Federico Valverde

Federico Santiago Valverde Dipetta (Spanish pronunciation: [feðeˈɾiko βalˈβeɾðe]; born 22 July 1998) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid, which he captains and the Uruguay national team. Considered one of the best midfielders in the world, he is known for his versatility, work rate, pace and shooting. Valverde mainly plays as a central midfielder but is also able to play as a right-back. Valverde began his professional career with Peñarol in 2015, winning the Uruguayan Primera División in his first season. In 2016, he joined Real Madrid, initially playing for the club's reserve team. He made his first-team debut in 2017 and has since gone on to make over 300 appearances for the club, winning three La Liga titles, two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA Super Cups, and the Copa del Rey. Valverde made his international debut for Uruguay in 2017, and has since represented his country at three Copa América tournaments (2019, 2021, 2024) and two FIFA World Cups (2022, 2026).