Guillermo Almada

Guillermo Jorge Almada Alves (born 18 June 1966) is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the current head coach of Liga MX club América.

Playing career As a player, Almada came through the youth ranks at Defensor Sporting, making his professional debut in 1985. He would go on to represent the club across three separate spells, winning two Primera División titles during that time. His playing career spanned 22 years, during which he played for twelve different clubs in four countries.

Coaching career Following his retirement as a player, Almada began his coaching career in Uruguay, where he managed Tacuarembó and River Plate de Montevideo.

In June 2015, Almada assumed the role of head coach at Barcelona SC in Ecuador. In December 2016, he successfully led the club to secure its 15th league title.

In April 2019, Almada moved to Mexico to coach Santos Laguna. He guided the team to the final of the Guardianes 2021 tournament, where they ultimately finished in second place after a narrow defeat to Cruz Azul.

Almada became the head coach of Pachuca in December 2021. During his tenure, he developed a young, dynamic team with a distinct playing style that won the Apertura 2022 championship, followed by the CONCACAF Champions League.

In the inaugural edition of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, Pachuca eliminated Botafogo, who were the reigning CONMEBOL champions at the time. They ended their campaign as runners-up, following a defeat to Real Madrid in the final match. In May 2025, Almada stepped down from his position.

On 8 July 2025, Segunda División club Real Valladolid announced Almada as their new head coach. He left the club on 15 December.

On 16 December 2025, a day after departing Valladolid, Almada was named as the new manager of La Liga side Real Oviedo, becoming their third manager of the campaign after Veljko Paunović and Luis Carrión. Almada left the club at the end of the season, following Oviedo's relegation.

On 7 June 2026, Almada returned to Mexico to become the new head coach of América.

Managerial statistics

Honours Player Defensor Sporting Uruguayan Primera División: 1987, 1991

Manager River Plate (Montevideo) Torneo Preparación: 2012

Barcelona de Guayaquil Ecuadorian Serie A: 2015–16

Pachuca Liga MX: Apertura 2022 CONCACAF Champions Cup: 2024

Individual Liga MX Best Manager: 2022–23 The Best of America Best Liga MX Manager: 2022