Ignacio Martín Fernández (; born 12 January 1990) is an Argentine

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

who plays as a

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

for River Plate.

Club career

Early career

Born in

Castelli Castelli may refer to: Places Argentina * Castelli, Buenos Aires, city in Buenos Aires Province * Castelli Partido, partido in Buenos Aires Province * Juan José Castelli, Chaco, in Chaco Province * Villa Castelli, Argentina, in La Rioja Provi ...

, Buenos Aires Province, Fernández's first playing years were with Club Atlético y Social Dudignac. At the age of 13, he joined

Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (; ''La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club''), also known simply as Gimnasia, is an Argentine professional sports club based in the city of La Plata, Buenos Aires Province. Founded in 1887 as "Club de Gimnasia ...

's youth ranks. He made his professional debut for ''El Lobo'' on 2 October 2010, in a 4–2

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

defeat to

Argentinos Juniors Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. The club is mostly known for its football team, which currently plays in the Argentine Primera División, and was recognized as one of the ...

. In 2011, Fernández was sent on a one-year loan to

Temperley Temperley is a district in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina, located in the south of Lomas de Zamora Partido. History In 1854 the industrial and textile merchant George Temperley (born in 1823 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England) bought from the ...

in the

Primera B Metropolitana Primera B Metropolitana is one of two professional leagues that form the third level of the Argentine football league system. The division is made up of 17 clubs mainly from the city of Buenos Aires and its metropolitan area, Greater Buenos Aires. ...

. He made 30 appearances, scored 10 goals and made eight assistances for the side during that season. In 2012, Fernández returned to Gimnasia, then recently relegated to the

Primera B Nacional Primera Nacional (usually called simply Nacional B, in English "National B Division", and known as Primera B Nacional until the 2019–20 season) is the second division of the Argentine football league system. The competition is made up of 37 team ...

. He promptly earned a spot in the starting lineup and contributed with three goals and eight assists to the club's return to the first division. On 17 August 2013, he scored his first Primera División goal, the last in a 3–1 win over

Rosario Central Club Atlético Rosario Central () is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on December 24, 1889, by a group of railway workers, taking its name from the English- ...

. Fernández was the top scorer of Gimnasia in the 2015 season, with nine goals.

River Plate

On 7 January 2016, Fernández joined River Plate on a four-and-a-half-year deal. ''Los Millonarios'' paid

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

2.1 million for 70% of his economic rights. He made his debut on 24 January, in a preseason Superclásico which River won 1–0. Throughout the 2016 season, he established himself in

Marcelo Gallardo Marcelo Daniel Gallardo (; born 18 January 1976) is an Argentine football coach and former professional player who last managed River Plate. Gallardo began his career in the club's youth divisions, and made his debut in the Argentine Primera D ...

's team, forming a midfield line alongside

Leonardo Ponzio Leonardo Daniel Ponzio (born 29 January 1982) is an Argentinian former footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder. After starting out at Newell's Old Boys in 2000, he went on to spend his professional career with Zaragoza and Rive ...

Andrés D'Alessandro Andrés Nicolás D'Alessandro (born 15 April 1981) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He has played top-flight football in Argentina, Germany, England, Spain, Brazil and Uruguay. He won an Olym ...

and

Pity Martínez Gonzalo Nicolás Martínez, commonly known as Pity Martínez (born 13 June 1993) is an Argentine footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Saudi Professional League side Al-Nassr. Club career Huracán Martínez, who trained in the Hur ...

. In August, he started in both legs of the 2016 Recopa Sudamericana, the first competitive honour of his career. In December, he won with River the

2015–16 Copa Argentina The 2015–16 Copa Argentina was the seventh edition of the Copa Argentina, and the fifth since the relaunch of the tournament in 2011. The competition began on January 29, 2016. Defending champions Boca Juniors were eliminated by Rosario Centra ...

. On 9 December 2017, Fernández scored the winning goal in the

2016–17 Copa Argentina The 2016–17 Copa Argentina (officially the Copa Total Argentina 2016-17 for sponsorship reasons) was the eighth edition of the Copa Argentina, and the sixth since the relaunch of the tournament in 2011. The competition began on February 2 and e ...

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...

against

Atlético Tucumán Club Atlético Tucumán (mostly known as Atlético Tucumán) is an Argentinian football club based in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán of Tucumán Province. Although several sports are practised at the club, Atlético is mostly known for its ...

, won 2–1 by River. Fernández appeared in 12 of the 14 matches of River's campaign in the

2018 Copa Libertadores The 2018 Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores was the 59th edition of the CONMEBOL Libertadores (also referred to as the ''Copa Libertadores''), South America's premier club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. River Plate defeated Boca Juniors in ...

, including both legs of the

against Boca Juniors. In the second leg, he assisted

Lucas Pratto Lucas David Pratto (; born 4 June 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for Argentine Primera División club Vélez Sarsfield. Pratto has been described as possessing unusual technique and ball control for a pl ...

's equalizing goal, which forced the contest into extra-time; River scored twice in the added 30 minutes and won the title, which had extra significance in the fact that it was the first time a Superclásico was contested in the final of a continental competition. In 2019, Fernández was assigned the number 10 shirt. On 30 May, in his first match with the new number, he scored the opening goal in the second leg of the

2019 Recopa Sudamericana The 2019 CONMEBOL Recopa Sudamericana ( pt, CONMEBOL Recopa Sul-Americana de 2019) was the 27th edition of the CONMEBOL Recopa Sudamericana (also referred to as the ''Recopa Sudamericana''), the football competition organized by CONMEBOL between ...

against

Athletico Paranaense Club Athletico Paranaense (commonly known as Athletico and formerly known as Atlético Paranaense) is a Brazilian football team from the city of Curitiba, capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná, founded on March 26, 1924. The team ...

, which River won 3–1 on aggregate. On 13 December, he scored the second goal in the

2018–19 Copa Argentina The 2018–19 Copa Argentina (officially the Copa Total Argentina 2018–19 for sponsorship reasons) was the tenth edition of the Copa Argentina, and the eighth since the relaunch of the tournament in 2011. The competition began on 16 January 201 ...

, a 3–0 triumph over Central Córdoba.

Atlético Mineiro

On 20 February 2021, Fernández joined Brazilian club

Atlético Mineiro Atlético, Spanish for ''athletics'', or Athletico in English, may refer to: Sports Teams Athletico *Athletico SC (Lebanon), a Lebanese football academy *Athletic Bilbao, or Atletico Bilbao, Basque students athletic club (also forming Athletic Cl ...

on a three-year deal. The transfer fee was a reported

6 million, placing it as a joint-record signing for the club, alongside the deals for

Yimmi Chará Yimmi Javier Chará Zamora (born April 2, 1991) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Portland Timbers and the Colombia national team. Club career On December 17, 2014, Rayados de Monterrey ...

and Matías Zaracho. He made his debut on 19 March, in a 3–0 Campeonato Mineiro win over

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...

; he opened the score, assisted the second goal for Igor Rabello and was fouled in the box, with Hulk scoring from the resulting penalty kick. Fernández was one of the team's standout players for much of the season, playing in an attacking midfielder role behind center forward Hulk; his performances in the victorious state championship campaign earned him a nomination to the team of tournament. On 2 July, he scored twice in a 4–1 Série A win over

Atlético Goianiense Atlético, Spanish for ''athletics'', or Athletico in English, may refer to: Sports Teams Athletico * Athletico SC (Lebanon), a Lebanese football academy * Athletic Bilbao, or Atletico Bilbao, Basque students athletic club (also forming Athletic ...

. On 14 October, he took part in all three goals of a 3–1 league win over Santos, scoring a brace and assisting a

Nathan Silva Nathanael Ananias da Silva (born 6 May 1997), known as Nathan Silva or simply Nathan, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Liga MX club UNAM. Mainly a central defender, he can also play as a defensive midfielder. Club career Born in Oliveir ...

header. In the final stretch of the Série A and the

Copa do Brasil The Copa do Brasil ( en, Brazil Cup) is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de P ...

, after facing a series of muscle injuries coupled with the consolidation of

Diego Costa Diego da Silva Costa (, ; born 7 October 1988), commonly known as Diego Costa, is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Spain national team. Costa began his football care ...

in the starting lineup, Fernández was restricted mainly to making second half appearances. Despite this, his overall contribution to Atlético's

domestic treble A treble in association football is achieved when a club team wins three trophies in a single season. A ''continental treble'' involves winning the club's national league competition, main national cup competition, and main continental trophy. A ...

winning season, with 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games, earned him nominations to both the

Prêmio Craque do Brasileirão The Prêmio Craque do Brasileirão ( en, Brasileirão Best Player Award) is an award given by the Brazilian Football Confederation (known as CBF) and TV Globo for the best players, head coaches, and referees of the Série A. Player of the Year ( ...

and Bola de Prata awards.

Return to River Plate

On 22 December 2022, River Plate announced the return of Fernández to the club.

International career

In May 2017, Fernández received his first call up to the Argentina national team. He made his international debut in a friendly win against

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

on 13 June, coming off the bench in the 75th minute and assisting an

Ángel Di María Ángel Fabián Di María (born 14 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for club Juventus and the Argentina national team. He can play as either a winger or attacking midfielder. Di María began his career with R ...

goal to complete the 6–0 score.

Career statistics

Honours

River Plate * Copa Libertadores:

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

* Recopa Sudamericana:

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

* Argentine Primera División:

2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...

Copa Argentina The Copa Argentina (English: ''Argentine Cup''), officially known as the "Copa Argentina AXION energy" due to sponsorship reasons, is an official football cup competition organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA), with the aim of qual ...

: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19 *

Supercopa Argentina The Supercopa Argentina (English: Argentine Super Cup) is an official National association football cup of Argentina organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The annual football match was played for the first time in 2012, being cont ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

Atlético Mineiro * Série A:

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

* Campeonato Mineiro:

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

Supercopa do Brasil The Supercopa do Brasil ( en, Brazil Super Cup) is a Brazilian association football trophy organized by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). It is contested between the champions of the Campeonato Brasileiro and the winners of the Copa d ...

Individual * Copa Libertadores Team of the Tournament:

*Copa Argentina Team of the Tournament: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19 *South American Team of the Year: 2019, 2020 * Best Central Midfielder in Brazil:

* Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Tournament: 2021 * Bola de Prata: 2021 *Campeonato Mineiro Team of the Tournament:

References

External links

Profile
at River Plate's official website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Ignacio Living people 1990 births Footballers from Buenos Aires Province Argentine men's footballers Men's association football midfielders Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata footballers Club Atlético Temperley footballers Club Atlético River Plate footballers Clube Atlético Mineiro players Argentine Primera División players Primera Nacional players Primera B Metropolitana players Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players Argentina men's international footballers Argentine expatriate men's footballers Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Brazil Expatriate men's footballers in Brazil