Miguel Almirón

Miguel Ángel Almirón Rejala (born 10 February 1994) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for Major League Soccer club Atlanta United and the Paraguay national team.

Almirón began his career at Cerro Porteño and transferred to Lanús in 2015. After winning the 2016 Argentine Primera División, he signed for Atlanta United for $8 million. He was named in the MLS Best XI for both of his seasons in Major League Soccer, as well as MLS Newcomer of the Year for 2017. After helping Atlanta to the MLS Cup in 2018, Almirón signed for Premier League side Newcastle United for £21 million, a club record and the highest fee for an MLS player. He played 223 games and scored 30 goals for Newcastle, and received an EFL Cup medal for playing in rounds before the 2025 final. In January 2025, Almirón returned to Atlanta United.

Almirón made his international debut for Paraguay in 2015, and represented the country at the Copa América in 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024, as well as at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Early life Miguel Almirón was born into an impoverished family in the San Pablo neighbourhood of Asunción, where his father Ruben worked 18-hour shifts as a security guard and his mother Sonia worked in a supermarket. He trained with Club 3 de Noviembre from the age of seven and trialed with other teams but was considered "too frail" by his coaches to become a professional footballer.

Club career Cerro Porteño Rejected from Club Nacional for being too lightweight, Almirón moved to Cerro Porteño. His new club still had reservations about his physique, and he did not play regularly until he was on their under-17 side. Introduced slowly in his first season by Lanús manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Almirón came to the forefront the next season in the shortened 2016 Argentine Primera División under Jorge Almirón (no relation). Playing as an advanced central midfielder, Almirón was pivotal in Lanús' 2016 Argentine Primera División title win, scoring key goals against local rivals Banfield in the Clásico del Sur, and later in the final against San Lorenzo. A few months later, in August 2016, Almirón set-up the only goal in Lanús' Copa Bicentenario victory over Racing.

Atlanta United FC

On 5 December 2016, Almirón signed with the new Major League Soccer expansion team Atlanta United FC. He joined as a "Young Designated Player" and Atlanta paid a transfer fee of around $8 million to Lanús. The club also paid $50,000 in general allocation money to Seattle Sounders FC, who held the MLS discovery rights to Almirón.

Almirón was an important figure in Atlanta United's first season, described as the "heartbeat" of the team by veteran teammate Jeff Larentowicz. On 12 March, Almirón scored his first goals for the club, notching a brace in the club's second game, a 6–1 victory over fellow MLS newcomers Minnesota United FC. He scored the second hat-trick in club history on 20 May against the Houston Dynamo, and scored two goals a week later against New York City FC. Almirón joined teammates Greg Garza and Michael Parkhurst in the MLS All-Star Game on 2 August, and topped the league's list of 24 players under the age of 24, released on 28 September. During the regular season, Almirón was named to seven Teams of the Week by Major League Soccer, and was named Player of the Week twice. At the end of the season, he was named to the league's Best XI and was named Newcomer of the Year.

In April 2018, Almirón was named MLS Player of the Month for his five goals and two assists as Atlanta went unbeaten with three wins and a draw.

Newcastle United

On 31 January 2019, Almirón joined Premier League side Newcastle United for an undisclosed fee on a five-and-a-half-year deal. The transfer fee was believed to be around £21 million, at the time a club record, and a record for an MLS player. He made his Premier League debut on 11 February in a 1–1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing the final 18 minutes in place of Christian Atsu. Fans and media likened Almirón to Santiago Muñez, a fictional Newcastle player from the film Goal! who also originated from Latin America and moved to St James' Park via the United States. During a match against Southampton on 20 April, he was tackled by Oriol Romeu and suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season. Almirón struggled to score in his first months with Newcastle, but helped his side to avoid relegation. After registering 40 shots with no goals, he scored his first Premier League goal on 21 December in a 1–0 victory over Crystal Palace. He finished the season with a club-best eight goals in all competitions.

On 6 February 2021, Almirón scored twice in a 3–2 home win over Southampton, a game in which he ran 11.29 km, the most on his team. He then scored four goals in his last 12 Premier League games, the same as he scored in the 55 before that.

On 21 August 2022, Almirón broke a goal-scoring drought by scoring an equalizer against Manchester City, following a cross from Newcastle teammate Allan Saint-Maximin. In October, Almirón scored six goals in six matches, with two goals against Fulham, and one each against Brentford, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, reaching seven Premier League goals for the season, the most in his time in the Premier League. Following that success, he won Premier League Player of the Month for October 2022 and Premier League Goal of the Month for his first-half goal against Fulham. The next weekend against Chelsea, his scoring run came to an end, but he assisted Joe Willock for the only goal of the game.

On 24 February 2023, Almirón signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with the club. On 4 October of the same year, he scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League, becoming the ninth Paraguayan player to score in the competition and putting Newcastle ahead 1–0 against Paris Saint-Germain in an eventual 4–1 win. His goal was Newcastle's first in the competition in over 20 years, since Alan Shearer scored in 2003. In March 2025, after Almirón had left the club, Newcastle United won the EFL Cup. As he had played four games in the cup campaign prior to leaving, Almirón received a winners medal.

Return to Atlanta United

On 30 January 2025, Almirón rejoined Atlanta United. The club paid $400,000 in general allocation money to Charlotte FC, who had acquired the MLS discovery rights to Almirón.

International career Almirón played for the Paraguay under-20 national team in the 2013 South American Youth Football Championship in Argentina, and was highly involved as his team finished second to Colombia. Later that year, he was called up for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, where Paraguay reached the last 16.

On 5 September 2015, Almirón made his senior international debut in a 3–2 friendly loss away to Chile, playing the final nine minutes in place of Jonathan Fabbro. Manager Ramón Díaz called him up the following May for the Copa América Centenario in the United States, where he started two matches in a group-stage exit.

In March 2019, in a friendly against Mexico at Levi's Stadium, Almirón came on as a substitute. Seven minutes later, he received a straight red card for a foul on José Juan Vázquez in which he dragged his studs down the back of the opponent's leg. He scored his first goal for Paraguay during the 4–2 victory against Jordan on 10 September 2019, and on 10 October 2019, he was sent off for diving in a 1–0 friendly loss to Serbia.

Almirón was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He started Paraguay's opening group-stage match against the United States, a 4–1 defeat, in which he was shown a yellow card for simulation. The card was initially given to American defender Tim Ream, but was transferred to Almirón following a VAR review, as a new regulation was enacted for the first time. In Paraguay's second group match against Turkey, he became the first player to be sent off under FIFA's new law prohibiting players from covering their mouths during confrontations with opponents, receiving a straight red card after a VAR review following an altercation with Mert Müldür in the stoppage time of the first half. He was also handed a one-match suspension following the incident.

Personal life Almirón has Christian messages tattooed on his arms. He married his high school sweetheart, Alexia Notto, who is a dancer, Zumba instructor, and influencer. The marriage took place on 29 August 2016, and on 6 June 2021, they welcomed their first child, Francesco.

Career statistics

Club

International

As of match played 5 June 2026. Paraguay score listed first, score column indicates score after each Almirón goal.

Atlanta United MLS Cup: 2018 runner-up: 2022–23

Individual Paraguayan Footballer of the Year (ABC Color vote): 2017, 2018, 2022 Paraguayan Footballer of the Year (Public vote): 2017, 2022 MLS Newcomer of the Year: 2017 2018 MLS Player of the Month: April 2018 Premier League Player of the Month: October 2022 Premier League Goal of the Month: April 2022, October 2022