Adolfo Valencia

Infobox Football biography


playername = Adolfo Valencia
fullname = Adolfo José Valencia Mosquera
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1968|2|6
cityofbirth = Buenaventura
countryofbirth = Colombia
height = height|m=1.91
position = Forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1988–1993 1993–1994 1994–1995 1995–1996 1997 1997–1998 1998–1999 1999–2000 2000–2001 2002 2002 2003 2003–2004
clubs = Independiente Santa Fe Bayern Munich Atlético Madrid Independiente Santa Fe América de Cali Reggiana Independiente Medellin PAOK Thessaloniki FC MetroStars Independiente Santa Fe Zhejiang Lucheng Unión Atlético Maracaibo Zhejiang Lucheng
caps(goals) = 0- 0(-) 26 (11) 24 0(6) 22 (11) 19 0(9) 23 0(4) 22 (11) 27 0(8) 48 (21) 28 (11) 31 (14) 07 0(4) 06 0(0)
nationalyears = 1992–1998
nationalteam = Colombia
nationalcaps(goals) = 37 (14)

Adolfo José Valencia Mosquera (born February 6, 1968 in Buenaventura, Colombia) is a soccer striker who has played all over the world. He was a major part of the Colombian national football team during the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups.

Valencia, known as "El Tren" ("The Train") for his physique, has played for clubs in seven different countries: in his native Colombia (Independiente Santa Fe), Germany (Bayern Munich, where Franz Beckenbauer gave him the Nickname "The Defoliator" after witnessing several shots way over the goal into the woods during training sessions), Spain (Atlético Madrid), Italy (Reggiana), Greece (PAOK Thessaloniki FC), United States (MetroStars), and Venezuela (Maracaibo).

Valencia scored two goals in the 1994 World Cup, including the last goal in an ill-fated match against the United States that later cost teammate Andrés Escobar his life.

In Valencia's first season with the MetroStars, 2000, he set a team record by scoring 16 league goals (21 in all competitions).

Valencia is along with Bernardo Redin Colombia's top goalscorer in the World Cup.