Álvaro Barreal
Argentine footballer (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Álvaro Martín Barreal (born 17 August 2000) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Brazilian club Santos.
|
Barreal in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Álvaro Martín Barreal | ||
| Date of birth | 17 August 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Santos | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Vélez Sarsfield | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Vélez Sarsfield | 18 | (1) |
| 2020–2025 | FC Cincinnati | 104 | (13) |
| 2024 | → Cruzeiro (loan) | 31 | (2) |
| 2025 | → Santos (loan) | 36 | (9) |
| 2026– | Santos | 24 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 2018 | Argentina U20 | 5 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:01, 3 August 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Vélez Sarsfield
Barreal began his career with Vélez Sarsfield.[1][2] Gabriel Heinze promoted the midfielder into the club's first-team squad at the beginning of 2018–19, selecting him for his professional debut on 2 September at La Bombonera against Boca Juniors; he was substituted on for Lucas Robertone with thirty-two minutes remaining.[1][3][4] He netted his first goal on 3 February 2019 against River Plate.[1]
FC Cincinnati
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On 2 September 2020, Barreal signed for Major League Soccer side FC Cincinnati.[5] He signed a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year.[6] Reports out of Argentina listed the transfer fee in the range of $1.5 to 1.7 million for 75 percent of the player's rights, with Vélez Sarsfield retaining 25 percent of any future sale. Also noted was the potential of $250,000 additional for a set number of appearances.[7][8][9] Barreal made his debut on 7 October in a 3–0 defeat away to the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park, having replaced Frankie Amaya early in the second half.[1] Four further appearances, all as a starter, arrived in his first season with the American club.[1]
In September 2023, Barreal was nominated for the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award for his 71st-minute goal scored against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals.[10] Barreal joined 10 other players on the shortlist for the world's "most beautiful goal" of the year.[10][11] He was the fourth active MLS player to be nominated for the award, and the first since a 2018 goal by Zlatan Ibrahimović for LA Galaxy.[12]
Loan to Cruzeiro
On 1 March 2024, FC Cincinnati announced a loan with purchase option on an undisclosed fee to Cruzeiro through December 2024.[13] He was regularly used for the club during his spell, scoring twice in 42 appearances before departing in December.[14]
Santos
On 6 February 2025, Santos announced the signing of Barreal on a one-year loan deal, with a buyout clause.[15] After nursing an injury, he made his club debut seventeen days later, replacing Yeferson Soteldo late into a 3–0 away win over Inter de Limeira.[16]
Barreal scored nine goals for Peixe in the 2025 Série A, being the club's top scorer in the competition.[17] On 17 December 2025, FC Cincinnati announced his permanent transfer to the club, after certain conditions over an obligatory purchase were met.[18]
International career
Barreal represented the Argentina U20s at the 2018 COTIF Tournament in Spain.[19][20] He scored two goals in five games, as Argentina won the tournament.[21][22][23][24][25]
Scouts from the Argentina senior national team visited two FC Cincinnati games in 2023 to assess him for a potential call up to the senior team.[26]
Career statistics
- As of 3 August 2026[1]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | State league[c] | Other[d] | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Vélez Sarsfield | 2018–19 | Argentine Primera División | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||
| 2019–20 | Argentine Primera División | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 1 | |||||
| FC Cincinnati | 2020 | Major League Soccer | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||||
| 2021 | Major League Soccer | 33 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | 3 | ||||||
| 2022 | Major League Soccer | 32 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1[e] | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 37 | 8 | |||
| 2023 | Major League Soccer | 34 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 2 | 46 | 8 | |||
| Total | 104 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 2 | 121 | 19 | ||||
| Cruzeiro (loan) | 2024 | Série A | 28 | 2 | — | — | 11[f] | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 42 | 2 | |||
| Santos | 2025 | Série A | 34 | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | 37 | 9 | |||
| 2026 | Série A | 17 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 7[f] | 0 | 7 | 1 | — | 34 | 5 | |||
| Total | 51 | 13 | 4 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 9 | 1 | — | 71 | 14 | ||||
| Career total | 198 | 29 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 252 | 36 | ||
- Includes Copa Argentina, US Open Cup, Copa do Brasil
- Includes Copa de la Superliga and Leagues Cup
- Includes Campeonato Mineiro, Campeonato Paulista
- Includes MLS Cup playoffs
- Appearance(s) in the 2022 Leagues Cup Showcase
- Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana
Honours
FC Cincinnati
Individual