Thiago Almada facts for kids
Thiago Ezequiel Almada (born 26 April 2001) is an Argentine professional footballer. He plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Atlético Madrid and the Argentina national team.
Almada was part of the Argentina team that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He made history as the first player from Major League Soccer (MLS) to win this big tournament while still playing in the league. He also helped Botafogo win the 2024 Copa Libertadores, a major South American club competition.
Almada with Lyon in 2025
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Thiago Ezequiel Almada | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 26 April 2001 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder, winger | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Atlético Madrid | |||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Botafogo | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2025 | → Lyon (loan) | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2025– | Atlético Madrid | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Argentina U20 | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Argentina U23 | 13 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2022– | Argentina | 10 | (4) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 June 2025 |
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Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Thiago Ezequiel Almada was born on 26 April 2001, in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He grew up in a neighborhood called Fuerte Apache. As a young boy, Thiago helped his family by selling fruits and vegetables. He spent a lot of time with his grandparents while his parents worked hard.
Thiago started playing football at a local club called Santa Clara when he was just four years old. A year later, at age five, he joined Vélez Sarsfield. He trained and played his way through their youth teams.
Club Career Journey
Vélez Sarsfield Debut
In August 2018, just after his 17th birthday, Almada made his first professional appearance for Vélez Sarsfield. He quickly became known as a promising young player. In October 2018, a famous newspaper, The Guardian, even named him one of the "Next Generation 2018" players to watch.
Thiago started as a forward, scoring goals and helping his team. Later, he moved to play in the midfield. During his time at Vélez Sarsfield, he played in many matches and scored important goals.
Moving to Atlanta United
In February 2022, Almada made a big move to Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. He joined Atlanta United. This transfer was a record for the MLS, showing how talented he was.
He made his first appearance for Atlanta in a pre-season game. Soon after, he played his first MLS match in March 2022. Just a few days later, he scored his first goal for the club. This goal was so good that it won the "MLS Goal of the Week" award!
Amazing 2023 Season
Thiago had an incredible 2023 season with Atlanta United. In the very first game of the season, he scored two goals, including a fantastic free kick. This helped his team win 2–1. Because of his great start, he was named "MLS Player of the Week." He also won several individual awards that year, like "MLS Young Player of the Year."
Playing for Botafogo
On 6 July 2024, Almada moved to Brazil to play for Botafogo. He signed a five-year contract. This transfer also set new records for both the MLS and the Brazilian league, showing his high value. With Botafogo, he helped the team win the Brazilian league and the 2024 Copa Libertadores, a huge achievement!
Loan to Lyon
In January 2025, Almada went on loan to Ligue 1 club Lyon in France. He played for them until June 2025, gaining experience in another top European league.
Joining Atlético Madrid
On 15 July 2025, Almada made another big move. He joined La Liga club Atlético Madrid in Spain. This is his current club, where he hopes to continue his successful career.
International Career
Thiago Almada has played for Argentina's national teams at different levels. He played for the Under-20 team in 2019 and the Under-23 team in 2021.
His first game for the senior Argentina national team was on 23 September 2022, in a friendly match against Honduras.
World Cup Champion
In November 2022, Almada received an exciting call-up to the Argentinian squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He joined the team just five days before their first game. Argentina went on to win the tournament, making Thiago a World Cup champion! He became the first active MLS player to ever win a World Cup. He made his World Cup debut in Argentina's final group stage game against Poland.
On 23 March 2023, Almada scored his first goal for the senior Argentina team. It happened during a friendly match against Panama. He was the first player from the MLS to score for the Argentina national team.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| 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 | — | — | 4 | 2 | 35 | 13 | ||||
| 2024 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 77 | 23 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 2 | 83 | 26 | ||||
| Botafogo | 2024 | Série A | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 3 | |
| Lyon (loan) | 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 16 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 155 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 27 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 203 | 53 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | |
| Total | 10 | 4 | |
- 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 | |
| 3 | 21 March 2025 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay | 7 |  Uruguay |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 4 | 10 June 2025 | Estadio Mâs Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina | 10 |  Colombia |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours and Awards
Thiago Almada has won many important titles and awards throughout his career:
Botafogo
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2024 (Brazilian League Champion)
- Copa Libertadores: 2024 (South American Club Champion)
Argentina National Team
- FIFA World Cup: 2022 (World Champion)
Individual Awards
- MLS Newcomer of the Year: 2022
- MLS All-Star: 2023
- MLS Best XI: 2023 (Named one of the best 11 players in MLS)
- 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
