Thiago Almada

Thiago Ezequiel Almada (born 26 April 2001) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and winger for Major League Soccer club Atlanta United.

Thiago Almada
Almada with Atlanta United in 2022
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) Attacking midfielder, winger
Club information
Current team
 Atlanta United
Number 8
Youth career
2006–2018 Vélez Sarsfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Vélez Sarsfield 79 (17)
2022– Atlanta United 7 (1)
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 00:19, 1 May 2022 (UTC)
‡ 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 pre-transfer of Almada in February 2022.[4] The transfer, reportedly worth a league-record $16 million, was officially announced by Atlanta on 9 February 2022.[5][6]

On 10 February 2022, Atlanta United had officially announced the transfer of Almada with a series of photos on the club's Instagram page, showing him with the club's owner Darren Eales at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in downtown Atlanta. Shortly afterwards, Almada was unveiled in the club's kit for the very first time in front of thousands of fans in a virtual welcome ceremony (due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic).[7]

On 11 February 2022, Almada came under scrutiny from supporters in Atlanta after it was revealed that in his final match for Sarsfield, he had scored a goal, and celebrated with a racially insensitive gesture with his eyes, this had raised many concerns for the club and his future, but he had apologized shortly after being asked about the situation.[8]

On 14 February 2022, Almada made his official debut for Atlanta wearing the number 8, in a pre-season match versus Mexican outfit C.D. Guadalajara during Atlanta's pre-season tour of Mexico. Atlanta would end up losing the match 3–0.[9]

On 15 March 2022, Almada made his MLS debut against expansion team Charlotte FC as a substitute, in Atlanta's win against them, 2-1. Almada had 18 touches in 34 minutes, he said that "I wanted to be here,” “I wanted to get to know everybody. It worked out well in the end. I’m here. I’m ready to fight for everything that we have to fight for.” Shortly after the Charlotte FC game, on 19 March 2022, Almada scored his first ever MLS goal in a 3-3 draw vs CF Montreal. The goal would end up winning the MLS' Goal of The Week contest for Matchday 4.[10]

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 identified as a person of interest by local authorities after 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 investigation became public.[11] 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."[12]

Career statistics
As of April 22 2022.[13]
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
Atlanta United 2022 Major League Soccer 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1
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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Atlanta United acquires Thiago Almada from CA Vélez Sarsfield | Atlanta United FC".
  6. "Thiago Almada to move to Atlanta United for MLS-record $16 million fee, Argentine club says". The Athletic. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  7. "Atlanta United acquires Thiago Almada from CA Velez Sarsfield". Atlanta United FC. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Atlanta United newcomer Thiago Almada apologizes to Atlanta United supporters". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "Thiago Almada debuts in Atlanta United's 3-0 defeat to Guadalajara, Dom Dwyer starts in 3-0 loss against Tepatitlan FC". Dirty South Soccer. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "Thiago Almada's screamer wins MLS AT&T Goal of The Week for Matchday 4". Major League Soccer. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. "Argentina's Velez suspends players charged with sexual abuse". AP NEWS. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  12. "Vélez Sarsfield reinstated Thiago Almada and Miguel Brizuela to the squad". La Pelotita. 2021-02-16. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  13. Thiago Almada at Soccerway. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
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