Martín Palermo

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Palermo began his career at Estudiantes de La Plata and played there for five years from 1992 to 1997 and later was transferred to Boca Juniors. He had a slow start with Boca Juniors. In their seventh match of the 1997 Apertura on 30 September 1997, he scored his first goal in a 2–1 victory against Independiente. In 1999, his good goal average and performances led European clubs to be interested, but on 13 November 1999, in a game against Colón, he had a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee; before leaving he scored his 100th goal in the Argentine First Division. He took six months to recover. On 24 May 2000, he returned, playing the last fifteen minutes of the quarterfinal match of the Copa Libertadores against River Plate and scoring a goal. He played in the Intercontinental Cup in 2000, scoring the two goals in Boca's 2–1 victory over Real Madrid. Palermo signed with Villarreal in January 2001. He made his debut on 5 February in a 2–0 home win over Alavés. A week later, he scored his first goal in a 3–1 win at Real Oviedo. On 29 November 2001, Palermo scored an extra-time goal away to Levante in the Copa del Rey; he celebrated by standing on a small concrete wall, which collapsed and broke both the tibia and fibula of his left leg. He did not recover until April 2002. On 5 May, his first start since recovery, he took nine minutes to score in a 2–1 win over Real Zaragoza. He left Villarreal by mutual consent on 20 August 2003. The day after, he signed for Real Betis on a one-year deal. He played only 12 total games, scoring once. He left Betis in March 2004 and joined Alavés in the Segunda División, scoring three times in 14 games. On 13 July 2004, Palermo returned to Boca Juniors. On 17 December he scored his 100th goal with Boca on the final of the 2004 Copa Sudamericana. On 26 May 2005, he scored twice in a 4–0 Copa Libertadores victory over Atletico Junior. In the second leg against Chivas on 2 June, he was involved in a brawl and sent off. On 22 November 2005, in the Copa Sudamericana semifinal, he scored Boca's second goal to tie the score at 2–2. In the second leg of the finals on 18 December 2005 against Pumas UNAM, he scored a goal; the match went to penalties, and though Palermo missed his penalty, Boca won 4–3. He scored 11 goals in three consecutive matches (2006 Clausura, 2006 Apertu

In Their Own Story

The atmosphere at La Bombonera shifted palpably whenever Palermo stepped onto the pitch. On 25 February 2007, he scored a half-pitch goal in the final seconds of a match against Independiente to secure a 3–1 victory. Two weeks later, on 10 March, he delivered a masterclass against his former team, Estudiantes, netting three goals in a 3–1 win at La Plata. This was his fourth career hat-trick. The momentum continued on 18 March when he scored a career-high four goals in a 5–1 victory over Gimnasia de la Plata. In the 2007 Apertura, he added another four-goal performance against Banfield in a 6–0 rout on 16 September. His resilience shone again after an injury in August 2008; his first goal back came on 1 March 2009 against Huracán, marking his 195th goal for Boca and breaking Francisco Varallo's record of 194. Nearly two months later, on 30 April, he scored a bicycle kick to reach 200 goals for the club in a 3–0 win over Deportivo Táchira. On 4 October 2009, against Vélez Sársfield, he scored a header traveling 38.9 meters to reach 200 league goals and secure a 3–2 victory.

Reader's Guide

Martín Palermo is a legendary Argentine striker, Boca Juniors' all-time top scorer with 236 goals, and the club's greatest idol per a 2008 fan poll. He overcame two major knee injuries and a horrific leg fracture in 2001. Known for spectacular goals, including a 38.9-meter header and a bicycle kick, he scored hat-tricks six times in his career. He also played for Estudiantes, Villarreal, Real Betis, and Alavés, and represented Argentina in the 1999 Copa América and 2010 World Cup. Since 2012, he has managed clubs in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Paraguay.

Did You Know?

• Palermo scored his 100th goal in the Argentine First Division on 13 November 1999, just before suffering a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament.
• He broke both the tibia and fibula of his left leg on 29 November 2001 while celebrating a goal for Villarreal against Levante.
• Palermo scored a header from approximately 38.9 meters on 4 October 2009 against Vélez Sársfield.
• He is Boca Juniors' all-time top scorer with 236 goals and was named the club's greatest idol in a 2008 fan poll.