Hernán Pérez · Biography

Hernán Arsenio Pérez González was born on 25 February 1989 in Fernando de la Mora, in the Asunción metropolitan area. He came through the youth ranks at Ytororó and Cristóbal Colón, where he spent 2005 to 2007, before moving on to Tacuary. A quick, direct winger, he built a career across Paraguay, Spain, Greece, Qatar, Brazil and Peru, and was capped by Paraguay between 2010 and 2021.

Early years in Paraguay

He made his Paraguayan Primera División debut with Tacuary in 2007, going on to play 24 matches and score five goals over two seasons. That earned him a move to Libertad in 2008, but a serious injury to his right knee restricted him to a single competitive appearance there. In the same period he stood out for the under-20 side at the 2009 South American Championship in Venezuela, where Paraguay finished runners-up and he was among the tournament’s leading scorers.

Villarreal: from the reserves to the Champions League

On 30 July 2009 he signed a five-year contract with Villarreal. He spent his first two seasons with Villarreal B in the Spanish second division, making 68 appearances and scoring five times. On 27 September 2011 he made his first-team debut in the Champions League against Napoli, and on 1 October that year he marked his La Liga debut with the equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Real Zaragoza. After the club’s relegation in 2012 he stayed on in the second tier, played 16 games with two goals and was part of the side that won promotion in 2013 as runners-up. Back in the top flight, he featured in the October 2013 rout of Valencia at El Madrigal. In all, he played 50 league games and scored seven goals for Villarreal’s first team.

Loans to Olympiacos and Valladolid

On 31 January 2014 he joined Olympiacos on loan. He made his Super League Greece debut in a 2-0 win over Panionios and scored his first goal on 8 February in a 5-0 victory away to Veria. He played nine matches, scored twice and was crowned Greek champion in 2013-14. He returned to Spain that summer, and on 30 January 2015 Real Valladolid announced his loan until the end of the season in the second division, where he scored four goals in 16 appearances.

Espanyol and a spell at Alavés

On 3 July 2015 he signed a four-year deal with Espanyol. On 21 November 2015 he scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Málaga, one of his best-remembered afternoons in blue and white. With the Barcelona club he won the 2016 Catalan Super Cup. On 12 January 2018 a six-month loan to Deportivo Alavés was made official, and he played ten games there. He then saw out his Espanyol contract in 2019, finishing with 87 league appearances and 11 goals for the club.

Qatar, Brazil and back to South America

On 23 July 2019 he agreed a three-year contract with Al-Ahli in Doha, scoring nine goals in 45 league games. In March 2022 he moved to Al-Markhiya in the Qatari second division, and that year he also had a brief spell with Coritiba in Brazil’s Série A, making two appearances. In January 2023 he returned to Paraguay with General Caballero JLM, for whom he played 39 matches. In 2024 he moved to Peru to play for Unión Comercio, with 28 games and four goals, and in 2025 he went back to Paraguayan football with Recoleta, scoring three times in 22 matches.

Paraguay national team

His senior debut came in 2010 in a 1-1 friendly against South Africa, in which he played the final twenty minutes. A year later he was named in the squad for the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, where Paraguay reached the final; Pérez came on in the second half of the decider, lost 3-0 to Uruguay at the Monumental. He was called up again for the 2019 Copa América in Brazil, wearing the number 17 shirt. Between 2010 and 2021 he won 41 caps and scored two goals.

Playing style and honours

A wide player able to operate on either flank, he relied on pace, dribbling and runs from deep, a profile that took him to La Liga at 21. His honours include the 2014 Super League Greece title with Olympiacos, the 2016 Catalan Super Cup with Espanyol, promotion to the top flight with Villarreal in 2013 and a runners-up medal at the 2011 Copa América with Paraguay. In 2026 he joined 12 de Junio of Villa Hayes.