Noel Valladares

2.1. Early Life and Background

Valladares began his football journey at a local club, Real Comayagua, before making his professional debut. Details about his specific childhood and upbringing are not extensively documented in available sources, but his early involvement with a local club suggests a foundational development in his native Comayagua.

3.1. Club Career

Valladares made his professional debut in 1997 with F.C. Motagua, where he played until 2004. During his tenure with Motagua, he was part of the squad that secured five Liga Profesional de Honduras titles: the 1997-98 Apertura, 1997-98 Clausura, 1999-00 Apertura, 1999-00 Clausura, and 2001-02 Apertura. He also won the 1997-98 Honduran Super Cup with Motagua.

A notable and unusual period in his career occurred in 2003 while still with Motagua. As a third-choice goalkeeper, he was unexpectedly deployed as a striker during an injury-plagued derby match against C.D. Olimpia. In this role, Valladares managed to score a goal with a header. He continued to play a few more games as a striker before returning to his primary role as a goalkeeper for Motagua.

In 2004, Valladares transferred to C.D. Olimpia, where he played until his retirement in 2017. With Olimpia, he achieved even greater success, winning nine Liga Profesional de Honduras titles: 2005-06 Apertura, 2005-06 Clausura, 2007-08 Clausura, 2008-09 Clausura, 2009-10 Clausura, 2011-12 Apertura, 2011-12 Clausura, 2012-13 Apertura, and 2012-13 Clausura.

Valladares announced his decision to retire from professional football on November 7, 2016. His final match took place on December 4, 2016, when Olimpia was eliminated by Motagua in the semifinals of the Apertura 2016 tournament, bringing his 19-year playing career to an official close.

3.2. International Career

Noel Valladares represented the Honduras national football team for over a decade, establishing himself as the country's first-choice goalkeeper. His senior international debut for Honduras came in June 2000 during a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Haiti.

He is one of Honduras's most capped footballers, having earned a total of 135 caps with no goals scored between 2000 and 2016. He became the third Honduran player to reach 100 international caps, following Amado Guevara and Carlos Pavón. Valladares participated in 46 FIFA World Cup qualification matches throughout his career.

Valladares was a member of the Honduran squad at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Prior to that, he played as both a goalkeeper and a forward for Honduras at the 1999 Pan American Games held in Winnipeg.

He played a crucial role in Honduras's qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa, where he played in all three group stage matches. In the tournament, he conceded one goal against Chile (0-1) and two goals against Spain (0-2). In Honduras's final group game against Switzerland, Valladares kept a clean sheet and was awarded the Man of the Match honor. He also participated in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Valladares' international career also included appearances in various regional tournaments:

• 2001 Copa América, where Honduras achieved a third-place finish.
• 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup.
• 2011 UNCAF Nations Cup.
• 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

In 2010, he succeeded Amado Guevara as the captain of the Honduras national team, a role he maintained during tournaments such as the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

4.1. Club Honours

C.D. Olimpia

• Liga Profesional de Honduras (9):
  • 2005-06 Apertura
  • 2005-06 Clausura
  • 2007-08 Clausura
  • 2008-09 Clausura
  • 2009-10 Clausura
  • 2011-12 Apertura
  • 2011-12 Clausura
  • 2012-13 Apertura
  • 2012-13 Clausura

  F.C. Motagua

  • Liga Profesional de Honduras (5):
    • 1997-98 Apertura
    • 1997-98 Clausura
    • 1999-00 Apertura
    • 1999-00 Clausura
    • 2001-02 Apertura
  • Honduran Super Cup (1):
    • 1997-98

4.2. International Honours

Honduras

• Copa Centroamericana (1):
  • 2011
• CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (1):
  • 2000

4.3. Individual Awards

• Best Goalkeeper Award of CONCACAF Gold Cup (1):
  • 2011
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Best Save (2):
  • 2011 (3rd and 4th place)
• Man of the Match in 2010 FIFA World Cup vs. Switzerland (Group H)
• Best Goalkeeper Award of Liga Profesional de Honduras (3):
  • 2006-07 Clausura
  • 2007-08 Apertura
  • 2007-08 Clausura

5.1. Club Statistics

Specific match appearance and goal-scoring statistics for Noel Valladares' club career with F.C. Motagua and C.D. Olimpia are not detailed in the provided sources. His career spanned from 1997 to 2017 with these two clubs, but exact numbers for appearances and goals remain largely unrecorded in the available information.

5.2. International Statistics

Noel Valladares earned a total of 135 senior international caps for the Honduras national football team between 2000 and 2016, scoring no goals. His year-by-year international appearance record is as follows: