Manuel Neira

1.1. Youth Career

Neira gained early international recognition representing Chile at the youth level. He notably participated in the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Japan, where he was one of the tournament's top scorers with 5 goals, alongside Peter Anosike and Nwankwo Kanu. Chile secured third place in the tournament. He continued to represent the Chile U-20 team, playing in the South American Youth Championship in both 1995 and 1997.

1.2. Professional Debut

Neira began his professional career at the age of seventeen with Chilean Primera División club Colo-Colo. Following his notable performance at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship, he moved to the Brazilian club São Paulo FC in 1994. The following season, Neira returned to Colo-Colo. In 1996, he was loaned to Everton de Viña del Mar, which was then playing in the Primera B.

2.1. Early Professional Stints

After his initial professional steps, Neira began to establish himself. From 1997 to 1998, he became a consolidated player for Colo-Colo, contributing to consecutive Primera División Chilena titles in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. In December 1998, Colo-Colo sold Neira to the Spanish club UD Las Palmas. However, he was immediately loaned back to Colo-Colo for one season. After his loan spell, Neira returned to Las Palmas, where he was part of the squad that won the 1999-2000 Segunda División title. For the 2000-01 season, Neira was transferred to the Argentine club Racing Club. During the Torneo Apertura 2000, he scored 2 goals in 9 games. In the summer of 2001, Neira moved to Unión Española, where he had a notable performance, scoring 11 goals in 17 games and becoming one of the top scorers in the Torneo Apertura. In June 2001, Neira was signed by the Colombian club América de Cali.

2.2. Colo-Colo Periods

In January 2002, Neira returned to Colo-Colo for another stint. He helped the club reach the runner-up position in the Torneo Apertura, following a 3-0 defeat against Cobreloa in the final. However, in the Torneo Clausura of the same year, Neira had one of his most notable seasons, becoming the top scorer with 14 goals and winning the Primera División title after defeating Universidad Católica in the finals. In the subsequent season, Colo-Colo lost two finals against Cobreloa in the same year, but Neira still managed to score 21 goals in 42 matches across the season. Despite rumors of a transfer to Europe, these did not materialize. He played the Torneo Apertura 2004, scoring 1 goal in 16 matches, before being transferred to the Mexican club Chiapas in June 2004.

2.3. South American and European Clubs

Beyond his stints in Spain and Argentina, Neira also played for other clubs in South America and Europe. In June 2001, he joined the Colombian club América de Cali. In January 2007, Neira agreed to a one-year deal with Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. in Israel, turning down an offer from Colo-Colo. However, his time there was cut short when he suffered a severe injury in his second game for the team, during the Channel One Cup, against CSKA Moscow. He sustained two ankle fractures, which forced him to sit out the rest of the season without playing a single league game for Hapoel.

2.4. Mexican and Later Chilean Clubs

After his injury in Israel, Neira returned to Chile. For the Torneo Clausura 2007, he rejoined Unión Española. He made his re-debut against Everton at Estadio Sausalito, in a 0-0 draw. He scored his first goal in this third spell at the club against his former team, Colo-Colo, in a 2-2 draw. He ultimately scored 9 goals in 19 matches for the tournament. In December 2007, he briefly trained with Turkish Süper Lig club Gaziantepspor but was not signed and returned to Unión Española. During the Torneo Apertura 2008, he scored 3 goals in 12 matches. In the Torneo de Clausura 2008, he became a key player, scoring 6 goals in 15 matches. He played a crucial role in helping Unión Española avoid relegation by scoring 2 goals in 2 matches against Deportes Puerto Montt in the relegation/promotion play-offs.

Following his time at Unión Española, Neira continued his career with several other clubs. In 2010, he played for Deportes La Serena in Chile and CD Universidad Católica del Ecuador in Ecuador. In 2011, he joined San Luis de Quillota in Chile. His final professional clubs were Santiago Morning and Unión San Felipe, both in Chile, in 2012.

3.1. Youth International Career

Neira's first international appearance for Chile was at the FIFA U-17 World Championship 1993 in Japan. In this tournament, he was one of the top scorers, netting 5 goals, placing him among the leading goal-getters alongside Peter Anosike and Nwankwo Kanu, with Wilson Oruma leading with 6 goals. Chile achieved a third-place finish in the tournament. He also played for the Chile national under-20 football team in the South American Youth Championship in 1995 and 1997.

3.2. Senior International Career

Neira made his senior debut for the Chile national football team in January 1998. Prior to his World Cup selection, he played for a Chile B squad against England B on 10 February 1998, where Chile won 2-1, with Neira scoring both goals. He was selected for the Chilean squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup but did not make an appearance in the tournament. He later participated in the 2001 Copa América. Over his senior international career from 1998 to 2006, Neira played in 13 matches and scored 2 goals.

3.3. International Goals

Scores and results list Chile's goal tally first.

4.1. Club Honours

• Colo-Colo
  • Primera División de Chile: 1997 Clausura, 1998, 2002 Clausura
• Unión Española
  • Primera División de Chile: 2005 Apertura
• UD Las Palmas
  • Segunda División: 1999-2000

4.2. Individual Honours

• Primera División de Chile Top-scorer: 2002 Clausura