Lucho González facts for kids
González lining up for Porto in 2013
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Luis Óscar González | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 January 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Porto (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Huracán | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2002 | Huracán | 111 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | River Plate | 82 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2009 | Porto | 111 | (31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Marseille | 87 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Porto | 57 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Al-Rayyan | 26 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | River Plate | 17 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Athletico Paranaense | 103 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 594 | (96) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Argentina U23 | 12 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2011 | Argentina | 45 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Athletico Paranaense (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Ceará | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Internacional (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Athletico Paranaense | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Porto (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Luis Óscar "Lucho" González, born on January 19, 1981, is a famous Argentine former football player. He is now an assistant coach for the Primeira Liga club Porto in Portugal.
Lucho was a midfielder, which means he played in the middle of the field. He was known for his powerful shots, great passes, and how hard he worked. People called him El Comandante (The Commander) because he was a strong leader on the field.
He started his career playing for clubs like Huracán and River Plate in Argentina. In 2005, he joined Porto in Portugal. He played 241 games for Porto and scored 61 goals during two different times with the club. He won ten major titles there.
Lucho also played for Marseille in France, Al-Rayyan in Qatar, and Athletico Paranaense in Brazil. He won 29 trophies in his career, which is a huge number. Only Lionel Messi has won more among Argentine players.
Lucho played for the Argentina national team 45 times. He played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América tournaments.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Argentina
Lucho González was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He started playing football at Huracán when he was 14 years old. He played his first professional game in Argentina's top league on April 29, 1999.
Three years later, Lucho moved to another team in Buenos Aires, River Plate. There, he helped his team win two league titles in a row in 2003 and 2004. He scored 23 goals in 120 games for River Plate.
Success with Porto
Because of his great playing at River Plate, Lucho joined Porto in Portugal in 2005. He signed a five-year contract. In his first season, he scored ten goals in 30 matches. He helped Porto win the Primeira Liga title, which was the first of four in a row for the team.
Lucho became the team captain at Porto. In November 2006, he signed a new five-year deal. Porto even paid more money to fully own his player rights in 2007. This showed how important he was to the club.
On March 22, 2009, Lucho scored a goal in the semi-finals of the Taça de Portugal cup. Porto won that game 2–0. In the 2008–09 league season, he scored nine goals in 23 games. This helped Porto win their fourth league title in a row. They also won the cup that season, completing a "double" win.
Playing in France with Marseille
In June 2009, Lucho moved to Marseille in France. This transfer cost €18 million, which was the most expensive in the club's history at the time. He scored his first goal for Marseille on September 19, helping them win 4–2. He also scored in the UEFA Champions League against AC Milan and Real Madrid.
After the winter break, Lucho helped Marseille reach the final of the Coupe de la Ligue cup. He scored against Lille in the quarter-finals. On February 28, he scored in a big 3–0 win against Paris Saint-Germain. He finished his first season with 32 matches and five goals, winning both the league and the league cup.
Lucho scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season on August 29, 2010. On November 3, he scored two goals in a huge 7–0 win against MŠK Žilina in the Champions League.
He played in the 2011 Coupe de la Ligue final, which Marseille won 1–0. There were rumors that he might move to Arsenal in England. But Lucho said he was happy at Marseille and had a contract until 2013. Even though he scored in a 3–2 loss to Lyon, Marseille finished second in the league that season. After the season, the club chairman said Lucho wanted to leave.
Despite the rumors, Lucho stayed at Marseille for the 2011–12 season. He scored in the first game, a 2–2 draw. On September 13, he scored the only goal in a Champions League game against Olympiacos. He was even named "Player of the Match" for that game.
Coming Back to Porto
On January 30, 2012, after playing 124 games for Marseille, Lucho returned to Porto. He signed a contract until June 2014. He scored in his very first game back, a 2–0 win in the Taça da Liga cup on February 5. He scored his first league goal since returning on March 31.
In the 2012–13 season, Porto won their third league title in a row without losing a single game. Lucho was the captain of the team. He scored a key goal in a 2–0 win on the final day of the season. In the Champions League, he scored in two wins against Dinamo Zagreb. One of these goals came on the day his father passed away. These goals gave him a record of 16 goals in the group stage of the competition. He scored two more goals in the next season's Europa League.
Later Career and Retirement
On January 27, 2014, Lucho joined the Qatari club Al-Rayyan. Eighteen months later, he returned to his home country, Argentina, and rejoined River Plate. This was his first time back with the club in ten years. He came on as a substitute when River Plate won the Copa Libertadores in 2015. He also helped them win the 2015 Suruga Bank Championship.
On September 16, 2016, at 35 years old, Lucho joined Athletico Paranaense in Brazil. He played 160 games for them and scored ten goals. He won five trophies with the team, including the Copa Sudamericana in 2018.
Lucho González announced he was retiring from playing football on May 27, 2021, when he was 40 years old.
International Career
Lucho González played his first game for the Argentina national team on January 31, 2003. He played for Argentina in the 2004 Copa América tournament, scoring two goals. Argentina reached the final but lost to Brazil in a penalty shootout.
Lucho also played for the Argentina Under-23 team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2006, he was chosen to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Argentina reached the quarter-finals but lost to Germany in a penalty shootout.
Later, Lucho was part of the Argentina squad for the 2007 Copa América. Again, Argentina lost to Brazil in the final.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Lucho González started his coaching career. In January 2022, he returned to his former club, Athletico Paranaense, as an assistant coach. He briefly became the interim manager in April but decided to leave soon after.
On August 24, 2022, Lucho signed his first head coaching contract with Ceará, another Brazilian team. His first game was a 1–1 draw. However, he was dismissed on October 28, 2022, after winning only one game out of ten.
In July 2023, Lucho joined Internacional as an assistant coach. He helped the team reach the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores and improve their league position. In December 2023, his coaching staff's contracts were extended.
Lucho left Internacional in July 2024. On September 24, 2024, he returned to Athletico Paranaense, this time as the head coach. However, he was sacked on December 10, 2024, after the club was relegated in their 100th year.
In July 2025, Lucho González returned to Porto, joining the coaching staff of the new manager.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
Here are Lucho González's statistics for his club career:
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Huracán | 1998–99 | Primera División | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 1999–2000 | Primera B Nacional | 35 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 5 | |||||
| 2000–01 | Primera División | 34 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 34 | 3 | |||||
| 2001–02 | Primera División | 35 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 4 | |||||
| Total | 111 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 111 | 12 | ||||||
| River Plate | 2002–03 | Primera División | 32 | 7 | — | — | 10 | 1 | — | 42 | 8 | |||
| 2003–04 | Primera División | 24 | 2 | — | — | 17 | 3 | — | 41 | 5 | ||||
| 2004–05 | Primera División | 26 | 8 | — | — | 11 | 1 | — | 37 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 82 | 17 | — | — | 38 | 5 | — | 120 | 22 | |||||
| Porto | 2005–06 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 10 | 4 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 40 | 12 | ||
| 2006–07 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 12 | ||
| 2007–08 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 8 | |
| 2008–09 | Primeira Liga | 23 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 12 | |
| Total | 111 | 31 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 155 | 44 | ||
| Marseille | 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 2 | — | 44 | 8 | |
| 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 36 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 10 | |
| 2011–12 | Ligue 1 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| Total | 87 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 124 | 21 | ||
| Porto | 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 |
| 2012–13 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 10 | |
| 2013–14 | Primeira Liga | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 4 | |
| Total | 57 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 86 | 17 | ||
| Al-Rayyan | 2013–14 | Qatar Stars League | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | Qatari Second Division | 15 | 6 | 4 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 26 | 6 | |||
| Total | 26 | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | — | 41 | 9 | ||||
| River Plate | 2015 | Primera División | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2016 | Primera División | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | – | 11 | 1 | |||
| Total | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |||
| Athletico Paranaense | 2016 | Série A | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2017 | Série A | 26 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 12 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 46 | 6 | ||
| 2018 | Série A | 27 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 1 | ||
| 2019 | Série A | 17 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2020 | Série A | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 2 | ||
| 2021 | Série A | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 94 | 4 | 18 | 1 | — | 36 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 160 | 10 | |||
| Career total | 584 | 95 | 41 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 164 | 30 | 20 | 1 | 827 | 136 | ||
International Goals
Here are the goals Lucho scored for the Argentina national team:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 January 2003 | Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  Honduras |
1–2 | 1–3 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 8 February 2003 | Orange Bowl, Miami, United States |  United States |
0–1 | 0–1 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 7 July 2004 | Elías Aguirre, Chiclayo, Peru |  Ecuador |
6–1 | 6–1 | 2004 Copa América | |
| 4 | 20 July 2004 | Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru |  Colombia |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2004 Copa América | |
| 5 | 9 October 2004 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Uruguay |
1–0 | 4–2 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
| 6 | 1 April 2009 | Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia |  Bolivia |
1–6 | 1–6 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
Managerial Statistics
Here is Lucho González's coaching record:
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Ceará |  |
24 August 2022 | 28 October 2022 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 10.00 |
| Athletico Paranaense | |
24 September 2024 | 10 December 2024 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 21 | −7 | 21.43 |
| Total | 24 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 21 | 32 | −11 | 16.67 | |||
Honours and Awards
Club Trophies
Huracán
- Primera B Nacional: 2000
River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: Clausura 2003, Clausura 2004
- Copa Libertadores: 2015
- J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship: 2015
Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2011–12, 2012–13
- Taça de Portugal: 2005–06, 2008–09
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2012, 2013
Marseille
- Ligue 1: 2009–10
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
- Trophée des Champions: 2010, 2011
Al-Rayyan
- Qatari Second Division: 2014–15
Athletico Paranaense
- Copa do Brasil: 2019
- Copa Sudamericana: 2018, 2021
- J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship: 2019
- Campeonato Paranaense: 2020
International Medals
Argentina Olympic Team
- Summer Olympic Games: Gold Medal 2004
- CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament: Winner 2004
Argentina National Team
- Copa América runner-up: 2004, 2007
Individual Awards
- Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2004
- South American Team of the Year: 2004
- Portuguese Golden Ball: 2009
- SJPF Player of the Month: October 2007
- FC Porto Player of the Year: 2006
- UNFP Player of the Month: April 2010
See also
In Spanish: Lucho González (futbolista) para niños
