Lucas Chávez (Bolivian footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Lucas Leonidas Chávez Cruz | ||
Date of birth | 17 April 2003 | ||
Place of birth | Santa Cruz, Bolivia | ||
Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Volta Redonda (on loan from Bolívar) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2021– | Bolívar | 51 | (6) |
2024–2025 | → Al-Taawoun (loan) | 13 | (1) |
2025– | → Volta Redonda (loan) | 0 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2023– | Bolivia | 13 | (0) |
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:17, 26 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:17, 10 June 2025 (UTC) |
Lucas Leonidas Chávez Cruz (born 17 April 2003) is a Bolivian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Brazilian club Volta Redonda, on loan from Club Bolívar, and for the Bolivia national team. He made his international debut for Bolivia in 2023 and played at the 2024 Copa América.
Club career
Born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Chávez began his career at Club Bolívar. He made his debut on 2 May 2021 in a 2–0 home win over C.D. Real Tomayapo in the Bolivian Primera División, coming on as a 67th-minute substitute under manager Natxo González. He totalled six appearances that season, all from the bench.[1]
In 2022, Chávez played 13 games as Bolívar won the Apertura, though the season was abandoned in the Clausura stage. He made his Copa Libertadores debut in a 2–0 loss away to C.D. Universidad Católica del Ecuador on 2 March, and scored his first goal on 19 April, concluding a 4–1 win at F.C. Universitario de Vinto; both were as a substitute.[1][2]
On 7 June 2023, Chávez scored his first goal in the Libertadores, concluding a 2–0 win over Cerro Porteño of Paraguay at the Estadio Hernando Siles to make it to the last 16.[1] In the league, he scored four goals in 22 games as his team came runners-up to La Paz rivals The Strongest; on 23 July he scored in a 3–0 home win in his first edition of the local derby.[3] On 5 August, he extended his contract until 2026.[1] Days later, he was ruled out with a fracture to his left clavicle.[4] In December, Bolívar also won the 2023 Copa de la División Profesional; Chávez received one of six red cards in an added-time brawl against C.D. Jorge Wilstermann, despite never leaving the substitutes' bench during the final.[5]
On 3 September 2024, Chávez joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Taawoun on a one-year loan.[6] He played 15 games over all competitions and scored in a 3–0 home win over Damac, making him the first Bolivian to score in the league; he also assisted the opening goal by Sultan Mandash after two minutes.[7]
Chávez was loaned to Volta Redonda of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B on 9 August 2025. Having already had an offer rejected for being low, the club retained the option to purchase him outright in December.[8]
International career
In June 2023, Chávez was called up to the Bolivia national team for friendlies against Ecuador and Chile.[9] He made his debut against the latter in his hometown, starting in the goalless draw; manager Gustavo Costas praised his performance.[10]
Chávez was called up by former Bolívar manager Antonio Carlos Zago in the squad for the 2024 Copa América in the United States.[11] In a group-stage elimination, he played as a second-half substitute in the latter two games.[12][13]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 26 May 2025
Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Bolívar | 2021 | Bolivian Primera División | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
2022 | Bolivian Primera División | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | ||
2023 | Bolivian Primera División | 22 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4[a] | 1 | — | 32 | 5 | ||
2024 | Bolivian Primera División | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | ||
Total | 51 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | 65 | 7 | |||
Al-Taawoun (loan) | 2024–25 | Saudi Pro League | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |
Career total | 64 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 8 |
- ^ a b c Appearances in Copa Libertadores
- ^ Appearance in AFC Champions League Elite
International
- As of matches played 10 June 2025[14]
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Bolivia | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
2024 | 8 | 0 | |
2025 | 4 | 0 | |
Total | 13 | 0 |
Honours
Bolívar
References
- ^ a b c d e Siles-Zapata, Nicolás (5 August 2023). "Lucas Chávez renueva su contrato con Bolívar" [Lucas Chávez renews his contract with Bolívar] (in Spanish). Late!. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "Bolívar goleó 4-1 a Universitario de Vinto con doblete de Bruno Miranda" [Bolívar thrashed Universitario de Vinto 4-1 with brace from Bruno Miranda] (in Spanish). Infobae. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ Torrez Clavijo, Samuel (23 July 2023). "Lucas Chávez sumó otras sensaciones únicas a su carrera" [Lucas Chávez added other unique sensations to his career] (in Spanish). Late!. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ Panozo, Mauricio (11 August 2023). "Bolívar sufre la baja de Lucas Chávez por fractura de clavícula" [Bolívar suffer loss of Lucas Chávez through fractured clavicle]. El Deber (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Bolivia: Bolívar campeón de copa con final caliente y dos uruguayos entre las seis rojas" [Bolivia: Bolívar cup champions with hot finale and two Uruguayans among the six red cards] (in Spanish). Montevideo Portal. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "التعاون يضم البوليفي تشافيز على سبيل الإعارة" [Al-Taawoun signs Bolivian Chávez on loan]. Al Riyadh (in Arabic). 4 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ Mamiña Pereyra, Jhoan Sebastian (9 March 2025). "Lucas Chávez anota y asiste: ¡El boliviano es la figura en la Premier Saudí!" [Lucas Chávez scores and assists: The Bolivian is the figure of the Saudi Premier League!] (in Spanish). Red Uno. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Volta Redonda anuncia a contratação de atacante da seleção da Bolívia" [Volta Redonda announce the signing of Bolivia national team attacker] (in Portuguese). Terra. 9 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Bolivia convoca a seis 'legionarios' para los amistosos ante Ecuador y Chile" [Bolivia call up six 'legionaries' for friendlies against Ecuador and Chile] (in Spanish). SWI swissinfo. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ Panozo, Mauricio (21 June 2023). "Selección: Costas destacó el gran nivel de Guillermo Viscarra, Lucas Chávez y Marcelo Suárez" [National team: Costas highlighted the high level of Guillermo Viscarra, Lucas Chávez and Marcelo Suárez]. El Deber (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "Bolivia da a conocer su convocatoria definitiva para Copa América 2024" [Bolivia make their final squad for the 2024 Copa América known] (in Spanish). TUDN. 16 June 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Dure, Beau (24 June 2024). "USA 2–0 Bolivia". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Panama defeats Bolivia and qualifies for the Quarterfinals for the first time in history". Copa América. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Lucas Chávez at WorldFootball.net