 Copa Chile.

FC St. Gallen

In 1988, he went to FC St. Gallen in Switzerland, where he became the league's top scorer in the 1989–90 season, scoring 37 goals in 61 games across three seasons.

Sevilla

Zamorano made his first appearance in the Spanish Primera División with

in 1990, where he played 63 games and scored 23 goals in all competitions before being transferred to Real Madrid for $6 million.

Real Madrid

An important

fact about Ivan Zamorano

is that he earned one league, one Copa del Rey, and one Spanish Supercup with Real Madrid between 1992 and 1996.

Zamorano assisted Real Madrid capture the Spanish League championship in 1995, scoring 28 goals – along with a hat–trick versus

– and receiving the Pichichi Trophy as the season's best scorer under manager Jorge Valdano.

He established a very successful offensive combination with playmaker Michael Laudrup that year. He won the EFE Trophy in 1992–93 and 1994–95, which is given annually by Spanish news agency EFE to the best Ibero-American footballer in La Liga. Zamorano made 173 appearances for Real Madrid, netting 101 goals.

Inter

From 1996 to 2000, Zamorano spent 4 years in Serie A with Inter Milan, when he was colleagues with Youri Djorkaeff, Diego Simeone, Javier Zanetti, and Cristiano Ronaldo, among others. He began his career as the club's top scorer, wearing the coveted number 9 jersey.

However, when Baggio arrived at the team, Ronaldo was forced to abandon number ten and wear number nine, thus Zamorano was forced to give up his number but refused to wear another, instead opting to wear a jersey with the number '1+8', making him a number 9 striker statistically.

Inter won the UEFA Cup in May 1998 after defeating

3–0 in the final, with Zamorano scoring the first goal. He'd also scored in the second leg of the previous year's final, which ended in a penalty shootout. Inter, however, fell 1–4 against Schalke when Zamorano missed his chance.

Club América and Colo-Colo

A notable fact about Zamorano is that in 2001, Zamorano moved to Mexico to play with América, where he won the Torneo de Verano in his first season. In 2003, he finished his career playing for Colo-Colo, fulfilling a lifelong goal. After a professional career lasting more than 16 years, he announced his retirement in July of that year.

Iván Zamorano international career

An important

fact about Ivan Zamorano

is that on June 19, 1987, at the age of 20, he made his professional debut, scoring a goal in a 3–1 friendly victory against Peru. On April 29, 1997, he scored five goals in a 6–0 win against Venezuela in a 1998 World Cup qualifier.

He appeared in all four of Chile's World Cup matches, despite failing to score, and was an important component of the squad, setting up Marcelo Salas' goal in a 1–1 draw against

.

He earned the bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games, scoring a brace in a 2–0 win against the United States, and was the leading scorer with six goals. At the age of 34, his last international encounter was a farewell friendly against France on September 1, 2001, which Chile won 2–1. Zamorano was capped 69 times and scored 34 goals throughout his career.

Iván Zamorano’s golden years with Salas

Iván Zamorano and Marcelo Salas would make an indelible mark on global football after initially collaborating in 1994, cementing their reputation as one of the game's greatest striking duos and Chile's two best strikers.

Though few realized it at the time, they were perhaps the last generation, the last breed, of the strong, unyielding centre-forward to achieve success at the top level. Despite a slew of strong number 9s since then, few have been able to match the Chilean duo's consistency, much less flourish in the stats-driven world of contemporary hitmen.

Their paths to Europe, although similar on the surface, could not have been more unlike. In a dreamy world where it seems unthinkable to have Zamorano without Salas and Salas without Zamorano, their early years, especially Zamorano's, provided scant glimpses into what would become one of South America's greatest strike forces.

Salas and Zamorano, despite their disparate cultures, ages, and origins, had one characteristic from an early age: the capacity to graft and strive for achievement. These same characteristics would eventually come together in France 98, when an unimpressive Chile team failed to reach the knockout stages despite the heroics of its talismanic attackers.

The transition from being a flick-on target man with a salmon-like jump to using his tremendous technical skill was crucial to Zamorano's growth. The kid had the assurance and firepower that earned him the moniker ‘Iván el Terrible.'

An important fact about Zamorano is that he was a full international at the age of 20. The fact that he scored on his debut against Peru proved that La Roja had discovered a diamond in the rough. Zamorano grew up in the Atacama area, which is known for its diamond and gold mines. Perhaps the land's greatest gift was this.

However, Zamorano's initial 12 appearances — spaced out over four years – did not indicate that he would end his career with 34 goals in 69 games. The kid had to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new way to take his game to the next level. The answer came from an unexpected source: St. Gallen, a top-flight Swiss team.

While Zamorano was leaving the boundaries of northern Chile, Marcelo Salas was shattering records at the Deportes Temuco academy farther south. His move from amateur to pro was considerably easier, and his skill was much more apparent.

Salas was also a dangerous attacker, capable of manipulating his opponents with his body and finishing with his head from almost anywhere in the area. He did, however, have a unique sense of timing that he seldom got credit for. Salas stood 1.73m tall and could finish off either foot.

He moved effectively across the ground, especially in his early years. Salas' goals were often the result of a lucky cross or a lost ball in the area.

Zamorano scored 101 goals in 173 appearances for the Bernabéu giants during his most productive period in football. At the time, his strike rate was among the highest in Real's history, and he helped the team win three titles during a difficult era for the club.

Zamorano's career peaked in the 1994/95 season. He led Madrid win the championship, scoring 27 goals and creating the league's most efficient strike force with Michael Laudrup.

He also scored a memorable hat-trick against Barcelona. Most La Liga defenders couldn't stand up to his power, consistency, and fearlessness. Zamorano was regarded as one of the greatest attackers in the world at the time.

Under Roy Hodgson's tutelage, Zamorano played with Youri Djorkaeff and Paul Ince in his debut season at the Giuseppe Meazza. Despite scoring just seven goals in Serie A for the club, Zamorano's impact was primarily about creating space for Djorkaeff to score 14 goals and Maurizio Ganz to score 11.

Zamorano was important and immediately won over the fans, helping the Nerazzurri to a third-place finish in Serie A, their best since the early 1990s and the heady days of

and Andreas Brehme. He also wore his favorite number 9 jersey in the process.

Inter shined brightest in Europe that season. The club had once again established itself as a significant force in calcio by reaching the UEFA Cup final, where they would meet Schalke.

Despite losing to the Germans, the club was able to attract Brazilian superstar Ronaldo thanks to their achievements that season, which were largely due to Zamorano's hard effort and selflessness.

Inter went one step further the next season, winning the UEFA Cup and finished second in the Scudetto, thanks to a slew of new acquisitions including Diego Simeone, Lvaro Recoba, and Zé Elias.

Ronaldo was the star of the show, scoring 25 goals in the league and six more in Europe to solidify his status as the greatest player in the world. It was a stop-start season for Zamorano, with injuries taking their toll and Ronaldo's form making it almost difficult to start on a consistent basis.

Inter were grateful they did. He ended second in Serie A scoring behind Ronaldo, but as he recovered from his injury woes and earned a position beside the Brazilian, he saw more playing time. That year, four managers came and left, and the results showed. A lackluster eighth place finish in Serie A was a letdown in a season that promised so much.

After two years in Italy, Zamorano's compatriot Marcelo Salas joined him, moving to Lazio for $18 million. Salas was considered as one of the greatest attackers outside of Europe as a consequence of his achievements with River Plate and the national team at France 98, when he earned the Bronze Shoe.

Salas shined the brightest for Chile with Zamorano. In 1998, the former La U prodigy scored ten goals for La Roja, four of them came in the World Cup with his buddy and mentor, Zamorano. Their collaboration was generally considered as one of the most damaging on a global scale.

Salas' best performance that year came against England at Wembley, when the South American underdogs shocked their European opponents with a counter-attacking, aggressive, and clever display. Salas was in the center of it all, his speed, power, and mobility being too much for Sol Campbell and Tony Adams to handle.

In 1998, Zamorano was as successful in his position as a counterpoint for his younger, more dynamic companion. Salas would be able to find room inside the inner channels to annoy the opponents if he remained center throughout the World Cup.

After scoring nine goals in five games in 1997, Zamorano had a quieter 1998, scoring two goals in eight games as his nation crashed out of the World Cup in the round of 16, losing 4-1 to eventual champions Brazil. That day, Zamorano will be in the shadow of his Inter colleague and buddy Ronaldo.

Their combination would last until 2001, when Zamorano's international career came to an end in a friendly against France. It was a testimony to his lasting talent that he scored 34 goals in 69 games, a world-class return for a player whose career began quietly but exploded after a low-key transfer to Europe.

Salas' international career would continue for another six years, and his stint in Italy would cement his status as Chile's most successful player in Europe. He would solidify his reputation as one of Chile's all-time greats with eight major titles won during a six-year period at Lazio and

, although he was plagued by ailments for most of his time in Turin.

And he succeeded. Salas chose to return to his beloved Universidad after two successful loan stints with River Plate between 2003 and 2005, where he is generally regarded as one of the club's best acquisitions. Salas ended his three years in Chile's capital with a healthy 37 goals in 82 games, and some of his most important performances.

His goal success rate of one in every 1.8 is similar to that of the majority of previous greats. The fact that Zamorano, who would finish his career with a great stint at Club América in Mexico, had an almost similar record shows how fortunate Chile was to have such talented attackers available at the same time.

Perhaps more than any on-field accomplishment, Zamorano and Salas encouraged a new generation of Chileans to win the Copa América in 2015. Many of La Roja's current players have said that the two strikers were their childhood heroes. One of Bam Bam and El Matador's greatest accomplishments is that they were able to reverse an apparently irreversible slide in the Chilean game.

It's easy to forget that Zamorano is one of Real Madrid's all-time great goal scorers. Salas is one of River Plate's most talented attackers. They went to Europe with their eyes wide open, determined to be the greatest they could possibly be. They became one of the best striking duos in international football via unselfish football, hard effort, sheer power, and a hunger to score goals.

In doing so, completed the narrative of two strong attackers who used their strength, mobility, and aerial ability to influence outcomes for their side while also functioning as a team. Anything was conceivable when you had Zamorano or Salas on your side. It just needed a lucky cross.

Iván Zamorano social media

Regarding

Ivan Zamorano social media

, it should be mentioned that he has an Instagram page (

) with 317k followers. In the page we can see various pictures of him with the fans and his family.

Zamorano also has a Twitter account (

) with more than 90k followers. He often posts new stuff on his Twitter page.

Iván Zamorano body measurements

Speaking about

Ivan Zamorano body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former striker is 5 ft 10 in (179 cm) and weighs 159 lb (72 kg).

Iván Zamorano net worth and salary

Ivan Zamorano’s net worth

is believed to be between $10 million and $15 million dollars. From his main profession as a soccer player, he has amassed a substantial fortune.

Currently, Iván Zamorano occupies his time in business, owning an economic patrimony of more than million dollars invested in the Del Inca Inversions Business Holding, the Iván Zamorano Sports City, the Iván Zamorano Foundation, the Pass Ball company, the IT Training high technology training company, numerous real estate investments in Chile and abroad, a private university project, etc.

In addition to continuing with some media appearances that serve to keep his name current and in turn, provide support in various campaigns and events for social purposes.

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