Matías Vecino Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Vecino and the second or maternal family name is Falero.

Quick facts for kids
Matías Vecino
Personal information
Vecino with Uruguay in 2017
Date of birth	(1991-08-24) 24 August 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth	Canelones, Uruguay
Height	1.89 m
Playing position	Central midfielder
Club information
Current club	Lazio
Number	5
Youth career
0000–2009	Central Español
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2010–2011	Central Español	32	(2)
2011–2013	Nacional	18	(4)
2013–2017	Fiorentina	67	(5)
2014	→ Cagliari (loan)	9	(2)
2014–2015	→ Empoli (loan)	36	(2)
2017–2022	Inter Milan	104	(10)
2022–	Lazio	69	(9)
National team
2010–2011	Uruguay U20	14	(4)
2016–2024	Uruguay	70	(6)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:30, 27 October 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Matías Vecino Falero (born 24 August 1991) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a central or defensive midfielder for Serie A club Lazio.

Club career
International career
Career statistics
- Club
- International
Honours
See also

Club career

Early career

Vecino started his professional career with Central Español in 2010, and switched to Nacional for the 2011–12 season.

Fiorentina

In January 2013, Vecino joined Serie A side Fiorentina by penning a four-year contract for a reported transfer fee of €2.5 million. However, the transfer was delayed and became official in the next transfer window in August 2013.

On 3 September 2013, he was not included by manager Vincenzo Montella in UEFA Europa League squad.

Vecino made his competitive debut as well as his first Serie A one on 26 September 2013 in a 2–1 away defeat against Inter Milan. He was used very scarcely during the first part of 2013–14 season, collecting only six appearances, only one as starter, leading the club to send him on loan at fellow Serie A side Cagliari until the end of the season, with an option to buy.

Vecino spent the 2014–15 season on loan at Empoli.

In mid-2015, Vecino returned to Florence and became a member of the first team. He signed a new five-year contract in 2016.

Inter Milan

On 31 July 2017, Fiorentina authorized Vecino to have a medical with Inter Milan, in order to complete a reported €24 million transfer. The transfer was made official on 2 August, with Vecino signing a contract until June 2021.

He was given squad number 11, and made his competitive debut on 20 August in the opening Serie A matchday against his former side Fiorentina, featuring full-90 minutes as Inter won 3–0. Vecino scored his maiden Inter goal six days later in the next match against Roma, netting the third goal in an eventual 3–1 away win, the first win at Stadio Olimpico over Roma after nine years.

On 20 May 2018, Vecino scored the winning goal vs Lazio, in Inter's 3–2 win, a victory which allowed the club to return to the UEFA Champions League after a six-year absence. On 18 September 2018, he scored an injury-time winning goal vs Tottenham Hotspur, in Inter's 2–1 win in the UEFA Champions League.

Lazio

On 1 August 2022, Vecino joined Lazio on a free transfer, signing a three-year contract.

International career

Vecino was born in Canelones, Uruguay, to a family of Italian ancestry, with roots in the city of Campobasso, and was eligible for both national teams. He has been capped by the Uruguay national under-20 football team for the 2011 South American Youth Championship and for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He scored the goal to qualify Uruguay for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Vecino's debut for the Uruguay senior team came on 25 March 2016 against Brazil.

In May 2018, he was named in Uruguay's provisional 26-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

On 27 May 2024, Vecino announced his retirement from the national team.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Central Español	2009–10	Uruguayan Primera División	9	0	0	0	—		—		9	0
	2010–11	Uruguayan Primera División	23	2	0	0	—		—		23	2
	Total		32	2	0	0	—		—		32	2
Nacional	2011–12	Uruguayan Primera División	13	3	0	0	2	0	—		15	3
	2012–13	Uruguayan Primera División	5	1	0	0	3	1	—		8	2
	Total		18	4	0	0	5	1	—		23	5
Fiorentina	2013–14	Serie A	6	0	1	0	—		—		7	0
	2015–16		30	2	1	0	7	0	—		38	2
	2016–17		31	3	2	0	7	1	—		40	4
	Total		67	5	4	0	14	1	—		85	6
Cagliari (loan)	2013–14	Serie A	9	2	0	0	—		—		9	2
Empoli (loan)	2014–15	Serie A	36	2	2	0	—		—		38	2
Inter Milan	2017–18	Serie A	29	3	2	0	—		—		31	3
	2018–19		30	3	1	0	9	2	—		40	5
	2019–20		20	2	1	0	4	1	—		25	3
	2020–21		8	1	0	0	0	0	—		8	1
	2021–22		17	1	2	0	4	0	—		23	1
	Total		104	10	6	0	17	3	—		127	13
Lazio	2022–23	Serie A	32	2	2	0	10	2	—		44	4
	2023–24		31	6	3	0	6	1	1	0	41	7
	2024–25		6	1	0	0	3	0	—		9	1
	Total		69	9	5	0	19	3	1	0	94	12
Career total			335	34	17	0	55	8	1	0	408	42

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Uruguay	2016	9	1
	2017	10	0
	2018	12	1
	2019	10	1
	2020	0	0
	2021	15	0
	2022	9	1
	2023	4	1
	2024	1	1
Total		70	6

Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vecino goal.

International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 May 2016	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	3	Trinidad and Tobago	3–1	3–1	Friendly
2	12 October 2018	Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea	29	South Korea	1–1	1–2	Friendly
3	25 March 2019	Guangxi Sports Center, Nanning, China	33	Thailand	1–0	4–0	2019 China Cup
4	2 June 2022	State Farm Stadium, Glendale, United States	58	Mexico	1–0	3–0	Friendly
5	28 March 2023	Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea	67	South Korea	2–1	2–1	Friendly
6	23 March 2024	Estadio San Mamés, Bilbao, Spain	70	Basque Country	1–1	1–1	Friendly