Gonzalo Martínez · Biography

On 20 January 2015, River Plate completed the signing of Gonzalo Nicolás “Pity” Martínez, Huracán’s winger and attacking midfielder, paying 4.5 million US dollars for 75 per cent of his economic rights. The deal had collapsed in August 2014 and was finally done five months later, by which time the player had won the Copa Argentina and been promoted to the Argentine top flight. Martínez was born on 13 June 1993 in Guaymallén, in the province of Mendoza, and at River he went from second-tier standout to South American Footballer of the Year in 2018.

Youth career and Huracán

He came through the youth ranks at Huracán, the Parque Patricios club, and made his first-team debut on 10 September 2011 against Almirante Brown in the Primera B Nacional. Huracán were then playing in the second division, and Martínez became a regular starter over the following seasons. Both milestones of that spell came in 2014: the 2013-14 Copa Argentina, won in the final against Rosario Central, and promotion to the Primera División that December. He left the club with 100 appearances, 10 goals and 15 assists.

River Plate and two Copa Libertadores titles

He arrived at River with Marcelo Gallardo in charge and in his first year won the Recopa Sudamericana and the 2015 Copa Libertadores. The Copa Argentina followed in 2015-16 and 2016-17. His defining year was 2018: he scored a decisive penalty against Grêmio in the Libertadores semi-finals and, on 9 December, in the second leg of the final played at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, he scored the third goal in extra time of a 3-1 win over Boca Juniors. It was his second Libertadores. Days later, at the Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, he missed in the semi-final shoot-out against Al-Ain, which River lost, and then scored twice against Kashima Antlers in the third-place match. He ended that first spell with 163 appearances, 35 goals and 35 assists.

2018 awards and the Argentina national team

That 2018 campaign earned him the South American Footballer of the Year award, the Copa Libertadores best player prize and Argentina’s Footballer of the Year. The same year brought his debut for the Argentina national team: on 8 September he played in a 3-0 win over Guatemala and scored a penalty in the 27th minute. Three days later he featured in a goalless draw with Colombia, and in March 2019 he won his third cap in a 3-1 defeat to Venezuela. His international career amounts to three caps and one goal.

Atlanta United in MLS

Atlanta United confirmed his arrival on 24 January 2019. He scored his first goal on 12 May 2019 in a 1-0 win over Orlando City and was selected for the MLS All-Star Game that summer. In 2019 he won the U.S. Open Cup, scoring the winner in the final against Minnesota United, as well as the Campeones Cup. In the 2019 regular season he made 32 appearances with 5 goals and 9 assists; in all he played 54 games for the club, with 11 goals and 14 assists.

Al-Nassr and injuries

On 7 September 2020 he joined Saudi club Al-Nassr in a move reported at 18 million US dollars. With the Riyadh side he won the 2020 Saudi Super Cup. Injuries shaped his time there: on 11 March 2021 he ruptured the cruciate ligament in his right knee, which kept him out for more than nine months, and in February 2023 he suffered another serious ligament injury. He left the club with 13 goals in 58 games.

Return to River and move to Tigre

River announced his return on 24 August 2023 after reaching a financial agreement with Al-Nassr. He scored again in River colours on 3 November 2023, against Huracán, and was part of the squad that won the 2023 Trofeo de Campeones. On 14 January 2024, in a pre-season friendly in the United States, he ruptured the cruciate ligament in his left knee. His second spell at River ended with 31 appearances, 2 goals and 6 assists. He left as a free agent when his contract expired and signed for Tigre on 22 January 2026.