1. Early life and background
Duván Esteban Zapata Banguera was born on 1 April 1991 in Santiago de Cali, Colombia. He joined the youth academy of América de Cali in 2004 at the age of 13, beginning his journey in professional football. He is the cousin of fellow Colombian international footballer and defender, Cristián Zapata.
2. Club career
Duván Zapata's professional career began in Colombia before he moved to Argentina, and then spent the majority of his career in Italy, establishing himself as a prominent forward.
2.1. América de Cali
Zapata made his debut with América de Cali's first team on 18 May 2008, in a 3-2 loss against Boyacá Chicó, where he also scored his first goal. In July 2008, he featured in both legs of the Categoría Primera A finals against Boyacá Chicó, though América de Cali ultimately lost on penalties. In December 2008, América de Cali won the league title by defeating Independiente Medellín in the finals, although Zapata did not participate in either match. On 13 February 2011, he scored his first career hat-trick in a 3-2 home victory against Deportivo Pereira at Estadio Pascual Guerrero. Zapata departed the club at the end of the 2011 Apertura season. During his time at América de Cali, he made 54 appearances, scoring 9 goals.
2.2. Estudiantes
On 27 July 2011, Zapata moved to Estudiantes in Argentina on a loan deal for 120.00 K USD, with a purchase option of 1.20 M USD. He scored on his debut in a 3-2 win over Belgrano. During his initial year, he also made occasional appearances for their reserve team. In the 2012 Torneo Clausura, he scored four goals in eight matches. Across both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments that year, Zapata netted five goals in 11 matches. In the summer of 2012, Estudiantes acquired half of Zapata's playing rights from América de Cali.
For the 2012-13 season, Zapata became a fundamental part of Estudiantes' starting lineup, scoring 16 goals in 33 games. This impressive form attracted interest from several European clubs, including Beşiktaş. In July 2013, Premier League club West Ham United applied for a British work permit for Zapata in anticipation of a potential transfer. Despite not meeting the standard requirements for a permit, West Ham attempted to secure his arrival by arguing he was a "special talent" who would enhance the English game. However, West Ham's owners later announced they were withdrawing from the deal, even after reportedly agreeing to a 6.70 M GBP fee with Estudiantes.
2.3. Napoli
On 25 August 2013, Zapata officially transferred to Serie A club Napoli for an undisclosed fee, reported to be around 6.00 M EUR. He was assigned the number 91 jersey. He made his Serie A debut on 28 September, in a 2-0 victory against Genoa. On 22 October, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 2-1 away win against Marseille.
Zapata scored his first league goals for the Partenopei on 26 March 2014, netting two goals in a 4-2 away win at Catania, with all of Napoli's goals coming in the first half. He finished the season with five Serie A goals, including two more in the final match, a 5-1 win over Hellas Verona at the Stadio San Paolo. During his time at Napoli, the club finished third in Serie A in the 2013-14 season and won the Coppa Italia in 2014, followed by the Supercoppa Italiana in the same year. He also contributed to Napoli's run to the semi-finals of the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League.
2.4. Udinese
On 22 July 2015, Zapata joined Udinese on a two-year loan deal, which included an option for the club to purchase him after his first year. He scored his first goal for Udinese on 19 September against Empoli FC. During the 2016-17 season, he scored 10 goals, including one against Juventus on 5 March 2017, marking his first time achieving double-digit goals in a European league season. Overall, he made 65 appearances and scored 19 goals for Udinese.
2.5. Sampdoria
On 31 August 2017, Zapata joined Sampdoria on a season-long loan deal with a mandatory purchase option. During the 2017-18 season, he made 32 appearances and scored 11 goals. Sampdoria exercised their purchase option at the end of the season.
2.6. Atalanta
On 12 July 2018, Zapata moved to Atalanta on a two-season loan with an option to purchase. He quickly became a key player for the team, scoring twice in a 2-2 draw against Juventus on 26 December 2018. On 20 January 2019, he scored four goals in a 5-0 away win against Frosinone, becoming the first Atalanta player since Hasse Jeppson in 1952 to achieve a "poker" (four goals in a single match) in Serie A. His goals elevated his tally to 14, all scored consecutively in his last eight matches, placing him alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Fabio Quagliarella as the league's top scorer at that time. He also achieved a continuous goal-scoring streak of 10 official matches from 3 December 2018 against Napoli to 30 January 2019 against Juventus in the Coppa Italia.
On 30 January 2019, Zapata scored two goals in a 3-0 win against holders Juventus in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. His contributions helped Atalanta reach the 2019 Coppa Italia Final, where they finished as runners-up. He also played a pivotal role in securing a third-place finish in the 2018-19 Serie A season, earning the club its first-ever spot in the UEFA Champions League. With 23 league goals, Zapata was selected for the Serie A Team of the Year.
On 1 October 2019, Zapata scored Atalanta's inaugural goal in the UEFA Champions League, although it came in a 2-1 loss against Shakhtar Donetsk. On 17 January 2020, Atalanta made his transfer permanent. A week later, he scored his first goal since returning from a three-month injury layoff in a dominant 7-0 victory over Torino. On 11 July, Zapata scored his 15th goal of the season in a 2-2 draw against Juventus, contributing to Atalanta becoming the first Serie A club since Juventus in 1952 to have three players (Zapata, Luis Muriel, and Josip Iličić) score 15 or more goals in a single season. He also scored a hat-trick against Udinese in a 7-1 victory and another against Lecce in a 7-2 victory during the 2019-20 season, which saw Atalanta finish third in Serie A.
On 27 October 2020, he scored a brace in a 2-2 draw against Ajax in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League. Atalanta achieved another third-place finish in the 2020-21 Serie A and were Coppa Italia runners-up again in the 2020-21 season. On 15 May 2021, Zapata became Atalanta's joint-highest non-Italian goalscorer in Serie A, alongside Germán Denis, by scoring his 56th league goal for the club against Genoa.
2.7. Torino
On 1 September 2023, Zapata joined Torino on a season-long loan with an option to buy and a conditional 7.00 M EUR obligation to buy. He later joined the club permanently in the summer of 2024 and was appointed as the team's captain. On 6 October 2024, he sustained an ACL injury during an away match against Inter Milan, which is expected to sideline him for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
3. International career
Duván Zapata has represented Colombia at both youth and senior levels, contributing significantly to the national team's campaigns.
3.1. Youth national team
Zapata played for the Colombia U20 national team in the 2011 Toulon Tournament. He scored one goal in the tournament, helping the team secure the championship.
3.2. Senior national team
Zapata received his first call-up to the Colombia national team for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Bolivia and Ecuador in March 2017. He made his senior international debut on 23 March, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute for Mateus Uribe in a 1-0 home win over Bolivia.
In May 2018, Zapata was named in Colombia's preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. However, he was ultimately not included in the final 23-man squad, missing out on the tournament proper.
On 30 May 2019, Zapata was included in the 23-man final Colombia squad for the 2019 Copa América. In a pre-tournament friendly on 9 June, he scored his first international goal as a substitute in a 3-0 away win against Peru. He then scored in Colombia's first two group games in Brazil, contributing goals against Argentina (2-0 win) and Qatar (1-0 win), helping Colombia reach the quarter-finals. Colombia was eliminated by Chile in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout.
In June 2021, he was again included in Colombia's squad for the 2021 Copa América in Brazil. He successfully converted Colombia's first penalty kick in the quarter-final shootout against Uruguay, which Colombia won 4-2 after a 0-0 draw. Despite appearing in all seven matches, he did not score in the tournament, but contributed to Colombia's third-place finish.
4. Playing style and attributes
Duván Zapata is primarily recognized for his remarkable combination of speed, powerful offensive movement, and exceptional physicality as a striker. He typically operates in a central attacking role, possessing a strong and accurate shot that makes him a consistent goal threat. His notable height, strength, and robust physique enable him to excel in aerial duels and effectively shield the ball with his back to goal, allowing him to hold up possession and engage teammates in link-up play. He is also skilled in one-on-one situations, demonstrating good technique and agility. Beyond his offensive prowess, Zapata is known for his commendable defensive work-rate and willingness to press opponents when out of possession, contributing to the team's overall defensive efforts.
In 2024, former Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci publicly named Zapata as the toughest opponent he had ever faced, underscoring his formidable presence on the field.
5. Personal life
Duván Zapata is the cousin of fellow Colombian international footballer Cristián Zapata, a defender who has played for clubs like AC Milan and currently for Atlético Nacional.
6. Honours
Duván Zapata has accumulated several club and international honors throughout his career.
6.1. Club
- Categoría Primera A: 2008-II (with América de Cali)
- Coppa Italia: 2013-14 (with Napoli)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014 (with Napoli)
- Serie A: Third place (2013-14 with Napoli; 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 with Atalanta)
- UEFA Europa League: Semi-finalist (2014-15 with Napoli)
- Coppa Italia: Runner-up (2018-19, 2020-21 with Atalanta)
6.2. International (Youth)
- Toulon Tournament: 2011 (with Colombia U20)
6.3. Individual
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2018-19
7. Career statistics
7.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| América de Cali | 2008 | Categoría Primera A | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2010 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 19 | 2 | |||
| 2011 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 1 | - | 15 | 6 | |||
| Total | 52 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 9 | ||
| Estudiantes | 2011-12 | Argentine Primera División | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 5 | |
| 2012-13 | 31 | 13 | 2 | 3 | - | 33 | 16 | |||
| 2013-14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 1 | |||
| Total | 44 | 19 | 2 | 3 | - | 46 | 22 | |||
| Napoli | 2013-14 | Serie A | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 7 |
| 2014-15 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 31 | 8 | ||
| Total | 37 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 53 | 15 | ||
| Udinese (loan) | 2015-16 | Serie A | 25 | 8 | 1 | 0 | - | 26 | 8 | |
| 2016-17 | 38 | 10 | 1 | 1 | - | 39 | 11 | |||
| Total | 63 | 18 | 2 | 1 | - | 65 | 19 | |||
| Sampdoria (loan) | 2017-18 | Serie A | 31 | 11 | 1 | 0 | - | 32 | 11 | |
| Atalanta | 2018-19 | Serie A | 37 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 48 | 28 |
| 2019-20 | 28 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 33 | 19 | ||
| 2020-21 | 37 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 49 | 19 | ||
| 2021-22 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 32 | 13 | ||
| 2022-23 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | 27 | 2 | |||
| 2023-24 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 153 | 69 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 9 | 191 | 82 | ||
| Torino | 2023-24 | Serie A | 35 | 12 | 1 | 0 | - | 36 | 12 | |
| 2024-25 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | 9 | 4 | |||
| Total | 42 | 15 | 3 | 1 | - | 45 | 16 | |||
| Career total | 422 | 151 | 23 | 10 | 41 | 13 | 486 | 174 | ||
7.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 2017 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 14 | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 4 | |
:Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zapata goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 June 2019 | Estadio Monumental, Lima, Peru | Peru | 3-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 15 June 2019 | Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil | Argentina | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2019 Copa América |
| 3 | 19 June 2019 | Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil | Qatar | 1-0 | 1-0 | 2019 Copa América |
| 4 | 9 October 2020 | Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia | Venezuela | 1-0 | 3-0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |