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 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Newell's Old Boys | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009 | Bancaria | ||
| 2010– | Newell's Old Boys | ||
| International career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023– | Argentina U17 | 12 | (2) |
Club career edit
Born 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 edit
Having 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 edit
In 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
- ^ a b "FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023™" (PDF). fdp.fifa.org. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
- ^ Valentino Acuña at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "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