Photo: Jarrett Campbell from Cary, North Carolina, USA / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Marcelo Balboa earns my respect as a builder. A Chicago-born defender who captained the United States in the 1990s, he put in the work when American soccer was still a niche pursuit, and that pioneer generation laid the foundation everything since rests on. His Hall of Fame induction is fitting, and his move into commentary for ESPN and World Cup broadcasts shows a man passing his on-field intelligence straight to the audience with real sincerity. Player, coach, then analyst, he's stayed close to the American game throughout, and that steady devotion is exactly why you can't tell its history without him.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Marcelo Balboa
- Name (Japanese)
- マルセロ・バルボア
- Reading
- まるせろ・ばるぼあ
- Born
- August 8, 1967 (age 58)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Goat
- Origin
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Height
- 183 cm
- Occupation
- association football player / association football coach / sports commentator
2. Background
- High school
- Cerritos High School
- University
- San Diego State University
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Marcelo Balboa born?
Born August 8, 1967 (age 58).
Where is Marcelo Balboa from?
Marcelo Balboa is from Chicago, Illinois, United States.
What does Marcelo Balboa do?
Marcelo Balboa works as association football player, association football coach, sports commentator.
How tall is Marcelo Balboa?
Marcelo Balboa is 183 cm.
Association football player — see all → · Association football coach — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.