Matias Fernandez-Pardo

Matias Fernandez-Pardo
Fernandez-Pardo with Lille in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (2005-02-03) 3 February 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth Brussels, Belgium
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Lille
Number 19
Youth career
Anderlecht
Mechelen
2014–2020 Lille
2020–2022 Gent
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2024 Gent II 38 (4)
2023–2024 Gent 20 (9)
2024– Lille 10 (1)
International career‡
2020 Belgium U15 1 (0)
2021 Belgium U17 1 (0)
2023 Belgium U18 3 (0)
2023– Belgium U19 10 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 December 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024

Matias Fernandez-Pardo (born 3 February 2005) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Lille.

Early life

Matias Fernandez-Pardo was born on 3 February 2005 in Brussels, Belgium within a family of Spanish and Italian descent.[2] He started playing football at Anderlecht and Mechelen, and then joined French Ligue 1 club Lille academy in 2014.[2] He stayed in Northern France until 2020 when he chose to come back in Belgium and join Gent youth system.[2]

Club career

Gent

During the 2022–23 season, he was selected for Jong KAA Gent, the promising team of Gent, where he managed to score two goals in 26 appearances. On 9 March 2023, he made his official debut with Gent's first team: in a Conference League match against Istanbul Başakşehir (1–1 draw), coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck brought him on as a substitute for Hugo Cuypers in the 85th minute.[3] On 1 April 2023, he joined the first team in his first league appearance against Seraing in a match that ended 5–0 for Gent. His first professional goal came in a 5–0 win against Charleroi.[4]

Fernandez-Pardo signed a contract extension with Gent in June 2023 until mid-2026.[5] In the 2024 winter transfer window, he was linked with a move to Lecce or Real Valladolid.[6][7] After Gent managed to secure a ticket to the Conference League, it was reported that Bayer Leverkusen was interested in recruiting him.[8][9] During the 2023–24 Belgian Pro League play-offs, he played in each of the 10 matches and scored 7 goals, as well as providing two assists.[2]

Lille

On 30 August 2024, Fernandez-Pardo officially returned to Ligue 1 club Lille, signing a five-year contract for the club he left as an academy player four years ago.[2] According to various columnists and reporters, the financial details of the transfer include an initial and base fee of €10 million and a maximum of €2 million add-ons depending on sporting conditions.[10][11][12] On 10 November, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 2–2 draw at Nice after a rush on the left wing.[13]

International career

Born in Belgium, Fernandez-Pardo is also eligible to represent Spain and holds dual-citizenship.[14] In November 2023, he was called up for the European Under-19 Cup qualifying matches and scored the winning brace against Albania.[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 20 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Gent II 2022–23 Belgian National Division 1 26 2 — — — 26 2
2023–24 Belgian National Division 1 12 2 — — — 12 2
Total 38 4 — — — 38 4
Gent 2022–23 Belgian Pro League 1 0 0 0 1[a] 0 — 2 0
2023–24 Belgian Pro League 16 8 0 0 3[a] 0 — 19 8
2024–25 Belgian Pro League 3 1 0 0 4[a] 1 — 7 2
Total 20 9 0 0 8 1 — 28 10
Lille 2024–25 Ligue 1 10 1 1 0 5[b] 0 — 16 1
Career total 68 14 1 0 13 1 0 0 82 15
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Conference League
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Belgium - M. Fernandez-Pardo - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
  2. ^ a b c d e "Le prometteur attaquant belge, Matias Fernandez-Pardo est un Dogue". LOSC (in French). 30 August 2024. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Ook AA Gent mag na gelijkspel tegen Basaksehir nog dromen in Conference League: Gift Orban is weer held van de avond | Het Nieuwsblad".
  4. ^ "" On va jouer avec ceux qui ont envie de sauver le club " : le Sporting de Charleroi va jouer sa survie en Pro League lors des Playdowns". sudinfo.be. 18 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Matias Fernandez-Pardo verlengt contract | KAA Gent Website". KAA Gent.
  6. ^ "Dal Belgio: Lecce interessato al 18enne Fernández-Pardo". 30 January 2024.
  7. ^ "El Valladolid habría puesto el ojo en Matías Fernández-Pardo". OneFootball. 16 August 2024.
  8. ^ "'Duitse landskampioen komt speler ophalen bij KAA Gent'". OneFootball. 14 June 2024.
  9. ^ De Graeve, Sander (20 May 2024). "Fernandez-Pardo dé uitblinker bij AA Gent met twee goals en een assist: "Ik geniet vooral van mijn eerste assist"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  10. ^ Van Damme, Michael (30 August 2024). "Matias Fernandez-Pardo keert terug naar Lille, AA Gent vangt minstens tien miljoen euro: "Droom om Champions League te spelen"". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  11. ^ Marcant, Raphaël (30 August 2024). "Mercato : Accord trouvé entre le LOSC et le KAA Gent pour Matias Fernandez-Pardo". Le Petit Lillois (in French). Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  12. ^ Aouna, Santi; Denis, Sébastien (30 August 2024). "Matias Fernandez-Pardo est proche du LOSC". Foot Mercato (in French). Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  13. ^ Penot, Hervé (11 November 2024). "« Je suis revenu car il y a tout pour que les jeunes progressent ici » : Fernandez-Pardo, un prometteur retour à Lille". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Kassa, kassa voor KAA Gent: Fernandez-Pardo". VoetbalBelgie.
  15. ^ "Twee doelpunten voor Fernandez-Pardo | KAA Gent Website". KAA Gent.
  16. ^ Marcant, Raphaël (30 November 2024). "« C'est sûr, il marquera encore des buts », Matias Fernandez-Pardo (LOSC) élu « Pépite du Mois » de novembre en Ligue 1". Le Petit Lillois (in French). Retrieved 1 December 2024.