Darwin Núñez

Darwin Gabriel Núñez Ribeiro (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdaɾwĩn ˈnuɲes]; born 24 June 1999) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Primeira Liga club Benfica and the Uruguay national team.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Núñez and the second or maternal family name is Ribeiro.
Darwin Núñez
Núñez with Benfica in 2020
Personal information
Full name Darwin Gabriel Núñez Ribeiro
Date of birth (1999-06-24) 24 June 1999
Place of birth Artigas, Uruguay
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Benfica
Number 9
Youth career
La Luz
San Miguel de Artigas
Peñarol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Peñarol 14 (4)
2019–2020 Almería 30 (16)
2020– Benfica 41 (17)
National team‡
2018–2019 Uruguay U20 14 (4)
2019 Uruguay U22 4 (1)
2019– Uruguay 6 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 December 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2021

Núñez came through Peñarol's youth academy, being promoted to the first-team in 2017. In August 2019, Núñez joined Spanish Segunda División side Almería, staring as a goalscorer, helping them to reach the play-offs of the divsion. Núñez performances sparked the interest of several European clubs, with Benfica signing him in 2020 for a club-record transfer worth €24 million (£21,8 million), the most expensive signing in Portuguese football history.

After representing Uruguay at various youth levels, Núñez was called up to the full international side for the first time in October 2019, earning his first cap against Peru, scoring on his international debut.

Club career

Peñarol

Born in Artigas, Núñez joined Peñarol's youth setup in 2013, aged 14. His first stay lasted only months, but he subsequently rejoined the club in 2014, and finished his formation.[1]

Núñez spent the first months of 2017 nursing a knee injury.[2] He made his first team – and Primera División – debut on 22 November 2017, coming on as a second-half substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in a 2–1 away loss against River Plate Montevideo,[3] but had another knee surgery the following month.[2]

Núñez scored his first professional goal on 13 October 2018, netting the opener in a 2–0 home defeat of Fénix.[4] On 14 July 2019, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 routing of Boston River.[5]

Almería

On 29 August 2019, Spanish Segunda División side Almería announced the signing of Núñez on a five-year deal,[6] for a rumoured fee of US$4.5 million plus $1.5 million in variables.[7] He made his debut for Andalusian side on 3 October 2019, coming on as a 46th minute substitute for Lucien Owona in 4–2 league defeat against Sporting de Gijón.[8]

On 27 October 2019, Núñez scored first goal for his new club in a 3–2 league win against Extremadura.[9] He finished his only season at the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos as the league's joint fourth top scorer with 16 goals, led by compatriot Cristhian Stuani.[10]

Benfica
Núñez playing for Benfica in 2021

On 4 September 2020, Núñez signed a five-year contract with Portuguese club Benfica, who paid a club record fee of €24 million (£21.8 million) for the player. This was also Almeria's and the Segunda División's biggest transfer, with the club also receiving 20% of a future transfer.[11] He made his club debut 11 days later in a 2–1 loss against PAOK for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round replacing Pedrinho in the 65th minute of the game.[12] With his assist in a 3–0 win over Rio Ave on 18 October, he reached five assists in his first four league games, best in the league.[13] On 22 October, Núñez scored his first goals for the club with a hat-trick against Lech Poznań in a 4–2 away victory at the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League group stage match.[14] Four days later, he scored his first Primeira Liga goal in a 2–0 home victory over B SAD.[15] On 3 December, after Núñez took nearly three weeks to recover from COVID-19, he returned to action against Lech Poznań, scoring Benfica's second goal in a eventual 4–0 home victory in a Europa League group stage match.[16] He struggled over the course of season with the effects of COVID-19 and various injuries, and did not score for four months.[17] He scored six league goals and provided ten assists – second-best in the league – helping Benfica to a third-place finish.[18]

In May 2021, Núñez underwent surgery due to an injury on his right knee, forcing him to miss Benfica's first months of the new season.[19] He made his return from injury on 21 August, replacing Everton in the 72th minute, in a 2–0 away victory over Gil Vicente, being booked in the process.[20] Following back-to-back braces against Santa Clara and Boavista in the Primeira Liga, he was named the league's Player of the Month and Forward of the Month for September.[21] On 29 September, he scored his first two UEFA Champions League goals in a 3–0 home victory over Barcelona, and was named man of the match.[22] On 7 November, he scored a goal and provided two assists in a 6–1 home victory over Braga.[23] On 27 November, he scored his first hat-trick in the league as his team finished the first half at B SAD 7–0 up, though the game was abandoned early in the second half due to insufficient players on the COVID-affected host team.[24] On 13 December, Núñez scored his second hat-trick of the season against Famalicão in a 4–1 away win.[25]

International career

Youth

Núñez is a former Uruguay youth international and was part of under-20 team squad which finished third in 2019 South American U-20 Championship and reached pre-quarters of 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was also part of under-22 team squad which finished fourth at 2019 Pan American Games.

Senior

His performance with youth teams earned him a call-up to senior team for friendlies against Costa Rica and the United States in September 2019. He made his international debut that 16 October in a 1–1 draw against Peru, in which he replaced Brian Lozano in the 75th minute of the game and scored his team's only goal five minutes later.[26]

Style of play

Núñez is a right-footed player, he possesses an athletic frame, excellent acceleration and sprinting speed is the defining facet of his athletic skillset, with his explosive change of pace being capable of creating immediate separation.[27][28] He also has good awareness, he scans space and makes decisions when moving relative to the ball, space, team-mates and opponents.[27][28] Núñez is a disruptive striker with a dynamic range of mobility that can carry counter-attacks, makes incisive movements around the box, and strike the ball explosively.[27][28] He is adept at attacking open spaces and is good at generating shots from varied situations.[27][28] He is also a promising creator around the box and is also capable of playing as a winger.[27][28]

Personal life

On 19 November 2020, it was announced that Núñez tested positive for COVID-19, amid its pandemic in Portugal.[29]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 15 December 2021[30]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Peñarol2017Uruguayan Primera División 10——000010
2018 101——2[lower-alpha 1]01[lower-alpha 2]0131
2019 33——5[lower-alpha 3]00083
Total 14400007010224
Almería 2019–20 Segunda División 301600——2[lower-alpha 4]03216
Benfica2020–21Primeira Liga 29643208[lower-alpha 5]51[lower-alpha 6]04414
2021–22 121110126[lower-alpha 7]3—2016
Total 41175332148106430
Career total 853753322184011850
  1. Appearances in Copa Sudamericana.
  2. Appearance in championship play-off.
  3. Appearances in Copa Libertadores.
  4. Appearances in Segunda División play-offs.
  5. One appearance in UEFA Champions League qualifying round, seven appearances and five goals in UEFA Europa League.
  6. Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.
  7. Appearances in UEFA Champions League.

International
As of match played 10 October 2021
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Uruguay 201911
202031
202120
Total62
Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first.[31]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetitionRef.
1.16 October 2019Estadio Nacional del Perú, Lima, Peru Peru1–11–1Friendly[32]
2.13 November 2020Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia Colombia3–03–02022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Club

Peñarol

Individual

References
  1. "Darwin Núñez se fue al Almería: "voy a poder comprarle la casa a mis padres en Artigas"" [Darwin Núñez moved to Almería: "I will be able to buy a house for my parents in Artigas"] (in Spanish). Subrayado. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  2. "Darwin Núñez: De estar a punto de "dejar de jugar" a un presente que promete en Peñarol" [Darwin Núñez: from being close to "quit football" to a present who promises at Peñarol] (in Spanish). Fútbol.com.uy. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  3. "Clausura: River Plate derrotó 2–1 a Peñarol en el Saroldi y le quitó el invicto" [Clausura: River Plate defeated Peñarol by 2–1 and removed their unbeaten status] (in Spanish). Fútbol.com.uy. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  4. "Clausura: Peñarol le ganó 2–0 a Fénix con goles de Darwin Núñez y Giovanni González" [Clausura: Peñarol defeated Fénix by 2–0 with goals from Darwin Núñez and Giovanni González] (in Spanish). Fútbol.com.uy. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  5. "Peñarol le ganó 4–0 a Boston River por la primera fecha del Torneo Intermedio 2019" [Peñarol thrashed Boston River by 4–0 for the first round of the 2019 Torneo Intermedio] (in Spanish). Teledoce. 14 July 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  6. "Darwin Núñez, un delantero de garantías para el nuevo proyecto" [Darwin Núñez, a guarantee forward for the new project] (in Spanish). UD Almería. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  7. "Última hora: la directiva de Peñarol aprueba la venta de Darwin al Almería" [Breaking news: Peñarol's board approves the sale of Darwin to Almería] (in Spanish). La Voz de Almería. 25 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  8. "Sporting Gijón vs. Almería - 3 October 2019". Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  9. "Almería vs. Extremadura UD - 27 October 2019". Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  10. "Stuani, del Girona, 'Pichichi' con 29 goles" [Girona's Stuani, 'Pichichi' with 29 goals]. Sport (in Spanish). 21 July 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  11. "El Almería y el Benfica firman el traspaso definitivo de Darwin Núñez" [Almería and Benfica confirm Darwin Núñez's permanent transfer]. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  12. "ΠΑΟΚ - Μπενφίκα Live: Το τρίτο ημίχρονο του "θριάμβου" της Τούμπας" (in Greek). www.onsports.gr. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  13. "Waldschmidt. O rolo compressor alemão deixa Benfica mais líder". Diário de Noticias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  14. "Darwin e mais 10!" [Darwin and 10 others!]. www.slbenfica.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  15. "Benfica 2-0 Belenenses SAD: Seferovic e Darwin Nuñez carimbam quinta vitória em cinco jogos" [Benfica 2–0 Belenenses SAD: Seferovic and Darwin Núñez seal fifth victory in five games]. Sapo Desporto (in Portuguese). 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  16. "Darwin de volta e direto ao onze do Benfica para o jogo com o Lech Poznan" [Darwin back and straight into Benfica's XI for the game with Lech Poznań]. Record (in Portuguese). 3 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  17. "Darwin fintou a pobreza, as lesões e as críticas antes de brilhar na Champions" [Darwin beat povery, injuries and criticism before shining in the Champions League]. Diário de Noticias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  18. "Benfica repete terceiro lugar no campeonato 12 anos depois" [Benfica back in third place in the championship after 12 years] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  19. "Benfica: Darwin Nuñez operado ao joelho" [Benfica: Darwin Núñez has knee operation]. Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  20. "Darwin assinalou dia em que voltou a vestir a camisola do Benfica" [Darwin stood out on the day that he wore Benfica's jersey again]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  21. Oliveira, Diogo Cardoso (14 October 2021). "Darwin Núñez, do Benfica, eleito melhor jogador do mês". Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  22. UEFA.com. "Benfica-Barcelona | UEFA Champions League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  23. "Benfica goleia Sp. Braga por 6-1 na Luz. Veja os vídeos dos golos". Correio da Manhã (in Portuguese). 7 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  24. "Belenenses 20:30 Benfica". BBC Sport. 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  25. "Darwin Nuñez anota hat-trick e Benfica goleia o Famalicão". Lance!. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  26. "Peru vs. Uruguay - 16 October 2019". Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  27. "Darwin Núñez". 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  28. "Player Analysis: Darwin Núñez". 28 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  29. "Darwin Núñez e Weigl estão infetados com covid-19". 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  30. Darwin Núñez at Soccerway
  31. "Darwin Núñez". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  32. Sánchez, Guillermo (16 October 2019). "El debut soñado de Darwin Núñez con Uruguay". Marca (in Spanish). Almería: Unidad Editorial Información Deportiva, S.L.U. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  33. "Best of September/October 2020-21: Pedro Gonçalves and Gonçalo Ramos are the highlights of the month". Liga Portugal. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
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