1. Early life and background
Eduardo Salvio was born on 13 July 1990 in Avellaneda, a port city located in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He developed his early football skills within the youth academy of Club Atlético Lanús. Demonstrating significant talent from a young age, Salvio was promoted to the first team of Lanús when he was just 17 years old. Although he did not make any appearances during the 2007 Apertura tournament, his team, known as the GranateGranateSpanish, finished in the top position, giving him an early taste of success.
2. Club career
Eduardo Salvio's professional club career has spanned multiple teams across Argentina, Spain, Portugal, and Mexico, marked by significant titles and contributions.
2.1. Lanús
Salvio made his official debut for Lanús' first team on 24 August 2008, in a match against Boca Juniors. Two months later, on 24 October, he scored his first goals for the club, netting a brace in a 4 2 victory against Argentinos Juniors. Throughout the 2008-09 season, he scored nine goals overall, contributing to the team's fourth-place finish and ranking as their joint-leading goal scorer alongside José Sand.
His performances continued to draw attention, particularly in continental competitions. On 19 August 2009, Salvio scored two crucial late goals in the first leg of Lanús' Copa Sudamericana first stage match against River Plate. His efforts helped his team come from behind to secure a 2 1 away win, leading to a 3 1 aggregate victory. After months of speculation regarding his future, in early January 2010, Salvio signed with Spanish club Atlético Madrid for a reported transfer fee of 10.00 M EUR.
2.2. Atlético Madrid
Salvio's official debut for Atlético Madrid came on 18 February 2010, in a UEFA Europa League match against Galatasaray. His first goals for the ColchonerosColchonerosSpanish in La Liga were scored on 25 April in a 3 1 home victory over Tenerife, where he also netted two goals. On 12 May, he appeared as a substitute in the Europa League final against Fulham, replacing José Antonio Reyes in the 76th minute of the 2 1 triumph, marking his first major European club honour.
On 19 August 2010, after considerable transfer speculation linking him to several clubs in Spain and Portugal, Salvio joined Benfica on a season-long loan. As part of this agreement, Benfica also acquired 20% of his economic rights for 2.50 M EUR. He scored his first goals for Benfica on 18 December, netting a brace in a 5 2 home win against Rio Ave.
Following a somewhat slow start to Portuguese football, Salvio became a regular starter for Benfica in the latter half of the 2010-11 season, often playing as a right winger and partnering with several of his compatriots. On 20 February 2011, he scored the opening goal in a 2 0 away victory against city rivals Sporting. Just three days later, he registered his first goal in European competition with an impressive 20 yd strike against Stuttgart in the Europa League's round of 32, contributing to a 2 0 away success and a 4 1 aggregate win. To conclude that week, in a league match against Marítimo, he scored the equalizer in an eventual 2 1 home win. He finished the campaign with 39 official games and ten goals.
Salvio officially returned to Atlético Madrid on 19 May 2011 to begin rehabilitation for a calf injury he had sustained while still at Benfica in a Europa League game against PSV. He continued to be regularly featured by both Gregorio Manzano and his successor, fellow Argentine Diego Simeone. In March 2012, within a span of five days, Salvio scored three goals. He initially scored a header to put Atlético ahead in a 1 1 draw against Sevilla, and subsequently added two goals in a 3 1 home victory against Beşiktaş in the campaign's Europa League.
2.3. Benfica
On 31 July 2012, Benfica and Atlético Madrid reached an agreement for Salvio's permanent transfer to the Portuguese side on a five-year contract. Benfica reportedly paid 11.00 M EUR for 80% of his economic rights. Including the 20% already owned by Benfica, Salvio's total transfer fee amounted to 13.50 M EUR, which at the time set a new club record, surpassing the previous record of 12.00 M EUR paid to Barcelona for Simão Sabrosa in 2001. He made a strong comeback, scoring the first goal in a 2 2 home draw against Braga on 18 August. Salvio scored a career-high thirteen goals during the 2012-13 season.
On 31 August 2013, during the first half of a Lisbon derby against Sporting, Salvio suffered a severe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to his right knee, which sidelined him for several months. This was his second serious injury in two years, following a foot injury also incurred while playing for Benfica. He returned from the injury in less than six months, playing the final 15 minutes of a 1 0 UEFA Europa League victory against PAOK.
Salvio scored his first goal of the 2013-14 campaign on 3 April 2014, netting the only goal in an away win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League. His other goal that season came against Porto in the Portuguese Cup semi-finals, helping Benfica reach the final with a 3 1 victory. On 20 April 2014, he suffered another injury, this time breaking his arm in a 2 0 win against Olhanense, on the same day Benfica clinched their 33rd league title. Although initially expected to miss the remainder of the season, he returned to action just ten days later as a substitute in a 0 0 draw against Juventus, which saw Benfica qualify for their second consecutive UEFA Europa League final. Despite his season being plagued by injuries, Salvio celebrated significant success as the club achieved a domestic treble.
Salvio commenced the 2014-15 season with goals against Paços de Ferreira and Vitória Sétubal. His only European goal of the season was scored against Bayer Leverkusen on 1 October 2014. Four days later, he scored his third league goal of the season against Arouca and provided an assist in a 4 0 home victory. On 22 November, he scored twice in a 4 1 win against Moreirense in the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup. On 18 January 2015, Salvio scored another two goals in a 4 0 away win at Marítimo in the Primeira Liga. On the final day of the season, he suffered another injury, tearing his ACL in his right knee again, which caused him to miss most of the 2015-16 season.
Salvio returned from injury on 12 February 2016, coming on as a substitute in a 2 1 home loss to Porto. He primarily made sporadic substitute appearances during the final three months of the season, struggling to regain his previous form. Nevertheless, he was still able to celebrate another league and league cup triumph.
On 16 June 2016, Salvio renewed his contract with Benfica for an additional two seasons. By 28 October, after scoring the second goal in a 3 0 victory against Paços de Ferreira, Salvio became the Argentine player with the most goals for Benfica (42), surpassing his former teammate Nicolás Gaitán. On 12 December, he scored his third career goal against city rivals Sporting, but during the second half of the same match, he suffered another serious injury, dislocating his right shoulder. He recovered in less than a month and helped the club secure their fourth consecutive league title. On 29 May 2017, during the 2017 Taça de Portugal Final, he scored a header against Vitória de Guimarães. During the 2017-18 season, Salvio scored 9 goals in 26 appearances, finishing as the club's second top scorer, behind Jonas.
2.4. Boca Juniors
On 18 July 2019, Benfica announced that Salvio had returned to his home country to join Boca Juniors. His spell at Boca Juniors included winning the Primera División twice in 2019-20 and 2022, the Copa Argentina in 2019-20, and the Copa de la Liga Profesional twice in 2020 and 2022.
2.5. UNAM Pumas
On 4 July 2022, Salvio was announced as a new player for Mexican side UNAM Pumas for the Apertura 2022 season. His time there was relatively brief.
2.6. Return to Lanús
On 2 July 2024, Salvio made a return to his boyhood club, Lanús, where he currently plays.
3. International career
Eduardo Salvio has represented Argentina at both youth and senior national team levels.
3.1. Youth national team
In January 2009, Salvio was selected to join the Argentina under-20 squad for the 2009 South American Youth Championship held in Venezuela. Despite his individual performance where he scored four goals, the national team underperformed in the championship, ultimately failing to qualify for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, thereby being unable to defend their 2007 title.
3.2. Senior national team
On 20 May 2009, at the age of 18, Salvio made his full international debut in a friendly match against Panama. The Argentine squad for this match was composed entirely of players based in the Argentine Primera División, and they secured a 3 1 victory. He also played against Chile in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match on 8 October 2011.
In May 2018, Salvio was included in Argentina's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He featured in the team's first two matches of the tournament, notably playing in the position of a right-back, showcasing his versatility.
4. Career statistics
4.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lanús | 2008-09 | Primera División | 29 | 9 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 31 | 9 | |
| 2009-10 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 4 | 2 | 16 | 4 | |||
| Total | 41 | 11 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 2 | 47 | 13 | ||
| Atlético Madrid | 2009-10 | La Liga | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2011-12 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | 16 | 5 | 48 | 8 | |||
| Total | 43 | 5 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 5 | 69 | 10 | ||
| Benfica | 2010-11 | Primeira Liga | 19 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 39 | 10 |
| 2012-13 | 29 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 51 | 13 | ||
| 2013-14 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 22 | 2 | ||
| 2014-15 | 29 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 38 | 13 | ||
| 2015-16 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2016-17 | 29 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 42 | 9 | ||
| 2017-18 | 26 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 9 | ||
| 2018-19 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 28 | 6 | ||
| Total | 166 | 38 | 25 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 60 | 12 | 266 | 62 | ||
| Boca Juniors | 2019-20 | Primera División | 17 | 6 | 1 | 0 | - | 5 | 1 | 23 | 7 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 11 | 6 | 18 | 7 | |||
| 2021 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 13 | 1 | |||
| 2022 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 4 | ||
| Total | 44 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 73 | 19 | ||
| UNAM | 2022-23 | Liga MX | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 294 | 64 | 31 | 8 | 18 | 5 | 112 | 27 | 455 | 104 | ||
4.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | |
5. Honours
5.1. Club
Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Europa League: 2009-10, 2011-12
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2009-10
Benfica
- Primeira Liga: 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2018-19
- Taça de Portugal: 2013-14, 2016-17
- Taça da Liga: 2010-11, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2014, 2016, 2017
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2012-13, 2013-14
Boca Juniors
- Primera División: 2019-20, 2022
- Copa Argentina: 2019-20
- Copa de la Liga Profesional: 2020, 2022
5.2. Individual
- 2017 Taça de Portugal Final Man of the match