# Thiago Almada

Thiago Ezequiel Almada (born 26 April 2001) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Ligue 1 club Lyon, on loan from Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Botafogo, and the Argentina national team.
Almada was a member of the Argentina team that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making history by becoming the first active Major League Soccer (MLS) player to win the tournament. He also won the 2024 Copa Libertadores with Botafogo.

## Early life

Thiago 'Guayo' Ezequiel Almada was born on 26 April 2001, in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires in Argentina. He grew up in the neighbourhood of Fuerte Apache, which is known for high crime rates and prevalent drug use. 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.

## Club career
### Vélez Sarsfield

At the age of four, Almada played football for a local club, Santa Clara. 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 after his 17th birthday, Almada made his professional debut with the club. In October 2018, he was included in The Guardian's "Next Generation 2018".
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 the midfield, due to the departure of several players in that position. Almada then earned 15 goals in 42 matches.

### Atlanta United
#### Signing and 2022 season

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. The transfer, reportedly worth a league-record $16 million, was officially announced by Atlanta on 9 February 2022. Almada was unveiled in the club's kit the next day in a welcome ceremony that was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. His signing was met with scrutiny by Atlanta fans due to the use of a racially insensitive gesture with his eyes during a recent goal celebration; Almada apologized shortly after being asked about the situation.
On 14 February, Almada made his official debut for Atlanta wearing the number 8 against C.D. Guadalajara during the team's pre-season tour of Mexico. Atlanta would end up losing the match 3–0. He made his MLS debut against expansion team Charlotte FC on 15 March as a substitute in Atlanta's 2–1 win. Almada scored his first goal for the club in a 3–3 draw with CF Montréal four days later. The goal would end up winning the MLS Goal of the Week contest for Matchday 4.

#### 2023 season

On 25 February 2023, Almada scored two goals (one of which was a free kick) in the first game of the 2023 season, helping Atlanta gain a 2–1 win over San Jose Earthquakes. As a result, Almada was named MLS Player of the Week, as well as being featured in the league's Team of the Matchday.

### Botafogo

On 6 July 2024, Almada officially joined Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Botafogo, signing a five-year contract with the club; The deal reportedly commanded a fee of $21 million (€19,5 million) plus $9 million (€7,5 million) in add-ons; in the process, it broke the transfer record both for the MLS, and the Brazilian league.

### Lyon

On 19 December 2024, he announced that he would join Ligue 1 side Lyon on 5 January 2025. Lyon announced his arrival on 15 January 2025, as loan deal until 30 June 2025.

## International career

Almada played for the Argentina under-20 squad in 2019, before featuring for the under-23 squad in 2021.
His debut in the Argentina national team came on 23 September 2022, in Miami, during a friendly match against Honduras.
In November 2022, Almada was officially called up to the Argentinian World Cup squad to replace injured Joaquín Correa, only five days before Argentina's first game of the tournament. He was a member of the squad that ultimately won the tournament, becoming the first active MLS player to win a World Cup. In Argentina's final group stage game, he made his 2022 World Cup debut against Poland. He came on in the 86th minute as a substitute of Alexis Mac Allister in which Argentina was victorious by 2–0.
On 23 March 2023, Almada scored his first international goal for Argentina at the senior level during a friendly against Panama in his third appearance for the senior team, becoming the first-ever MLS-based player to score for the national team.

## 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 several people sexually abused her in a house rented by Juan Martín Lucero. After the investigation became public, his club suspended both him and Miguel Brizuela. 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."

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 16 March 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | 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 |
| Vélez Sarsfield | 2019–20 | Argentine Primera División | 22 | 4 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 25 | 5 |
| Vélez Sarsfield | 2020–21 | Argentine Primera División | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | — | — | 8 | 4 |
| Vélez Sarsfield | 2021 | Argentine Primera División | 7 | 3 | — | — | 7 | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 20 | 9 |
| Vélez Sarsfield | Total | Total | 45 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 7 | — | — | 74 | 22 |
| Atlanta United | 2022 | MLS | 29 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | 7 |
| Atlanta United | 2023 | MLS | 31 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 35 | 13 |
| Atlanta United | 2024 | MLS | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 6 |
| Atlanta United | Total | 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 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 147 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 193 | 52 |
* ↑ Includes Copa Argentina, U.S. Open Cup and Copa do Brasil
* ↑ Includes Copa de la Superliga and MLS Cup playoffs
* 1 2 Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
* 1 2 Appearances in Copa Libertadores
* ↑ Appearances in Leagues Cup
* ↑ Appearance in FIFA Intercontinental Cup
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

### International

    As of match played 15 October 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Argentina | 2022 | 2 | 0 |
| Argentina | 2023 | 2 | 1 |
| Argentina | 2024 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 6 | 2 |
    Argentina score listed first, score column indicates score after each Almada goal.
List of international goals scored by Thiago Almada :
| 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

Argentina
* FIFA World Cup: 2022
Botafogo
* Copa Libertadores: 2024
* Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2024
Individual
* 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