Manuel Hidalgo

Manuel Federico Hidalgo Gasparini (born 3 May 1999) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for Malaysia Super League club Johor Darul Ta'zim.

Club career

Ferro Carril Oeste At the age of 15, Hidalgo trained with the first team of Argentine club Ferro Carril Oeste in July 2014.

Benfica In March 2017, Hidalgo signed for Benfica U19, the most successful club in Portugal, after trialing with English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. However, he terminated his contract with six months remaining, citing the death of Argentina international Diego Maradona as one of the reasons behind the decision. On 5 May 2021 he scored his first goal on his debut for the club in a 2–2 home match draw against rival Selangor in which he also got an assist in the match putting up a 'Man of the Match' performances.

Kedah Darul Aman On 5 January 2023, Hidalgo moved to another Malaysian club, Kedah Darul Aman which offered him a bigger salary due to his magnificent performances with Sri Pahang during the 2022 season. He make his debut for the club on 25 February 2023 in a league match against Perak. On 26 August 2023, Hidalgo pulled up a fiery display performance against Johor Darul Ta'zim in which he recorded a hat-trick of assist in a 3–3 draw against the Malaysian league champions. Hidalgo won the 'Man of the Match' afterwards for notably ending Johor Darul Ta'zim winning streak of dominance in the league.

Johor Darul Ta'zim On 11 March 2024, Hidalgo was rewarded with a move to the Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim. However, he was immediately loaned out to former club Sri Pahang.

Sri Pahang (loan) On 11 March 2024, Hidalgo returned to Sri Pahang but on loan ahead of the 2024–25 Malaysia Super League season. During the second leg of the 2024–25 Malaysia Cup quarter-final on 22 December, Hidalgo scored his first career hat-trick against Perak in a 3–3 draw which sees Sri Pahang advance to the semi-final with a 4–3 aggregate.

Kuala Lumpur City (loan) After a successful loan move to Sri Pahang, on 2 July 2025, Hidalgo signed with Kuala Lumpur City on loan from Johor Darul Ta'zim.

Honours

Johor Darul Ta'zim Malaysia Super League: 2025–26 Malaysia Cup: 2026 Malaysia FA Cup: 2025