Meet Javier Mascherano’s Parents: Teodolinda Chiche Tagliaro Mascherano and Oscar Mascherano

Javier Alejandro Mascherano was born on June 8, 1984 (age 41) in San Lorenzo, a modest riverside town in Santa Fe Province, Argentina.

He is of Argentine nationality with Italian and Croatian ancestry, typical of many families in the region, and was raised Roman Catholic.

He grew up in a working-class household with his parents, mother Teodolinda “Chiche” Tagliaro Mascherano and father Oscar Mascherano, together with his older brother Sebastián Mascherano.

As a child he was famously hyperactive and spent almost all his free time playing football on dirt pitches in the neighbourhood. He started organised football at age 5 with local club Barrio Vila, later moved to the renowned Renato Cesarini academy in Rosario academy, and joined River Plate’s youth system around age 13–14.

Mascherano completed secondary school in San Lorenzo while already training professionally but did not attend university due to his rapid rise in football. He stands 1.74 m (5 ft 8½ in) tall.

He has been married only once. He wed his long-term girlfriend, Fernanda Moreno (now known as Fernanda Mascherano), in 2008, after dating her since their teenage years in San Lorenzo.

The couple have three children: daughters Lola Mascherano (born c. 2009) and Alma Mascherano (born c. 2012), and son Bruno Mascherano (born c. 2016). Mascherano has no publicly known relationships before or outside his marriage to Fernanda, and the family is widely regarded as one of the most private and stable in Argentine football.

Javier Mascherano’s remarkable journey from the gritty streets of San Lorenzo, Argentina, to captaining Barcelona and Argentina owes much to two people who have always preferred to stay out of the spotlight: his mother and father. Below is a closer look at the two individuals who raised “El Jefecito.”

Teodolinda “Chiche” Tagliaro Mascherano

Teodolinda Tagliaro Mascherano, affectionately known as “Chiche,” is Javier Mascherano’s mother and the emotional cornerstone of the family. Born and raised in Argentina, Chiche provided the calm, nurturing environment that balanced Javier’s boundless energy as a child.

In her professional life (the family has always guarded its privacy), those close to Javier describe her as the steady, loving presence who made sure football never completely overtook family values or education.

During Javier’s early teenage years, when he was already traveling for River Plate’s youth teams, Chiche was the one who kept him grounded, reminding him of his roots in San Lorenzo and the importance of humility.

Even throughout his globe-trotting career, Corinthians in Brazil, West Ham in England, Liverpool, and finally Barcelona, she remained his quiet confidante.

Javier has repeatedly said that his mother’s unconditional support and her insistence on treating people with respect shaped the person and leader he became both on and off the pitch.

Oscar Mascherano

Oscar Mascherano is Javier Mascherano’s father and the man widely credited with spotting and rigorously developing his son’s football talent from a very young age.

A working-class Argentine with a deep passion for the game, Oscar recognized Javier’s potential when he was barely 10 years old. He took an active role in his son’s football education, demanding discipline, defensive intelligence, and an unrelenting work rate, qualities that would later define Javier’s playing style.

Countless stories from San Lorenzo recount Oscar staying late on local pitches with Javier, working on tackling, positioning, and the “art of the enforcer.” Oscar’s influence went beyond drills; he instilled the mental toughness that allowed Javier to thrive under pressure at the highest levels.

When Javier made the difficult jump to Europe, Oscar was both his biggest critic and strongest supporter, offering tactical advice and keeping his son’s feet on the ground during the glamour years at Liverpool and Barcelona.

Even today, as Javier transitions into management with Inter Miami, friends say he still bounces ideas off his father, proving that the coach-player relationship they built decades ago in Santa Fe never really ended.

FAQ