Emiliano Sala

Professional Footballer (Striker)

Argentine Cululú, Santa Fe, Argentina Scorpio 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)

Quick Info

ProfessionProfessional Footballer (Striker)
NationalityArgentine
Date of Birth31/10/1990
Age28 years (died on 21, Jan, 2019)
BirthplaceCululú, Santa Fe, Argentina
Date of Death21/01/2019
Zodiac SignScorpio

Latest News about Emiliano Sala

30/03/2026

A French commercial tribunal dismissed Cardiff City’s claim for more than £100 million in compensation linked to Emiliano Sala’s death. The ruling followed a long-running legal dispute over whether FC Nantes had any responsibility for the transfer and the fatal flight that took Sala from France toward Cardiff in January 2019.

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Bio/Wiki

Emiliano Raúl Sala Taffarel was an Argentine professional footballer who played as a striker.
After playing youth football in Argentina and a short spell in Portugal's regional leagues, he began his professional career in France with Bordeaux, making his professional debut in February 2012.
He became Nantes' top scorer for three consecutive seasons and was the first Nantes player to score a Ligue 1 hat-trick since 2006.
In January 2019, he signed for Cardiff City for a club-record fee of approximately £15 million, but tragically died in a plane crash while flying from Nantes to Cardiff.

Physical Stats & More

Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)

Career

Youth Career
  • Club San Martín de Progreso (1994–2005)
  • Proyecto Crecer (2005–2007)
  • CD Soledad B (few games)
Senior Career
  • Years: 2012–2015 Team: Bordeaux Apps: 11
  • Years: 2012–2013 Team: → Orléans (loan) Goals: 19 in 37
  • Years: 2014 Team: → Niort (loan) Goals: 18 in 37
  • Years: 2015 Team: → Caen (loan) Apps: 13 Goals: 5
  • Years: 2015–2019 Team: Nantes Apps: 120 Goals: 42
  • Years: 2019 Team: Cardiff City Apps: 0 Goals: 0
  • Years: 2015 Team: → Caen (loan) Apps: 13 Goals: 5
Total Career225 apps, 88 goals

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. First Nantes player to score a Ligue 1 hat-trick since 2006.
2. Nantes' top scorer for three consecutive seasons.
3. Signed for Cardiff City for a club-record £18m fee but died in a plane crash en route.
4. Signed for Cardiff City for a club-record fee (reported as £15 million) but died in a plane crash en route.
5. His Piper PA-46 Malibu aircraft disappeared off Alderney on 21 January 2019 while flying from Nantes to Cardiff.
6. The wreckage was discovered on 3 February 2019, and his body was recovered four days later; the pilot's body was not found.

Also born on 31 October

Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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