1. Overview
Fabricio Díaz Badaracco (born 3 February 2003) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Qatar Stars League club Al-Gharafa. Standing at 69 in (176 cm) and weighing 143 lb (65 kg), Díaz is known for his central midfield role. He began his professional career with Liverpool Montevideo in his home country, where he made his debut at a young age and quickly became a key player. He later transferred to Al-Gharafa in Qatar, despite receiving notable offers from prominent European clubs. Díaz has also achieved significant success in his international career, serving as captain of the Uruguay U-20 team that won the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and was runner-up in the 2023 South American U-20 Championship. He has also been called up to the senior national team.
2. Early Life
Díaz was born on 3 February 2003 in La Paz, Canelones, Uruguay. He is the son of Gabriel Díaz and Verónica Badaracco. Through his mother, he has Italian descent.
3. Club Career
Fabricio Díaz progressed through the youth academies in Uruguay before embarking on his professional club career, first achieving significant success with Liverpool Montevideo and later moving to Al-Gharafa.
3.1. Liverpool Montevideo
Díaz is a youth academy graduate of Liverpool Montevideo. He made his professional debut for the club on 2 February 2020, on the eve of his 17th birthday, in the 2020 Supercopa Uruguaya against Nacional. In this match, he played the entire 120 minutes and scored his first professional goal, which was the team's fourth goal, contributing to a 4-2 victory and securing the cup title. Following this impressive debut, Díaz also made his league and continental debuts later in the same month. His continental debut occurred on 12 February 2020, in a Copa Sudamericana match against Llaneros de Guanare, which Liverpool won 2-0. A week later, on 19 February 2020, he made his Uruguayan Primera División debut in a 1-0 win against Plaza Colonia. Díaz quickly established himself as a starter and a key player for the team, even as a teenager.
3.2. Al-Gharafa
On 18 September 2023, Fabricio Díaz officially joined Qatar Stars League club Al-Gharafa on a five-year deal. This move came despite receiving significant offers from prominent European clubs, including Barcelona in Spain and Brighton in England.
4. International Career
Fabricio Díaz has represented Uruguay at both youth and senior international levels, notably leading the U-20 team to major success.
4.1. Uruguay U-20
Díaz was a key member and served as captain of the Uruguayan U-20 side. Under his leadership, the team achieved significant milestones. They were the runner-up in the 2023 South American U-20 Championship. Later in 2023, he captained the team to victory in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Argentina, securing a historic title for Uruguay. He recorded 32 appearances and scored 10 goals for the Uruguay U-20 team.
4.2. Uruguay Senior Team
Fabricio Díaz received his first call-up to the senior national team on 22 March 2022. This call-up came as a replacement for Matías Vecino, who had tested positive for COVID-19. Later that year, on 21 October 2022, he was included in Uruguay's 55-man preliminary squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
5. Career Statistics
The following table provides a comprehensive breakdown of Fabricio Díaz's appearances and goals across various club and international competitions, updated as of 13 August 2024.
Regarding the competition types: "National Cup" includes the Copa Uruguay and the Emir of Qatar Cup. "League Cup" specifically refers to the Qatari Stars Cup. "Continental" appearances for Liverpool Montevideo encompass matches in the Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores, while for Al-Gharafa, it includes the AFC Champions League Elite. The "Other" category for Liverpool Montevideo comprises appearances in the Supercopa Uruguaya, championship playoff matches, and the Torneo Intermedio final. For Al-Gharafa, "Other" includes the Qatar Cup.
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Liverpool Montevideo | 2020 | UPD | 35 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 1 | ||
| 2021 | UPD | 28 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 0 | - | 30 | 1 | ||||
| 2022 | UPD | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
| 2023 | UPD | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Total | 107 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 122 | 5 | ||
| Al-Gharafa | 2023-24 | QSL | 15 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| 2024-25 | QSL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 123 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 146 | 6 | ||
6. Honours
Fabricio Díaz has accumulated several team and individual honors throughout his career at both club and international youth levels.
6.1. Club Honours
Liverpool Montevideo
- Uruguayan Primera División: 2023
- Supercopa Uruguaya: 2020
6.2. International Honours
Uruguay U20
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2023
- South American U-20 Championship runner-up: 2023
6.3. Individual Honours
- Uruguayan Primera División Team of the Year: 2022