Alexander Mejía
Alexander Mejía Sabalza (born 11 July 1988) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Unión Magdalena. He is described by FIFA's official website as "a linchpin noted for his ability to tidy up mistakes, rob possession and track down and pressurise opponents". Club career Colombia Mejía made his professional debut for Deportes Quindío in 2005, where he played for seven years, including a loan spell at Once Caldas. In 2012, he joined Atlético Nacional and won both the Copa Colombia and the Superliga Colombiana in his first season. In the following seasons, Mejía helped Nacional to three consecutive Colombian league titles, becoming team captain after the departure of Macnelly Torres. Mexico Mejía finished his loan at Nacional in June 2016. He was then transferred to León in the Liga MX for the Apertura 2016. However, as a part of the deal, he was able to stay with Nacional until after the Medellín club had finished its campaign in the Copa Libertadores. International career In 2012, Mejía made his debut for the Colombia national team in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Peru. He went on to become a regular member of the squad in the remainder of the campaign, making five appearances overall. 2014 World Cup On 9 June 2014, he was named in Colombia's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and played in four of the five matches Colombia had. On 14 June, Mejía appeared as a sixty-ninth-minute substitute in Colombia's opening match of the tournament, a 3–0 victory over Greece in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Mejía also appeared in the following match against Ivory Coast on 19 June 2014, coming on as a substitute in the seventy-ninth minute, and seeing out a 2–1 victory in Brazil's capital, Brasília. In Colombia's third – and last – game of the Group Stage, they played against Japan. Mejía started at a defensive midfielder role alongside Fredy Guarín, playing the entire eighty-minute game. Colombia won 1–4. Mejía's last game of the 2014 World Cup came against Uruguay in the Round of 16 in the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro on 28 June. Colombia won 2–0, and progressed to the Quarter-finals, playing against the hosts, Brazil, losing 2–1. Season statistics Honours Club Atlético Nacional Categoría Primera A Winner: 2013-I, 2013-II, 2014-I Copa Colombia Winner: 2012, 2013 Superliga Colombiana Winner: 2012 Copa Libertadores Winner: 2016 References External links 1988 births Living people Footballers from Barranquilla Colombian men's footballers Colombia men's international footballers 2014 FIFA World Cup players 2015 Copa América players Atlético Nacional footballers Copa Libertadores-winning players Deportes Quindío footballers Once Caldas footballers C.F. Monterrey players Club León footballers Club Libertad footballers Independiente Santa Fe footballers Unión Magdalena footballers Colombian expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Expatriate men's footballers in Paraguay Categoría Primera A players Liga MX players Paraguayan Primera División players Men's association football midfielders Colombian people of African descent 21st-century Colombian people