Matías Almeyda

Nationality

Argentina

Born

1973-12-21

Height

1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)

Matías Jesús Almeyda (born 21 December 1973) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. Ironically nicknamed El Pelado ("the bald one") in reference to his long hair, Almeyda played for nine clubs across four countries over a career spanning two decades. He is most closely associated with River Plate, where he made his professional debut and later won three Primera División titles along with the Copa Libertadores. After retiring from playing, he took charge of the club, guiding them back to the top flight following their relegation the previous year. He represented Argentina at the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and 2002, and at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he won a silver medal in football.