Valentino Andrés Acuña (born 27 January 2006) is an Argentine footballer currently playing as a midfielder for Newell's Old Boys.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Valentino Andrés Acuña[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 27 January 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Newell's Old Boys | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Bancaria | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2024 | Newell's Old Boys | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Newell's Old Boys | 21 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Argentina U17 | 16 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Argentina U20 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:24, 8 May 2026 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
editBorn in Rosario in the Santa Fe Province of Argentina, Acuña began his footballing career at the age of three with local side Bancaria.[3][4] He joined the academy of professional side Newell's Old Boys in 2010, scoring a hat-trick on his youth debut against Brazilian side Botafogo.[5] He signed his first professional contract with the club in December 2022, penning a three-year deal.[6]
International career
editHaving represented the Argentina under-17 side at the 2023 South American U-17 Championship, where he scored one goal - in a 1–0 win over Bolivia - he was called up to the squad again for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[7] In Argentina's second game of the tournament, he scored as his side went on to beat Japan 3–1.[8][9]
Personal life
editIn 2014, film director Álex de la Iglesia watched clips of Acuña play on video sharing platform YouTube, and chose to cast him as the body-double of a young Lionel Messi in the biopic film Messi, based on the life of the Argentine international footballer.[3][4]
References
edit- 1 2 "FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023™" (PDF). fdp.fifa.org. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ↑ Valentino Acuña at WorldFootball.net
- 1 2 Ruiz, David (19 January 2016). "Valentino Acuña, el 'otro Messi' que descubrió Álex de la Iglesia" [Valentino Acuña, the 'other Messi' that Álex de la Iglesia discovered]. elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- 1 2 "Quién es Valentino Acuña, el doble de Messi en un documental que jugará el Mundial Sub-17 con la Selección Argentina" [Who is Valentino Acuña, Messi's double in a documentary that will play in the U-17 World Cup with the Argentine National Team]. tycsports.com (in Spanish). 11 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ↑ "De ser doble de Messi en una película a figura de la Selección Sub 17: la historia de Valentino Acuña" [From being Messi's double in a film to a member of the Under 17 National Team: the story of Valentino Acuña]. funeshoy.com.ar (in Spanish). 5 April 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ↑ "La Lepra asegura juveniles mientras espera a los refuerzos" [La Lepra secures youth while waiting for reinforcements]. rosarioplus.com (in Spanish). 7 December 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ↑ "Quién es Valentino Acuña, el "doble" de Lionel Messi que la rompe en la Selección Argentina sub17" [Who is Valentino Acuña, the “double” of Lionel Messi who breaks it in the Argentine U17 National Team]. radiomitre.cienradios.com (in Spanish). 13 April 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ↑ Paulich, Diego (13 November 2023). "De ser el doble de Messi a pieza clave en el primer triunfo de la Sub 17" [From being Messi's double to a key piece in the first victory of the Sub 17]. ole.com.ar (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ↑ "Valentino Acuña, el jugador que fue doble de Lionel Messi en una película y marcó un gol clave con la Sub 17" [Valentino Acuña, the player who was Lionel Messi's double in a film and scored a key goal with the Sub 17]. tn.com.ar (in Spanish). 14 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
External links
edit- Valentino Acuña at Soccerway