César Medina (Panamanian footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | César Augusto Medina Mejía | ||
| Date of birth | 10 April 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Pacora, Panamá | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2008 | Alianza | ||
| 2009 | Olimpia | ||
| 2009 | Pisa | ||
| 2010–2011 | Alianza | ||
| 2012 | Comunicaciones | ||
| 2012–2024 | Alianza | ||
| International career | |||
| 2007 | Panama | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
César Augusto Medina Mejía (born 10 April 1980) was a Panamanian footballer who played as a forward with Alianza for over a decade, from 2012 until 2024. He also played one match for the Panamana national team in 2007.
Early life
César Medina was born in Pacora on 10 April 1980, as the son of Rigoberto Medina and Ana Raquel Mejía, a working-class, humble family, earning the nickname "Bombo" because he was chubby as a child.[1]
Club career
Following a good performance in a showcasing friendly held in Pacora, Professor Gustavo Ávila brought Medina to Dinamo, a local team, where he initially struggled to practice, but soon got himself together with the help of his parents.[1] He made his debut for the first team at Candela Gil on 28 December 1995, aged 15.[1] Ten years later, in 2005, he made his debut for Alianza, scoring two goals against Plaza Amador, and in his fourth appearance, he scored a four-goal haul in a 6–2 win over Atlético Veraguense.[1]
Having spent all my years playing here, when I step onto this pitch I give everything for this team, even if it's a small team like people say, but hey, you have to keep going.
In 2009, Medina spent a few months with Olimpia in Honduras, where he failed to score a single goal, and with Pisa in Italy, where he failed to adapt, so he returned to Alianza, with whom he played for over a decade, from 2012 until 2024.[1] In mid-2015, he had already scored 113 top-tier goals for Alianza.[1] On 28 May 2022, he started in the final of the Apertura tournament of the Panamanian top-flight, helping his side to a 1–2 victory over Sporting San Miguelito.[3] He announced his retirement in May 2024, leaving Alianza after nearly 20 years and with a total of 178 official goals in the Panamanian league, making him the second highest scorer in its history.[4] Regarded as Alianza's most valuable player in 61 years, the club decided to honour him by officially retiring the number 24 jersey, which identified him throughout his career.[4]
According to IFFHS, Medina was the third-oldest player in the world to play a match in the top tier of a national league in 2024, at the age of 44 years and 22 days, in his last career match in the Panamanian league against San Miguelito on 2 May, which ended in a 0–1 loss.[5]
International career
On 14 October 2007, Medina earned his first (and only) international cap in a friendly match against Honduras, which ended in a 0–1 loss.[6]
Honours
Olimpia
Alianza
- Liga Panameña de Fútbol (Apertura): 2022
References
- ^ a b c d e f "El goleador César Bombo Medina" [The top scorer César Bombo Medina]. alianzafc.net (in Spanish). 18 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ "César Medina: "No es una maldición, es la actitud de los jugadores"" [César Medina: "It's not a curse, it's the players' attitude."]. bitacoradeportiva.com (in Spanish). 1 October 2014. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ "Alianza, campeón Apertura 2022 de la LPF" [Alianza, 2022 LPF Apertura champion]. www.panamaamerica.com.pa (in Spanish). 28 May 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ a b "LPF: Alianza retirará el dorsal del goleador César Medina" [LPF: Alianza will retire striker César Medina's jersey number]. www.rpctv.com (in Spanish). 3 May 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ "The oldest in 2024". IFFHS. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ "César Medina (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
External links
- César Medina at National-Football-Teams.com
- César Medina at ceroacero.es