BIOGRAPHY

Meet Sebastián Abreu: Footballer Who Played for 32 Clubs Before Retirement

This may seem bizarre, but it is a verifiable fact that one footballer successfully represented 32 professional football clubs in his entire football career.

Nicknamed Loco, meaning madman in Spanish, Washington Sebastián Abreu Gallo holds the Guinness world record as the professional footballer to have played for most clubs. He is currently the manager of the Peruvian club Universidad César Vallejo.

Lutz Pfannenstiel, a retired German goalkeeper who played for 25 teams in his career, previously held the record before Abreu broke it.

Sebastian, born on 17 October 1976 in Minas, is a prolific striker who represents the Uruguayan national team and retired from professional football in 2021.

The world record holder made his debut with the national side on 17 July 1996 in a friendly relationship with China.

He represented the national team for 15 years, appearing in two World Cups and three Copa América tournaments, winning the latter in 2011.

Abreu scored the winning penalty in the controversial defeat against Ghana in the semi-final of the 2010 world cup.

For his 26-year club football career, Abreu played in 11 different nations, including Uruguay, Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, Greece, Paraguay, Ecuador, Chile, and El Salvador, scoring 432 goals in 851 games.

Below is a highlight of the clubs he has played for so far

  1. Defensor
  2. San Lorenzo
  3. Deportivo La Coruña
  4. Grêmio
  5. Tecos
  6. Nacional
  7. Cruz Azul
  8. América
  9. Sinaloa
  10. Monterrey
  11. San Luis
  12. UANL
  13. Beitar Jerusalem
  14. River Plate
  15. Real Sociedad
  16. Aris
  17. Botafogo
  18. Figueirense
  19. Rosario Central
  20. Aucas
  21. Sol de América
  22. Santa Tecla
  23. Bangu
  24. Central Español
  25. Puerto Montt
  26. Audax Italiano
  27. Magallanes
  28. Rio Branco
  29. Boston River
  30. Athletic-MG
  31. Sud América
  32. Olimpia de Minas

Below is a glimpse of his managerial career

  • Santa Tecla (caretaker) – 2019
  • Boston River (player-coach) 2020
  • Always Ready – 2022
  • Paysandú – – 2022
  • Universidad César Vallejo – 2023

Sebastián Abreu Awards

  • Individual

Mexican Primera División Golden Boot: Verano 2000, Verano 2002, Apertura 2005, Clausura 2006

San Lorenzo

  • Argentine Primera División: 2001 Clausura

Nacional

  • Uruguayan Primera División: 2001, 2003 Apertura, 2004 Apertura, 2005

River Plate

  • Argentine Primera División: 2008 Clausura

Botafogo

  • Campeonato Carioca
  • Taça Guanabara
  • Taça Rio

Santa Tecla

  • Salvadoran Primera División: 2016 Apertura

Uruguay

  • Copa América: 2011

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