De Arrascaeta

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

De Arrascaeta's international career began with Uruguay's U20 side, where he scored twice as they finished runners-up at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his senior debut in a September 2014 friendly against South Korea, assisting José Giménez for the only goal in a 1–0 win. Coach Óscar Tabárez gave him the number 10 shirt for the 2015 Copa América, previously worn by Diego Forlán. He scored his first senior goal in a 5–1 pre-tournament friendly against Guatemala on 6 June 2015. He debuted in the tournament as a 64th-minute substitute in a 1–0 win over Jamaica. He was named in Uruguay's provisional 26-man squad for the 2018 World Cup and confirmed in the final 2021 Copa América squad on 10 June 2021. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory over Ghana on 2 December 2022, but Uruguay were eliminated on goals scored as South Korea advanced. He was named in Uruguay's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on 31 May 2026. He has represented Uruguay at the Copa América in 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2024, and at the World Cup in 2018, 2022 and 2026.

In Their Own Story

The 2019 season was a turning point. After forcing his exit from Cruzeiro by not showing up to training on 3 January 2019, claiming to receive thousands of insults, Flamengo paid a Brazilian record €15 million for him. Under new manager Jorge Jesus, he scored a first-half hat trick against Goiás on 14 July 2019 in a 6–1 win at Maracanã. On 25 August 2019, he scored a bicycle kick from a Rafinha cross in a 3–0 win against Ceará at Castelão, winning the league's Goal of the Year and earning a second Puskás Award nomination. On 23 November 2019, he assisted Gabriel Barbosa's first goal in the Copa Libertadores Final against River Plate, which Flamengo won 2–1. Less than 24 hours later, Flamengo won the 2019 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, with de Arrascaeta finishing the season on 13 goals and 14 assists. On 28 February 2023, he scored the winning goal in the 96th minute of the Recopa Sudamericana second leg at Maracanã in front of a season-record 71,411 fans, forcing extra time, but then missed the only penalty in the shootout as Independiente del Valle won 5–4. On 22 July 2023, in a 1–1 draw against América Mineiro, he became the first foreign player in Flamengo's history to reach 100 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A matches. On 17 August 2025, he reached 100 assists with Flamengo, providing two in a 3–1 victory against Internacional at Beira-Rio.

Reader's Guide

De Arrascaeta is a Roman Catholic of Basque and Italian descent. His first son was born in December 2025. His career statistics show he played for Defensor Sporting, Cruzeiro, and Flamengo. At Defensor he won the 2012–13 Clausura. At Cruzeiro he won the Copa do Brasil in 2017 and 2018 and the Campeonato Mineiro in 2018. At Flamengo he has won the FIFA Challenger Cup in 2025, the FIFA Derby of the Americas in 2025, the Copa Libertadores in 2019, 2022 and 2025, the Recopa Sudamericana in 2020, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2019, 2020 and 2025, the Copa do Brasil in 2022 and 2024, the Supercopa do Brasil in 2020, 2021 and 2025, and the Campeonato Carioca in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Individually, he has been named to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2025; won the Bola de Prata in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2025; the Bola de Ouro in 2025; the Copa do Brasil Golden Ball in 2022; the South American Footballer of the Year in 2025; and the Copa Libertadores Hero of the Tournament in 2025. He was the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A top assist provider in 2019, 2020 and 2025.

Did You Know?

• De Arrascaeta scored a first-half hat trick against Goiás on 14 July 2019, his second match under manager Jorge Jesus.
• He has been nominated for the FIFA Puskás Award twice: once for a volley against América Mineiro on 4 February 2018, and once for a bicycle kick against Ceará on 25 August 2019.
• On 28 February 2023, he scored the 96th-minute winner in the Recopa Sudamericana second leg but then missed the only penalty in the shootout as Flamengo lost 5–4.
• He became the first foreign player in Flamengo's history to reach 100 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A matches on 22 July 2023.
• On 17 August 2025, he reached 100 assists with Flamengo, providing two in a 3–1 win against Internacional.