Leonardo "Leo" Cecilio Fernández López (born 8 November 1998) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Uruguayan Primera División club Peñarol, on loan from Liga MX side Toluca.
.jpg) Fernández with Peñarol in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo Cecilio Fernández López | ||
| Date of birth | 8 November 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Peñarol (on loan from Toluca) | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Amanecer | |||
| 2011–2015 | Fénix | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2019 | Fénix | 90 | (25) |
| 2019–2021 | Tigres UANL | 35 | (1) |
| 2019 | → Universidad de Chile (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2020 | → Toluca (loan) | 10 | (8) |
| 2022– | Toluca | 54 | (17) |
| 2023 | → Fluminense (loan) | 18 | (1) |
| 2024– | → Peñarol (loan) | 30 | (14) |
| International career | |||
| 2012–2013 | Uruguay U15 | 15 | (2) |
| 2014–2015 | Uruguay U17 | 19 | (5) |
| 2017 | Uruguay U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2019 | Uruguay U22 | 5 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 November 2024 | |||
He is, along with Argentine Neri Cardozo, the only players to win both the Concacaf Champions League and the Copa Libertadores, the two top American tournaments at the international level.
Club career
editFénix
editBorn in Montevideo, Fernández joined Fénix's youth setup in 2011, from lowly CSyD Amanecer.[1] On 31 May 2015, aged just 16, he made his first team – and Primera División – debut, coming on as a late substitute for Martín Ligüera in a 2–0 away loss against Peñarol.[2]
After spending his first two seasons as a backup, Fernández started to appear regularly from the 2017 campaign onwards. He scored his first professional goal on 25 March of that year, netting the winner in a 2–1 home defeat of El Tanque Sisley.[3]
On 4 March 2018, Fernández scored a brace in a 3–2 defeat to Defensor Sporting.[4] On 29 July, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 away routing of Cerro,[5] and finished the campaign with 11 goals, playing a key part as his side narrowly avoided relegation.
Tigres UANL
editOn 24 June 2019, Fernández joined Mexican club Tigres UANL on a free transfer. He was immediately loaned to Club Universidad de Chile.
Toluca
editOn 12 December 2019, Fernández joined Toluca on a season-long loan.[6] At the end of his loan, Fernández returned to UANL and was later deemed surplus. On 19 December 2021, Fernández sealed a permanent move to Toluca.[7]
Loan to Fluminense
editOn 4 July 2023, Fernández joined Fluminense on a one-year loan. [8]
Loan to Peñarol
editIn January 2024, Fernández joined Peñarol on a one-year loan.
International career
editAs a youth international, Fernández has represented Uruguay at the 2015 South American U-17 Championship and the 2019 Pan American Games.[9]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of 26 November 2023[10]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fénix | 2014–15 | Uruguayan Primera División | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | 12 | 0 | — | — | — | 12 | 0 | |||||
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||||
| 2017 | 20 | 2 | — | — | — | 20 | 2 | |||||
| 2018 | 34 | 11 | — | — | — | 34 | 11 | |||||
| 2019 | 15 | 12 | — | — | — | 15 | 12 | |||||
| Total | 90 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 25 | ||
| Tigres UANL | 2020–21 | Liga MX | 22 | 1 | — | 3[b] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| 2021–22 | 13 | 0 | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 2 | ||
| Universidad de Chile (loan) | 2019 | Chilean Primera División | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| Toluca (loan) | 2019–20 | Liga MX | 10 | 8 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 8 | ||
| Toluca | 2021–22 | Liga MX | 15 | 7 | — | — | — | 15 | 7 | |||
| 2022–23 | 39 | 10 | — | — | — | 39 | 10 | |||||
| Total | 54 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 17 | ||
| Fluminense (loan) | 2023 | Série A | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |
| Career total | 203 | 53 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 214 | 63 | ||
- ^ Appearance in Copa Sudamericana.
- ^ Appearances in CONCACAF Champions League.
- ^ Appearances in Leagues Cup.
Honours
editTigres UANL
Fluminense
Individual
References
edit- ^ "Entrevista a Leonardo Fernández" [Interview to Leonardo Fernández]. AUF.org.uy (in Spanish). Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ "Clausura: Peñarol 2 – Fénix 0" (in Spanish). Fútbol.uy. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ "Fénix volvió a ganar, 2:1 a El Tanque" [Fénix win again, 2–1 at El Tanque] (in Spanish). Tenfield. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ "Defensor ganó sin sobrarle nada, 3:2" [Defensor win without margin, 3–2] (in Spanish). Tenfield. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ "Fénix arrasó y goleó 5:0 a Cerro" [Fénix delighted and thrashed Cerro by 5–0] (in Spanish). Tenfield. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ "Viene refuerzo uruguayo". Mediotiempo.com (in Spanish). 12 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ "Leo se dijo ilusionado" (in Spanish). Deportivo Toluca Fútbol Club. 19 December 2021.
- ^ "Fluminense acerta a contratação de Leo Fernández" (in Portuguese). Fluminense Football Club. 4 July 2023.
- ^ "Datos del plantel panamericano de Uruguay". 6 August 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ Leonardo Fernández at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ "Leonardo Fernández, distinguido por EA Sports como Jugador del Mes de la Liga MX".