9 Darwin Nunez

• Full Name: Darwin Gabriel Núñez Ribeiro
• Date of Birth: June 24, 1999
• Place of Birth: Artigas, Uruguay
• Position: Striker
• Current Club: Liverpool (Premier League)
• National Team: Uruguay

Humble Beginnings

💼 Born into poverty:

• Father was a construction worker.
• Mother sold milk bottles to support the family.
  ⚽ Early Youth Career:
• Played for La Luz & San Miguel before being scouted by Peñarol.
  💔 Setback:
• Suffered a cruciate ligament injury at 17, requiring two surgeries.
• His older brother quit football to help support the family.

Rise with Peñarol (2017–2019)

🔶 November 2017: First-team debut vs. River Plate Montevideo.
⚽ October 2018: First professional goal vs. Fénix.
🔥 July 2019: Hat-trick vs. Boston River.
✍️ August 2019: Signed by Almería for a club-record $4.5M + $1.5M in add-ons.

Breakthrough in Spain with Almería (2019–2020)

🇪🇸 October 2019: Debut vs. Sporting Gijón.
⚽ First goal: Scored from the penalty spot vs. Extremadura.
🔥 2019–20 Season:

• 16 goals in 30 games (Segunda División’s joint 4th top scorer).
• Caught the eye of Europe’s top clubs.

Record-Breaking Benfica Move (2020–2022)

💰 September 2020: Benfica signed him for €24M, the most expensive signing in Portuguese football history.
🚀 2021–22 Breakout Season:

• 26 goals in 28 Primeira Liga games.
• Won the Bola de Prata (Golden Boot).
• Named Primeira Liga Player of the Year.
• Scored 6 Champions League goals, including against Barcelona & Liverpool.

Liverpool Move & Premier League Adaptation (2022–Present)

🔴 June 2022: Signed by Liverpool (€75M/£64M) as their new marquee striker.
🔥 2022–23 Season:

• Debut goal vs. Manchester City (Community Shield).
• 15 goals in all competitions.
• Red card vs. Crystal Palace stalled his momentum.
• Showed flashes of brilliance but struggled with consistency.
  ⚡ 2023–24 Season:
• Key goals against Newcastle & Everton.
• Still refining his finishing but remains a high-energy, unpredictable threat.

International Career with Uruguay

🇺🇾 Youth Levels: Represented Uruguay at U20 & U23.
🔥 2019: Senior debut – scored vs. Peru.
😢 2021 Copa América: Missed due to injury.
⚽ 2022 FIFA World Cup: Featured but Uruguay exited in group stage.
🏆 2024 Copa América: Expected to be a key player.

Playing Style & Strengths

✅ Explosive Pace: One of the fastest strikers in the Premier League.
🔄 Versatile Attacker: Can play central striker or left wing.
⚽ Relentless Work Rate: Presses defenders & makes dangerous runs.
😬 Finishing Needs Improvement: Creates chances but still developing composure