Fernando Lesme (born 8 April 2002) is a Paraguayan footballer who currently plays for Alajuelense on loan from Municipal Grecia.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fernando José Lesme | ||
| Date of birth | 8 April 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay | ||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Center-Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Alajuelense | ||
| Number | 33 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | General Caballero | ||
| 2021–2022 | Potros del Este | 22 | (5) |
| 2022 | → Grecia (loan) | 33 | (14) |
| 2023– | Grecia | 0 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Celaya (loan) | 14 | (5) |
| 2024 | → Alajuelense (loan) | 9 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Paraguay U23 | 2 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:54, 20 April 2024 (UTC) | |||
Club career edit
Lesme was born in Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay. As a youth, he played for Club 29 de Setiembre, Club Olimpia, and General Caballero Sport Club.[1] In 2021, he played for the General Caballero first team in the Primera C.[2] Later in 2021, he moved abroad and made his top flight debut at age eighteen with Potros del Este of Panama's LPF. He made twenty-two appearances for the club, scoring five goals, during the Clausura 2021 and Apertura 2022.[1]
In May 2022, Lesme then moved to Costa Rica to join Municipal Grecia, originally on loan then permanently, for a reported transfer fee of €225,000.[3][4] In his first twelve league matches with the club, Lesme scored seven goals, tied for most in the league at that point.[5] He went on to be the league's sole top scorer for the Apertura 2022.[1] In June 2023, with one year left on his deal with Grecia, Lesme went on trial with Celaya F.C. of Mexico's Liga de Expansión MX. The player also reportedly received interest from C.S. Herediano and LD Alajuelense, both of Costa Rica's Liga FPD.[6] Grecia also received an offer from a club in Denmark but the club declined.[7]
Lesme was signed by the Mexican club on loan following the trial.[8] He went on to score five goals in fourteen matches. In January 2024, he finally joined Alajuelense on loan ahead of the 2024 Clausura with the deal running through December 2024.[9] In March 2024, Lesme started Alajuelense's 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 match against Major League Soccer's New England Revolution.[10] However, the player fell out of favor when Alexandre Guimarães took over as manager of the club.[11][12] At the time, Red Star Belgrade, Hellas Verona, and Austin FC were reportedly among the clubs expressing interest in acquiring the frustrated Lesme.[13]
International career edit
In December 2023, Lesme was called up to the Paraguay national under-23 team for a series of friendlies against Ecuador and Panama.[9][14]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Fernando Lesme se consagra goleador del torneo apertura 2022" (in Spanish). Grecia Deportes. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "El General de Campo Grande triunfa en Lambaré" (in Spanish). Paraguay Football Association. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Rojas, Silverio. "Fernando Lesme, el Paraguayo que se destaca en Costa Rico" (in Spanish). ABC. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Montenegro, Milton. "Grecia se refuerza con dos paraguayos" (in Spanish). Nacion. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Lesme, ex jugador de Potros, es goleador en Costa Rica" (in Spanish). COS Panama. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Tayver Marín, Fanny. "Fernando Lesme: del coqueteo con Alajuelense a la oferta de Herediano y su situación real" (in Spanish). Nacion. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Zeledon, Gerardo. "Fernando Lesme ya tendría nuevo equipo, seguirá en Costa Rica" (in Spanish). Diario Deporto CR. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Sánchez, Eliécer Arias. "Fernando Lesme jugará en el Club Celaya FC de México" (in Spanish). Sensacion Deportiva. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ a b Gutiérrez Wa-Chong, Tatiana. "Fernando Lesme llega con mucha ilusión a Alajuela: "Vamos con todo y por todo"" (in Spanish). La Republica. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Chancalay strikes twice as Revs roll to 4-0 win in first leg of Champions Cup Rd of 16 vs. Alajuelense". New England Revolution. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Vargas, Dinia. "Fernando Lesme sique sin convencer Alexandre Guimarães" (in Spanish). crhoy.com. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Vargas, Dinia. "Alexandre Guimarães le envio un mensaje Fernando Lesme" (in Spanish). crhoy.com. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Eduardo Díaz, Carlos. "Los clubes del extranjero que babean por el sueño frustrado de Alajuelense" (in Spanish). El Futbolero Costa Rica. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Preparados para medirse a Ecuador" (in Spanish). Paraguay Football Association. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
External links edit
- Fernando Lesme at Global Sports Archive
- Fernando Lesme at Soccerway