Nelson Valdez

Who Is Nelson Valdez? Age, Biography, and Wiki

Nelson Valdez, born on November 28, 1983, is a retired Paraguayan professional footballer notable for his versatility on the field. His career includes stints in various clubs around the world and contributions to the Paraguayan national team. As of 2025, Valdez is 41 years old. Known for his determination and strong work ethic, he has left a significant mark on the sport, becoming a revered figure in Paraguayan football history.

Occupation	Soccer Players
Date of Birth	November 28, 1983
Age	41 Years
Birth Place	Caaguazú, Paraguay
Horoscope	Sagittarius
Country	Paraguay

Popularity

Height, Weight & Measurements

Standing tall at approximately 1.83 m (6 feet), Nelson Valdez maintained a robust athletic physique throughout his career. His weight fluctuated between 75 kg (165 lbs) and 80 kg (176 lbs) during his playing days, reflecting his commitment to fitness and health. His combination of height and agility made him a formidable force in both attacking and defensive plays on the football field.

On 28 May 2015, Valdez was included in Paraguay's 23-man squad for the 2015 Copa América by coach Ramón Díaz.

During a friendly fixture against Honduras on 6 June 2015, Valdez received his first expulsion for the national team after he retaliated having gone to header the ball but was instead hit in the left side of the chest with the studs of Honduran player Maynor Figueroa, who had lifted his leg high enough to make contact with Valdez.

Valdez exited the field of play lifting his shirt to reveal for himself the mark that had been left from the player's studs and then applauding the crowd in appreciation for their attendance. Valdez then publicly apologized and stated that surely it would not occur again.

Family, Dating & Relationship Status

As of 2025, Nelson Valdez's relationship status is currently single. He has previously been linked with various personalities and has kept much of his dating life private. Born into a close-knit family in Paraguay, Valdez often credits his parents for his success and continues to be involved with them in their home country. He is known to cherish family values and often shares insights about his upbringing and its influence on his career.

Growing up, Valdez dreamed of playing for the Albirroja. Valdez and his family lived in poverty in the deprived district of San Joaquín, one of the poorest parts of Paraguay. Valdez confessed that he had an "excellent childhood" and had the joy of being from a loving family.

Not owning a football, his skills were developed by playing with an orange or a pair of socks as his family, which included six siblings, could not afford to buy a ball for him. He first began to play club football when he joined local club 1º de Mayo of the San Joaquín district.

Before leaving home, Valdez was to convince his mother to let him play football. His father took his side and Valdez eventually managed to go to Asunción to pursue his dream.

Valdez stated that before he left to Asunción to join Atlético Tembetary, he endured depression after the death of his 13 year old cousin who was like a brother, and began consuming cane liquor, a whiskey which was 50 cents per liter, and confessing that he was once almost an alcoholic.

"I played football during the day and in the evening was drunk". Later, Valdez' father Antonio spoke with him and looked him in the eyes and then he understood perfectly what he had to do.

Net Worth and Salary

In 2025, Nelson Valdez's estimated net worth is around $10 million. His financial success stems from a combination of his long football career, endorsements, and investments in various businesses. Although he has retired from active play, Valdez has diversified his income streams through smart financial decisions and strategic partnerships.

In 2003, Valdez rejected the chance to play for the Germany national under-21 team in favour of Paraguay, having been invited to trial with Germany U21 by coach Jürgen Kohler, he was eventually selected to represent the Paraguay under-20 national team at the 2003 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Prior to this, Valdez had been unheard of from his under-20 teammates and coach, Rolando Chilavert, brother of José Luís Chilavert, and was selected due to his presence in German football. Valdez did not know the names of any of his teammates from the squad and eventually met them on the airplane.

Paraguay's U20 squad had already finished third at the 2003 South American Youth Championship, and eventually qualified for the FIFA U20 World Cup. Valdez was one of three players based outside of Paraguay, alongside Dante López at Israel's Maccabi Haifa and Víctor Hugo Mareco at Italian club Brescia.

The squad also featured players such as Édgar Barreto, Julio dos Santos, Ernesto Cristaldo and Erwin Avalos, with several of these players going on to represent Paraguay U23 at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Valdez featured in all three group-stage fixtures against United States, South Korea and Germany, scoring Paraguay's second goal against Germany in their 2–0 victory, which resulted in Paraguay finished in second position of their group with six points.

During the competition, Valdez humorously revealed to Paraguayan newspaper ABC that in the fixture against Germany U20, he faced his Werder Bremen teammates Christian Schulz and Alexander Walke who made a bet with him that if he would score a goal then one of his teammates would owe him a dinner and would pay for his meal.

Valdez then featured in Paraguay's round of 16 clash against Spain U20, where which Paraguay were beaten 1–0.

Career, Business and Investments

Nelson Valdez's professional football career spanned over a decade and saw him play for clubs across South America, Europe, and Asia, including his time at teams like Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund, and the Qatar Stars League. Following his retirement, Valdez has become an ambassador for football in Paraguay and is involved in coaching younger talents. Additionally, he has investments in real estate and has opened a sports training academy to foster the next generation of footballers in his hometown.

Valdez started his career with Atlético Tembetary, progressing through their youth system to the first-team squad where he made his debut at the age of 16 in Paraguayan División Intermedia in 2000. He finished his career with the club having scored 11 goals in 22 league appearances.

In 2001, he was scouted to Germany's Werder Bremen II, where he scored 15 goals in 30 Regionalliga Nord appearances in his second season before joining the club's first-team. In 2003, Valdez was selected for the Paraguay under-20 national team where he scored one goal in four appearances at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

In his second season with Werder Bremen, he claimed the 2003–04 Bundesliga and 2003–04 DFB-Pokal, having scored five goals in 21 league appearances that season. Valdez debuted in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League on 14 September 2004 and scored his first two Champions League goals in a 2–0 victory against Valencia in December.

During his years at Werder Bremen, Valdez had his appearances limited due to competition from teammates Aílton, Angelos Charisteas and both Miroslav Klose and Ivan Klasnić, who were the Bundesliga's top striking duo at the time.

Social Network

Valdez maintains an active presence on social media platforms, where he engages with fans and shares insights from his life after retirement. His official Instagram account features posts about his workouts, family life, and personal endeavors, garnering a large following. Fans can connect with him on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, where he often shares motivational content and updates about his ventures and community initiatives.

On 8 January 2014, Valdez scored a double against Al Shaab in his side's 3–0 league victory at home. His goals came in the sixth and tenth minutes of the first half, in a fixture which proved to be Valdez's last appearance for Al Jazira as he was ultimately sanctioned and fined for his celebration.

After a fan had whistled at Valdez, in response he scored his first goal and put his finger on his mouth to silence the fans and then scored his second goal and celebrated his goals by touching his crotch as a sign of having "balls".

The TV image had censured Valdez's private part and Al Jazira stated that they were prepared to preserve the good behaviour of the sport and had decided to suspend Valdez for his gesture until further notice. Valdez had received the suspension immediately after the match and could not justify his behaviour in an interview.

Moments after the match, Valdez wrote in English via his Twitter account that his objective was never to offend anyone instead to make understand that he uses his balls when he is on the field and due to the bad luck in his last games he could not score goals, he expressed it in this manner.

Finally, Valdez expressed that during the rumours of his exit from the club that his intention was to stay at the club. Valdez was ultimately loaned to Greek outfit Olympiakos for the remainder of the 2013–14 season.

Education

While Nelson Valdez's primary focus was football from a young age, he also understood the importance of education. He completed his primary and secondary education in Paraguay and has expressed interest in furthering his education in sports management and coaching. Valdez's commitment to learning reflects his desire to continue contributing to the sport even after his playing days.

In conclusion, Nelson Valdez continues to be an influential figure in the world of football, showcasing his dedication to the sport, family, and community as he navigates the landscape of life after professional athletics.