 Iturbe withParaguay in 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Juan Manuel Iturbe Arévalo | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-06-04)4 June 1993 (age 32) | ||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cerro Porteño | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sportivo Barracas[2] | |||
| 2005–2006 | Universal | ||
| 2006–2007 | Trinidense | ||
| 2007–2009 | Cerro Porteño | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006 | Trinidense | 1 | (1) |
| 2009–2011 | Cerro Porteño | 22 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | Porto | 6 | (0) |
| 2012 | Porto B | 6 | (1) |
| 2013 | →River Plate (loan) | 17 | (3) |
| 2013–2014 | Hellas Verona | 33 | (8) |
| 2014–2018 | Roma | 44 | (3) |
| 2016 | →Bournemouth (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2017 | →Torino (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | →Tijuana (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2018–2021 | UNAM | 82 | (8) |
| 2020 | →Pachuca (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Aris | 66 | (5) |
| 2023 | Grêmio | 5 | (0) |
| 2024– | Cerro Porteño | 58 | (19) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Paraguay U17 | 4 | (2) |
| 2009 | Paraguay U20 | 3 | (1) |
| 2010–2013 | Argentina U20 | 18 | (5) |
| 2009–2019 | Paraguay | 12 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12 August 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17:01, 24 December 2023 (UTC) | |||
Juan Manuel Iturbe Arévalo (born 4 June 1993) is a professionalfootballer who plays as awinger forCerro Porteño.[3]
Born in Argentina, Iturbe represented the Paraguay national team in a friendly match in 2009. After the friendly, he declared his intention to play forArgentina, his country of birth, and did so atunder-20 level. However, in early 2016 Iturbe expressed his desire to once again represent Paraguay, his parents' country of origin.[4][5][6]
At the age of 12, Iturbe made his first-team debut forSportivo Trinidense in the 2006 Paraguayan Division Intermedia. He scored his first goal for the club in the 35th minute of a 1–0 away victory againstChoré Central on 7 May 2006.[7] Sportivo Trinidense finished in second position of the Division Intermedia table and were promoted to the Primera División Paraguaya for the 2007 season.
Iturbe debuted forCerro Porteño on 28 June 2009 at the age of 16 in a game againstLibertad, the 21st week of theParaguayan Primera División.
Being 12 years of age, Iturbe was not under professional contract with Cerro Porteño,[8] therefore, he trained withQuilmes of theArgentine Primera División.[9] In January 2011, Iturbe confirmed he was signing with Portuguese clubPorto and would join the team when he turned 18.[10] After agreeing on the move, he returned to Cerro Porteño in February, where he remained until his 18th birthday in June. He scored a brace in his firstCopa Libertadores game shortly after that.[11]
On 10 December 2011, Iturbe made his debut for Porto, coming in added time in place ofHulk in a 2–1Primeira Liga win atBeira-Mar, the first of four appearances off the bench in atitle-winning season. On 3 November 2012, he scored his only goal in Portugal, the only goal ofthe reserves' home win over theirMarítimo equivalents.
It was confirmed on 29 December 2012 that Iturbe had joinedRiver Plate on a six-month loan.[12]
His impressive spell with River Plate helped Iturbe secure an initial loan move to Serie A clubHellas Verona where he thrived during the 2013–14 season, so much so he was signed permanently from Porto for €15 million in May 2014.[13] Iturbe contributed eight goals and four assists to the newly promoted club, helping them to a 10th-place finish.
On 16 July 2014, just weeks after signing permanently for Verona, Serie A giantsRoma announced the signing of Iturbe for €22 million with performance-based add-ons up to €2.5 million.[14] The player signed a five-year contract, ending on 30 June 2019.[14] Iturbe's first goal for Roma was againstCSKA Moscow in the2014–15 UEFA Champions League, which ended in a 5–1 victory. He also scored againstJuventus and a vital goal in theDerby della Capitale againstLazio, which helped Roma to stay in second position and gave Roma a direct start in the Champions League in the next year.
On 1 January 2016, Iturbe joinedPremier League sideAFC Bournemouth on loan for the remainder of the2015–16 season, making just two appearances.[15]
On 4 January 2017, it was announced that Iturbe had joinedTorino on loan with a buying option.[16]
On 21 August 2017, Iturbe was loaned toLiga MX sideClub Tijuana until 30 June 2018.[17] Due to "sporting targets" that were reached during the season,[18] Tijuana had to make the transfer permanent. They then sent Iturbe to Pumas in a swap deal.[19]
On 7 August 2021,Aris officially announced the signing of Iturbe on a two-year deal.[20]
Iturbe had to wait until February to score his first league goal, when he sealed a 3–0 home win againstAtromitos.[21]
On 4 July 2023,Grêmio announced the signing of Iturbe for the remainder of the season, with an option to extend for the next season.
On 22 December 2023, Iturbe returned to Paraguay, signing a two-year contract with his former club Cerro Porteño.[22]
Having spent most of his life in Paraguay, Iturbe began his international career in the youth setup of Paraguay. In October 2009, he was called up to theParaguay national team by coachGerardo Martino at the age of 16 for a friendly againstChile in November.[23] Iturbe was substituted onto the field in the 73rd minute of the match forJuan Rodrigo Rojas as Paraguay were defeated 2–1 on 4 November 2009.[24][25]
As this had not been a competitive game, Iturbe was able to change allegiances if so wished. He later fell out with the management in Paraguay and declared his allegiance forArgentina.[26]
In early 2016, however, Iturbe expressed his desire to once more represent Paraguay.[4][5] On 8 March 2016, he was called up for the2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches againstEcuador andBrazil.[27] He made his competitive debut with Paraguay on 29 March as a substitute in the second half of the match against Brazil, making himcap-tied to Paraguay. He was named to Paraguay's squad for theCopa América Centenario that summer.[28]
The media once dubbed Iturbe the "newLionel Messi", given their many similarities: like Messi, Iturbe possesses a low centre of gravity, significant speed, and excellent close control, and has been described as "a left-footed, technically gifted Argentine – but nowadays representing Paraguay –forward of diminutive stature who is agile and quick on the ball and who possesses an eye for goal."[29][30][31][32] A versatile, well-rounded, and creative attacking player, who is known for his ability to link up the midfield with the attack, he is capable of playing as awinger on either flank, in the centre as anattacking midfielder, or as asecond striker, although his preferred role is as an outside forward on the right side of the pitch. He has also been used as astriker orcentre-forward on occasion. Regarded as a promising young player, he is known in particular for hisdribbling skills, pace, and powerful striking ability.[33][34][35][36][37][38][39]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cerro Porteño | 2009 | Paraguayan Primera División | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2011 | 15 | 3 | — | — | 8[c] | 2 | 23 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 22 | 3 | – | — | 8 | 2 | 30 | 5 | ||||
| Porto | 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2012–13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Porto B | 2012–13 | Segunda Liga | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | |||
| River Plate (loan) | 2012–13 | Argentine Primera División | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 3 | ||
| Hellas Verona | 2013–14 | Serie A | 33 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 8 | ||
| Roma | 2014–15 | Serie A | 27 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 9[d] | 1 | 37 | 4 | |
| 2015–16 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[e] | 0 | 19 | 1 | |||
| 2016–17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7[f] | 0 | 12 | 0 | |||
| Total | 44 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 22 | 1 | 68 | 5 | |||
| Bournemouth (loan) | 2015–16 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |
| Torino (loan) | 2016–17 | Serie A | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| Tijuana (loan) | 2017–18 | Liga MX | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Pumas | 2018–19 | Liga MX | 29 | 4 | 9 | 4 | — | — | 38 | 8 | ||
| 2019–20 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 2 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 82 | 8 | 11 | 4 | — | — | 93 | 12 | ||||
| Pachuca (loan) | 2019–20 | Liga MX | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Aris | 2021–22 | Super League Greece | 33 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 37 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | 33 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 4[g] | 1 | 41 | 6 | |||
| Total | 66 | 5 | 8 | 2 | — | 4 | 1 | 78 | 8 | |||
| Grêmio | 2023 | Série A | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 301 | 32 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 4 | 364 | 43 | ||
Paraguay squads | |||||||
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