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Jairo O'Neil
Personal information
Full name	Jairo Sebastián O'Neil López
Date of birth	31 July 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth	Paso de los Toros, Uruguay
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Left-back
Team information
Current team	Sud América
Number	15
Youth career
	Peñarol
Senior career*
Years	Team
2022	Peñarol
2023	Fénix
2023	Unión Santa Fe
2024	Argentinos Juniors
2024–	Sud América
International career
2023	Uruguay U23
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 September 2024

Jairo Sebastián O'Neil López (born 31 July 2001)^[1] is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Uruguayan Segunda División club Sud América.

Early and personal life

Born in Paso de los Toros, Tacuarembó Department, O'Neil was a cousin of Uruguay international footballer Fabián O'Neill (1973–2022), who played in the Italian Serie A for Cagliari and Juventus. While his cousin began his career at Nacional, O'Neil came through at their Uruguayan Clásico rivals Peñarol,^[1] the club he supports.^[2]

The family surname came from Michael O'Neill, who emigrated from County Cork in Ireland to Uruguay in 1837.^[3]

Club career

O'Neil signed a contract with Peñarol in December 2021, to last until the end of July. He was signed due to injuries to Juan Manuel Ramos and Valentín Rodríguez.^[4] Days later, he had his first involvement with the first team, remaining an un unused substitute in a 3–1 home win over Sud América on the final day of the Uruguayan Primera División season. ^[5]

O'Neil made his debut on 21 May 2022, playing in a 1–0 home win over Boston River when Ramos was injured after 18 minutes.^[2] Four days later he played the full length of a 2–1 win over Colón of Argentina in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, also at the Estadio Campeón del Siglo.^[6]

O'Neil's contract at Peñarol expired in July 2022 and he trained with Unión de Santa Fe in Argentina for six months without gaining a contract under compatriot manager Gustavo Munúa, eventually returning to his homeland's top flight with Fénix in February 2023.^[7] On 23 August that year he returned to Unión on a contract until the end of 2025, on a free transfer. He was not chosen by manager Kily González during an eventually successful fight against relegation, and missed several games due to involvement with the Uruguay under-23 team. In December 2023, he was released.^[8]^[9]

In January 2024, O'Neil remained in the Argentine Primera División, signing with Argentinos Juniors until the end of 2025.^[10] Halfway through the year he returned to his country on a free transfer, signing for Sud América in the Uruguayan Segunda División.^[11]

International career

O'Neil was part of the Uruguay under-23 squad at the 2023 Pan American Games in Chile. In the fifth-place playoff against Colombia, he came on as a late substitute and scored the first attempt as his country won in a penalty shootout after a goalless draw.^[12]

References

^ ^a ^b Arrillaga, Enrique (1 December 2001). "Jairo O'Neill [sic], el primo de Fabián que espera por su oportunidad en el primer equipo de Peñarol" [Jairo O'Neil, Fabián's cousin who waits for his opportunity in the Peñarol first team]. El País (Uruguay) (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Se lesionó Ramos en Peñarol y debutó el juvenil Jairo O'Neill [sic]: conocé aquí su historia" [Ramos was injured for Peñarol and youth player Jairo O'Neil made his debut: get to know his story]. El Observador (in Spanish). 21 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ O'Neill Malcolm, Conrad (2008). "Fabián O'Neill, football player". Society for Irish Latin American Studies. 6 (1). Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ "Jairo O'Neill [sic] firmó contrato" [Jairo O'Neil signed a contract] (in Spanish). Padre y Decano. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ Benítez, Pablo (14 January 2022). "¿Quiénes son los juveniles que entrenan con el primer equipo de Peñarol?" [Who are the youth players training with the Peñarol first team?]. El Observador (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ "Quién es Jairo O'Neill [sic], el juvenil uruguayo que entrena con el plantel de Unión" [Who is Jairo O'Neil, the young Uruguayan who is training with Unión's squad]. El Litoral (in Spanish). 24 August 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ "El extraño caso del «refuerzo» que… se va de Unión sin debutar?" [The strange case of the "signing" who... is leaving Unión without making his debut?] (in Spanish). Soy Deportes. 4 February 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ "Vino dos veces de Uruguay a Unión, no jugó nunca y se fue a Argentinos Jrs.: la increíble historia de Jairo O'Neil" [He came to Unión from Uruguay twice, never played and left for Argentinos Jrs.: the incredible story of Jairo O'Neil] (in Spanish). Santa Fe Deportivo. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ "Unión prescindió de Jairo O'Neil y podrían salir varios más" [Unión released Jairo O'Neil and several others could also leave] (in Spanish). Uno Santa Fe. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ "Jairo O'Neil fue presentado en Argentinos Juniors" [Jairo O'Neil was presented by Argentinos Juniors] (in Spanish). Soy Deportes. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
^ "Mercado de pases del fútbol argentino: altas y bajas para la Liga Profesional 2024" [Argentine football transfer market: ins and outs of the 2024 Liga Profesional] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
^ Barrios, Francisco (1 November 2023). "Panamericanos: Uruguay venció 4-3 por penales a Colombia y se quedó con el quinto puesto" [Pan American Games: Uruguay won 4-3 on penalties against Colombia and ended in fifth place] (in Spanish). Fútbol.com.uy. Retrieved 30 May 2024.