Claudio Bravo

Colo-Colo

Bravo was born in Viluco, Maipo Province. His father recognized his son's emerging talent and took him to Colo-Colo's youth academy, and he eventually made his professional debut in 2002. There, he was given the nickname Cóndor Chico, after former club goalkeeper Roberto Rojas. Similarly, during that years he complemented his football career with technical studies of physical activity at the University of the Americas, where he had as classmates to his teammates Fernando Meneses, Luis Mena and Miguel Riffo. After an injury to Eduardo Lobos, manager Jaime Pizarro gave Bravo his first chance, which would be however short-lived, as he too was injured, which prompted the subsequent signing of Jonny Walker. He recovered in mid-2003, and with Lobos still in the sidelines he took over the starting role which he would never lose again, with his competitor eventually being sold. In 2006, Bravo won his first title, making an acrobatic save in the Apertura's penalty shootout final win against arch-rival C.F. Universidad de Chile.

Real Sociedad

For the 2006–07 season, Bravo signed a five-year contract with Real Sociedad in Spain, in a reported €1.2 million deal – he and Asier Riesgo formed the youngest pair of goalkeepers that year in La Liga. He started on the bench, but eventually gained the battle for first-choice (29 games to nine) as the Basque side was relegated (despite this, he finished in fifth place for the Ricardo Zamora Trophy with a goal-against…

Bravo represented Chile at under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels. He made his debut with the full side on 11 July 2004 against Paraguay in the 2004 Copa América, and retained his place for the rest of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Bravo was again called for duty in the 2007 Copa América held in Venezuela, where he started all four games. He became team captain after Marcelo Salas announced his international retirement. Rested for the final group game, he played three matches at the 2011 Copa América as the country again reached the quarter-finals. In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Bravo started in all four matches for Chile (remaining as captain), conceding five goals in an eventual 3–0 round-of-16 loss against Brazil. He was also selected by new manager Jorge Sampaoli to the squad of 23 for the following edition, starting all the games and conceding only four times – one by Australia, two by the Netherlands and one by Brazil – which again ended in the same stage and at the hands of the same opponent, but in a penalty shootout. On 10 October 2014, in a friendly 3–0 win against Peru, Bravo earned his 85th cap, surpassing Leonel Sánchez as Chile's most capped player of all time. He was the captain and played every minute as they won the 2015 Copa América on home soil, their first major international honour. In the final against Argentina at the Estadio Nacional, he kept a clean sheet as the match finished goalless after extra time, and then saved from Éver Banega…

An authoritative presence in goal, Bravo was known for his agility, composure, and shot-stopping ability, as well as his reflexes and concentration; he was also highly regarded for his control, distribution and skill with the ball at his feet. Due to his speed when rushing off his line to anticipate opponents who had beaten the offside trap, he was described as a sweeper keeper; he was also labelled as a playmaking goalkeeper, due to his ability to play the ball out from the back or launch attacks from goal kicks. Bravo also drew praise in the media for his leadership and mental strength. Moreover, he was known for his penalty–saving abilities. Bravo was regarded by several figures in the sport as one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his prime; however, he suffered a loss of form during his first season at Manchester City, which saw him lose his place in the starting line-up the following season.

Club

International