Juan Escobar (Paraguayan footballer)
Juan Marcelo Escobar Chena (; born 3 July 1995) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as either a centre-back or right-back for Liga MX club Cruz Azul and the Paraguay national team. Escobar held the highest transfer fee in Paraguayan football from 2019 to 2022, when he joined Cruz Azul. Club career. Sportivo Luqueño. Born in Luque, Escobar started his career with hometown side Sportivo Luqueño. Promoted to the first team ahead of the 2014 season, he made his first team – and Primera División – debut on 16 February of that year, starting in a  3–0 away loss against Nacional Asunción. Escobar subsequently became a regular starter for the side, and scored his first professional goal on 4 May 2016, netting his team's second in a 2–2 home draw against Sol de América. Cerro Porteño. On 28 December 2017, Escobar agreed to a five-year contract with Cerro Porteño, for a rumoured fee of US$ 1 million. He was a regular starter during his first campaign, playing as a central defender and partnering Marcos Cáceres. Cruz Azul. In 2019, he joined Mexican club Cruz Azul for a fee of USD$7, 000, 000.00, surpassing a  20-year transfer fee record in Paraguayan football held by Roque Santa Cruz when he joined Bundesliga team Bayern Munich for USD$6, 900, 000.00 in 1999. International career. After representing Paraguay at under-20 level in the 2015 South American Youth Football Championship, and under-23 level in the 2015 Pan American Games, Escobar was first called up to the full side on 21 June 2017, for a friendly against Mexico. He made his full international debut on 1 July, starting in a 2–1 loss at the CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Honours. Cruz Azul Individual