Álvaro Barreal | |
Fullname: | Álvaro Martín Barreal |
Birth Date: | 17 August 2000 |
Birth Place: | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Height: | 1.70 m |
Position: | Left Wing-back Winger |
Currentclub: | Cruzeiro (on loan from FC Cincinnati) |
Clubnumber: | 21 |
Youthclubs1: | Vélez Sarsfield |
Years1: | 2018–2020 |
Clubs1: | Vélez Sarsfield |
Caps1: | 18 |
Goals1: | 1 |
Years2: | 2020– |
Clubs2: | FC Cincinnati |
Caps2: | 104 |
Goals2: | 13 |
Clubs3: | → Cruzeiro (loan) |
Caps3: | 15 |
Goals3: | 2 |
Years3: | 2024– |
Nationalyears1: | 2018 |
Nationalteam1: | Argentina U20 |
Nationalcaps1: | 5 |
Nationalgoals1: | 2 |
Club-Update: | 9 August 2024 |
Álvaro Martín Barreal (born 17 August 2000) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Cruzeiro.
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]
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 October 7 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.[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]
Barreal represented the Argentina U20s at the 2018 COTIF Tournament in Spain.[13] [14] He scored two goals in five games, as Argentina won the tournament.[15] [16] [17] [18] [19]
Scouts from the Argentina men's national football team visited two FC Cincinnati games in 2023 to assess him for an potential call up to the senior team.[20]
Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Vélez Sarsfield | 2018–19 | Primera División | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||
2019–20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
Total | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | |||
FC Cincinnati | 2020 | Major League Soccer | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
2021 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 | |||||
2022 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 21 | 6 | |||||
Total | 57 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 9 | |||
Career total | 72 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 10 |
FC Cincinnati
Individual