In a year marked by intense battles in South American football, Erick Pulgar emerges as one of the continent’s most solid and inspiring figures. Born in the hot sands of Antofagasta in northern Chile, the 31-year-old midfielder found in Flamengo not just a club, but a home where his grit and game vision have been transformed into trophies. With the recent victory over Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores final on November 29, 2025, Pulgar lifts his second continental trophy, solidifying himself as a fundamental piece in Mengão’s fourth title. This story goes beyond the pitch: it’s about overcoming, adaptation, and the fire that burns in those who carry the weight of representing an entire nation.
Humble Origins: From the Chilean Deserts to the Football Dream
Erick Antonio Pulgar Farfán came into the world on January 15, 1994, in Antofagasta, a Pacific-bathed port city known more for its copper mines than for cradles of stars. Son of a modest family, Pulgar discovered football at six years old, kicking a ball in the dusty streets with Miramar Club Sur Este, a local team that shaped his first dribbles. “It was all improvised, but that’s where I learned to fight for every inch,” he recalls in past interviews, echoing the typical resilience of northern Chileans.
At 15, fate smiled: during a youth tournament, scout Carlos Cárcamo spotted him and took him to the youth academy of Deportes Antofagasta. There, Erick started as a winger and left-back, positions that demanded speed and endless stamina—qualities he still displays today, at 1.87m tall. His professional debut came in 2013, and he soon became an undisputed starter. In 38 games for the club of his heart, he scored two goals and was named the best player of the 2014 season. Those years were tough lessons: the team fought to avoid relegation in the Chilean Primera B, and Pulgar, with his fierce marking, was the shield that prevented the worst.
The turning point came in June 2014, when Universidad Católica bet US$400,000 on 70% of his rights. He signed for three years and, despite the team’s irregular campaign, shone individually: seven goals in 35 league matches. Under Mario Salas, Pulgar shifted to defensive midfield, where his stature and game reading turned him into a relentless ball recoverer. “He’s one of those who seems to read the future of the game,” Salas praised at the time. It was the springboard to Europe, where the world awaited him.
The European Adventure: From Bologna to Fiorentina, Lessons in Intensity
The leap to the Old Continent happened in August 2015, when Bologna of Serie A signed him for four seasons. With the number 5 on his back—a number that follows him to this day—Pulgar faced the tactical rigor of Italian football. In 100 league games, he scored 10 goals, showing a scorer’s instinct on set pieces and a commitment that won over the rossoblù fans. His contract extension in 2019 until June 2022 was well-deserved: he became captain and on-field leader.
But the peak—and the challenges—came at Fiorentina, where he transferred in August 2019. In Florence, the City of the Renaissance, Pulgar lived the height of his Italian career: 74 Serie A matches, eight goals, and an immediate identification with the viola. He marked with the precision of a surgeon and distributed passes like a maestro, helping Viola flirt with European spots. However, injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic—he tested positive in August 2020—tested his resolve. In February 2022, a loan to Galatasaray in Turkey provided a breather: 11 games and a domestic title, reigniting his hunger for victories.
Those years in Europe forged the Pulgar we know today. Far from family, he learned to handle the pressure of packed stadiums and voracious rivals. “Italian football taught me to be patient, but Turkish football gave me back my passion for chaos,” he once confided. It was that baggage that brought him back to South America, ready for a new chapter.
Arrival at Flamengo: Adaptation and the Fire of Mengão
In July 2022, Flamengo paid €3 million to Fiorentina to repatriate Pulgar to the Americas. The initial contract ran until December 2025, but in March 2025, after tense negotiations, it was extended until the end of 2027, with a US$6 million release clause starting mid-2026. The rubro-negra crowd, always eager for impactful reinforcements, received him with initial skepticism—after all, how would a Chilean fit into the samba of the Maracanã?—but Pulgar silenced the doubts with actions.
Under coaches like Jorge Sampaoli—who launched him in the Chilean national team—he became the pillar of the midfield. In 89 league games up to May 2025, he scored three goals and provided precise assists. His relentless marking and peripheral vision allowed creators like Arrascaeta to shine. In 2023, he took home the Bola de Prata, the award for best player in his position in the Brasileirão. The following year, he was selected for the ideal team of the Campeonato Carioca and Copa do Brasil. And in 2025, the Carioca trophy joined his collection again.
But it wasn’t all glory. In June 2025, during the Club World Cup, a hard challenge against Bayern Munich left him with a lower body injury, carried off on a stretcher after an accidental own goal. “Pain is part of it, but the title heals everything,” he said upon his return. Recovered, Pulgar became the team’s thermometer: tireless in high pressing, he recovers balls like few others and initiates lethal counterattacks.
The Chilean National Team: National Pride and Eternal Moments
Representing Chile is what drives Pulgar since his youth days. He debuted for La Roja in 2015 and, up to October 2024, has 54 caps and four goals. The first came in the 2019 Copa América against Japan (4-0), a header that echoed like a national anthem. Two more in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Venezuela showed his scoring vein in key moments.
The highlight? The 2016 Copa América, won on penalties against Messi’s Argentina. Pulgar, then a rookie, was a key piece in defense. “Lifting that trophy in New Jersey was like being reborn,” he reflects. Today, at 31, he leads a transitioning generation, playing qualifiers and friendlies with the same hunger. His partnership with Sampaoli in both the national team and Flamengo creates a perfect symbiosis, where tactics and emotion merge.
Playing Style: The Giant Who Protects and Creates
What makes Pulgar special? His versatility. Tall and fast, he covers the field like a defender in midfield, intercepting passes with impeccable timing. “He’s a natural recoverer, but with silky feet for long passes,” analyzes Brazilian journalist Juca Kfouri. At Flamengo, his tackles per game rate is among the highest in Serie A, and he rarely errs on launches. He can play as a holding midfielder, center-back, or even libero in three-back schemes. Critics point to flaws in hard fouls—like in the Libertadores final—but it’s that intensity that defines him: he plays 100%, no half-measures.
The Epic 2025 Libertadores Final: Hero Despite the Controversies
November 29, 2025, will be etched in rubro-negra history. At the Estadio Monumental in Lima, Flamengo faced Palmeiras in the Libertadores final. The match, delayed 15 minutes, ignited at the 28th minute: a foul by Bruno Fuchs on Arrascaeta sparked widespread chaos. In the heat of the moment, Pulgar received a yellow for unsportsmanlike conduct after a reckless challenge on Fuchs—the Brazilian press, like Globo Esporte, criticized the “imprudence” that could have cost a red card. “If I play 100%, that passes. If it’s 10%, they eject me,” he retorted post-match, trophy in hand.
Mengão won 1-0, with a goal from Bruno Henrique, and Pulgar played the full 90 minutes: he blocked crucial shots, like one from Felipe Anderson at the end, and dictated the tempo. It was his second continental title—the first as an undisputed starter. The celebration in Rio was deafening: fans chanted “Pulgar, monster!”, and he, emotional, dedicated it to his family and Chile. Rumors of interest from French side Rennes surfaced in the winter, but the contract extension sealed his future in Brazil.
Personal Life: Family, Faith, and a Legacy Beyond the Field
Off the four lines, Pulgar is a family man. Married and a dedicated father, he balances football’s madness with simple routines: barbecues with teammates and calls to Antofagasta. His Catholic faith is a pillar, and he supports social causes in Chile, like projects for underprivileged youth in peripheral neighborhoods. “Football took me off the streets; now I give back,” he says. Injuries, like the one in June, brought him closer to philanthropy, and he plans a football academy in his hometown after hanging up his boots.
A Bright Future: More Titles and an Eternal Legacy
At 31, Pulgar is at his peak. At Flamengo, he eyes the sixth Brasileirão and another Libertadores. For the national team, he dreams of the 2026 World Cup. His contract until 2027 ensures stability, but the football world knows: talents like him transcend borders. Erick Pulgar is not just a player; he is the symbol that, with grit and humility, the desert can bloom into continental glory.
In a sport of ephemera, Pulgar builds eternity. Bring on more battles—the Mengão, and South American football, thank you.
