Óscar Cardozo

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Cardozo and the second or maternal family name is Marín.

Óscar Cardozo
Cardozo with Trabzonspor in 2014
Personal information
Full name Óscar René Cardozo Marín
Date of birth (1983-05-20) 20 May 1983 (age 41)[1]
Place of birth Raúl Arsenio Oviedo, Paraguay
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Libertad
Number 7
Youth career
Club 24 de Junio
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 3 de Febrero 34 (20)
2004–2006 Nacional Asunción 63 (22)
2006–2007 Newell's Old Boys 33 (21)
2007–2014 Benfica 175 (112)
2014–2016 Trabzonspor 50 (25)
2016–2017 Olympiacos 22 (3)
2017– Libertad 253 (103)
International career‡
2006–2023 Paraguay 58 (12)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:37, 27 October 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2023 (UTC)

Óscar René Cardozo Marín (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈoskaɾ reˈne kaɾˈðoso maˈɾin]; born 20 May 1983), best known as Tacuara (Guarani for Guadua), is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Club Libertad and the Paraguay national team.

Known for his powerful left-foot shot and free-kick skills,[2][3] he first gained attention whilst playing for Newell's Old Boys, which led to a move to Benfica in 2007. He scored nearly 200 official goals for the Portuguese club and won eight major titles, including the 2010 national championship, where he also was the top scorer, and the domestic treble in the 2013–14 season. He then spent two years with Trabzonspor in Turkey before joining Olympiacos.

Nicknamed "Tacuara" (from "Takuára" – Big cane in Guarani), Cardozo gained more than 50 caps for Paraguay, representing the nation at the 2007 Copa América, 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2019 Copa América. In 2006 and 2009, he was named Paraguayan Footballer of the Year.[4]

Early life

Cardozo is the son of Rosa María, who claimed that "Óscar has been a very good son and has managed to help us and take us away from poverty".[5] His father is Arnaldo and his parents have five children.[5][6]

Club career

Club Atlético 3 de Febrero

2003 season

Cardozo commenced his professional career with modest Club Atlético 3 de Febrero of Ciudad del Este, participating in the División Intermedia championship in 2003 and forming a partner ship with striker Roberto Gamarra.[7] In Round 1 of the 2003 season, Cardozo scored in a 1–1 home draw against Cerro Corá.[8] In the following fixture, he scored in a 2–0 home victory against Sportivo Iteño on 11 May.[8] Two weeks later, he netted in a 3–0 home victory against River Plate Asunción on 25 May.[8] Cardozo would not score again until Round 11, where the player scored the only goal in a 1–0 away victory for 3 de Febrero against Cerro Porteño de Presidente Franco on 13 July.[8] The following week, Cardozo would again score against Cerro Corá in a 1–1 away draw on 27 July.[8]

On 10 August, Cardozo scored his first double in a 2–0 home victory against Nacional Asunción.[8] On 7 May, Cardozo would score the only goal for 3 de Febrero as they were defeated 3–1 away against River Plate Asunción on 16 August.[8] In the following fixture, Cardozo would again score, this time in a 1–1 home draw against Presidente Hayes on 23 August.[8] On 30 August, Cardozo scored in a 5–1 away thrashing against Colegiales, which totaled to five consecutive goals in four matches.[8] Cardozo's last league goal would come in Round 21, when the player netted in a 2–1 away victory against Deportivo Recoleta on 27 September.[8] 3 de Febrero had finished in 2nd place of the División Intermedia table and were drawn into promotion play-off fixtures.[8] On 12 October, Cardozo scored in 3 de Febrero's 4–2 victory against River Plate Asunción and one week later would score against Cerro Corá in his side's 2–0 victory on 19 October.[8] Cardozo again scored in the following play-off fixture, a 3–2 victory against General Caballero Zeballos Cué on 25 October.[8] Having won three qualifying promotion play-off fixtures successfully, 3 de Febrero ultimately faced Club Tacuary in a promotion-relegation play-off, which saw the latter win 4–2 on aggregate.[8]

2004 season

Cardozo scored his first goal of the 2004 División Intermedia season in a 1–0 away victory against Cerro Corá in Round 6 on 2 May, with 3 de Febrero continuing an undefeated run.[9] One week later, Cardozo scored a double against Sportivo San Lorenzo in a 2–0 home victory on 7 May.[9] In the following round, 3 de Febrero suffered their first defeat of the season after 8 eight rounds in a 1–0 away defeat against General Caballero, however, consistent results continued as Cardozo scored in a 1–1 draw in the Superclásico of Alto Paraná against Cerro Porteño PF one week later on 23 May.[10][9] Cardozo scored his 5th league goal of the season in a 2–1 home victory against Cerro Corá in Round 15 on 9 July.[9] 3 de Febrero had been on a 9-game undefeated streak, which ultimately lasted until Round 18, the last match of the season against Cerro Porteño PF which they narrowly lost 4–3 on 31 July. The match saw Cardozo score his 6th league goal of the season and his final goal as a 3 de Febrero player.[9] Cardozo then joined Nacional Asunción during the 2004 season. Before signing with Nacional Asunción, Cardozo had played in 12 out of 3 de Febrero's 18 league matches, scoring 6 goals, which ultimately saw the club finish in first position of the División Intermedia, with 34 points and having lost just two league matches, and gain promotion to the 2005 Paraguayan Primera División season.[9] Cardozo went on to participate in the second half of the 2004 season for Club Nacional Asunción, participating in the Torneo Clasura.

Club Nacional

In 2004, he moved to the top level with Asunción's Club Nacional, where he quickly established himself as the team's top scorer, scoring 17 overall goals in his last season.

Newell's Old Boys

Cardozo arrived at Argentina and Newell's Old Boys in the second half of the 2006–07 season for a transfer fee of $1.2 million, joining compatriots Diego Gavilán, Santiago Salcedo and Justo Villar. He netted 11 goals in only 16 games in the Apertura, but his team could only finish 18th in the tournament, and 13th overall. As a result of his performances, he was voted the 2006 Paraguayan Footballer of the Year.

S. L. Benfica

Cardozo (left) celebrating a Benfica goal in 2011

On 21 June 2007, Cardozo officially signed for Portuguese club Benfica, after being bought for an approximate €9.1 million for 80% of his playing rights[11][12]– this made him the second most expensive signing in the club's history, only surpassed by Simão for whom the club paid €13 million in 2001. Cardozo finished his first season with 22 official goals, but Benfica came out empty in silverware. On 22 February 2008, he scored a last-minute goal against 1. FC Nürnberg for the campaign's UEFA Cup (2–2 away draw, 3–2 aggregate win), thereby keeping his promise of surpassing the 20-goal mark.[13]

In 2008–09 Cardozo scored 17 goals, all in the league, including the equalizer against Porto on 30 August 2008. He finished second in the Bola de Prata race, losing only to Nenê of Nacional. In April 2008, Benfica bought out the remaining 20% of his rights for a further €2.5 million, thus investing €11.6 million total in his economic rights.[14]

Cardozo playing against Zenit in 2012

Cardozo had a very positive 2009–10 pre-season, netting eight times in ten matches. On 31 August 2009, in the third league game, he scored a hat-trick in an 8–1 home demolition of Vitória de Setúbal.[15] On 22 October, in the Europa League group stage match against Everton, Tacuara netted twice in two minutes in a 5–0 thrashing at the Estádio da Luz,[16][17] and added a further three in the league against Nacional (6–1, at home), and with Académica de Coimbra (4–0, home).

In the Europa League quarter-finals against Liverpool, Cardozo scored two penalties for a 2–1 home win.[18] He also found the net in the second leg at Anfield with a free kick, but in a 1–4 loss and subsequent elimination;[19] as Benfica won the national championship, adding the year's domestic League Cup, he finished with a career-high 38 goals in 47 matches (26 in the domestic league, leading Porto's Radamel Falcao by only one), partnering well with Argentine Javier Saviola. On 10 February 2010, Benfica sold 20% of his economic rights to Benfica Stars Fund for €4 million, valuing him at €20 million.[20]

At the end of the 2011–12 campaign Cardozo was crowned the Primeira Liga's top scorer for the second time, with 20 goals – joint with Braga's Lima[21] – as Benfica finished in second position. On 10 December 2012, he scored three in a 3–1 Lisbon derby win at Sporting (even though one of the goals was initially attributed to Marcos Rojo as an own goal),[22] repeating the feat the following week at home against Marítimo (4–1), which resulted in him surpassing the 100-goal mark in domestic league play.[23]

On 2 January 2013, Cardozo took his season tally to 21 goals in 19 official games after netting three in a 6–0 home routing of Desportivo das Aves for the campaign's Taça de Portugal.[24] On 2 May, he scored his fifth and sixth in eight contests in the season's Europa League, being crucial to a 3–1 home win against Fenerbahçe in the semi-finals second leg with the subsequent 3–2 aggregate qualification to the final in Amsterdam.[25] In the decisive match, he netted from the penalty spot in the 68th minute for the 1–1 equalizer against Chelsea, who won it 2–1.[26]

Cardozo was replaced after 70 minutes in the domestic cup final on 26 May 2013, with Benfica leading 1–0 but then losing 1–2 to Vitória de Guimarães.[27] At the end of the game, he angrily confronted manager Jorge Jesus, inclusively pushing him; he later apologised for his actions, being fined for half of his monthly salary.[28][29]

Cardozo's boots at the Museu Benfica

Cardozo started the new season after his teammates due to the controversy, but soon returned to his scoring ways. His goals against Guimarães,[30] Estoril,[31] and Nacional were vital in keeping Benfica in the race for the title.[32][33] On 9 November 2013, he put three past Sporting in a 4–3 home win for the domestic cup's fourth round, increasing to 13 the goals he scored against Sporting, surpassing Manuel Fernandes in the list of top goalscorers of the Lisbon derby.[34][35] In November 2013, an injury ruled him out for 2+1⁄2 months.[36] When he returned, he found himself relegated to the bench, with the team now fully adapted to play with Lima and Rodrigo.[37] On 1 February, after missing his ninth penalty kick in Primeira Liga, in a match against Gil Vicente, Cardozo became the player with most missed penalties in the competition.[38]

On 14 May 2014, Cardozo missed a penalty shootout against Sevilla in a Europa League final loss on penalties.[39] He still finished the campaign with 11 goals all competitions comprised, including seven in the domestic league which was won for the 33rd time.

In early August 2014, Trabzonspor announced they were negotiating with Benfica and Cardozo.[40] On 4 August 2014, Cardozo left Benfica and thanked the club by stating, "You will always be in my heart".[41]

Cardozo played for Benfica since 2007 and, together with Maxi Pereira and Luisão, was one of the team captains. He is Benfica's ninth all-time goalscorer, second in European competitions, and the highest-scoring foreigner at the club, with 172 goals.

Trabzonspor

Cardozo playing for Trabzonspor against Galatasaray in 2014

On 4 August 2014, Cardozo moved Turkish Süper Lig side Trabzonspor for a €5 million fee, (Benfica received €4 million, the fund €1 million) with a further €1.65 million contingent on performance-related bonuses.[42] He signed a contract with €2.5 million per season plus bonuses.[43]

On 21 August, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–0 home win against Russian side Rostov for the campaign's UEFA Europa League. Cardozo made his league debut in a 1–1 away draw against İstanbul Başakşehir on 22 September. He came onto the field in the 52nd minute for Fatih Atik, and scored a 93rd-minute penalty to equalise.[44]

On 1 December, Cardozo scored his first hat-trick in a 4–1 home victory against Gençlerbirliği. He scored in the 8th, 40th and 65th minutes of the match before being substituted off of the field for Fatih Atik in the 70th minute. Cardozo brought his goal scoring tally to eight goals in nine league appearances.[45] During a group stage match of the 2014–15 Turkish Cup, Cardozo scored a double in Trabzonspor's 9–0 home victory against Manisaspor on 25 December.[46]

Cardozo rounded off the season scoring 17 league goals in 29 appearances as Trabzonspor finished in fifth place and qualified for the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round. He finished in third place of the Süper Lig top goalscorers list, behind Demba Ba (18 goals) and Fernandão (22 goals).

After the 2014–15 season, it was announced that Cardozo would not play in the 2015 Copa América for Paraguay due to a back injury, whereupon it was then revealed by his agent that he had been playing through the pain for his club side.[47]

Olympiacos

On 31 August 2016, Cardozo joined Greek champions Olympiacos.[48] He scored his first goal in the Super League Greece on 12 December that year, opening the score in a 2–0 away win over PAS Giannina and thus ending his seven-match goalless run.[citation needed]

Libertad

On 28 June 2017, Cardozo signed with Libertad in Paraguay.[49] In his first match for the team, Cardozo scored a double in a 5–1 away win over Huracán in the 2017 Copa Sudamericana on 12 July.[50] On 13 February 2019, he scored a half-way line goal, the fourth in a 5–1 home win over Bolivian side The Strongest in the second qualifying stage of the Copa Libertadores.[51]

On 5 November 2019, he scored the opening goal of Libertad's 4–1 away victory over Sol América in the Copa Paraguay semifinals. In the following month, on 4 December, Libertad won their first Copa Paraguay after beating Guaraní 3–0. Cardozo came on in the 83rd minute of the final.[52]

On 21 May 2021, Libertad faced Sol América on the last matchday of the 2021 Torneo Apertura with the title on the line, but Cardozo did not play the match due to having tested positive for COVID-19 a few days before.[53] Without him, Libertad lost 0–1, but two days later, the club secured their twenty-first league title after Nacional failed to win their match.[54] Cardozo contributed with nine goals and nine assists during the campaign.[53] On 25 June 2022, Libertad faced fellow title contenders Cerro Porteño on the penultimate matchday of the 2022 Torneo Apertura, winning the match 1–0 and thus securing their twenty-second league title.[55]

On 2 April 2023, Cardozo scored four goals in a landslide victory over Cerro Porteño, marking his first-ever poker in his professional career, with his final goal of the night being also his 100th with the Libertad shirt in official competitions, thus becoming the second player in the history of Libertad to do so after Juan Samudio, who scored 114 goals for the club in local First Division tournaments alone.[56] In the following month, on 4 May, just 16 days shy from his 40th birthday, Cardozo scored the opening goal in an eventual 1–2 loss to Athletico Paranaense in the 2023 Copa Libertadores group stage, thus becoming one of the oldest goalscorers in Copa Libertadores history.[57] Libertad finished third in the group and it was therefore relegated to the 2023 Copa Sudamericana final stages, where on 13 July, Cardozo scored a last-minute winner against Atlético Tigre in the first leg of the knockout round play-offs in an eventual 3–1 aggregate win.[58] On 26 November, he scored a brace in a 3–1 comeback victory over Club Olimpia, the first from the penalty spot and the second with a free-kick, while Libertad's third goal was scored by his fellow 40-ye-old attacking partner Roque Santa Cruz.[59]

At the end of the season, the 40-year-old Cardozo emerged as the top scorer of the 2023 Paraguayan Primera División season and with ease, being the top scorer in both the Apertura tournament (10 goals) and the Clausura tournament (11 goals) for a total of 21 goals in the Paraguayan league, which was 7 more than his closest pursuer, the 23-year-old Gustavo Aguilar.[60] Furthermore, Cardozo was also champion in both tournaments and then helped Libertad win the Paraguay Cup to complete the domestic treble.[60] On 5 December 2023, the Paraguayan Football Association elected him as the best player in Paraguay, becoming the oldest player to do so in the process.[61]

International career

On 7 October 2006, Cardozo made his international debut for Paraguay in an exhibition game with Australia,[62] and he scored his first goal on 5 June of the following year in another friendly, against Mexico.[63] He was selected for the squad that appeared in that year's Copa América: the tournament in Venezuela ended in the quarter-finals and the player netted once, in a 3–1 group stage win against the United States.

Cardozo scored two goals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification stages, as Paraguay qualified for the finals in South Africa. On 29 June 2010, he netted the winning penalty in the shootout against Japan (5–3 victory), as La Albirroja qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time ever.[64] In the following game, however, with the score at 0–0, he missed a 59th-minute penalty against Spain in a 0–1 defeat against the eventual champions.[65]

Cardozo was overlooked by coach Gerardo Martino for the 2011 Copa América squad, despite scoring 23 official goals for Benfica in 2010–11. Having already been included by Ramón Díaz in the Albirroja preliminary squad, Cardozo would again miss out 2015 Copa América due to a back injury.[47] On 16 June 2019, aged 36, he scored against Qatar in Copa América and became the oldest player in Paraguay's history to score in that competition, breaking Delfín Benítez Cáceres' 1946 record.[66]

Personal life

In spite of the same surname, a similar nickname and physical resemblance, he is not related to Ramón Cardozo (known as "Tacuarita"), who is also a footballer and a forward.[67] He obtained Portuguese citizenship in November 2014.[68]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 October 2024[69]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
3 de Febrero 2003 Paraguayan División Intermedia 22 14 – – – – 22 14
2004 12 6 – – – – 12 6
Total 34 20 – – – – 34 20
Nacional Asunción 2004 Paraguayan Primera División 14 3 – – – – 14 3
2005 29 9 – – – – 29 9
2006 20 10 – – 0 0 – 20 10
Total 63 22 – – 0 0 – 63 22
Newell's Old Boys 2006–07 Argentine Primera División 33 21 – – – – 33 21
Benfica 2007–08 Primeira Liga 29 13 5 5 0 0 11[c] 4 – 45 22
2008–09 26 17 2 0 4 0 3[d] 0 – 35 17
2009–10 29 26 0 0 5 2 13[e] 10 – 47 38
2010–11 22 12 5 5 2 1 12[f] 5 1[g] 0 42 23
2011–12 29 20 0 0 4 3 12[h] 5 – 45 28
2012–13 25 17 5 6 2 1 14[i] 9 – 46 33
2013–14 15 7 5 3 1 0 11[j] 1 – 32 11
Total 175 112 22 19 18 7 76 34 1 0 292 172
Trabzonspor 2014–15 Süper Lig 29 17 3 2 – 10[e] 1 – 42 20
2015–16 21 8 1 0 – 2[e] 0 – 24 8
Total 50 25 4 2 – 12 1 – 66 28
Olympiacos 2016–17 Super League Greece 22 3 7 0 – 5[e] 0 – 34 3
Libertad 2017 Paraguayan Primera División 14 4 – – 6[k] 4 – 20 8
2018 43 23 0 0 – 6[l] 5 – 49 28
2019 32 9 3 1 – 11[l] 4 – 46 14
2020 31 13 – – 9[l] 4 – 40 17
2021 30 12 0 0 – 8[m] 0 – 38 12
2022 34 13 0 0 – 7[l] 1 – 41 14
2023 39 21 3 1 – 8[n] 3 0 0 50 25
2024 30 8 1 0 – 7[o] 3 0 0 38 11
Total 253 103 7 2 – 62 24 0 0 323 129
Career total 630 300 40 23 18 7 153 59 1 0 843 395
  1. ^ Includes Taça de Portugal, Turkish Cup, Greek Football Cup, Copa Paraguay
  2. ^ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ^ Eight appearances and three goals in UEFA Champions League, three appearances and one goal in UEFA Cup
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup
  5. ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, eight appearances and four goals in UEFA Europa League
  7. ^ Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
  8. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  9. ^ Five appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League, nine appearances and seven goals in UEFA Europa League
  10. ^ Four appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances in UEFA Europa League
  11. ^ Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
  12. ^ a b c d Appearances in Copa Libertadores
  13. ^ Two appearances in Copa Libertadores, six appearances in Copa Sudamericana
  14. ^ Four appearances and two goals in Copa Libertadores, four appearances and one goal in Copa Sudamericana
  15. ^ Three appearances and one goal in Copa Libertadores, four appearances and two goals in Copa Sudamericana

International

As of match played 21 November 2023[70]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Paraguay 2006 2 0
2007 10 2
2008 10 1
2009 7 1
2010 6 0
2011 7 4
2012 3 1
2013 4 0
2014 0 0
2015 0 0
2016 0 0
2017 2 1
2018 0 0
2019 4 2
2020 0 0
2021 2 0
2022 0 0
2023 1 0
Total 58 12
Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cardozo goal.
List of international goals scored by Óscar Cardozo[70]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 5 June 2007 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico  Mexico 1–0 1–0 Friendly
2 28 June 2007 Estadio Agustín Tovar, Barinas, Venezuela  United States 2–1 3–1 2007 Copa América
3 15 October 2008 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay  Peru 1–0 1–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 10 October 2009 Polideportivo Cachamay, Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela  Venezuela 2–0 2–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 29 March 2011 LP Field, Nashville, United States  United States 1–0 1–0 Friendly
6 2 September 2011 Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama  Panama 1–0 2–0 Friendly
7 6 September 2011 Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras  Honduras 2–0 3–0 Friendly
8 3–0
9 15 August 2012 RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States  Guatemala 1–0 3–3 Friendly
10 5 October 2017 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Colombia 1–1 2–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11 5 June 2019 Estadio Antonio Aranda, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay  Honduras 1–0 1–1 Friendly
12 16 June 2019 Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  Qatar 1–0 2–2 2019 Copa América

Honours

3 de Febrero

Benfica[69]

Olympiacos[69]

Libertad

Individual

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Hélder Postiga, Oscar Cardozo e Rui Patrício: O estigma do Patinho Feio" [Hélder Postiga, Oscar Cardozo and Rui Patrício: The Ugly Duckling stigma] (in Portuguese). Futebol 365. 8 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Cardozo treinava livres e à noite ia para a escola" [Cardozo practiced free kicks and went to school at night] (in Portuguese). Record. 8 July 2013. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Tacuara Cardozo es el mejor Futbolista Paraguayo del 2006 – Deportes – ABC Color" (in Spanish). ABC Color. 2006. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Óscar Cardozo: Η φανέλα με το 7".
  6. ^ "La nueva casa de Tacuara". ABC Color. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  7. ^ "3 de Febrero se adjudica cupo para partidos de la promoción – Deportes – ABC Color" (in Spanish). ABC Color.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Paraguay 2003". RSSSF. 5 October 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Paraguay 2004". RSSSF. 18 March 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Empate agónico del 3 en el clásico – 730am – ABC Color" (in European Spanish). ABC Color. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  11. ^ "Comunicado" [Announcement] (PDF) (in Portuguese). CMVM. 21 June 2007. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  12. ^ Paraguayan striker Cardozo joins Benfica Archived 12 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 21 June 2007
  13. ^ Oscar "Tacuara" Cardozo cumplió con su promesa de llegar a los veinte goles (Oscar "Tacuara" Cardozo kept promise of reaching twenty goals) Archived 16 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine; Somos Paraguay (Spanish)
  14. ^ "Benfica compra restantes 20% do passe de Cardozo". expresso.sapo.pt. 16 April 2008.
  15. ^ Futebol: Liga (3.ª jornada) – Benfica dá 8–1 ao Setúbal e sobe a segundo (Football: League (3rd round) – Benfica hands Setúbal 8–1 and moves to second); Jornal de Notícias, 31 August 2009 (Portuguese)
  16. ^ Benfica 5–0 Everton; BBC Sport, 22 October 2009
  17. ^ Europa League: Everton humbled, Fulham denied Archived 20 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 22 October 2009
  18. ^ Ashenden, Mark (1 April 2010). "Benfica 2–1 Liverpool". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  19. ^ Bevan, Chris (8 April 2010). "Liverpool 4–1 Benfica (agg 5–3)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  20. ^ "Benfica encaixa 10 milhões com venda de Cardozo e Coentrão ao fundo". jornaldenegocios.pt. 10 February 2010.
  21. ^ a b "Portugal – List of Topscorers". RSSSF. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  22. ^ "Benfica triumph in the Lisbon derby". PortuGOAL. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  23. ^ "Benfica hammer ten-man Marítimo to go clear at table top". PortuGOAL. 15 December 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  24. ^ "Benfica annihilate Aves". PortuGOAL. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  25. ^ "Cardozo double helps Benfica clinch final berth". UEFA. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  26. ^ "Ivanović heads Chelsea to Europa League glory". UEFA. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  27. ^ "Guimarães claim famous cup win". PortuGOAL. 26 May 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  28. ^ "Cardozo apologises to Jesus". ESPN FC. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  29. ^ "Cardozo foi multado em mais de 65 mil euros" [Cardozo fined more than 65 thousand euros] (in Portuguese). Record. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  30. ^ "Benfica vence jogo de "nervos" em Guimarães" [Benfica wins stressful game]. dn.pt. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  31. ^ "Novo fôlego para Cardozo". Record (in Portuguese). 9 October 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  32. ^ "Clássico é Cardozo marcar ao Nacional" [A classic is Cardozo scoring against Nacional]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 October 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  33. ^ "Pedro Aldave: "Cardozo vai melhorar ainda mais"" [Pedro Aldave: "Cardozo will improve even more"]. Record (in Portuguese). 30 October 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  34. ^ "Luisão's extra time header eliminates Sporting in exhilarating derby". PortuGOAL. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  35. ^ "Golos no dérbi: Cardozo ultrapassa Manuel Fernandes". Maisfutebol. 9 November 2013.
  36. ^ "Benfica: Cardozo continua limitado a dois dias de Bruxelas". Maisfutebol. 25 November 2013.
  37. ^ "How bruised Benfica found balance and bounced back – and why Spurs should worry". fourfourtwo.com. 13 March 2014.
  38. ^ "Cardozo é o jogador que mais penáltis falhou na história da Liga" [Cardozo is the player with most missed penalties in the history of Primeira Liga]. SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). 4 February 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  39. ^ "Spot-on Sevilla leave Benfica dreams in tatters". UEFA. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  40. ^ "Trabzonspor agree €5.6m Cardozo fee". Goal. 2 August 2014.
  41. ^ "Cardozo: "Agradeço a todos! Vão ficar sempre no meu coração"" [Cardozo: "I thank you all! You will always be in my heart"]. S.L. Benfica. 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  42. ^ "Comunicado" [Announcement] (PDF). CMVM (in European Spanish). SL Benfica. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  43. ^ "Oscar Cardozo İle Anlaşma Bildirimi" (in Turkish). KAP. 2 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  44. ^ "İstanbul Başakşehir vs. Trabzonspor – 22 September 2014 – Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  45. ^ "Trabzonspor vs. Gençlerbirliği – 1 December 2014 – Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  46. ^ "Trabzonspor vs. Manisaspor – 25 December 2014 – Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  47. ^ a b "Oscar Cardozo misses out on Paraguay's Copa America squad – Goal.com" (in European Spanish). Goal. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  48. ^ "Το who is who του Όσκαρ Καρντόσο". Olympiacos F.C. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  49. ^ Club Libertad [@Libertad_Guma] (27 June 2017). "ES OFICIAL" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  50. ^ "Copa Sudamericana – Huracán vs Libertad – Soccer – Scoresway – Results, fixtures, tables and statistics". scoresway.com.
  51. ^ "'Tacuara' Cardozo assina golo antes do meio-campo (vídeo)" ['Tacuara' Cardozo scores goal before the half-way line (video)]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 13 February 2019. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  52. ^ "Libertad es el campeón de la Copa de Todos" [Libertad are the Champion of the Cup]. APF (in Spanish). 4 December 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  53. ^ a b "Óscar Cardozo, capitán del campeón y su rey del gol" [Óscar Cardozo, captain of the champion and their goal king]. d10.ultimahora.com (in Spanish). 24 May 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  54. ^ "¡Libertad Campeón!". ABC Color. 23 May 2021.
  55. ^ "Em clássico paraguaio, Libertad vence o Cerro Porteño e é campeão do Apertura 2022" [In a Paraguayan classic, Libertad beats Cerro Porteño and is champion of Apertura 2022]. onefootball.com (in Portuguese). 25 June 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  56. ^ "Historia pura: El récord que alcanzó "Tacuara" Cardozo con su "póker" ante Cerro Porteño" [Pure history: The record reached by "Tacuara" Cardozo with his "poker" against Cerro Porteño]. www.versus.com.py (in Spanish). 3 April 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  57. ^ "Paraguai A 15 dias do 40.º aniversário, Cardozo marca na Libertadores" [Paraguay 15 days before its 40th anniversary, Cardozo scores in the Libertadores]. www.abola.pt (in Portuguese). 5 May 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  58. ^ "Libertad defeat Tigre with a last-minute goal!". www.beinsports.com. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  59. ^ "Imparável: aos 40 anos, Óscar Cardozo marca mais dois golos" [Unstoppable: at 40 years old, Óscar Cardozo scores two more goals]. cnnportugal.iol.pt (in Portuguese). 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  60. ^ a b "Óscar Cardozo, por lejos el máximo goleador de la temporada 2023" [Óscar Cardozo, by far the top scorer of the 2023 season]. www.versus.com.py (in Spanish). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  61. ^ "Aos 40 anos, Óscar Cardozo é eleito o melhor jogador no Paraguai" [At 40 years old, Óscar Cardozo is elected the best player in Paraguay]. onefootball.com (in Portuguese). 5 December 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  62. ^ Australia – Paraguay 1:1; Footballdatabase, 7 October 2006
  63. ^ Mexico – Paraguay 0:1; Footballdatabase, 5 June 2007
  64. ^ Fletcher, Paul (29 June 2010). "Paraguay 0–0 Japan (5–3 pens)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  65. ^ Fletcher, Paul (3 July 2010). "Paraguay 0–1 Spain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  66. ^ Lima, Fábio (16 June 2019). "Óscar Cardozo faz história e quebra recorde com mais de 70 anos" [Óscar Cardozo makes history and breaks an over 70-year record]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  67. ^ "Ramón Cardozo: ¿El hermano perdido?" [Ramón Cardozo: The lost brother?] (in Spanish). Dechalaca. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  68. ^ "A Bola, 12 November 2014". imgur.com.
  69. ^ a b c Óscar Cardozo at Soccerway. Retrieved 17 August 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  70. ^ a b "Óscar Cardozo". National Football Teams. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  71. ^ "Cardozo eleito o jogador do mês de janeiro" [Cardozo elected best player of January] (in Portuguese). Record. 3 February 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  72. ^ a b "Los destacados del 2023" [The standouts of 2023] (in Spanish). Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Óscar Cardozo.