Esteban Paredes


Esteban Efraín Paredes Quintanilla is a Chilean former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Paredes is the first player to be five-time Primera División de Chile top goalscorer and has scored 286 league goals in his career, highlighting his 217–Primera División de Chile goals record which allowed him to be the all-time top goalscorer of Chilean first-tier tournaments history. On 5 October 2019, he achieved the record surpassing Francisco Valdés in a 3–2 win over Universidad de Chile in the Chilean Superclásico.

Club career

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.

International career

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.
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.12 August 2009Brøndby Stadium, Brøndby, Denmark1–02–1Friendly
2.4 November 2009CAP Stadium, Talcahuano, Chile2–12–1Friendly
3.19 November 2009Stadium Pod Dubňom, Žilina, Slovakia2–12–1Friendly
4.20 January 2010Estadio Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso, Coquimbo, Chile1–02–1Friendly
5.20 January 2010Estadio Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso, Coquimbo, Chile2–02–1Friendly
6.30 May 2010Estadio Nelson Oyarzún, Chillán, Chile1–01–0Friendly
7.23 January 2011The Home Depot Center, Los Angeles, United States1–01–1Friendly
8.4 July 2011Estadio del Bicentenario, San Juan, Argentina1–12–12011 Copa América
9.21 March 2012Estadio Carlos Dittborn, Arica, Chile1–03–1Friendly
10.26 March 2013Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile1–02–02014 World Cup qualifier
11.29 March 2017Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile2–03–12018 World Cup qualifier
12.29 March 2017Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile3–03–12018 World Cup qualifier

Post-retirement

In February 2024, Paredes assumed as sport manager of Santiago Morning, the club with which he began his playing career.
In December 2024, Paredes graduated as a football manager at .

Personal life

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 alongside the chef Tomás Olivera.
He is currently the face of a sport betting app named Juega en Linea.
In October 2025, Paredes entered the dance TV show from Chilevisión.
Paredes and the kinesiologist Wilson Ferrada founded Santiago United Academy, a football academy focused in American and Chilean players.

Honours

Puerto Montt
Santiago Morning
Colo-Colo
Coquimbo Unido
Individual