Esequiel Barco facts for kids
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Barco playing for Spartak Moscow in August 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Esequiel Omar Barco | ||
| Date of birth | 29 March 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.67 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Spartak Moscow | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2015 | Jorge Griffa | ||
| 2015–2016 | Independiente | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2016–2018 | Independiente | 38 | (5) |
| 2018–2023 | Atlanta United | 81 | (17) |
| 2022–2023 | → River Plate (loan) | 76 | (10) |
| 2024 | River Plate | 20 | (1) |
| 2024– | Spartak Moscow | 17 | (8) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2017–2019 | Argentina U20 | 9 | (2) |
| 2021 | Argentina Olympic | 3 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Esequiel Omar Barco (born March 29, 1999) is a professional football player from Argentina. He plays as an attacking midfielder or winger. Currently, he plays for Russian Premier League team Spartak Moscow.
Esequiel was born in Villa Gobernador Gálvez, Argentina. He started his football journey at Independiente. He quickly joined the main team and played his first game in the 2016–17 season. After two seasons with Independiente, he moved to the American team Atlanta United in 2018. Barco has also played for Argentina's national team at the under-20 level.
Contents
Barco's Club Career Highlights
Starting at Independiente
Esequiel Barco was born in Villa Gobernador Gálvez, a city in Santa Fe, Argentina. He joined Independiente's youth academy in 2015. Before that, he played for AA Jorge Bernardo Griffa.
In July 2016, the team's coach, Gabriel Milito, brought Barco up to the first team. He signed his first professional contract that same month. Barco played his first game in Argentina's top league, the Argentine Primera División, on August 28, 2016. He came into the game as a substitute and helped his team win 1–0 against Belgrano.
Just a few weeks later, on September 11, he scored his first goal as a professional player. It was the final goal in a 2–0 win against Godoy Cruz. In his first full season, Barco scored four goals in 30 league games. He also played a big part in the 2017 Copa Sudamericana. He scored a penalty kick in the final game against Flamengo, which helped his team win the championship.
Playing for Atlanta United
On January 19, 2018, Barco joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club Atlanta United. He was signed as a special "designated player". Reports said that Atlanta United paid $15 million for him. This was a record amount for an MLS transfer at the time.
Barco played his first game for Atlanta United on April 15, 2018. It was a 2–2 draw against New York City FC. He came on as a substitute in the 70th minute. He scored his first goal for the club on May 5, 2018, against the Chicago Fire. His goal helped Atlanta United win the game 2–1.
Barco was part of the team that won the MLS Cup 2018 against the Portland Timbers. He came on as a substitute in the final moments of the game, which Atlanta United won 2–0. He then won another trophy with Atlanta United in the Campeones Cup. They beat América 3–2, and Barco came on late in the game. A few weeks later, on August 27, Barco started in the U.S. Open Cup final against Minnesota United. His team won that game 2–1.
Time at River Plate
On January 30, 2022, Barco moved to Argentine Primera División team River Plate. He joined them on a loan deal. This deal included an option for River Plate to buy him permanently later. On February 10, 2023, it was confirmed that Barco's move to River Plate would become permanent on January 1, 2024.
Joining Spartak Moscow
On July 25, 2024, Esequiel Barco signed a three-year contract with Spartak Moscow. This team plays in Russia.
Career Statistics
Here's a summary of Barco's games and goals for his clubs:
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Independiente | 2016–17 | Argentine Primera División | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 35 | 4 | |
| 2017–18 | Argentine Primera División | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 | — | 22 | 4 | ||
| Total | 38 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 3 | — | 57 | 8 | |||
| Atlanta United | 2018 | Major League Soccer | 26 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | 33 | 5 | |
| 2019 | Major League Soccer | 15 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 4 | |
| 2020 | Major League Soccer | 15 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | |||
| 2021 | Major League Soccer | 25 | 7 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 8 | ||
| Total | 81 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 107 | 19 | ||
| River Plate (loan) | 2022 | Argentine Primera División | 35 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | — | 45 | 5 | |
| 2023 | Argentine Primera División | 41 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 8 | |
| River Plate | 2024 | Argentine Primera División | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| Total | 96 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 121 | 14 | ||
| Spartak Moscow | 2024–25 | Russian Premier League | 17 | 8 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 9 | ||
| Career total | 232 | 41 | 20 | 2 | 44 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 307 | 50 | ||
Awards and Trophies
Esequiel Barco has won several important awards and trophies throughout his career:
With Independiente
- Copa Sudamericana: 2017 (a big South American club competition)
With Atlanta United
- MLS Cup: 2018 (the championship of Major League Soccer)
- U.S. Open Cup: 2019 (a major cup competition in the USA)
- Campeones Cup: 2019 (a match between the MLS Cup winner and the Mexican Liga MX champion)
With River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 2023 (Argentina's top league title)
- Trofeo de Campeones: 2023 (a super cup in Argentina)
- Supercopa Argentina: 2023 (another super cup in Argentina)
Individual Awards
- MLS All-Star: 2018, 2019 (chosen as one of the best players in the MLS)
See also
In Spanish: Esequiel Barco para niños
