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Manuel Ugarte Ribeiro
Manuel Ugarte Ribeiro, born on April 11, 2001, is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and the Uruguay national team.
Ugarte began his career in the youth academy of Fénix and was promoted to their first team in 2016. In December 2021, he moved to the Portuguese Primeira Liga, joining Famalicão. His impressive performances led to a transfer to Sporting CP, another Primeira Liga club, where he won the Taça da Liga.
In July 2023, Ugarte signed with Paris Saint-Germain for a transfer fee of €60 million. His early days at PSG were notable, as he was one of three nominees for the UNFP Player of the Month award in August 2023. In his first four Ligue 1 matches, Ugarte made 41 ball recoveries, the most in the league then. The only player to surpass this statistic after the first four matches of a season since 2006–07 was former PSG midfielder Thiago Motta, with 47 ball recoveries. Ugarte’s performances in August and September were highly praised, with French newspapers Le Parisien and L’Équipe describing him as a “revelation” of PSG’s early season.
Ugarte has also been active on the international stage. He represented Uruguay at various youth levels and was part of the team that finished third in the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. He made his senior international debut in 2021.
Montevideo, Uruguay
| Manuel Ugarte Ribeiro | |
| 11 April 2001 | |
| Date of Birth | 11 April 2001 |
| Birth Place | Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Nationality | Uruguayan |
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) |
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder |
| Current team | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Number | 4 |
| Youth career |
|
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born in Uruguay, Manuel Ugarte’s journey into football began at a young age. His innate talent and passion for the game quickly set him apart, catching the eye of local scouts and coaches. Starting in grassroots leagues, Ugarte’s natural ability to control the midfield and make decisive plays became evident early on. This foundation laid the groundwork for his future success in professional football.
Club Career
Born in Montevideo, Manuel Ugarte started his football journey in the youth ranks of local club City Park before joining Fénix’s youth setup. At the age of 15, he was promoted to the first team by manager Rosario Martínez. Shortly after, he was included in the 30-man squad to compete in the 2016 Copa Sudamericana.
Ugarte made his professional debut on December 4, 2016, replacing Agustín Canobbio in the 83rd minute of a 4–1 league win against Danubio. At 15 years and 233 days, he became the youngest player in the 21st century to play professionally in Uruguay. Initially a striker, Ugarte was converted to a midfielder.
Under Juan Ramón Carrasco, Ugarte played more regularly and was named club captain at 18. He scored his first goal on March 10, 2019, in a 2–0 win against Racing Club. On October 29, 2020, Ugarte assisted Luciano Nequecaur’s goal in Fénix’s 3–1 victory over Huachipato in the first leg of the 2020 Copa Sudamericana. Overall, he made 57 appearances for the club and scored one goal.
Famalicão
On December 29, 2020, Ugarte signed a five-year contract with Portuguese club Famalicão for a fee of €3 million for 80% of his economic rights. He made his Primeira Liga debut on January 17, 2021, playing the entire match in a 2–0 victory against Santa Clara. On February 21, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 win over Rio Ave. Ugarte eventually secured a regular place in the team under manager Ivo Vieira, showing his versatility in various midfield positions, which helped Famalicão narrowly miss European qualification to the Europa Conference League.
Sporting CP
On August 9, 2021, Ugarte signed a five-year contract with Sporting CP for a fee of €6.5 million for half of his economic rights. He made his debut for Sporting on August 14, 2021, replacing João Palhinha in the 92nd minute of a 2–1 away win against Braga. Ugarte scored his first goal for Sporting on January 2, 2022, in a 2–1 home victory over his former club Famalicão. Initially a backup to João Palhinha, Ugarte became a regular starter following Palhinha’s injury, earning praise from manager Rúben Amorim. In the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League group stage, Ugarte led in combined tackles and interceptions with 34, including 12 tackles in a 3–0 away win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Paris Saint-Germain
On June 15, 2023, Ugarte confirmed in an interview with Portuguese newspaper Record that he would be joining Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). On July 7, 2023, PSG officially announced his signing on a five-year contract until June 30, 2028, for a reported transfer fee of €60 million. Ugarte made his debut for PSG in a 0–0 draw against Lorient at the Parc des Princes on August 12, 2023.
In August 2023, Ugarte was nominated for the UNFP Player of the Month award. In his first four Ligue 1 matches, he registered 41 ball recoveries, the most in the league, with only former PSG midfielder Thiago Motta surpassing this statistic since the 2006–07 season. Ugarte’s performances in August and September were highly praised, with Le Parisien and L’Équipe describing him as a “revelation” of PSG’s early season.
International Career
Ugarte represented Uruguay at the under-20 level, earning five caps. On December 29, 2019, Uruguay under-23 head coach Gustavo Ferreyra included Ugarte in the 23-man squad for the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament. In this competition, Ugarte played seven out of nine matches, scoring in a 1–1 draw against Brazil in the final stage, helping Uruguay finish in third place.
Senior
Career Statistics
| Senior Career | ||
| Years | Team | Apps (Gls) |
| 2016–2020 | Fénix | 53 (2) |
| 2021 | Famalicão | 20 (1) |
| 2021–2023 | Sporting CP | 56 (0) |
| 2023– | Paris Saint-Germain | 25 (0) |
| International Career | ||
| Years | Team | Apps (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Uruguay U20 | 5 (0) |
| 2020 | Uruguay U23 | 7 (1) |
Appearances and Goals
| National Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 0 |
International Career
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fénix | 2016 | Uruguayan Primera División | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 (0) |
| 2017 | Uruguayan Primera División | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 (0) | |
| 2018 | Uruguayan Primera División | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 (0) | |
| 2019 | Uruguayan Primera División | 35 | 1 | — | — | 36 (1) | |
| 2020 | Uruguayan Primera División | 16 | 1 | — | 4 | 20 (1) | |
| Famalicão | 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 20 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 (1) |
| 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | 1 (0) | |
| Sporting CP | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 25 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 34 (1) |
| 2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 31 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 46 (0) | |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 37 (0) |
| Career Total | 154 | 3 | 10 | 26 | 26 | 209 (4) |
