Damián Pizarro

Damián Nicolás Pizarro Huenuqueo (born 28 March 2005) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Udinese and the Chile national team.

Club career
Pizarro began his career in the academy of Universidad de Chile, moving away from his family home to focus on his career. Having scored two goals against them in a 3–3 draw at youth level, Colo-Colo youth manager Ariel Paolorossi invited Pizarro for a trial with the club, and after only ten minutes of watching him play, decided to sign him, with the forward joining the club in 2020.

After Colo-Colo had sixty-two players sent to quarantine due to COVID-19, Pizarro made his debut in a 2–0 away loss to Audax Italiano on 28 October 2021. Despite the loss, Pizarro's performance was lauded by Chilean media. He would have to wait until 2023 for his next appearance with the club; with first-choice striker Leandro Benegas injured, Pizarro took his place, scoring Colo-Colo's only goal in a 3–1 loss to Cobresal on 18 March.

Following good performances in his first few games for Colo-Colo, he was praised by manager Gustavo Quinteros, who said that he had "no ceiling" regarding his potential. He established himself as a starter in the team, and his performances continued to draw acclaim, most notably in the 2–0 home loss to Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores.

However, despite the bright start, Pizarro was unable to add to his goal tally for the next eight games, with manager Quinteros moving him to the right-wing during an eventual 2–1 win against Audax Italiano, allowing Carlos Palacios to take his position up front. However, teammate César Fuentes came out in support of Pizarro, stating that he would "regain his confidence".

In January 2024, Pizarro signed with the Italian club Udinese, staying on loan with Colo-Colo for the first half of the year. In July of the same year, he joined the Udinese squad.

International career
In May 2023, Chile national team manager Eduardo Berizzo personally attended the match between Unión Española and Colo-Colo to scout Pizarro ahead of national team friendlies against Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

He was included in the final squad for the 2023 Pan American Games, where Chile won the silver medal.

In 2024, he took part in the Pre-Olympic Tournament.

At senior level, he received his first call up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Colombia in September 2023 and made his debut against Paraguay on 16 November 2023 as a starting player.

Honours
Chile U23
 * Pan American Games Silver Medal: 2023