This season, Sporting Cristal could not hire a top-tier forward to compete in Liga 1 and the Copa Libertadores. The celeste team signed John Jairo Mosquera at the beginning of the year, but the forward did not live up to expectations and left after a few months. However, there is a former player from the beer team who is 'breaking it' in another South American league.
This is Marcos Riquelme, who is a star player for Always Ready in the Bolivian First Division. The Argentine striker has scored 23 goals in this campaign, a figure that places him in the top 40 of the world's best scorers, according to statistics published by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
Goal scorers ranking 2022. Photo: capture by IFFHS
The '9' shares this ranking with international stars such as Frenchman Kylian Mbappe (38 goals), Norwegian Erling Haaland (33 goals), Robert Lewandowski (33 goals), Neymar (26 goals), among others.
Marcos Riquelme scored seven goals with Sporting Cristal. Photo: Liga de Fútbol Profesional
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Marco Riquelme's numbers at Sporting Cristal
In the 2021 season, Marcos Riquelme played 26 matches with Sporting Cristal, including Liga 1, the Copa Libertadores, and the Copa Bicentenario. In total, the Argentine forward scored seven goals and provided three assists.
Which teams did Marcos Riquelme play for?
Before joining Sporting Cristal, Marcos Riquelme started his professional career at Olimpo in Argentina. Later, he played for teams like Fénix del Pilar, Palestino, Audax Italiano, Bolívar, and Universidad de Chile.
Currently, the transfer value of the 33-year-old player is estimated at 450,000 euros, according to the specialized transfer portal Transfermarkt.