Gilbert Álvarez
Bolivian footballer (born 1992)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gilbert Álvarez Vargas (born 7 April 1992) is a Bolivian professional footballer who plays as a forward for División Profesional club Oriente Petrolero.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gilbert Álvarez Vargas | ||
| Date of birth | 7 April 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Santa Cruz, Bolivia | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Oriente Petrolero | ||
| Number | 91 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2008 | Club Calleja | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008 | Club Calleja | 0 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Cruzeiro | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | The Strongest | 6 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Guabirá | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | Real Potosí | 62 | (27) |
| 2016–2018 | Jorge Wilstermann | 78 | (34) |
| 2018 | Al-Hazem | 9 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Jorge Wilstermann | 61 | (28) |
| 2022 | Royal Pari | 37 | (10) |
| 2023 | Palmaflor del Trópico | 20 | (8) |
| 2023–2024 | Arema | 7 | (2) |
| 2024 | Oriente Petrolero | 31 | (16) |
| 2025 | Once Caldas | 15 | (1) |
| 2025– | Oriente Petrolero | 15 | (6) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Bolivia U17 | 7 | (3) |
| 2009– | Bolivia | 31 | (5) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 December 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 28 June 2021 | |||
Club career
Álvarez played for several youth teams in his home city of Santa Cruz in Bolivia, including Club Destroyers and Club Calleja.[1]
In August 2010, Álvarez was signed by Cruzeiro of Brazil.[2][3] He did not play a first team game for Cruzeiro prior to the 2011 Copa America, and he was not named in Bolivia's squad for the tournament.[4]
In August 2011, Álvarez announced that he was considering a move to Europe, citing that talks between his agent and one club in Germany and another in Italy were underway.[5]
On 25 November 2023, Álvarez joined Indonesia club Arema.[6] However, on 7 March 2024, Álvarez would leave the club early, cited that he wants to be closer with his family as the reason.[7]
International career
During his time with Callejas, he was called up by the Bolivia U17 to play as their lone striker in the 2009 South American U-17 Championship. He scored three goals in the tournament, including a double against Ecuador under-17s in the final group stage.[8][9]
Later in 2009, as a 17-year-old, Álvarez was called up to the senior Bolivia side.[10] He made his first senior international appearance as a substitute against Venezuela in a qualifying match for the 2010 FIFA World Cup on 6 June 2009.[11] He gained a second cap the following year in a 5–0 friendly match defeat to Mexico in February 2010.[12]
International goals
- Scores and results list Bolivia's goal tally first.[13]
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2 June 2017 | Nicaragua National Football Stadium, Managua, Nicaragua |  Nicaragua | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 7 June 2017 | Estadio Provincial de Yacuíba, Yacuíba, Bolivia | 2–2 | 3–2 | ||
| 3. | 31 August 2017 | Estadio Monumental "U", Lima, Peru |  Peru | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4. | 10 October 2019 | Estadio Olímpico, Caracas, Venezuela |  Venezuela | 1–3 | 1–4 | Friendly |
| 5. | 15 October 2019 | Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia |  Haiti | 3–1 | 3–1 |
Personal life
Álvarez comes from a large family, being the fifth of thirteen children. He harbours aspirations to play in Europe, declaring in a 2009 interview that he was delighted by reported interest in his signature from Lazio and that his ultimate ambition was to play for Manchester United.[14] He is the brother of soccer players William and Sebastián Álvarez.[15]