Gustavo Rubén Caballero González (born 21 September 2001) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Primera División club Nacional.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gustavo Rubén Caballero González | ||
| Date of birth | 21 September 2001 | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Nacional Asunción | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019 | Deportivo Capiatá | 7 | (0) |
| 2022 | Sportivo Ameliano | 12 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Nacional Asunción | 33 | (4) |
| 2023 | Sportivo Ameliano | 8 | (0) |
| 2024– | Nacional Asunción | 18 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Paraguay Olympic | 2 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 June 2024.[2] ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 July 2024.[2] | |||
Club career
editCaballero made his debut in the Paraguayan Primera División on 12 July 2019, starting for Club Deportivo Capiatá in their 1–0 home win over Sportivo Luqueño.[3] His senior career did not resume again until the 2022 season, when he scored his first two goals with Sportivo Ameliano, both in games against Club Olimpia.[4]
In July 2022, Caballero joined Club Nacional, who had been in irregular form and mid-table positions in the first half of the season.[4] In his second game for La Academia on 25 July, he scored his first goal in a 2–1 win at 12 de Octubre Football Club.[5] On 28 February 2023, he scored his first continental goal in the Copa Libertadores, albeit in a 5–1 loss away to Sporting Cristal of Peru, eliminating his side 5–3 on aggregate; he was soon afterwards demoted to the reserve team as a punishment for alleged tactical disobedience.[6] He returned to Ameliano for the second half of the 2023 season.[7]
International career
editCaballero made his debut for the Paraguay national under-23 football team on 8 June 2024 as a substitute in a 4–0 friendly loss to neighbours Argentina. He was named in the squad for the 2024 Olympic event in France, but was moved to standby after veteran Fabián Balbuena received late permission from FC Dynamo Moscow.[8] Caballero was restored to the main team days later when Fabrizio Peralta was denied permission by his Brazilian club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube,[9] and then dropped again as Julio Enciso was allowed to play by Brighton & Hove Albion.[10] On the day before the tournament, he was finally reinstalled in the squad when Diego González suffered an injury.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Paris 2024 Olympics - CABALLERO Gustavo". Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ a b Gustavo Caballero at Soccerway. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Con gol de Sasá, Capiatá castigó a Luqueño" [With goal from Sasá, Capiatá punished Luqueño] (in Spanish). Versus. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Gustavo Caballero, el futbolista que sorprendió en Ameliano y ahora refuerza Nacional" [Gustavo Caballero, the footballer who surprised at Ameliano and now bolsters Nacional] (in Spanish). Versus. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Nacional se convierte en escolta y hunde al 12 de Octubre" [Nacional go defensive and sink 12 de Octubre] (in Spanish). D10. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Gustavo Caballero, separado del equipo: "Supuestamente soy desobediente tácticamente"" [Gustavo Caballero, separated from the team: "Apparently I'm tactically disobedient"] (in Spanish). Versus. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Altas y bajas de los 12 clubes de cara al torneo Clausura 2023" [Ins and outs of the 12 clubs ahead of the 2023 Clausura tournament] (in Spanish). Versus. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Roberto Jr. Fernández y Fabián Balbuena, citados a París 2024" [Roberto Jr. Fernández and Fabián Balbuena, called up to Paris 2024]. ABC Color. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Gustavo Caballero, sustituto de Fabrizio Peralta en París 2024" [Gustavo Caballero, Fabrizio Peralta's replacement at Paris 2024] (in Spanish). ABC Color. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "Refuerzo estrella: Julio Enciso está para jugar los Juegos Olímpicos" [Star addition: Julio Enciso will play in the Olympic Games] (in Spanish). Versus. 13 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
- ^ "El sentido mensaje de Diego González tras quedar fuera: "Tenía muchas ganas"" [Diego González's heartfelt message after being cut: "I was looking forward so much"] (in Spanish). Versus. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.