Juan Sforza

Juan Sebastián Sforza (born 14 February 2002) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre midfielder for Vasco da Gama.[1][2]

Juan Sforza
Sforza in 2021
Personal information
Full name Juan Sebastián Sforza
Date of birth (2002-02-14) 14 February 2002[1]
Place of birth Coronel Domínguez, Argentina
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Centre midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Vasco da Gama
Number 20
Youth career
Santa Teresita
Unión de Álvarez
Sarmiento
Fundación Messi
2015–2020 Newell's Old Boys
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2023 Newell's Old Boys 96 (4)
2024– Vasco da Gama 0 (0)
International career
Argentina U15
2018–2019 Argentina U17 13 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2023

Club career

Sforza began his career at the age of eight with Santa Teresita, before moving over to Unión de Álvarez and then Sarmiento.[3][4][2] He soon penned terms with Fundación Messi, an academy set up by Lionel Messi; Lionel's brother, Matías, became one of Sforza's agents in 2019.[3][5] In 2015, Sforza joined Newell's Old Boys.[6] He progressed through their academy for the next five years, notably captaining their reserves.[3] Sforza signed his first professional contract on 13 March 2019.[7] His breakthrough into the first-team wouldn't arrive for another twelve months, though would do so in late-2020 under manager Frank Darío Kudelka.[6]

Sforza's senior debut arrived on 19 December 2020 in a Copa de la Liga Profesional win away to Godoy Cruz, as the midfielder replaced Julián Fernández with four minutes remaining.[1] He had previously been an unused substitute five times in that competition.[1] His first career goal arrived soon after during a victory over Central Córdoba on 28 December.[1]

International career

Sforza represented Argentina at U15 and U17 level; as captain of both.[3] He was a part of the squad that won the 2017 South American U-15 Championship on home soil, as he netted goals against invitees Czech Republic and, in the semi-finals, Peru.[3] After appearing for the U17s in a friendly with the United States in 2018, the midfielder was selected by Pablo Aimar in 2019 for the South American U-17 Championship in Peru and FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.[1][3] He scored once, versus Uruguay, in eight appearances at the former as they won the trophy, before featuring four times at latter as they reached the round of sixteen.[1]

Personal life

Born in Argentina, Sforza is of Italian descent.[8]

Career statistics
As of 28 December 2020.[1]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Newell's Old Boys 2020–21[nb 1] Primera División 211000—0031
Career total 211000—0031

    Honours
    Argentina U15[3]
    Argentina U17[1]

    Notes
    1. Soccerway counts Copa de la Liga Profesional appearances as league appearances.

    References
    1. "Argentina - J. Sforza". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
    2. "Juan Sforza". World Football. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
    3. "Rosarino, de Newell's y con el Barcelona de Messi atento a su actuación en el Mundial: Juan Sforza, el capitán de la Selección Sub 17 que aprendió a jugar con una sonrisa". Infobae. 27 October 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
    4. "Barcelona to sign Newell's golden boy Juan Sforza". AS. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
    5. "El hermano de Messi debuta como representante: maneja a un juvenil de Newell's que es figura de la Selección Sub 17". Infobae. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
    6. "Newell´s renovó a Juan Sforza hasta 2023". Newell's Old Boys. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
    7. "Juan Sebastián Sforza, Valentín Benítez y Martín Bellotti, los tres juveniles de Newell's que firmaron su primer contrato y representarán a Argentina". Newell's Old Boys. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
    8. 🖉"Da Capaldo e Valentini a Maestro Puch: tutti gli oriundi nel mirino di Mancini per l'Italia - TUTTOmercatoWEB.com". www.tuttomercatoweb.com.
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