On 28 March 2015, at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, Federico Andrés Mancuello came on in the 73rd minute for Ángel Di María in a friendly between Argentina and El Salvador. Late in the game, which Argentina won 2-0, he scored with a left-footed free kick. It was his senior international debut and his first goal for his country. Born on 26 March 1989 in Reconquista, in the north of Santa Fe province, Mancuello is a midfielder who came through the Independiente academy and went on to play in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
Reconquista and the Independiente academy
He started playing at Club Atlético Tiro in his hometown. Between 2004 and 2008 he completed his development in Independiente’s youth ranks in Avellaneda. In 2009 he was called up to the provisional under-20 squad that Sergio Batista assembled for the South American Youth Championship, although he did not make the final list.
First-team debut and the 2010 Copa Sudamericana
He made his top-flight debut on 14 December 2008, on the final day of the Apertura, in a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal de Sarandí, with Independiente fielding a side made up mostly of reserves and youth players. Over the following seasons he earned a place in midfield and was part of the squad that won the 2010 Copa Sudamericana, although he did not play in the final, something he himself recalled years later. In June 2011 he joined Belgrano of Córdoba on a one-year loan with no purchase option, scored once there and returned to Avellaneda at the end of the 2012 Clausura.
After Independiente were relegated in 2013, Mancuello stayed with the club for the 2013-14 Primera B Nacional season. The team finished level with Huracán in third place, and promotion was settled in a play-off in La Plata in June 2014: Independiente won 2-0, with Mancuello in the starting line-up. Back in the top flight, he had his most prolific year, with ten goals in the 2014 championship. That consistency earned him an international call-up in March 2015.
Argentina national team
After his debut against El Salvador, he won his second cap on 31 March 2015 in a 2-1 victory over Ecuador at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. That year he was also named in the 30-man preliminary squad for the Copa América in Chile. His senior international career amounted to two caps and one goal, both in 2015 friendlies.
Flamengo and Cruzeiro
In January 2016 he left Independiente for Flamengo. In two seasons in Rio de Janeiro he made 66 appearances and scored 10 goals in all competitions, winning the 2017 Campeonato Carioca. In January 2018 he moved to Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte, where he played 38 matches and scored three goals. With the Minas Gerais club he won the 2018 Campeonato Mineiro and the 2018 Copa do Brasil, a competition in which he played twice.
Toluca, Vélez and Puebla
On 14 January 2019 he was unveiled as a new signing for Toluca in Mexico’s Liga MX, where he scored twice in the league. In October 2020 he returned to Argentine football with Vélez Sarsfield, staying until the end of 2021. For the 2022 Clausura he went back to Mexico to join Puebla, whom he went on to captain and for whom he scored six goals over two years.
Return to Avellaneda and Argentinos Juniors
In August 2023 he terminated his contract with Puebla to rejoin Independiente, the club that had developed him, and played his third spell there from 2023 to 2026. In July 2026 he left Independiente by mutual agreement, and on 31 July 2026 he was announced as a new Argentinos Juniors player, joining as a free agent.
Argentinos JuniorsMidfielderMarket value €192.0K