Thiago Cruz Fernández (born 3 April 2004) is an Argentine

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

for Vélez Sarsfield. He made his debut for the team in 2023 and helped the club win the

Argentine Primera División The Primera División (; ), known officially as Liga Profesional de Fútbol, or Torneo Betano for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Argentina and the highest level of the Argentine football league system. Organ ...

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

Club career

Fernández began playing football aged four and began training for Vélez Sarsfield when he was 10. He signed his first contract in October 2021, and in April 2023, after being called up to the first team, his deal was extended to December 2025. On 21 April 2023, Fernández made his debut in the

by starting in a 2–1 loss away to Colón. He scored his first professional goal on 5 June 2024, a

direct free kick A free kick is a method of restarting play in association football. It is awarded after an infringement of the Laws of the Game (association football), laws by the opposing team. Direct and indirect free kicks Free kicks may be either dire ...

in a 2–1 win at

Arsenal de Sarandí Arsenal Fútbol Club (), usually referred as Arsenal de Sarandí , or simply Arsenal, is an Argentine sports club from the Sarandí district of Avellaneda Partido, Greater Buenos Aires. The football team currently plays in Primera Nacional, t ...

in the

Copa Argentina The Copa Argentina (English: ''Argentine Cup''), officially known as the "Copa Argentina AXION energy" due to sponsorship reasons, is an official football cup competition organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The first editions ...

. His first league goal followed on 21 July in a 3–0 home win over

Talleres de Córdoba Club Atlético Talleres (; ), mostly known simply as Talleres ( in Rioplatense Spanish, Rioplatense accent and or in Cordobés Spanish, Cordobés accent; ), is an Football in Argentina, Argentine professional sports club based in the city of C ...

, with another four days later in a 2–0 victory at Platense. With three games remaining of the season, on 1 December 2024 against

Sarmiento Sarmiento may refer to: Places Argentina *Sarmiento Department, San Juan, a subdivision of the San Juan Province * Sarmiento Department, Santiago del Estero, a subdivision of the Santiago del Estero Province * Sarmiento Department, Chubut, a subdi ...

, Fernández suffered an

anterior cruciate ligament injury An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...

to his right knee, requiring surgery and being sidelined for several months. The team won their 11th league title, beating Talleres to the trophy on the final day; Fernández was recognised as the "great jewel" of the team by

TyC Sports TyC Sports is an Argentine pay television sports channel co-owned by Torneos and Clarín Group, based in Buenos Aires. In Argentina, the channel broadcasts the Argentine B Nacional, CONMEBOL Qualifiers, Argentina national football team friend ...

International career

Fernández was called up to the Argentina under-23 team for two friendly matches against

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

ahead of the 2024 Olympic event in France. He played the two games as a starter and substitute respectively, but was not chosen for the final tournament.

Personal life

Fernández's father Daniel Osvaldo Fernández was also a footballer in the top division, for

Ferro Carril Oeste Club Ferro Carril Oeste, known simply as Ferro Carril Oeste or familiarly, Ferro, is an Argentine sports club from the neighbourhood of Caballito, Buenos Aires. Although many activities are hosted by the club, Ferro is mostly known for its assoc ...

Honours

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Thiago 2004 births Living people Footballers from Buenos Aires Argentine men's footballers Men's association football midfielders Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield footballers Argentine Primera División players 21st-century Argentine sportsmen