Miguel Almirón
Almirón in 2018
Personal information
Full name Miguel Ángel Almirón Rejala[1]
Date of birth (1994-02-10) 10 February 1994[2]
Place of birth Asunción, Paraguay
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger
Team information
Current team
 Newcastle United
Number 24
Youth career
2008–2012 Cerro Porteño
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 Cerro Porteño 39 (6)
2015–2016 Lanús 35 (3)
2016–2019 Atlanta United 62 (21)
2019– Newcastle United 164 (23)
International career‡
2010 Paraguay U17 10 (7)
2012–2013 Paraguay U20 16 (2)
2015– Paraguay 53 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01:02, 2 January 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 October 2023

Miguel Ángel Almirón Rejala (born 10 February 1994) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for Premier League club Newcastle United and the Paraguay national team.

Almirón began his career at Cerro Porteño and transferred to Lanús in 2015. After winning the 2016 Argentine Primera División, he signed for Atlanta United for $8 million. He was named in the MLS Best XI for both of his seasons in Major League Soccer, as well as MLS Newcomer of the Year for 2017. After helping Atlanta to the MLS Cup 2018 he signed for Newcastle for £21 million, a club record and the highest fee for an MLS player.

Almirón made his international debut for Paraguay in 2015, and represented the country at the Copa América in 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Early life

Almirón grew up in an impoverished family in the San Pablo neighborhood of Asunción, where his father Ruben worked 18-hour shifts as a security guard and his mother Sonia worked in a supermarket.[4][5] He trained with Club 3 de Noviembre from the age of seven and trialed with other teams but was considered "too frail" by his coaches to become a professional footballer.[5] The seven members of his household slept in three bedrooms, and he had to share a bed with his mother until he was 18.[6][7]

Club career

Cerro Porteño

Rejected from Club Nacional for being too lightweight, Almirón moved to Cerro Porteño. His new club still had reservations about his physique, and he did not play regularly until he was on their under-17 side.[7]

Lanús

In August 2015, Almirón signed for Club Atlético Lanús in the Argentine Primera División.[8] Introduced slowly in his first season by Lanús manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Almirón came to the forefront the next season in the shortened 2016 Argentine Primera División under Jorge Almirón. Playing as an advanced central midfielder, Almirón was pivotal in Lanús' 2016 Argentine Primera División title win, scoring key goals against local rivals Banfield in the Clásico del Sur,[9] and later in the final against San Lorenzo.[10] A few months later, in August 2016, Almirón set-up the only goal in Lanús' Copa Bicentenario victory over Racing.[11]

Atlanta United FC

On 5 December 2016, Almirón signed with the new Major League Soccer expansion team Atlanta United FC.[12] He joined as a "Young Designated Player"[13] and Atlanta paid a transfer fee of around $8 million to Lanús.[14]

Almirón was an important figure in Atlanta United's first season, described as the "heartbeat" of the team by veteran teammate Jeff Larentowicz.[15] On 12 March, Almirón scored his first goals for the club, notching a brace in the club's second game, a 6–1 victory over fellow MLS newcomers Minnesota United FC.[16] He scored the second hat-trick in club history on 20 May against the Houston Dynamo, and scored two goals a week later against New York City FC.[17] Almirón joined teammates Greg Garza and Michael Parkhurst in the MLS All-Star Game on 2 August,[18] and topped the league's list of 24 players under the age of 24, released on 28 September.[19] During the regular season, Almirón was named to seven Teams of the Week by Major League Soccer, and was named Player of the Week twice.[20][21][22] At the end of the season, he was named to the league's Best XI[23] and was named Newcomer of the Year.[24]

In April 2018, Almirón was named MLS Player of the Month for his five goals and two assists as Atlanta went unbeaten with three wins and a draw.[25] With 12 goals and 14 assists, he was again named in the MLS Best XI, alongside teammate Josef Martínez.[26] Atlanta won MLS Cup 2018 against the Portland Timbers in only their second season of existence, and Almirón was named in the Team of the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs.[27]

Newcastle United

Almirón playing for Newcastle United in 2021

On 31 January 2019, Almirón joined Premier League side Newcastle United for an undisclosed fee on a five-and-a-half year deal.[28] The transfer fee is believed to be around £21 million, at the time, a club record fee,[29] and a record for an MLS player. He made his Premier League debut on 11 February in a 1–1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing the final 18 minutes in place of Christian Atsu.[30] Fans and media likened Almirón to Santiago Muñez, a fictional Newcastle player from the film Goal! who also originated from Latin America and moved to St James' Park via the United States.[31][32][6] During a match against Southampton on 20 April, he was tackled by Oriol Romeu and suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season.[33] Almirón struggled to score in his first months with Newcastle, but helped his side to avoid relegation.[34] After registering a total of 40 shots with no goals, he scored his first Premier League goal on 21 December in a 1–0 victory over Crystal Palace.[35] He finished the season with a club-best eight goals in all competitions.[36]

On 6 February 2021, Almirón scored twice in a 3–2 home win over Southampton, a game in which he ran 11.29 km, the most on his team. He had then scored four goals in his last 12 Premier League games, the same as he scored in the 55 before that.[37]

On 21 August 2022, Almirón broke a goal-scoring drought by scoring an equalizer against Manchester City, following a cross from Newcastle teammate Allan Saint-Maximin.[38] In October, Almirón scored six goals in six matches, with two goals against Fulham,[39] and one each against Brentford,[40] Everton,[41] Tottenham Hotspur[42] and Aston Villa, reaching seven Premier League goals for the season, the most in his time in the Premier League.[43] Following that success, he won Premier League Player of the Month for October 2022 and Premier League Goal of the Month for his first-half goal against Fulham.[44][45] On 6 November, Almirón continued his scoring run with the opening goal against Southampton in a 4–1 victory, scoring his seventh goal in as many games, one more than in his previous 74 Premier League appearances.[46] The next weekend against Chelsea, his scoring run came to an end, but he assisted Joe Willock for the only goal of the game.[47]

On 24 February 2023, Almirón signed a new three-and-a-half year contract with the club.[48]

On 4 October 2023, he scored Newcastle's first Champions League goal in over 20 years, when he netted the opening goal of a 4–1 win over Paris Saint-Germain,[49] and was also named player of the match that evening.[50]

International career

Almirón played for the Paraguay under-20 national team in the 2013 South American Youth Football Championship in Argentina, and was highly involved as his team finished second to Colombia.[51][52] Later that year, he was called up for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, where Paraguay reached the last 16.[53]

On 5 September 2015, Almirón made his senior international debut in a 3–2 friendly loss away to Chile, playing the final nine minutes in place of Jonathan Fabbro.[54] Manager Ramón Díaz called him up the following May for the Copa América Centenario in the United States, where he started two matches in a group-stage exit.[55]

In March 2019, in a friendly against Mexico at Levi's Stadium, Almirón came on as a substitute. Seven minutes later, he received a straight red card for a foul on José Juan Vázquez in which he dragged his studs down the back of the opponent's leg.[56] On 10 October the same year, he was sent off for diving in a 1–0 friendly loss to Serbia.[57]

Personal life

Almirón is a practicing Christian and has two religious quotes tattooed on his arms.[4] He has been married to his wife, Alexia Notto since November 2016; the couple's first child, a son, was born in June 2021.[58]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 19 December 2023[59][60]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cerro Porteño 2013 Paraguayan Primera División 61––0061
2014 Paraguayan Primera División 140––10150
2015 Paraguayan Primera División 195––10205
Total 396––20416
Lanús 2015 Argentine Primera División 10010–31141
2016 Argentine Primera División 13320–20173
2016–17 Argentine Primera División 12020–00140
Total 35350–51454
Atlanta United FC 2017[61] Major League Soccer 3091010–329
2018[62] Major League Soccer 32121051–3813
Total 62212061–7022
Newcastle United 2018–19[62] Premier League 1000000–100
2019–20[63] Premier League 3646400–428
2020–21[64] Premier League 3441041–395
2021–22[65] Premier League 3011010–321
2022–23[66] Premier League 34111060–4111
2023–24[67] Premier League 20300316[lower-alpha 3]1295
Total 16423941426119330
Career total 3005316420313234762

International

As of match played 17 October 2023[68]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Paraguay 201510
201660
201750
201820
2019122
202030
2021111
202283
202351
Total537
As of match played 12 September 2023. Paraguay score listed first, score column indicates score after each Almirón goal.[68]
List of international goals scored by Miguel Almirón
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
110 September 2019Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan23 Jordan2–24–2Friendly
214 November 2019Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria25 Bulgaria1–01–0 Friendly
324 June 2021Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasília, Brazil34 Chile2–02–02021 Copa América
424 March 2022Estadio Antonio Aranda, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay43 Ecuador3–03–12022 FIFA World Cup qualification
510 June 2022Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, South Korea45 South Korea1–02–2Friendly
62–0
718 June 2023Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asuncion, Paraguay49 Nicaragua1–02–0 Friendly

Honours

Cerro Porteño

Lanús

Atlanta United FC

Newcastle United

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "2023/24 Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 List of Players: Paraguay" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 June 2013. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2013.
  3. ↑ "Miguel Almirón". Newcastle United F.C. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 Taylor, Louise (11 November 2022). "'Angel of the North': how Almirón found form to fire Newcastle dreams". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 Marshall, Tom (5 December 2018). "Miguel Almiron's journey to MLS Cup: from Asuncion to Atlanta United FC". ESPN. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 Cole, Jackson (8 February 2019). "Miguel Almiron says he dreams of 'achieving something big' with Newcastle United". Talksport. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  7. 1 2 Kelly, Ciaran (7 February 2019). "Exclusive: Miguel Almiron dreamed of Newcastle United transfer". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  8. ↑ "Lanús acordó la incorporación del volante Miguel Almirón". ESPN (in Spanish). 31 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "Con personalidad". Olé (in Spanish). 29 May 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Campeón de punta a punta: Lanús goleó a San Lorenzo 4-0 y desató la fiesta en el Monumental". La Nación (in Spanish). 29 May 2016. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  11. ↑ "Racing Club vs. Lanús 0 - 1". Soccerway. 14 August 2016.
  12. ↑ "Almiron signs with Atlanta United". Atlanta United FC (Twitter).
  13. ↑ Volcano, Carlos. "Atlanta United sign Paraguay international Miguel Almiron - Tribal Football". Tribal Football.
  14. ↑ "Atlanta United completes signing of Paraguay star Miguel Almiron". ESPN FC. 5 December 2016.
  15. ↑ Schwin, Payson (24 September 2017). "Atlanta United brace for bad injury news about "heartbeat" Miguel Almiron". MLS Soccer.
  16. ↑ Roberson, Doug (13 March 2017). "Atlanta United 6, Minnesota United 1: 5 observations". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  17. ↑ Schwin, Payson (21 May 2017). "Miguel Almiron obliges coach's request to shoot more, nets a hat trick". MLS Soccer.
  18. ↑ Schwin, Payson (30 July 2017). "Atlanta United celebrates first year with three All-Star picks". MLS Soccer.
  19. ↑ "Miguel Almirón ranked #1 in MLS 24 Under 24 List". Atlanta United. 28 September 2017.
  20. ↑ Boehm, Charles (22 May 2017). "2017 Team of the Week (Wk 12): Superstars, and Men in Red, shine". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  21. ↑ Stejskal, Sam (23 May 2017). "Miguel Almiron wins Alcatel MLS Player of the Week for Week 12". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  22. ↑ Stejskal, Sam (30 May 2017). "Miguel Almiron wins second straight Alcatel MLS Player of the Week". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  23. 1 2 "2017 MLS Best XI revealed: Who was the best in 2017?". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  24. 1 2 Boehm, Charles (20 November 2017). "Atlanta United's Miguel Almiron named 2017 MLS Newcomer of the Year". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  25. 1 2 "Atlanta United's Miguel Almiron wins April MLS Player of the Month". Major League Soccer. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  26. 1 2 "2018 MLS Best XI". Major League Soccer. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  27. 1 2 Boehm, Charles (11 December 2018). "Team of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs: Who made the postseason Best XI?". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  28. ↑ Easterby, Tom (31 January 2019). "Magpies complete Almirón signing". Newcastle United Football Club. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  29. ↑ "Newcastle break their transfer record to sign playmaker Miguel Almiron". BBC Sport. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  30. ↑ Waugh, Chris (12 February 2019). "Miguel Almiron debut watch: How playmaker's pace, flair and workrate whet appetite of Newcastle fans". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  31. ↑ Edwards, Luke (31 January 2019). "Miguel Almiron's Newcastle move is like a film plot but he will have to write his own scripts". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  32. ↑ Musgroves, Andrew (25 February 2019). "As Newcastle fans compare Miguel Almiron to Santiago Munez - here's how the Magpies won the race to film Goal". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  33. ↑ "Miguel Almiron: Newcastle midfielder out for season with hamstring injury". BBC Sport. 24 April 2019.
  34. ↑ Taylor, Louise (20 December 2019). "Interview: Miguel Almirón: 'I'm desperate for the first goal. I can't wait for that moment'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  35. ↑ Mendola, Nicholas (21 December 2019). "Bruce raves about Almiron after Newcastle striker finally gets goal". NBC Sports. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  36. ↑ Mann, Mantej (5 July 2020). "Newcastle United 2–2 West Ham United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  37. ↑ Sutcliffe, Steve (6 February 2021). "Newcastle United 3–2 Southampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  38. ↑ Emons, Michael (21 August 2022). "Newcastle United 3–3 Manchester City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  39. ↑ Rindl, Joe (1 October 2022). "Fulham 1–4 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  40. ↑ Smith, Emma (8 October 2022). "Newcastle United 5–1 Brentford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  41. ↑ Magowan, Alistair (19 October 2022). "Newcastle United 1–0 Everton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  42. ↑ Johnston, Neil (23 October 2022). "Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  43. ↑ Gault, Matt (29 October 2022). "Newcastle United 4–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  44. ↑ "Almiron named October EA SPORTS Player of the Month". Premier League. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  45. 1 2 "Almiron wins Budweiser Goal of the Month". Premier League. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  46. ↑ Jurejko, Jonathan (19 October 2022). "Southampton 1–4 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  47. ↑ Magowan, Alistair (12 November 2022). "Newcastle United 1–0 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  48. ↑ "Almirón signs new contract with Newcastle United". Newcastle United. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  49. ↑ "Newcastle United 4-1 PSG: Geordies thump PSG in unforgettable night at St James' Park in Champions League". TNT Sports. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  50. ↑ "Every UEFA Champions League Player of the Match". UEFA. 4 October 2023.
  51. ↑ "Convocados para el Suda" (in Spanish). D10. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  52. ↑ "Paraguay es subcampeón" (in Spanish). D10. 4 February 2013. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  53. ↑ "Sub 20: Convocados de Paraguay". ESPN (in Spanish). 1 June 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  54. ↑ "Chile con tanto de Alexis Sánchez venció 3–2 a Paraguay en Santiago" (in Spanish). RPP. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  55. ↑ "Paraguay reveals Copa America Centenario final roster". Sports Illustrated. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  56. ↑ McCormick, Sean (27 March 2019). "Newcastle United star Miguel Almiron sent off for Paraguay after horror challenge against Mexico". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  57. ↑ Knight, Chris (10 October 2019). "Newcastle United forward Miguel Almiron sent off for Paraguay in friendly against Serbia". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  58. ↑ "Llegó Francesco, el primer hijo de Miguel Almirón y Alexia Notto" [Francesco arrived, the first son of Miguel Almirón and Alexia Notto]. La Nación (in Spanish). 6 June 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  59. ↑ "Miguel Almiron". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  60. ↑ "Miguel Almiron Soccer Stats - Season & Career Statistics". Fox Sports. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  61. ↑ "Games played by Miguel Almirón in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  62. 1 2 "Games played by Miguel Almirón in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  63. ↑ "Games played by Miguel Almirón in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  64. ↑ "Games played by Miguel Almirón in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  65. ↑ "Games played by Miguel Almirón in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  66. ↑ "Games played by Miguel Almirón in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  67. ↑ "Games played by Miguel Almirón in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  68. 1 2 "Almirón, Miguel". National Football Teams. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  69. ↑ McNulty, Phil (26 February 2023). "Manchester United 2–0 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  70. 1 2 "Miguel Almirón, elegido el Mejor Futbolista Paraguayo del 2022". ABC Color (in Spanish). 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  71. ↑ "Bradley, Giovinco to represent TFC at MLS All-Star game - Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  72. ↑ "2018 MLS All-Star Roster". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  73. ↑ "Miguel Almirón: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  74. ↑ "Almiron wonder strike voted Budweiser Goal of the Month". Premier League. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
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