| Fernando Lesme | |
| Fullname: | Fernando José Lesme |
| Birth Date: | 2002 4, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay |
| Height: | 1.95m |
| Position: | Center-Forward |
| Currentclub: | Alajuelense |
| Clubnumber: | 33 |
| Years1: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs1: | General Caballero |
| Years2: | 2021–2022 |
| Clubs2: | Potros del Este |
| Caps2: | 22 |
| Goals2: | 5 |
| Years3: | 2022 |
| Clubs3: | → Grecia (loan) |
| Caps3: | 33 |
| Goals3: | 14 |
| Years4: | 2023– |
| Clubs4: | Grecia |
| Caps4: | 0 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2023 |
| Clubs5: | → Celaya (loan) |
| Caps5: | 14 |
| Goals5: | 5 |
| Years6: | 2024 |
| Clubs6: | → Alajuelense (loan) |
| Caps6: | 9 |
| Goals6: | 3 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam1: | Paraguay U23 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 22:54, 20 April 2024 (UTC) |
Fernando Lesme (born 8 April 2002) is a Paraguayan footballer who currently plays for Alajuelense on loan from Municipal Grecia.
Lesme was born in Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay. As a youth, he played for Club 29 de Setiembre, Club Olimpia, and General Caballero Sport Club.[1] In 2021, he played for the General Caballero first team in the Primera C.[2] Later in 2021, he moved abroad and made his top flight debut at age eighteen with Potros del Este of Panama's LPF. He made twenty-two appearances for the club, scoring five goals, during the Clausura 2021 and Apertura 2022.[1]
In May 2022, Lesme then moved to Costa Rica to join Municipal Grecia, originally on loan then permanently, for a reported transfer fee of €225,000.[3] [4] In his first twelve league matches with the club, Lesme scored seven goals, tied for most in the league at that point.[5] He went on to be the league's sole top scorer for the Apertura 2022.[1] In June 2023, with one year left on his deal with Grecia, Lesme went on trial with Celaya F.C. of Mexico's Liga de Expansión MX. The player also reportedly received interest from C.S. Herediano and LD Alajuelense, both of Costa Rica's Liga FPD.[6] Grecia also received an offer from a club in Denmark but the club declined.[7]
Lesme was signed by the Mexican club on loan following the trial.[8] He went on to score five goals in fourteen matches. In January 2024, he finally joined Alajuelense on loan ahead of the 2024 Clausura with the deal running through December 2024.[9] In March 2024, Lesme started Alajuelense's 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 match against Major League Soccer's New England Revolution.[10] However, the player fell out of favor when Alexandre Guimarães took over as manager of the club.[11] [12] At the time, Red Star Belgrade, Hellas Verona, and Austin FC were reportedly among the clubs expressing interest in acquiring the frustrated Lesme.[13]
In December 2023, Lesme was called up to the Paraguay national under-23 team for a series of friendlies against Ecuador and Panama.[9] [14]