Matías Galarza

Matías Galarza Fonda (born 11 February 2002) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Argentinian club River Plate and the Paraguay national team.

Club career Born in Asunción, Galarza represented hometown side Olimpia. On 19 June 2020, he moved on loan to Brazilian club Vasco da Gama until 2022, and was initially assigned to the under-20 squad.

After impressing with the under-20s, Galarza made his senior debut on 3 March 2021, after coming on as a half-time substitute for Vinícius in a 0–1 Campeonato Carioca home loss against Portuguesa; at the age of 19, he became the youngest foreigner to play for Vasco in the 21st century. He scored his first goal as a professional on 24 March, netting his team's third in a 3–1 home success over Macaé.

On 20 May 2021, Galarza signed a permanent contract with Vasco until 2025, after the club bought 60% of his economic rights for a fee of US$ 500,000. A regular starter during the remainder of the campaign, he lost his starting spot in 2022.

On 4 April 2022, Galarza moved to Série A side Coritiba on loan for the remainder of the year. He later joined Talleres on loan with an option to buy on 31 August 2023.

On 24 July 2025, he joined River Plate, signing a contract until 31 December 2028. In March 2026, he joined MLS side Atlanta United on loan with an option to make the move permanent in the summer.

International career Galarza made his debut for the Paraguay national team on 31 August 2022, in a 1–0 friendly victory against Mexico.

He was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In Paraguay's second match of the tournament, he scored the only goal after 64 seconds and was named Man of the Match in a 1–0 victory over Turkey, despite his side playing the entire second half with ten men. This recorded the fastest goal of the tournament to date, surpassing the previous record of 71 seconds set by Morocco's Ismael Saibari against Scotland hours earlier in Boston. In Paraguay's match against France on July 4, 2026, he and the entire Paraguayan team were heavily criticized by fans and pundits for striking Kylian Mbappé and not receiving a red card, along with numerous other unpunished behaviors.

Career statistics Club

International

Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first.