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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Pellistri and the second or maternal family name is Rebollo.

Facundo Pellistri Rebollo (Spanish pronunciation: [faˈkundo peˈlistɾi]; born 20 December 2001) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Premier League club Manchester United and the Uruguay national team.

Born in Montevideo, Pellistri is a graduate of Peñarol's youth system. He made 37 first-team appearances for the club and was named in the Uruguayan Primera División Team of the Season in 2019. He transferred to Manchester United in October 2020, for a fee of £9 million. Since joining United, he has had two loan spells at Spanish club Alavés, where he made 35 appearances in total.

Pellistri represented Uruguay at under-16 level, before making his senior international debut in January 2022. He played for Uruguay at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América.

Early life and education

Pellistri was born on 20 December 2001 in the capital city of Montevideo to a family of Spanish and Italian descent. His father, Marcelo, is an accountant and his mother, Lucía (née Rebollo), is a pediatrician.[3] Along with his native Uruguayan passport, Pellistri also holds a Spanish passport through his father's grandmother, a native of the municipality of A Coruña in Galicia.[4] The lead singer of Uruguayan rock band La Vela Puerca, Sebastián Teysera, is Pellistri's godfather.[5]

Pellistri was privately educated at two institutions in the Pocitos neighbourhood: St Brendan's School for his early years, where he first learned English, and then Ivy Thomas Memorial School for high school.[6] His strongest subject at school was mathematics. In 2019, Pellistri graduated from a pre-architectural study program.[3][7]

Club career

Peñarol

Facundo began his football career at the age of 4 at La Picada, a baby football club. Later, he had a brief stint with River Plate in AUFI, and since 2012, he has been playing in the youth divisions of Peñarol, a club he supports.

His first three years at Peñarol were in AUFI. In 2015, he began to be part of the club's youth teams, starting with the U-14. In the Juveniles, he played 115 matches and scored 49 goals. He was part of the U-14, U-15, U-16, and U-17 teams.

In 2017, Pellistri won his first Uruguayan championship, obtaining the title in U-16 after defeating Defensor Sporting 2-1 in the tournament final. That same year, he scored his first classic goal. The match corresponded to the 4th round of the Clausura Tournament, and near the end, he scored the goal that sealed the final result of the match (2-1). This match against Nacional was played at the Estadio Centenario, a national historic monument, marking his first official game at that venue.

In 2018, the year in which Facundo was part of the U-17 team, he was called up for the first time to train with the main squad of the carbonero, led by Diego López, to carry out the mid-year preseason in the department of Colonia. At that time, the player was 16 years old and experiencing his first involvement with the main squad.

In 2019, the player alternated between the main squad and the reserves, where he played 13 matches. Finally, on August 11, 2019, he made his first division debut. He came on in the 89th minute against Defensor Sporting at the Estadio Luis Franzini, during the 4th round of the Torneo Intermedio 2019. Although he had relatively few minutes on the field, in his first play, he managed to excite the fans. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.

From then on, Facundo began to be more frequently considered for the main squad. On November 6, 2019, he scored his first official goal in the first division, in a 3-1 victory against Cerro during the 10th round of the Torneo Clausura 2019, held at the Estadio Luis Tróccoli. Since his debut, he started gaining more playing time and quickly ignited great excitement among Peñarol fans, to the point that just a few months after his debut, he was selected through various social media platforms of the AUF as the public's player of the year 2019.[8] He was also distinguished as a member of the ideal team of the 2019 Uruguayan Championship, having participated in only 50% of the year's matches.[9]

But he didn't just excite and attract the interest of fans. Shortly after becoming a major revelation in the local scene, rumors began to surface from major global institutions. Boca Juniors, Atlético de Madrid, Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester City were some of the clubs that reportedly showed interest in the player. In December 2019, Juan Román Riquelme, vice president of Boca Juniors and former player of the club, publicly praised the player and stated that "there are not many players like him anymore".[10]

In February 2020, his contract with Peñarol was renewed until 2022, which included a release clause of 15 million dollars, a historic and significant amount for the institution.[11]


Manchester United

Pellistri joined Manchester United on 5 October 2020, for a reported transfer fee of £9 million, on a five-year contract.[12][13][14] Diego Forlán, who was then managing Peñarol, endorsed Pellistri in a conversation with Manchester United manager and former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjær, comparing the young player to Ryan Giggs and emphasizing his ability to speak English.[15] His first pre-season goal was on 18 July 2021, against Derby County, in a 2–1 away win at Pride Park.[16]

Loan to Alavés

On 31 January 2021, Pellistri joined Deportivo Alavés on loan for the remainder of the season.[17][18] He returned to United to play in their summer pre-season matches, before going back on loan to Alavés in August for the 2021–22 season.[19]

2022–23 season

Pellistri made his competitive debut for Manchester United on 10 January 2023, coming on as a substitute and assisting the second goal in a 3–0 EFL Cup win over Charlton Athletic.[20] Pellistri made his Premier League debut on 8 February 2023, coming on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw against Leeds United.[21] On 17 March 2023, Pellistri made his first senior start for United, against Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League.[22]

On 20 September 2023, Pellistri made his UEFA Champions League debut against Bayern Munich, in the group stage, at Allianz Arena.[23]

Loan to Granada

On 31 January 2024, Pellistri joined Granada on a loan deal until the end of the season.[24] On 11 February, Pellistri netted his first goal for Granada in a La Liga game against Barcelona, which ended in a 3–3 stalemate.[25][26]

International career

Pellistri lining up for Uruguay in 2022

Pellistri is a former Uruguayan youth international, having made two appearances at under-16 level in 2017.[27] He was called up to the senior team for the first time on 7 January 2022, for the World Cup qualifying matches against Paraguay and Venezuela.[28][29][30] He made his full international debut on 27 January, in a 1–0 away win against Paraguay.[31]

Pellistri was included in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[32] He started and played for 88 minutes in Uruguay's first game of the tournament, against South Korea, before being replaced by Guillermo Varela.[33] Pellistri scored his first international goal for Uruguay against Mexico in a friendly match on 5 June 2024 at Empower Field at Mile High in the United States. He also contributed an assist for Darwin Núñez in his hat-trick for a 4-0 win.[34]

Style of play

A winger, Pellistri has been praised highly for his agility, versatility, dribbling skills, technique, and strategic vision on the field. He has received praise from world-class footballers such as Diego Forlan and Juan Román Riquelme.[35][36]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 May 2024[37]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Peñarol 2019 Uruguayan Primera División 18 1 — — 0 0 2[a] 0 20 1
2020 Uruguayan Primera División 12 0 — — 5[b] 1 — 17 1
Total 30 1 — — 5 1 2 0 37 2
Manchester United U21 2020–21 — — — — — 2[c] 1 2 1
2022–23 — — — — — 1[c] 0 1 0
Total — — — — 3 1 3 1
Manchester United 2020–21 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2021–22 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2022–23 Premier League 4 0 1 0 2 0 3[d] 0 — 10 0
2023–24 Premier League 9 0 1 0 1 0 3[e] 0 — 14 0
Total 13 0 2 0 3 0 6 0 — 24 0
Alavés (loan) 2020–21 La Liga 12 0 0 0 — — — 12 0
2021–22 La Liga 21 0 2 0 — — — 23 0
Total 33 0 2 0 — — — 35 0
Granada (loan) 2023–24 La Liga 15 2 — — — — 15 2
Career total 91 3 4 0 3 0 11 1 5 1 114 5
  1. ^ One appearance each in Torneo Clausura decider and championship play-off
  2. ^ Appearances in Copa Libertadores
  3. ^ a b Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 13 July 2024[38]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Uruguay 2022 10 0
2023 8 0
2024 8 2
Total 26 2
Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pellistri goal.
List of international goals scored by Facundo Pellistri
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 5 June 2024 Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, United States  Mexico 2–0 4–0 Friendly [39]
2 27 June 2024 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States  Bolivia 1–0 5–0 2024 Copa América

Honours

Manchester United

Uruguay

Individual

References

  1. ^ "2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Facundo Pellistri". premierleague.com. Premier League. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b Mitten, Andy (10 October 2021). "Facundo Pellistri: 'My baby-like signature almost cost me my move to Manchester United'". The Athletic. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Pellistri, comunitario y en la mira del Real Madrid". Tenfield.com (in Spanish). 28 April 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Facundo Pellistri: Hacer un gol clásico es único". 29 September 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  6. ^ Inzaurralde, Luis Eduardo (18 October 2020). "Pellistri en su camino, entre Forlán y el Chino Recoba". El Observador (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Facundo Pellistri: "Xisco me agarró y me dijo: 'el gol es tuyo'"". ovaciondigital.com.uy (in Spanish). 25 November 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Jugador del Público: Facundo Pellistri-AUF". www.auf.org.uy. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Equipo Ideal del Campeonato Uruguayo 2019-AUF". www.auf.org.uy. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  10. ^ Observador, El. "Riquelme sobre Pellistri: "Se nota que es bastante sinvergüenza para jugar"". El Observador. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  11. ^ febrero, Peteco | el 10 (9 February 2020). "Facundo Pellistri firmó por tres años con Peñarol-Caras y Caretas Deportes". Caras y Caretas. Retrieved 31 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "Pellistri becomes a Red". Manchester United FC. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Alex Telles: Man Utd sign Porto left-back and agree Amad Diallo move". BBC Sport. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Man Utd complete €10m signing of Uruguayan star Pellistri". Goal.com. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  15. ^ Staff Reporter (16 October 2020). "Diego Forlan reveals what he told Man Utd boss Solskjaer about Facundo Pellistri". Metro. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Derby 1 Manchester United 2". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  17. ^ Ganley, Joe (31 January 2021). "Facundo Pellistri joins Alaves on loan". Manchester United FC. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  18. ^ Booth, Dominic (31 January 2021). "Facundo Pellistri loan exit from Manchester United confirmed". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  19. ^ Partington, Mikey (5 August 2021). "Loan move secured for Pellistri". Manchester United FC. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  20. ^ Stone, Simon (10 January 2023). "Manchester United 3-0 Charlton Athletic: Old Trafford side into Carabao Cup semi-finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  21. ^ Mulholland, Charlie (9 February 2023). "Manchester United 2 Leeds United 2". Manchester United. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  22. ^ Marshall, Adam (17 March 2023). "Facundo Pellistri Watch On His First Senior Start for Man United". Manchester United FC. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Facundo Pellistri excited for Champions League test". Yardbarker. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Pellistri seals loan move to Granada". Manchester United FC. 31 January 2024. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  25. ^ "Facundo Pellistri slots in the goal for Granada". ESPN. 11 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  26. ^ "La Liga: Barcelona 3-3 Granada - hosts held in six-goal thriller". BBC Sport. 11 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Debutantes de la 4a fecha del Torneo Intermedio 2019". 14 August 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Reservados vs. Paraguay y Venezuela". 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  29. ^ "January's international break explained". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  30. ^ "Forlan preaches patience with Pellistri". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  31. ^ "Facundo Pellistri makes debut for Uruguay in World Cup qualifying win". United in Focus. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  32. ^ "Se confirmó la lista de convocados para la Copa Mundial de Catar 2022" [2022 Qatar World Cup squad confirmed] (in Spanish). Uruguayan Football Association. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  33. ^ Sanders, Emma (24 November 2022). "World Cup 2022: Uruguay 0-0 South Korea - nothing to separate teams in exciting goalless draw". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  34. ^ "Uruguay goleó a México con un triplete de Darwin Núñez: reviví lo mejor – TyC Sports". tycsports.com (in Spanish). 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  35. ^ Turk, Alex (7 October 2020). "South American great claims "there aren't many" like Facundo Pellistri". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  36. ^ Fay, Richard (5 October 2020). "What Diego Forlan has said about Man United signing Facundo Pellistri". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  37. ^ Facundo Pellistri at Soccerway. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  38. ^ "Facundo Pellistri's matches". BeSoccer. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  39. ^ "Mexico vs. Uruguay 0–4: Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  40. ^ McNulty, Phil (3 June 2023). "Manchester City 2–1 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  41. ^ "Uruguay beats Canada on penalties to finish CONMEBOL Copa América™ in 3rd Place". 14 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  42. ^ "Equipo Ideal del Campeonato Uruguayo 2019". auf.org.uy. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
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