Pablo Zabaleta

• Full name: Pablo Javier Zabaleta Girod
• Date of birth: 16 January 1985
• Place of birth: Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Nationality: Argentine
• Position: Right back / Right wing-back
• Height: 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)

Club career (selected)

• San Lorenzo (Argentina) — Youth and senior debut; played 2002–2005
• Espanyol (Spain) — 2005–2008
• Manchester City (England) — 2008–2017; key player during the club’s rise, winning multiple domestic trophies
• West Ham United (England) — 2017–2019
• Return to Argentina: Briefly linked with returns after 2019 and officially retired from professional football following final club spells and activities

International career

• Argentina national team — Senior debut 2005; represented Argentina at multiple Copa América tournaments and the FIFA World Cup (including 2014, where Argentina reached the final).
• Caps: Over 50 appearances for Argentina (exact number varies by source and final tally).
• Goals: Scored a few goals for the national team; primarily known for defensive contributions and attacking support from right back.

Honours (selected)

• With Manchester City: Premier League titles, FA Cup, and Football League Cup/EFL Cup among domestic honours (part of the squad that transformed City into title contenders and winners).
• With Argentina: FIFA World Cup runner-up 2014 (squad member).

Style of play and legacy

• Energetic, tenacious full-back known for stamina, tackling, and overlapping runs.
• Respected for leadership, professionalism, and consistency at club and international level.
• Regarded by fans and peers as one of Argentina’s notable full-backs of his generation and a beloved figure at Manchester City.

Post-retirement

• Involved in media, punditry, coaching-related activities and ambassadorial roles; remains a popular figure in football communities.