Thiago Almada

Thiago Ezequiel Almada (born 26 April 2001) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger and midfielder for Argentine Primera División club Vélez Sarsfield. He will join Major League Soccer club Atlanta United on 7 February 2022.

Thiago Almada
Personal information
Full name Thiago Ezequiel Almada
Date of birth (2001-04-26) 26 April 2001
Place of birth Ciudadela, Argentina
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger, Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Vélez Sarsfield
Number 10
Youth career
2006–2018 Vélez Sarsfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018– Vélez Sarsfield 71 (17)
National team‡
2019 Argentina U20 6 (1)
2021 Argentina U23 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 October 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 08:58, 6 August 2021 (UTC)

Early life

Thiago 'Guayo' Ezequiel Almada was born on April 26, 2001, in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires in Argentina. He grew up in the neighborhood of Fuerte Apache, which is known for high crime rates and prevalent drug use.[1] Almada spent many of his early years selling fruit and vegetables door-to-door to earn extra money. Much time was spent with his grandparents while his parents worked.[2]

Club career

Vélez Sarsfield

At the age of four, Almada was playing football for a local club, Santa Clara, where Carlos Tevez also began his career. He was picked up by Vélez Sarsfield at age five where he made his way through the youth academy. In August 2018, just four months shy of his 17th birthday, Almada made his professional debut with the club. In October 2018, he was included in The Guardian's "Next Generation 2018".[3]

Almada began his first-team career as a wing forward under manager Gabriel Heinze. He played alongside Matías Vargas, Nicolás Domínguez, Lucas Robertone, and Fernando Gago. In his first two years with Heinze at the helm, Almada appeared in 46 matches and tallied nine goals. In 2020, new club manager Mauricio Pellegrino, moved Almada to midfielder, due to the departure of several players. In the two seasons since the move to midfield, Almada earned 15 goals in 42 matches.

Atlanta United

On 4 December 2021, Vélez Sarsfield announced that it had reached an agreement with Major League Soccer club Atlanta United for the transfer of Almada in February 2022.[4]

International Career

Almada played for the Argentina U20 squad in 2019 and the Argentina U-23 squad in 2021.

Personal life

In February 2021, Almada was charged with sexual abuse stemming from a party in San Isidro, Buenos Aires on 4 December 2020. A 28-year-old woman said she was sexually abused by several people in a house rented by Martín Lucero. His club suspended both him and Miguel Brizuela after the charges became public.[5] A week after Almada was suspended, he was reinstated with the club stating, "substantial modifications were generated by virtue of the incorporation of new evidence, expertise and testimonies."[6]

Career statistics
As of 23 September 2021.[7]
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 Primera División 1631[lower-alpha 1]04[lower-alpha 2]1—00214
2019–20 Primera División 224001[lower-alpha 2]02[lower-alpha 3]100255
2020–21 Primera División — — — 8 4 0 0 8 4
2021 Primera División 7 3 0 0 7 4 6 2 0 0 20 9
Career total 451010125167007422
  1. Appearances in the Copa Argentina
  2. Appearances in the Copa de la Superliga
  3. Appearances in the Copa Sudamericana

References
  1. SeventhQueen (2019-08-28). "LN - The evil called Fuerte Apache, a neighborhood marked by stigmas". About Argentina (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  2. "Thiago Almada: Argentina's next great playmaker on Man City's radar | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  3. "Next Generation 2018: 60 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. 11 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  4. "La noche del 10" [The night of the 10] (in Spanish). Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield. 4 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  5. "Argentina's Velez suspends players charged with sexual abuse". AP NEWS. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  6. "Vélez Sarsfield reinstated Thiago Almada and Miguel Brizuela to the squad". La Pelotita. 2021-02-16. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  7. Thiago Almada at Soccerway. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
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