Esteban Paredes

He began his career at Santiago Morning youth ranks and was promoted in 2000. In 2009, he joined Chilean giants Colo-Colo on a three-year contract. That season, Paredes was an influential player and helped the team to win the Torneo Clausura. He was a key player in the final against Universidad Católica, scoring twice past Universidad Católica goalkeeper Paulo Garcés. In May 2022, after playing for Coquimbo Unido in the Chilean Primera División, and having scored 367 goals in his career, Paredes announced his retirement as a professional footballer. However, in June 2023 he returned to the football activity by signing with San Antonio Unido in the Segunda División Profesional de Chile. Retired again, he returned to play for Santiago Morning in August 2024, announcing his definitive retirement at the end of the season.

Paredes represented his country in two World Cups, in 2010 and 2014 respectively, and at the 2011 Copa América.

International goals

Scores and results list Chile's goal tally first.

In February 2024, Paredes assumed the role of sport manager of Santiago Morning, the club with which he began his playing career. In December 2024, Paredes graduated as a football manager at INAF (National Institute of Football, Sports and Physical Activity of Chile). In March 2026, Paredes was appointed as the manager of Santiago Morning in the Segunda División Profesional de Chile.

His son, Esteban Paredes Lastra, was with the Colo-Colo youth ranks and then moved to Palestino when his father left Colo-Colo. In August 2022, he joined TNT Sports Chile as the co-host of the cooking and talk show Sabor a Gol (Flavour of Goal) alongside the chef Tomás Olivera. He is currently the face of a sports betting app named Juega en Linea. In October 2025, Paredes entered the dance TV show Fiebre de Baile (Dance Fever) from Chilevisión. Paredes and the kinesiologist Wilson Ferrada founded Santiago United Academy, a football academy focused in American and Chilean players.