Mario Kempes

Mario Kempes

Mario Alberto Kempes Chiodi (born 15 July 1954) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. At club level he is best known for playing for Valencia, and amassing 116 goals in 184 league games for the club. At international level, Kempes was the focal point of Argentina’s 1978 World Cup win where he scored twice in the final. In 2004, he was named as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA’s 100th anniversary celebration.

About Mario Kempes in brief

Summary Mario KempesMario Alberto Kempes Chiodi (born 15 July 1954) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. At club level he is best known for playing for Valencia, and amassing 116 goals in 184 league games for the club. At international level, Kempes was the focal point of Argentina’s 1978 World Cup win where he scored twice in the final, and received the Golden Boot as top goalscorer. In 2004, he was named as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA’s 100th anniversary celebration.

He currently works as a football analyst and commentator in Spain for ESPN. Kempes won 43 caps for Argentina and scored 20 times. He represented his country in three World Cups in 1974, 1978 and 1982, winning the competition in 1978. In 1999, he moved to Bolivia and managed The Strongest. In 2000, he worked as assistant coach for Uruguayan side Héctor Núñez. His greatest spell as manager was with Lushnja in Albania, where he became the first foreign player in Albanian football history.