- Nicaragua facing two crunch fixtures to maintain World Cup aspirations
- Carlos Chavarria ready to assist with goals and experience
- “It’d be a dream to reach a World Cup.”
It was less than a year ago that Carlos Chavarria’s life changed forever. His father, a hugely important figure in his life, passed away. However, the enduring pain of his departure has gradually become one of the driving forces behind his pursuit of every footballer’s greatest dream: participating in the FIFA World Cup™.
“I was only able to realise my footballing dreams thanks to the love and efforts of my parents,” Chavarria told FIFA.com. “They were always there supporting me and were vitally important. They were always at the heart of everything, especially my father. May he rest in peace.”
That support soon led to a career that showed promise from a very young age.
“I started in a federal league, which is played on pitches that, while not especially good, are suitable for young players embarking on their journeys,” Chavarria explained. “Then I made it into the first division thanks to a tournament in which several of the country’s departments compete. At that event they were selecting players for the national U-15 team, and I managed to get picked and went on to make my debut. Things went well for me and from there Real Esteli became interested and offered me a contract.”
In his early years as a pro, he won two domestic titles and made his senior national-team debut at just 18.
“Those are very nice experiences at a young age, because they were things I wasn’t expecting,” he said. “That whole period of my life was very exciting.”
Carlos Chavarria, in brief
- Born on 2 May 1994 in Esteli, Nicaragua
- 1.79m tall and weighs 72 kg
- Made professional debut in 2013 with Real Esteli
- Fast striker with excellent finishing
- Enjoyed spells with teams from Malta, IR Iran and Tunisia between 2018 and ’20
- Currently back playing with Real Esteli
Now a mature 27-year-old, he is increasingly regarded as a key member of the national team, especially now as it leads Group E in the first round of CONCACAF qualifying for Qatar 2022.
“What my team-mates and I realise is that we’re very hopeful of progressing [to the next round],” said Chavarria. “Getting to a World Cup would be a dream come true and something beautiful, not just for us but for all Nicaraguans. But to achieve this, we need to fight to the very end.”
To keep that dream intact, the next hurdle to overcome is Belize.
“We’ve noticed that they do some things very well,” he said. “As a team, they fight for everything and don’t give up. We have our strengths too. They’ll be looking for a result, but no question we will too.”
Then comes the fixture that will ultimately decide their fate: their June 8 clash with Haiti, another team with strong aspirations to top the group and progress, and who will have home advantage.
“We’ve played them before – three times I think,” said Chavarria. “They’re a very good side, so for both teams it’ll will be win at all costs. We’ll fight to the death, and they will too.”
A good qualifying campaign could also help the striker achieve some other career goals.
“My dream was always to play abroad and now I’d like to experience that again,” he said. “But everything happens in due time. Playing and living abroad can be amazing – a unique and beautiful experience.”
