Gustavo Canales

He began his career at hometown Deportivo Roca in 2004. After his spells at Cipolletti, Aldosivi and Guillermo Brown, in 2007 he joined Chilean outfit Deportes La Serena. In January 2010 the Argentinian club River Plate signed the striker from Unión Española on a 70% to 30% joint ownership deal for around $1 million until 2013. After a poor season with los millonarios, Canales returned to Chile to play for Unión Española. Canales joined Chinese Super League side Dalian Aerbin on 11 February 2012 for a fee of US$2.6 million and signing a three-year deal. Canales scored four goals in his first five league games with Dalian Aerbin. In 2013 Canales was suspended for 3 months after he failed a drug test.

On 3 November 2011, was reported that Chile national team coach Claudio Borghi dispensed with Mauricio Pinilla due to knee injury, so he called Canales to play the 2014 World Cup qualification games with Uruguay and Paraguay amid a difficult environment that lived the team marked by showbiz scandals. He internationally debuted on 11 November during the Uruguayan 4–0 thrash over Chile coming on as a 73rd-minute substitute. In 2014, received a call-up from now manager Jorge Sampaoli (who coached him at Universidad de Chile) to play against Costa Rica at Coquimbo on 22 January, related to final nominees preparation to 23-man World Cup squad. However it was reported on 18 January that he would miss the game due to injury. Months later Canales was considered in the 30-provisional-man squad because his good shape shown at Unión Española despite missing the previous friendly matches.

In March 2021, he assumed as coach of the Unión Española U21 team. In September 2022, he took in charge of Unión Española senior team as interim manager after César Bravo was released. On 21 November 2022, Unión Española announced that Canales was leaving the role of manager, and would not take any other role at the club. In April 2023, he joined Audax Italiano as the assistant coach of Luca Marcogiuseppe. In 2024, Canales assumed as sporting director of Unión Española. In 2023, Canales started a scouting football agency named "La Cantera Scouting" (The Scouting Academy).

At the end of 2010, he was naturalized Chilean nationality law, both his mother and his grandmother are Chilean.