Sebastián Pérez (footballer, born 1993) facts for kids
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Pérez with Atlético Nacional in 2016
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Sebastián Pérez Cardona | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 29 March 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Envigado, Colombia | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Boavista | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Atlético Nacional | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | Atlético Nacional | 119 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Boca Juniors | 15 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | → Pachuca (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | → Barcelona SC (loan) | 24 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | → Boavista (loan) | 16 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Boavista | 87 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Colombia U20 | 16 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Colombia Olympic | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2021 | Colombia | 10 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Sebastián Pérez Cardona (born on March 29, 1993) is a professional footballer from Colombia. People sometimes call him Seba Pérez. He plays as a defensive midfielder for Boavista, a club in Portugal's top league, the Primeira Liga.
Sebastián is known for how quickly he reacts and his skills. He can play well in both defensive and attacking roles on the field. Early in his career, many people outside Colombia thought he was a very promising young player.
Contents
Sebastián Pérez: His Football Journey
Playing for Atlético Nacional
Sebastián Pérez first played for Atlético Nacional on March 4, 2011. He came into the game against Atlético Junior in the 86th minute. He was only 18 years old when his team won the 2011 Torneo Apertura. This made him the youngest player to win this honor.
The next year, he helped Nacional win both the Copa Colombia and the Superliga Colombiana. This meant he had won every major trophy in Colombia before he turned 20.
After Colombia's team left the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Sebastián was invited to try out for Arsenal in England. He played for 26 minutes in a friendly game against Manchester City. Even though he played a short time, people praised his natural talent. Arsenal's coach, Arsène Wenger, was impressed. However, Sebastián could not get a work permit because he had not played enough international matches for Colombia. So, he went back to Nacional. Wenger said he would keep watching Pérez for a chance to sign him later.
On July 27, 2016, Pérez and Atlético Nacional won the 2016 Copa Libertadores. This was a very big win for him. Before leaving Nacional, Sebastián had won ten titles with the club. This made him one of the most successful players in Atlético Nacional's history.
Moving to Boca Juniors
In 2016, Pérez joined Boca Juniors, a famous club in Argentina. He had a tough time from April 2017 to January 2018 because of an ACL injury. This type of injury affects the knee and takes a long time to heal.
A Loan to Pachuca
In September 2018, Sebastián was loaned to Pachuca in Mexico. He played his first game for them on September 26. It was a 3-0 win against Cafetaleros de Chiapas in the Copa MX. However, this was his only full game for the club. He only played one more time as a substitute.
Time with Barcelona S.C.
On January 3, 2019, Pérez moved to Barcelona S.C. in Ecuador. He played his first game for them on February 6 in the 2019 Copa Libertadores. He then played 24 league games in the 2019 Ecuadorian Serie A season. He did not score any goals during his time there.
Joining Boavista F.C.
On September 19, 2020, it was announced that Sebastián would be loaned to Boavista, a club in Portugal.
On August 31, 2021, Boavista decided to buy Sebastián permanently. They signed a four-year contract with him. This meant he was no longer on loan and was now a full player for Boavista.
Playing for His Country: Colombia
Youth National Teams
Sebastián first played for the Colombia U20 national team in 2011. He took part in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which was held in Colombia. He was called up again for the 2013 South American Youth Championship. Colombia won this championship and qualified for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Sebastián played very well in these tournaments. His performances caught the attention of big European teams.
Playing for the Senior National Team
Sebastián Pérez was first called up to the senior Colombia national team in 2016. Coach José Pékerman wanted him to play in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Ecuador.
He played his first game for Colombia against Bolivia. He started the game and played for 62 minutes. Colombia won the game 3-2. His first goal for his country came in the next game against Ecuador on March 29, 2016. He scored an amazing goal in Colombia's 3-1 victory.
In May 2018, Sebastián was part of Colombia's first group of 35 players for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, he was not chosen for the final team.
How Sebastián Plays Football
Sebastián Pérez was not a professional footballer before joining Nacional in 2011. Yet, the club saw him as a "pure natural talent." He is known as a versatile player, meaning he can play many roles. He can use both of his feet well and has a great "panoramic vision." This means he can see the whole field and make accurate passes.
Even though he often plays as a defensive midfielder, Pérez can also shoot with power from far away. Big teams like Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest in him because of his potential.
Pérez has said that he likes playing as a defensive midfielder because he admires players like Xavi, Xabi Alonso, and Andrea Pirlo. They inspired him to make a difference in both defending and attacking. This is why he is often a key player in counter-attacks.
Sebastián's Life Off the Field
Sebastián Pérez married Manuela Restrepo in 2015. In July 2016, they had their first child, a son. In 2017, Pérez became a vegan. This means he stopped eating animal products for ethical reasons.
Career Numbers: Games and Goals
Club
| Club performance | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Season | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Atlético Nacional | 2011 | Categoría Primera A | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 39 | 0 | |||
| 2012 | Categoría Primera A | 15 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| 2013 | Categoría Primera A | 11 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 2 | |||
| 2014 | Categoría Primera A | 29 | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | Categoría Primera A | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2016 | Categoría Primera A | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Total | 119 | 2 | 34 | 2 | — | 20 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 179 | 5 | |||
| Boca Juniors | 2016–17 | Primera División | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | Primera División | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||||
| Pachuca (loan) | 2018–19 | Liga MX | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Barcelona SC (loan) | 2019 | Ecuadorian Serie A | 24 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |||
| Boavista (loan) | 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 2 | |||
| Boavista | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 3 | |||
| 2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| Total | 82 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | — | 96 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 240 | 7 | 39 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 320 | 11 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 2016 | 8 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pérez goal
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Final | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 29 March 2016 | Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia |  Ecuador |
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2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Trophies and Achievements
Club
Atlético Nacional
- Categoría Primera A (5 times): 2011-I, 2013-I, 2013-II, 2014-I, 2015-II
- Copa Colombia (2 times): 2012, 2013
- Superliga Colombiana (2 times): 2012, 2016
- Copa Libertadores (1 time): 2016
Boca Juniors
- Primera División (1 time): 2016–17
International
- Colombia
- Copa América: Third place (2 times) 2016, 2021
- South American Youth Championship: 2013
