Luis Cristaldo

Who is Luis Cristaldo?

Luis Héctor Cristaldo Ruiz Díaz is an Argentine-Bolivian football midfielder who currently plays for Guabirá. He holds the record for the most appearances for the Bolivian national team with 93 international matches and 5 goals between 1989 and 2005, including two appearances in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Cristaldo made his international debut on September 10, 1989 in a World Cup Qualifier against Uruguay in Montevideo.

Born in Argentina, he relocated to Santa Cruz, Bolivia at the age of 15. Cristaldo then began attending the prestigious Tahuichi football academy, and by the time he was 18 years-old he made his official debut in first division. He played for Bolivian teams Oriente Petrolero and Bolívar, winning 4 national titles combined during those years.

In 1998, he went abroad to play for Sporting de Gijón in Spain and later with Cerro Porteño and Sol de América in Paraguay, not to mention a previous spell he had during 1994 with Argentine club Mandiyú de Corrientes and legendary Diego Maradona as the manager.

In 2001, Cristaldo returned to Bolivia and played with The Strongest for the next six years.