Wikipedia

Walter Ponce

Walter Benjamín Ponce Gallardo (born 4 March 1998) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a forward.

Walter Ponce
Personal information
Full name Walter Benjamín Ponce Gallardo
Date of birth (1998-03-04) 4 March 1998 (age 28)
Place of birth Santiago, Chile
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position Forward
Youth career
Palestino
2013–2016 Udinese
2015 → Unión Española (loan)
2015–2016 → Palestino (loan)
2016 → Granada (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Udinese 0 (0)
2015–2016 → Palestino (loan) 3 (0)
2016 → Granada B (loan) – (–)
2017–2019 Universidad de Concepción 34 (5)
2020–2021 Deportes La Serena 19 (1)
2021 Barnechea 8 (0)
2022–2023 Valour FC 42 (6)
2024 Unión La Calera 25 (2)
2025 Cobreloa 13 (1)
International career‡
2015 Chile U17 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 January 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 1 February 2021

Early life

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He played youth football in the system of Chilean clubs Palestino and Unión Española[1] and the Spanish club Granada.[2] In 2013, Italian club Udinese, who shared the same owners as Granada, purchased 50% of his economic playing rights.[3][4][5]

Club career

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He began his senior career with Chilean Primera División club Palestino, making his professional debut in 2015 at age seventeen.[6][7] He made his debut in a Copa Chile match on 16 July 2015 against Unión Española.[8] Afterwards, he was sent on loan to Spanish club Granada B.[5][9]

In July 2017, he signed with Universidad de Concepción.[10][11]

In December 2019, he signed with La Serena for the 2020 season.[12]

In March 2021, he signed with Barnechea in the Primera B de Chile.[13]

In January 2022, he signed with Canadian Premier League club Valour FC.[14][15] However, due to visa issues, he was unable to join the team until May.[16][17][18] He scored his first goal on June 15 against Cavalry FC.[19]

In 2024, Ponce returned to Chile and joined Unión La Calera.[20] The next year, he switched to Cobreloa.[21][22]

International career

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At the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, he made two appearances for Chile U17.[23]

References

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  1. ↑ "Unión Española sub 17 logró un categórico triunfo ante Colo Colo" [Union Española under 17 achieved a categorical triumph against Colo Colo]. ANFP (in Spanish). 15 May 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Walter Ponce tendrá una chance en el fútbol de Canadá" [Walter Ponce will have a chance in Canadian soccer]. TNT Sports (in Spanish). 16 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "La "cantera" de Palestino sigue exportando a Italia" [Palestino's "quarry" continues exporting to Italy]. ANFP (in Spanish). 31 May 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Rivera, José Luis (26 October 2015). "Conoce a Walter Ponce: Potencia para el ataque de la selección chilena Sub 17" [Meet Walter Ponce: Power for the attack of the Chilean Under 17 team]. Radio Bío-Bío (in Spanish).
  5. 1 2 Gardella, Juan Ignacio (24 July 2018). "Walter Ponce, "el Dybala del Campanil": "Me carga la regla Sub 20, merezco jugar"" [Walter Ponce, "the Dybala del Campanil": "The Sub 20 rule burdens me, I deserve to play"]. Publimetro (in Spanish).
  6. ↑ Aliaga, Martín (14 January 2022). "Exjugador de Palestino saltará al extranjero y será refuerzo en la Primera División de Canadá" [Former Palestinian player will jump abroad and will be reinforced in the First Division of Canada]. En Cancha (in Spanish).
  7. ↑ Jacques, John (13 January 2022). "Valour FC Signs Chilean Forward Walter Ponce". Northern Tribune.
  8. ↑ "Walter Ponce: El mundialista que busca consolidarse en Palestino" [Walter Ponce: The World Cup player who seeks to consolidate himself in Palestine]. La Tercera (in Spanish). 2 November 2015.
  9. ↑ Kuschel, Daniel (28 July 2017). "Los delanteros fueron presentados ayer: Amarilla y Ponce, nuevas caras en UdeC". Diario Concepción (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Universidad de Concepción anunció dos incorporaciones para el Torneo de Transición" [Universidad de Concepción announced two additions to the Transition Tournament]. Radio Cooperativa (in Spanish). 27 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "Amarilla y Ponce llegan a la UdeC" [Amarilla and Ponce arrive at the UdeC]. Diario Concepción (in Spanish). 27 July 2017.
  12. ↑ "Walter Ponce se convirtió en nuevo refuerzo de Deportes La Serena" [Walter Ponce became a new reinforcement of Deportes La Serena]. Alaire Libre (in Spanish). 28 December 2019.
  13. ↑ "AC Barnechea comienza a armar con todo su plantel de cara al inicio de la temporada 2021" [AC Barnechea begins to assemble its entire squad for the start of the 2021 season]. Todo Futbol (in Spanish). 5 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Tait, Ed (13 January 2022). ""We think he's someone who could bring high rewards to the club." - Valour FC adds Walter Ponce". Valour FC.
  15. ↑ Veth, Manuel (13 January 2022). "Valour FC sign Walter Ponce - 2nd signing from Barnechea". Transfermarkt.
  16. ↑ ""He's here… finally. One (international player) down, two to go." - Ponce arrives in Winnipeg". Valour FC. 17 May 2022.
  17. ↑ Jacques, John (17 May 2022). "After Long Wait, Walter Ponce Arrives To Winnipeg". Northern Tribune.
  18. ↑ Axelrod, Gavin (18 May 2022). "Versatile Ponce finally joins Valour FC". Winnipeg Free Press.
  19. ↑ "Valour FC's home troubles continue in loss to Cavalry FC". Winnipeg Sun. 15 June 2022.
  20. ↑ "Unión La Calera presentó a Walter Ponce como su nuevo fichaje". alairelibre.cl (in Spanish). Radio Cooperativa. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  21. ↑ "Cobreloa suma su décimo quinto refuerzo para la temporada 2025". www.enlalinea.cl (in Spanish). 17 January 2025. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
  22. ↑ Vera, Pablo (23 January 2026). ""A un día de empezar la pretemporada, el club decidió no contar conmigo para este 2026″". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 January 2026.
  23. ↑ "Valour FC signs Chilean forward Walter Ponce". Valour FC. 13 January 2022.
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