Rafael Dudamel

About

Venezuelan soccer coach and former professional goalkeeper known for leading Venezuela's youth and senior national teams and for winning top-flight league titles as a club manager in Colombia. He is especially known for leading Venezuela's U-20 national team to the final of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup which was the best finish in the country's history at that level. He is additionally known for winning the Categoría Primera A championship with Deportivo Cali in 2021 and the Colombian league title with Atlético Bucaramanga in 2024.

Before Fame

He was a professional goalkeeper with a career spanning Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, and South Africa. He began playing professionally in the early 1990s and represented clubs such as Deportivo Táchira, UA Maracaibo, Atlético Zulia, El Vigía, Atlético Huila, Independiente Santa Fe, Deportivo Cali, Millonarios, Cortuluá, Argentina's Quilmes, and South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns. He made his debut for the Venezuela national team in 1993. He retired from playing professionally in 2010 and transitioned into coaching in 2012. His big break was leading Venezuela to the FIFA U-20 World Cup final in 2017.

Trivia

He is one of the few goalkeepers in international football history to have scored a direct free-kick goal for his national team in 1996.

Family Life

His full name is Rafael Édgar Dudamel Ochoa. He was born in San Felipe, Yaracuy, Venezuela. He was previously married to architect Nahir Newman. They share a daughter named Amanda Dudamel who won Miss Venezuela 2021 and finished as first runner-up at Miss Universe 2022.

Associated With

He has coached Yeferson Soteldo and Wuilker Faríñez.