Thiago Almada facts for kids
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Almada during the 2023 MLS All-Star Game
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 26 April 2001 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, winger | |||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Lyon (on loan from Botafogo) |
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| Number | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Santa Clara | |||||||||||||||
| 2006–2018 | Vélez Sarsfield | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Vélez Sarsfield | 45 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Atlanta United | 77 | (23) | |||||||||||||
| 2024– | Botafogo | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2025– | → Lyon (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Argentina U20 | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Argentina U23 | 13 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2022– | Argentina | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Thiago Ezequiel Almada (born 26 April 2001) is a professional football player from Argentina. He plays as an attacking midfielder or winger. Currently, he plays for Ligue 1 club Lyon on loan. His main club is Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Botafogo. Thiago also plays for the Argentina national team.
Almada was part of the Argentina team that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He made history as the first active player from Major League Soccer (MLS) to win this big tournament. He also won the 2024 Copa Libertadores with Botafogo.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Thiago 'Guayo' Ezequiel Almada was born on April 26, 2001. His hometown is Ciudadela, Buenos Aires in Argentina. When he was young, Thiago helped his family by selling fruits and vegetables. He spent a lot of time with his grandparents while his parents worked.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Vélez Sarsfield
Thiago started playing football at age four for a local club called Santa Clara. At age five, he joined Vélez Sarsfield. He moved up through their youth teams. In August 2018, just before his 17th birthday, Almada played his first professional game. In October 2018, The Guardian newspaper named him one of the "Next Generation 2018" players.
Almada began his senior career as a wing forward. His manager was Gabriel Heinze. He played with other talented players like Matías Vargas. In his first two years, Almada played 46 matches and scored nine goals. In 2020, a new manager, Mauricio Pellegrino, moved Almada to the midfield. This was because some players in that position had left. After this change, Almada scored 15 goals in 42 matches.
Joining Atlanta United
First Season in MLS (2022)
On December 4, 2021, Vélez Sarsfield announced that Almada would join Major League Soccer club Atlanta United. The transfer happened in February 2022. This deal was worth a record $16 million for the league. Atlanta United officially announced it on February 9, 2022.
On February 10, 2022, Atlanta United shared photos of Almada with the club's president. He was then shown to thousands of fans in an online welcome event.
Almada made his first official appearance for Atlanta on February 14, 2022. He played in a pre-season match against C.D. Guadalajara. On March 15, 2022, he made his MLS debut against Charlotte FC. He came into the game as a substitute. Almada said he was "ready to fight for everything." Soon after, on March 19, 2022, Almada scored his first MLS goal. It was in a 3–3 draw against CF Montréal. This goal won the MLS' Goal of The Week award.
Amazing 2023 Season
On February 25, 2023, Almada scored two goals in the first game of the 2023 season. One of these goals was a fantastic free kick. These goals helped Atlanta win 2–1 against San Jose Earthquakes. Because of his great performance, Almada was named MLS Player of the Week. He was also included in the league's Team of the Matchday.
Moving to Botafogo
On July 6, 2024, Almada officially joined Campeonato Brasileiro Série A team Botafogo. He signed a five-year contract with them. The deal was reportedly worth $21 million (€19.5 million) plus extra payments. This transfer broke the record for both the MLS and the Brazilian league.
Loan to Lyon
On December 19, 2024, Thiago Almada announced his next move. He will join Ligue 1 team Lyon on January 5, 2025. Lyon later confirmed his arrival on January 15, 2025. It is a loan deal that will last until June 30, 2025.
International Career
Almada played for the Argentina under-20 team in 2019. Later, he played for the under-23 team in 2021.
His first game for the senior Argentina national team was on September 23, 2022. It was a friendly match against Honduras in Miami.
In November 2022, Almada was called up to the Argentinian World Cup squad. He joined to replace an injured player, Joaquín Correa. This call-up happened just five days before Argentina's first game. He was part of the team that won the tournament. This made him the first active MLS player to win a World Cup. He made his World Cup debut against Poland. He came on as a substitute in the 86th minute. Argentina won that game 2–0.
On March 23, 2023, Almada scored his first goal for Argentina's senior team. It was during a friendly game against Panama. This made him the first player based in MLS to score for the Argentina national team.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| 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 | Argentine Primera División | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 21 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | 22 | 4 | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 25 | 5 | ||||
| 2020–21 | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | — | 8 | 4 | ||||||
| 2021 | 7 | 3 | — | 7 | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | 20 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 45 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 7 | — | 74 | 22 | |||
| Atlanta United | 2022 | MLS | 29 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 31 | 7 | |||
| 2023 | 31 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 35 | 13 | |||
| 2024 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 77 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 83 | 26 | |||
| Botafogo | 2024 | Série A | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 3 | |
| Lyon (loan) | 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 139 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 23 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 183 | 51 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 6 | 2 | |
- Argentina score listed first, score column indicates score after each Almada goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 March 2023 | Estadio Mâs Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | 3 |  Panama |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 15 October 2024 | Estadio Mâs Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | 6 |  Bolivia |
4–0 | 6–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours and Awards
Argentina
Botafogo
- Copa Libertadores: 2024
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2024
Individual Awards
- MLS Newcomer of the Year: 2022
- MLS All-Star: 2023
- MLS Best XI: 2023
- MLS Player of the Month: February/March 2023
- MLS Young Player of the Year: 2023
- Copa Libertadores Team of the Tournament: 2024
- South American Team of the Year: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Thiago Almada para niños
